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Miniatures Adventure => Age of Myths, Gods and Empires => Topic started by: Miniman on March 06, 2011, 05:33:39 PM

Title: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: Miniman on March 06, 2011, 05:33:39 PM
Greetings,
 I have wanted to play some ancients and the Roman army seems to appeal to me.
I have nothing yet except questions.

What scale 15mm or 28mm?
28mm  appeals to me because of the detail but 15mm, well more on the field I guess.
What is the most popular?

What set of rules to use?
I have been looking about and Field of Glory looks good is it?
Again is it popular? I want to play a system that I can find a game with.

Who can I play?
I live in IL northwest of chicago so is there any clubs or people to play?
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: manic _miner on March 06, 2011, 05:40:26 PM
 28mm ones would suit you well.With the release of the plastic set's you can build large forces quickly and a lot cheaper too.

 Not sure what rules you should use though.
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: midismirnoff on March 06, 2011, 05:45:58 PM
Hi,
it depends, of course. I'd say go with 28mm and stick to rules anyone can catch up quickly; this is how I managed to find someone to play against. I'm happy with Impetus. You can always base your models in an "elastic" way as Z did with his republican romans. See here (http://redzedz.blogspot.com/search/label/Command%20and%20Colours)
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: Miniman on March 06, 2011, 06:01:02 PM
Thats a nice post. Thanks
Impetus OK I will look into that.

Just wondering why base in groups?
Why not square bases as individuals?
Then use a move tray for units.
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: midismirnoff on March 06, 2011, 10:31:42 PM
Thats a nice post. Thanks
Impetus OK I will look into that.

Just wondering why base in groups?
Why not square bases as individuals?
Then use a move tray for units.

Indeed I'm doing as you say; I use individually based minis and put them in the appropriate tray. But for certain systems, like the De Bellis ... serie, and Field of Glory you normally need a 60 mm frontage base, and it's too small for trays, and too big for single basing. That's why (being that kind of game very pop) people tend to use the 60mm frontage and then use it in multiples to get the 120mm used for impetus. That's what Z is doing in the link I sent you. Other games use the 40x40mm stand, which is again another headache, but still perfectly stackable to get an Impetus frontage. This basing thing is a riddle actually, you should follow the game you like best.
I put my minis on 2eurocent (circa 20mm) coins, then bought a stock of impetus bases with round holes in it @ Warbases. It worked out perfectly!
http://www.warbases.co.uk/#/impetus/4543250990
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: Miniman on March 07, 2011, 12:37:06 AM
It sounds like a 20mm square base for each model would fit any of the systems mentioned.
Glue a magnetic sheet to the bottom and trim it to the 20mm square.
Then you just need differant size pieces of sheetmetal to put them on.
I use this with warhammer but glue the sheetmetal to a plastic move tray.
It works OK for warhammer but would that be good for ancients?
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: janner on March 07, 2011, 12:47:36 AM
This would also suit WAB (or WAB2).

I'd find some opponents near to home before sinking your pennies into lead though as they are bound to be in the other scale from the one you've just spent $200 on  ;)
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: War In 15MM on March 07, 2011, 01:18:43 AM
I like 15s.  My Romans are Old Glory, Corvus Belli, and Essex with some Xyston conversions at www.warin15mm.com./Pax-Romana-Gallery.html
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: Damien on March 07, 2011, 04:52:18 AM
Hi War In 15MM, love your website, sheer wonder at the number of minis you have; just awesome  :o


Damien
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: midismirnoff on March 07, 2011, 08:13:06 AM
It sounds like a 20mm square base for each model would fit any of the systems mentioned.
Glue a magnetic sheet to the bottom and trim it to the 20mm square.
Then you just need differant size pieces of sheetmetal to put them on.
I use this with warhammer but glue the sheetmetal to a plastic move tray.
It works OK for warhammer but would that be good for ancients?

Sure enough it'll work. WAB is an option, and separate basing is its thing. Watch out for Warlord's Hail Caesar coming out soon. 15mm is cool for mass effect, storage, etc.
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: AKULA on March 07, 2011, 10:00:27 AM
I'd find some opponents near to home before sinking your pennies into lead though as they are bound to be in the other scale from the one you've just spent $200 on  ;)

This.

