Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Age of Myths, Gods and Empires => Topic started by: Sir_Theo on December 22, 2020, 10:53:29 PM
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I'm toying with ideas a potential project for 2021 and ancients appeal. I've recently been reading the Adrian Goldsworthy Vindolanda books, but as a boy one of my favourite books was a Rosemary Sutcliffe novel called Frontier Wolf. I'm considering a small (Infamy Infamy maybe) collection of Roman frontier troops (and ultimately some adversaries if anyone has particular suggestions) and I thought I'd use the encyclopedic knowledge of LAF to see if there are any particular ranges to cover Romans in kit for colder climes. Or am I barking up the wrong tree? I'd imagine campaigning season was usually in better weather. Do any such ranges exist?
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I know that black tree design has legionaries and auxiliaries in cloak. Maybe these are usefull?
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I know that black tree design has legionaries and auxiliaries in cloak. Maybe these are usefull?
Those are exactly the sort of thing im looking for, thank you! I wouldn't have thought of Black Tree Designs.
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Warlord Games do a nice set of Roman sentries bundled up in their cloaks.
https://store.warlordgames.com/collections/early-imperial-romans/products/early-imperial-romans-sentries?variant=31468931088464
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Thanks for the top about Black Tree. I never remember look at them plus there are quite a few posts about their "Customer Service" .However I will admit that these Romans look good. The Auxilia in particular are very nice.
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Thanks for the top about Black Tree. I never remember look at them plus there are quite a few posts about their "Customer Service" .However I will admit that these Romans look good. The Auxilia in particular are very nice.
Exactly my thoughts! I have only ever really bought fantasy stuff from them (I love those old Heartbreaker sculpts) but those Romans look very nice. From a look online they seem to match Aventine quite well too scale wise.
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Good suggestions here! Since one can never have too many projects ( lol ), I was thinking about building a diorama of a Roman limes watchtower with 8 or so auxilia, but was able to talk myself out of it because I didn't want the normal run of imperial Romans, nor buy a box of 50 or whatever plastic ones. So this might just work... hmmm...
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In 15mm Forged in Battle makes auxilia in cloaks and trousers:
https://www.forgedinbattle.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=126_161_174&product_id=644
https://www.forgedinbattle.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=126_161_174&product_id=645
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I've been after the same thing for something to match in with the victrix Roman's, unfortunately could not find anything suitable apart from the warlord and black tree designs ones. Had to try convertig them and even adding a simple crude cloak to the victrix imperial Roman's really makes them look the part.
Not tried it yet but should be fairly easy to add some trousers and socks to them =), the attacking Roman's already have trousers
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Hi,
My EIR are a mix of Black Tree, Victrix, and Aventine and they all mix quite well. Black Tree don't have a very good reputation for customer service but I've placed several orders with them this year and got each in 3 to 4 weeks. So if you are in he UK the Black Tree figs in cloaks could be worth the risk.
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I don't have Romans, but the other figures I have from Black Tree are very good and I have always had good service, despite their reputation.
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Now ya tell me lol I placed a small order with them (well, the US version) for the first time a couple weeks ago. Figured I wouldn't see them for a while anyway because of the holidays... now you've got me scared that I never will :D
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Now ya tell me lol I placed a small order with them (well, the US version) for the first time a couple weeks ago. Figured I wouldn't see them for a while anyway because of the holidays... now you've got me scared that I never will :D
I ordered Romans from them on a Black Friday sale (2018). I got them end of August. It was only 9 months. Still part of the order is outstanding.
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I'd have thought the cloaks were an essential feature but so too should be their lower half. I believe they would be clad in closed leather boots and trousers with perhaps some extra wraps or bindings.
Anyone in the UK right now could try wearing shorts with socks and sandals with the heat turned off for the day as an experiment. I'll be you'd be reaching for your lambswool slippers and fleecy track pants in no time.
This is an interesting project. If it were mine I might start with mixing Celts or German plastics with Romans.
Please keep us posted on your progress.
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I ordered Romans from them on a Black Friday sale (2018). I got them end of August. It was only 9 months. Still part of the order is outstanding.
Whoa! That is insane :o Knock on wood, I actually got an email this morning that my order from them should arrive today ::) I guess we'll see!
