28mm Retiarii Gladiators (Retiarius) armed with Trident and Net

Here are a couple more gladiators to add to my existing Ludus.  This time it is two Retiarii ('net-men') which were gladiators whose fighting style focused on the use of the trident and throwing net.  From historical evidence it seems these fellows were often set against two Secutors ('chasers'), with the Retiarius placed on an elevated platform, sometimes over water, and the Secutorii set to assault him.  Sounds like pretty harrowing stuff - it would seem that gladiators didn't have a very good Workplace Health & Safety policy...

These two 28mm figures are from Brigade Games (It would seem that I'm on a bit of a tear with Brigade's stuff lately). Great sculpts and very easy to work with. Similar to my previous gladiators, I’ve done the groundwork with a gratuitous amount of gore so it better blends with the ‘Spartacus’ game-board.

The last shot is of the Ludus as it stands now, with all seven gladiators arrayed for the arena.

‘Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant.’

28mm Gladiators for 'Spartacus' and 'Jugula'

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, our gaming group quite enjoys playing a wide variety of board games. In fact several of us cut our teeth playing Avalon Hill and SPI war games and so it seems we are 'hard-coded' to love anything with a hex map and having a point decimal rules organization. (I still get a nervous tick whenever I hear 'Advanced Squad Leader' mentioned - a title that is notorious for being more of a lifestyle choice than a game.) A recent favourite is Gale Force Nine's 'Spartacus'. For us, any game with a byline that promises a fun-filled evening of 'blood and treachery' gets our vote!

'Spartacus' has each player (up to six) taking the role of a Dominus, controlling a powerful Roman household with its attendant school (ludus) of gladiators. Each game turn is composed of running nasty schemes, buying slaves, gladiators, equipment and then bidding to see who will host the games for that turn. To win the game a player needs to amass 12 points of influence (which can be damnably tricky with everyone doing their best to cut each others' throats!). The rule mechanics for the gladiatorial combat is quite elegant, fast and suitably bloody, with all the players being able to bid on wins, wounds, and decapitations (yikes!). We've always had a rip-roaring time as the game allows you to be as creative as you like in formulating your deals and crafting wonderfully treacherous backstabbing gambits. Great fun and highly recommended.

As you can see from the pic above the board for the arena is hex-based (swoon) and the game even comes with some basic soft plastic gladiators. They're not bad, but, being the dork that I am, I immediately wanted to replace them with my own painted miniatures. 

I had picked up some 28mm gladiators from Brigade Games a few months ago and I found that, once based, they fit perfectly within the hexes of the game board. You may have noticed that one of the bases is round while the others are square - this is because these figures will also be used for 'Jugula', which differentiates between 'heavy'  (square-based guys) and 'light' (round) class gladiators.

A light 'Thraex'

A 'Secutor'

To follow in the spirit of the game board, I indulged in painting the bases with gratuitous blood trails and ghastly spatters of viscera (love that word, viscera, it sounds just as it describes). 

A 'Murmillo'

A 'Hoplomachus'

A 'Provocator'

I have another batch of these to do, mostly lighter class fellas,  but I'm going to hold off on painting them until the Painting Challenge starts. Every point counts now...

From GillesW: 40mm Gladiator for Studio Tomahawk's 'JUGULA" (7 points)

From Gilles:

First of all, thanks a lot for the Challenge and for all you have done these last three months for us.

Here is the cherry on the cake, a 35-40mm Gripping beast figure for JUGULA, the new game of Studio Tomahawk, my first try on this scale.

A completely different process of painting based on the three layers improved by 2 more layers on the greatest parts with few washes and glazes here and there.

A total of 6 hours of painting, fortunately I only need 3 more figures to play.

No oil on the body, yes I like gladiator movies...

Ooh, wonderful work Gilles. I've heard of this upcoming game from Studio Tomahawk and I'm very eager to see both the 'Jugula' rules and the models myself. By the look of your figure above it would seem that they'll have a very nice range of Gladiators on offer. I feel my wallet leaving my back pocket of its own volition...

