Volscians

Volscian miniatures from Aventine, shield designs from LBM.

The Roman-Volscian wars were a series of wars fought between the Roman Republic and the Volsci, an ancient Italic people. Volscian migration into southern Latium led to conflict with that region's old inhabitants, the Latins under leadership of Rome, the region's dominant city-state. By the late 5th century BC, the Volsci were increasingly on the defensive and by the end of the Samnite Wars had been in incorporated into the Roman Republic. The ancient historians devoted considerable space to Volscian wars in their accounts of the early Roman Republic, but the historical accuracy of much of this material has been questioned by modern historians.*

* From Wikipedia

This unit should really be used against my Romans but I think I will be using it as a Roman ally against my Phyrrics.

 I guess they could be utilised as a generic medium infantry unit in my 'Command & Colors' games.

Pyrrhus of Epirus

Just completed the basing on this command stand today, and it just so happened that I also received a photography light tent in the post. No better time to try it out I guess.

Below are the first attempts. The figures are from Aventine miniatures once again.

 Comparison with roman command.

The lighting box in use, must remember to switch the lights off as they get bloody hot.

Aventine Heavies

As promised, an addition to my Pyrrhic Army. A great looking model from Aventine Miniatures to stomp some of those pesky Roman chaps.

 Removable crew.

And yes Simon, if your viewing this I've just ordered a light tent you recommended, so hopefully the next set of photos will be a lot better quality.


Oh yeah, and another Russian squad to add to the growing horde. Blacktree miniatures

                                     

Aventine Tarentine cavalry

Finally finished the Tarentine cavalry I've had for nearly a year. Figures are from Aventine Miniatures and shield designs are from LBM.
The figure with no shield will be used as a command figure.

The name Tarentine clearly derives from Tarantum, the large and powerful Greek city on the west coast of Italy formerly named Taras (modern Taranto),  whose conflicts with the native Italian peoples were to prove an alluring attaction to military adventurers from the Greek peninsula in the late Classical and early Hellenistic eras. By Polybios' day however, such "Tarantines" did not come from Tarantum; rather any cavalry that fought in the manner of Tarantine cavalry were described as such.¹

1. See Duncan Head's discussion of Tarantines in his Armies of the Macedonian and Macedonian Punic Wars, WRG (1982)