As for the project in question here, sounds like a great idea and I can't wait to see the results!
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Just a polite warning.
Stick to the topic witch is Romans in winter gear. ;)
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Thanks for all your advice everyone. I've put an order into Black Tree for some of the Auxiliaries. I may return to for the Legionaries in the new year once things get going. Im considering Vitrix plastic Aux cavalry, I think even my rudimentary green stuff skills may run to cloaks. I'll post progress when I've made any.
Now....when I start a project I like to do things in pairs. Suitable adversaries? From a brief look online available Picts seem to be from the Dark Ages rather than the Roman period. In Frontier Wolf the garrison was being hunted by 'Painted people' who I presume are Picts. Again any suitable figure recommendations? There seem to be loads of great Celt options.
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Most Pict figures seem to include a lot of bare chested figures. Not appropriate for winter.
While there isn’t a huge amount of separate information on tribes in the north, most seem to agree they wore the same clothing as those in the south, from what I have read.
Therefore, Celts wearing cloaks and armour might be best to give the appearance of cold weather gear.
Maybe the odd fanatic with a bare chest to give a sense of uniqueness.
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As well as Picts and Celts have you thought of Germans, and setting your games on ( or in?) the "Limes" of the Netherlands/Germany? This would also allow you to buy one of the rather nice Roman Watchtowers that several manufacturers produce! The Foundry figures are superb if expensive, and Victrix produce a set of 60 figures for £38. Unfortunately the latter mainly seem to be bare-chested which may not fit in with your winter theme, unless you view them as the Germanic equivalent of Newcastle United fans.
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For opponents in a winter theme maybe the frostgrave barbarians might be useful
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For opponents in a winter theme maybe the frostgrave barbarians might be useful
That’s a good idea! Mixing body parts and heads might make some very cool figures.
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Great advice all, I think i know how I am going to proceed. Good thinking about the Frostgrave Barbarians, I've got a box of those I used on another project and I'm sure I could use some bits.
I will report back once the project begins in earnest!
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While I'm waiting on my Black Tree Order I started on a couple of miniatures I already have. First off a Germanic Auxiliary Centurion by Aventine miniatures. Im still undecided on the basing (although Inhave sone ideas) and colour wise im just going with whatever I feel like- I generally paint sci fi or fantasy and going for some sort of accuracy is alien to me so no idea if its a likely combination!
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You know, at the end, as much as we like to be accurate, colors are always going to be mostly guesswork. For what it's worth, my gut reaction when I see the image was "Ooh, that looks nice!"
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You know, at the end, as much as we like to be accurate, colors are always going to be mostly guesswork. For what it's worth, my gut reaction when I see the image was "Ooh, that looks nice!"
I'll take it! Thank you! My first Aventine miniature, ill be buying more, lovely model.
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I'll take it! Thank you! My first Aventine miniature, ill be buying more, lovely model.
Oh absolutely. They make some of the best models ever created (and are also a dream to work with)!
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I'll third that for Aventine. I have a sprinkling of them through my Caesarean legionary army and they are a delight - primarily becasue they are different. I don't wish to sound like a fetishist but I love painting their feet which I suspect are on the large side but like the rest of the model - they just take the pant so well. Great faces too.
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Regarding your approach for legionary winter kit, I just stumbled across the following hugely useful site. http://www.romanarmy.net/coldweather.shtml (http://www.romanarmy.net/coldweather.shtml) Hope it helps. It was an eye opener for me as a few sources make it clear that at least up to the middle Imperial period Roman thinking was that trousers were for Barbarians so it looks like they adopted other work-arounds.
All the best with it and I look forward to your results.
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Thank you that is a brilliant link, some food for thought there. I like the idea of the puttees...
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Legio XXI Rapax reenactors.
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great pics
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Those pics are brilliant, exactly what I need.
I've started messing about with greenstuff so should have some stuff to share soon. The main body of models haven't arrived, and as they are Black Tree, may never arrive. I have a plan B though, although ill give them a bit longer. I've got my cavalry Ala and some archers and Leaders to get on with for now.
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Those pics are brilliant, exactly what I need.
I've started messing about with greenstuff so should have some stuff to share soon. The main body of models haven't arrived, and as they are Black Tree, may never arrive. I have a plan B though, although ill give them a bit longer. I've got my cavalry Ala and some archers and Leaders to get on with for now.
