Late Romans for WAB now in movement trays

 I've a couple of games of WAB booked for next month, so I dusted off last winter's project, my Late Romans and have spent the last couple of weeks finishing off some part complete units.  I had the front rank of these Wargames Atlantic Late Romans in Spangenhelms finished this time last year, but ran out of steam with the rest of the unit.  So, I finished the second rank and added a third rank of Gripping Beast archers.  This will be my elite infantry unit.  The officer is "Arthur", purchased from Col Bills.  The shield design is generic, derived from on of the illustrations in Fall of the West.

The Herculiani Seniores, the only historical unit I know as I used decals from The Baggage Train for their shields.  All figures are Gripping Beast.

A mix of Gripping Beast and Wargames Atlantic figures provide another unit of pedites in a darker green uniform.  Shield design is again a hand drawn generic version based on Fall of the West.

Gripping Beast figures in vermillion with plain pale blue shields, based on an illustration from the Notitia Dignitatum. 

And finally, for now, a pair of newly painted Scorpions, ready to keep elephants at bay, or at least enrage them, or to provoke warbands into attacking.  These are from Wargames Foundry and kindly sent to me by Richard Phillips (many thanks Mr P).

Movement trays are from Warbases.  I tried to purchase these at a show, but was disappointed to find out they don't carry them to shows, so had to order by mail.  Still, postage was reasonable and turn around very quick.

I have another set of Scorpions and a handful of Gripping Beast unarmoured pedites, which I'm painting as marines, to be used as skirmishers.  I also have a box of Cataphracts, although I suspect they may not be ready in time for December, so my Goth heavy cavalry will probably have to serve in their place.  Finally, an impulse buy from the last show was a bag of sub-Roman pedites from Col Bills, 12 spearmen, musician, standard bearer and commander.  I might do these in a less uniform set of more homespun colours, with a view to using them as sub-Roman or as Limitanii or Romanized foederatii (apparently Romanitas was much prized even among "barbarian" tribes picking over the spoils of the collapsing western empire).

As ever, thanks for looking.

Saga Age of Invasions

 Played a game of Saga Age of Invasions at the club last month.  6pts of my Late Romans vs 6pts of Dennis' Huns.

The plucky Romans deployed in line with infantry in the centre and cavalry to the flanks, in this case Gothic elite cavalry (3 x hearthguard units), pedyts (2 x warrior units) and sagitarii (1 x warrior unit).  The aim was to try to restrict the Huns movement by hemming them in with the Roman line.

The Gothic elite cavalry on the left flank all geared up to charge.

The Roman infantry and Goth cavalry on the right flank ready to try to push the Huns into the corner.

Alas, it was not to be.  With Dennis getting first activation, his light cavalry swarms dealt a death blow to one of the Gothic cavalry units on the left flank, from which the whole force never recovered.  The Huns swept around the Roman left, despatching unit after unit, with little harm to themselves, although one unit of horse archers was reduced to three figures.

All in all, a disaster for Roman arms against the much more mobile Huns.  I foresee a need for the Romans to secure light cavalry of their own, plus consider using levy light cavalry to provide increased force size to help with the hemming in.

Thanks for looking.

Late Roman heavy cavalry

 Several years ago, I bought a bag of Late Roman cavalry from a friend at the club.  Finally, the armored versions made it on to the painting table.  Troopers and horses appear to be Gripping Beast metals (thanks for feedback in the comments), but I cant find a source for the chap in cloak that I'm using as the signifer.  Spears are from various Gripping Beast plastics, as too is the labarum.

The complete unit.

The signifer with hand painted labarum showing the chiro symbol.  It has never occurred to me before that churches carry religious icons based on third century Roman military rallying signs.

Some of the troopers - a tough looking bunch, hopefully.

So, plans are afoot for more cavalry (the unarmored figures I bought alongside these), infantry (at least two more Gripping Beast boxes), limitani/foederati using GB dark age warriors and a box of the GB cataphracts.  I also have a crazy idea to use the Victrix war elephants with a suitable Late Roman crew.

Thanks for looking.

28mm Late Romans

I meant to post these pictures at the end of September, but real life got in the way.

Saga and Warhammer Ancient Battles (WAB) seem to have emerged as a focus of interest at the club, with several members building up Dark Ages forces.  I already had the basics of a 4pt Saga Late Roman force, so have beefed it up with some additional forces to a 6+ Saga force, which will provide the core of a WAB force in due course.

