VERY QUICK UPDATE

VERY QUICK UPDATE

Well the battle of Aradus went to the Seleucid Greeks, the Ptolemies withdrew to Egypt. The Seleucids followed and fought a second battle (another win). Just as it seemed the Seleucids would take Egypt two things happened, a revolt by jewish troops meant a short fight (another Seleucid win). Then Indian forces had started to expand west into the east of the Seleucid Empire. Antiochus sent his son, Seleucus with a small holding force (Most of the phalanx, heavy cavalry, eastern satrap units) to Persis to meet and get the force ready. Antiochus would follow once he had organised Palestine.

Meanwhile I am painting a neo Babylonian army with lots of Hat Industrie and Newline figures-I wish Caesar would release box 048 I think it was

Any photos to follow

Battle of Aradus (265 BCE) 

As the die were rolled to work out random events a very large Seleucid Army under Antiochus III headed south along the coast of present day Syria and Lebanon. The Ptolemies under Ptolemy III marched north, they did not want to loose their hard won lands.

The armies chose a flat bit of land with a slight rise (due to slight differences in table heights!). 

All ready to go Seleucids on left (c60,000 troops) with Ptolemaics on the right (c.55,000) with Field of Glory (FOG) rule book and soft drink

As usual with many of the battles in this area of this time, the light troops pushed and prodded wit assorted cavalry trying to make the break through whilst the phalangists hold back.

The Ptolemaic left flanks moves forward under command of Ptolemy III meanwhile in the distance the Seleucid left flank are blessed by a zap of sunlight from the gods, this is enough to spur them onto amazing things

(Below) On the left wing Antiochus had ordered his general, Seleucus (and son) to attack the Ptolemaic right flank near "Zebra Rock". Here Tarentine Light Horse, Parthian, Horse Archers, Nisian Cavalry, two divisions of Satrapal Persian Style Cavalry(still been blessed by their sun god)  charge backed up by Arab guards in foreground, in the distance the Ptolemies await the clash

Many die were rolled and the Ptolemaic left flank fell apart as their limited cavalry (1,000 Nubian, 1,000 light Greek) were obliterated. The Seleucids followed up with wave after wave of horse, Ptolemy committed Thracians, Nubian and some some Thorakik to stem the flow all to no avail. 

The above photo shows the right flank of the Ptolemies just before inmpact. 

The above shot shows the Seleucids about to break through

So after several months painting, a month setting up and a few weekends rolling die it looks like the Ptolemies maybe in some trouble meanwhile on their left flank, Seleucid initial charges had been halted really by the dynamic leadership of Ptolemy III as he lead his Agema into the Seleucid Cataphracts. (See below) 

So with the flanks tense Ptolmey orders his Egyptian Phlanx (mind you to be honest not much faith can be put into these buit shall see) 

Above the day is saced the redoubtable Egyptin phalanx moves into the battle..........

More details to follow

SELEUCIDS ready!

Seleucid Elephants with Thracians and lighter troops behind

Well it has taken a while and the last troops have been called up for the Seleucid army. The Seleucids of course were one of the three larger kingdoms that emerged out of the collapse of Alexander's short lived empire. By about 280 BCE there were three kingdoms dominant, the Macedonian kingdom based at Pella in northern Greece, the Ptolemaic Lagid dynasty based in Egypt and the largest the Seleucid based in modern day Syria, Iraq, Iran.
This army like the Ptolemies has a range of figures from various cultures. They include Greeks, Macedonians, Persians, Syrians, Arabs just to name a few.

This force I have built is equal to 50 Elephants, 50 Chariots, 51,000 Infantry (Of which 16,000 were heavy phalangists-take for ever to make) and some 13,000 Cavalry and 1,000 Camelry. This is a total force of 64,000 which we know various Seleucid kings could muster. Below are some shots of the army been put together:

Some Seleucid Pikes backed up by city militia and arab levies

The Pikes army mainly newline designs, there are lots of HaT and Caesar miniatures in this army as well as few Zvezda.

