Late Etruscans

[Corso]

The Etruscans have always been a favourite of mine, ever since I read the book Hannibal and the Enemies of Rome by Peter Connolly. Their culture and art are extremely cool. I decided to do a small force for Hail Caesar. I'll focus on the late period, c. early 3rd century BC.

In Hail Caesar there isn't an army list dedicated to the Etruscans, only some unit entries here and there, but enough to make a division.

I've started a unit of infantry. Medium infantry, recruited from the populance of the outskirts of the main cities or from the appenine hills. I'll use the rules for the basic medium infantry armed with normal spears and javelins, such a unit is listed as Italian Allied Medium Infantry in both Republican Roman and Carthaginian lists.

Models are Victrix unarmoured hoplites with helmets taken from the Roman Italian allies’ kit. Some weapon arms are also from the Italian kit. I gave them all 4th century helmets popular with the Etruscans, here 3 are Montefortino type and one is an attic without cheek pieces.

Shields are from Aventine, the Italian Hill Tribes range. Shield designs from LBMS.

The bases are done as follows:
1)   Sanded with gw sand
2)   Painted Dryad Bark
3)   Drybrushed Gorthor Brown, then Baneblade Brown and finally Karak Stone
4)   Static Grass is a mix of Warlord Games’ Dead Grass and 4G Summer Heathlands.
5)   Then a mix of tufts from Gamersgrass. (Light Green, Dry Brown and Mixed Green)

I found images of rural areas in Lazio and Toscana – homeland of the Etruscans as basis for the bases.

12 more models to finish the unit...........

[Richard in Sachsen]

Superb work!

[Kenntak]

They are spectacular figures!

I also think the Etruscans are fascinating. I wish we knew more about them, but science and archeology is continuing to reveal more.

[commissarmoody]

Great work

[Mithridates1]

Like you I have a soft spot for the Etruscans.   Great job on these guys.   

Must see if any of our little group have any spare Victrix heads.   Wonder if Victrix Samnites have suitable heads?   Shame there is no Hail Caesar list - based my growing army on WRG, WAB and l'Art de la Guerre lists.   Gorgon make some nice 2nd class spearmen as well as Generals (a little early for the later army but I do like the snake charming priest!!).   Their Spartan psiloi would be handy as well.

Garry

[Hu Rhu]

Excellent painting on those miniatures.  I love the Victrix range, so interchangeable.

[Corso]

Thanks for the feedback!

Garry, I found the impetus list for late etruscans handy, also to a certain extent the Etruscan League of field of glory. Gorgon miniatures are best for the early etruscans, it seems that in the late era, the class system of the Tullian period wasn't used. Aventine make good late etruscan models, but I prefer plastics. As Hu Rhu said, Victrix's plastic is very versatile.

[Nevyen]

Really Nice work there - the Victrix Kit bashing is very well done.

[Corso]

Really Nice work there - the Victrix Kit bashing is very well done.

Thanks! I like Victrix plastic, so customisable......nearly finished the unit, a few more to paint and basing!

[Corso]

Finished the unit!

I did some tinkering with the shields, the black one with yellow and red squares had originally a green field instead of black, but changed it since I tend to separate green and blue in the same unit. A few got some mud at the lower end.

The leader model is made from the victrix Republican Romans with pectoral armour with an added greave leg and the so-called Apulo-Corinthian helmet taken from the italian allies kit. He may have served in the roman army as one of the socii before recruiting his men to fight for the Etruscan League - or what remained of it in the early 3rd century. His shield is a bit different, showing pelicans instead of spirals/geometric shapes of his warriors.

[Hu Rhu]

Nice painting and those shields really make the unit pop.