A Roman army in 6mm

The might of 6mm gaming 

A Roman army that not a group of squads.

I do love wargaming and like big battles, this has led me down a veritable rabbit hole.

As a child I was fascinated by Rome and even though Dyslexic with a hatred of writing that will delay me picking up a pen (typing not a problem) I still managed to copy out of my encyclopaedias anything about Rome and its peoples.

I chose 6mm as you are able to represent a lot of soldiers in a small area. Consider I get 48 Romans on a base that would take around 4 28mm figures. So you move from representation of quantity to trying to achieve real 1:1 quantity,

I'm nowhere near that as my 48 men on a base could, depending on the game represent:

Legionaries

- a Century of 80 men. 2:1

- a Cohort of 6 Centuries 480 men 10:1

- a Legion of 10 Cohorts 5280 men a ratio of 110:1

[Note that the1st Cohort is double strength 960]

However it's still a lot better than 4 28mm models, though in fairness they will use 16 men on three times the width, and need a table three times the size.

I started with a base with 24 men thought it looked a little light so added 12 then went for another 12, it is of course called escalation.

Anyhow, I have fielded all my Romans, they can between them make up two-three armies.

As I said Rabbit hole.

Ave!

The complete Army (for the moment) 

Auxillary

Medium Mounted

Medium Bow

Storage Solutions -3

 I am definitely in the Really Useful Boxes camp.

Yes they are heavy, but the are vermin proof, waterproof and stackable. In fact you can even tie the lids down with the predrilled holes, padlock or string, so if you drop them the lid won't fly off?

Their own trays are limiting but perfect for 2 x 60x30mm bases per segment giving 30 secure spaces (see plastic tray in second image), but with trays from Commission Figurines [see note below] the world opens up.

As the base is 2mm deep then a 20mm tray gives 18mm of headroom and of course a 40mm gives 38mm. The lid of the Really Useful box gives you a little wriggle room of about 2mm. 

I also add masking tape looped through handles and glued to itself as handles to lift and lower the trays, you could use string or  ribbon.

As you can see from the various images, it is a very versatile system.

Ancient 6mm: 
4 x 20mm trays - Infantry
2 x 30mm trays- Cavalry and mounted command

Colonial British 6mm + 30mm Tripods:
Careful removal of part of tray base can give you height through other trays. Two 20mm trays essential use up space that might have been wasted and coincidentally give stability to the 30mm models.
One of the 35mm trays, the plastic one is a RUB tray, this is where we started. 

1 x 30mm -  Cavalry and Martian Tripods
2 x 20mm - Artillery and Infantry (both cut to give 40mm extra headroom to 35mm tray
2 x 35mm - Mounted command, mounted and dismounted Infantry -  animals and Bridges

The bottom three trays are stacked first.

Orc Waugh!!!
Army with 6mm Baccus goblins and Battle of five armies models as well as Warmaster 10mm orcs based for a different game.

1 x 40mm - Cavalry Monsters
1 x 35m - Infantry/
2 x 30mm - shorter infantry

The bottom left tray is stacked on the top left one and they are the 3rd and 4th (top) tray, just in case I need that wriggle room. I also put some bubble plastic around the larger model to protect from knocks

Tomb King Army 

10mm Warmaster and Pendraken
3 x 40mm - Cavalry & Infantry with tall banners
1 x 20mm - Bannerless archers

The top left tray is the 20mm and uses wiggle room at the top of the RUB.

Victorian Buildings 

From Leven all based on mini dioramas.

2 x 50mm
1 x 40mm - and it uses that 2mm wriggle room*

*wriggle room
The RUB lid is raised except at the edges, the edges keep the trays tight, but the centre give a little extra room about 2mm and i use this to cheat and get a little extra height. 

If you want to see the original thought process then go to First storage article for an earlier update go to Previous storage article

_________________________________________________________________________________

NOTE:

Commission Figuerines web site is a link the their PDF catalogue with the following instructions.

