10mm Republican Romans

This is something of a digression from the scales that I've normally featured on this blog (25-28mm) and time period (predominantly early 20th century).  In the weeks ahead I hope to upload images of some of my collection of miniatures that date from earlier enthusiasms and a period in my life when I had more time on my hands to paint and game (i.e. before Liam and Patrick came along).  In this post I'm taking you to the epic world of 10mm and a distant past when a young Rome began to flex her imperial muscles.  These figures - predominantly Magister Militum and Pendraken if memory serves me correctly - were painted up back around 2006, just after the first edition of Warmaster Ancients came out.

It seemed like a good idea at the time for each member of our local wargaming club to paint up an ancient army in 10 mm.  I chose Republican Rome, and set about producing the early legions in all their tenaciousness.  I personally like the period and the variety that can be produced on the tabletop: Roman heavy cavalry, Spanish allies, Greek hoplite allies, and various grades of Roman infantry from the nimble velites clad in wolf-pelt to the battle scarred triarii held in reserve.  The club loved the game, pitting Romans against Carthaginians.  What did us in was the painting - all that effort and so few figs on the table!  But when we combined our individual 1,000 point armies, the effect was truly epic.

Republican Roman Army: Infantry in the center, Greek allies on the right flank, Numidian cavalry on the left

Roman left flank with velites in front of Spanish and Numidian cavalry

Numidian Cavalry

Scipio Africanus in command

So what's next?  For me at least, the Thirty Years' War with its masses of pike and armor-clad cuirassier.  How long will it take to produce?  At my current rate, probably the better part of a year.  We'll see.