2nd Punic War: Romans and Carthaginian Spear

This was my historical tally over the new year's break, more conversions and unit completions for Hail Caesar.

Feels good to make some progress against the total rebasing started a few years ago.

Romans

Having finished the Hastati, I thought I'd get some Princeps going while starting on rebasing some cavalry and command.

The Princeps are from HaT Set 8017, Republican Romans Princeps & Triari and Set 8051, Roman Command. The shield decals are from Little big Men Studios and a private commission.

The cavlary are from HaT Set 8021, Roman Cavalry with a commander from Set 8051, Roman Command.

The commanders are a mix of the HaT Roman Command set and Newline Designs command packs (Roman and Etruscan) - both companies' figures mixing seamlessly. To go with the Hastati commander done previously, I've made up a cavalry division command (far left), Princeps commander (left) and two consuls for generals (right).

I figure for large, "Oh the gods! The Carthaginians are going to whip our asses again", kind of battles, while one consul is overall commander for the day, it's not out of the question to have both of them in the field.

I also continued on with the theme of having the Latin divisions made up of two legions (10th and 13th), hence why there's two eagles for the main consul (right). Also love the Etruscan foot command as it comes with trumpeters and Lictors (administrators/servile aides), which probably originated with Etruscans but were adopted by Rome.

Carts

Also got a couple of Lybian spear units done from the HaT Set 8020, Hannibal's Carthaginians - African Infantry

The LBM shield decals really make these units come alive. Would share a link to them but I see they're no longer listed on their website 😞

Got some more Princeps on the go, two units of Triarii to finish off, and some cavalry to rebase and that will be the Latin Romans completed.

2nd Punic War: Late Etruscans

First lot of Newline Design figures since everything was heartlessly put into storage nearly a year ago. Some Etruscans for the Hail Caesar ruleset and massive shift from old DMA/M basing. But these are new figures straight out of the bag.

First up some Etruscan Class III and IV Advancing based together to act as Italian Hastati or light infantry. I'd forgotten just how hard it is to get pure white shields to behave.

Next up are some Etruscan Class I and II Standing based together and re-shielded with Scutums from the Roman HaT range to act as Principes.

I've probably been too literal in my interpretation of how the Italian tribes morphed into Hastati and Principes as they were Romanized. But I figure its late in the war, somewhere between Cannae and Zama, and they've been given or taken some of the huge surplus of Roman weaponry and armor left over from previous battles. There's certainly some good detail on these Newline figures.All the shield designs were a transfer commission by a local printer that I sourced off of Google and rescaled/touched up - at this scale the individual dolphins and wreathes were a little fiddly to position correctly.

  

2nd Punic War: Carthaginian Elephants and Veteran Spear

 

I know I've caved to the wargamer's bane and completed the crown units of the army before doing the masses but I couldn't resist getting these guys converted for Hail Caesar.

War Elephants

The units have been rebased from DBA/M and a general's elephant element added.

The fighting bases are from the HaT Set 8023 War Elephants and depict the smaller African Forest Elephant with howdah. Some of them were painted nearly twenty years ago and needed quite a bit of touching up.

I also added some shield transfers I'd commissioned from a local printer and most have been based two to a base to create four HC bases.

The elephant general is from the Linear-A Set 023 Hannibal Makes a Triumphal Entry in Italy and as the name indicates, is meant to depict Hannibal riding on Surus - the last remaining elephant of that epic trip. The companions are from the same set and the HaT Set 8056 Carthaginian Command and Cavalry, shield transfers are from Big Little Men Studios Carthage Punic range.

That Surus seems to be a bigger than the other elephants supports the idea that he was an Indian/Syrian elephant - a lot larger than the smaller forest elephants. I just wish, instead of going directly backwards, Hail Caesar had similar stampede rules to the old WAB ruleset, where a scatter dice was rolled to see which direction the elephants went when they stampeded 😂  

Veteran Spear 

Another crown unit, Hannibal's veteran spear from HaT Set 8020 Hannibal's Carthaginians - African Infantry and command set from the same company mentioned above. There's also a standard bearer/officer and trumpeter from Newline Design's Carthaginian Command pack and as always, they mix in well with the HaT troops. Shield designs are also from the Little Big Men Studios Carthage range.

Again, some of these figures were painted nearly twenty years ago so have received new paint on their spears and a dose of PVA glue to stop the paint from splitting off when the spears bend. Listed as Phalanx in the army lists, these guys are four ranks deep as opposed to the normal two for HC.

With the transfers applied, they make me want to have a game of HC, better rebase and transfer some more units.

