Last legionarii based!

Woohoo! I guess all the bits of painting reached that critical point, like a landslide or avalanche, it all rolls down to completion today! The heat helps me as the caulk dries swiftly, and I get the flock on last thing.

Now I have all Roman elements. The final basing item is the stands of grass - and I have yet to decide what colour I'm going with.

Days of summer

The return of hot weather has the painting on hold. There are eight drab-looking basecoated legionaries looking sad, and four pretty near complete.

I got four 'standing at attention' triarii and four hastati on bases, waiting for more base covering. The triarii are 'spares' that can swap out with one of my command elements.

prepwork

A fine Saturday but not too hot: I sat in the shade and finished trimming out the remaining 20 Poly Romans. Then I basecoated them.
I feel like I've got a handle on how much paint will do, and what colours, and I bought a couple more shades in mightyape's recent paint sale.

Polybian command elements

It has been a long time between beginning the command minis and finishing the 'regulars' to take their places on the bases beside them. But the temperature dropped below 20 degrees (Celsius!) and suddenly I felt I could sit down and paint. So a day later they're finished.

In order above I have the pair of elements to show how I've split the 'colour party' between them;
then the general's element (distinguished by standard and bare-headed officer) with kneeling triarii;
then the view from the rear to show how the choices I made work in practice.

The 'resting' shields all use the caulking to lock into place. As plastic soldier review notes, the kneeling minis have a strange placement of shield location. As designed, it seems that the kneeling soldier has to carry the full weight of his scutum from some odd lower-strap arrangement. It makes no sense. But the shield doesn't really work the other way. So I angled each back, and used the locator pin and hole that way, with plenty of PVA glue and bedded into the caulk.

The colour party is a lot more carefully painted than the accompanying triarii, but taken all together they look pretty good. Once finished I remembered I was going to use a variety of shades on the tunics, because veterans wouldn't all be uniform, but too late.

Officers and signifer party ready to base

I'm moderately happy with the cornucen, signifer, and two officers as they've come out. I've simplified down the paint highlights, and it shows. I may add a few highlights once they are based.

They will not be based together. The front pair are destined for the hastati or principes, while the rear pair will stand around in relaxed pose with the triarii. At least, that's my plan. If I read somewhere that cornucens were always in the triarii then that will change the plan.

Roman Officer (conversion)

This is the assembled conversion: head is swapped, sword from Roman Allies glued on, Esci barbarian shield added. I have yet to fill the shield boss.

Foot command element?

This is a probable for my Poly Roms. I'd quite like to feature a command type element, to sit amongst the Hastati. I have a mini from the Esci Impy Romps (centre), two from the HaT catapult plus box (top row), and I also have a potential head-swap from a damaged Hastatus to an Italian Ally mini (bottom row)which is otherwise close to the Roman Officer figure from Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars.