French Gendarmes d'ordonnance

Finally out of the oven on the weekend some of Eureka's fine Gendarmes, these figures are superb and have a large number of variations due to the plug in weapon arm and plumes a real plus for the peons who like variation in their armies. I tried to tie the unit together primarily using red as the main colour so they look like a unit. Hopefully Joe will use them well in his French Army! 

cheers

matt

Pontic Thorakitai (imitation legionary's)

After Mithridates VI armies battlefield failure against the Romans in the second Mithridatic War, it prompted a radical change in his army. He almost replaced all of his phalangite units with thorakitai. Roman authors thought he was copying the Roman method (as he had a number of Roman advisors), but thorakitai had existed in eastern armies since the 3rd century BC, normally guarding the flanks of the phalangites or operating as heavy skirmishers, fighting with a large shield, short sword, thrusting spear and javelin. Mithridates' primary reforms increased their numbers and the quality of training. The Pontic thorakitai, while giving a good account in battle, ultimately they were defeated by the legionary's led by Lucullus in the third and final war.


This unit will join my Pontic army and also be suitable for my other earlier Successor Army (Antiochus III the Great) as the thorakitai guard perhaps. As with the rest of my Pontic army I have continued with the Greek mythology for the unit, so this unit has a image of a Calydonian Boar on its shields (VVV decals) and on the banner (hand painted). The figures are from Gripping Beast veteran Carthaginians range, although I have added some roman pilums into the throwing hands (I may possibly go back and replace with just javelins).

cheers

matt

A Gruesome Collection

A gruesome collection of heads from the Foundry Thracian Collection, I will use it as a marker for WAB some time in the future!

cheers
matt

Landsknechte Artillery

Out of the oven last week also some artillery. The Landsknechte mercenaries had artillery so finding suitable figures was a pain until I thought of Games Workshop. Some of their fantasy ranges are quite fanciful and over the top (to much accessories) but I managed to get some earlier GW miniatures that fit well for renaissance miniatures, and as a added bonus I like the gun also! GW sculptors do some very fine faces and I enjoyed painting them very much. The photos were taken at night so I may replace them with some daylight ones later next week.

cheer
Matt

Equites Exploratores

Equites Exploratores

Finished  some late Romans from A & A, they are just beautiful to paint and really look good, I remember drawing the shield from a mosaic as palace guards. I searched the Notitia Dignitatum but no reference exists for the shield pattern. I will continue to look around in my research books but until then they will remain unnamed!

Cheers
Matt

More Saxons

Well some more dark age Saxons out of the oven last week, these are from the crusader range, very nice models, the open hands are the only thing that annoys me as I prefer to drill out hands for spears rather than lay it in a open hand which tends to allow weapons to be knocked out under handling, all of the shields have been hand painted. These figs are actually for a customer in QLD and will end up on impetus bases beating up Vikings and Normans!!!!

cheers
matt