Ordering

e-mail us at commission@btinternet.com

Let us know what you want from the catalogue

We’ll let you know how much the postage will be

You let us know if you wish to proceed

We send you a Paypal invoice (which includes an option to pay by card)

Home Counties 1897 - War of The worlds

At Salute last year I saw a game called Tripods and Triplanes and it made me think about the book War of The Worlds by H.G. Wells (1897)

I decided I'd like to have a go at setting up a game based on the book, with the Victorian army facing off against the Tripods.

Whilst still dithering over which rules to use would it be, Black Powder, Future War Commander, my own (to be written) rules or a hodge podge of the first two. I decided to ignore such niceties and see what models were on the market, this could determine the ruleset, it would certainly determine the scale.

I have a predilection for doing big games in smaller scales and so began at 6mm.

If it were 6mm the the army choice was simple Baccus' but which army. The British army of that time was using a Spiked helmet at home and a Pith helmet in various parts of Africa and India

Home Service Helmet

Pith Helmet

The home Service counties helmet and Pith helmet aren't that different.
In battle the helemt was often covered

The origins of such a helmet and who might have used it first is presented here at Straight to the Point: The History of the Spiked Helmet  but Russian or Indian in origin they all seem to hail from early Mongolian headgear.

I  digress, at 6mm the two are the same and who needs a spike anyway? So I decided on British Colonial Zulu wars, with a few Germans from the Franco Prussian war for the limbers. 

The scale however still depended on the Martian Tripods, a few questions on various FB pages and GWs Spindel Drones are suggested to me.

They do look the part.

However not enough I want them stepping over buildings.

In the above image I've positioned them behind 6 mm Baccus archers and 10 mm Pendraken ones, 6 mm works better, but there's a little voice saying,  "These are not the drones you're looking for."

Then some genius says have you looked at the Tripods on Pendraken's site, well I thought I had, obviously not. I looked but as I wanted to be sure of their size I sent a question to Pendraken on a Sunday, Leon's immediate response was

Image from Pendraken's site

Thanks for the message, the height of the tripods is:

Small = 40mm high
Large = 60mm high

I'll check on the crab walker when I get to work on Monday, I think it's around 30mm or thereabouts.

And that on a Sunday, brilliant service, I bought, they arrived swiftly and they are big, even better they are exactly as I think thy should be, courtesy of  Jeff Wayne's album cover.

Next phase

Hail Caesar Fantasy (PV) 2

...Continued   You may need to read my previous blog, Hail Caesar Fantasy (PV)

Things have advanced, not as fast as I might have wished, but it is an interesting learning curve.
Having absorbed a lot of the Shadow Storm ideas, I started.

Magic

I've looked at each army re-written the magic so it relates to a unit rather than a stand and made it comply with the Hail Caesar rules.
One point of interest was that the ranged magic attacks in WM counted successful hits as contributing towards the combat results. I didn't think this was necessary. Unlike WM where unless the damage removes a stand it is cleared after the shooting magic phase, in HC! the damage stays on the unit  adding to its loss of stamina.
To reinforce this decision, consider that in WM any wounds caused by closing shots are counted towards the combat (so just like ranged spells) whilst in HC! they are not.

Racial traits, Army Rules and Special Rules.

I'm always looking for the HC! special rule that could be applied and in many instances I've managed to find them, but they don't deal with the undead, Orcs and Skaven so some special rules have been created but I'm trying to keep them to the minimum and am still working to see if I can ditch some of my creations as in my view the less additional PV rules the better.
So one by one I'm going through the army lists, creating each unit, dealing with army traits, special/unique weapons and applying existing concepts where applicable. I've found the addition of each army and its units can cause a rethink of how I've dealt with a previous army so by the time I was doing the 8th army it required checking balance with the previous seven and I determined that a  complete rethink of the stats creations mechanism was required and also at this point a lot of Shadow Storm ideas/concepts were dropped.

One rule I found myself following was always go back to the Warmaster Rules. In many instances this resolved confusion and difficulties caused by my absorbing the Shadow Storm rules and I
found myself ditching almost 80-90% of them as they didn't fit what I was wanting to do which was convert Warmaster to play HC!.
Please don't take this as a criticism of the Shadow Storm rules as if I was looking for an alternative to WHF then I'm confident I'd be going down this route. .

