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I have the Richard Borg games Battle Cry (2 sets) and Memoir 44 and have painted up figures for each. It seemed natural to do the same for the latest set - Ancients

I have used 1/72 scale plastics and painted them up with as little detail as I felt that I could get away with. Even so there is about 3 weeks of work here on evenings and a bit at weekends. In retrospect I should have used 15mms as I have a few already and they are more solid. I also found that the plastics took a lot more preparation that the equivalent 15mms. They had to be cut off the sprue and plastic flash is much harder to remove than metal flash. It needs an ever sharp knife, I gnerally file off metal flash, that does not work with plastics.

I have already had problems with paint flake although I undercoated them all with enamel spray and used a solid varnish. Some of the spears are far too wiggly to hold on to paint.

From a price point of view the plastics work out at 10p for infantry compared to 15p+ for 15mms or 10p for 10mms. I would however need to buy more 10mms as 4 in a hex look lonely (I use 8 to a unit for Memoir '44). The cavalry are less of a deal at about 35p a shot compared to much the same for 15mms.

I have painted the shields red, blue or green to reflect the troops role. I have also assumed some re-use of troops. A Spanish spearman may fight with the Romans or Carthage and might be Auxilia or Light. I can cope with this as I have several poses and will not be mixing the same pose in each army.

This is the shoppimg list I used with some comments on the figures. I believe that this lot will allow all scenarios to be played although a little fudging of troop types may be needed

Zvedza: Republican Roman Infantry (2 boxes). These figures are way better than the HAT described below. There is less bend in the moulds and the figures are deeper and more rounded. This makes them easier to paint

Zvedza: Persian Cavalry (2 boxes). The only source of scythed chariots that I could find. The box also includes 8 Persian cavalry that could be used for Carthage. A drawback is that the chariots are not going to fit on the C&C hexes. Atlantic's Egyptian chariots might have been a better choice.

Zvedza Alexander's Cavalry: Great box, will do for both sides heavies. Also with 17 not 12 in a box a good deal cheaper than the similarly priced HAT boxes.

HAT: Elaphants: Another good box, 6 hephalumps. I made the mistake of only fixing in 1 howdah crewman and hoping to drop in or remove another on taking losses. The 2nd guy will not fit in now everything is painted. Some surgery may be required.

HAT: Carthage African infantry. Fair source of spearmen and light troops

HAT: Carthaginian Allies: Some nice Spaniards and just enough Barbarians to play the given scenarios

HAT: Spanish Infantry: Some middling figures with bad weapon bend. I could have lived without this box and bought another from the line above.

HAT: Alexander's Light Troops: A useful mix including slingers and bowmen. You need this box. Note that slingers and bowmen are exactly the same in C&C.

HAT Numidian Cavalry: A nice box, as these guys are much the same colour as their horses and have no saddles they are a breeze to paint.

HAT Spanish Cavalry: Nice box, some useful medium cavalry types

HAT Italian Cavalry: Similar to the above. Unlike the Spaniards these guys do not have shields (less painting, hooraa)

 

So far I have only played the game once (the 1st scenario in the bonus book). I thought it OK but not as much fun as Memoir '44. Still time will tell and I do get a sort of pleasure from painting the figures (the sort you get from banging your head against the wall - it is so nice when it stops).

 

Dertosa from the Roman side of the board
Same from a Carthaginian viewpoint
A close up of the Carthaginian elephant and support
Some Roman MI and a general