Total Pageviews

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

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

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!







Thursday, 17 January 2013

More Asiatics WIP

These are nearly complete - figures are painted and based, just waiting for their shields and groundwork to be done. I'll get a shot of both units over the weekend when I've had chance to finish everything off.

I'm really pleased with the yellow tiaras, I think they've turned out really well.

Another unit for Raphia (almost!) down.

Sunday, 6 January 2013

A Few More Asiatics

The element to the left has just been finished today to bring the unit up to full strength.

The second photo is the new arrivals from my last post prepped and reddy (get it?). I've used red oxide primer on these as red I'd the predominant colour on these figures. I realised that the first thing I'd done with the other batches was to apply copious amounts of burnt cadmium as a shade for the final red, so thought I'd try and short cut this process.

I'll probably change the head dress colour on the second unit to a) differentiate and b) stave off boredom! Let's see how that works out.





Saturday, 5 January 2013

New Arrival

Another unit of Asiatics for the Raphia game arrived this morning. These were ordered on Christmas Day off the back of some money I was given on the day :-)

The figures are from Crusader Miniatures. Shields will be switched out make them more obviously Hellenistic as these here

I'm currently finishing off a small batch of eight figures to expand the initial unit to the full twenty four required for our scenario. Once completed, the two blocks of 24 figures will represent the 5,000 men present at the battle in 217BCE.



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 ;-)

Saturday, 22 December 2012

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.

















Sunday, 16 December 2012

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!









Sunday, 9 December 2012

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.