Sudan: Royal Artillery (Limbered)

The Clear the Desk painting challenge continues, with first units for an intended Camel Corps Brigade, completed for Black Powder: Blood on the Nile.

These guys sat requiring construction, next to the undercoated Ja'liyin from the previous post for ages. The limber, crew, and horses are ZW54 and ZW55 from Newline's Zulu range, and the 9pdr guns and crew are from HaT's 8210 British Colonial Artillery.


Yes, I know the horse team is meant to be made up of six horses, which would look good, but doesn't scale well in BP, so there's two per team for this army.
As both sets were produced for the Zulu war, all the crew have had puggaree conversions, which is only just and proper, and why I think I procrastinated so long before completing them, but in the end the conversions only took about half an hour to do all twelve.


The limber came together with no hassles, with only some fiddlyness when mounting everything together, at once, with white glue and super glue, coz I'm impatient :). As ever the Newline metals prepped in about ten minutes. A commission painter prepped the guns so can't comment on them but from the box art diagram, them look fairly simple (3 pces: wheels, carriage, and barrel).


Its good to get a couple of core units for a brigade out the way (they can be used for any British brigade) and its on to the next thing I found, wrapped up in tissue paper, smushed up in a plastic bag, right at the back of the desk - a group of Sci Fi figures to finish a unit I started in 1995!

Sudan: Royal Artillery Gatlings

Had some time to rework some older models for Sudan Black Powder. Not sure what I was originally thinking but found these guys sitting on giant square bases with green flock - no, I have no idea either.

Pretty sure these are Newline Designs Gatling Guns from their Zulu range, which I brought before the HaT box came out in 2009; but I can't find the code. There's also a couple of 'ammo bearers' from Strelets Set 038 British Infantry.


Painted in Royal Artillery colours as per the Perry Guide, as the figures were from the Zulu range they've had pugaree conversions, and all troopers got a lighter shade of grey; except for the officer who has - quite historically - had his own coat made at a gentlemen's tailors, in a fit and colour of his choosing.


As usual the excellent Newline figures lend themselves to detailing well and the Stretlets are not too shoddy at making up the numbers.


Another couple of artillery pieces ready in the Anglo-Egyptian forces for the Sudan 1500 project.


Next up while I'm still trying to find that next contract and hopefully before I go broke, another Ansar unit from the Nile Tribes and some Royal Horse Artillery are on the painting desk.

Sudan: New from Newline - The Lancs and Yorks

Yorks & Lancs at the Battle of Tamai

The guys at Newline Designs are reading my mind - which is a) a little bit creepy and b) means I still need to get out more (actually I have a date this weekend with a real live human female, so there. But won't be going into great detail about wargaming... not on the first date...)

Anyhoo, in the back of my mind since Newline released their Camel Corp offering and HaT haven't really released anything in their equivalent range for a few years, I've had a little wish.

SUD35 York & Lancaster Regt Command

Outside of their native allies, the Scottish and Camel regiments, the only British regiment that is distinguishable from other regiments by their uniform is the Lancaster & York regiment.

SUD37 York & Lancasters Standing Firing

But yet no one had produced them in 20mm (1/72) and it irked and scratched away at my OCD (Obsessive Collectors Disorder) and I even thought of converting other figures using green stuff, to complete the collection.

So I was like far out, a wish come true, when I checked up on an order for some ancients and saw Newline's August 2016 York & Lancasters releases.

There they were in their covered helmet with chain and rolled greatcoat slung over their shoulders.

SUD40 York & Lancasters Advancing

All the main poses are covered so that you can produce a firing line, a line advancing, line at ready, or a good mix of skirmishers.

The offering includes:
SUD35 York & Lancaster Regt Command
SUD36 York & Lancasters at Ready
SUD37 York & Lancasters Standing Firing
SUD38 York & Lancasters Kneeling Loading
SUD39 York & Lancasters Kneeling Firing
SUD40 York & Lancasters Advancing

As usual the sculpting looks fantastic with superb detail and the uniforms and equipment accurately portrayed.

SUD38 York & Lancasters Kneeling Loading

Which completes my wish list of Sudan Brits. I fancy a regiment made up of two standard sized BP units and a Small unit of skirmishers.

Another fantastic regiment modeled from Newline in an excellent line of 20mm Anglo-Egyptian and Ansar figures for your Sudan campaigns.

SUD39 York & Lancasters Kneeling Firing

Sudan: Gordon Highlanders

Finished off the other unit that's been on my painting table since April, a regiment of the Gordon Highlanders for Black Powder Sudan.

