Sunday, August 25, 2024

Mustered Into Service: 28mm Foundry Balearic Slingers

Among a batch of recently completed figures are these eight Balearic slingers, part of a recent first-time purchase from Foundry's Ancients range.   I am very fond of Foundry for many of their other ranges, but these Ancients did not disappoint - solid figures, lots of detail, and very little flash to clean up.


My early Imperial Roman force is currently quiet small, a handful of Auxiliaries and some Auxiliary cavalry, so these figures give my little army a missile and skirmishing capability, very useful against the Germanic hordes and their many javelin throwers.

The skin tones are painted using Foundry's trim-tone system, and the clothing is done using FolkArt craft paints and some Army Painter shaders.

I confess that I have no idea if light troops such as these would have been part of the Roman armies in Germania in the first and second centuries AD, but they were easy to paint and look very business like, so I hope they will get some use on the tabletop as I take another look at Three Ages of Rome (Helion) and maybe try Hail Caesar when I get some more figures panted.

Next up in the Ancients painting queue are some Victrix mounted Roman officers and some more Foundry Germanic barbarians, big fellows with severed heads and shocking manners.

Strength and honour to your paint brushes!
MP+








3 comments:

  1. Nicely done sir, I’m not sure if the Romans would have used mercenary slingers at this period but surely they would have faced against them ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you kindly Matt. I got into this period without a sound knowledge of the history so I'm very hazy on who these fellows were historically, I just felt that having some skirmishers in the mix would be helpful. They were fun to paint. Cheers, Michael

      Delete
  2. A comment from my friend James who for some reason is having trouble posting here: "Oh yes, they'd serve all over. Terribly useful chaps. I believe they are on Trajan's Column. They had a good reputation, so whichever rules you're using, they should get any available bonuses for shooting."

    ReplyDelete