Tuesday 27 October 2020

15mm Republican Roman Penal Legion

The penal legion was hastily raised from convicts and slaves after Cannae, and equipped with Gallic equipment most likely captured at Telemon nine years earlier. I have read various accounts where they were used as fodder, but given the choice between the promise of freedom and having to spend the rest of your life as a slave or in debtor's jail, it probably seemed like a good way out for the six thousand or so who volunteered:











I was wondering if there were any Gauls among Hannibal's allies who may have lost a shield or helmet at Telamon, and recognised it being carried by one of the penal legion. Very unlikely I suppose, but I would not have liked to have been an untrained slave up against an angry Gallic warrior if it did happen:











The figures are as usual Xyston, with the shield transfers from Little Big Men Studios:











That's sixteen elements in all completed. Given that they are rated inferior I'm not sure how often they will be used, but they are nice to have to give the army a little variety:











Next up, some incendiary pigs which, although cruel and inhumane in practice, makes an appearance in the early Camillan Republican Roman list.

13 comments:

  1. A really interesting intro. to this unit Lawrence. Your shields are fantastic!
    Regards, James

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    1. Thanks James. They are a little fiddly, but become easier once you get into the swing of it.

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  2. Beautiful work, as always, Lawrence. Shields look especially colorful. I enjoyed your unit history on the penal legion. Fascinating.

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    1. Thanks Jonathan. Just when I thought I had done the last of the Gallic shields a year ago, I realised I still had these to go in the Roman pile.

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  3. Great looking and unusual penal unit!
    Best Iain

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    1. Cheers Iain, they are definitely a little different and I hope they make it into an army list at some point.

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  4. Inferior troops come in handy when you're short on points! :-)
    A definite change of pace from your every day Legion, too.

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    1. Inferior troops can bulk up an army very nicely, and we had a good laugh in the last game we played where some inferior levy skirmishers munched their way through several superior elements due to some lucky dice rolls, before eventually meeting an heroic ending.

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  5. Replies
    1. Thanks Biblicrafts. I feel as though I have got the hang of them, although after a few thousand I have had a fair bit of practice.

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  6. More great ancient Romans Lawrence, although not in the most popular scale apparently!

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    1. Indeed not. I actually have a 28mm Republican Roman army sitting in the lead pile, but it might be a while before I'll feel like painting another Roman.

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  7. Nice work! Slaves and debtors might have fought before they were enslaved or indebted, although their drill and so on might have been lacking

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