Gallic Cavalry

Above are some Gallic cavalry that I've just finished painting. These are all Victrix Miniatures with Victrix shield transfers. These have been stuck on my painting desk for a long time so it is good to finish them off. The five photos below are more Gallic cavalry from the archives, these are Wargames Foundry, Companion Miniatures and A&A Miniatures with LBM shield transfers.

These next two units in the three photos below were painted by the late Col Jones and are a mix of Gripping Beast and Warlord Games.

This last unit in the two photos below are Warlord Games figures that I painted. I'm hoping to play a refight of the Battle of Sabis 57 BC with the Mortem et Gloriam rules soon, so some of these figures at least, should see action in that game.

Carthaginian Citizen Spearmen

Here are some Carthaginian Citizen spearmen from the archives. These are all Victrix figures and shield transfers, and are later spearmen with thureoi (oval shields). I have another unit of these to paint that already based and undercoated with transfers. They are pretty quick and easy to do with simple tunics, not as time consuming and fiddly as the Persians!

Median Guardsmen

Here is my first unit from the new Wargames Atlantic plastic Persian Infantry set. These are Guardsmen in Median dress, based on the illustration by Richard Scollins, in Duncan Head's book The Achaemenid Persian Army. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm planning on further Early Persian units of Immortals, Kissians, Iranians and Persians/Medes.

Sea People Chariots and Median Guardsmen WIP

Here's another post from the archives, two Sea People chariots, by Cutting Edge Miniatures/Warlord Games. The first one is Pelset, the crew have crested helmets, and they eventually settled in modern Israel and became the Philistines. The other are Lukka (Lycians) with horned helmets.

I've also included a work in progress shot of some Median Guardsmen from the new Wargames Atlantic plastic Persian infantry set, at the end of the post. I initially ordered a single box of these but then ordered a further two as you're able to make a twenty four figure Immortal unit in campaign dress (they are only eight torsos with scale armour in a box). The best and most accurate early Persian range around is still the Xyston 15mm one, but this set gives a lot of variety with head options and is particularly good for early Persian sparabara and archers (you can even do Assyrians). I'm planning on further units of Immortals, Kissians, Iranians and Persians/Medes.

Cilician Gates 39 BC - Command & Colors Ancients Game

Parthians on the left, Romans on the right on the foot hills of the Cilician Gates

Opposite end of the table with Roman deserters under Labienus in their camp

Parthian cataphracts in the centre

Parthian horse archers

Parthian commander Pacorus and cataphracts

Roman legionaries, Cretan archers and Roman camp

Roman right flank

Romans advance off the hill and attack the cataphracts

Both sides suffer casualties

Last Friday afternoon out in the shed I played a solo Command and Colors Ancients game. The scenario was the Cilician Gates, which was the main pass through the Taurus Mountains in Anatolia, with the Romans taking on the Parthians. The Romans under Publius Ventidius Baussus were pursuing Roman deserters led by Quintus Labienus who had joined the Parthians. In the battle Parthian cavalry under Pacorus arrived and immediately launched an attack, without waiting for Labienus, on the Romans deployed on the heights.

In my game the Parthians were a little more circumspect in their approach and tried to wear the Romans down with missile fire and lure them down off the hill. Under the terrain rules in CCA a unit fighting an opponent uphill only has two dice, so the cataphracts would have been fighting on equal terms with the Roman light infantry, a risky proposition! I used the Parthian shot special rule for horse archers in this game which was introduced in Command and Colors Medieval, evading light bow cavalry can shoot with two dice. I limited it to one dice for this game but will probably use two in future as you only have a one in six chance of hitting, although you also have the same chance of causing a retreat.

The Romans attacked early in the game moving down off the hill but the Parthian cataphracts had the best of it destroying a legionary unit and killing the commander. The Romans were forced to regroup on the hill and then launched another attack playing an Order Medium Troops card. This attack was more successful and the Parthians were forced to retreat, the Romans were slowly but surely wearing the cataphracts down. The Parthians played a Double Time card and the Roman deserters emerged from their camp to attack the Gallic cavalry who evaded. A last ditch effort by Pacorus and his cataphracts to seal the game almost paid off but Ventidius with his veterans and the aid of the Gallic cavalry put and end to it with a hard fought 6-5 victory points.

Romans regroup on the hill

Romans play an Order Medium Troops card and attack

Parthians are forced to retreat

Roman legionaries are wearing the cataphracts down

Roman deserters play a Double Time card but the Gallic cavalry evade

Pacorus attacks with the Parthian cataphracts

The Gallic cavalry finish off the cataphracts

Pacorus evades the Romans but has lost the battle 5-6 victory points

Spanish Cavalry

Here are some Spanish Cavalry from the archives. These are a mix of Wargames Foundry, Companion Miniatures and A&A Miniatures figures.