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Sunday 2 June 2013

Raphia - the game

Just a few quick and dirty shots to give an idea of how the game looked.


The Seleucid line


The Ptolemaic line


Initial deployment.


Close up of the Seleucid right flank, where much of the early action took place.


The wings close.


Crunch time!


Oops! Two dead elephants - the Africans certainly can't stand up to the bigger, stronger Indians.


The last Nellie doesn't last too much longer (apologies for the dodgy lighting!)


Action on the Seleucid left


An over enthusiastic Seleucid elephant crashes into the Ptolemaic Agema...


But doesn't last long!


Action on the other wing, with similar results in the elephant on elephant combats.


The phalanxes close in the centre with an almighty crunch!


On the right, a unit of Seleucid Agema manoeuvre into position as combat erupts along the whole line...


From the other side of the lines, the Ptolemaic Agema take their tole on the Greek mercenary phalanx unit.


The Agema beat the Greeks and advance in pursuit, revealing the flank of the next unit in line, who are charged frontally by the Argyraspides and in the flank by the Seleucid guard cavalry accompanied by Antiochus, with predictable results... A couple of other units also go down, leading to the demoralisation of the whole Ptolemaic army and a history changing Seleucid victory.

All the above pictures were taken with a iPhone; lots of other pics were taken with much more professional kit, so I'm sure better pics will be forthcoming... 

Rules were Simon's "To The Strongest!", named after Alexander's supposed answer on his deathbed when asked who would inherit his throne. They're still in development, but gave a good account of themselves in what was a large, complex game.

Packed for Partizan

Finished!


Saturday 1 June 2013

Slings & Arrows for Raphia

A bit more WIP. Deadline fast approaching ...

These are more Aventine. All painting now done, just need to complete basing for a half a dozen units. Could be a late night...

Monday 27 May 2013

A Bit More Raphia WIP

Line cavalry virtually completed, just need to finish off the bases (there's another four bases to go with these, so four units of nine in total). All Aventine, with a high proportion of head swaps.


Last of the Arabs assembled and stuck on bases, just the ground work to do. They'll then be added to the other five bases to represent the 10,000 required. Perry Ansar figures, a couple of Victrix and Warlord heads, Aventine shields.


Finally for today, a unit of Asiatic archers, about 40% done. Crusader figures

Thursday 23 May 2013

More Raphia WIP

This is the last of the heavy cavalry for Raphia. They're about 80% done; mainly the flesh areas and some detailing to complete. Their horses have been sat around waiting for them for some time...

In case you're wondering, about two thirds of these have head swaps.

The Seleucid force for our Raphia game will comprise six units; two guard units and four line. That's fifty four total. Should look pretty good!


Still to do:

Persian archers x 12
Cretan archers x 8 (16 already done)
Agrianian javelinmen x 12
Shields for pikemen x 96 (been on order for 10 days - still not got - grrrrrr....)
Various lots of basing

Just 10 days to go...

Saturday 18 May 2013

NOT Raphia!

Apologies to regular readers - this post has NOTHING to do with painting, figures, wargaming, history, etc., but is a shameless money raising plug, albeit for a good cause!

On June 8th, I will be taking the plunge (literally!) when I start my first triathlon. The are are some eighty-odd of us taking part from the business I work for. Me and two colleagues are jointly fundraising for the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust, an organisation that helps to match bone marrow donors to leukaemia sufferers, particularly children - a worthy cause if ever there was one!

Anyone wishing to contribute can do so here


If people don't contribute, I'll just have to post more pictures like the one below....I'm "swimming man" in case you want to know!


Thursday 16 May 2013

Last of the Arabs for Raphia


Phew! Glad these are done!

I've now completed enough figures to represent the 10,000 Arabs who turned up (I hesitate to use the term "fought") for the Seleucids at Raphia.

I've used a 60x60 base to mount these on. In theory, I should have put eight figures on each base, but due to the dynamic posing of the figures, I've generally been able to get away with six or seven.





Next up, more cavalry.

Tuesday 14 May 2013

Advancing Pike all together

Basing now finished, so I thought a quick shot of both completed units was in order.


Apologies for the quality of the image. These two units, together with another five similar ones, will form the core of the Seleucid Raphia forces. Back to the last batch of Arabs!


Wednesday 8 May 2013

Pike for Raphia completed

Finished the other 16 pike to go with the 16 shown in my last post. Shields added; LBMS, designed for Crusader and trimmed to fit Aventine's rimless pelta. 

I might just paint the edges in blue to match the smaller design (albeit identical) used on the other 64 already painted in this "unit". The transfers were kindly donated by my Raphia co-conspirator, Mr Simon Miller (aka BigRedBat), who not only has a lead pile, he clearly has a transfer pile as well!

This gives me 96 in two units of 48 to match up with my World Famous Pink Pike. Still need to do the basing - obviously!  ;-)


That's the last of the pike I need for Raphia. Next up, more Arabs.


Wednesday 1 May 2013

More pike for Raphia & what's left to do

These represent 16 of the 32 extra pike I need to make up a unit of 48.

