Anyone seen my Pachyderm

One of the advantages of collecting both the Carthaginian and Republican Romans is the number of mercenary or allied troops that fought for each side.

I finally got around to finishing some Spanish Caetrati (Javelin armed skirmishers). Figures are A&A Miniatures with the usual LBM Studios shield transfers. Two units based slightly differently, one based so I can still use individual figures for skirmish games while the other has been based for “rank and file” games of To the Strongest and Hail Caesar.

Painting wise I went with the “traditional” white tunics with coloured edging described in various books but I believe all came from the same historical source.

Next we have Italian or Ligurian Allies these are the Armoured Italian Javelinmen from Victrix and have been based for rank and file as I have another 24 to paint so some of them will be based for dual use. These were just painted in various colours and again used the LBM shield transfers.

I have been finishing off some odd figures before launching into the remaining “legions” I have to paint to round off the Romans.

First up were a couple of more units of the “prolectarii” or levy hastati that I’ll be using to represent the raw legions in the army for To the Strongest.

Next we have another unit of light infantry velites to annoy the enemy.

Next I had a few spare command figures by Crusader Miniatures. These were painted up so that not only as figures in skirmish game but also to represent the heroes in To the Strongest rules.

When I first started this project if someone had said that the first time I would field the armies it would be:

• the Republican Romans
• it would be a “rank and file” game rather than a skirmish game

I would have laughed but the other week they were on the table against a Pyric army in a game of To the Strongest. This was slightly “out of period” as I fielded the later “Polybian Roman” army rather than the “Camillan Romans” that would have actually faced Pyrus but I have to paint up more legions before I can field that army.

A few more pictures as the game developed when I get chance I will do a fuller battle report in my other project.

The other units I completed were the Balearic Slingers and the Cretan Archers. Both these units can be used for either the Carthaginians or the Romans so its a 2 for 1 deal.

I based one unit of each on sabot bases and the other as a multi base so I still have some for the skirmish games.

For the Balearic Slingers I followed the description in on of the old WRG Macedonian and Punic Wars books which was based on a roman source that described them dressed as in the “Spanish” fashion. This was white tunics edged with purple or deep red. The figures were Victrix.

The Cretans are Gripping Beast figure so one piece and metal and no construction required ?.

Again these were painted in muted tones to represent “undyed” cloth.

I started the Italian Allied Legion from Victrix for the next Quincunx. While I was finishing these figures off I also excepted the obvious and I had more infantry than I would ever need for a skirmish force for my Romans and would retire the “sabot” bases and multi base the figures so out came the square bases (well rectangles actually).

The intention was to keep the same unit frontage but increase the number of figures on the bases however when I started to base up the figures the plan didn’t work. The way the figures and shields are posed I couldn’t increase the number of figures on the base! Oh well it least gave me a couple of more units.

Above shows how the units can be used for the two “rank and file” rules we use.

As well as the heavy infantry I also completed their supporting Velites.

Now for some units that can either fight for the Romans or the Carthaginians. The Italian Allied cavalry, these are Gripping Beats cavalry and are smaller than their Victrix cousins so cannot be mixed but do look OK when fielded in their own unit.

One thing I can say was that they were easier to put the shield transfers on as they had a plain shield and there was no fiddly cutting to do on the transfers?.

I also managed to complete a couple of commanders (don’t ask why one is on a round base and the other square as I have no idea why I did this) these are from Gripping Beast Roman Senators.

The next units to be completed were the Roman Cavalry. For some reason there are 16 figures in the Victrix packs so have few spare for command in the skirmish level. But as the Romans were always short cavalry this also gives me the two units I need for the army under both the Polybian and Camilian lists for “To the Strongest”.