Relic Libyans

Relic African/Libyan infantry alongside some Aventine allied Hastati types. Perfect match size and proportions wise.

Renegade converted Libyan vets shown for comparison. The height and even body proportions are relatively similar. Head size differences pose some compatibility problems. The above basing differences exaggerate the problems.

Relic's African/Libyan infantry types. I've swapped out the Relic Shields with Aventine hoplons. The Relic shields are fine but as I prefer to intergrate minis from different manufacturers into the same groups, this allows for a bit more visual congruency between differing styles/proportions. In my opinion, they fit in perfectly with other larger 28mm lines such as Aventine, Foundry Hellenistic lines, Renegade. The Renegade vets above look a bit bigger, however, this is partly due to the difference in base height/type. The regular Libyan infantry by Renegade fit in together much better.

I usually use LBMS decals for the shield designs, but decided to do a little free-hand here. I'm satisfied with the results, but I can't beat the detail of the decals. However, I do believe you can get cleaner looking results as I've had some problems with blending the edges with the decals.

Renegade Libyan Vets

Here are some Renegade Libyan vets with minor conversions. Those of you familiar with the Renegade Punic line know how a number of the minis suffer from some rather strangely distorted neck positioning. So, I've cut off the heads and re-positioned them while adding some superficial helmet detail and a beard to add some variety to a rather static set of poses. The heads are on the larger side, but paint up nicely. Interestingly enough, the regular Libyan infantry and lights have smaller heads that are more in line with Aventine, Relic, and almost Crusader. I've swapped out the Renegade shields with some extra Aventines but have not attached yet as I'm considering re-basing to thinner washers.

An interesting note regarding Libyan/African spears. The evidence points to such spears being about the same height as the infantryman, but with the Renegade figures in particular due to their rather "squat" proportions, this looks odd as evidenced by images on their website. So I've given them shorter spears than their Roman counterparts, but taller than their height (plus, posed as raised off the ground).

Foundry Roman Officers

A few Foundry centurions and tribune-types. I'm considering mixing them in with my earlier Republican Romans from Aventine, which will require re-basing and shield swaps. I realize that the Gallic helmet is not Republican era, but perhaps the archeologists have not caught up yet to cutting edge minis armour.

More pre-finished Aventine Etruscans/Italian Allies photos

Here are some better photos of the Aventine Etruscans/Italian Allies before I finished the groundwork and added shields. The photos were taken outside, hence the better lighting than my original posting of the finished figures. Unfortunately, my camera skills are minimal at best so I'm lucky that these came out relatively clear.




This is an overhead shot of the figures in their pre-finished Litko movement stand. As I do not game, I have not figured out the size of finished units...so, the stands may be re-configured at some point to accommodate a proper number of troops.





A note on the standard bearer, I've given him a new smaller round shield and have cut the length of the standard to a more realistic height...will post a photo showing the change at some point.

Gripping Beast Punic Wars

Above, we have some Carthaginian veterans and two Libyan/Carthos regular infantry and a command figure.

These are three Principes advancing with swords and an Italian ally command unit.

Here are photos of some Gripping Beast (GB) Punic War figures I completed a while back. They are nice figures with a good deal of character, variety, and detail. The swords, shields, and spears are separate, allowing for good variety. The bases are Gale Force Nine magnetized, which I've since moved away from in favor of Litko wooden. Originally, I had planned to construct my Punic War project using mostly GB figures as they have an extensive range covering just about every culture involved in the conflict. Unfortunately, they are on the smaller side of today's 28's and do not have the "presence" of the Aventine, Gorgon, Foundry or Polemarch lines. Sadly...a fair-sized pile of GB lead sits in a drawer.

Aventine Allied/Etruscan General & Spearmen

Aventine allied/Etruscan general, spearmen, and musician. Litko bases and Little Big Men Studios decals. The LBM decals do not reach the brim of the hoplon, which required me to fill in paint/design...more hoplons to follow at some point illustrating this in more detail. As mentioned on a previous post, sword is filed down...bared metal polished with gloss coat. When possible, I prefer to polish bare metal silver parts and coat with gloss acrylic. I know that some painters use a more "scale-realistic" approach to painting their figures (i.e., believing that only details evident to the eye in viewing a real person to scale should be portrayed, or that colors should be quite dull). This would leave details such as the eyes and hair indistinguishable. Although I don't want to portray a cartoonish caricature, highlighting such small details and using brighter colors gives the perception of a more realistic image at smaller scales. Hence, the same reason wargaming figures are typically portrayed as having exaggerated features (e.g., bigger heads, hands, etc.), to give the brain more information so that it perceives the image more realistically.

Aventine Advancing

Images of Aventine advancing allied swordsmen, musician, and centurion. Little Big Men Studios decals and Litko round 20mm bases. I will be placing these in Litko trays. The advantage of the round bases and use of trays is that I can vary positioning and orientation of the figures as I please. The Aventine figures are wonderfully styled, easy to paint and full of detail. The shields fix easily onto the model's hands, even staying without the use of glue. This allows me to experiment with various angles before deciding on a final position. Virtually my only complaint about the Aventine figures is the sculpting of the swords, which are done in a "block" style. I have shaved down the swords of the infantry and had to replace the centurion's sword completely.

Aventine Allied Triarii

Rear view of Aventine allied/Etruscan Triarii. I have been a bit liberal with the use of tunic colors and patterns, adding Southern-styles to rather Northern flavored armour.

Here is the frontview of the above. They include Little Bigmen Studio decals and are set on Litko bases and tray. Basing is my least favorite part of the process and since I am not a wargamer, I'm less concerned about gaming specific layout and numbers. The Aventine figures are beautifully sculpted, nicely animated, and wonderfully varied. Quite simply, they are currently the best range of ancient Roman models.