Half off Seleucid army including the 11,000 Pike in the centre guarded on their wings by Thoraki, Antiochus is in Cavalry at far end of left wing.

WHERE TO NOW:

The year is 280 BCE and the random event generator I have made means that the Seleucids are sending a huge force against Ptolemy. So over 60,000 Seleucids are going to taken on a Ptolemaic army (which is nearly read just about 3,000 more Pike to complete-the right of the above pictures has some completed Ptolemies). There were seven wars between the Seleucids and the Ptolemies. In the east meanwhile Chandrugupta is moving with a large Indian force, (Over 60,000 plus 2,000 Elephants), maybe he will give elephants to the Seleucids instead of using force to gain some land. Note The kings are true but picked randomly.

New update : it has been a while

Sorry for not reporting an update at all in June, it has been hectic at the office is my only (lame) excuse. 

I have been painting, mainly completing (Almost) my Ptolemaic army. I have 100 phalangists from newline I am working on plus some HaT and Caesar nubian warriors. I have completed 4 bases of Polybian Roman Citizen Cavalry (newline) and will start on the rest of the Republican Romans soon. These ones are Newline Designs, Strelets and HaT. Photo time...

Early attempt at Macedonian army HAt ALexander's light infantry in foreground these are Agrianes. Behind them HaT Hypaspists then some Zvezda, HaT and Caesar miniatures. 

And as the sun goes down in west, The Persian horde ride forth, Mainly HaT but also some Zvezda, Caesar and so on

Han Dynasty Chinese (Newline and Caesar)

 Well thats all for now, new update when Ptolemies are completed hopefully mid July

New Figures have arrived from Newline

New figures from Newline

Not even the rigours of outback Australian roads could stop this lot getting through. They marched all the way from Britain to Australia.The first lot got caught in a flaming postage trailer but this second lot got through, a Republican Roman army, some greek light cavalry and 100 phalangists for my Ptolemaic army.

A slightly out of focus bunch of New Line  Design figures

Here are the Phalangists and Greek light cavalry

And here was a small project of repaired Persians I worked on (mainly HaT but some Zvezda too)
ABOVE LEGS before wicket (LBW) below more troopers.

Plan for this week end, paint Greek Light Cavalry base them, and start on Phalangists, after this Republican Romans probably start them next weekend.

My way of painting figures..

There are many ways of painting. My first soldiers were very rough! But thats OK I was learning and I live in a remote place (my nearest big city is 800 kms away!) and my town is small only about 1,500 people. So I taught myself at first painting straight onto plastic-not advised. 

I buy plastic for the economy but have recently started to get into metal from mainly newline designs in the UK. They do a lot of 20mm stuff whereas most companies do 28mm or 15mm. 

For me the fun part is the research, which often opens up more questions! Sometimes when I don't know I make a guess. Some figures are painting in a way which reflects colours used in some board wargames such as GMT's Great battles of the ancient world, some of my Ptolemaic have a light green colour. 

I wash the figures, then I undercoat with a matt black spray. That seems to make a big difference when I first started using an undercoat I did white. I Then paint the flesh and slowly do the clothing. I might do 100 phalangists, all flesh first, then the dress, then the helmets, armour and so on normally do spears etc last. 

This photo is my work area. Water bottle top left, old M&M container with pens, scissors, tweezers etc, fly spray for flies, mossies and centipedes! The plastic tray on the foreground are troops that are nearly completed in this case, HaT Persian Takabara, (couple of newline mixed in as well) and some HaT phalangists which are glued onto card. Centre back is some Army Painter which is used towards the end, the stain collects in armpits and other areas to highlight the figure nicely. Right hand side at back is a jar full of OOO brushes which are cheap and take a beating. I have an excellent supplier here in town where I pruchase these. Next to this softdrink, and container of toothpicks, for fine work with paint. 

I use any type of acrylic paint. Here is some cheap brown paint which I used for the cardboard bases of the figures. I apply a liberal amount and then go to the flocking (below) where I add the grass effect.