Some elite Gothic cavalry (heavy shock cavalry or cataphracts depending on how I'm feeling).  Gripping Beast plastics provide 12 figures, so 3x4 Hearthguard or 1x8 Warrior and 1x4 Hearthguard.

All 12 figures.

A bit more detail.

A pack of 12 light cavalry, armed with assorted bows and javelins.  I could use these as 1x12 Levy or an 8x12 Warrior unit with some spares.

More detail on a couple of the figures.

A unit of armored pedites, 1x8 Warriors or 2x4 Hearthguard.

A unit of unarmored pedites, 1x8 Warriors.

A unit of sagittarii, 1x8 Warriors.

Another unit of sagittarii, 1x8 Warriors.

A unit or unarmored pedites, 1x8 Warriors, in vermillion tunics.

A foot command group of general (Warlord) with a signifer/draconarius and cornicen. 

The signifer/draconarius and cornicen.

The general.

Next steps are to finish painting up two units of heavy shock cavalry and I have a second box of the Gripping Beast plastics infantry to double the size of the infantry units - although I will need another box as each unit is likely to need at least 24 figures for WAB, possibly more.  I also plan to make up some Limitani using the Dark Age Warriors plastics set and will add a box of Cataphractoi at an upcoming show.  Might even try to convert the Victrix African war elephants for use by a Late Roman army.  Oh, and some bolt throwers will come in handy.

Thanks for looking.

28mm Late Romans

Some time ago now I picked up a box of plastic Saga Late Roman infantry.  I bought a Scotti Saga army at Gauntlet in the summer, so figured I could get some games in with a sub-Roman mini campaign involving a Roman field force, Scotti and Anglo-Danish army (masquerading as Saxons minus the Dane axes).  In the run-up to Christmas I made a start on the Romans.

Armoured legionaries (1pt of Hearthguard).

Another unit of armoured legionaries.

Unarmoured legionaries or auxilia (1pt of Warriors).

Archers

Command group of general, dragon bearer and musician (Warlord).

The army so far.

So, I still have a unit of unarmoured legionaries and a unit of archers to paint.  I also bought a Gripping Beast box of 12 Late Roman light horse, assembling 6 as mounted archers and 6 as javelin armed.  Then I also bought some metal heavy cavalry, enough for a unit of heavy armoured cavalry and a unit of unarmoured medium cavalry.  I also plan to add a unit of super-heavy cataphract horse to the army as well.  I'm also tempted to add a box of Gripping Beast Dark Age warriors to use as Limitani in a Late Roman force or as sub-Roman Britons with some Arthurian cavalry.  Not sure how far down the route I'll go as I'm also keen to get a 20mm force organised for Battlegroup Pacific due out later this year (thinking USMC) and I want some 28mm Muskets and Tomohawks or pirates figures for at least one game of Sharpe Practice next year, set in an imaginary Indian Ocean.

Thanks for looking.

Saga army finished at last

My main Christmas 2013 present from the missus was a 6pt Saga Anglo-Danish army from Gripping Beast.  I started work on them in September 2014 and I finally managed to complete the last unit a week ago, a little over 2 years after I started - how's that for progress?

The last unit completed were a group of 12 sling-armed levy.  I've kitted them out in some rather drab brown, beige and grey colours with some washed out greens and reds, on the basis they would be dressed in homespun  clothing dyed with natural materials.

The complete warband.  Levy slingers in front, two units of 8 unarmoured warriors in the second rank and a unit of 8 armoured warriors in the third rank.  At the rear is the warlord, armed with a Dane axe, plus a similarly armed unit of 4 hearthguard and a Saxon leader, representing an exiled Saxon advisor/hero.

From the front.

From their left flank.

From their right.

Looking through the centre of the ranks.

Bearing in mind the snails pace of progress on the Anglo-Danes, I have no idea when these will be wrapped up, but my son persuaded me to buy him a pack of Gripping Beast Late Roman plastics.  I tried painting one of the leaders and a musician as a try out.  I don't think they have turned out too badly and he seems pleased with them.  I was going to try and paint the shield designs by hand, but on seeing the decal examples from the Baggage Train, I decided to get a couple of packs to kit out the pack.  So the officers shield will need to be painted out in white before applying the decal.

 
So, with a big 6mm game coming up I've been finishing off the last of my 1980s Turks, in the form of an F-4 Phantom, my only air support, which is currently drying on the bench after being varnished.  Now to decide which is the next part finished project to wrap up.

As ever, thanks for looking.