1st Century BC Roman Legionaries and some weird trees

So I've just had a week off, only replied to 4 emails all week (my in box is horrific but if it's important they will get back to me).

Weather been pretty rubbish, cloudy and showery. I went to the beach and it was so foggy i couldn't see the sea. I went shopping and they were mainly shut. Still I did a lot of napping and became part of my sister's bubble all weekend, which was nice.

I managed to squeeze in a quick trip to visit Dave and James to drop off some figs and Dave gave me a Gripping Beast Arab Saga Warband

I've done some bitza painting.

A few years ago I was given some metal trees, a donation from Col Bill via the Old Guard and i wasn't sure what to do with them. So I painted them up this week. It was a quick job with green and brown spray paints and a green dry brush.

They are small but work well with 10mm Austrians and there are quite a lot of them

I've also completed my 1st cohort of Romans for the Pontic project

The are Forged in Battle Late Republican Romans and easy to paint

Only another 9 to go plus cavalry, artillery and officers

Hope you are all well

7 Years War Prussians, Austrians and Galatians(?)

I've been quite productive this week and I have next week off, weather forecast shocking, but shops are open as I need stretchy clothes and more exercise.

I've finished off the last of the 7YW figures I have, but fear not dear reader I've ordered loads more.

Austrian 12lb Artillery

My original plan was to build the 2 opposing armies for the 1st battle of the 7YW (old Glory). However they are a little unbalanced, lots of Prussian guns and not a lot of Prussian Infantry. So I've tinkered with that and evened up the number of heavy artillery with these 5 Austrian 12lber guns

Prussian Limbers (Pendraken) Heavy artillery from Pendraken come as 1 cannon and 1 limber with crew, whereas Old Glory come as 12 cannon only. A bit a shuffling as there are loads of spare artillery men in the Pendraken 3lb battation gun pack, enough to crew the 12lb artillery. Limbers are neither here nor there. Generally they look good but large artillery is often static.

Prussian Grumbkow and Keist Grenadiers. Prussians not only used ad hoc combined grenadier battalions but also had standing battalions like these.

Prussian Braunsweig Infantry

Prussian Von Brandenburg Cuirassiers. Love the white and sky blue uniforms with the orange pompom on the hat!

Not only I am working through the 7YW forces but I am also working on the 15mm Ancients project. 

These are galatians but could double as Gauls which is why they are an attach column with skirmishers in front, no wait that is a different French period

Have fun 

Parthian Bedouin Camel Achers

Morning all, hope you are well. So I have just completed my 1st week in self-isolation. I have an underlying medical condition, nothing serious or debilitating but I am diabetic and controlling with diet and pills.
Work effectively closed down 7 days ago and we moved online, I work at a University. The nove to online was an epic demonstration of people pulling together and working together. Like work is supposed to be.
So working from home is weird and it is taking me a while to get used to it. I am incredibly busy and I need to organise it better but I have enough toilet roll to last at least 9 more weeks (6 rolls - I've done the maths). After that we can move to an egg based diet.
I knew that the actions imposed were coming so I have restocked with lead pile before all companies shut down, Colonel Bill is still working as he works from home although not sure how long his stocks will last, and I an order has been despatchd by Bad Squiddo. That coupled with the bumper stock bought 2 weeks ago should tide me over.
So enough rambling onto the painting.
I'v edecided to build up as many armies from about 80bc as possible in the area around modern day Turkey. I already have a large Pontic army and it contains a wide variety of troops that I can mix into other forces. So I've loads of Romans, Thracians and generic pike blocks to paint to add to my Indian army to make it more chronologically relevant.
First up some Bedouin camel archers that were part of the Parthian army.

These are Xystoin miniatures, bought from ColBill, and are very nice figures to paint. There are 16 of them and the fun go to rules are Kings of War, so will be 4 troops or 2 regiments.

Really enjoyed painting them over the last 4 days, no rush at the moment. I really like painting 15mm, they fit nicely with my painting ability.

Next up I will start some Thracians.

I hope all of you stay safe, I think it will be August before we start to get back to normal and longer before this was a memory.

To end on a cheery note 

Martin