Lohwand: Swan Knights of Dol Amroth

 

Swan Knight of Dol Amroth

Per LOTR fame, repurposed as some kind of "Knights of Malta" proxies for my Lohwand campaign. Meaning they've got an island, with a fortress, and galleys with which they engage the "heathen" ... or the pirates, at least.

60mm HYW knight from XForce, with a head from Tradition of London (which sells lots of nominally 54mm bits).

The banner I cobbled together in PowerPoint - the "poor man's graphics program". 

I borrowed the graphics from the wappenwiki.org Roll of Arms page:

http://wappenwiki.org/index.php/Roll_of_Arms

The ship is borrowed from the Earl of Caithness:

http://wappenwiki.org/index.php?title=Grand_Armorial_%C3%A9questre_de_la_Toison_d%27or_Folio_131

The waves are from the Staple of Calais:

http://wappenwiki.org/index.php?title=Edward_IV_Roll

I cropped and edited them using the tools in Paint, saved as a jpg and pasted into PowerPoint. In PP I had already used the drawing tools to make a rectangle and a triangle inside it (3" x 1" actually size IIRC). I then copied and flipped them to get the back face. I allowed a bit in between for the banner pole - only about .15" IIRC which turned out a bit skimpy. 

As I had room I made four copies and used the picture tools to make some various grey-scaled versions. This b/c I currently only have a B&W printer and didn't want the prints coming out too black. I thought the blue would be pitch black but as it turned out it is potentially viable as well. 

The plan is to attempt to "paint within the lines" in the manner of Pete's Flags - sample attached. (Jasper Tudor)

Pete's Flags - Superb!

Currently waiting for the glue to dry. Used a cheap craft white glue from Michaels. The reason for the rectangle is to allow one to line up the two halves. The final flag will be trimmed to the swallow tail outlined by the triangle. 

I used an Xacto knife handle to get the fluttering effect in the flag.

Still have to decide what shade of blue to use for the knights. I've been experimenting with Vallejo paint triads posted on Google drive by some guy:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BxBp_BdjWzPKLU00Z1MyazZkR3M?usp=sharing

(Apologies to the author of those files, but I can't remember his name.)

Howard

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...

Lohwand: The Legions of the Tharkallan Empire, Part 2

XForce 60 mm Early Imperial Romans

Expeditionary Force (or XForce) is a manufacturer of 54 mm and 60 mm plastic figures based in Singapore. Their range is quite impressive and is expanding rapidly. The 60 mm ranges include Ancients and now WW2. It is the Ancients that I am interested in to build forces for my Lohwand campaign.

I am using the Early Imperial Romans for my Tharkallan legions, as I blogged about in a previous post. Since then my first order has arrived: a sampling of Legion II Augusta, the command box, a cavalry box and a box of Scorpio bolt throwers.

In the picture above are the figures from two Legio II boxes and some of the figures from a command box. The bases are 3mm MDF cut 5" wide by 4" deep. I've been toying with organization. I am planning to drill holes for magnets and then put steel paper on the bottom of each figure base. I wouldn't have to fix the figures on the base permanently if I do this. The problem is I would likely need to leave the base un-flocked, perhaps just painted green and I am not sure if I want that look. I know it is a "Toy Soldier" aesthetic but I am used to flocked bases that blend with the ground cloth.

I might be able to dress the base up leaving room for the figure base, either tracing the outline exactly or allowing sufficient extra space around it. I have yet to verify how regular the XForce bases are. i.e. do they use a standard base size and shape for all their 60 mm figures? 

The figures arrayed above are set up in one layout I am contemplating. I am trying to replicate the tactical deployment of an EIR Century, which I will then use to represent a cohort in my games. I'm struggling to determine where the command elements stood during battle, however.  Here I have the Centurion in the first rank, right-hand file, the Aquilifer in the center of the front rank, the Optio (2IC) behind the ranks keeping order and discipline, along with the musician and Signifer. The Imagifer (when I get one) I am intending to place with the Legate commanding the legion. I'm just not confident I've got it right. Maybe the Signifer and the Aquilifer should be swapped out?

This would, I think, be the 1st Cohort, which should be double strength. So maybe the Signifer goes with one half and the Aquilifer the other? Would either of these two standard bearers really be in the front rank? The other cohorts would just have Signifers. 

Note that I am not intending to build a full ten cohorts! I think what I will do is build three or four for a couple of legions at least to start, maybe expanding to cover all the XForce options. (I have to also consider the Auxilia!) I will use this organization, or something similar for smaller games, but for really large battles have each base of six figures represent a cohort.

I haven't seen the contents of the Auxiliary Infantry box yet so I'll have to leave the planning on hold for those.

EDIT: Osprey is having an ebook sale - 40% off general history and games (inc wargames and Frostgrave) until August 31st, 2020. I picked up some and then splurged and bought a regularly priced book about the Roman army (not sure of the actual title).

Skimming it last night seems to indicate that I have the Centurion placed correctly, and the Optio, and that the Aquilifer and Signifer do go in the middle of the front rank. The Aquilifer (i.e. Eagle Bearer) would replace the Signifer in the 1st Cohort. Still not sure about where to put the musician, but I am thinking behind the ranks with the Optio as I don't think he could fight very well while carrying that horn.

Also, it suggests that not all legions had double strength 1st Cohortes. This I will have to research more. If I do use a double strength 1st Cohort, it will be two times the illustrated organization with a Signifer in the second century. My thinking being that the Signifer is displaying all the honours and awards granted and while guarding the Eagle is a great honour the men would still want to display all their achievements.

Lastly: I need to double check my spelling for all these latin terms!