Paint Bench: 28mm Aventine Miniature samples (painted)

I got a few Aventine Miniatures samples in the mail a few days ago, thought I would share them.

They sent me some Early Imperial Romans and some Republic Romans along with some Macedonian Successor Phalanx troops. Also, a few different cavalry figures as well, Romans and Agema.

Aventine Miniatures EIR Roman Cavalry EIR88. He came with a standard but I put a wire lance in his hand from Northstar. Very crisp detail. The metal is very high quality white metal. His head came separate so that you can make them all different.

Next is a Agema Cloaked Cavalry figure PYR13. Again outstanding detail and comes with a very nice butted spear.

Here is another Eir Roman Cavalry figure with sword RR42. It came with two different sword arms, very nice detail again.

(From Left to Right) Here are some Republic Romans, Roman Hastati standing RR38,and 2 Roman Principes RR25 with sword, and with Pilum advancing with arm down RR291. The detail just does not stop, very nice figures.

Here again are the Romans above, with the Scuta they come with AVS012.

Some of the other samples sent were some Macedonian Successor Phalanx. (From Left to Right) Standing PH015, Advancing PH022 in linothrax, File leader PH01 and Advancing in Breast Plate PH022.

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I am very impressed with the detail, the scale of the figures which are the bigger 28mm's and fit well with Vendel, Black Tree and Wargames Foundry. I plan on making a large purchase soon...just can't make up my mind what first, probably a Carthaginian army.

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Here are the samples painted up. I painted them up this weekend. Not the best paint jobs. I had to use some BTD shields and some Vendel weapons for some of the cavalry figures. I am not exactly excited about the paint jobs but I have not painted in about 4 months, so this was my snap in so to speak. I am fixing to paint about 100 Greeks in about a week or two.

I used some Vendel Macedonian shields that I like. I did not like the Aventine shields.

I used some Black Tree Design shields since two of the riders came with no shields, I added some I have. I did not dress up the shields, just kept them plain, I am not the best at shields decals on Romans.

http://www.aventineminiatures.co.uk/catalog/index.php

28mm Romans, Macedonians and Greek miniature comparisons

I decided to do my own figure comparison pictures of various figures I have. I just got a few Aventine Miniatures in the mail, so I decided to compare them to the Black Tree Design, Vendel (aka Sgt Major Miniatures), Old Glory, Wargames Foundry, Essex and A & A miniatures that I have. I did not use a scale to measure exact height because I usually just do visual comparison. The only time I use a measurement, is when I do not have a comparison picture to look at and I am buying blind. 

Greeks (From Left to Right) Black Tree Design, Vendel, Essex

Macedonians (From Left to Right) Aventine, Aventine, Vendel, Aventine, Vendel, Old Glory, Aventine

Romans (From Left to Right) Aventine Principes, Black Tree Design EIR Auxiliary, Aventine Principes, Black Tree Design EIR Auxiliary, Black Tree Design Oscan, Aventine Principes

Macedonia and Roman Cavalry (From Left to Right) Wargames Foundry Macedonian Companion Cavalry, Aventine EIR Cavalry, Black Tree Design EIR on a Crusader Miniatures Horse.

Macedonia and Roman Cavalry (From Left to Right) Vendel Alexander The Great, Aventine EIR Cavalry, Wargames Foundry Macedonia Companion Cavalry

Agema and Macedonia Cavalry (From Left to Right) Aventine Agema Lancer, A & A Alexander The Great, Vendel Alexander The Great

Agema and Macedonian Cavalry (From Left to Right) Old Glory Companion Cavalry, Aventine Agema Lancer, A & A Alexander the Great

I had to make a correction on my previous pics. Here is now a correct Black Tree Design Cavalry on a BTD horse, A Aventine EIR Roman Cavalry and a Black Tree Design Cavalryman on a Crusader Miniature horse.

Roman and Macedonian Cavalry (From Left to Right) Black Tree Design EIR Cavalry on a Crusader Miniatures Horse, Old Glory Macedonian Companion Cavalry, Vendel Alexander the Great





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After making some comparison shots, Black Tree Design, Vendel, Essex and Aventine go well together in scale as far as Greeks, Romans and Macedonians and are the bigger 28's. The Vendel and Aventine seem to mix really well together as far as the Macedonians. The Old Glory, Wargames Foundry and A & A miniatures are on the slightly smaller side, especially the A & A ( as far as Cavalry). I didn't have any A & A infantry or Wargames Foundry infantry to do comparison pics. But over all, I think they all go great together in separate units. But my future purchases will be only Vendel (aka Sgt Major Miniatures), Aventine, Black Tree Design and Essex as far as Macedonians, Greeks and Romans. I used on one of the Black Tree Design Cavalryman, a Crusader Miniature horse on the first few pics, until I realized that I grabbed the wrong figure, anyways I corrected it with a new pic of a correct Blact Tree Design horse. I still like Wargames Foundry and Old Glory but tend to shy away from them do to the smaller end of 28mm. A & A is definitely too small for my tastes, but great detail. As far as the best detail out of all of them....I would have to say that Aventine and Wargames Foundry lead the pack as far as fantastic detail, in my opinion. Black Tree Design,Vendel and Essex detail are good enough for me, and I am satisfied with them enough to spend small fortunes on them, they all look great painted up correctly.

