Victrix Late Roman Unarmoured Infantry finally released

[WorkShy]

https://www.victrixlimited.com/products/late-roman-unarmoured-infantry

I've bought a couple of packs to form 3 x 24 man units. Based on the photos they seem a cut above both GB and WA plastic. You get a fairly ridiculous number of heads but no Pannonian caps which are normally a staple. Some of the bodies look rather generic. Either way it's still going to give me a variety that's hard to match with metal.

I've been waiting for these for ages and it's really been a bottleneck for forming my Late Roman force.  They were first mentioned by Victrix over a year ago, then scheduled for July, and finally became available on the last day of Sep. Archers are meant to come out soon and then armoured infantry but I'm not holding my breath!

[tabletopwargamer]

They look great. I have hundreds of GB already.

I will therefore obviously buy them.

[RedRowan]

Been looking forward to these since they were first announced so nice to see they are finally being released. I believe the delay was down to problems at the factory.

Steve mentioned over on Facebook that the the Pannonian caps are on the archers sprue. Seems like it was a design decision based on the amount of heads they were trying to squeeze on the main sprue.

I would of liked to have seen more bodies on the main frame like yourself but I think with the cloak options and various weapons there should still be some good variety. I think some of the archer/slinger bodies will work too looking at the renders.

Steve

[Freddy]

They look cool. I wonder if they could be used as Byzantine infantry, and if yes, until which period.

[WorkShy]

Steve mentioned over on Facebook that the the Pannonian caps are on the archers sprue. Seems like it was a design decision based on the amount of heads they were trying to squeeze on the main sprue.

I would of liked to have seen more bodies on the main frame like yourself but I think with the cloak options and various weapons there should still be some good variety. I think some of the archer/slinger bodies will work too looking at the renders.

I did notice the archer renders had the Pannonian caps. Seems Victrix expect us to buy all the different packs. Still surprised none on the unarmoured infantry given the 39 heads they are putting on each main sprue which has just 4 bodies. With 6 main sprues per pack, that's 210 excess heads. I think a better balance might have been 6 bodies on the main sprue and a few less heads. Buying two packs, I'm never going to be short of a late Roman head again!

They look cool. I wonder if they could be used as Byzantine infantry, and if yes, until which period.

Victrix is saying they can be used as early Byzantines. I think they'd work just fine up to 600AD. Thing is though at £34 for 36 figures, it's basically £1/mini. Aventine early Byzantines are only £5.50 for 4 (£6 for command) and, in my opinion, they are great sculpts and very period specific. So that's the benchmark to beat.

[Codsticker]

It looks like a fantastic kit; now I only hope they do something similar for their Dark Ages range.

[Freddy]

Victrix is saying they can be used as early Byzantines. I think they'd work just fine up to 600AD. Thing is though at £34 for 36 figures, it's basically £1/mini. Aventine early Byzantines are only £5.50 for 4 (£6 for command) and, in my opinion, they are great sculpts and very period specific. So that's the benchmark to beat.

Thanks! I was hoping for something 10-11th century.

[SJWi]

Looking at small photos on my phone I'd agree that these are firmly rooted in the 4-late 6th centuries. I think I detect the applique decoration on the tunics? For 11th century Byzantines I'd look at Crusader metals, Fireforge plastics or Gripping Beast metals, albeit the latter are a bit " long in the tooth".

[Codsticker]

Still surprised none on the unarmoured infantry given the 39 heads they are putting on each main sprue which has just 4 bodies. With 6 main sprues per pack, that's 210 excess heads. I think a better balance might have been 6 bodies on the main sprue and a few less heads.

I agree.

I think I detect the applique decoration on the tunics?

I don't think so; the pictures I was able to zoom in on on my laptop didn't show any but some may have them.

[WorkShy]

So I got my two packs (72 figures total) on Monday. I've constructed 16 or so and then speedpainted 4 in a hour just to get a feel for what they are like (see utterly terrible photo attached).

They are impressive. Way above the old GB plastics and, in my view, a cut above the WA Late Romans. You get two command frames with 6 figures and 6 main frames with 4 figures each. The command frames are really nice. The 6 figures include two with leather cuirass, one with metal, two with scale and 1 unarmoured. I'm really impressed with these frames and love some of the helmets and cloaks.

I'm less keen on the main frames. You only get 4 bodies (one of each is show in the picture attached). The first, third and fourth body poses are not that dissimilar. The fourth has a fixed off-hand position limiting variation. The second body has a different pose but, according to their instructions, has no option for spiculum/angon or plumbatae (unlike bodies 1, 3 and 4) though you can ignore these instructions.

I really feel they needed 6 bodies here to add some variation. Yes, you get 41 heads on each main frame but many of those heads are quite similar, with very few without helmets. I note that their forthcoming Archers and Armoured Infantry will have 6 bodies on the main frame. I'd also note they don't seem to have very pronounced features on the helmets. A quick wash and drybrush or highlight doesn't really bring out the contrast like on metal minis from say Footsore or Aventine.

Sizewise they seem to fit pretty well with my my Footsore, Aventine and GB metal infantry. They might be a touch bigger and bulkier but not really noticeable. They are a bit bulkier than the few GB and WA Late Roman plastics I have.

Overall I'm very impressed but, on first impressions, it's not the "killer blow" to metal Late Roman minis I thought it might well be. Perhaps that's a good thing.

[Codsticker]

Thanks for posting the mini review. Once the archers are out then there will be a few more pose options. I have started mixing and matching Victrix Late Saxon Anglo-Danes limbs and heads with the Dark Ages Archers and Slingers bodies to get unarmoured warriors. Not a perfect solution but a solution nonetheless. I can appreciate the number of heads as they try to maximise the usefulness of the kit although 41 may have been overkill.

[Porsenna]

@workshy Great and useful pics! Thank you!

I'm thinking that these guys will benefit from both Vixtrix's late Roman authors for more poses (as has been pointed out) but also WGA's late Romans to help give a bit more pose variation.

The big question will be in regards to there being enough spears in either kit to cover outfitting another with identical weapons. (I like variations in pose, but uniformity in weapons. But maybe I'm unusual in that, )

[Codsticker]

The big question will be in regards to there being enough spears in either kit to cover outfitting another with identical weapons. (I like variations in pose, but uniformity in weapons. But maybe I'm unusual in that, )

I don't think that is an unrealistic expectation for what is supposed to be a uniformly equipped force like the Romans.

[macmod]

Out of curiosity did anyone get any HB6 heads?

[WorkShy]

Out of curiosity did anyone get any HB6 heads?

HB6 is marked on the sprue but there is no head!

The big question will be in regards to there being enough spears in either kit to cover outfitting another with identical weapons. (I like variations in pose, but uniformity in weapons. But maybe I'm unusual in that, )

Each main sprue has (roughly ... dont hold me to it) 13 spears, 3 angon/spiculum, 3 plumbatae, 4 axes and 5 swords. Bit light in my view on the plumbatae and angons.

It has to be said though that these main sprues are an absolute goldmine for modding since with only 4 bodies, the excess I'm being left with is huge. With 12 main sprues across my two packs, I've got 408 excess heads just for starters. Never mind the excess heads on the command sprues. I've already modded a test sprue of Dacians I bought ages ago with late Roman helmets and they look just fine in the shieldwall. That's 6 used, just another 402 to go!