Roman Command Stand

The Roman General was painted up about 15 years ago and  I thought he was well over due being put onto a decent base.

Having been attached by himself to a single piece of card all those years ago, I decided to add a mounted Legate to the stand to lend an extra sense of authority.   So there is something like 15 years painting time between these two.  Some areas have been freshened up on the General in more recent years.  If I remember, I originally painted the cloak with an enamel but it looked decidedly faded so was later painted in a richer acrylic.

Both figures are from the 28mm Foundry Imperial Roman range

I seem to be painting two scales of Romans at the moment.  Having just read Julius Caesar's 'Gallic Wars' I'm now reading his 'Civil War'.  This has (as probably expected!) enthused me with the Caesarian Roman period.  I've started this range in 10mm while I carry on with the Imperial Romans in 28mm.  My plan is to use Simon Miller's 'To the Strongest' rules with huge 10mm armies so that I can play massive battles in a sensible amount of time.

Of course this plan is likely to go awry as my regular wargaming opponent, Ian, has several painted cohorts of 28mm Foundry Caesarian Romans freshly painted and they look stunning.  There must be a latin-named medical condition for anyone painting up 3 x Roman armies at the same time!  I shall hold off doing so for as long as possible!

Suetonius Paulinus

Here is the Roman responsible for defeating Boudicca; Gaius Suetonius Paulinus.

This is a Wargames Foundry model I have had for a number of years and every so often I have pulled the set from out of the press-lock bag, looked at, desired to paint it up and yet was slightly too daunted by knowing that it was going to be one of those 'best effort' figures.  Many times I opted instead to paint units en-masse knowing I could spend the same time painting multiples of figures for the time it would take to do this one.

As I am in a 'Roman' historical frame of mind currently, and enthused by several superb Roman vs Britons wargames of late, I knew that it was about time I had a commander on a proper command stand to command my Legions.

In the event, painting was an absolute joy.  The black undercoat provided shadow for those difficult to get at areas like gaps between pteruges.  I wouldn't go as far as saying that the figures virtually painted themselves, but it was a lot quicker than I imagined and before I knew it, I was trying to find the right composition of the vignette on the base with the figures happily painted and varnished.

Paints used were predominantly from the Foundry Triad range.  Since buying a set of these last year I haven't looked back - I think they are superb paints and I will be getting a lot more of them.  I also used Vallejo and Games Workshop paints (esp Mithral Silver for metal highlights).

 I have gone for a softer shade for the edging of the base.  I'm starting to think that black/dark brown edging might detract from the figures and pull the eye towards the frame as it were, rather than allow focus on the figure.  I might be over-thinking this.  I used Vallejo 'English Uniform' for the edging on this base and I feel the softer edge does allow the figures to be the focus.

 A chap who has had better days than this one!

And a few close ups of the main man himself

Inspired by painting this command stand, I have painted a few others in the last few weeks, all of them being a lot of fun to paint.    Painting time is going to be restricted by other commitments over the next couple of months, however I have saved pics of the other completed projects which I will post up as time allows.

Big Harry Scutum's Holding Action

In this battle a Roman vexillatio of 3 x cohorts of Roman legion under the command of Maximus Horatio Scutum (known to the Britons as 'Big Harry') has to fight a holding action whilst awaiting reinforcments.

Maximus Horatio (Big Harry) Scutum says: 'Oi, I haven't even had my tea yet!'

I was the commander of the Romans this month as I had commanded the great lime-washed in the previous game.  Ian commanded the Britons.

Scenario

The Roman raiding detachment of 3 x cohorts has found that their punitive raid on the local tribal villages of the Catuvellauni is not going to plan.  The last few villages have been deserted and as the Romans form up in a clearing they are aware of the sound of drumming of shields and the racket of horns being blown in the woodline opposite them.  The drumming and hornblasts grow louder and the legionaries look around nervously as the noise reaches a crescendo.  Maximus Horatio Scutum, the experienced vexillatio commander reacts quickly - sending off riders down both directions of the military road to summon local reinforcements.  Will the reinforcements come in time to prevent their destruction?

Rules used are 'Hail Caesar'.

My first effort at making a map. This was done with Powerpoint - hopefully one day I'll use the software which I found with the 100 page manual but in the meantime this will do!

Roman's Briefing
You have 3 veteran cohorts as well as a battery of scorpions.  You know there are local auxiliary detachments nearby who can help they will be thrown for from game turn 2.  They will arrive on an escalating role equal or below the game turn number.  ie. 1,2,3 on  D6 in game turn 3, 12,3,4 on game turn 4 so by game turn 6 they will arrive. You don't, however, know the strength of the reinforcements or from which direction they will come from. Big Harry Scutum has a command grade of 8.

Briton's Briefing
Wipe them out.  Turn the tables on the punitive raiding force and defeat them before the reinforcements overwhelm your own forces, Of course you can take on the reinforcements and beat them too.  Should you decide to withdraw your army at any stage with no broken brigades a draw can be claimed.

You have 3 x Brigades:

Brigade 1:   2 x Warband units, 1 x Slinger unit   Commander graded a solid 8.

Brigade 2:  1 x Cavalry unit, 1 x Chariot unit.  Commander graded a solid 8

Brigade 3:  2 x Warband units, 1 x Fanatic (naked!) Warband.  Commander graded an excellent 9

Hopefully this relates to the map clearly enough. This is taken from the left side f the board (left side of map.  Road and hill should assist orientation

Game Turn 1

The Britons deployed their forces from out of the woodline (Ian's edge of the board).  The Roman vexillatio stayed put and put down Scorpion fire.  The bolts tore into the chariot unit causing them to test and making the unit hold their ground.  Any units held up were going to be very helpful for the Romans in staving the Britons off until reinforcements arrived.  No reinforcement throw permitted in this turn though!

