Republican Roman Principes

I've finished my first batch of 6mm Republican Romans. These are Principes with gladius figures from Baccus and I have to say the quality of the castings is amazing. These are a little more chunky than the slender 6mm WWII infantry figures I normally buy from GHQ but the results are much more robust models with good clean detail. Other than a few vent strings there was virtually no excess metal to be cleaned up before the base coat was applied. 

This first batch are a bit of a test for me. I've never painted ranks of 6mm figures before and I wanted to 'learn' the best way to tackle them for a quick clean and consistent finish. Several YouTube tutorials later and I think I have a clear idea how to get the production line going. Its not until you start a completely new project like this that you realise how many important decisions need to be made right from the start. I think I'm happy with these, but I'm open to suggestions for improvements!

I had a slight scare towards the end, with my Satin varnish going opaque minutes after application. It was my own fault, I didn't shake the can well enough before use and because it was raining outside is sprayed them inside but didn't factor in the high humidity in the house. Result - I damn near had a heart attack! Fortunately I was able to reverse the process (mostly) with some rapid drying and a couple of layers of Dullcoat varnish brushed over the top.

I've ordered more Republican Romans from Baccus but in the meantime I have a few units of Carthaginian Spearmen and a couple of War Elephants to test my brush skills on.

The Grumpy Roman

I'm back from a short holiday and despite the rather grey weather we had a great time. Seaside piers, plenty of shopping, a couple of museums, Colchester zoo and several meals out with family filled the week nicely and the time sped past as always. And when I got home my first batch of 6mm Romans from Baccus were waiting on the doormat. I've started work on these already and as inspiration I have this photo from our visit to Colchester Museum...

"You'll pay for this Dad!"

This picture is the latest in a long line of similar photo's of my unwilling daughter being made to dress up at various museums. Most kids love it but since she was very little she has only taken part under protest. I guess she won't be joining any re-enactment groups when she grows up! 

Plethora of Projects

I had to share this picture of my my messy desk if only to shame myself into tidying it up! I normally have a much more ordered work space but at the moment I have multiple periods and multiple scales taking over. Actually things could be even messier because I have ordered some 6mm Romans from Baccus but I'm still waiting on delivery for these. 

It could be worse!

It has to be said though that some of this isn't even my mess, its my daughters! The 40k Termagants (I think that's what they are called?!?) are her first attempt at proper painting, using simple but core techniques like dry-brushing and washing. I'll post more detailed pictures when she has finished the bases. Also hers is the tentacled beast in front centre. She has yet to undercoat that but has already learnt the hard way that poorly cast resin can be a nightmare to clean up!

The 15mm Churchill tank in the foreground however is mine. Although I have sold a lot of my 15mm stuff I had a few unpainted models that I wanted to keep to paint for display rather than gaming. I'm painting this as a 'Kingforce' MkIII, hence the reference pictures stuck around the top of my desk. The base for the Churchill has being painted separately and can be seen in the top right. Also present on the table are the two 6mm Timecast buildings I bought at SELWG. I have cleaned them (I wash everything prior to painting to remove grease and release agent) but have yet to undercoat them. There are also some 15mm sci-fi figures that I picked up at SELWG (another Shiney moment!). I haven't done anything with these yet, beyond wondering why I picked them up! Last but not least there are half a dozen 6mm Italian Vehicles nearing completion. I'm not basing these as they are 'set dressing' only, not game pieces. These will be placed around my Italian airfield as parked vehicles.

Picture courtesy of Ray's Blog

Part of the reason for my lack of progress this week has been my sudden and completely unexpected social life! Thursday evening Ray, Tamsin and I met up with Miles over from the US on business. We enjoyed an excellent Greek meal and an evening of even better conversation. One of the single greatest rewards of writing a Blog like this is the people I have met and the friendships it helps forge. I have made a lot of friends through my Blog (including the Rejects) and now I can add Miles to a growing list of international friends. Hopefully he can make it over here next year for the Salute show and a game with the Rejects.

Clearing the paint desk will have to wait a while as I am off on a short holiday from tomorrow. Nothing fancy, just a few days in Clacton to see family and do some retail therapy away from home. Hopefully by the time we get home my miniatures from Baccus will have arrived and my painting desk can get even more cluttered! 

Something Completely Different

During my visit to the SELWG show earlier this month I had a chance to play Simon Miller's To the Strongest rules. My daughter and I played a hard fought 70 minute game and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. We were playing against three veteran TtS players and almost their first action was to assassinate our General! Despite this we pressed home our attack and gave them a run for their money, although in the end we still lost. We'd had a great game and went on to enjoy the rest of the show but then a few days later Simon posted Emily a signed copy of the rules. A most unexpected and typically warm hearted act of generosity that has most definitely got the creative juices flowing!

I'm considering having a go at painting two armies for these rules using 6mm figures. I have seen various posts online showing that other gamers have had a similar idea and that the rules will work with this scale. Why 6mm? Well the reasons are the same as those that drove me to that scale for my WWII games. Its cheaper, can be painted quicker, requires less storage space and can be played on a smaller table. Bit of a no brainer as far as I am concerned. 

I have been discussing the idea with my daughter, and she's definitely eager to play To The Strongest again. We aren't rushing into this and are spending time discussing periods and armies before I commit time and money. However we seem to be gravitating towards the Second Punic War and the battles of Hannibal verses Rome. When I told my daughter about the use of war elephants her eyes lit up and she seemed very eager to command some nellies!

Whatever we choose I'll probably do most of the painting, but where possible I'll get her involved so we can get a game on the table as quickly as possible. I'm not abandoning my 6mm WW2 North Africa project (in fact I have a few new ideas in the pipeline for that) but I now have a second period to fire my imagination, wet my appetite and drain the bank account!