Throw back post: Welcome to the Confederation of Zaquetta

Found an old draft post from back when I was planning what I thought would be an "imagi-nation" ancients project code named ZAQUETTA. This has morphed after I completed most of the units below to become a fantasy project including the units below in the "City States" and the "Great Kingdom" factions.

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The Confederation of Zaquetta is the name of my new Ancients 15mm wargaming project.

This is another imagi-nation project modeled on the likes of my 18/19th century imagi-nation and those made infamous in wargaming circles by Donald Featherstone, Tony Bath, and Charles Grant. I may add a fantasy element to this project too because I like some of the figures I have seen such as the Splintered Light gnomes.

I will create the imaginary world based on a world filled with city-states, once unified (dominated) by a now failing empire modeled on Rome.

I am still deciding on what rules to use. There is an ancients version of Field of Battle coming in the future, and I like the Pride of Lions rules from Splintered Light.

I have a batch of painted figures I bought off E-Bay to use as the enemy untill I get enough units painted.

My first unit is Slingers. I just love the concept of the sling, always have. Blame it on David and Goliath. Just read an interesting article in Ancient Warfare magazine about the power of the sling.

This is another 15mm project. I have purchased all the figures for my initial order of battle. The figures come from:

Trey Corbies
Xyston
Warmodelling
Splinterred Light
Falcon
Viking Forge

My standard is for units of 24 infantry, 12 light infantry, and 12 cavalry.

The planned order of battle to get me started is below:

INFANTRY
24 x Guard Infantry
24 x Levy Spear
24 x Pict Spear
24 x Pict Spear
24 x African Spear
24 x Armored Hoplite
24 x Unarmored Hoplite
24 x British Warband
24 x Fanatic Gaul Warband
24 x Female Irish Warband
24 x Egyptian Axe
24 x Sea People Warband
12 x British Javelin
12 x Pict Javelin
12 x Female Irish Skirmishers
12 x Balderic Slingers
12 x Persian Archers

CAVALRY
12 x Guard Cavalry
12 x Maiden Guard Cavalry
12 x Heavy Greek Cavalry
12 x Numidian Javelin Cavalry
12 x Archer Cavalry

OTHER
4 x Chariots
4 x Elephants
Generals

Each of the nationalities of the figures will be pulled from a city-state or region. The main city is Zaque, ruled by a warrior queen and her army of fierce celtic women.

REGIONS:
Zaque: (Irish)
Phila: (Greek)
Connery: (Picts)
Nutis: (Numidian)
Barca: (Carthaginians)
Albano: (British)
Irannia: (Persian)
Phombay: (Indian)
Atlantica: (Sea People)
Nilus: (Egyptian)
Gato: (Balderic)
Franka: (Gauls)
Latalia: (Rome)

Phase 2 of the Fantasy project

I am closing in (9 units to go) on the first phase of the fantasy project. I have the packs of Demonworld figures listed below (99 packs!) for when I pick up the fantasy project in the future.

There are many more packs for each army in this line...I will purchase them when the time comes.

3-ELVES
High Elf swordsmen
High Elf Til Dolandor (fanatic)
Centaur warriors

13-EMPIRE
Dragon rider
Novices of the order
Mammoth Hunters
Noble foot soldiers
Druids, sprites, elemental
Mob
Noble light cav
Chariot
Berserkers
Masters of the order
Noble crossbowmen
Rolling fortress flamethrower
Rolling fortress archers

8-THAIN
Commanders
Wild sows
Savage warriors
Charging boars
Skirmishers
Warriors
King's wolves
Spearmen

20-DWARVES
Priests
Bullet hailer
Hell spliter
Commanders
Artillery observers
Orc slayers
Pony riders
Arquebusiers
Dwarven Arquebusiers
Battle rider w/hammer
Battle rider w/axe
Heavy clan warriors
Blunderbuss unit
Bombardiers
Dragon thunder
Miners
Clan veterans
Flyer w/ram
Flyer w/flamer
Flyer w/blunderbuss

7-ORCS
Light archers
Dwarf eaters
Orc guard
Swordbearers
Wolfpack
Shamans
Catapult

14-GOBLINS
Spider hunters
Beetle flyers
Young disciples
Trollbins
Desert flea riders
War trutles
Scorpion rider
Personalities
Giant beetle
Poison pump
Commanders
Shamans
Catapult
Tarantula

12-DARK ELF
Serpent Archers
Glowing Shadows
Sisters of HatNaris cav
Dark guard
Mounted scouts
Mounted crossbow
Warriors
Circle of blood
Crossbowmen
Sisters of blood
Spell Chanters
Commanders

22-MIXED
Myrlak (giant)
Bull herd
Mantlets
Ice giant
Trolls x 2
Snow trolls
Harpies
Elementals
Demons
Demon giant
Ice witches
Snow Cannon
Stakes
Familiars
War sled
Daughters of xeribulos
Skeletons with scythes
Mountain lion ghosts
Wolf ghosts
Boar ghosts
Eagle ghosts
Bear ghosts

Golden Idol stolen!

A clutch of savage Woodland Squatches snuck in and stole the Golden Idol right out from under a bunch of drunken Elves. While the Elves continued their merry-making the next day, a force of Human and Dwarven warriors set out to find the prized treasure.

