Let’s get this out of the way immediately, I don’t like the Romans. They were a horrible lot, spending their time killing, taxing and wearing sandals! Anyway, this time I have a frame of Victrix’s “Rome’s Legions of the Republic” which I need to do something with. It’s a nice large sprue with 8 figures, a few extra weapons and heads etc…
The poses are a bit static but the models are nicely detailed and sturdy to work with.
The Leftover Sprue
The Romans loved nothing more than designing innovative way of killing their enemies, which lucky enough, gives me a chance of making some of them.
The Ballista
Firstly I made a Ballista, a kind of giant crossbow that shot 3 foot long bolts up to 500 metres! I used little lengths of string for the rope to give it a more authentic look.
The Onager
Then I rustled up an Onager, the Roman form of a catapult. These shot large boulders which were often painted black, so it made them more difficult for the enemy to spot in the air!
(Fun Fact: The name Onager, apparently means “wild ass,” and was named because the weapon would lift its back end in the air when shot!)
The Battering Ram
Still with a bit of sprue left I made a battering ram. The Romans actually fitted a ram’s head made from iron for extra strength. My effort is not quite as impressive in its appearance but at least I know what it is!
(Ps. If you don’t look too closely, then you’ll never notice the wooden wheels aren’t actually that round!)
What I like about doing this project, it gave me the chance to learn a little bit more about the Romans and it helped me rustle up a whole lot of things I’ve never made before!
Here’s a link to another catapult I made previously: Oathmark Dwarfs Sprue – Use The Sprue