Yet another Challenge Update

Only 3 more weeks of the challenge to go and I'm still in 2nd place, it's still not a race but I like to use it to complete some big projects. By the end of the challenge I will have completed a Zulu army and an Republican Roman army plus a few other bits.
Speaking of the Romans I have 2 more completed units

These are Voloscan skirmishers from Aventine and will act as allies for the Romans. These are great figures but are very large figures.

Next up are a unit of Principes by Aventine again

I appear to have missed off a belt from the end guy.

I have been loving painting the Romans and decided to extend the army to 10 cohorts and purchased 1 unit of Triarii and 2 units of Principes from 1st Corps which arrived in 3 days. I'm a big fan of the 1st Corps figures and they are cheap - 90p per figure if you buy the units. They are however much smaller than the Aventine figures.

Aventine vs Crusader vs 1st Corps

As you can see the size difference is dramatic. The 1st Corps figure is on a thiner base and the pose lowers the height a little but the Aventine figures are massive. Normally I don't really care and luckily with a couple of exceptions each of the Cohorts will be a single manufacturer. I should have finished them all in the next week.

3 more weeks and then it's back to regular posting.

As a tribute to Aventine miniatures this little comic ditty 

Guess What?

Yip another painting challenge update. This is a long post so it needs a long song (cheesy classic)

I feel a bit weird about these posts as they are basically duplicates and I don't like repeating myself. That is a bit odd from a man who lectures for a living and basically repeats himself annually (well almost, I do like to tinker with my lectures every year)
Also it feels like I haven't posted for ages and I'm away all weekend.
I have done no gaming, but I have have been trying to cover my gaming boards with not quite enough felt, very annoying.
First up the Curtgeld, Curt's payment for running the challenge is a figure of a gambler, I chose Wild Bill Hickok, he's an Artizan figure.

The main work has been my Republican Romans, which I'm loving. The figs are Crusader (bought in their sale as a full army last January) and Aventine. The Crusader figs are well made and great figures but the Aventine ones are works of art, if a little tall.  I love the overall effect and I really like painting the shield designs.

First up 2 units of hastai

Aventine Figs

Crusader Figs

Next up a unit of Principes

Crusader Figs

All legions need commanders and I have 3, mainly Aventine and 1 Crusader. I based them up as little vignettes and i think they work really well.

This guy was out of a Northstar lucky bag and I added the crest from the bits box

The next figs are from Magister Militum and are a weird looking Carthaginian general

Finally some Parthian Camel Cataphracts. Always wanted some of these and a desert fantasy army. The figures are really tall, 70mm.

right I'm off to get drunk for 4 days in Bedfordshire