SPQR

Unleash Hell miniature from Warlord Games.

Enjoyed this one.

I am not sure the padded shirts on some of the Wargames Factory bodies are appropriate for the ancient era, but I think this is OK. The Warlord Games head, sword and shield seem essential to set the era. Just using a round shield or just having a bare head might not work. I would like to mix my kit bashes up with some Warlord or Victrix warriors. I would definitely live to add some skyclad guys just for the fun of it.

Celtic warrior experiment. Using Dark Age sprues to make warriors for SPQR. Wargames Factory body with Warlord Games head and shield with a Gripping Beast Viking sprue axe hand.

Another head and shield swap job. Gripping Beast plastic Viking body and head and shield from Warlord Games.

The writing on the shield was Retributor Gold and doesn’t always show up well in pics, but looks OK.

Another Gripping Beast viking turned into an Auxiliary. This time I tried out a simple shield design. I might need to do more regular leaves and make everything more neat if I want it to look like laurel leaves, but I still like the effect. It needed to be something that I can replicate fairly easily across multiple shields and I think that’s possible with what I have done.

The VIC writing at the top of the shield idea was taken from the VIC appearing on the right hand side of the shield boss on the transfers on the legionaries shields. Hopefully this ties the main troop and these Auxiliaries together.

Gripping Beast viking turned into an Auxiliary. Not sure if they ever used this face mask or these circular shields from the veteran sprue, but just wanted to try and stretch the sprue as far as I could and try out a colour scheme.
Used Contrast paints to speed things up. I used the Flesh Eater Red on the trousers, used the Wyldwood browd on the spear shaft and Dark Angel Green on the top.

I asked whether this was all feasible with Dark Age kits on the SPQR Facebook page and those that commented seem positive.

I will also be using the too many Wargames Factory minis I have to make some Celts.

Even though I am still working on these guys a couple at a time between night shifts, if I wanted to use these for a game they would look OK.

The whole sprue of ten was done base colour wise in a few hours.

The decals were from LMBS (Little Big Men Studios) and I actually started the shields on the sprue. Weathered them with some Zandri Dust at the bottom.

I am adding the finishing details, two at a time and spending about 30 minutes picking out the gold pieces and tidying up.

I made one guy with a pila that I can swap out for a sword wielding guy after that once per game benefit has been used.
I realised after the build process that I should have made sure that the guy with the Pila had a sword in the scabbard at his hip, instead of an empty scabbard, and perhaps cut away the swords for those with drawn swords.
It doesn’t distract too much and I wont lose any sleep, but next sprue I will keep that in mind.
Even though I am still working on these guys a couple at a time between night shifts, if I wanted to use these for a game they would look OK

The Citadel Contrast paints helped speed things up. The Flesh Eater Red is great for the tunics and went down really well.

I used the Guilliman flesh colour initially and then ended up doing a lot of Army Painter Barbarian Flesh highlight.

Just felt it was too thin. I had used a desert yellow primer and it wasn’t convincing as a skin tone.
Maybe the official primer or a matt white the Guilliman might have been OK.

For the back of the the shields I used the Aggaros brown.

For the sword scabbards I used the really dark drown in the range (begins with W?)

For the sandles part of the leg I used darkoath flesh.

I have seen a few missed bits once I started taking photos, but I chose to heavy Nulin Oil the armour over the primer then heavy dry brushed the Leadbelcher armour on. Seemed to go easier that way.

I know it makes more sense to do washes over base colours, but being new to the models and the era it also drew out all the detail so I could see what details I should be painting far better.

Apparently the Primus Pilus was a Centurion that was given higher standing as leading the best Century in the 1st Cohort.

I got this metal mini as part of a Warlord Games purchase years ago to bulk up an order to avoid postage charges.

He was going to be a focal point in a diorama I had planned, but I never got it started, I have pilfered the gauls to make Blood and Plunder pirates and other bits and pieces etc. So building and painting him for this game seemed like a good excuse.

I realised after the photography that his shield is technically upside down. I could snip it off and re-glue it, but I prefer to use a backstory to get round it.

The enemy have surprised the unit, the Primus Pilus has grabbed his shield, bellowed his orders and the men have snapped to. They have all noted the mistake, but given his furious sharp tongue at the best of times and the urgency of the call to arms no one is brave enough to correct him on it.

Not sure how to use this model in game, but he is a fun mini. I wonder if I should use him to indicate one of the once per game special rules and take him away once spent. Like the once per game extra action that some Roman heroes have in the book.

I said I might take a snap with him cornered by Romans or Barbarians and have the caption “One step closer and the Goat gets it.”

One racially insensitive person said “I imagine I will use the mini as a hostage marker. You know what Celts are like around livestock.” Hilarious and only racist if you self identify as an ancient Celt.