What next?

When I've created every army I'm going to reference back to the army lists for HC!; 'Biblical & Classical' and 'Late Antiquity to Early Medieval'. Whilst I am aware of period supplements; 'Shield Wall', 'Britannia', 'Germania' and others, for the moment I'm leaving them out of the equation.

Other Progress

I've play tested a small 8 units per side game and we both liked the result, the Magic was as good/bad as it used to be in WM and the combat worked out satisfactorily.
I re-based elements of my Orc Warmaster army for this and though friends have based their existing bases on top of MDF, either directly or using recessed MDF to hold the stands as a unit. I'm very unlikely to play WM again as I am convinced PV will work so I'm going for it and have stripped the WM models off their old bases and put them on the new.

Above with their new basing (those done so far)

Above - as they were

 Their right wing

 Their left wing

Centre

I've just noticed the Orcs to the left of the Wyvern in the image above have turned their back's on the camera, I will be speaking to them later.

When I started my Warmaster army I had access to a large number of Battle of five armies Orcs, I based these up and then realised the size difference, so bought Baccus goblins and play GW Orcs as Black Orcs. This kept the size comparison realistic.

Post script - After this I received a rather nasty head injury, that altered me in more ways than I realised. It was some 6 months before people felt I'd returned to my old self so a lot of things went on hold PV being one of them. I will return.


Continued ...

Hail Caesar 400 pts AAR - May 29th 2018

Have been busy painting up my Romans, Dacians and Samations. Have also been busy losing way too many battles, the former is why I haven't posted, rather than the later.

Last night I played another game and lost yet again, now a run of 8 I believe.
Still win or lose, it's all 'Blood for the Blood God!'

My army list

I have avoided archers as these have been the soft underbelly that has allowed my opponent easy melee victories that then allow him to flank superior units.
Skirmishers are more meat shields and if they survive long enough then they add support to the melee. My horse archers are to make up the points.

My opponent's

Over time he has dropped his archers and bolt throwers concentrating on warriors. The medium cavalry is a tactical choice and the skirmishers are to make up the points.

We play to the rules except for two house rules:

1. Infantry are allowed to counter attack if charged and turn to face if charged to the flank, in effect they follow the cavalry rules, but only against infantry.
2. To represent the inflexibility of  command the Dacians are limited to two commands, in effect minimum command of 6 units rather than 4.

Rome set up three core of 4 units each comprising 2 Legion and 2 Auxila, core 'A' also had a unit of medium cavalry, core 'C' the skirmishers, they were positioned as per the image below at the quarter and half way points of the board.

Dacian command was one large block of two halves, each consisting of 2 Falxmen, 4 warband and 4 skirmishers, the CiC core 'D' had a units of light horse archers.

The Roman General's plan was to move out to both flanks sending his horse sweeping around the bottom woods on to the hill to threaten the Dacian flank.
The Dacian General, me hoped to move forward in bulk accept some flank damage wipe out the Romans in front and then take out which ever of the flanking units was then closest.

Starting postions indicated with letters, final positon where seen or absent at the end of the drawn line.


Roman CiC is 'A'
Dacian CiC is 'D'

Rome began and in two turns quickly moved his Cavalry in core 'A' to the hill and his infantry to the bend in the red line.
Despite a blunder core 'B' took the hill and core 'C' were to get to the flank, again at the bend in the line.

Dacia had moved the troops forwards but on their turn two those in core 'E1'  had to turn to face the threatening cavalry the rest of the army plodded forwards.

In turn three Rome took advantage of the elements facing off the cavalry and charged them, one legion and two supports destroying the single falxmen and supporting skirmishers. The Dacian in 'E2' joined the fray but for the rest of the game the Roman line held. Core 'D' attempted to assault cores 'B' and 'C'  but failed.

Turn four and they succeeded, the CiC joined in the fray fighting with the 2 warbands against core 'C' who lost only one unit whilst detroying all of the 2 units in 'D1' and wounding the genera
The other 4 Dacian units in 'D' cored charged the Romans on the central hill and after two rounds of fighting they had also gone.