This fierce fellow will give Gilles 7 points. Very nice.

From BrendonW: 28mm Cowboys, Roman Standard Bearer & Challenge Desperado (55 points)

From Brendon:

The entry fee cowboy is 28mm, Foundry, and Metal. Inspired by those blood splattered images in Curts post about the Challenge. My photos are not the best and sorry about his face being out of focus but I am a painter not a photographer. When I ordered from Foundry they were nice enough to send two bonus figures. However they are doubles of ones in the blisters I ordered but I did consider other gun slinging cowboys to send but I think this guys nice and unique looking.  I thought he might like this wounded, hatless, gunslinger.

I don't always paint eyes but I did on this guy. He may be the entry fee but also a thank you for all that hard work in getting our painted figs posted. It's been a blast. Cheers!

The Gladiator is Foundry 28mm metal and the Early Imperial Roman Army Standard is Warlord Games. An unlikely pair really. The Gladiator is a Dimachaerus (bearing two knifes).

What we know about this class of Gladiator is perhaps not as much as we know about other types. It certainly was not one of the more popular classes and thought of as much less noble than other types. That's what is generally thought at the moment in any case. Both painted with Vallejo paints and the Eagle Standard fella had Army Painter Strong Tone Dip painted on but then further highlights once dry and matt varnished.

The Cowboys with guns are Foundry 28mm and gets me very near to completing all the cowboys in my collection.

More members to the Black Hat Gang to cause trouble and mayhem when they go to town. You can see the two amigos, the tall hat twins and, sharp eye.

This is wonderful work Brendon and thank you very much for the excellent desperado. 

I also quite like the 10 gallon hats on those two cowpokes - you could hide a passel of heifers in them there chapeaus! Heehaw!!

The Roman, gladiator, cowboys and desperado will give Brendon 55 points. Well done and thanks again.

From BrendonW: 28mm Gladiators, Normans and Cowboys (72 points)

Brendon tells me that he has a relative visiting soon and so he decided to press on with getting multiple entries done before their arrival - so we have here a feast for the eyes!

From Brendon:

I really like the sculpting of some of these Gladiators more than others and the Thracian with the curved sword is one of those figures I rate highly. It's awesome and a pleasure to paint. Only 2 figures in this submission and both Foundry 28mm but unlike the previous ones I photographed I took these shots outside in the shade in the morning. It's a much better result. Providing it's not seasonal monsoonal rain here, I will try and use the same technique for my future submissions.

The feather topped Gladiator has the shield sculpted on which doesn't really help when you paint it but the Thracian comes with a separate shield. It seems a shame to cover his finely sculpted hand with a shield but such is the life of a Gladiator. 

I tried a new product (GW Blood) and while I am not usually a fan of the over use of blood on figures it adds a splash of violent colour to these slaves.

Next, 28mm Norman Knights from Conquest Games. 2 Plastics and 1 Metal figure. I really like this product. I like painting them and I like building them. I think the King type hero is brave indeed for maintaining his balance wearing all that Armour and getting his horse to rear back like that.

My Norman collection has grown since it was started for 'Saga' and I felt the need for another unit flag-waver and champion as well as a stand out Noble Lord or King. This expansion will see my collection travel beyond skirmishing in 'Saga' world to other Army-type games.  The 2 Shields with Ochre yellow on them are hand painted while the kingly fella has a paint enhanced decal from Battleflag. I used up all the Knight decals I got from them but have some Infantry ones still. 

The problem is though, the Infantry ones are a lot smaller so I had to expand the pattern with a bit of freehand work. This includes the discarded shield on the rear of the unit champions base. I also stuck a shield boss on that one.

I only have 1 more unpainted Plastic Knight left in my collection and he will be completed by the end of this Challenge. Yippee!

And to wrap up, 6 x 28mm Cowboys from Foundry. These are my first gunslingers for the Wild West. The entry fee figure will look like one of these dudes so these are good trial figures. 

