Thanks for all the compliments everyone! Seems most people favour the Spanish. Think I'll do them first (after a number of other projects!)
My last three games have been Iberians vs Celts. Spectacular.
That sounds like an excellent game. I'd love to see photos of that.
You are spoilt for choice with the Victrix model range. I would plump for an Allied Italian Legion using a mix of Samnite figures (they have more energetic poses) and the Allied Legion Figures or a Spanish contingent for my allies. Choosing Gauls limits you to the very early battle on 2nd Punic War. Thereafter they sided with the Carthaginians. The Numidians are a good choice but only for the last battles including Zama.
Aye, that I am. I've got all three Republican Legionnaire boxes and a few extra sprues to boot. Here's how I set up my legions:
What I've done is given the Hastati a mix of Pectoral armour or converted skirmishers into Hastati without body armour. There is a mix of the odd unit commander in chain or special helmet.. and the odd fellow in simple Italian allied style disc or square chest armor (whatever it is called) just for a bit of variance among the Hastati. I've given 1 / 2 unit a "full command" , that is a musician, a clear leader model, and a standard bearer if you use Warhammer terms
Next my Principes are decked out in Chainmail to differentiate them from the Hastati. Their heads are all the feathered plumes, as you can see in my photos. Only some of the unit commanders sport breast plates and fancier helmets.
Next my Triarii are the most unique. I've taken pieces from the Italian allied legionnaire boxes (the body plate) and mixed in bodies with the victrix chain bodies. Next, I use helmets from all the Italian allied box set as well as the Victrix Samnite infantry box set. I think a lot of people picture the Triarii to be wearing only ital-corinth helmets and chainmail with their long spears, but to me the Triarri are veterans - they've seen a lot and although they may have access to the best gear I wanted to make them the most unique looking, heroic units in the army. In this way they'll have the most variance between each individual soldier and look quite different from my Hastati and Principes. Each one looks like his own special character, with his own special shield.
My skirmishers are simply wolf hide velites or javelin men where appropriate.
For Cavalry I am sticking with just light cavalry for now. I have a single unit of Gauls running around and plan to do up some Warlord Numidian Cavalry. I also have Spanish light cavalry as well, and I think I'll do all three and switch them up for the different scenarios and wars.
As for the Samnites and Spanish, I think you are right. They are the best choices. I have hardly used any of the Italian allied legionnaire bodies. I plan to do some simple conversions to them by giving them mostly javelins and different types of shields. I will try to model them after the"Linen Legions" to be used in the Samnite wars, but then I can also place them to be used in the Roman armies as allies. I can also use them in a Carthage based army. I also have a box of Victrix armored Samnites, so those will fit in well for both Carthage and Rome , and the Samnite's own army.
I only have the Spanish cavalry and some really old, out of date metal gripping beast scutarii. But since I have so many left over skirmish bodies and quite a few bits from the cavalry set I think I can convert a good chunk of them into ancient Spanish forces, again to use in Carthage and Rome.
I will do all of this, but I think I'm just going to get my Romans done, and then do another project, so I can have painting variation in my life
Initially the army will be something like 5 units of Hastati, 5 units of Principes, 2 units of Triarii, 2-3 units of velites, 2-3 units of simple skirmishers, and two light cavalry units. One unit of Principes I plan to give long spears and make stubborn as described by the Hail Caesar! rules.. . I've been told that this isn't really historically accurate for principes during the time, but I would like to have some variation among the Romans core units. It's only one unit, anyways