With one wing destroyed the battlefield belonged to Rome and the surviving Dacians legged it to fight again.

NB, my opponent complained about the overwhelming advantage 4 units of falxmen gave me and stated quite forecfully that there was  no point in playing such an unfair unbalanced game. Hmmmmm apology received at end of game

Early Imperial Romans Part 3

Finally in about 2016 I started playing Hail Caesar again.

Got a couple of games in and then a discussion started on basing.
As stated earlier we had been basing units on a 60 x 30mm base and command and artillery on a 30 mm square base. I think this was because the players were partly influenced by the way they'd based their Black Powder units and from the days they's played ancients before [Warmaster Ancients, DBA and rules older than that.]

A change was suggested so that:

• The unit could be more of a diorama
• More men per base to show heavy infantry as opposed to light archers for example
• Different bases sizes in depth for Warbands and Cavalry.
• New base sizes for small units.

The convention we decided upon was:

• 80 x 40 mm - Infantry default
• 80 x 50 mm - Cavalry units and Warbands
• 40 x 40 mm - Small infantry units of infantry 
• 40 x 50 mm - Small cavalry units
• Round bases for command any of; 20 mm, 30 mm & 40 mm The smaller base commands a division, the larger is that of the CIC. 

This of course meant I had to rebase all my army, strangely enough this didn't quite put me in the panic mode you'd expect as I'd been shown an easier was to base than my current one. [I'll post later]

So blade and plasters to hand I set off. I did separate one skirmisher from his ankles, but plonked him in the new basing medium and after flocking I can't see who he is any more, although he is shorter. My finger healed in the usual time span.

I have chosen a rather dark base paint, but unless I change them all I'm stuck with it for this period.

Naturally I increased the number of units at the same time, 4 psiloi units were changed to Skirmishers with slings or Javelins and additional units acquired to give me more choice.

So my units went from this

to this:

In my opinion it looks more like a dynamic unit rather than a playing piece, but OFC each to his own.

Some of you will see the small dice on the base, this marks the current stamina level.



Most of the units available to my Early Imperial Army

12 Heavy Legionary units                                6 Medium auxilary units
2 Medium Archers                                           4 Scorpion Bolt throwers
2 Heavy Cavalry                                              2 Medium Cavalry
4 of many Light horse (small) units                10 Skirmishing units, javelins or slingers (small) units.
                                                                              I do have many more skirmishers and light horse.

Left wing

Medium and heavy cavalry, light horse, Archer, Auxila, bolt throwers and skirmishers javelin units and slinger units.







Centre

Romes' finest with skirmishing slingers and the command bases.

The larger size is the CIC, and generally I use the medium and smaller units.
The larger one is planned for a big battle 1.5k points. (A man can dream).

Right wing


Medium and heavy cavalry, light horse, Archer, Auxila, bolt throwers and skirmishing javelin units.


And that's where I am today, with 2 more medium cavalry undercoated.
Will post them when done.

Early Imperial Romans part 2

My First Hail Caesar! Army

It was bought in April 2011, the same year as HC came out.

You can now buy army packs specifically for Hail Caesar!
The units have been selected by Mr Priestley for Baccus and IMO are roughly about 500 points.









6 units of Legionaries (AIR1)
4 units of MI Auxiliary Infantry (AIR2)
2 units of LI Auxiliary Infantry (AIR2)
2 units of MC Auxiliary cavalry (AIR3)
2 units of MI Auxiliary Archers (AIR4)
2 small units of Sk Javelins (ACE3)
1 small unit of Sk Slings (ACE4)
1 small unit of LC Bows (APA1)
1 unit of Bolt Throwers (AIR5)
3 Commanders (AIR6)


Of course you will want to add to the army, probably add more of the same and other different units to reflect the way you play.
How you base, how many men per base all depends on the look you want .
Initially I was basing up for Warhammer Ancients.

A quick view of the Legion, unpacked and glued to a lollipop stick.

We all paint differently, but I try to use a small palette per army so all the units look like a cohesive whole. I also try to identify an element that makes the unit stand out, Cloak, Kontos or in this case shield.