Scary noisy buggers with much lime-washed hair

Game Turn 2

The Britons advance their right wing, presumably to allow all their units to hit at once.  The fire of the Scorpion battery scythes into a unit of warband, halting them for the next turn in confusion.

Maximus Horatio (Big Harry) Scutum directs his men to the Military Road

'Watch your left!'

Scorpion fire rips through shields and warband alike

Game Turn 3

The Britons advanced across the board, slowly and for them, steadily.  The Britons left warband brigade was delayed by the tree copse which it had to negotiate.  To allow room for being pushed back. Big Harry Scutum ordered his men to advance up to the military road.  This would also assist in allowing reinforcements to reach them quicker.  A round of pila are launched at the Briton's light cavalry who allowed themselves to get too close.  The pila force the cavalry to retreat.  The Legion commander thought this a satisfactory outcome - so far the whole British tribe was failing against his small vexillatio.  The reinforcement throw was not so good however.

'Prepare Pila!'

Game Turn 4

An advance to contact is made as a Catuvellauni warband charge the Scorpions who had been so troublesome in the early game turns.  The Scorpions and crews are completely destroyed.  The charge of the chariots is beaten off and they pull back together with their supports.  The throw for reinforcements is again a fail - needing anything but 5 or 6 the Romans throw a 6!

The demise of the excellent Scorpions

The courageous charge of the chariots as they are bloodily repelled

Game Turn 5

The battle is now desperate. The Romans had hoped to have bought enough time to gain assistance from their reinforcements before a general engagement took place.  The full weight of the warband attacks now pin the legionaries along their line.  One cohort is pushed back but on the plus side one warband is completely broken. Casualties stack up everywhere with units reaching shaken status up and down the line.  The Roman vexillatio has held magnificently and surely the reinforcements will arrive now to save the day.  Anything but a 6 will lead to their arrival.  The throw is a......6!

 The battle is desperate as the Romans hold on for their lives

...and they are fighting well - a warband bounces back in disorder 

...But the weight of the unrelenting attacks takes it's toll.  The red cohort is forced back, disordered.  The line starts to waver!  

Maximus tries to keep the orange cohort in line

'Hold them....Hooooold them!!!!' The legion are pushed back.

Game Turn 6

The chariots rally and charge back into the fray.  The wavering red Roman cohort  break and flee. The yellow legion which had done so well are forced back.  The orange cohort fights bravely on winning their combat but warbands are now steaming in from their flank.

Oh good news...The reinforcements now automatically arrive...but alas too late. The reinforcements are two units of auxiliary foot and one of cavalry, not enough to repel the Britons - not on their own anyway.

Outflanked! The brave yellow cohort has a horde of warband steaming in on its flank!

An overhead view of the impending disaster

Desperate fighting, but breaking point is moments away...

Here they come - right in from the side

'This is just like the film '" Bridge Too Far"...we are XXX Corps and we get there just in time....oh hang on....!'  

The field clears as the Romans break

And there the game ended.  It really was an excellent game which we both really enjoyed.  The Romans clung on so well and appeared to actually look like winning the game on their own for a few minutes!  Alas they were whittled down in the end until they broke.  If only the reinforcements could have arrived sooner!  Though whether they were strong enough to take on the warband we can only guess.

The rules gave a superb game.  The legionaries are a hard target to break when attacked frontally and only broke when all the factors stacked up against them. The previous game got me back into the Hail Caesar frame of mind and it flowed much more quickly this time.  A few less units this time also meant that I could focus on the detail of fewer actions rather than too many complicated actions. 

All in all - fantastic fun! I am currently painting up the magnificent Foundry 'Gaius Suetonius Paulinus' set hopefully in time for the next game.

Rhodian Slingers

I have had some time of late to make in-roads into the ancient world again and paint a historical period I have wanted to do for a long time - the ancient Greeks.

Dense formations of Hoplites, lots of bronze armour and interesting light troops. Ancient Greece has all of this of course, and it did succeed finally in enticing this wargamer get the brushes out and make a start.

I decided to purchase some sets from the new range by Victrix.  They are simply stunning sclupts and it was a joy to assemble the Victrix plastic boxed set of Peltasts, Javelinmen and Slingers.  Once I had decided what colours to use and what method to paint them, progress was very rapid.

Getting the contrasts in the folds of the tunics was actually really enjoyable.  I used the Foundry triad system over a black undercoat (with some use of Vallejo paints too).  I tried to make the contrasts a little more pronounced as folds in clothing appear under a hot bright sun.

Likewise I tried to make the skin tones contrast again in the same manner, with highlights and darker than usual lowlights to bring out the muscle-tones.  Hopefully these now look like chaps who spend a lot of time outdoors.  The Foundry 'Mediterranean flesh tones were used but then lightened on the surfaces with normal highlight flesh.

I have never yet been to Greece but many lunch breaks at work were spent on Google Images trying to get a feel for the Greek landscape.  I am much more used to European grasslands on my basing so I wanted to make the bases look more arid without being excessively desert-like.  Hopefully the effect looks right - I used some white cat litter rocks as opposed to the grey ones for a more sun-bleached stone look.

This unit is going to be a welcome addition to my new Greek armies - harrying the flanks of the Hoplites and being a nuisance or a help depending on whose side they are on!  I will certainly be getting some more of these fellows in due course.