These four HaT figures are phalangists getting ready for paint on the base and then dipped into my flock container (an old Ice Cream container does well).

Before and after paint now on base into container where they sink or swim for a while, obviously the group of troops are dry apart from base. My daughters when they were 3 and 4 did flocking for me! I came home to a bunch of Aqua and Black archers perfectly flocked. Lock up your stuff.

Above here are some Persian Takabara troops having their bases done, next they will be stuck on cupboard and then back into contained for cardboard base flocking. And here they are below all HaT figures except for one Zvezda. One day I want to give each figure a name.

Here are completed Takabara

I paint outside in a garage, in summer it is very hot so normally do it at night in winter cold so normally during the day. I have a great view and can watch the world go by. Well not really not much is happening outside of my garage except the night the centipede attacked, thats another tale for another day. I listen to the radio and paint nice and relaxing.

The view out my garage door, taken in May about noon or soon after judging by the shadows from the tree! (not tree singular this is a desert after all).

I decided to base all my units on grass even those from desert environments so when on the game map they have same bases. 

SCALE

I am asked if there is a scale I use and is it the same for all armies. In short the scale is the same for all armies. When I first started (as stated in a previous post) I started trying to build an army for Arbela, one of the largest battles. I decided that 1 figure would be 20 men! That proved impossible so after a time I found some rules for miniatures such as DBM and such like. So what I do is this. I use 1/72 (20mm) scale as much as possible. Some manufactures make their figures in a range for example, Zvezda are too big. Never the less this is what I stick to. Each base or element is 60mm wide and depended what they are depicting are wither, 20, 30, 40 or 80 mm deep. A phalanx unit is 4 figures on a 60mm wide base 20mm deep. This means the figures are close together reflecting the density of these forces. Some medium infantry are on a 30 mm deep base whilst all cavalry and camelry are on a 40 mm deep base.

This army is an ancient Sumerian Army. Not all figures are painted by myself some I bought. It shows a range of base sizes. At the bottom there are bases with 3 figures which would be graded as Medium foot (MF). Above them are the front are 4 figures closely put together on a 20mm base which are heavy infantry (HF). To the left on the lighter grass are 30 mm bases with only 2 figures these are skirmishing troops, javelinmen, slingers, archers and so on. Then at the back centre are chariots which are on an 80mm base. No matter how deep all bases are 60mm wide. 

I changed to Field of Glory (FoG) rules and no major basing changes were needed. The bottom line is each base is 250 men. So I try and equip my armies in lots of 1,000 (ie 4 bases for a unit as a minimum an try to round off to a thousand) If any army list says 6 elements I normally take it up to the next round figure. 6 bases =1,500 so I take it to 2,000 (there 8 bases).

So from memory here is how I base (all bases 60 mm wide)

Light Infantry  (LF) 30mm deep , 2  figures

Medium Infantry (MF) 30 mm deep , 3 figures

Heavy Infantry (HF) 20 mm deep, 4 figures

Light Cavalry 40mm deep, 2 figures on horse

Cavalry 40 mm deep, 3 figures on horse

Cataphract 40mm deep, 3 figures (you can have 4 but I am trying to save money!)

Artillery 80mm deep, model of bolt shooter and crew

Bagage train, 80mm deep, model of something unique to unit (see picture of 'Monkey' on earlier post)

This picture is centred on a battlegroup of Indian Bowmen (this BG is 8 elements with each element at 250 men means there are 2,000 Indian Bowmen, I write underneath their armour rating, if they are drilled or undrilled, poor to elite and so on. 

Antiochus and Seleucus waiting

SELEUCID Greeks: Well the army is almost done, just awaiting a few more light greek cavalry to complete and contemplating buying another lot of Cataphracts. This army was a lot of fun to build as the forces came from a range of producers, plastic and metal. The mainstay of the army was from Newline Designs in the UK. A lot of Hat Industrie came in for the bolt shooters, Persian style satrapal cavalry, javelinmen, slingers, archers (all from Alexander's light infantry which can be used in a range of forces.). Caesar miniatures come in handy with arabs and camels as well as their hebrew set for part of the city mobs.

