The first of the veterans …

I have decided to model a veteran century. The addition of helmet crests from the Warlord Games’ Praetorian Guard sprues and some ProCreate detailing will give this unit an individual appearance.

I have enough of Warlord’s metal attic helmets to give the Praetorians a different appearance too … but this is a project for another day.

Work in progress: Focale and mail hand armour fashioned from ProCreate. 

The lonely Praetorian …

I had a couple of hours over the last day or so to finish Titus Antonius Secundus’s centuria, my fourth to-date.

I am quite pleased with how they turned out – the overall impression to the naked eye always surprises me … but that’s how it is when one lives with one’s ‘mind’s eye’ hopes and the reality of the miniature under magnification.

So … an empty ‘bench’ … what next? As mentioned I have the camels to add to the baggage train, and I want to begin enhancing Warlord Games’ Praetorian Guardsmen … these will take a while, so might be a good project to have on the go while painting something else … maybe my last turma of cavalry. (Note to self: never say ‘last’.)

Titus Antonius Secundus’s centuria. Not too shabby..

Work in progress: Who or what shall join the loan Praetorian?.

Waiting for the PVA to dry …

… then I shall dry brush the base and add the tufts. Annoyingly, I managed to get some Sandy Paste onto some of the figures. If caught while wet it brushes off using a wet brush. Once dry it’s a careful procedure using a new cocktail stick, taking care not to damage the varnish beneath.

I am wondering which unit to do next. I think I may paint another turma of cavalry, while beginning to prepare the Praetorians. These will need a bit of sculpting to add focalia and some cloaks. I have a couple of camels to convert for the baggage train too.

Work in progress: I am quite pleased with how these fellows turned out. Just the finishing touches to add.

Kneeling legionaries and a watchtower

I have made a bit of progress with the next centuria, and resurrected a project I started a couple of years ago.

I hope to have the centuria finished by the end of the Easter weekend … but wait to see, as I have a tonne of other (domestic) things to do too.

Work in progress: The front rank. I have based these figures first since applying the Sandy Paste is going to be tricky.

Work in progress: The rear rank waits patiently.

Work in progress: The beginnings of a little watch tower. This will be a scenic piece, perhaps with a signalling beacon.

Box files

I store my figures in box files. Lined with magnetic sheet, they have shown to provide an immovable platform for an army in repose.

The foolscap box files contain most of the units. Only the dromedarii need an aircraft hanger-proportioned box. They may be joined by cataphracts in future though …

Turranius Priscus and kneeling legionaries

I have finished a couple of command pieces and made some progress with the next centuria.

In the midst of a busy April I hope to have the centuria finished by month’s end. Also, I really must start to make some much better photographs. I don’t mind the immediacy of the mobile camera images for the work in progress shots, but I think I need to make a better effort for the record of finished items.

Legio VI Ferrata vexellation commander Turranius Priscus (Wargames Foundry), and a Tribune (Warlord Games).

Auxiliary cavalry commander Tiberius Claudius Maximus’ vexillarius (1st Corps).

Work in progress: The front rank of my next centuria is finished. These Warlord Games’ castings were disappointing … I think the plastic kneeling figures in the scorpion battery boxed set are superior. Nevertheless, the overall impression is pretty good. The Warlord Games’ Primus Pilus figure (on the left) is a fabulous piece though.

A commander at last …

The next six weeks promise to be very busy, work-wise, so I am trying to make some progress with my miniatures. I am on a mission to clear my polystyrene work bench before beginning my next units. This will be good for my soul …

The kneeling legionaries will form the front rank for my next centuria … I have blocked in the main colours for all 24 figures, but decided to finish the first 12 … I have just glued the scuta on. The castings were a bit disappointing, but the worst is now hidden behind said scuta. The overall impression will be fine, I think.

As I mentioned in my last post, I discovered that Turranius Priscus, a prefects castorum (Camp Prefect), commanded a vexellation of Legio VI Ferrata during the siege of Jerusalem. He is now based with a mounted tribune.

Work in progress: Warlord Games’ kneeling legionaries with their primus pilus on the left – a spirited little chap soon to be named Titus Antonius Secundus.

Work in progress: Hail Turranius Priscus … the fellow on the right.