My final thoughts on scale compatibility
 If I was going to group them as far as scale compatibility, I would group them in the following;

1. Vendel, Aventine, Black Tree Design and Essex

2. Old Glory, A & A and Wargames Foundry

Wargames Foundry still goes good together with both groups however. But I do not have any infantry, only cavalry to compare.  I also do not have any A & A infantry, but my good judgement can tell that the infantry will be on the smaller end of 28mm.

I have some new Aventine samples that I got in the mail, that I will be posting soon. I am totally amazed with the detail and excited about buying some soon. I am currently painting some Essex Greeks up for the current game on my table.

Siege of Carthage 320 BC (Wargods Of Olympus) Macedonian-Carthage Wars

Update: Still painting some more Greeks (aka early Carthaginians and a lot of archers) I did not account for mail time and delivery, etc....should be done in about 5 weeks or so. But I keep buying more minis too.....


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In 320 BC King Philip II of Macedonia and his son Alexander invade Carthage in an effort to control all major shipping ports and trade routes in the Mediterranean Sea, including Cyprus, Rhodes, Tyre, Crete, Syracuse and Sardinia. His over all objective was to launch an invasion into Rome and Sparta. 

The City of Carthage lay in siege against Macedonia. Another saga in the Wargods of Olympus saga.

All structures are made by Philip Viverito of LMW Works.

 

The City has approximately 75 buildings and is 14' x 6' in measurements, it took me a few hours to set up.

This is a 28mm scale City of Carthage.

All of the buildings are made by Philip Viverito of LMW Works. He is the author of the Hack Wargame rules, and I have almost all of the sets. The only thing I made was the warships and siege towers that are plastic model kits and close to 25mm scale ( I have 9 warships, but have lost 3 somewhere under the table). The Trees are custom made and the Palm trees are from Cake decorations. I hand made the coast line using MDF board. The figures used are from Vendel (aka Sgt Major Miniatures), Wargames Foundry and Black Tree Design. I used Greek Hoplites as early Carthaginians in this game, which will work. I have a enough Greeks. I used some Egyptian archers as Phoenicians. Also in the game I have a few Assyrian archers in Macedonian service, being that in this scenario Macedonia has conquered all of Asia Minor or the Assyrian Empire. Eventually I will be buying some Aventine Carthaginians. But remember I play Fantasy or aka Alternate History, because it is a lot of fun, and you do not know the outcome. The scenarios are endless.

I decided to redesign the layout of the city and the battlefield. I also redeployed the Macedonian army. I am currently putting the game on hold while I paint up some more Greeks for the battle. About a 6 week delay.

28mm Persian Army

As I was creating my Assyrian army that will be basically replacing the Persian Empire that we know in history, I decided to add a small force of Persian warriors to my Assyrian Army, just like I will use the Egyptians in the Assyrian Army. Here are a few pics of my Persian Army. Eventually this Assyrian army that will include Persians, Babylonians and Egyptians within face very large armies such as my Macedonian army, that I will post about later. 

My Persian army is made up of Vendel Miniatures aka Sgt Major Miniatures.

 http://www.sgmm.biz/

I have 96 Persian Foot.

28mm Babylonian Army

I have a small Babylonian army that is mostly used as Assyrian Auxiliary troops.

All of my Babylonians are from NewLine Design Miniatures. They are slightly smaller than Black Tree Design, but go well with the Immortal Miniatures, aka Warlord Games.

http://newlinedesigns.co.uk/ 

28mm Greek City States

Here are some pictures of my various Greek armies. I do not have as much as I like, but painting Greeks are a lot more work than most of the figures I painted, mainly the shields. But I use those Little Big Man shield transfers (a little expensive)  and they are not too hard to do.

Black Tree Design archers

Vendel Greeks. I kinda wish I painted the shields white in the center, but wanted a more bronze shield look. White would have made the shield decals pop more, but I am not perfect...just a rookie.

Essex Greeks. All the figures look better in person, the pics are not the greatest.

Essex Greeks

Vendel Greeks

Black Tree Design and Vendel Greeks.

Black Tree Design and Essex Greeks.

These Greeks are a mix of Essex and Black Tree Design. They mix well together in separate units.

These are Vendel Greeks and Black Tree Design Greeks using Bronze Age Miniature shields with Little Big Man shield transfers.

Black Tree Design Greeks

A mix of Wargames Foundry and Old Glory Greek Cavalry