Base for Italiots

I hate making bases, I'm just not good at it. But I knew I had to have something for the various 'home' sides set in Italy. Inspired by plastic dominoes that were all the rage here a year or so ago, with bits of wood and cork added. This is a 'cross-section' concept by the way. I use the same effect for my Gallic base.

Ready to base

There have been many small steps - and I hope to simplify with the next lot - but this shows the second unusual technique, full terrain finish on each mini before basing.

First run, adding gear

This takes the first stage to just about the point where I'm ready to add terrain texture to each base. Weapons/standards are glued on using strong pva glue. It dries clear, this is about the third pass dotting glue on. Once dry I can varnish the weapons ready for paint. The varnish will strengthen the bond further.

Parthian heavies 1

Onto Parthians, a great opponent to Impie Romans.  These heavies go 4 to a base and are entirely armoured. Two unusual techniques seem called for. You can see the first here, after riders are posted on (drill, wire post) and the base varnish is done: dry-brushing as a full coat of paint.

First, dark water soluble stain/varnish - I use Cabot's rich teak but have used other varieties over the years. If you buy light, you have the option of mixing an acrylic in. For example I can mix black in, end result, flexible black undercoat. You can see the straight undercoat on each base in the photo. It is semi opaque, letting the natural cream of the plastic be seen.

Next, I mix a silver-gold colour to represent bright-polished brass and iron. Then, using a large (sz4) Filbert brush, I dry-brush armour, not worrying about over-paint. Then I use Army Painter strong tone to give that depth, since the minis lack much themselves.

Colour gets added as normal after that, and at this stage all I've done is dark grey on mounts.

The second unusual technique will be adding terrain to each base prior to basing.

II/8 Bruttian, Lucanian, Campanian Punic era Italians complete!

What a long project this has been. But at last the Romans and Carthaginians can take their pick of allies, leaving me still enough to field some sort of Italiate army.

This army morphs for II/8b Campanian or II/8a Bruttian (without Hd). In its favoured Campanian mode it is:

CvGen, Cv, 4x4Sp, 4x3Ax, 2xPs.


In its less favoured Bruttian/Lucanian mode it is:

CvGen, 5x4Ax, 4x3Ax, 2xPs.

Obvious expansions are the virtually unarmored Apulians, the hefty, possibly 12x4Ax Samnites, later Etruscans (with Hellenistic style hoplites) and Syracusans.

But for now I'm heading away from the Punic era!

Second Cv element for Italians

This element will go with Campanians (II/8b).
Progress has been incredibly slow, even for me. But most of the foot are near done so I expect a cascade of 'done' over the next week or so.