Tuesday 23 February 2016

LeeH - 6mm Carthaginian War Elephants (6 points)

After my large 6mm Citizen Infantry submission last week I needed a few days to lay down and whimper. I have had a busy few days so I actually had very little time to get much painting done anyway and consequently I don't feel too guilty with my modest output this week. My only submission today are these two War Elephants.


Yes Tamsin, there are four Nellie's pictured here - I'm not diddling myself out of points again! - but two of these (with the red blankets) were painted in November, prior to commencement of the Challenge and long before my admission to these hallowed ranks. The Carthaginian army list for To The Strongest! says I can have two units of elephants so now I do.


The Carthaginians employed a now extinct breed of North African elephant and at one time records suggest they had as many as 300 stabled in the walls of Carthage. This breed was more docile and easier to train so in order to make them more aggressive they would be given alcohol before a battle! Hannibal famously took 37 war elephants over the Alps and if ancient sources are to be believed all survived the journey. However most died shortly after arriving on the Italian Peninsular, possibly from the after effects of their arduous journey...or maybe they just had a really bad hangover!

Up to 70 elephants were used at Zama but these inexperienced and poorly handled animals were ineffective against a Roman army that had by now learnt how to fight and defeat such apparently mighty beats of war.


I wasn't sure how these should be scored (as Mounted Figures or as Vehicles) and in the end I had to refer back to older submissions to the Challenge to see if there were any previous rulings on the definition. True enough I found an old post that described War Elephants as "the tanks of the ancient world" and therefore counted as vehicles. So these two Nellie's should net me a modest 4 points, but at least I finished something this week.


Nice nellies Lee! But you have again diddled yourself out of points - you forgot the crew figures. There are six of those, counting as half figures, @ half a point each, which would be 1.5 points, so I'll round it up to 2 points, giving you 6 points for this entry.
As for needing to take it easy after that mass of Carthaginian infantry last week, I can fully appreciate that as I felt the same after my points bomb of 6mm Reb infantry!

16 comments:

  1. Those ar fine tiny elephants.

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  2. Nice work lee. I have not ruled out starting a 6mm army for to the strongest!

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  3. Lovely little Heffalumps Lee. These 6mm ancients are appealing.

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  4. Tiny, tiny elephants. What is the world coming to? Top work though

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  5. Drunk elephants? Oh man, ancients seem cooler all the time...

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  6. Wonderfully clean work Lee. Great stuff!

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  7. Nothing to feel guilty about here Lee. These are most excellent!

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  8. I really like the nellies, going to look great when you show off the whole army

    Ian

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  9. Lovely teeny Nellies Lee. Great stuff sir.

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  10. These allies are really very nicely done - you're tempting me to 6mm - very naughty!

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  11. Very fine elephants, Lee! You did great work on them!

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