Beginnings

 Hi all,

Been a busy month or so.  Work has accellerated into its usual end of term crescendo, and I am knee deep in papers to mark.  Another trip round the sun has been marked for both me and the blog, and despite it all, I've managed to get at least a bit of painting done - some more French HYW, a few vikings, and some assorted odds and sods.

Including these lads.  Seeing a few spots to touch up in the pics.

Birthday loot included some books (on Antigonus, the Hastenbeck campaign, and Isabella of France) possibly to be reviewed later), a box of HYW english to go up against the French, and . . .  drumroll please .  .  . a bag of Victrix successor cavalry.  Turns out a localish store (Lantzalot games, check them out if you're around the South Shore of nova Scotia) is now carrying most of the Victrix line.  This is exceedingly dangerous, in that I pass by the store (they're just off the highway) on  an almost weekly basis when I go to pick up the Cub from his mom's.  

Rear view.  Pics I got were so-so, but this one turned out okay.

As some of you are no doubt aware, I used to have a successor list in 15mm for Impetus, but have been toying with the idea of doing it in 28mm for a long time.  Antigonus is my boy for the Diadochi, and the fun part of successor lists is that they readily morph - get your core of heavy cav and phalanx, and then Bob's your uncle, depending on what supporting elements you want to bring.

Chuffed with the banner.  Freehand, and totally stolen from Dean at WAB corner

I very nearly pulled the trigger on this a ways back, but opted for Carthaginians, instead.  While some progress has been made on the latter, it didn't grab me the way I expected, and after the first burst of effort, I've done nothing on them.  Probably should have gone with my gut, and just opted for Successors then.  As it is, I picked up the bag of figs last Friday, and have knocked out the first 6 Xystophoroi models in a week.

Only put the cloak on the officer.  Saving them for Lykian conversions.

The Victrix kit is fantastic.  Like most of their sculpts, the figs are on the chunky / heroic side, with well defined detail.  Loads of options - the kit on its own can make companion-style early lancers, later lancers, thessalians, and Hellenistic javelin and shield cavalry.  Mixed with some of their other kits, I imagine the options expand even further, and I'm already thinking about using some bits from here with their persian kits to make Lydian or Carian cavalry.

Main limitation of the kit is the horses - only 3, and no mix and matching for variety.

The plan is to make this a steady-but slow-grow project.  Maybe pick up a bag a month, start with the core bits, and then branch out.  After some humming and hawing, and consulting of the oracle via the internet, I've opted to start with 120mm unit frontage, in two 6cm square bases.  It's big enough to jam 3 horses on a base, I can pack 2-3 ranks of infantry on there, and they can readily be expanded - either into deeper units, or wider, by adding another base and bumping the width to 180mm.

The horses themselves are great though, lovely sculpts.

12cm frontage works as a starter size for my most readily available table (6x4), and is compatible with Impetus, Hail Caesar, or To the Strongest, the rules that I'm most likely to play.  The numbers of models I'm able to cram in don't rally work visually for the "mass battle" effect, but this is very much at the "toy solder" end of the project spectrum for me, rather than "wargame", so I'm not too concerned.  If I wanted mass, I'd have gone 6mm.

These guys will hit like a truck.

I am, needless to say, stoked about this project - to the point that I very nearly broke my own guidelines and bought more yesterday.  Managed to resist, however, and will stick to my planned schedule.  I'm not sure what to do with the other 6 horse (the bag makes 12).   The various sources I've tracked down suggest that at his height, Antigonus would have had access to satrapal and colonist cavalry, and Demetrios (his son, co-king/vice-regent, and most trusted subordinate general), would have had access to lots of allied greek cavalry..  Much of the former would have been "persian" style cavalry, but some from the Ionian coast would have been Lydian / Carian, and closer to the greek type, while the colonists would have been, I think, Macedonian colonists, rather than persian.  I might just opt for the heavy javelin and shield type common in the later successor lists.  

Next up is likely to be some more French, and then possibly vikings, as progress has been made on both fronts.  Until then, take care.

FMB