If my experience is anything to judge by, they will arrive. Late, but they will arrive. You may have to continually email after a reasonable while of waiting, but BTD had always delivered what I have ordered (expect for that missing set ...).
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Another idea for opponents are the various central European tribes.
The Romans waged a successful campaign against tribes in the Alps from 16-7 bc which included Celts and Rhaetians.
Other Celts and Illryians were fighting Rome into the first half of the 1st century ad.
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Those winter Roman pics are Great!. This is a bad photo and they are no where near finished but here is some simple cloaks from greenstuff. Literaly just slap a peice of greenstuff on and then join it at the front. It is crude but very quick, and then you can just paint on the ripples instead of sculpting them, which i would prefer to do but there is just no way that is feasible for large numbers (even if i knew how lol )
This method you could literaly cloak a whole pack of Victrix Romans in 2 hours! In person they look a lot better i promise =)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3fR2PZctUWoTIwk5RhmiClQlgYbTGY-6A9wW3VrAKtXaqqtlxPFqj6EpZAl2jP5aqDbe2lFbjdG68QYIrJbvq4zmieq-254ByLqs7fM2fePL2ZdXQTHwyIwumkVo9zXOWNYS8saeYtsd--qevN3sTshvg=w2560-h1214-no?authuser=0)
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Those look brilliant! I'm doing something similar although they don't look as good as yours.
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Those winter Roman pics are Great!. This is a bad photo and they are no where near finished but here is some simple cloaks from greenstuff. Literaly just slap a peice of greenstuff on and then join it at the front. It is crude but very quick, and then you can just paint on the ripples instead of sculpting them, which i would prefer to do but there is just no way that is feasible for large numbers (even if i knew how lol )
This method you could literaly cloak a whole pack of Victrix Romans in 2 hours! In person they look a lot better i promise =)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ACtC-3fR2PZctUWoTIwk5RhmiClQlgYbTGY-6A9wW3VrAKtXaqqtlxPFqj6EpZAl2jP5aqDbe2lFbjdG68QYIrJbvq4zmieq-254ByLqs7fM2fePL2ZdXQTHwyIwumkVo9zXOWNYS8saeYtsd--qevN3sTshvg=w2560-h1214-no?authuser=0)
You know, I may have to just bite the bullet and do that myself. I have a few units I've been verrrrrrrrrry slowly working on, but part of the reason why is my anxiety over sculpting like 100 separate cloaks lol Yours look great, so I might try doing it that way....
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Cheers guys, looking forward to see yours!.
After watching Barbarians I just had to cloak my Romans, but massively put off by the time and skill involved, this way is so quick. I did just cut out the main part of cloak by guessing, but you could make a simple pattern. Another mistake i made was flatten the greenstuff between my fingers which left finger prints unfortunetly.
Also i was thinking you could make a ripple/fold shape mould to lubricate up and put on the back of the figure whilst you place the flat greenstuff on, and then remove it
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If you are a bit patient, I am actually having 28mm Romans in winter kit sculpted at this very moment. Main source is this book https://zeughausverlag.de/heere-waffen/das-heer-des-varus-teil-1/ (https://zeughausverlag.de/heere-waffen/das-heer-des-varus-teil-1/)
Frankly, the main reason is that my Blacktree order never arrived and I wanted to have historically correct figures. No barbarian trousers, but good old leg warmers and capes. Might still be available faster than waiting on your order ;-)
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If you are a bit patient, I am actually having 28mm Romans in winter kit sculpted at this very moment. Main source is this book https://zeughausverlag.de/heere-waffen/das-heer-des-varus-teil-1/ (https://zeughausverlag.de/heere-waffen/das-heer-des-varus-teil-1/)
Frankly, the main reason is that my Blacktree order never arrived and I wanted to have historically correct figures. No barbarian trousers, but good old leg warmers and capes. Might still be available faster than waiting on your order ;-)
Ooh, Really that is good news.
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Linear A has had the same idea in 1/72. They have a whole new range of Romans and Germans set around General Varus' day off https://www.linear-a.de/shop-figuren/plastikfiguren/linear-a/ (https://www.linear-a.de/shop-figuren/plastikfiguren/linear-a/)