Over the past couple of weeks I have been steadily painting most days and have now finishing painting and basing my remaining unpainted Gaul figures. This meant I was able to set up a quick game on the tabletop. I always want to get the newly completed units into a game as quickly as possible and see them get pushed around the tabletop (hopefully giving good account of themselves).
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| A Gallic Warband appear from the woods. |
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| The tabletop set up for a game. |
I am currently trying out using larger unit sizes for my Ancient armies, where infantry, warbands and cavalry have four bases (rather than two bases). With the newly painted Gaul bases I can now field four warband units each of four bases, two cavalry units of four bases, two chariot units of two bases, and three skirmisher units of two bases.
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The Gallic force using larger units for warbands and cavalry.
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| The same force using two bases for all units. |
The Gallic force is a mix of HaT and ESCI 20mm plastic figures, all painted simply with minimal detailing. My choice of soft plastic figures in my Ancient armies is partly driven by cost, speed to paint, and also by nostalgia. Back in the early 1970s, when I was in my early teens, I was inspired to collect Roman and Carthaginian forces after reading "Introduction to Battle Gaming" by Terry Wise, with its wonderful approach of using cheap Airfix figures and advice on how to convert them. As an aside, some of these classic figures are set to be relaunched by Airfix in 2026, including the Romans, Ancient Britons, Robin Hood, and Sheriff of Nottingham sets.
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| My first book on wargaming - which I still own. |
I may have overdone it slightly with painting up four bases worth of chariots, but I have always liked chariot units. Along with elephants, they are among the more interesting units to have on the tabletop, adding both character and visual interest to an army. I did have one spare chariot, which I incorporated into a warband base to identify the commander.
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| One of the two chariot units. |
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| The commander base is identified with a chariot. |
My current painting effort has been now turned to some Star Wars Legion miniatures that arrived at Christmas, which seems quite a while ago.
Great looking armies Peter.
ReplyDeleteI like the larger number of bases in the units. I think that it gives a much better spectacle without much extra effort to move each unit.
Amazing the difference between the old photos and your armies. The hobby has improved so much over the passing years/decades/century(?) 😁
I am looking forward to the Airfix releases, just for nostalgia more than any plan to use the figures.
It is quite fun pushing a big blocks of models around the tabletop.
DeleteYou have definitely had a productive January, Peter! I still have that book in my cupboard - it had a similar effect on me although I wish the author had mentioned basing figures in groups, I spent two or three years playing solo games on the carpet with armies of single Airfix figures that constantly fell over during movement phases, often with a disheartening "domino effect" on the surrounding figures!
ReplyDeleteAh yes, some figures were quite unstable and caused no end of frustration.
DeleteMarvelous collection of Gauls, Peter. Your brush has not been idle.
ReplyDeleteIt was a concentrated effort to get them done and ready for the tabletop. A good start to the painting year.
DeleteLove the Gauls collection! Impressive!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I will have to see how they go on the tabletop.
DeleteFine work there Peter and I must confess more than a twinge of nostalgia at the mention of those Airfix kits, which is memory serves me correctly, I had all four of them at one point or another:). Nice to know they might be re-released, as the Robin Hood set was great and I've seen many excellent conversions on other Blogs over the years.
ReplyDeleteI think the castle and Roman fort are also being released too.
DeleteYou really do need to add a couple of units of Airfix Ancient Britons to the horde, no matter what the accuracy! The Romans used to get stick for looking a bit odd, but not me. They seem to be based on an illustration in the Funcken book ‘Arms and Uniforms: Ancient Egypt to the 18th Century’, which I had on near-permanent loan from the local library from the age of 6!
ReplyDeleteIt is very tempting to buy one box for nostalgia’s sake.
DeleteNow that's a horde of Celts!
ReplyDeleteChariots - the WRG lists allow ancient Britons lots so I wouldn't worry you have gone overboard.
Neil
Excellent, I knew deep down I had made the right decision to buy them!
DeleteYour Gauls certainly look like an army (as distinct from, say, a small detachment). Well done 👏👏
ReplyDeleteI still have Terry Wise’s book in my collection too. When I was a youth Terry owned Athena Books in nearby Doncaster, so I’d call round 3-4 times a year to see what delights he had for sale. Great times.
Cheers,
Geoff
Thank you. Terry’s book started me on the wargaming hobby.
DeleteVery impressive Peter, and on the big bases the bendy plastic and associated paint flaking shouldn’t be a problem. Wished I’d have thought of that when I was 13, lol.
ReplyDeleteMy fat fingers occasionally snag on a spear, but for the most part the figures remain safe under a think coating of PVA glue.
DeleteMark, the flaking paint on plastic figs is a wargaming myth from the early days when people did not wash, undercoat and varnish them (let alone plastidip, which makes them indestructible, have you tried that Peter?). I see more 'silver' bits showing through on metal figures than I do yellow/blue/brown or whatever colour plastic showing through on plastic ones.
DeleteI generally don't have flaking issues, but I have not tried plastidip and will have to investigate.
DeleteI like the density of the 4 base units and you keep the flexibility of going back to two bases for HUGE battles :-)
ReplyDeleteI do flip between the unit sizes. I must confess I think I prefer having fewer larger units on the tabletop partly for the look, but also from a gaming perspective where you tend to commit to an action with fewer units available.
DeleteIf that mob throws in their lot with Hannibal the Romans will be really up against it.
ReplyDeleteThe Romans are recruiting!
DeleteThe Gauls look amazing. It's a nice situation to be in - either a battle with few big units or a "larger" battle with more smaller units. Both look great.
ReplyDeleteThanks, there is also a nagging thought in the back of my mind about making the tabletop bigger.
DeleteReally like the look of the larger units Peter. They're proper warbands!
ReplyDeleteSeeing those pics of Airfix conversions takes me back. I scoured the town as a kid buying up every pack of Airfix Romans, Sheriff of Nottingham and Robin Hood's Men I could find to convert to Ancient Greeks.
I always struggled to find boxes of Robin Hood’s men, they were very popular.
DeleteBeautiful looking figures and a fine looking game Peter.
ReplyDeleteI give you a big 'tick of approval' (for the nothing that is worth), as one who uses 1/72 scale figs from preference because of the 'goldilocks' nature of the scale, fine detail of the figures and ease of conversions—in addition to cost!
Best wishes, James
Many thanks. I like the 20mm scale as they are quick to paint for wargaming and as you say they keep the cost down.
DeleteThese look great, I do like the big units for warbands. And a lovely bit of nostaglia with Terry Wise's book - I think I attempted a few of those conversions myself back in the day! Still have some old Airfix Ancient Brits based for WRG back then, I should probably revive them as Gauls..
ReplyDeleteThank you. I now just have to write up the game.
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