Meanwhile, the infamous Mind Flayer sorcerer scryed the woodlands and discovered the Squatch camp.  He sent a host of Dark Elves, Goblins, Orcs and foul Undead to capture the relic.

Both armies approach the camp at dawn, determined to claim the most valuable item in the land.

Forces of good on the left, forces of darkness on the right

The first clash is a heavy cavalry exchange won by the human knights vs the Dark Elf raptor riders; The The Dark Elves would not perform well today

Another victory for the Kingdom forces...trained bowmen supported by men-at-arms see off the fierce Orc scorpion riders on the central hill.

Goblin scouts spot the Squatch camp and begin raining arrows on the poor beasts.

Clash of the heavy cavalry...the Dark Elves rout shortly after.

Skeleton heavy cavalry rush forward to give the Dwarves a rough time.

While the Maiden Guard and Miners protect the left flank from approaching Undead.

The central hill is still contested...so far the battle could swing either way.

Then the Goblin archers panic the Squatch band...who flee into the approaching Dwarven warriors.

The Dwarves are forces to cut down the panicked creatures giving the Goblins time to snatch the Idol.

Dwarven ballista line up a flank shot on the Undead heavy cavalry...their bolts fly true and send shards of bone scattering across the landscape.

Princess Gelda leads her command forward to crush the Undead. Her troops send many foul creatures back into death.

The Goblin Shaman guides his warriors to safety with the Idol in hand.

Vlad moves his Undead to cover the retreat.

The mighty Dwarven Bear cavalry try to chase the idol.

Closing in...

They smash through more of the seemingly endless supply of skeleton warriors.

But come up just a little too short...the Shaman escapes with the Golden Idol. The forces of darkness gain a hard fought victory.

I fought this game over two days using my home brew fantasy rules. Activation is based on a combination of cards and a command roll...the Dark Elves and the 2 Human commands on the left failed to do much the whole game. The action in the center was fierce...the Goblin Archers were the heroes of the day. They defeated the Squatch warband to take the idol, then held off some Dwarven warriors to allow the Shaman to escape. The Undead suffered severe losses, but they did enough to slow down the Humans and Dwarves. The Bear Riders almost saved the day (although even if they recovered the idol, the ride back would have been tough).

 

I have some adjustments and refinements to make to the rules. Having fun trying out ideas and adding in rules as events come up.

November 2014

The blog turned 5 years old this month and I hit 6 years since I started painting figures while in Iraq. I got back on schedule with the fantasy project this month and I am prepared to finish the first phase by the end of the year.

I have to make the decision to start the pirate project or to start phase 2 of the fantasy project with the huge batch of Demonworld figures I have taunting me from the shelf. I plan to cut expenses next year and I have all the pirate figures/ships (and bases) on hand.

PAINTING
3 x 16 figure Elven Archer units: 48 pts
1 x 15 figure Elven Grove Guard Spearmen: 15 pts
1 x 24 figure Elven pike unit: 24 pts
1 x 20 figure Elven warrior unit: 20 pts
1 x 8 figure Elven mounted archer unit: 16 pts
TOTAL: 123 pts

GAMES
1 fantasy game with home brew rules

NEXT UP
Finish the fantasy units below by end of the year:
-Kenku (birdmen)
-Giff (hippomen)
-hobgoblins
-ogres
-chaos warriors
-wemics
-trolls
-kobolds
-bugbears
-mounted lizard men

Elven Army

Seven new units join the Elven army. It now consists of 23 units:

Heavy Elk Cavalry
Medium Elk Cavalry
Light Elk Mounted Archers
Unicorn Riders
Light Cavalry
Horse Archers
Wood Elf Mounted Archers

Royal Guard
Maiden Guard
Sapphire Shield Pikemen
Fanatics
Rangers (Archers)
Grove Guard
Desert Elf Warriors
Wood Elf Warriors
Warriors
Warriors
Warriors
Archers
Archers
Wood Elf Archers
Levy Archers
Levy Archers

Sapphire Shield Pikemen 

Levy Bowmen

Levy Bowmen

Grove Guard Spearmen

Horse Archers

Archers

Warriors

Crystal shields

I usually don't post figures in progress, but I wanted to capture how these Elves look before I base and matte varnish.

I used glitter on the shields to get a crystal/gem effect...they look great now but not sure how they will turn out in the end.

October + unit pictures

I finished basing the units painted in October (and two this month to finish off the humans).

Leaders, wizards, and some nasty Mind Flayers.

Heavy cavalry

Armored swordsmen

Archers to match

Medium cavalry with lances

Plate armored halbertiers

Levy spearmen

King's rangers

Local militia

October 2014

Not the best month for painting with some highs and lows through the month.


PAINTING:
124 x 15mm fantasy figures (6 units): 124 points
6 x 15mm characters/leaders: 6 points
1 x 15mm elephant: 1 point
TOTAL: 131 points
-----OK, that is actually better than I expected, but they all still need to be based.

I have two units and 4 leaders left from the human faction...all are primed and the mounts started.

Then comes 7 units (6 foot, 1 horse) of Elves.


GAMES:
none :(

No Fall In convention for me again this year. I am planning on Cold Wars and Historicon but the military course I am in may trump the conventions.

I like how the leaders came out.

A matched pair of swordsmen and archer units...plus the cavalry waiting on new uniforms. I used IDF decals on the shields.

My son set up a zombie game with a friend.