Lohwand: Mustering the Tharkallan Legions - Part 1

 

Tharkalla Musters for war!

Today I set out a partial muster of my Tharkallan forces, as accumulated to date. I also have some cavalry and one box of scorpio bolt throwers, but none of those are assembled yet so I didn't bother with a picture. Also missing are any form of "High Command". These are 60mm Imperial Roman figures manufactured by Expeditionary Force (XForce). 

This muster shows three cohorts of Legio I Jharkor Corneolus [Carnelian] (#1 thru 3), three cohorts (1 partial) of Auxiliary infantry (#4 to 6), and some spares (#7). Also, in the foreground, are the four patterns of auxiliary shields XForce provides. Not shown are the bow arms and quivers, a few of which are included in each auxiliary box.

Each cohort is organized in the manner of a maniple as I think Peter Connolly described: Centurion, front rank, first file; Signifer in the middle of the front rank; Optio in the rear; I have placed the cornicen with the Optio; and lastly, front rank, last file is the Tesserarius. The latter I have given the officers helmet, though perhaps I shouldn't have. 

XForce provides two poses for officers and one for standard bearer and musician. I determined this because the latter two have their hands full and there is only one body pose with a sheathed sword on the correct side. There are two poses with sword drawn, one with the senior rank discs and one without.

XForce also provides bearskin helmet covers and capes for the standard bearer and musician. There are four of these in each command box and so I have been able to fully equip all six of the cohorts shown.

I need more, however, as my plan is to recreate an auxiliary cohort depicted in WRG's excellent "Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome." On page 68 there is an illustration of the unit I mean, reproduced below:

Illustration of a Roman Auxiliary, 

by Ian Heath

So, to build them I will need to accumulate eighteen more bearskin-covered heads; the entire cohort will wear the bearskin covered helmets, the command figures will all get bearskin capes. At least that is the current plan.

XForce provides four patterns of auxiliary shields so I will try and build three other auxiliary cohorts. By the time I have done that I will have hopefully accumulated enough archer arm pairs and quivers to equip a cohort of auxiliary archers as well.

I would like to boost my Legio I strength to six cohorts, and also build a second legion; I don't know which pattern that would be. XForce sells three or four other styles, including the Praetorian Guard.

Lastly, there are "spares" shown in the muster above (#7). These are spare officer bodies, in chain and w/o the medallions. I am considering that by the time I have finished I may have enough "spares" to outfit another cohort. Perhaps an elite unit of some form, palace guard maybe, or perhaps a unit for some other nation if given the appropriate helmet...