Auxilia infantry and minor surgery

Spurred on by my uncharacteristically rapid progress with the Numidian cavalry, I decided to make the most of my mood and move on straight away to the second centuria of auxiliary infantry.

I want these to be a bit different to the earlier centuria, with the front rank armed with the gladius and the rear rank armed with javelins.

I substituted Gripping Beast’s metal gladius for the javalin as required, and removed the hilt and pommel where moulded to the figures.

Work in progress: Gripping Beast gladius replaces Warlord Games’ javelin.

Work in progress: The metal Centurio had his rather thin looking javelin (by comparison) replaced with a plastic one.

Finally … the ox cart …

… or plaustrum, is finished! Two years in the making, completion spurred by a Christmas painting competition over on the Warlord Games’ forum (actually a Bolt Action thread).

In purist modelling terms it’s not perfect, for example I would have liked to make a better job of some of the smaller buckles on the harness. Nevertheless, overall I am pleased with it as a gaming piece – it’s quite impressive.

Wargames Foundry’s ox cart forms the basis of the model, enhanced with a brace of muscular North Star oxen, a load furnished by Baueda and Gripping Beast, and a pair of marching legionaries courtesy Warlord Games.

Three pieces near completion

Firstly, I have to say how much I like The Army Painter’s Strong Tone ink. With the demise of Citadel’s Devlan Mud I was worrying about a substitute which would give an effortless match to the shading I had done so far.

One of the things I loved about Devlan Mud was the way it ‘bronzed’ my gunmetal with aluminium dry brush armour. I had read that the Strong Tone dip worked well with bright colours – toning them down. I have to report that I found the application of Strong Tone ink to be easier than Devlan Mud – I just brushed it on quite liberally, and it seemed to pool perfectly. I am delighted with the finish: dark enough, tones down the colours nicely, and bronzes the armour just how I like it.

Let’s hear it for The Army Painter’s Strong Tone ink.

Work in progress: Another centuria nears completion … the first to be shaded with Strong Tone ink … all I had to do was touch up the flesh here and there (I tend not to do highlighting).

Work in progress: Auxilia command and ox cart. The ox cart is now laden. The base needs a little more attention (around the rear wheels), dry brushing (okay, so I do highlight my bases) and application of a few tufts. Then I will wrap the scale rope and varnish the cart.

Plodding along …

Progress can seem quite rapid when there are a number of units approaching completion at the same time.

Last night I fixed the scuta to the legionaries and did a bit of retouching. I hope to shade these fellows today, varnish them tomorrow and base them on Sunday. But the priority has to be the ox cart since it is part of an informal painting challenge over on Warlord Games’ forum.

Work in progress: Quintus Flavius Cerialis’ centuria ready for shading, varnishing and basing.

Work in progress: The command vignette for my auxilia and the ox cart. The load for the latter is painted and shaded and ready to load, but I will add this and the scale rope once the base is finished.

Scuta and a vignette

I have a number of items on the workbench at the moment: a centuia awaiting shading, final assembly, varnishing, and basing; another centuria at colour blocking-in stage; the ox cart (of course) and a command vignette.

I really need to finish that centuria in order to make room for the Balearic slingers.

Work in progress: I always dread applying the waterside transfers to the scuta … always fiddly, but never as lengthy a task as I always imagine. I now have 24 scuta ready for final assembly …

Work in progress: The command vignette for my auxilia. A mix of Ebob (the camel), Gripping Beast, Wargames Foundry, and Warlord Games.

I’m no sculptor …

… but I've been wanting to make this figure since stumbling over Ebob’s camels, which surely were the basis for Warlord Games’ dromedarii.

I bought the kneeling camel and a couple of walking ones. The latter will be pressed into service in the baggage train later. The figure started life as a Gripping Beast signifer.

Some of the detail is overscale, so I will rework this. Not too shabby for my first attempt though …