Numidian cavalry

 

REC5, African auxiliary cavalryman with javelin and shield, unarmoured

To make him closer to a Numidian I just sanded most of the shield detail away so I could paint the shield as hide. It would probably be more accurate if I also sanded down the javelin case, but I didn't bother. To distinguish the figure from a Moor I painted the Moor in the Roman army with chocolate skin, the Numidian with medium flesh. Purely arbitrary of course but... 

Like the Moors I also gave the 'officer' figure a cloak.

The Carthaginian army list I'm using as a 'base' lists these as 10-50 figures in the army (WRG 1981 lists) so I'll probably do another unit. 

The current crop

 

Continuing with the Dacian/Sarmatian infantry...

For the numbers I'll be doing I've stopped worrying about actual 'units' and just building up elements to be used as and where wanted.

I'm going a bit overboard on the use of paint pens though - lots of checks, tartans and shield patterns!

Currently on the painting desk are another load of Dacian'Sarmatian infantry plus a unit of Numidian cavalry.

Meanwhile I'n still working on other conversions. The front one is the early Rhoxolani Sarmatian figure painted up. At the time I thought I would need to cut away the kontos and replace it - thought the lance would be too thick.Tried it anyway and actually looks OK - cut the kontos down, hammered the head into a spear point, and works. Shield is from one of the Sarmatian infantry as per the WRG book. Last figure is from the cataphract with the bowcase removed and large shield added... probably needs a smaller shield, but as a first attempt at a Goth heavy cavalry doesn't look too bad.

Need to do something with the leather armour on the Rhoxolani - not sure if it does as hide armour. Time to work on that. Might just use the same method as for the horn armour on the horse armour.

Sarmatian and Dacian catalogue lists

 

One thing I don't spend as much time on as I should is putting together 'catalogues' for my use that include pictures of individual figures plus mould lists. The Sarmatian/Dacian Classical Range is an easy one to do though as it is pretty small!

Just 8 figures plus one conversion I'm working on!

SAC1 Cavalryman, leather armour firing forward. As far as I know never issued except by me. I found the original in the masters box as a separate rider and put it on a horse as an easier-to-cast one piece figure. 

SAC2 Cavalryman, leather armour firing forward, armoured horse. In this case I've simply painted it as wearing metallic armour - another 'conversion' from the SAC1 figure.

SAC3 Cavalry standard bearer - conversion from SAC4.

SAC4, 'Cataphract with lance (Kontos) full mail armoured horse'. The only Sarmatian cavalry figure that I know was originally sold. Painted here with horn armour.

Unlisted conversion to potentially produce as an early Rhoxolani cavalry figure - still not sure where to go with this one - could just use all SAC1 and possibly glue a shield on instead! Still, it wold give me a useful variation.

SA1 Infantryman with spear and shield, unarmoured. As far as I am aware this was the only infantry figure originally issued. I assume Sarmatian though I'm using it as Dacian!

SA2 Officer. Actually Dacian and probably coded DA1 - found an unlisted mould and a couple of masters of this figure... doubt it was ever issued other than by me (as DA1) either as SA2 or DA1!

SA3 Standard bearer. A standard bearer was listed in the 1972 catalogue but I don't have any masters or moulds with it on - this figure is simply a converted SA2.

SA4 Infantryman with falx and shield. Again, mould plus master figure but no other documentation - may have originally been intended as DA2? - I produced it in small numbers as DA2.

A list of issued and projected Garrison figures appeared as an insert in the 1972  Greenwood and Ball Journal. Wish all this had come out then...  :(  - anyway, I'm trying to fill the gaps... though 'my' SAC1 and 2 are a bit different to the 1972 catalogue version! Note the figures NOT listed here that I found masters of and have been able to produce! Apart from figures listed above, SAC3 with the bowcase carved off and replaced with a mace makes a good generic SHC cataphract, plus the generic horse archer I made works as a Parthian horse archer... so I could do a Parthian army... must try fitting SAC3 on a camel sometime...

My paint pens have been getting quite ragged recently so I bought some more (had the originals for nearly 2 years... couldn't believe it!). New pens are much better and this is shown by the increased complexity of the patterns I'm putting on cloaks and tunics...

As a side note, start expecting people to put up wargames figure prices... just ordered a new batch of metal... 28th January 2025 I paid £724-20, this time round it was £890.30! 23% increase in a year. Worse, 5th March 2024 it was £604-20!  So the metal I use has gone up by 47% in two years! 

Sarmatian EHC

 

Two units of 12 figures plus a three figure general's element

The command elements - I've identified the general by by giving his element two standards. They're also a bit more ornate. 

The other ranks. I haven't bothered putting these together as distinct units - a unit will just be a command element plus three or five random other elements. 

Still not fully convinced that these are a good way of of painting horn armour. This lot gives me 4 12 figure EHC units in total plus a general's element. I've still got another 24 on unarmoured horses to do and that should just about finish this part of the army. After that, lots of medium cavalry...

Currently on the painting table plus the near future...

 

Had a casting session or two to set myself up for a few weeks. This lot have been undercoated - two units of armoured lancers, I'll be using these with mostly horn armoured horses.This will give me four units of lancers on armoured horses and should be enough for now!

Unarmoured medium cavalry in leather armour - again, two units. Will need quite a few more of these!

Finally, a large unit of the Sarmatian infantry with Dacian officer and converted standard bearers.About 50 figures so will need a few more of these units.

So that's the next 3 or 4 weeks sorted... still leaves loads of Spanish/Carthaginians and Gauls of course. Plus I'm factoring in Kushite/Blemye. And possibly Elamite. Could be a busy year.

Sarmatian and Fantasy Arabs test paintings

In between my 'mass' painting sessions I've done a few test pieces...

 

Firstly, Sarmatian cavalry on armoured horse. They are supposed to mostly have horn armour so I thought I'd try doing one with it... Iraqi sand base, cavalry brown wash then lightly drybrushed with ivory. Seems to have worked OK. Takes longer though.

Cast a few of the fantasy Arabs... crude figures but look fine at a distance.

It will be a while before I really get round to doing anything with them though.  I still need infantry, officers and standard bearers.

Finished Roman legionaries

Probably shouldn't have done the Roman Review until I'd finished these but...

Two cohorts brings it up to four when I had originally planned on three - but I had the figures so...

Left the shields plain. Might detail them a bit more in the future (no I won't).

So as far as the Romans are concerned I'll certainly do two or three Praetorian units which I could  then pretend to be late Republican. Other than that, one cavalry and two auxilia units ad, as far as I am concerned, the legions are complete.