All roads lead to Rome... * 05.07.15 Blocking out the milecastle *

[OSHIROmodels]

In a round about sort of way  

I watched Tony Robinson stroll through the Lake District via the roman roads chatting about the roman presence there earlier tonight and thought it would make a good little background for some ancients gaming  

The figures that most appealed for the romans are from here but I'm at a bit of a loss for the locals. I certainly don't want to go with the half naked screaming loons that you normally get and thought maybe something from Gripping Beast might suit  

What do you chaps think?

cheers

James

[von Lucky]

What time period exactly?

[commissarmoody]

And what show? 

[OSHIROmodels]

Ah, yes 

Probably 100-300 AD and it was on Channel Four and was called Walking Though History.

cheers

James

[philhendry]

HARRUMPH!  I missed that.  Wandering the Roman roads of the North of England is one of my favourite pastimes.  Would have been nice to see the programme.

As for figures, it's very hard to know how they would have dressed.  The naked savage is very much a Roman cultural/literary device - the further from Rome a people lived, the more barbaric authors portrayed them as being.  I don't really buy it...  Especially as we have Vindolanda tablets with requests for wooly socks - I can't really see the natives as being any tougher than the auxiliary garrison...  And there's something distinctly uncool about the idea of naked fanatics wearing wooly socks!

I'd like to build a force of Roman Auxilia from the later 2nd century, together with their opposition but, like you, don't much fancy using the 'standard' depiction of ancient Brits - it doesn't seem right somehow, and certainly not for the period 'long after' the invasion.  I wonder whether though, it might be best to stick with 'Celts' though (to retain cultural appearance - weaponry, torcs, etc), but be careful to select mainly clothed figures, and leave out the nekkid nutters and the chariots.

I do wonder whether there might be a market for a range of  'less extreme' Celts?  I wonder if,for example, Aventine, might be persuaded to do some?

[OSHIROmodels]

It might be on 4OD Phil 

Although it wasn't bursting with historical info it still gets the imagination going.

I agree with you on the Celt front, I was born and raised in Barrow and you certainly don't don't go running around naked for the fun of it 

I'm thinking for the time being that the normally dressed Crusader celts might fit the bill?

cheers

James

[Mad Doc Morris]

To emphasise what Phil said: I'd imagine tribesmen of the North to be dressed pretty much like their continental cousins of the German and Scandinavian wastes. Therefore, ranges covering these parts might be a good choice, too. Just stay away from (much) body armour, for this is where distinct Celtic (i.e. BC) fashion comes in.
That said, for the 2nd and 3rd century AD as covered by Aventine I'd go for anything labelled as Picts, Welsh or Irish/Scots. My favourites are the Picts by Wargames Foundry but most likely they're dwarfed by Aventine models. The respective ranges by Gripping Beast are fine, too.

[philhendry]

It might be on 4OD Phil 

It might indeed - I'll have a look.

Although it wasn't bursting with historical info it still gets the imagination going.

I imagine so.

I agree with you on the Celt front, I was born and raised in Barrow and you certainly don't don't go running around naked for the fun of it 

Barrow! - I started life in/near Carlisle, and live almost in sight of Barrow these days (across the bay in Lancaster).

I'm thinking for the time being that the normally dressed Crusader celts might fit the bill?

There are a lot of half-nekkid ones, and it's not a very big range.  The Foundry ones will be too small.  A and A Minis do a range, which will be a decent match, size-wise for the Aventine Romans, and (apart from the pack of naked natters) most have tunics.  I should thnk that picking suitable packs from Crusader, Gripping Beast, A&A, etc, should give enough variety, and allow one to avoid the most 'barbaric' looking models.

[OSHIROmodels]

I was only thinking small scale skirmish anyway so a reduced range isn't so much of a problem.

I was thinking of some of the Germans as well, mix and match and all that.

It might be more of an exercise in terrain and research into the buildings and structures more than gaming but we'll see... You never know how these things pan out 

cheers

James

[philhendry]

I was only thinking small scale skirmish anyway so a reduced range isn't so much of a problem.

I was thinking of some of the Germans as well, mix and match and all that.

It might be more of an exercise in terrain and research into the buildings and structures more than gaming but we'll see... You never know how these things pan out

There's been some interesting work in recent years on British settlements, and culture. For instance, I heard a talk at the local archaeological society a few years ago given by, IIRC, a chap from Liverpool Museum, talking about settlements from that area…  and how the 'roundhouses' seemed to be round plus a short 'straight' section where the main door was. I think the native material culture was (unsurprisingly I suppose!) a lot less homogenous across Britannia than we'd been led to believe by the Romans, and by earlier archaeologists.

[OSHIROmodels]

Interesting 

I wonder how much of a cross over between the two architectural styles there was. Indeed, that comment goes for the rest of the Empire.

Obviously there are the main structures like Houseteads but as to the local structures around, say Ravenglass, how much influence and new building would've gone on.

It's quite the kettle of fish when you start to look into it 

Having a dad who used to be a voluntary warden certainly helps 

cheers

James

[OSHIROmodels]

Right then, given a new lease of life it'll be time to start posting again.

My first figures have arrived (Roman auxilleries from Aventine and Celts from Black Tree).

They are based and cleaned now waiting to have spears attached and filler added to bases.  I'm leaving out the standard and bucina as these are for a lowly mile castle (number 39 I think) so its just an hofficer and an optio. Shields will be done separately as they are having transfers



A fairly standard number or auxilleries for a mile castle but I'm not sure about the proportions... Seems right to me 

cheers

James

[Prof.Witchheimer]

Aventine  Love their stuff and looking really forward to see the progress on that project.

[janner]

Excellent. I shall enjoy watching this one 

[Ray Earle]

Look forward to seeing the progress on this one.