Friday 17 February 2017

From IanW: Macedonian Pike in 6mm (200 points)

First of all sorry for not commenting of late on others work. Having to share a computer sucks big time. However it has freed me up some to paint.


I finished last weeks entry by early Thursday, this being my day off meant I had the time to sink my teeth into something a little meatier. So out came the last of the Baccus 6mm phalanx figures. 384 of them to be precise, though these are a little different from the last blocks I have painted up as all ranks have pikes in the up position. Belatedly I decided I wanted to have some units like this to break the blocks up a bit. 


The main advantage is that it is easier to work on the shields as the figures are based side by side rather than in rows like the slopped pike figures are. This speeds up the process nicely.


The dice cells are for marking casualties and possible status. I did think about adding it to the back of the unit but this would have pushed the figures forward and that was not a fair trade off. 


384 pikes to glue in was  atrial of patience with it being completed over three sessions, each block was about 40-50 minutes so could have been done in one go but I struggled a bit this time.


So these four get added to the four I painted up earlier in the challenge. Indeed most of the blocks have been painted during one challenge or another over the last three years.


This is what 18 blocks look like, that's over 1730 figures as a few blocks have extra figures on the bases as commanders and wounded etc. My plan has been to paint up 20 in total but I am not committing to that being the end of them. That depends on exactly what we decide to do for next years Joy of Six so it could be expanded a little. I have spent £118.80 just for the figures for these 18 blocks, best not let the wife know.


This is the army to this point, still need to add a fair bit more cavalry and some allied infantry. As it stands I have a bunch of light infantry both skirmish and larger bodies but I can also use four units of Hoplites that are also serving my Persians.

So 384 figures at half a point each gives me 192 points, none to shabby. Next week will see me move away from the SYW for a bit of a break so as not to go off it. Should be back to them the following week as they are on my prep list.


384? 384 of the teensiest miniatures?! Wow, that's an impressive feat in just a week. All those shields to paint, and pike to individually stick on - I really don't know how you face it. But the result is worth it, all those phalanxes lined up look immense. Thanks for the whole army shot too. 
 
I'll round up to 200 for the awesome. And the shields. No flags though. Needs more flags.  

Phil

41 comments:

  1. Fab looking teeny tiny pike men, I go cross eyed on anything below 28mm so I think these are even more impressive!
    Best Iain

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Iain, these are easier than the Napoleonic ones I do

      Ian

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  2. Absolutely stonking work, Ian. I never tire of seeing these tremendous pike blocks. Wonderful!

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    1. Thanks Curt, only another two (or so) blocks to paint now. Mostly for me it will now be more cavalry for them, just need to work out how many though

      Ian

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  3. Lovely work Ian! Very impressive to see all 18 pike blocks together :)

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    Replies
    1. Cheers Tamsin, I now have two full slimline A4 file boxes

      Ian

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  4. excellent - now if you put a flag on every one of them!

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    Replies
    1. By the end I was flagging on all of them ;-)

      Ian

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  5. Replies
    1. Thanks, the Persians look rather puny against them

      Ian

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  6. They make a grand spectacle,Ian! They are definitely worth the time you took with them! ;)

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    Replies
    1. It's a good job Lee has a big shed LOL

      Ian

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  7. They do look fantastic Ian, great collection

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  8. These are so awesome... I'm literally drooling. I know how hard these are to do and you have made a fantastic job of them. I take my metaphorical hat off to you sir!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Lee, feels great to be so close to getting the project to a finished point

      Ian

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  9. These little guys are just awesome, but really pale in comparison to the whole army picture. Wow! I'm drooling as well.

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    Replies
    1. Cheers Rod.

      They should get their first public outing come July of next year. Plenty of time to finish off the units required

      Ian

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  10. Insanity! But good, tidy and spectacular insanity.

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    Replies
    1. Not so much insanity as a lack of imagination (the realisation of how much work was going into it LOL)

      Ian

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  11. 6mm at its finest. You and Lee are just killing it in this scale. Very well done Ian - those group shots are something else.

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    Replies
    1. Cheers Greg. Lee does the spot on quality work whilst I went for quality through quantity

      Ian

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  12. As Greg said, you're killing this scale, these little fellows are fantastic as ever.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Jamie. I have some more 6mm for next week (Persian) but hope to have some 15mm done as well

      Ian

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  13. Great work! For such tiny guys they look so good in mass. The army looks fantastic Keep it up.

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    1. Thanks Eric, I have ran out of Macedonians at the moment but plenty of 6mm to keep me busy

      Ian

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  14. Stunning stuff indeed. The mass shot of 1700+ minis is amazing!

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    1. Thanks Peter. The pike are 1700 the rest amount to about 250 figures so the pike certainly tip the scale

      Ian

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  15. Fantastic! Spectacular stuff.

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    1. Cheers Barks, wait till I get the Persians up to fighting them, that will be a lot of minis on the table

      Ian

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  16. Absolutely spectacular stuff Ian! Your games must look awesome when fielding all that goodness at once.

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    Replies
    1. Yet to get these on the table as we need to paint up something to face them. I am looking forward to getting them on the table and seeing the game unfold. Lee is going Romans so these will have the Seleucid option painted up whilst I am also painting up the Persians so when those two armies are fielded it should be very colourful and busy!

      Ian

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  17. Thanks Phil, no flags next week either I am afraid. Keeping with ancients as that was were my mood has taken me

    Ian

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  18. Well that's one impressive army Ian!! Congratulations on a job well done!

    Christopher

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Christopher, it still needs a few more units for the game we plan.

      Ian

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  19. Replies
    1. Cheers, wait till the Persians and Romans are finished

      Ian

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