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Showing posts with label Aventine Miniatures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aventine Miniatures. Show all posts

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.

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...

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!







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.









Wednesday, 2 January 2013

Getting on the Bandwagon - 2012 Review

Seems to be the done thing ;-)

I'm actually quite surprised at how much I have actually got done over the course of last year. One thing the blog is really useful for is to keep track of what I've completed. Here's the list, in reverse order:

32 more Pink Pike to add to the 64 done in 2011
16 Asiatic Levy
16 Arab Allies
32 Foundry pike, to make up a previous unit of 64 up to 2 units of 48
2 Hellenistic cavalry generals
16 Archers
12 Hellenistic Agema cavalry
24 Thureophoroi
12 Hellenistic Heavy Cavalry
32 Roman/Allied Leves
64 Blue Boys advancing pikemen
4 figure foot command vignette

Total 236 foot and 28 mounted, all Aventine, with the exception of the Foundry pike (obviously!), the Asiatics (Crusader) and the Arabs (Perry conversions).

Some of you may also remember that I made the terrain for our Heraclea game at Partizan earlier this year, which consisted of six 4'x2' boards, giving an 8'x6' playing area. We were also able to use at the other Partizan show to fight a first century Roman Civil War game, with last of additional "dressing" provided by Simon AKA BigRedBat.

Raphia is the game for this year, with still lots to paint. I'd like to thank everyone that looks in from time to time, particularly those who leave comments; your kind words really do help when the painting mojo occasionally goes AWOL! Hits have now exceeded 25,000 - can't tell you what that does for the ego ;-)

Monday, 31 December 2012

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 ;-)



















Sunday, 30 December 2012

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...





Saturday, 29 December 2012

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!







Monday, 24 December 2012

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!