Relic Miniatures - 25mm Carthaginian Veterans

Carthaginian veteran spear men are a popular subject for 25mm miniatures, and Relic has made several very nice sets, which differ from those of other manufacturers in that their spear arms are separate pieces and can be attached in a pose of your choice. It's a nice feature, and you just have to plan ahead and pose some in such a way that they will be able to stack up in ranks without poking the guy in front. There is only one pose for the spear-arm, and it attaches at the shoulder. The fit is good, and I filled the joint just with superglue.

I've kept the uniforms very simple on these figures, but put a lot more time in to the shields. Since they are supposed to be using captured Roman equipment, I've painted Roman-style wings on several of the shields before overlaying with traditional Carthaginian designs. Makes for a nice taunting effect I think......





In the next two photos you can see a couple different ways of accommodating multiple ranks, making sure the spears of those behind don't interfere with the guy in front.



And of course one of the benefits of being able to choose a pose is that you can get more variety from the same parts. These two are the same figure with different arm positions and shield designs.

25 mm Campanian Command by Relic Miniatures

The latest figures I've completed are Relic's Campanian command set, beautifully sculpted pieces with intricate decorative work on their armor. The region of Campania, in the south of Italy, was home to many powerful and influential cities that found themselves sometimes allied with and sometimes at war with Rome.

25 mm Carthaginian Veteran Infantry

Here is a quick look at some Gripping Beast figures, four veteran Carthaginian spear men wearing Roman equipment. After his initial victories in Italy against several Roman armies, Hannibal had his heavy infantry appropriate Roman shields and armor from the killed and the captured.

These guys are probably a little too pale for North Africans, so I'll have to work on the skin tones a bit. Shield transfers are LBM.

25 mm Thracian King and Standard Bearer, by Relic Miniatures

After a long hiatus, having had all my time taken up on a nightmare of a film project, it has been a great joy to be able to get back to painting. These figures are from Relic Miniatures, their Thracian King Command set. The figures themselves are excellently sculpted with lots of very crisp detail, and, social elite that they are, beg for lavish ornamentation. I tried a number of different decorative touches and patterns before I found designs that I liked, but I think it was worth the time spent experimenting.

The banner and shield are my own freehand, I didn't have any transfers to work with. I've given the standard a two-headed eagle design, a genuine Thracian emblem, but tweaked it to my own tastes. The example I was working off of had in its middle a swastika inside of a sun, but since these figures were painted for the company I thought I might aim for something safer.

25 mm Illyrian spearmen by Relic Miniatures

Below are four Illyrian spearmen, painted for Relic Miniatures, representing the rank and file infantrymen of that culture. Illyrians were famed for being fierce warriors, and they served frequently in the armies of foreign powers in the region. Their homeland eventually became a Roman province, but they fought at least one significant war of revolt against Rome.

The figures were a joy to paint, as the castings are extremely crisp and the poses are pleasantly dynamic. I've painted the shield designs freehand rather than turning to transfers, a time consuming but very rewarding process!

25 mm Libyan Infantry Command

Large portions of the Carthaginian army were drawn from among the Libyans, and the three figures below represent the command of a Libyan infantry unit. The commander himself wears armor made of bronze scales over leather, the others wear linen armor.

Figures from Gripping Beast, shield transfers from LBM.

25 mm Carthaginian Citizen Infantry

Though Carthage was famous for its employment of large numbers of mercenaries in its armed forces, citizens of the state also served. From the look of their armor these four figures would represent relatively well-to-do citizens. They would be responsible for equipping themselves, and a solid bronze cuirass was no small investment.

The manufacturer is Crusader, but since the poses were all extremely similar and not very dynamic looking I have altered the two on the left to look more aggressive in their stance. Shield transfers are LBM, with the exception of the figure on the right. The design on his shield, an emblem of the goddess Tanit, is my own freehand.