Above: The Seleucid Cataphracts, tough troops these (from Newline designs). These represent 2,000 of the kind but they probably fielded more so am tempting to get more unit paks of these, 9 cavalry. As I work in blocks of a thousand I will need ideally 12 cavary so I may by one extra pak on top to bring them up to 3,000. Each base (or element) is around 250 men, 3 cavalry to a base = 250 cav x 4 bases equals 1,000.  The man in the purple cloak at the back of these us the king, either Antiochus III or Seleucus.

In the photo above  range of manufactures can be seen. Back left are Hat Industrie Persians next to them in the centre back are Zvezda Scythians. The cataphracts are metal (Newline designs) and the next to them are 4 elements of Caesar's arabs (making a 1,000 representing arab border troops). Hat javelinment from Alexander's light infantry are the javelinmen next to them. The foreground contain newline design's Thureopoi. 

Above: More troops for Antichus. In the centre are Newline Designs metal Scythed chariots (each chariot elements represents 25 of these so 50 in total). Beyond that a lining up nicely not going beserk are 2 Newline design elephants (25 elements each base-not to self might need more of these). Persian satrapal levy behind them (Hat) and way off in the distance the spears of Phalanx.

Here we see a great deal (but not all) of the Seleucid army. In the front is a line of skirmishing troops (mainly Hat). behind them are the numerous Phalanx (mainly Newline design but some hat) Behind them in the foreground we have Thueropoi (Hat) in the yellow Hillmen (newline) behind at the front are Thoraki (Newline and Hat) and the grey shields are Roman imitation infantry and behind them are the city mob, if the fighting gets down to these the game is lost! Beyond the hillmen are Galatians and behind them Thracians to add more colour to the force. At the back past the mob are arab camely (all Newline except for two made by Caesar). The odd troops here and there with three horses are leaders.

Last photo for this review, here as the sun goes down in the outback the Seleucids march forward in front of them and other construction is one of their arch enemies, the Ptolemaics,

ARMIES I HAVE BUILT

Here is a list of completed (or very nearly completed armies I have built)

Hittite

Mycenean

Trojan

Hebrew

Libyan

Arab

Middle Kingdom Egyptian

New Kingdom Egyptian

Assyrian

Assyrian infantry with their backs to us how rude!

Early and Late Persian

Porus Indin

Athenian

Theban

Spartan

'Greek'

Samnite

Samnite army (all Hat except leaders which are newline designs)

Polybian Roman

Marian Roman

Imperial Roman

Late Roman

Macedonian

Scythian

Thracian

Sea Peoples

Philistine 

Sumerian

Han Dynasty Chinese

Han Dynasty Chinese Supplies and HQ (newline and 3D model studio Wen Ding)

Celt / Gaul

Ancient British

Carthaginian

Seleucid

Ptolemaic (under construction)

Later Macedonian

Dacian

Germanic

Next Campaign

NEXT CAMPAIGN

I don't like to just create battles I am after a fuller experience. I like to run the country's resources and diplomacy and so forth and fight battles along the way. My first big battle was Cannae (216 BCE), no I didn't fight it then even though I was born last century I am not that old.

If I can work out how to post the video from Cannae (I made two) I will do so, the result, Carthage easily. 

Clash of arms as Persian army (left) rushes headlong into Macedonians

So I could make up my own strategic rules-I have some using the old "Civilization"(US spelling) game as a base, using space number as Manpower factor (MP) and each city as a '1' for Resource point (RP). Then a combination thereof to buy units. I have seen some very complex affairs through to simply ones. I am tempted by an article I read in Society of the ancients magazine (Slingshot  # 309) where there is a short article on Hellenistic wargaming. I have done a lot of research into various eras to try some campaigns. So my favourite eras to wargame this way would be

• Egyptian XVIII-XX dynasty (New Kingdom), Egypt at it's strongest with a range of leadership styles, up against the Hittites (Lots of chariots here) throw in Mitanni, early Greeks, Assyrians and a scattered range of city states between makes for a good campaign.(I hope to start this one late 2018 CE),
• The Hellenistic Kingdoms (c.300 - 100 BCE) with the main three kingdoms of Macedon, Seleucia (Seleucid greek kingdom) and Ptolemies with a range of lesser states with republican Rome sitting on the side lines and various Indian and Greco Indian kingdoms to the east.
• The Punic Wars, esp 2nd Punic war.