I wanted a gang who mostly wear black. The Black Hat Gang perhaps. The choice was inspired by the cover photo on the 'Motorhead', 'Ace of Spades' album. 

Turned out this did not make it easy. I had to brighten the images a little.  I use German Panzer Gray for black and once a khaki dust dry brush went on it help to show the detail. I kept any other colour in the dull end of the spectrum. 

Painting the bases fairly bright helps contrast this dark drab look. I dabbed a bit of Khaki on the flock as well to help with the dusty look. I purchased these a while back when 'Dead Mans Hand' was first released. I am yet to play a game but soon I will have a gang to gun fight with. Yeeehaw! Git SOME! 

This was a great series of entries Brendon, thanks! While they are all excellent I find my favourites are those two gladiators. Hmm, perhaps a future Challenge theme here? Now, I wonder...

This fine selection of figures will give Brendon 72 points, with a little extra added for the Norman shields and pennant. Well done and enjoy your upcoming visit!

From BrendonW: 28mm Gladiators (65 points)

From Brendon:

This bunch of circus entertainers are 28mm Foundry and Crusader figures. The dude with the winged helmet on the left hand side is a Hermes Psychopompus. He is near a figure on his knees asking for mercy. Hermes is an arena official (non-combatant) and his job was to stab downed gladiators to check if they are actually dead! His right hand is gloved because his stabber was usually a red hot poker. I went for white loin cloths (except 1) as I wanted to see how it would turn out. I figure for entertainment purposes it would help display any blood spilled all the better. It's kind of a classical look perhaps. 

There are a variety of fighting styles in this bunch. Myrmillo, Secutor,  1 Thracian, 1 Scissor. I found these figures seemed to come with a lack of Scutum in the blisters. The large rectangular curved shield. So one is a plastic shield from Warlord Legionnaires. 

The standard description of these styles is with a Scutum except the Thracian (small shield) and the Scissor. I went for no colour on the shields to see how it would look as well. This challenge is excellent as it motivated to get these figures completed after having them in my lead stash for a long while.

Excellent stuff Brendon! That Hermes chap must have had a lot of friends amongst the gladiators. ...Not. I've long wanted to get into gladiator gaming and your submission is making it very hard to resist. 

This ludus of gladiators will give Brendon 65 points. Great work!

From JuanM: 28mm Spanish Gladiator & British-Crewed Breda (32 points)

Juan, a veteran Challenger, joins us and submits these two fine entries for his debut this year.

Here are my first entries to The Challenge.

The first one is a 28mm gladiator, a 'Hoplomachius', from Brigade Games. This is a fantastic figure from Paul Hicks, the first one for another project I want to begin with my club´s mates. So here is 'Viriato', an Spanish gladiator. It has been a true pleasure to paint him.

The second one is a 28mm Italian Breda AA gun with British crew. This model is from Offensive Miniatures, a very nice one that I expect to use in my games of "Chain of Command", in scenarios based in the Dodecanese Campaing; for that reason, the crew are from the RAF Regiment.

Beautiful work Juan. You've such a smooth style with the brush, it's always a pleasure to see your work.

These two subjects, separated only by around 2000 years, will give Juan 32 points (including a bit extra for the great arid basework on the Breda). Welcome back Juan!

From SteveM: 28mm Foundry Gladiator (5 points)

Steve enters the Challenge with this fine gladiator for which he will use with either the 'Savage Worlds' or Warhammer Historical's 'Gladiator' sets of rules.

This is a 28mm Wargames Foundry casting. I can't recall if the Foundry gladiators were sculpted by Mark Copplestone or Steve Saleh. No matter, they are great models with loads of character.

If memory serves, think this 'style' of gladiator was called a Hoplomachus. Gee, this reminds me that Season 3 of Spartacus should be coming out soon! (The first two seasons were nasty as all get out but highly recommended).

 This fellow puts Steve on the board with 5 points. Welcome Steve!