I use 20mm by 60mm in 28mm.

Aligned with a B/U sideways is a commander in the rear ranks, aligned front to back is him in the front rank.

I loose some command distance, but it looks so much better.

If you can't make it to the USA for a game, come to Australia instead.

Seriously, great looking game and a great report, you have raised the bar for both!

Indeed, if anyone can suggest some anti "wall-of-cataphracts" tactics, I would be grateful.

We might even name them after you.

Who would have thought the Arab Camels, after breaking at the first sight of Romans in the last two games, would save the day. That wall of fat-assed cataphracts is awesome to behold. Even scarier to fight. After some troubled outings, the Elephants had a good game and stomped all over my Goths. A m...

That is my hand, it's saying, "bona dea! that is a lot of cataphracts".

Camels also seem to be good for making your cataphracts loose heart when they break and run

Keithapur and I are on again on Sunday - lets see if the camels turn up.

I was planning a big Gothic surprise, but a lack of painting time means it will be a small Gothic surprise instead.

Great looking game! I would love to have a table that large.

Next time you are in Australia, bring your figures with you!

I wonder if we will ever see those camels again?

After the last loss to Keithapur (of the fat-arsed cataphracts) I downgraded Maximus from an IC to FC in SHAME. I suppose he will be a TC by the next battle. The game was great fun, although it’s complexity confused the onlookers in our club, who are not big on manoeuvre. I still have too many MF co...

Once I have painted all the mid tones I varnish with Dull-Coat. Two reasons. Firstly, it protects the figures from rough handling in the next stage and it gives me an even surface to dry and wet brush onto. This is important because I mid-tone the whole unit in one go (because I can't wait to see ho...

At the risk of sounding flippant - just slop the paint on. I undercoat in white, paint the mid-tones over the whole figure and then varnish. Then I slop wet paint into the shaded areas, and dry brush the highlights. Varnish again and then go over the metal bits. Lately I have ben using Littlebigman ...

My Roman army is a frontier-interception force, and has four BGs painted as Numeri (4 elements each). I am wondering how these should be represented. My army is dated 285AD, so I assume Numeri would have picked up some drill by then. But I wonder if they should be: 1) MF protected Light-Spear 2) LF ...

The Romans were painted in eight weeks while hiding from my in-laws in the garage (for about 1 hour a night). A 28mm army is a wonderful thing to behold (although, a heavy thing to hold).

Every wargamer should have one

I have four

So, no Portal Defences for the Romans then. I will re-jig my list.

It was worth it though, just this once, to see the look on Keithapurs face...

Next time Keithapur, next time!

This battle was 650 points. That is about 2.5 kilograms of cataphracts.

I think a bigger game would alow us to "balance" the armies a little better. I suspect that both Keithapur (the smug) and myself are busy painting reinforcements.

I was that Roman commander, now trying to justify a (ahem) slight loss to Diocles at Nicomedia. "But your majesty, they had cataphracts "! Since my sub-General Tribune Septimus Geriatrix of the Sixth Herculean Legion died during the battle, we will blame the debacle on him. This was one of...

I can reveal that I am Prefect Macius, and I will be on the receiving end of this list on Friday. I am fielding a battle group centered around a detachment of Legio VI Herculia. This places our little battle somewhere around 285AD. I wish I had painted fewer Medium Foot! I have four Auxiliary Cohort...