Author Topic: [PA League] Cohors Auxiliaria Arcana (tanks?) (Read 7787 times)

Katsuhiko JiNNai · « **on:** June 27, 2015, 12:22:35 PM »

I was yet planning to create a 193x alternative history Eastern Roman Empire Pulp Alley league and now I should finally begin:

193X borders of the Empire.

West Roman Empire fell in V century, however East Roman Empire (byzantines) survived and didn't fall from the turks in XV century, the East Roman Empire survived with about the size of the middle XI century until the 1918. During the WWI the Empire join the Allied powers and finally reconquested the ottoman remains, recovering all its lost provinces. In 193x, the Empire is a powerful and advanced nation, and the new Emperor think it could be finally the time for the Empire to reconquest ALL the lost provinces of the West. After the victories of the WWI the official language is latin again (but most citizen speak their native languages: greek, arab, turkish, slavic etc), and the imperial forces and citizen use a style of ancient roman look but with modern western style.
The Cohors Auxiliaria Arcana is a special legion with the target to investigate and solve all the mysteries from alien, ancient or magical origins outside and inside the Empire.

Imperium Romanum Cohors Auxiliaria Arcana 14 slots
Perks (2): Companions (1), Garage (1)

Leader (0): Custodes Centurio
H d10 B 4d10 S 3d10 D 2d10 M 3d8 F 2d8 C 3d10
Abilities: Commander, Fierce, Brute

Ally (2): Custodes cataphractus
H d8 B 2d6 S 1d6 D - M 2d8 F - C 1d6
Ability: Burst Fire, Big

Ally (2): Custodes Optio
H d6 B 3d6 S 2d6 D 1d6 M 1d6 F 1d6 C 2d6
Ability: Fierce, Brute

Ally (2): Custodes Legionarius
H d6 B 2d6 S 3d6 D 1d6 M 1d6 F 1d6 C 2d6
Ability: Marksman, Sharp

Ally (2): Custodes Legionarius
H d6 B 2d6 S 3d6 D 1d6 M 1d6 F 1d6 C 2d6
Ability: Marksman, Sharp

Ally (2): Custodes Legionarius
H d6 B 2d6 S 3d6 D 1d6 M 1d6 F 1d6 C 2d6
Ability: Marksman, Sharp

Ally (2): Custodes Legionarius
H d6 B 2d6 S 3d6 D 1d6 M 1d6 F 1d6 C 2d6
Ability: Marksman, Sharp

I will use the Urban War Junkers miniatures.

optio, cataphractus and legionaries

Centurion

Legionary Gun team (using the garage perk)

d phipps · « **Reply #1 on:** June 28, 2015, 08:12:21 AM »

Wow! Great idea for a Pulp Alley league. And right up your alley.

Katsuhiko JiNNai · « **Reply #2 on:** July 16, 2015, 10:55:09 AM »

Well, the miniatures are arrived, however I'm not sure about the paint scheme.
I could just use the official paint scheme (see pictures above), or paint the legionaries with a classic roman legionary paint scheme as this:

FramFramson · « **Reply #3 on:** July 16, 2015, 06:34:06 PM »

Well, insofar as the Byzantines had any national colours (really the only thing close was the broad application of the Palaiologoi dynasty heraldry in the late empire), red and gold are the "traditional" option.

Katsuhiko JiNNai · « **Reply #4 on:** July 21, 2015, 04:49:07 PM »

Here my first painted legionary. What do you think? Do you like it?

Katsuhiko JiNNai · « **Reply #5 on:** August 06, 2015, 05:09:06 PM »

I'm considering some auxiliary soldiers (Auxilia) as one or two ally gangs for my legion.
The idea is simple: there are some few elite legions (consider them as space marines) while the common soldiers are the auxiliary regiments.
These Auxilia should wear a simple uniform like the other western countries but with a characteristic helmet. Maybe I could paint the uniform with red pattern.

Here the miniatures I could use: WWI ottomans, white russians or WWII russians bodies with gasmask Pickelhaube (maybe without tip I need them for the eagle on the helmet) helmets (or maybe roman helmets if I find some of the right size).

FramFramson · « **Reply #6 on:** August 07, 2015, 04:33:02 AM »

Tough call. You want something that could look modern enough - the reason pickelhaubs were chucked out is because they're just boiled leather, typically and were therefor as unsuited to trench warfare as any of the soft caps armies started with in WWI.

I am going to be doing a mercenary force shortly and I settled on sallet helmets as perfect blend of old and new - they're convincing as modern steel helmets while being unusual enough that they stand out. I'm using mostly WWI German bodies, with a few British, greenstuffed to make them work.

I think what you might want to look at are more medieval Byzantine influences. Sure the elite troops will be in flashy Galea and Lorica, as a callback Mussolini-style to the old Roman Empire at its height, but the Byzantine empire had hundreds of years of additional history under it's own identity, far more medieval, "oriental", and Greek than classical Rome. A great place to bring this out would be in the auxiliaries and with the helmets maybe you could look at modern ones as a callback to medieval Byzantines ones.

Here's a couple of sample images:

That fellow on the left has an interesting design.

Or here, the fellow on the right has a helmet not-dissimilar to French Adrians.

Or, perhaps a very simple helmet, maybe with a mail skirt or other draped protection, as was common for long periods during the empire.

Of course any modern helmet would be dull and painted over, instead of the shiny oiled and polished metal of medieval helms.

Katsuhiko JiNNai · « **Reply #7 on:** August 07, 2015, 02:39:09 PM »

I know well the medieval Eastern Empire, I've alll the Osprey books about "Byzantines" and for a while I considered to play some Byzantines with Impetus or WAB.
However byzantines medieval heads don't seem good for my idea of modern eastern roman auxiliary soldiers. The ottomans were the last successors of the eastern empire, while the russian empire was the "third Rome" and was strongly influenced by the byzantine culture. then I considered the bodies of the WWI ottomans, russian and maybe WWII russians. I could take some russians heads with gas mask and paint the helms with red color and a gold laurel over it too.

I remember some roman modern soldiers in an episode from Star Trek too: