Gripping Beast Late Roman Army (Warband)

Finished up all of the shields with LBMS transfers - which I managed to only screw up one of them after forgetting to peel of the plastic layer before wetting the paper backing. Otherwise the transfers are great - they even have the areas for the shield bosses cut out. Anyway, here are a few pictures of the completed project. All of the figures are plastics from a box each of Gripping Beast Late Roman Infantry, Light Cavalry, Heavy Cavalry, and Cataphracts.

All of the shields - except for the ones with the foot unit on the far left - are LBMS transfers.

More than enough infantry for the SAGA games I play in - usually 6 point warbands. However, for something like Hail Caesar (or WAB), more infantry would likely be needed - another box or two of Gripping Beast plastics. The unit in the front can be used as Hearthguard as they wear mail hauberks.

Again, for SAGA, way more cavalry then needed for most games. As the Heavy Cavalry and Cataphracts are classed as Hearthguard, every four figures costs 1 point. I do plan to use the Light Cavalry as Warriors with composite bows for sure though. I like having a mobile missile unit in games.

Thanks again for stopping by and checking out the blog. Best wishes to you all.

Gripping Beast Late Roman Light Cavalry

These are all armed with bows, but the kit comes with javelin arm options too. The SAGA rules for Late Romans have these classed as warriors with composite bow.

This set of figures should be it for mounted units for the SAGA Late Roman warband - along with the Heavy Cavalry and Cataphracts. As the group I play with normally use 6 point warbands, they'll be some decisions to make when forming up the warband. Altthough it is good to have options available.

These were painted in my usual block painting followed by Minwax staining. The tunic embellishments were given a little high-lighting for effect.

The horses are a little different from the ones in the Heavy Cavalry set. These have a little more fancy horse furniture - some have small strips hanging off the main straps - also some metal discs. Also, the horse halves seemed to fit better together - no noticeable gaps.

Besides the Litko bases showing up in the mail, the LBMS shield transfers for the infantry and heavy cavalry also arrived. Once the shields are done a family portrait will follow. I hope to have the Late Romans in action next week at our SAGA game day. Thanks for stopping by and wishing you the best.

Gripping Beast Late Roman Cataphracts

Still waiting on some Litko bases to finish them off, but here is a box of Late Roman Cataphracts by Gripping Beast.

Very nice kit with minimal parts. The painting process was fairly simple too - black undercoat and dry-brushing with metallic colors.

For SAGA, these would be part of a Hearthguard unit - which I'd likely double up to an 8-figure unit. Kind of a steamroller unit. They have 5/5 armor, but Medium movement distance. Anyway, figured they'd look impressive on the table.

Next up are the Light Cavalry with bows. Thanks for stopping by and checking out the blog. Best wishes to you all!

SAGA Game Day - Italiotes vs. Jomsvikings

Had another great SAGA game day today. Several of the usual players couldn't make it due to some kind of huge traffic snarl on I-5 northbound to Tacoma. I live only about 15 minutes away using backroads so luckily avoided this. For those of us who were fortunate enough to show up there was a 3-way Picts game, while I pitted my Italiotes against Jomsvikings. The group I game with are very accomodating and have no issue playing out of period. I'm still learing the game and my Battle Board as well, but left feeling very good with my current warband composition. The Italiote warband consists of an 8-figure Hearthguard Phalanx unit, two Warrior units with javelins, and a Merc unit each of Tarantine Cavalry and Cretan Archers. The 8-figure Phalanx unit was able to destroy an enemy Warrior unit, and the javelin and bow fire whittled down several other Jomsviking units. We called our game after Turn 4 with my warband still having 4 out of 6 SAGA dice (only two figures left in my Phalanx Hearthguard unit), while the Jomsviking were down to 3 out of 7 of their starting SAGA dice. I really liked how the Cretans have a free activation to shoot at the start of each turn, and also get 2 bonus attack dice and +1 bonus to hit in their first shooting activation. If an enemy unit at medium distance (6") away activates to move or attack, the Tarantine Cavalry gets a free move prior to the enemy unit completing its activation. Against the Jomsvikings which had no missile troops, this kept them at bay the whole time. Granted the Jomsvikings have some special ability with the proper SAGA dice to lob 3 missiles onto any unit on the table - regardless of distance or line of sight. I was fortunate the the two times my opponent was able to attempt this, it only caused minimal casaulties. Plan to keep using this Italiote warband as is, but hope to have the Late Roman warband ready by the next time we meet for our twice-a-month SAGA game day in a couple of weeks. Here are some pics of the two games (note my opponent's warband was still in bare nekkid metal).

The Italiote warband, left to right: Warriors with Javelins, Phalanx, Warlord, Warriors with Javelins, Cretan Archers, and Tarantine Cavalry.

Italiotes facing the Jomsvikings clothed in steel (or lead). For the record, I don't really care for the 2D terrain some of my buddies are using for SAGA since I find it remember what each represents.

Hearthguard Phalanx unit in the center of the warband with the Warlord behind them. They did well enough to survive the battle with two remaining figures. And as the Age of Hannibal rules state, it retains its Phalanx abilities even with one figure if a Hearthguard unit.

The 3-player game on the other table. I think the warbands were all Picts. A pitched Pict battle.

Picts in and out of the woods.

A lot of Italiote missile troops decimating the Jomsviking Warriors. The remaining two-figure Phalanx Hearthguard unit staying out of harms way to retain their SAGA dice.

Jomsviking Warriors vs. Italiote Warriors with javelins in light cover. The 2D terrain does make it easier to get figures onto it, I have to admit.

End of Turn 4, and the game with several Jomsvikings unit destroyed or having reduced figures to lose their SAGA dice. Note the Tarantine Cavalry always staying out of harms way but able to close up to toss javelins.

All in all, it was another great experience with the rules and looking forward to more of the same. I also went ahead and finished up the Late Roman Heavy Cavarly - less their shields. 

They're based them as singles with flexible metal bottoms so they can be used in various game systems. Might try them out with Hail Caesar in the future, along with the rest of the warband.

Didn't notice some of the horse body halves weren't lined up exactly until after painting them. Too late to do anything with them now, but will pay more attention on the Light Cavalry set - which will likely have the same horses.

Until next time best wishes to you all and thanks for stopping by.

Gripping Beast Late Roman Cavalry - WIP

Gripping Beast Late Roman Heavy Cavalry - WIP. This is another box my buddy gave me - he went with all metal figures. These are block painted and stained with Minwax as usual. Their shields will get LBMS transfers. In Age of Invasions they can only be Hearthguard. Warriors are armed with composite bows. Ordered a box of Late Roman Light Cavalry (with bows).

And prior to the Minwax stain. BTW, the stain was also given to me by another buddy; he said he didn't like it and uses Citadel Agrax instead. One man's trash...

The Late Romans will have a few options when creating a warband as the group I game with usually goes with 6 point warbands. Well, thanks again for visiting the blog and wishing you all the best.

Gripping Beast Late Roman Infantry - WIP +1

Mounted the figures on 20mm metal washers - for use with both SAGA and other rules systems. Also painted up the shields for a Warrior unit; the design based upon a period mosiac of an unspecified unit.

The mosiac is from the Villa Romana in Sicily and dates from the 4th Century. The shield appears to have a running boar on the bottom quadrant of the shield. I left this off as it would've been difficult to do it on all eight shields. This is something best left to transfers. In fact, if I ever find a boar transfer or decal that would work I may add it.

The remaining two spear units will get LBMS transfers.

Next in the painting queue is the Late Roman Heavy Cavalry plastic set. Hope to update the blog in a few days from another SAGA game day. Thanks again for stopping by and wishing you the best.

Gripping Beast Late Roman Infantry - WIP

Just got a copy of Age of Invasions for SAGA, and also a box each of Gripping Beast Late Roman Infantry and Cavalry from a buddy. This is the same buddy who gave me the 1/48th tanks and many other stuff he's had collecting dust over the years. In fact, he actually has a Late Roman warband for SAGA that are all metal figures. Seems a lot of my buddies had ordered plastic kits only to find out that they don't like plastics and return to metals. Here's the infantry set with my usual block painting followed by Minwax staining. Still debating if I will handpaint (simple designs) the shields or use LBMS transfers. I may do both - paint the simple ones and order ones with more intricate (hard to paint) designs.

