Triarii for the red legion

Yup, another unit of Agema legionaries completed for Project Zama.

More Principes for Zama

Not much to add to the title of the post really... I've started a second legion with red shields for Project Zama. Figures are Agema, as usual, with a few of their metal character figures thrown in. I particularly like the figure who has just thrown his pilum and is watching it in flight. Lovely mini.

Res ad triarios venerunt

I'm steadily chipping away at my Agema Republican Romans.

In the legion of the middle Republic, the third line was made up of the triarii, the most experienced and mature citizens. Ideally, they weren't supposed to fight, but according to Polybius formed a bulwark at the rear of the legion, kneeling and presenting their spears. The Romans even had a saying 'it has come down to the triarii', meaning that a situation was desperate.

Anyway, clearly the triarii won't be needed in any game I play, so here they are lounging around behind their shields watching my principes and hastati sweep all before them.



I've also finished three bases of velites. One nice feature of the Agema figures is that the parts from the legionaries and velites boxes are fully interchangeable, so I was able to vary some of the poses.

The Legion Grows...

I have a great project going at the moment with gaming buddy Steve to finish a Roman Republican army for Basic Impetus in time for the anniversary of the Battle of Cannae on 2 August. Steve is doing the same with his Carthaginians, then we each expand our armies to play full Impetus or Sword and Spear by the anniversary of Zama in October. This is a great way to stay focused on completing an army if you can find a friend to do it with.



This long weekend saw two more units join the legion - two bases of hastati. For those of you who don't know, according to Polybios' account the hastati were the younger men of the triplex acies (three line) Roman legion of the middle Republic. They usually formed the first line, equipped with light armour, a couple of pila (heavy javelins) and a short stabbing sword (gladius), The middle line was formed of the pincipes, men in their prime similarly equipped to the hastati, but probably able to afford better armour. The third line consisted of the triarii, or mature men, equipped with longer thrusting spears. They formed the bulwark for the legion and the final reserve.



My hastati are from Agema Miniatures, mainly from their lovely plastic box, but with a couple of their metal personality figures thrown in. Next up I need to do some triarii and velites (skirmishers), while I wait for some cavalry to arrive from Relic Miniatures in Canada.

Carthago Delenda Est!

At the beginning of the year those fiendish folk at War and Peace Games had a sale of Agema plastic Roman Republican legionaries for about half price. Wargaming the triplex acies of the middle Republic has long appealed to me, so I succumbed. 'Now is the time for decisive action' I growled, pressing the 'buy' button.



The great thing is that Steve from our Odin's Night gaming club happened to have a Carthaginian army in his plastic mountain, so I am now enjoying the rare pleasure of painting up an army in parallel with an actual live opponent. Our goal is to make an army each that can be used for Impetus and Sword and Spear, so we have set ourselves a couple of deadlines to make the project achievable.



First up, the goal is to prepare a Basic Impetus army by 2 August, which happens to be the anniversary of the Battle of Cannae. The next 'stretch goal' is 19 October (the Battle of Zama), by which we should have a larger force for a full game of Impetus and Sword and Spear.



Units are based on 120mm frontages, and I've finished my first two units of Principes, the second line of the Republican Legion consisting of men in their prime. All the figure are from Agema, but I've mixed in a few of their metal characters and command figures among the plastics for some variety. I am very impressed with their figures overall, particularly since the more realistic 'true 28mm' scale appeals to me. These wouldn't mix well with the likes of Victrix or Crusader Miniatures, but they are pretty nice by themselves. Hand painting all the shield was a bit of a swine.



Note that I've decided to give this army north African-ish deserty bases. This is entirely aimed at psyching out Steve, as they are based for Zama rather than any of the Italian battles. Heh.