WIP - Late Roman Archers

Late last month, I engaged in a bloody battle in the east—my Age of Invasions Late Roman warband took on Helge’s formidable Sassanids. The Eastern Hordes ultimately claimed victory, but it was a fantastic game nonetheless. Sadly, my grand plans to open a "Fast Elephant BBQ" franchise were soundly thwarted.

That match made one thing abundantly clear: my warband was desperately lacking long-range firepower. To fix the issue, I placed an order with Wargames Foundry on August 21st. Just one week later, on the 28th, two packs of LR019 - Late Roman Archers arrived at my doorstep—giving me enough figures to field two full units of Warriors. Excellent service, as always!

Haystacks and Late Roman Archers are prepped

Yesterday on my Discord Paint & Chat channel, I worked on the archers and a Stone Animal Enclosure. The enclosure was a cheap resin piece I snagged from Warlord Games just to pad my order for cheaper shipping. 

Warlord Games - Stone Animal Enclosure

Wargames Foundry LR019 - Late Roman Archers

28mm Gallic Warband - Saga Part II

Back in early January this unit was my first entry for the 2026 Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge. It was a unit purchase from Black Tree Design that has been sitting in my pile of lead for ages. As I wrote I did not find any shields and I placed an order with Warlord Games. Both the shields and decals came in and this is the result. This was first attempt using waterslide decals in decades. I hope to improve with the next group of figures. 

A Walk in the Sun

This was a free sprue from Warlord Games advertizing their French Line Infantry. I have some plastics in my collection of figures but I prefer metal. This project had just the right amount of model work that appealed to me. Glue on a head, attach the backpack and roll. No fuss, no muss. I have never got into painting Napoleonics and I don't have a lot of knowledge of the period. This was a simple project.  Only six figures and my Spanish Guerrillas do need a target to ambush. I went for a ragtag look. The greatcoat made it easy to paint.

ECW - One Needs to Start Somewhere

 I started collecting the figures for an ECW army quite a while ago. I started by painting the artillery  but never got around to doing the crew. I made contact with the Scarlet Lancer Painting Service, and sought out there services to get the ball rolling. I am happy with the results. And I have entrusted more troops to Garry's capable hands and brushes.

Reviewing the local situation

The artillery park. 

Jan 18th 2026. Update - I discovered the actual title of the ECW command vignette was from the Wargames Illustrated series, Moments in History. WIM04 is the Eve of Edgehill and was produced by Battlefront Miniatures Ltd. I was gifted a blister yesterday that I entend to forward to a gaming buddy out on the east coast.

WIP - Anyscale Kangaroos

 When I started to build my Canadian Bolt Action force, I knew that I would need some RAM Kangaroos to act as my armoured troop carriers. Looking around at the various options available I decided to purchase them from Anyscale Models. At the time, they offered the best price for my wallet.

For mid-November it was unseasonably warm today in Montreal. I knew these vehicles needed a second coat of spray paint. The first coat had been a British Army Bronze-Green at the beginning of the summer and I was not happy with the overall colour. Today the second coat was Army Painter Armoured Green. Combined with the bronze-green undercoat it looks okay. I now have a base upon which to work.

However it wasn't really a nice day over all so I sat down and thought about what project I wanted to advance. I remembered that I had purchased a box of Warlord Games WW2 British Infantry. When I made the purchase I knew it would be to cannibalize the figures to provide me with removable infantry for my APCs. I used all the whole torsos that were available and then sliced another 6 bodies off at the waist. I am happy with the results so far.

Roman Carroballista - Part III - Completed

 I am very happy with the the final results. The merging of 30 year old Ral Partha/RAFM war machines that were rusting away in my private junkyard, crewed by some superb looking Essex Miniatures, all around or mounted on ox carts purchased from Warlord Games. 

To quote Hannibal Smith

Japanese Type 95 Ha-Go light tank

 I have continued with my interest with either pre-war or early WW2 actions. Over the years I built up a substantial collection of 20mm early war Japanese. These are posted under titles of  The Anatomy of a Small War. I had no interest in doing a counter force  and the project stalled. 

I felt that Bolt Action allowed me to turn may attention to the conflict in Outer Mongolia or even China. Americans think of WW2 as starting on December 7th 1941. Those of us in the Commonwealth as September 1st 1939, with the German invasion of Poland followed two days later by the British declaration of war. Although Canada waited until the 10th, to show our independence. However the argument can be made that the war began as early as the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, on September 19th 1931, or at the very least, the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on July 7th 1937. 

I did purchase two Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks from warlord games to provide some firepower to the Imperial Japanese Army for this project. I was also fortunate to pick up 4 packs of WW2 metal Japanese infantry at fire sale price at auction.  There were 20 figures per pack. 

Again they can also be used in a RPG sitting and I had completed them as such for possible use in a Daredevils campaign that I was running. The campaign stalled last tax season due to limitations on my availability and was never relaunched.

According to Wikipedia the Type 95 Ha-Gō (九五式軽戦車 ハ号, kyūgo-shiki kei-sensha Ha-Gō, also known as the Ke-Go was a light tank used by the Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War, at Nomonhan against the Soviet Union, and in the Second World War. It proved sufficient against infantry but, like the American M3 Stuart light tank, was not designed to combat other tanks. Approximately 2,300 were produced, making it the most numerous Japanese armoured fighting vehicle of the Second World War.

Morris CS9 armoured car

 I picked up a Morris CS9 armoured car from Warlord Games to just bump up my order to free postage. It didn't cost a whole lot more than the price I would have payed for the shipping without it. 

