Sunday 15 June 2014

Legionary Command

Four command bases for an elite legion with cloaks:
Figs by Companion Miniatures, except for one of the officers at left - the guy with the red crest is by Crusader, the idea being that he is the senior military tribune.  I want one of these per legion as part of the eagle base, as well as a mounted legate.  In our rules, a cohort comprises eight figures.  These four bases give me command stands for an eagle cohort plus three others.  Any more might be overkill, and at least they'll look the part in triplex acies.  Shield designs are by Little Big Men, for 1st Corps Republican Romans.  The transfers are not right for these shields, but some judicious cutting plus a muddy wash and then some paint does wonders.   I also made the cohort standards slightly different, with varying numbers of decorations in sliver and gold.  I want these guys to look rough and ready, proper campaign types.  Besides, I already have the legion's casualty markers, courtesy of chopped-up Wargames Factory plastics and the same decals - I made those a few years ago for the big Zama project.
A view from behind, with all those cloaks billowing in the wind.  They're not as time-consuming to paint as the Gallic cloaks I did for the Alaudae, but they still took a while.  Onwards and upwards: next will be the rank and file, and well nasty they are too.

9 comments:

  1. Nice looking command of veteran warriors. These guys would do well for Caesar!

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  2. I am intimidated Paul. Still six figures to go for my first legion.

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    1. You're nearly there, though! Anyway, these guys should be intimidating...

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  3. First Legion now complete and I have started basing. One of the cohorts are Metal Companions. I will replace them with plastics in due course and can let you have them. Do you have any of the Wargames Factory plastics left? We could do a swap?
    Seperately, thanks for the book which I have now finished. There are a lot of interesting match ups in there from Numidians against Romans to Militia Romans against Germans, Romans against Italians, and then Mithridates. Plenty of planning for during the summer.

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  4. Hi Graham, I do have some Wargames Factory plastics. I'll check this evening and see how many. A swap for some Companion figs would be good. I know that Billy is also intending to paint some legions - I think he said that he has many boxes of plastics. I'm not sure which ones they are, though - they may well be Warlord Games' Early Imperials. Even so, we are beginning to get enough together for all those looming civil wars.

    I thought the book was weak at points, especially the initial sections on the standard Republican army - we already know all of that. Having said this, though, that section near the beginning is a good basic primer. Once it gets going it's good on the transition period, as you say.

    Hope to see you on Tuesday - Achaean League against arrogant Romans!

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  5. I have now done the bases for the rest of the spearmen/thureophoroi that I have. That means I can bring 48 or 2x24 thureophoroi units and some odds and ends. I hope to be there by 7.30pm.

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    1. Good stuff. I have what amounts to almost a full box of Wargames Factory plastic Romans you can have. I think there are several extra command figures, but the one thing I have taken out is the musical instruments. Companion Miniatures' quality control was not of the best in its last incarnation, and I needed the horns for musician figures who don't have them...

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  6. They look great Paul. Caesar would be proud!

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    1. Thanks, James - you've been playing a lot of ancients recently as well...

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