All the troopers are from HaT's Set 8202 Colonial Highlanders with command figures from Newline Design's Colonial Zulu Range - British Command in Glengarry.


For the troopers the preparation was minimal with a small amount of flashing to do and the command figures needed only a little filing.

There is a decent amount of detail on the figures to pick out.


All in all I think I spent around twice the amount of time and effort on the figures compared to regular British units, considering the kilts (super fiddly at this scale) and the sock-thingies.


But am happy with the end result even if some of the kilts are a bit wobbly.


The regiment is a Standard sized BP unit of 24 figures on six 4x4 bases.


And takes it place along side the Camerons as Scotland's contribution to my Anglo-Egyptian forces.


Along with the Gardner Gun and support finished recently, I think that's 1000 figures reached for the collection. Maybe its time to get a girlfriend... nah, I haven't even started on the Camel Corps!

Boudica's Best: Warmaster Ancients

So Nick came out for a game again and asked if we could give Warmaster Ancients a go.

He'd prepared a couple of lists using Britons and Romans, and brought all the figures, so we set the table up and off we went.

Nick: Romans: blades and cavalry
Dave: Britons: chariots, warband, and cavalry

Deployment: Britons

Right flank to Left flank I massed a brigade of warband on the right.


Another in the right centre.


Fanatics in the centre with their general, fighting naked - as only great warriors do.



With chariots left centre.


And the lights holding the left in the morning mist (a.k.a overexposure).


Deployment: Romans

Facing off, left flank to right flank were some lights.


The legion in the centre.


Some veterans and warband on the left centre.


And the light and heavy cavalry on the far left.


Early Phases (a.k.a. I'd forgotten how to play and thought my chariots were like Tomb King chariots

Turn 1

Off went my warband on the right flank singing "if I only could... I'd go running up that hill, with no problem' - yay!


The chariots swept forward.

And everything else failed to activate.

Nick brought up his left flank.


The legion moved forward.


'If you go down in the woods today...' His veterans and companions went for a walk in the woods.


And his cavalry and general swept forward also.


Turn 2

My light cavalry dominated the hill in front of them.


The chariots went forward to close the gap, there were two steep sided hills with cliffs dividing the centre with a five base wide gap between them.


My fanatics shot forward...


... before some shooting drove back Nick's cavalry - we thought off the edge of the board but some magic rule prevented it.


Turns 3+

OK it was now that I realised that my army had no armour and the chariots were light, this called for a redeployment  to reinforce the left flank and some delaying tactics in the next few rounds while I figured out what to do.


So I pulled back and sent the fanatics towards the Roman veterans to buy some time.


Finishing with a sprint on my right flank which got that warband across the board and behind some woods.


And the first real clash happened with me sacrificing the fanatics.


In the meantime Nick broke up his legion which is what I was hoping was going to happen.


And moved his flank troops into the woods.


Leaving some of his legion 'da, da, da, da, da, da all alone, da, da, da, da, da, da all alone' (that's a Gorillas' song for those of you that didn't know).


But he pushed forward on my left flank with his cavalry and general.


Occupying the hill I'd abandoned when realising I needed to regroup.


As expected the fanatics got pummeled for several rounds...


... before being destroyed.


Then this happened...


... only it didn't as I drove back Nick's cavalry with closing fire.


Which ended well for the Brits after several rounds of combat.


Final Phases

OK so this is when I realised that the shooting in Warmaster Ancients is much better than Warmaster. 2 shots per stand as opposed to one, even if range for skirmishers is pants - 15cm. So I started shooting everything I could with everything I had.

I pushed Nick's cavalry and his general over the cliffs with drive backs (that's his hand about to remove the figures).


Which started clearing the centre.


And the left flank.


And Nick reformed and moved up his centre.


Then I got the blood lust :) and in went the warbands - first at the hill in the centre right.


Shot from Nick's side of the hill.


And into his lights in the woods on the right flank.


And two units into his lonesome legion at the back.


I kept up the shooting causing casualties, disrupting his veterans and driving back their warband companions.


A warband smashed through the lights in the woods after several pursuits and headed for the Spanish lights next.


Then the combat with the legion began and went well after the first round of combat.


And after continued pursuit...


The legion was destroyed.


Nick's centre legion pushed back the oncoming warband hoard...


... and he graciously conceded, knowing that once the blood lust of the Brits is peaked, there is normally no stopping them - oh Boudica how great and pretty thou were!

Cool game and pays to a) remember the rules, b) understand what your army is made up of :)

Here's some gratuitous shots of my Carthaginian and Roman commands from Newline.

The Roman general from the high command set.


The Cart general (Hannibal) and standard bearer.