David Bickley's Wargames Blog

The occasional ramblings of an average gamer, journeyman painter, indifferent modeller, games designer, sometime writer for Wargames Illustrated and host of games in GHQ.



Friday 30 October 2015

What have the Romans ever done for us?

Well, a good question deserves an answer. In my case, the ongoing Late Roman project I mentioned in a previous post has kept me ticking over when the muse is really AWOL with a vengeance! I popped over to Wargames Foundry for the day a couple of weeks ago, intending to buy a few more packs of appropriate Hussar figures for my Austrians in the Wars of the French Revolution project.
Instead I came away with a few more packs of Late Romans, both cavalry and infantry command packs. As my painting muse is notably absent without leave I think I must have found the Austrians too daunting a prospect and postponed their purchase until next year: its not as if I don't have some other Austrians to be getting on with anyway. In fits and starts I've been painting these Late Roman figures up now to form four new command stands for our games.
Firstly, as Jon has no dedicated command stand when we play, I have made a base depicting Albinus, one of two rivals to Pompus Maximus for the throne of the Caesars. The colour scheme is red and white mainly for this base ~





















Then, two new command stands for the various cavalry formations in the two armies. The first for the Huns and Goths I think ~





















I'm not so keen on the second one now, the colours of brick red and ochre don't work together as well as I hoped. Perhaps the end result will improve after some matt varnish?






















Finally, a foot command stand for one of the infantry formations. Both armies have a number of Saxon warbands as allies, so this will do for one side's Allied General I hope ~





















In truth, they are pretty basic paint jobs on the whole, although they seem to have taken me forever. I guess my eye problem and the arthritis in my hand is taking its toll. But, so long as I enjoy it and can get a result which will do, I shall carry on regardless! In fact I've made a start on the fourth British Infantry unit for my 1914 British Expeditionary Force. As my great uncle Albert 'Jack' Boot served in the Coldstream Guards in the Great War I shall dedicate this new unit of British infantry to his memory. So far I've finished three: only twenty seven to go!


8 comments:

  1. I think they look really nice David! On the brick red it could view it as uniforms that have faded from the elements perhaps.

    Christopher

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    1. Thanks Christopher. We'll see how they look in a game tomorrow.

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  2. Very pretty, will they lead their troops to victory over the usurper Pompus I wonder.

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    1. Baldinus,the sun must have gone to your head! Prepare for disaster in tomorrow 's battle!

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  3. These miniatures look great and also very interesting basing.

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  4. Really nice figures. I am almost persuaded to put down the '44 figures and vehicles and go back to Rome. But that way lies madness until after next year's intercontinental removal. On the subject of Austrian Hussars have you thought about the Eureka ones? Graham , Delhi

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  5. Glad you liked the figures, Graham, and bothered to say so too. On the subject of Eureka, yes I have looked at them but they are so expensive compared to the Foundry ones, where I usually enjoy a decent discount too!

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