What is a good rules set for ancient miniatures?

[Redpossum]

It's serendipity, Iain.

Clearly the gods favor your venture

Seriously, though, I don't know if serendipity is really quite the word I wanted, but sometimes things just come together like that.

[duncan]

I've started a spartan DBA army from Xyston miniatures...they are a little bit taller that 15 mm, but they're great. They're the first miniatures I've painted, so be patient with me , I'm somehow proud of them, though I've seen a lots of spartan better than these. I hope they're ready when TAOW is out:

3Cv element



2Ps element



Spartan General (hope he's Pausanias and not our beloved Leonidas) and a 4Aux element are already in the can, but I didn't take pictures of them, they're great though.

They're painted with Vallejo paints, cheaper than Citadel, and possibly better (and larger)

I have a persian army waiting on the side.

Some good miniatures links:

http://www.essex.co.uk (UK): great range
http://www.corvusbelli.com (Spain): romans, celts (gauls and britons), numidians, iberians and celtiberians, carthaginians
http://www.xyston.com(UK): Great later hoplite greeks, macedonian and post-Alexander greeks, some somans(republican, I think) http://www.15mm.co.uk(UK): Fantasy 15 mm units, some Hordes Of The Things packs (DBA fantasy) http://www.irregularminiatures.co.uk/ (UK): Different sizes (6mm, 15 mm) and fantasy/historical branches. Lots of choices! http://www.baccus6mm.com/ (UK?): Fantasy/historical 6 mm, they say it's easy to paint hem
http://www.geocities.com/mickyarrowminiatures/ (UK): they have inuits!!! My girlfriend abslutely loves them (because they have a polar bear) and I'm getting her some for Xmas present!!!


I'll keep udating the links, I have a lot of them

[jdm]

Great paint job, if this is your first effort very impressive.

Regards
JDM

[duncan]

Thanks a lot, jdm. I painted three or four space-marines from GW before, but I didn't have a clue about 15 mm miniatures , I even didn't know about them two months ago.

Anyway, my miniatures pale in comparison with those I've seen in Fanaticus, the DBA fansite. For anyone interested in a really good painted DBA army, don't look at mine and go to...

http://www.fanaticus.org

Go to "Resources", then to "Eye Candy" and then to "Armies Of The Fanatici". They're all superb...and they have spartans too

[Redpossum]

Wow, Duncan, that's some truly amazing work for your first figures ever!

I too am thinking about getting into some painting, but (perhaps fortunately) time/finance constraints are keeping me away at present

[duncan]

Wow, Duncan, that's some truly amazing work for your first figures ever!

I too am thinking about getting into some painting, but (perhaps fortunately) time/finance constraints are keeping me away at present

Thanks for the compliment.

The miniatures themselves are cheap, my Xyston DBA army covering all posible list choices, is about 25 ?‚¬ (mmm...like 30 $?) and Xyston is great, you can always get cheaper, lower quality DBA packs for about 20 $ from other manufacturers (with lower quality I mean fewer postions and variations). Problem is getting all the brushes and paints and everything you need hobby-related is expensive as hell.

You're right about time constraints, painting my spartans is addictive...and time-consuming, specially when you're newbie. My girlfriend helps me a lot, but still is a lot of "wasted" time for me, I don't think I'll finish them until early 2007, I spent all september with just four elements. You can get painted DBA/HOTT armies via ebay and the like, but they're expensive (right now, i'm seriously thinking of bidding for a painted dwarf army for Hordes Of The Things sules, and they're about 60 $+shipping costs).

Some internet dealers, like 15mm.co.uk, offer painted armies. I was in love with their imperial elven army: it's 11 or 12 british pounds un-painted, 40 if painted. There are some painting services out there, too.

[Redpossum]

Wow, Duncan, that's some truly amazing work for your first figures ever!

I too am thinking about getting into some painting, but (perhaps fortunately) time/finance constraints are keeping me away at present

Thanks for the compliment.

The miniatures themselves are cheap, my Xyston DBA army covering all posible list choices, is about 25 ?‚¬ (mmm...like 30 $?) and Xyston is great, you can always get cheaper, lower quality DBA packs for about 20 $ from other manufacturers (with lower quality I mean fewer postions and variations). Problem is getting all the brushes and paints and everything you need hobby-related is expensive as hell.

You're right about time constraints, painting my spartans is addictive...and time-consuming, specially when you're newbie. My girlfriend helps me a lot, but still is a lot of "wasted" time for me, I don't think I'll finish them until early 2007, I spent all september with just four elements. You can get painted DBA/HOTT armies via ebay and the like, but they're expensive (right now, i'm seriously thinking of bidding for a painted dwarf army for Hordes Of The Things sules, and they're about 60 $+shipping costs).

Some internet dealers, like 15mm.co.uk, offer painted armies. I was in love with their imperial elven army: it's 11 or 12 british pounds un-painted, 40 if painted. There are some painting services out there, too.

Duncan, yes, I hear you loud and clear. The unpainted figures are cheap, but only the tip of the iceberg, cost wise.

I personally would never buy pre-painted figures en masse. I can see buying one or two of a given line to analyse and compare, as part of learning to paint myself, but that's all. To me that would be like buying an account for an MMORPG, rather than levelling up a character myself from scratch. I'm not claiming it's any great moral wrong, just saying I'd never even consider doing it myself.

As a case in point, I played Anarchy Online for almost 5 years. I have over 5500 hours on my main character, and a commensurate amount of cash, goodies, honors, etc. I'm certain I could sell the account for at least $500, but I would never do so. It's just too personal.

I fully realise many would consider this utterly foolish, but I prefer the word "quixotic"

[duncan]

I personally would never buy pre-painted figures en masse. I can see buying one or two of a given line to analyse and compare, as part of learning to paint myself, but that's all.

You're right . I've been developing some kind of achievment feeling about my spartans which makes me feel good. Every spartan army I have seen out there is better painted than mine, but they are MY spartiates, I painted myself, it took a long time for me to do and they look awful, but it was my effort, not everyone else's. I understand very well what you mean about your MMRPG character. And 500 $/5500 hours makes 0,09 $ per hour, a bad deal, certainly