A quick undercoat of black, remember to keep it thin, detail can get easily swamped with any undercoating, especially at this scale.

The Romans were easy for a lazy me.

Drybrush Boltgun, highlight with Mithril Silver, faces hands and calf flesh, hint don't try to apply paint to hands or face they way you might on a 28 mm model, just dab it on. paint skirts and shields red with brass boss, spears brown with metal tips

The centurion, Signifer, Cornicen and one legionnaire are a one four man strip which I positioned to the centre of the front rank. With white to the crest and brass/gold to the horn and signum.

The same pallet was used on all units and commands. Initially I mounted the Legionnaire two deep the same as the Auxila, but decided they needed to look heavier and went for three deep so had to recruit more from Mr Berry.

A Legion and a command base.

Four  Auxila below

             

Two bases of 9 medium CavalryAuxila

4 Bolt thrower bases

Psiloi / Skirmishers

Archers

The Army.

We played some games and then butterfly like moved to other eras and games.

I knew I would come back, I'd already purchased a Dacian Army to fight the Romans I didn't realise how long it would be.

Early Imperial Romans part 1

Then 6 years ago.

Never ever loiter near Pete Berry, especially if his alter ego, my mate Trev is also there. They said nothing one merely took my money the other smiled. Mind you I say merely, the machine refused to accept my plastic, but I was foolishly determined and handed over cash instead and then paid extra for bases.

I'd always wanted to play big Roman armies, that's why some years ago I’d bought three 15 mm DBA Roman armies, Republic, Imperial and Italian Ostrogoth, the plan was to play DBM as well. I also think 15 mm and 6 mm are very much the scales for large battles. Although I've hesitated to go down the 6 mm route as I feared I wouldn't be able to see much to paint, but I've been sitting next to 6 mm players and listening to too much 6 mm prattle as well as reading similarly themed threads on my club’s forum.
That Friday game before Salute between Chris McGill and his friend again showed the advantage of a large 6 mm game, two games played in one evening and so little to pack away afterwards.

So Off to Salute 2011 to buy 20mm DAK, I should have known it was a mistake to loiter near Baccus, it had already been a day of 180 degree change arounds.

I'd never intended to go to Salute that year and hadn’t decided to buy a new army never mind a 6mm Roman one but a Roman army pack was now nestled next to my 20 mm DAK.

Now

It was a decision I’ve never regretted. Sure it took a while to understand how to paint 6mm, but once I’d stopped trying to paint a 28 mm model and accepted I was painting a 6 mm unit it became easier. Yes I know some can do wonderful jobs, but to be honest I don’t care. I paint so I can play.
The advantages are real
Cost of an army circa £60-100, that’s for all the units you could ever really need, of course you will expand on that but the price of an extra unit is less than the price of a couple of extra 28 mm men, a true economy of scale.
Storage space, I can get three 500 point Hail Caesar armies plus variants in one 9 ltr Really useful box. Another box will carry all the scenery and terrain I need a third the dice cloth and rule books.
One trip to the car, less setup time, no movement trays, more play and beer/coffee time;  I could go on.
However the overwhelming reason for me to play in 6mm is my desire to play big battles. I always preferred the skirmish of 40K or WHFB in 28mm but for that massive battle I would drop down to Epic or Warmaster.

My unit of 48 Roman legionnaires has a foot print of 80 mm by 40 mm, how big is yours?
In my 500 point army I field 10 of those plus 3 units of 6 skirmishers (40 x 40 mm) plus two units of 9 Medium cavalry (80 x 50 mm) and two units of 24 medium archers (80 x 40 mm).

These all line up outside of bow or indeed Light artillery range, with plenty of space to then manoeuvre and wheel on a 6’ x 4’ table.

Were you to field your 28 mm models 480 Legionaries, 48 archers, 18 skirmishers and 18 cavalry on that size table, all you could do is charge forwards and shoot. That’s not the sort of battle I want to play, in my opinion it is a large skirmish.

The picture above was taken in Feb 2012, at the time I was basing on 60x30mm or 30x30mm as this was my club's standard. More on why I changed in part 3