Me and my Hail Caesar Greeks

At last! I have managed to make a start on my 28mm Greek Hoplite army...don't ask how long it has taken to make this start, let's just say that it has been while and leave it at that.

The first units finished are two ten figure Slinger units.

These are classed as Small Units in Hail Caesar, the rule set I will be using. I have used my now usual Strong Tone Army Painter dip but  altered my basing method to suit what I see as a more arid landscaping requirement. I bought a pack of Coarse Basing Modelling Sand from 'Famous Gaming; via ebay. I did not add anything to the basing sand but left it as it came, I felt that it gave the right look straight away. All I added were a couple of 'tufts', two different types and colours,

As it stands the army is made up of all 'Immortal Miniatures' figures, nothing wrong with that in itself of course, very nice figures. The problem comes with the boxes of plastic Hoplites; you only get 34 in a box and with Hail Caesar a Hoplite Phalanx needs 40 figures. Warlord Games, Victrix et al all have at least 40 figures per box. I will have to cannibalise one of my six boxes, at least, to pad out the other four...which is a bit of a bugger to be be honest. And this brings me onto my next turd in the water tank of wargame life; relative unit sizes. In Hail Caesar a, say, Roman infantry unit need only be 24 figures strong. A Hoplite unit needs to be 40 figures strong. This allows the Hoplites to make use of the handy 'Phalanx' rule of course but it does take some sodding painting! My Hoplite army will end up twice the size of everybody elses....poo.

Perhaps this is why I am also now being tempted by the new Warlord Games Republican Roman figures....sigh.