Friday, 25 January 2013

... On the way to the Forum ...

Guess what I found on my way to the Forum, well actually I was rummaging through some boxes looking for 15mm ACW figures when I found these lying unpainted and unloved.


Some, if not all of them are 54mm by Irregular Miniatures, and just asked to be painted up, so I did.



This is, supposedly, a Myrmillion, but I am far from being an expert in this period.



A Thracian



I am told this is a Velites although it reminds me of a peltast.



A Samnite, said to be lucky fighters perhaps because they got a big shield.



The Retarius or net thrower.



The Gaul, most likely a war captive.



The Dimachaerus, daggers in both hands.

I have made up a simple arena using sand coloured Heroscape tiles, giving a total of 61 hexes in a super-hex with 5 hexes per face.

The rules I intend to use are 'Munera Sine Missione' which I got online from:

http://hordesofthethings.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/munera-sine-missione-version-20.html

I'll perhaps let you know how we got on, thumbs up or thumbs down!!
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6 comments:

  1. Brett Christensen25 January 2013 at 18:10

    Great find! I'm putting my money on the Retiarius.

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  2. David Crook25 January 2013 at 20:18

    Hi Jim,

    Very nice paint job with the figures! Gladiatorial combats are always good fun and we occasionally have these at the club using the EM4 games and figures.

    Great fun for all concerned.

    All the best,

    DC

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    1. Jim Duncan Wargamer25 January 2013 at 20:49

      Thanks DC

      Most of the painting quality here comes from the technique. It is a mixture of a strong base coat with a not so subtle top coat all done with a big brush. The cloth areas are largely wet brushed (that is two colours mixed on the figure while both are wet) and the shields are mostly dry brushed (one colour on top of a darker colour when dry) and then the whole figure is given a brown wash to bring the whole lot together. No attempt is made to add fine detail (my eyesight does not allow that) although if you had some artistic ability and matching eyesight you could do so.

      We have played gladiator games many times before many years ago and I think we used a ruleset by Paragon.

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  3. tradgardmastare26 January 2013 at 07:08

    Excellent gladiators Jim.
    I remember playing gladiator games at SESWC in the 70s with the Paragon rules I think.
    It is fun to find figures like you did .Almost better than buying new ones if you know what I mean.
    best wishes
    Alan

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    Replies
    1. Jim Duncan Wargamer26 January 2013 at 11:55

      Yes, the Paragon rules were quite popular in their day.

      I probably have a copy somewhere in the loft!

      As to finding figures I think I may have one or two more gladiators somewhere, probably not in the loft.

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