Sunday, 17 August 2025

Ordinary shieldwall unit Romano British 1

 Here is my first unit for my Romano British force,planned for Dux Bellorum but I'll probably use them in a Midgard game. They're from a massive lot of Black Tree design infantry figures I picked up second hand at Salute and Colours a few years ago. I've painted the Saxons,Irish and Picts and some of the Late Romans but I'm finally getting to the Romano British. Nice characterful sculpts, the rank and file were primed in Halfords khaki, given a wash of GW agrax earthshade and then some browns,flesh,lead belcher(steel) and a tiny bit of colour here and there , the command figure is more flamboyant and his no 2 ( who is a Foundry figure on a small mound because he's tiny next to the black tree figures) is somewhere between the two, they've been substantially done for ages , I just couldn't work out how to do the shields. In the end I drew a variety of designs in pencil and painted a few of the chi rho designs but the rest were done with paint pens my nephew gave me, when he decided they weren't for him. I have to say they're great and I will keep these in my arsenal going forward,not entirely convinced about the green but I'm not about to change it, another couple of shieldwall units on the desk and some archers.






I'll use these as Romano British and happily add them to my late Romans to give me a bigger force, this is the start of Arthur's army, I've got some footsore cavalry and command coming up,  I've still probably got enough figures to do another Romano British force, Vortigens maybe? Wouldn't mind a Welsh army too and have started them too. This is the first non Napoleonic figures painted this year, next up Napoleonics, Dark Ages figures or some terrain, maybe some Dark Ages terrain?

All the best

 Iain 

36 comments:

  1. nice looking unit Iain! the shield patterns you did on the figures look fine to me

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  2. These look great Iain....those paint pens sound like a great idea! We played a lot of Roman British/Arthurian games a few years back...our mate and Friday host Julian has an impressive collection of figures for this era!

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    1. Thanks Keith, yes an army I've been meaning to do for an age , at least I've started them!
      Best Iain

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  3. Nice work Iain a fairly versatile unit 👍

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    1. Yes,nice to get double usage out of them!
      Best Iain

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  4. Nice work Iain! They have a suitable end of an era look about them.
    Question regarding the armies you’re thinking of doing: weren’t the Romano-Britons ‘Welsh’ anyway?
    Chris/Nundanket

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    1. Thanks Chris! Hoping you beat Man united, I think the Romano British are those having a semblance of late Roman lowland urban/villa life,Welsh being more highland/tribal, the Welsh are in both periods covered by the rules, the Romano British and late Romans only in the early period?
      Best Iain

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    1. Thanks Cyrus, well, adequate or maybe decent but at least they're done!
      Best Iain

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  6. Very nice Romano-Brits, Iain! A period I need to return to - only used the few figs I have with SAGA. But I do like the period.

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    1. Yes, I wouldn't have liked living in Britain at the period but very interesting from a wargaming/historical viewpoint!
      Best Iain

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  7. Cool! They look great! The paint pens seem like they have their uses.

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  8. Nice looking unit, very well done, I have paint pens but still in their box, but they seem like they could be a handy tool to have, they have worked out really well for your shields.

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    1. Thanks Donnie, I'm using them on Napoleonics and they're speeding them up a bit!
      Best Iain

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  9. A nice unit Iain and they look ready for Midgard. Have you played any games of it yet?

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    1. Thanks Lawrence, only played one game of Valour and Fortitude so far this year, hoping for better for the second half of the year!
      Best Iain

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  10. Looking good Iain. The paint pens seem useful.

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    1. Thanks Richard, think they might be good for landsknechts and gendarmes?
      Best Iain

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  11. Good looking troops, Iain! The pens do seem to have their uses.

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    1. Thanks Joe, yes a useful addition I think?
      Best Iain

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  12. Well done mate - the green looks fine. Paint pens…might have to give them a try.

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    1. Thanks Mark, might be good for heraldry? Just a thought!
      Best Iain

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  13. nice job! I've always wanted an Arthurian army. and using paint pens for the shields was a good idea. 😁

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    1. Thanks Stew! Dark Ages is your thing,apart from ACW/Quar I guess?
      Best Iain

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  14. A nice break from Napoleonics :-), good use of the pens, I have bought some, but not really had the excuse to try them ….. I might need some Dutch courage first !

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    1. Thanks Norm and yes,something of a palette cleanser! Pens are definitely worth a go I'm using them on some Austrian hussars at the moment and they're proving pretty helpful?
      Best Iain

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  15. Nice work Iain and hope to see them in action one day. Any excuse to make terrain works for me;)!

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    1. Thanks Steve,probably need the rest of the army first? Agreed any excuse for some terrain is good!
      Best Iain

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