At First I Whimpered When I Saw How Big It Was . . .
Posted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 5:49 pm
... a small footlocker sized parcel of unpainted minis that a friend sent me. Sort of a joint project, of mutual interest, but DAY - YUM! it is a lot of lead! 
Really nice, really pretty lead. So, to give my initial impressions reagarding three manufatcturer's Late Republican Romans - Testudo, Eureka and Warmodelling. We also ordered Xyston odds and sods for auxilliaries, but they have not yet been delivered.
First, the unadorned, bare bone news which is all good. These are large 18mm - verging on 1:72 scale - but the three ranges received are fully compatible with one another. They are not exactly the same height and proportions, but so close it makes no difference, and in fact adds to the realism. Further, all three lines are beautifully sculpted. Again, with distinctions, but fully compatible.
Warmodelling: We only got a few cadre and velites here. My friend insisted. I did not like them, based on the internet photos. They looked rather wooden and scrawny. The actual lead is FAR better than the photos would indicate. Lean proportions rather than scrawny, crisply sculpted poses, and not wooden at all. I was very pleasantly surprised, and I am happy to recommend them without reservation.
Eureka: We had heard rumors that these were large minis. They are. These are the largest minis that I have seen from Eureka, and the first ancients. Good poses, superb sculpting, very satisfying minis with no drawbacks.
Testudo: This line is the reason the project went forward. All my Roman battles savor of Cannae or Teutoburgerwald, but I love the Romans anyway. The Testudo Romans are a similar conflict for me. They are hands down my favorite of the three manufacturers, but I do have some quibbles with them.
Contra:
I have some problems with the shields. These are available with molded wings patterns or plain. We had to take a mix as neither was available in sufficient number to fill the order. I just don't like molded shield patterns ever, but that is a matter of personal taste. Guess who gets the winged shields? The real problem here is that a great many of the shields are incomplete. I can't tell yet if this is a casting problem, removal problem, or breakage problem, but many ends and edges are missing. Some I will repair, and some I will convert to 'battle damage', but this represents a lot of time consuming and fiddly work that I am not happy about.
Most of the sculpts are very 'Marian' looking in terms of gear, but several have a helmet style that I associate with the Empire, and lorica segmentata. http://redskytrader.com/full-size-costu ... bdc5ac25bd Perhaps these were around in Caesar and Crassus' day, but I didn't think so. They look odd set over plain chainmail, but this could be mere bias from the conventional movie and illustrators' portrayals of Romans. At first, Vikings without horns on their helmets looked wrong to me some decades ago.
Pro:
SENATUS POPULUSQUE ROMANUS, y'all! These are the most impressive, ball breaking, ROMAN looking Romans I have ever seen! Truly artistic sculpts with an emphasis on disciplined aggression and confidence. In 18mm (or 19mm ~ 20mm or so) these sculpts are monumental and heroic in feel. The personality figures are identifiable. The lictors look like 'enforcers' indeed, and Titus Livius could not improve on the Roman rank and file. TheseTestudo minis are my favorite sculpts ever, in about 40 years worth of paying attention to wargames minis. AVE!
Really nice, really pretty lead. So, to give my initial impressions reagarding three manufatcturer's Late Republican Romans - Testudo, Eureka and Warmodelling. We also ordered Xyston odds and sods for auxilliaries, but they have not yet been delivered.
First, the unadorned, bare bone news which is all good. These are large 18mm - verging on 1:72 scale - but the three ranges received are fully compatible with one another. They are not exactly the same height and proportions, but so close it makes no difference, and in fact adds to the realism. Further, all three lines are beautifully sculpted. Again, with distinctions, but fully compatible.
Warmodelling: We only got a few cadre and velites here. My friend insisted. I did not like them, based on the internet photos. They looked rather wooden and scrawny. The actual lead is FAR better than the photos would indicate. Lean proportions rather than scrawny, crisply sculpted poses, and not wooden at all. I was very pleasantly surprised, and I am happy to recommend them without reservation.
Eureka: We had heard rumors that these were large minis. They are. These are the largest minis that I have seen from Eureka, and the first ancients. Good poses, superb sculpting, very satisfying minis with no drawbacks.
Testudo: This line is the reason the project went forward. All my Roman battles savor of Cannae or Teutoburgerwald, but I love the Romans anyway. The Testudo Romans are a similar conflict for me. They are hands down my favorite of the three manufacturers, but I do have some quibbles with them.
Contra:
I have some problems with the shields. These are available with molded wings patterns or plain. We had to take a mix as neither was available in sufficient number to fill the order. I just don't like molded shield patterns ever, but that is a matter of personal taste. Guess who gets the winged shields? The real problem here is that a great many of the shields are incomplete. I can't tell yet if this is a casting problem, removal problem, or breakage problem, but many ends and edges are missing. Some I will repair, and some I will convert to 'battle damage', but this represents a lot of time consuming and fiddly work that I am not happy about.
Most of the sculpts are very 'Marian' looking in terms of gear, but several have a helmet style that I associate with the Empire, and lorica segmentata. http://redskytrader.com/full-size-costu ... bdc5ac25bd Perhaps these were around in Caesar and Crassus' day, but I didn't think so. They look odd set over plain chainmail, but this could be mere bias from the conventional movie and illustrators' portrayals of Romans. At first, Vikings without horns on their helmets looked wrong to me some decades ago.
Pro:
SENATUS POPULUSQUE ROMANUS, y'all! These are the most impressive, ball breaking, ROMAN looking Romans I have ever seen! Truly artistic sculpts with an emphasis on disciplined aggression and confidence. In 18mm (or 19mm ~ 20mm or so) these sculpts are monumental and heroic in feel. The personality figures are identifiable. The lictors look like 'enforcers' indeed, and Titus Livius could not improve on the Roman rank and file. TheseTestudo minis are my favorite sculpts ever, in about 40 years worth of paying attention to wargames minis. AVE!