Looking back....and looking forwards

It's around this time of year a bit of introspection takes place, looking back at the previous year. I think I'll save that post for New Year....

I have however had a quick look at this time last year. Aside from illness, I was very preoccupied with Pavia and the renaissance flats. Well oddly, I've just finished two more books on Pavia but those zinnfiguren are still staring at me in nothing but primer.....

As I alluded to last post, I was very taken by a post on Martin Rapier's The Games We Play blog on the SOA conference and a sprawling map game set in around 246BC:

https://tgamesweplay.blogspot.com/2025/11/queen-laodika-s-war.html

I have been thinking recently that it's about time I did some gaming; sadly opportunities are non-existent due to work and lack of space. As I sat at my small desk, my eye was drawn to the plywood sheet covered in model railway grass paper that had been done for DBA games. I used to play DBA a lot. I was attracted by the small number of figures needed for an army which allowed a slow painter like me to see results. At one stage I was alternating painting Soldier King plastics with 15mm SCW battalions and 15mm DBA armies.

Time moves on, as does enthusiasm. Although I have kept up with successive editions, DBA has lapsed as has the painting of 15mm ancients. I also succumbed to the draw of more and more figures which sit unpainted. Some are now out of production sadly. I cannot bring myself to sell them just yet.

And so I found my musings drawing together these various strands - how about some sort of mini-campaign, using DBA and utilising the 15mm figures I have, set around 246BC involving Seleucid and Ptolemaic kingdoms with conflict between them as part of a Seleucid succession crises? Jury is out on involving the Antigonid kingdom. What is needed is lots of core Successor elements + various mercenary types, Greek, Thracian, Galatian, Arab and Jewish.

Sadly, I cannot put it aside, so have found myself digging out figures and cleaning them up before priming. I was unsure whether to go for the black undercoat used previously or go white and used Contrast paint and AP ink washes. So I decided to experiment with both.

A few more awaiting a bit more work

I thought I'd posted picture of my DBA armies but clearly haven't! As it's Xmas, some 15mm ancient eye candy.

This is what I'm hoping to match - existing Seleucid and Ptolemaic armies - the Seleucid is a later one so needs different cavalry.

There are other armies which can contribute useful elements - Mithridatic Pontic and Hellenistic Greek:

Most of the armies were for a Marian Roman era campaign, but even these have some useful figures:

Sadly the big box of Celts is buried somewhere so they are camera shy at present.

If there is interest, I can post photos of the other armies, Roman, Numidian and Spanish.

In case I don't get to post before the big day, wishing all my blog readers and visitors the compliments of the season, whatever your beliefs. May you have a peaceful and pleasant day and receive at least something from under the tree (even if you have had to buy it yourself!).