Pink Pike Finished

Here's the new 32 together with the original 64, making a total of 96 in two units of 48.

I need to do the same to my other unit of 64 Aventines and upgrade the equivalent of three more units of Foundry for our Raphia game in June.

I've also taken the liberty of taking a shot with my favourite command base ;-)

More Pink Pike WIP

Finished the painting added pikes and shields and stuck to bases. Just the groundwork and pike tips to do.

I'd also like to give Simon Miller (AKA BigRedBat) a big thanks for the LBMS transfers that he generously donated from his stock - saved me buying them!

I'd originally intended to use a transfer on the banners but realised they wouldn't fit! Only option was to paint something by hand.

Hopefully get them finished tomorrow and if I have time I'll take a few shots of all 96 together; that's two out of seven blocks needed for Raphia...

Second batch of Pink Pike

Last batch nearly done. Still need to add shields and pikes and finish off the standards. I've decided to play around with some surplus shield transfers instead of doing my usual freehand, hence the big white splodges!

First Batch of Pink Pike

This is the first half of the 32 extra Pink Pike required to boost my current 64 man unit up to two units of 48. It also means I can take the opportunity of adding a couple of more obvious command bases into the mix, as I did with the Blue Boys; these are in the second batch.

Still need to add pikes and shields, of course!

Seleucid Allies - first batch complete

Basing complete. Slightly more arid than my normal style, but I think it's appropriate for these guys. Still similar enough so they will mix with my slightly less arid standard.

I've gone for a double based look to these. It works particularly well for the Arabs; I don't think I'd have fit them on single bases!

32 more Asiatics to go and only 80 Arabs!

Some pike up next.

More Seleucid Allies WIP

First batch of Arab allies and Asiatic levy. Just need to finish off the bases and paint some more; another 32 Asiatics and a mere 80 Arabs...

Shields are the excellent Aventine thureoi.

Next project: more Pink Pike!

Arab Tribal Allies for Raphia

These are Perry plastic Ansars that I'm pressing into service as the above.

The Seleucids had 10,000 of these at Raphia. Detail is scarce for what Arabs looked like at this period, but these figures fit what little I've been able to turn up. For shields, I'm going to use thureoi, based on the logic that they've been part paid by being equipped from Seleucid arsenals. Bit of a cop out, but if appearance is difficult to identify, the type of shields used by Arabs at this time is impossible.

I've played around a bit to get a decent flesh colour and I'm quite happy with how this has turned out.

Seleucid Levy for Raphia

These are Crusader Miniatures Sparabara figures that I will give thureoi shields to for the Raphia game BigRedBat and I are planning for Partizan in June next year.

This particular lot are a third of those I'll need, as there were 5,000 Medes, Cadusians and Carmanians. Identification of quite what they were is problematic, so I'm going with a Median look, perhaps from an earlier period, with modern weaponry supplied from Seleucid armouries. That's my excuse, anyway.

Foundry Pike WIP

Several moons ago, before Aventine had any pike figures available, I hankered after something to fill the gap and settled on Foundry.

I painted up two lots of 64 figures bunt never quite finished them off. Along came the Aventine range and the Foundry stuff got put on the back burner...until now!

Friend Simon Miller has once again persuaded me to join in with one of his insane projects, this time a refight of Raphia at Partizan in June next year. Figure scale is roughly 1:100, so that's a lot of figures to paint. I've drawn the Seleucid side of the fight and need to get some numbers together quickly.

One of the key units on the Seleucid side is the Silver Shields (Argyraspides). At our figure scale, I need 100 figures to represent their strength of 10,000 (actually 96 in reality). As I'd originally painted 64 man units, I needed a further 32 figures to make up the necessary 96, so here they are, sans shields, of which more later. Ran out of pike, so still need to add these to the armoured half of the batch.

Aventine Hellenistic Generals

I've indulged myself over the last week or so and painted a couple of single figures for a change. Makes a real difference from batch painting.

My colour scheme for the Pyrrhus figure is completely bonkers and over the top, but probably isn't too far away from what might have existed; see the recent reconstruction in Ancient Warfare as another example.

Aventine archers completed

Spent a little time basing these up over the last couple of days. It never ceases to amaze me how different figures look when fully based rather than just painted.

Over view:




Plus a couple of closer shots:

Aventine archers - nearly there

Painting finished tonight, just need to base.

Aventine Archers WIP

Didn't want to go too long between postings as last time (about four months!).

Here's what I've been working on.

I'm actually painting a batch of 16, but got bored and decided to finish the guys in red tunics rather than work through all four colours. The other colours are green, blue and yellow/brown. Once completed, I'll mix them up on the bases to give a slightly irregular look.

Also just spotted that visits have topped twenty thousand. Thanks for looking!

Successor Agema

Wow! Can't believe how long it is since I last posted! Time flies when you're having fun, I guess.

I started these just after our Heraclea game at Partizan in May. I've been distracted with several things since then, work not the least of them. These are once again Aventine figures and represent the Royal bodyguard unit of one of the strongmen who managed to carve out a piece of Alexander's Empire, or the successors thereof.

I've tried to paint the purple in a shade that matches the latest interpretation of what is believed to be what "Tyrian Purple" looked like. Might be a bit pink for some tastes!

Oh, by the way, I'm really pleased with these - I think they're some of my best work. Enjoy!