Atheling's Early Byzantines- Made the Cover of "Slingshot"- Page 31. 23-04-2023

[Warboss Nick]

Lovely brushwork as always! It shows you enjoyed painting these

I can see what you mean with the charm of command bases and war machines over rank and file units. They just have so much more character to them.

[Atheling]

Lovely brushwork as always! It shows you enjoyed painting these

Thank you. Your kind words are very much appreciated 

I can see what you mean with the charm of command bases and war machines over rank and file units. They just have so much more character to them.

I've been leaning towards producing bases with a vignette bent for many years. I love playing around with the multitude of ways that one can manage the basing so's to create that interaction that makes the piece a little but special, with it's on character.

Here's a couple of pics from my metal Perry HYW collection which illustrate the poit nicely- the job made easier by the animation that oozes out of every Perry Miniatures sculpt:
Front:

Back:

[Hincmar]

Love those "bolt throwers".   Agree with what the others say about the rich palette.    In fact, I like these particular sets so much that as well as buy three with crews, I bought a further three without them to use with converted Northstar dwarves for Oathmark.

Looking forward to seeing more of your unarmoured legions.      SiWi and I caught up yesterday and talked of precisely what we're going to do with the Aventine range.   Happily, I have a large stash of their and the GB Avars.  Just need to work out what to use for their Slavic allies...

[Atheling]

Love those "bolt throwers".   Agree with what the others say about the rich palette.    In fact, I like these particular sets so much that as well as buy three with crews, I bought a further three without them to use with converted Northstar dwarves for Oathmark.

Sounds interesting. If you have pics on the net I would be very interested in taking a look 

Looking forward to seeing more of your unarmoured legions.      SiWi and I caught up yesterday and talked of precisely what we're going to do with the Aventine range.   Happily, I have a large stash of their and the GB Avars.  Just need to work out what to use for their Slavic allies...

I'm starting earlier then the Avar invasions, staying with Belisarius and Narses for he time being and going with Dara 530 CE (Sassanids), Taginae 552 CE (Lombards) and Casilinum 554 CE (Franks) before moving forward into the "Heraclian" era. I think I've mentioned this before but I have a very good mate who is interested in putting on a display game once the shows are back on, probably in 2022 if we're being realistic and if all goes to plan.

This project, along with my Anglo Danes have kept me going through these strange times.

[Hincmar]

No pics yet as the project (themed around Tolkien's Fall of Arnor with a strong Arthurian / Early Byzantine flavour) is still at the "have lots of fun kit-bashing / converting figures" stage with only a few bearing a lick of paint!  But I shall certainly post some pics as it moves forward especially with as the pure historical figures are finished.

Very interested to see your take on the Lombards and Franks in due course, and the demo game sounds great.

[Atheling]

No pics yet as the project (themed around Tolkien's Fall of Arnor with a strong Arthurian / Early Byzantine flavour) is still at the "have lots of fun kit-bashing / converting figures" stage with only a few bearing a lick of paint!  But I shall certainly post some pics as it moves forward especially with as the pure historical figures are finished.

You're probably aware of Graham Green's Wargaming in Middle Earth Facebook Group? Link below just in case

https://www.facebook.com/groups/151243738922969

Very interested to see your take on the Lombards and Franks in due course, and the demo game sounds great.

I'm thinking Sassanids and Dara or Solachon but it might even be the case of a Byzantine Civil War as a Sassanid army is a goal of min but not one I might manage as well as the Byzantines by 2022. Who knows  I like the idea of Goths i/ because a have a shedload of unpainted Footsore Goths and ii/ They would be relatively easy enough to paint quickly (as long as i don't get carried away!) 

[Atheling]

I've been working on this unit for a couple of weeks. With the unit being the first of my mounted "Justinian" era Heavy Cavalry units I just could not resist posting up a WIP picture of them in all their Eastern Roman glory. Anyone out there reading this who knows a little about Late Roman/Early Byzantine armies will probably be able to guess which particular unit is depicted in the image above. If the heavy armours on the men and the heavy bards on the large horses are not a giveaway then the banner ought to look very familiar to those who have studied the period.

I have been toying with the idea of adding pennants to the kontos which has raised a bit of a dilemma. The Byzantine Heavy Cavalry would not charge pell mell into the fray lances levelled but rather, cantor in with good discipline, the kontos being used as a duel weapon (pardon the pun) in that it could be used for thrusting and/or fencing. I just cannot imagine any of the cavalrymen being very amused about having a great big pennon on the end of their "lance" as it would certainly impede the use of the weapon in that regard. On the other hand, the artist in me tells me to hell with it and add the pennons as they will finish of the unit really nicely! Decisions, decisions......

[skip]

very nice painting

Brian

[HappyChappy439]

Amazing looking cavalry so far! Loving the Belisarius banner 

Looking forward to seeing them finished!

[Atheling]

Thanks chaps

Amazing looking cavalry so far! Loving the Belisarius banner 

Got it in one  It took some doing, halfway through I thought I was painting Tom Baker with a beard!  I was mightily relieved when it started to come together near the end! Give me a five by six canvas any day! 

Looking forward to seeing them finished!

Tomorrow I hope! Depends on whether the filler has gone off tonight prior to basing materials being applied then painted.

[Duncan McDane]

That banner. Very impressive! Good deep colors on the Byzantines too, love how the red & gold tones come together. Irl it would be very spectacular/intimidating if you would be on the receiving end of that charging army  .

[Atheling]

That banner. Very impressive! Good deep colors on the Byzantines too, love how the red & gold tones come together.

Thanks mate.

Irl it would be very spectacular/intimidating if you would be on the receiving end of that charging army  .

With my tactical nous, or lack of, I'm expecting them to all go running off the table top pell mell 

[Atheling]

There is a whole gamut of pictures featuring the unit from various angles and single ranks on my blog here:
https://justaddwater-bedford.blogspot.com/2021/05/belisarus-boukellaroi.html

I present to you Belisarius' Boukellaroi/Bucellarii. I have enjoyed painting up this unit more then any of the rest in the army and I think that is really says something! Every unit from the Aventine Early Byzantine range so far has been a real pleasure to paint up. Minimal cleaning up, perhaps a little filing here and there and very crisp castings. Adam's sculpting is sublime. I really think the whole range is exquisite.

The banner will be a dead giveaway to many so it will come as no surprise that I have painted up this unit as Belisarius' Boukellaroi. I have tried to include as much variation in colour on the horses to keep a real sense of individuality. Same with the bards on the equines. I have equipped the Boukellaroi in similar colours as their equipment would have been personally handed to them by the general himself and a degree of uniformity with minor variations such as patterns on the caparisons beneath the horse armours to allow for a small degree of individual expression without diminishing the uniform look.

I have been debating with myself as to whether to include pennons at the end of the kontos. I am almost certain that pennons would not have been used to decorate such a lengthy weapon as it was used as both a thrusting weapon and a fencing weapon. Fencing with a four meter long "spear" would have been almost impossible with the added encumbrance of the pennon.

I have included a Draco standard in the back rank, carried by an officer, as I believe dressing the ranks would have been paramount for the unit as it entered combat at a cantor. The Draco standard also helps to offset the whopping great banner of Belisarius to the right centre of the unit. In art college speak by placing the Draco where I have the eye will move around the unit. Or at least that is my hope!

[Hu Rhu]

Beautiful painting on some lovely figures.  The banner is awesome. 

[Tonhel]

Amazing!