Most gamers starting ancients for the first time, seem to gravitate towards Romans - find a gaming group first, but you'd probably get more opponents if you choose a barbarian army.

 ;)
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: midismirnoff on March 07, 2011, 11:14:32 AM
This.

Most gamers starting ancients for the first time, seem to gravitate towards Romans - find a gaming group first, but you'd probably get more opponents if you choose a barbarian army.

 ;)

Good point!
However with the many many civil wars that occurred it shouldn't be hard to justify a mirror match (except maybe for an "early republican" army). It might be very boring though.
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: Miniman on March 10, 2011, 07:04:42 PM
Thanks for all the help guys.

There is a Little wars convention comming up in April.
They have games using Impetus and Field of Glory rules.
But the time slots conflict so what do you recomend?
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: matakishi on March 10, 2011, 08:16:11 PM
Impetus, Field of Glory rules are horrible.
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: midismirnoff on March 10, 2011, 10:10:47 PM
Impetus, Field of Glory rules are horrible.

Horribly complicated more than horrible. Just something out time; I think game design developed into something more easy going and allusive.
Impetus is straight-forward and still rewards good tactics (and it's over in a couple of hours).
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: 1ngram on March 11, 2011, 09:45:47 AM
Check out the Renegade Republican Roman range in 28mm.  They are nice figures (if large) but they were recently offering them at such a low price I bagged almost a complete Basic Impetus Roman army for less than £40.00.  I think the pirce of each figure came to 39p  for foot.  They were restricting the deal to one horse unit per purchase.

As for rules start with Basic Impetus, free from their site with loads of army lists.  They are by far and away the m,ost elegant set of ancient rules - and very unpredictable.
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: Miniman on March 11, 2011, 11:24:03 PM
Thanks again guys.
  I had already downloaded the free Basic Impetus rules and some of the armies when I read your post 1ngram. I had a chance to skim over them today at lunch and they seen pretty straight forward.
Quote
Check out the Renegade Republican Roman range in 28mm.
I did that and they look pretty good.

I will pre register for that Impetus game in April and see what its all about then before I start buying anything.

I am also drawn to ACW so I just started another post concerning that.
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: midismirnoff on March 12, 2011, 04:54:21 PM
Good to hear that. However bear in mind that form Basic Impetus to Impetus the gaming experience gains a lot of quality without making it too complicate. Just so say something: skirmishers in Basic Impetus don't flee, don't disengage, they're pure cannon fodder, while in Impetus they become vital.
My 2c.

Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: Miniman on April 07, 2011, 11:46:37 PM
OK this Saturday I will go to Little wars convention in IL.

There is a Impetus game I will try to get into. Any general advice on tactics.
I do play a lot of warhammer so I can relate to rank and file, skirmishers fast cav etc.
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: Miniman on April 10, 2011, 02:20:26 PM
Well Yesterday I attended Little wars in St Charles IL.

Sadley I did not get to play Impetus.
I will keep looking for a game.
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: Miniman on May 23, 2011, 05:39:13 PM
Next Saturday I will get to play my first game of ancients using DBMM rules.
Being new to this I thought I would ask a few questions here.
I downloaded the free reference sheet and they refer to PIP's
What are PIP's and how are they used?
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: matakishi on May 23, 2011, 06:04:52 PM
PIPs are your command points, each commander in your army will roll his PIP dice (usually a D6) and the result is the number of units, or groups of touching units he may move. To begin with when your army is all connected in a line of battle it is easy to get it to do your bidding but later on, when units have been forced back/charged forward etc, it becomes more difficult to control everyone.
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: Miniman on May 24, 2011, 03:12:27 AM
Thanks matakishi. Is that roll every turn or once per game?

The scenerio we are to play pits Parthian vs (I think) Harshiens. Anyone know anything about these two armies or where to find more info?
Title: Re: Thinking of starting a Roman army
Post by: matakishi on May 24, 2011, 06:43:04 AM
Thanks matakishi. Is that roll every turn or once per game?

Every turn.