Analog Hobbies First Submission

Hello all.  This is my first post for this years Painting Challenge.  This was such a great experience for me last year I am back for another go around.   This year I am planning on painting the core of two armies.   I am doing Mithridatic Ponts and Caesarian era Romans.  

I decided to start with the Ponts.  They are a mixed bag of Macedonian style successors with a strong Asiatic and Persian influence.  My first entry is part of the pike block I am building for the 1st Mithridatic war.  Like most successor style armies the Ponts were centered around the pike block. These guys are fun to paint but the big 32 figure units tend to wear the fun pretty thin.

Since the start of the challenge I have been able to finish three pike units.   I had some issues with deciding how to base them but settled on a semi-arid looking theme.  At least I hope its semi-arid looking . 

The last 10 days was very educational for me.   I learned that is a huge pain in the rear to paint pike when the pike is already glued in the hands of the figure. There is an obscene amount of "travel time" when moving from one figure to another. 

I also learned that whoever came up with the idea of using steel rods to simulate pike is equal parts genius and sadist. Those dang things are really sharp but very durable.

By my count 3 units of 32 figures is 96 28mm figures which I believe is 480 points. I hope to finish the last three units in the next week or so.  
 

Here's the class photo. The pikeman on the far right was not very attractive so the photographer partially excluded him.