So thats the range to start with. I have done one battle using a lot of random die and came up with a Persian vs Indian battle with Persia as the winner. 

Some Indian troops on the march against Persians only to be smitten quite a lot really.

So the next campagin will be HELLENISTIC SUCCESSOR KINGDOMS (c.280-100 BCE). The kingdoms (and therefore armies) which may be involved will be 

the three main successor states, Republican Rome, Pontus, India, Scythia, Maccabees, Pergamun, Rhodes, Aetolian League, Achean League, Sparta and so on. Random events will play a large part of this. I need to find a good way to build some navies - any suggestions appreciated.

ANCIENT WARGAMING

My SECOND Blog
(The first one didn't load) so lets see how this one goes.

Background

I first played a wargame in about 1979. It was SPI's "The Conquerors". I had never even seen a wargame before but had a high interest in history so when  a friend of mine offered a game after a hockey match I said yep. I played Macedon he played Rome and we re created the 2nd Macedonian war between the Roman Republic and Macedon (200-197 BCE). I held the Romans at bay for several years before they pushed me back to my capital Pella and they laid siege and rolled a '6' and took and sacked the city. I lost my first wargame but was hooked. nearly 40 years later and 500+ wargames later I am still into the hobby.

I started painting figures and building armies about 14 years ago. My first army was a Persian army followed by a Macedonian army.

Part of my Persian army mainly plastic from Hat, Caesar, Zvezda. Notice the red bin for the large amount of loses this army will take and the Immortals ready for battle in their dressing gowns. 

I started to buy Hat plastic figures deciding that 20mm 1/72 was the scale I was going to follow. I decided that if I take one of the larger ancient battles that would work out good for scale, so I decided to build armies to recreate the battle of Gaugemala / Arbela. So I decided to paint enough figures for a 47,000 Macedonian army and a 250,000 Persian force! I soon realised that making this at a scale of one figure=20 men might be a big prohibitive. So I scaled back and found DBM rules and decided that the sclae of 1 element ( a bit of cardboard with figure glued onto it) = 250 men was more easy to manage. So 4 Elements would = c.1,000 men. 

My painting was very rough at the start and I am a lot happier now with my painting, though I am not planning to be a high level painter it is good enough for me. So questions I am asked.....

What brands of figures do you buy? 

I started buying plastic figures for they were cheaper to buy. Hat Industrie make up a lot of my figure collection as do Caesar. Then there are others which are not as good generally such as Strelets, Mars, Airfix, Italerii, Lucky Toys (mind you I think their Indian Porus army is excellent-I must have bought 20 sets of those!). I also buy a lot of figures from Newline Designs in the UK from Sean and some other metal figure from Hong Kong for Han Dynasty. 

What armies do you have?

I have lots, see a future blog for a list! At the moment I am just completing a Seleucid Greek army and am about a third of the way through a Ptolemaic army. 

What types of paints and brushes do you use?

I am not a serious painter so just get most of my paints from Spotlight here in South Australia. My brushed a cheap and nasty '000' as they get wrecked quickly. I do not paint professionally so this not a major concern for me as long as they look OK for me.

Do you have a favourite army?

No, but my top ones would be Persians, Hittites, Pontian, Han Dyansty in no particular order.

Each army has a HQ piece like a king in chess for the Chinese Han dynasty it is this lot making a special appearance is Pigsy, Monkey, Tripitaka and Sandy (plus escort).