And how they looked prior to the staining. The painted examples on the leaflet shows really impressive brushwork on the tunic patches. There's no way I'd be doing any of that - I just painted the engraved areas with solid colors, and hopefully the staining will make them look okay. 

I think these are my first Gripping Beast figures, definitely first plastic set, and I am very happy with them. The paint up nicely, particularly with the tunic designs being sculpted in, and the seem very sturdy for gaming.

Speaking of gaming, our local SAGA group is having our usual game day (twice a month) next week. I'm bring a revised Greek warband - this time using the Italiote faction. Hopefully I'll use my SAGA dice and battle board more effectively than last time. Thanks again for stopping by and hope you're enjoying the summer.

4-Player SAGA Age of Hannibal Game

Got my Epirote warband bloodied today in a multi-player game today. Teamed up with another Epirote warband and we faced a joint Carthaginian-Republican Roman force. I know, SAGA makes strange bedfellows sometimes. My inexperience and usual lack of forethought was exposed early on when I had failed to allocate enough activation dice for all of my units in turn 1. Compared to what I normally play, this game really needs to be given some thought before executing moves/actions. Kind of slow, but I'm enjoying it with the SAGA crew I'm a part of.

Start of turn 1. My warband nearest: Tarantine merc cavalry with javelins, Cretan merc archers, two units of Warriors with sarissa and Phalanx rule (as long as they retain their SAGA dice), Hearthguard Companion cavalry, Elephant, and Warlord.

My battle buddies force, pretty much similar to mine, except he didn't have any light cavalry.

The Roman force that opposed my warband. Early one I took out a few of his Levy javelinmen and Warriors by missile fire from my Cretan Archers and Tarantine cav.

A view of the Roman warband facing my Epirotes.

The center and right of the combined Epirote force. My buddies phalanxes facing Carthaginian elephants. They battled it out in several turns (we played 5 turns); and the two units of Carthaginian elephants were destroyed in combat. The Phalanx units were also decimated.

My Epirote center - which admittedly didn't see much action beside the two Phalanx units going head to head with the Roman Warriors and Hearthguard.

Although one of my Phalanx units destroyed the Roman Warrior unit it face, I used a SAGA ability to have my second Phalanx unit charge into the other Roman Warrior unit. The second Roman unit used a plethora of SAGA ability/reaction dice to counter the attack and ended up killing off all but one of the Phalangites. The result was my two Phalanx units being reduced to losing their SAGA dice.

Near the end of the bame after calling it a close draw. Both sides lost many units and was pretty much a slugfest. One thing I learned is that I prefer a shooty, fast moving warband over a ponderous and slow moving force. I'll likely leave home the elephant and probably the pikes the next time I field a Greek warband. I may use some Samnites as they have javelins and can move through rough terrain without hinderance. I may also try out a Gallic warband too - see how Chariots with javelins work. Javelins are great because you get a combined move and shoot for 1 activation. Warlord in chariot; two mounted units of Hearthguard (2 chariots per unit); a mounted unit of Warriors, two foot Warrior units, and a Levy unit of missile troops - the rules give them either bows or javelins so these slingers will have to be proxy figs. My buddy said that I could use these as bows as slings and bows have the same stats.

Thanks for stopping by and wishing you all the best.

Re-Basing Projects Complete

With arrival of some "flowers" today from Amazon, was able to complete the re-basing of the AWI and FPW figures for skirmish gaming. The individual units have 50mm rounds with 3-figures per, as well as enough figures on single 25mm bases for casualty removal. The AWI figures are intended for Rebels and Patriots, and the FPW ones for Bolt Action. Although I may try using Rebels and Patriots for FPW also. I was able to re-usble the 50mm rounds since acrylic caulking was used to attach the figures (as well as texturing), which can be carefully pried off.

I also was able to use magnetic sheets on 40mm squares to allow the Phalangite figures on washers to reunite with their brethren in larger formations. Plan to try out the SAGA Epirote warband this week and see how it performs. The author suggests having larger (12-figure) Phalanx units so they last longer to use their Battle Board abilities. If it appears that this is correct, I'll likely rebase another 8 figures on washers. Here's how they look on the magnetic stands and also back in the larger formations (for Hail Caesar).

Time to read up more on the SAGA rules for this week's game day. Until next time, best wishes and hope you're enjoying the summer!