Plebs: Soldiers of Rome?

Decision made - starting with the Admins Cartoon Romans. Decided to do the grunts first, hence choice of title for the post! After all, this lot are also comedy Legionaries. I went for a simple paint scheme - matt black undercoat and a single colour on top, Allowing the undercoat to show allows for the shading effect on the faces. Changing my normal way of doing things I painted the figures and shields separately - which means a lot of paintwork doesn't actually show... As for the figures themselves, if I had to descibe them I'd be thinking in terms of Jim Henson or Cabbage Patch Dolls.

I wasn't originally going to use this figure. Having cast them I thought 'why not' - gives me a figure I can use as a nominal file leader (assuming the Romans had some - infantry equivalent of the cavalry Decurion?)

The original idea was General, Centurion, Standard Bearer, 6 Legionaries and 3 archers. When I went for the helmetless figures I upped it to 8 Legionaries and 4 archers.

Roman artillery

Firstly, let me say straight off that I don't like the Garrison ballista... which is why my Greek artillery all use RAFM. Likewise, I've also got some RAFM ballistae for the Romans, now I just need to cast some crew for them.

Completed as 2 stone throwers and 1 bolt thrower

I think it's fair to describe the Ballistae as 'crude'

To add a bit of variety I've included one crewman from the Greek range.

The far one includes the commander of the unit.

I've painted the two crew on the bolt thrower with empty hands a bit differently, again to add a bit of variety.

A Roman army Review

Not one of my biggest armies so I can't say 'Garrison' or 'Minifigs' Review - This lot include Irregular, Garrison and Minifigs. Add them all together and I'm getting towards one reasonably sized army - though with some very incompatible paint jobs!

The whole army, Garrison/Minifigs right flank, Irregular left

The Garrison/Minifigs half - 2 Minifigs cavalry units, some Garrison archers and Praetorians and a cohort each of Garrison and Minifigs Legionaries. No javelin armed auxilia yet.

The Irregular part, organised as 12 figure units. Not sure who made the artillery - have got a couple of Irregular ones somewhere.

Minifigs cavalry on Garrison horses - riders bought ready painted but without horses.

The infantry. Garrison archers, Garrison Praetorians, Garrison legionaries then Minifigs legionaries.

A couple of close ups of the Garrison infantry.

And views of the Irregular infantry

Meanwhile, plenty to paint - 2 cohorts worth of Garrison legionaries.

Last figures this year

As I've mentioned, once the tree goes up I lose access to my painting desk. So this lot are probably the last lot of figures I'll get finished this year. As it is, I only painted the horses - the riders were bought ready painted. I don't know whether it happens today, but back in the early 70s 'S' Range and early PB riders were moulded with saddles attached and the horses were were bare backed - so quite a few people would only buy a few horses and just swap the riders for the battle they were fighting. So these days I buy some riders that never had their 'own' horses - happily, Garrison horses usually do the job!

Figures in pretty good condition though one has lost his plum,e (me being ham fisted!)

Simple paintwork - personally, I don't think I could ever leave the shields that plain!

Bit blurred, but still shows that the Garrison horse is a reasonable fit. I didn't bother touching up the paintwork on the riders - it isn't really all that noticeable on the table.

The natives are a bit hostile.

So the Roman cavalry are just going ballistic and the infantry marching along quite happily thinking of burgers... meanwhile, I'm going through the rules and had forgotten or not realised something - all those Germanic (OK, Gauls pretending to be Germans) warbands.... are also on a -2 in the forest... so, instead of Romans down to 3, Warband on 3 with lots of overlaps... suddenly it's 3 v 1... And my recollection of pushbacks being fatal... not as much...

Perhaps not going to be such a foregone conclusion after all.

Well, yeah, OK, probably still foregone, just slower.

So here are the Roman cavalry being reckless.

Those cavalry on the Roman left were having a great time - took out a cavalry element, then a psiloi element, then a warband. Got swamped eventually though. Meanwhile on the other side of the action look at the cavalry hitting those 3 warbands head on...

They died. I took the element off and realised.... they were Gauls. It had been a couple of days since I put them there and I sort of forgot they weren't Romans and didn't notice it? Could have just ignored the result but - well, if they want charge their own people and die as a result - let them.

So eventually the infantry catch up to the action - cavalry all dead by then.

Lots of fighting, but slow to kill as the Romans had quite a good factor advantage.

Gradually whittled down though until finally...

The last lot went. And not a burger in sight.

I enjoyed that. Fun encounter, easily set up, helped me re familiarise myself with some parts of the rules I'd forgotten and lots of dead Romans. That's a one that goes back to my days wargaming in Bradford back in 72-73 - it was Pete's fault.

Anyone fancy a Teuter Burger?

I mean, we're in Germany and it makes a change from Pizza.

Supposed to a good place other side of these woods...

Think it's left... OK, off we go.

Hello, few of the locals...

On yer bike...

Oi! Leave some for us!

Don't worry, plenty to go round.



As an aside - this part written before my hospital visit, scenario built on previous because of the pulp scenario and still to do last part. So 'burger' just evolved as a natural theme. So, to hospital - the name of one of my 'afflictions' is IgA nephritis, otherwise known as Berger's Disease - that's close enough to Burger's Disease for me to say something...

Sanity break - Imperial Rome

Couple of lots of Lovecraft, so time for something a bit more 'normal'.

Romans are one of those strange armies as far as I'm concerned - never seem to get round to finishing Roman armies, nearest I've ever managed to get to a full metal Roman army is my Irregular force. Generally, I manage an odd unit. Having said that, I am quietly making my way through a Garrison force - for example, here and here.

 So lot are recent ones from Harry, a mix of S and early PB - with the Romans there was a lot of similarity and some early PBs were simply re badged S Range.

Much simplified shield pattern - nice and quick to paint.

Likewise, the back view. One of the quickest units I've painted in a long time.

Command group - suppose this lot is the 1st cohort as it's got the Eagle. Which means it should be double strength but...

Some Roman archers

Spending too long painting Chinese toys and 6mm buildings... needed to get back to my roots for a while...

The Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine

Slowly going through the photos of this year's trip around the Med. One of the places visited was Rome - a city I'd never been to before. Naturally had to go look at the Colosseum - didn't bother going in - and also looked at the nearby Arch of Constantine, etc.

The approach to the Colosseum

This shows the Arch of Constantine behind the Colosseum and various modern works in front...

OK, for me the Arch is the more interesting building...

Nice carved (Auxilia Palatina?)

And... whatever - late Legionnaries I assume...

Quick Roman cavalry upgrade

A while ago I picked up 10 reasonable early Minifigs Roman cavalry. Main problem with them is the fact that they were mounted on plastic horses, although one had also lost his spear. However, as they would be based in 3s that doesn't really matter - it was always going to be 3 bases anyway. Meanwhile, simple task to paint up 9 Garrison horses to remount the decent ones.

Metal riders, plastic horses.

Plastic horses replaced by some Garrison metal horses - painting the horses was a quick job completed in an evening.

Slightly bigger picture of a couple of them - note spot of blue paint on the spear tip. Not something I'm going to worry about with these.

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.