Reinforcing Sutekh and Ptah

First 2 new units now integrated, one each to the Sutekh and Ptah Divisions.

Apart from the extra infantry unit, Sutekh has had it's light infantry archers replaced by slingers, it's component of archers being transferred to Amun. Pre will then get some of the 'new' light archers to replace their lost slingers. I think Sutekh could also do with more archers and their own general.

 Ptah has just had the extra infantry unit added, no other changes.

 Meanwhile another unit of spears in Dettol (some new, others I already had lying around) together with 24 light archers.

Absorbing the Egyptians

Has now started.

The first 2 units of infantry have now been sorted. Grey wigs have been painted black, spears have been repainted, shields likewise and both units based. Also, the Pharaoh's chariot and 8 other chariots have been immersed in Dettol, together with quite a few horses.

 A final decision on which Divisions these will be posted to has yet to be made, but I expect that at least one unit will help to beef up the Ptah Division.

'New' Egyptians and Philistines

OK, got the new Egyptians and Philistines. First looks, very much a mixed bag.

Start with the horror story - the Egyptian chariots...

For a start, they didn't travel well. I think the main reason for this is that the box was packed, wrapped in paper, and the label put on the bottom... so it's spent several days upside down...

 Resulting in quite a few breakages...

 But to make things worse... some are obvious home casts. Look at the wheels and javelin cases - lots of missing spokes and miscast javelins. Haven't looked closely at the  chariots yet.

 Not very well done. The wheel is more obvious from the photo than the javelins. Happily, chariot wheels are not something I'm short of -  a lot of my other chariots were given Garrison wheels so lots of spares lying around.

 But the infantry are OK.

 I also got some archers but the photos didn't come out. Actually, the archers look OK but the bases have been cut down - possibly more homecasts?

 No issues with the Philistines - happy with them.

So very much a mixed bag. I would have sent the chariots back normally but they actually sold quite cheaply and many seem to be recoverable.

Mede General's chariot.

Slowly going through the Romans - the cavalry are part way done now - but decided to finish off something I started earlier.

I cheated a bit - this was originally going to be a Persian general for the Persian version of I/40 but I decided to simply use 'spare' painted Medes and  make a Mede general instead.

The charioteer is simply a spearman with the bottom of the spear cut of and the rest bent into a whip shape. The general is an unchanged spare figure from the 3Bw unit. The chariot is the Garrison 25mm chariot with Assyrian chariot wheels and 20mm Garrison Persian horses.

 Meanwhile... I know I said the Minifigs Egyptians were finished, but never said I would stop getting more if they came up... and some have. So I've just added 27 chariots and 90 infantry to the host. Plus 2 Philistine ox carts and about 37 Philistine spearmen.  And I continue to be amazed at how cheaply they go for.

The Praetorian Guard

Seems like it's taking me longer and longer to paint things...

The Praetorians. I've gone for a purple/black/brass colour scheme which seems to work. The figure itself, if painted as mail rather than segmented armour, should work as Late Republic Legionaries - so I'll try that later.

Imperial Rome - first cohort

First full cohort finished, Praetorian cohort undercoated, Syrian archers cohort in line...

So the Roman army is on the move. Been meaning to do this army for at least 10 years!

First picture has the general's element in front complete with Eagle.

Next, the first of my cohorts. Quick paint job designed for service rather than good looks - didn't bother painting lightning bolts on the shields and the grey animal skins are meant to imply wolfskins.

Not really anything else to say about these. Pila would need work doing to them if I ever wanted to cast these commercially - it's bent because it snapped of during mould making and is therefore a bit wonky. Not great, but just about passes.