Work in progress ...

I didn't get quite as much done last night as I had hoped, but the work I did looks promising.

Here are some so-so images of some of the things I have on the go at the moment ...

Work in progress: The growing artillery park needs a commander, and here he is. The specialist centurion – who doesn't have a name yet (suggestions anyone?) – is a Wargames Foundry figure. The kneeling fellow is from the Warlord Games’ Scorpion battery boxed set. When I saw this set I had this little vignette in my head almost immediately.

Work in progress: Some of the figures being prepared at the moment, clockwise: scorpiones; western archers with the first standing archer (I failed to do another last night); 1st Corps auxiliary cavalry – the centre figure is one that I prepared last night (the reason for no more archers) ... a decurio, I swapped his head for a Warlord Games’ attic helmeted one and I'm enlarging the focale (scarf) with milliput.

Slow ... steady ...

Just finished working so now I can turn my attention to recruiting and equipping my Roman cohort, a vexillatio of Legio VI Ferrata.

I'm thinking about how to paint the tunics on the archers when I've finished assembling them ... actually I really like the simple off-white look that I've used for my engineers and war machine crews ... but I fancy doing something with a stripe ...then again I'm planning white tunics and dark blue stripes for my Praetorian century ... decisions, decisions ...

Slow but steady progress ...

This evening I finished varnishing the scorpion crews, started painting the scorpions, assembled another auxiliary cavalryman, and strung another archer’s bow. I'm working on the standing figures now, and it seems the bows will be a lot easier to string.

I’m planning on assembling one cavalry figure and one archer each evening ... like I said, slow but steady.

First auxiliary cavalryman

I decided to start work on my first cavalry turma. These will comprise eight figures (at a figure ratio of 3:1) giving a slightly under-strength unit.

I have 16 1st Corps figures waiting to be assembled and painted. These come as a mix of spear- and sword-armed figures, with a preponderance of the former. I decided to have each turma armed differently, one with spears and one with swords.

I’m making the extra swords from arms left over from the Warlord Games’ dromedarii.

Carefully removing the hand, shaping the hilt, guard and pommel produces a passable result.

I've got some figures to sell

I'm finally getting around to clearing a few abandoned projects: MiniFigs 15mm and 25mm Naploeonics, and Foundry 25mm Wars of the Roses figures. So I’ve made a new page 'For sale'.


Have a look and let me know if you would like to take any of these off my hands.

Scorpion: the legionaries’ sting!

I've managed to steal some time to make quite a bit of progress with the scorpions: I've assembled and painted the crew figures and assembled two scorpions (I'm not sure of the latin here, but I'll correct it when I've found out).

I admit I've been a bit distracted by my Roman artillery project, but these have been fun pieces to do and make a nice change from painting another century of legionaries. I'm looking forward to cracking on with my western archers for the same reason ...

Two scorpiones. These are nicely detailed but require careful removal of mould lines, which is tricky, especially around the tops of the twisted skeins.

I have used the metal figures from Warlord Games’ war machines set with the plastic figures from the Scorpion Battery set. The detailing of the latter’s plastic figures has much in common with the metal sculpts, so they mix well.

Not Maximus, but Tiberius Claudius Maximus

Once Warlord Games announced the mounted version of Maximus Decimus Meridius I knew I would have to have one – even though I had no real need of the figure.

Well I have found a role: he’s to command my cavalry, a couple of turmae of cavalry and one of dromedarri. And he has a name: Tiberius Claudius Maximus.

The real Tiberius Claudius Maximus was a cavalry officer too. He is represented on Trajan’s column narrowly failing to capture the Dacian king Decebalus, who died by his own hand rather than be taken prisoner.

Tiberius Claudius Maximus ...

... and his warhound, Max

Roman field fortifications

I got rather excited at the inclusion of sudes spikes in the Warlord Games’ Roman Scorpion Battery set. Once I had made some progress with the figures and catapults I set about working out what to do with these useful obstacles.

I have also been making some stone walls, the sort that Roman legionaries may have constructed in the field: stone with rubble infill.

Work in progress: sudes spikes from the Warlord Games’ Roman Scorpion battery set. I could do with lots of these!

Stone walls made from a length of balsa wood, covered with cork chippings cut to look as if an attempt has been made to dress the stones. The top is then filled with small stones of various sizes to represent the rubble infill.

Roman auxiliary archers

I haven’t done anything more with these for a while, but thought I should share my work in progress.

I've finished stringing the bows of the kneeling figures (which takes ages), so I'll be getting around to the standing figures next.

At the moment I'm planning one century of sagittarii (archers to you). I haven't decided on the colour of their tunics yet ... decisions, decisions!

Warlord Games’ western archers

I've made some simple conversions from Warlord Games’ metal auxiliary centurio and the optio from the war machines set. I've added a vine staff from the plastic legionaries box to the centurio and some very stylish trousers to the optio.

New pages

I'm getting around to thinking about the structure of this blog, and today I have added a page about mounted auxiliaries and another about Roman legionaries.

Broken signum!

So annoying! While taking some photographs I managed to snap one of my signums.

I had nothing to lose so I decided to drill each part, pin and superglue. So far, so good ...

The signum was not lost ...

Something exciting came in the post today

I've been looking forward to these ever since they were announced: Warlord Games’ scorpion battery.

I was curious to see what other components were included, since the rumour was that the contents would offer lots of conversion possibilities.

I'm looking forward to assembling these to complete my Roman artillery park.

There are three identical spures. In addition to the catapult these comprise two crew figures, eight arm and four head options, a pair of feathers, and sudes spikes. The sculpting of the figures is particularly good (hands are a big improvement), and the poses are great. The extra arms will give me some welcome options for some of the small vignettes I have in mind.

Roman artillery

I've been getting quite excited about Roman artillery recently. I've just finished a ballista and an onagar, both Warlord Games miniatures.

At the moment I'm working on a command vignette which includes a specialist centurion.

Ballista and onagar behind wicker palisades.

Warlord Games’ ballista with Foundry centurion.

Warlord Games’ onagar The figure with the hammer is converted from the metal scorpion crew member holding a bolt.