A pleasant surprise …

I spent a bit of time on my new auxiliary cavalry over the bank holiday weekend.

I have applied the Little Big Men transfers to the shields and shaded the assembled figures and horses. I thought to have another look at the size of the figures, and was pleasantly surprised (and relieved, if I’m honest) to discover that the Victrix figures are visually compatible with my 1st Corps figures.

The shields caught me out: I completely failed to notice that they are three different sizes … must be my age. Anyhow, the results are quite acceptable, but I will bear this in mind when it comes to preparing the infantry.
 

Work in progress: a couple of figures from my 1st Corps Roman auxilia turma and a Victrix Numidian.

Work in progress: ready for touching-up (once the chap on the left has had some missing shading added).

Work in progress: the shields look the part.

Progress worthy of the subject

I have to observe that I haven’t enjoyed painting horses this much before. A combination of lovely, spirited mouldings, and varied coats for the animals, has proven involving.

I did a bit of research about pinto markings, including a fruitful enquiry over at The Miniatures Page (here).The tricky part was finding references for both sides of the animal.

As I mentioned below, I base coated the riders’ skin with matt ochre, hoping that it would give the right tone when washed with flesh. I’m pleased with the appearance so far; shading with The Army Painter strong tone ink, followed by a couple of coats of Duillcote laquer should finish them off nicely.
 

Work in progress: Victrix Numidian cavalry mounts.

Work in progress: Victrix Numidian cavalry riders.

Work in progress: Liquitex gesso primed shields.

Size comparison

I have been thinking about preparing some size comparisons for a while, especially since I have often found them useful.

Here’s the first, a quickie in respnse to a comment on one of my earlier posts: a comparison of 1st Corps Early Imperial Roman auxiliary cavalry with Victrix Numidian cavalry. The 1st Corps figure is actually quite small.

Sizing up, left-to-right: 1st Corps and Victrix horses; 1st Corps and Victrix riders.

Just what I needed!

The Numidian cavalry really do seem to have galvanised me – I haven’t felt this enthusiastic for my project for quite some time.

Here’s the progress so far for this ten miniature turma. I have given the figures a matt ochre base in an attemt to give them a Mediterranean skin tone. The white horses will be finished as black, grey and bay pintos.

Work in progress: pintos next …

Victrix Numidians … and a conundrum

I thought to finish a couple of my new Victrix Numidian cavalry figures, but once I had primed them and blocked-in the main colours I had an urge to keep going.

So I assembled the remaining eight figures for the turma.

These are lovely sculpts: excellent detail and athletic poses; the additional left hands carrying individual and pairs of javalins require minor surgery to add but are worth the effort. I ran out of these, but a quick survey of the Numidian infantry sprue confirmed that some of the parts are common; these also yielded an unbearded head with a helmet for the decurio.

I am looking forward to working on these spirited figures.

I have been looking longingly at Victrix’s recent releases of Early Imperial Romans … they are lovely sculpts too, with lots of detail and imaginitive but realistic poses. The command figures look great. These figures appear to be taller than Warlord Games’ Roman legionary figures, but about the same height as the latter’s auxiliaries; the Numidian infantry I have scale in much the same way. I am considering buying the advancing legionaries and finishing them as Praetorians … then I can make an assessment of size.

At this stage I am considering replacing my Warlord Romans with Victrix figures … that’s four centuriae, just under a hundred figures, so I have decided to shelve the veterans for the moment and finish everything else I have. On the bench or in boxes and bags I have Victrix Numidian cavalry (10 figures) and infantry (24 figures), Warlord Games auxiliary infantry (24 figures), and a turma of 1st Corps cavalry (10 figures). The Roman travelling coach (carpentum) will become a camp vignette, parked with a Praetorian guarding it. Then I shall have another think about the Victrix offering.

Victrix’s first vexillum transfer set looks promising too … if the next one includes Legio VI Ferrata that would solve my various vexilum and signum needs.

Work in progress: Victrix’s rather lovely Numidian cavalry.

Impetus …

It’s been a long time since I made any progress with this project, but the release of the Victrix Numidian infantry and cavalry have given me reasons to get back into the groove.

The sculpts are very fine – finer than my Warlord Games’ figures. These chaps are very athletic though, so the contrast in physique is acceptable.

The Roman travelling coach is now primed and the veteran Roman century that I began late in 2014 is half done.

I hope to have my Roman army finished by the end of this year.

Work in progress: Victrix Numidian infantry.

Work in progress: Victrix Numidian cavalry.

Work in progress: enough shield transfers for the infantry and cavalry.

Hiatus …

After a long period where life just seemed to take over, I am ready to overcome months of inertia.

Spurred on by the coincidence of reading Mary Beard’s SPQR: a History of Ancient Rome, watching her BBC Two series Ultimate Rome: Empire without limits, and a visit to the British Museum, a vignette seemed to be the ideal project to get my juices flowing again. An incentive from Warlord Games prompted me to buy their Roman travelling coach, or carpentum.

I would unreservedly recommend Beard’s book. It’s beautifully written and very accessible without dumbing down.

In the blister: Warlord Games’ Roman traveling coach … my next vignette.