The prototype was available early enough to fit into a 1938 Very British Civil War, a project I had toyed with. I even picked up the rules from Sally 4th. Despite historical accuracy, it might even be found patrolling the fringes of empire in a RPG sitting, or as support in a Sea Lion Campaign.  For some reason I had/have no interest in starting a WW2 North Afrika army.

According to Wikipedia the vehicle was based on a Morris Commercial C9 4x2 15 long cwt (760 kg) truck chassis. On this chassis, a riveted hull was mounted with an open-topped two-man turret. The armament consisted of either Boys anti-tank rifle and Bren light machine gun or Vickers machine gun. The vehicle carried a No. 19 radio set.

The prototype was tested in 1936. A further 99 cars were ordered and were delivered in 1938. Thirty-eight of these cars were used by the 12th Royal Lancers in the Battle of France, where all of them were destroyed or abandoned. Another 30 served with the 11th Hussars in the North African Campaign. It was found that, when fitted with desert tyres, the vehicle had good performance on soft sand. However, its armour and armament were insufficient. The vehicle was retired halfway through the North African Campaign.

Lightning Strikes - Roman Carroballista

Christmas 2000, Joseph my good friend and gaming buddy, and I met for our annual Roman Civil War. We were playing WRG 7th edition rules. Suddenly I found myself on the receiving end of massed fire of a unit of carroballista. Joseph and his wife, had spent the evening before my arrival, converting some Airfix Ancient Britain chariots, mated with Airfix Roman scorpio bolt throwers. It was a nasty surprise and the speed of the unit on the battlefield was inspiring.  

Three of Joseph's carroballista run circles around his Legion

Warlord Games used to offer a scorpion mounted on a mule cart. From the time I first saw the image until recently it was always out of stock. This afternoon I couldn't even find it listed on their site. Meanwhile I squandered my hard earned sestertius on other frivolous figures and projects. 

While combing my mountain of lead, I uncovered some ancient (30+ year old) Ral Parta/RAFM scorpions. The Early Imperial Roman Cart is nearly always available  for purchase. So I ordered three. This project has been sitting on my painting table for the last 6 months and I finally found time to complete it,

Image of a carroballista on Trajan's Column

I am now seeking some 25mm artillery crewmen. I have some Foundry figures, but the 28mm heroic scale of the crewmen seem rather out of scale to the bolt throwers themselves. However when compared to the carvings on Trajan's Column, maybe I shouldn't worry. If I am unable to find what I am searching for, I will paint the figures up.

28mm TRAJANIC Roman Army - Part 2

 As promised yesterday, the rest of my EIR Tragic Roman Army. These photos are of my siege equipment and Generals with their Cavalry Bodyguards.

SIEGE EQUIPMENT

1) Roman Bolt Throwers (Scorpio/Scorpions) behind some field fortifications - Figures are by Wargame Foundry Miniatures. I believe the fencing is by Old Glory Miniatures.

2) A Roman Onager by Black Tree Design in the background with a Foundry Scorpio. Not the best of photos. 

3) The next two images feature a Warlord Games  Early Imperial Roman Ballista, along with another Foundry Scorpio,

4) Finally we have a Legionnaire working party. These are 25mm Figures picked up in the mists of time from either RAFM or Ral Partha. I was unable to find an online reference for these figures. The wall is from some model kit.

ROMAN GENERALS with Body Guards

The command figures were packages I believe that were purchased Wargame Foundry. Each is a unit of a General Element (WRG reference) and another three elements of Heavy Cavalry. So I have three separate units each of 12 mounted figures. Note- The Green unit is missing a Command Stand that I need to locate. The Blue Shield Unit are figures by Ral Partha. The other BG Cavalry, I believe are  Warlord Games' sculpts. 

 An Oddity. - The Following unit has been part of my Roman army for over 40 years. They were picked up at the local gaming shop in Halifax (which is no longer in existence). The figures were labelled as Roman/Greek Companion Cavalry. At the time I did not know better and parted with my hard earned cash. I would imagine these figures sold for the princely sum of $3.95 a pack. I purchased three packs then and latter acquired a fourth.

28mm TRAJANIC Roman Army - Part I

This is the third Roman Army I painted since I discovered the WRG Ancient Rules in the mid to late 1970s. The first was an Airfix Roman army. The 2nd was a 25mm metal army I purchased and fought with from the early 1980s until I moved to Montreal. By the years 2000 to 2010 my 2nd Roman army were entitled to retire after 25 years of honourable service.  The figures that were now available looked fantastic when compared to the primitive sculpts from the 1970s and early 1980s, which comprised my Legion. Most were painted and entered service before I started my blog. They were never done justice. Most of the new Legion were recruited from the Warlord Games, Wargames Foundry Miniatures and Black Tree Design areas of the Empire. 

1) The Legionnaires, the first wave of units - 4 Cohorts each of 24 Figures

2) The 2nd wave of Legionnaires - Three cohorts, each of 24 figures.

3) The AUXILLIA - 5 Units of Auxiliary Javelin/Spearmen - each of 16 Figures.

4) Auxiliary Archers - 3 Units - 2 Eastern Empire - 1 Western Empire -Total 56 Figures

5) PSILOI Units - 12 x Balearic Slingers and 12 x Light Archers. These are 25mm Ral Partha and RAFM Figures I obtained after I started rearming my Legion.

 

That is enough for today. Part two will be siege equipment and Cavalry.