28mm Italian Allied Legion - A Project Complete

 

On the 21st December 2020 I started the Analogue Hobbies Winter Paint Challenge, something I have been doing for years. This year I set myself a personal Challenge, an Allied Legion in 28mm at a figure scale of 1:20. 223 figures in 3 months was the goal, the picture above shows the result.

The Legion has 32 Velites (24 Victrix and 8 Gripping Beast) 64 Hastati, 64 Principes and 32 Triarii (155 Victrix and 5 Agema), 24 Cavalry (Aventine) and 7 Command Figures (all Victrix). Thankfully the Challenge allows the building and priming of models prior to the start of the Challenge so all of the figures were built and put to one side, primed black, shields primed white and ready to go.

Above is a short 2 minute video of the Project Build.

The first day of the Challenge was spent putting on shield transfers for the entire Project and rustling up some oils on some horses for the Generals.

The Project got off to a very bad start when I opened my box of pre primed Velites and found 8 missing ! I never found them and with Victrix only available in boxes of 60 and with only two Velites per sprue if I bought singles off fleabay I ended up towards the end of the Project going to Gripping Beast for 8 figures to make it up to 32 Velites. Technically it should be 64 but I've found that number of skirmish troops on the table as unworkable so the Velites have the same number of bases as the Hastati and Principes just half the figures.

For the Hastati I used the lightest armoured troops and just because of the way the figures are in the box set there are a few unarmoured figures in the units. The rank and file have no plumes on their helmets. They are based on 60 x 60 mdf, 8 figures to a base, not for any particular rule set. I have based them in double ranks because this Legion will be only part of a larger army, multi ranked bases are your friend when you play big games.

The Principes were distinguished from the Hastati by having 2 plumes on their helmets (2nd rank of troops, upstairs for thinking 🤔)  and an increased volume of armour, lots of plated chest and back armour and the odd Cuirass.

The rear rank of Triarii was simply more armour and more plumage ! 

I did think about having these on single ranks but decided against it in the end.

The Cavalry came from Aventine, a company I have admired for a long time, they are superb, it turned out to be a lucky break as well, the Victrix Cavalry are massive and won't fit 3 to a base so it's a good job I went for the Aventine.

Finally the Generals came from Victrix, I used the later Imperial Roman set and substituted heads from the Allied Legion box.

I have got to admit that the white started to drag towards the end and the last figs were a real effort but I got there in the end.

I will be adding to my Italian Wars Project for the next few months while I contemplate a new Project for the next AHPC. Finally there is a link below to the painting tutorial for the Infantry if you are interested in my painting and basing techniques.