The Last Legion

Happy Friday!    My installment this week is the last cohort of the bullheaded legion and the first cohort of the last legion. 

I saved the first cohort of the Bullheaded legion for last.  Its 24 figures strong compared to the others that are 16 (soon to be 18). 

 

The last legion I plan for paint for a while has changed a bit.  I had planned to go with black shield and dark yellow lightening bolts.  The test shields came out ok and I was ready to go, but then I came across the stars and bronze idea on the internet.  New and shiny always wins!

I was able to paint 42 figures this week. As usual all are Wargames Foundry

Slinging More Bull

Hi All.   This week I spent more time on the bullheaded Romans.  I was able to knock out three 16 man cohorts.   The shields are pretty easy to paint its just a matter of getting the symmetry right.

Some of the cows have longer horns than others but I figure that's nature right?

I completed one cohorts of the bullheads last week with the 3 this week I only have one more cohort to go for the half legion.

My big crisis came this week when I considered what they would look like on the table.   Four ranks and 4 files just doesn't look right for Romans.   I will be adding 2 more figures to each unit and go six files and three ranks.

My second big change of the week is the lighting used to take the photos.  I went with 2 compact florescent natural lights.   I liked the compact florescent bulbs so much I switched over in my painting lamp.  For those of you who are as impatient as I am, the light looks terrible until they "warm" up.   I tried them a year or so ago and gave up right away because I didn't wait for them to come to full brightness. Once warm they give great light!

All the bullheaded Romans are from Wargames Foundry's caesarean range.  I am a big fan of the range but at today's prices it would be an investment to build an army of them. 

Here is the first cohort of the week.   (I think officer int he red cloak is 1st corp and not Foundry)



Heres the second cohort of the week.   These are all Foundry


 

And the third cohort


 


My final figure for he week is Warlord Games Marcus Crassus.    I love how dynamic the pose is.  I am not sure if he would be my vision of Marcus Crassus but I think he will make a great looking legate.

Here is a group photo




I was able to complete 49-28mm figures this week.

AHPC post

  This week I was able to finish the last of the 6 pike blocks for Mithridates VI army.  Its a bit silly that I painted them for his army, since he only used them in the first Mithridatic war.  On top of that, they where they were consistently crushed by Sulla.

   While it is not the most robust force I do like Mithridates early efforts building a Roman beater.  He was willing to experiment and adapt.  Following his defeat by Sulla he went home to lick his wounds and raised another army.   The second time around he abandoned the pike block and built an army based on imitation legionaries, if you cant beat them join them.

  There are 32 Wargames Foundry figures that makeup this block. Learning my lesson from the earlier 5 the pikes went on, After, the painting was done.  I am proud to report no injury this time around.  This unit was a little trickier, it did not have the shields with cast on designs so I had to wing it. 

Here's a view from from the side and rear. 







 And the obligitory close up




The second unit I was able to complete this week is a unit of 12 Companion style heavy cavalry.

I saved the easiest for last.  I was also able to knock out a unit of 10 Greek light cavalry.  There is really not much to these guys so it was a nice break from the more detailed figures.

I think this week I have 32 foot and 22 horse.  Next week things will slow down as I am switching gears and moving to Romans.  Looking back over the last 30 days I was able to stay more focused than last year.  If I can keep up the pace I think I am on track to meet my challenge goal.

More Romans

This post covers what I was able to complete over the last two weeks.  Life conspired to make posting last week impossible.

I was able to knock out the last three cohorts of the Red legion last week.  It feels a little wrong to call them the red legion.  I think I need to come up with a number and name that is somewhat historical .

The first new cohort




The second new cohort








 And the last cohort of the soon to be renamed red legion.







Here is a look at the three cohorts together.




By this point I was pretty burned out on painting red so I made a switch to my next color scheme.   I wanted the second legion to have more of a Spanish look so I took a cue from Warlord games Hail Caesar supplement and started to work on a Pompeian legion.  I tried to make the design look like a bull head   Ill leave it up to you as to rather it was successful or not.  





 

I have 4 units of 16 figures each for a total of 64 28mm figures.

AHPC 5th Post

This week I made the switch to Mithridates VI Roman opponents.  I had anticipated they would paint quickly and easily but boy was I wrong.  There is a lot more detail on the figures that I had not planned on.    And then their is the shields!  I was considering using shield transfers but I felt a little uncomfortable using them.   I have always painted shields before and I figured what the heck.  How bad could it be.    Well let me tell you.. its bad... buy the transfers!

I am organizing the army in 16 figure cohorts with a 24 figure first cohort.

Here is the basic16 figure cohort.  The figures are all Wargames Foundry



Here they are off the movement base and deployed in a 2 rank line.


 
And here is the 24 figure First Cohort.  

I love the scornful look on this officers face.   So I had to show him off.



This week I finished a total of 40 28mm foot.   Next week I hope to finish off 3 more 16 figure cohorts.   Then on to the next "legion"  which I WILL be using transfers on!