bench update 07 July 2025

I did a test on the Caesar minis with magic wash (heavy on the varnish) and it looked stable, so that"s what I've gone with.

bench update 05 July 2025

It grows... "no I always meant to add these"

With the pods nicely hardened I've turned my attention to the 9 Amurru/Hupshu Auxilia types. These are Atlantic Egyptian foot, adding a few straps and tassels with grey stuff. No need for changing the hair, which is nice.

I'm also working up a third pod, this one not Maryannu - you might be able to spot the driver, once an Esci barbarian. He's the pale tan 2nd from right of the cutting board.

chariot pods

I thought I would drop this photo in to show my current technique.

1. You need a nice solid base for the crew, but you need to manage height. In this instance I've snipped one of the foot stands about 2/3 length, which when turned end-on slots into the tiny Atlantic Egyptian cab loosely. You can see a full size foot stand to right of photo.

2. Chop the crew off at the ankle.

3. Embed them in grouting silicon onto the base.

4. Eventually once painted use PVA glue to tack the pod to the painted cab.

bench update 30 June 2025

Back after a good break! And after a couple of false starts... my current project is LCh build for Ugarit Bronze Age. For this small item, I'm using the leftover Maryannu crew from the Trojan build (where I subbed in Amazons!).

Alongside the two crew required, I'm also using 4 Maryannu spears to form the elite required for Ugarit, also used in OMK Hittite. 

The latter seem not to have been rebased yet! An oversight on my part...

bench update 30 April 2025

I've added one more foot element (ordered 3Ax of the multi-spear period) the javelin armed Ps, and completed the paint on the CvGen. This permits a reasonable "a" Dark Age Greek army and an unconvincing "b".

It's tempting to use my many Atlantic Greeks to cover b and c but they won't look right compared to my Early Phalanx period Greeks. So I think the only change that may happen from here is chopping out a few minis to replace them with others.

Here's the morph army awaiting antishine spray

the hot glue blob!

Just to be clear I used the craft type hot glue gun, which doesn't burn through the polythene type plastics!

bench update 26 April 2025 post-basing

I spent a few hours getting the grey and sand caulks plus grit in for the Dk Age Greek "a" army today. 

They are by no means complete! White highlights to be picked out, some very clumsy cloak patterns to be corrected a bit, and grasses to be added.

The next piece of the project is to look at the "b" and "c" armies. I've roughed out a standard for a CvGen and probably just need that and two Psiloi with javelin to cover the "b" requirements. But "c" is where those rough citizen 3Ax become 4Ax or 4Sp. I have a concept for that but might do a text-base first.