I originally built two units of 32 of these chaps, but Simon's OOB has pike in 48's, hence the extras. The other 32 are primed and ready to go.

Still to complete in time for Partizan are:

16 more pike
5 more bases of Arabs (nominally with 8 to a base, but I intend to cheat...)
15 heavy cavalry (horses already done)
8 Cretan archers (to make 16 up to two lots of 24)
12 javelin skirmishers
12 Asiatic archers
96 shields to equip my Argyraspides (not sure on quite where to go with that one)

Might be a challenge, but I'll give it my best shot.

Also have the small matter of a playing surface 4.2m x 1.8m to game on, of which more anon...


Monday 22 April 2013

Cavalry for Raphia - more WIP

Here are the expanded Agema cavalry for our Partizan Raphia game.

I originally had one unit of twelve, but Simon's OOB called for two units of nine, so here they are.

Also visible in the rear rank are three command bases to expand out the line cavalry. Again, I initially had one unit of twelve, needing four units of nine. Just another eighteen to go then...



Wednesday 10 April 2013

Thracians for Raphia

Yet another unit for our Epic!

These are all Crusader Miniatures, with shields from Aventine.

Figures are predominantly from the Thracian range, with I think a few Greek thureophoroi I managed to scrounge off Simon to round out the unit.

Oh, and it looks like the site visit counter's hit 30,000 - thanks for looking!







Saturday 23 March 2013

More Arab WIP

This is yet another batch of Arabs. Slightly different this time, with the addition of ten Copplestone Somali archers to the mix. I think they match pretty well.

Still have to paint in various necklaces and highlight the leather quivers; they're otherwise done, bar basing.

Monday 18 March 2013

Playing with Plastic part 2 - more Arabs

Just finished these off. Still need shields and basing. I'm doing another batch next, which I'll mix together with these to add a bit more variety of colour and pose (I've got some Copplestone Somali archers to mix in as well for a really wild look!)

Helmets are cannibalised from Victrix hoplites and an odd Warlord Games Macedonian pikemen.



Tuesday 5 March 2013

Mount up!

First batch of extra mounted - six extra Agema to make my current unit of twelve up to two units of nine.

Next up, possibly more cavalry, or I may diverge and do a unit of Thracians....

All above for the Raphia project.





Monday 18 February 2013

Over the finish line...

Continuing the horse metaphor, finally completed this batch of horses. Only needed about 45 minutes to get there, but I've got so hacked off with the tedious process of doing so many at the same time I've struggled to pick up a brush...at least I can intersperse some different stuff with the riders to keep things interesting!

Sunday 10 February 2013

Plodding on...

Nearly there with my batch of 30 horses. Don't think I'll attempt this again; I've found the slow progress has really messed with my motivation. Just got iron bits to paint and bronze ornaments to highlight, and not forgetting the animal skins.

I've also taken a quick shot of the first batch of riders to go with these horses. These will allow me to expand my current unit of 12 Agema to the two units of 9 needed for Raphia.









Tuesday 5 February 2013

A Horse! A Horse! - more Raphia WIP

Sorry, couldn't resist it! Somehow seems appropriate given the recent news regarding the finding of one of Yorkshire's Own ;-) There are thirty horses, to be precise.

Basic paint job finished on the horse flesh, still need to finish saddle blankets and tack. As you can see, I paint a number of different base colours and vary manes/tails, socks and blazes. The observant amongst you may have also spotted that I used three different primer colours to help build up the shading

I don't normally paint cavalry in this manner, as I generally attach riders to mounts prior to painting, but given my requirements for a total of six units of nine for the scenario, I decided to go a bit more "assembly line" in order to speed up the process.

I already have two units of twelve (one each of guard and line) and these will be adapted and reinforced so that I have two units of Agema and four units of line.





Sunday 3 February 2013

Playing with Plastic

I've been messing about with Perry plastic Ansar tribesmen that I've been painting up as Arab allies for my Seleucid Raphia forces.

A bit of green stuff has been used on some of the less "Arab" looking figures (once I've removed their trousers!) to add the characteristic blanket wrap. Helmets have been pinched from some Victrix mercenary hoplites to give them a bit more of a Hellenistic look - remember, the rationale is that they've been bribed by access to the Seleucid armouries ;-)



Monday 21 January 2013

Mercenary Phalanx & Asiatics Completed

Here's a couple more units finished for Raphia.

The Greek mercenary pike represent the 5,000 who fought for the Seleucids at Raphia, "armed in the Macedonian fashion".

Figures are by Foundry, originally painted about 18 months ago and parked. I've finished the basing and added some extra shields for the chaps that didn't get them first time around. Shields are from Crusader (I HATE Foundry bottle tops!), with home made transfers. The design is based on one of the frescos in the Aghios Athenasios tomb. I drew the image in MS Paint and used a sheet of transfer material bought from eBay.







Secondly, we have the second unit of Asiatic troops to add to err... the first. Basically the same paint job, with a different coloured hat (yes, I know it's called a tiara!). Sometimes a simple paint job works a treat.