Semper Romani
Always Romans!
My first ancient army was Airfix Romans and I notice their patchwork leather shorts are back in fashion! These were first unpainted and then with thinner plasticard shields added painted up. This force fought Ancient Britons, and even elves and goblins, with WRG Ancients 4th Edition rules.
They were followed by a Republican army made by the long defunct Leviathan Miniatures. Nicely cast separate pila and well proportioned figures I enjoyed painting. Happily ignored by burglars but I sold them some years ago when moving.
My current Romans are made by Martin Goddard at Peter Pig. I created a notionally Flavian army for Boudicca’s revolt but now plan to use them back to the early first century AD. This is based on the finds at Kalkreise which show frontier troops using lorica segmentata armour earlier than previously thought.
This army was created based on the DBM rules and suggested forces in Roman Britain. It was painted while I was working in Bath and couldn’t afford to go out every evening in the late 1990s.
The DBM army arrayed
Time moves on in Dumnonia
Over time I have decided to concentrate on 15mm for ancient games as described in a previous post on the British opposition for this army. So this army is overdue a refresh. I’m simply bringing small groups of figures into larger groups to tie in with Field of Glory. Having more Romans is a pleasure in itself too!
Working amongst the Roman collection in Exeter Museum has also re-awoken my enthusiasm for this period of Devon and Britain’s history. Plus recent Osprey books on this period including Boudica’s Revolt and the Teutoburger Wald coupled with reading some historical fiction by Simon Scarrow and Lindsay Davis.
General and Auxilary Cavalary
New cohorts for old!
The first batch of figures are under coated and ready for painting on the work bench. I’m glad I kept colour notes to help them blend in with my existing figures!
Peter Pig Romans undercoated ready for painting
For King and Country
The English Civil War in a box!
I last got to grips with the English Civil War on the tabletop in the late 1970s. Then it was WRG rules and the Airfix guide, both by George Gush. The figures were Minifigs and painted in the traditional 1970s rugby shirt style hoops on the sleeves. I sold the figures but kept my interest in the period.
Seeing the Warlord Games plastic figures I was tempted again. Seeing their starter pack of rules and figures at a bargain price I gave into temptation!
King and Country Box
What do you get in the box?
Well, it’s a bumper box of blokes for sure! A good mix of foot and horse, all in plastic. The advantage of having them all at once is it allows mixing of hats and arms. The rule book is very nicely produced, clear to read, enjoyable battle accounts and has a nice common sense tone to it.
You don’t get the bases and flags that you get in the indiviual boxed sets. Having to buy or make bases does take away from this being the English Civil War in a box set. If flags and bases were included this would be a fantasitc starter set instead of just a really good one.
Box contents
Getting gluing
The one drawback of the infantry sprues is they only have just enough hats for all the figures. Swapping arms and mixing in hats from the firelock armed figures rings the changes. You also get a spare figure on the infantry sprue and I am using them for sergeants and extra drummers with spare bits from the command sprue.
Assembled figures with hat swaps
The figures fit well in the main. I did find a bit of extra glue helped fill any gaps. I use liquid plastic glue on the figures and tube plastic glue for horses which tend to have bigger gaps.
More hat swaps and a sergeant
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