For those unfamiliar with the 10mm scale, you might have had the same reaction as I did. Why would anyone consider designing a new scale of figures incompatible with those already on the market? Will one go blind painting such a small figure? How much space will be really saved on the tabletop?

In response to these questions, from my own experience, wargamers have always been enamored with toy soldiers of all sizes. Even the legendary pioneer in wargaming, Jack Scruby, famous for his 25mm and 30mm figures, designed and sold 9mm figures. The designer John Hill, following his introduction of Johnny Reb, a set of rules for the American Civil War, tried without much success, to promote the first 10mm soldiers. The extraordinary increase, within the past few years, in the availability of other 10mm figure lines has been a result of talented designers, attempting to find a niche for their work, and wargamers, seeing the potential for such figures on their tables.

Personally, I find AIM's 10mm figures to be as detailed, if not more so, than many 15mm and some 25mm figures. These figures truly lend themselves to all the possible styles of painting- black lining, wash, mass paint jobs, and especially, in detail. At first, being out of practice, I found no savings in time between painting a 10mm and a 15mm, since I like to finely detail my figures. With the select use of mass painting techniques, as well as my growing familiarity with these figures, I have been able to reduce my painting time down to ?, sometimes to , of what would have been spent on the average 15mm. After priming with an extremely fine coat, the painter often may share my surprise that the designer has added that little bit of extra detail which distinguishes between ho-hum average and the finer figures.

Although some gamers feel that, with 10mm figures, they can save 50% of the space used by a typical 15mm, I find that I only save 25 to 33%. As it is, many rules systems overcrowd their bases, and ignore the aesthetic element underlying miniature wargaming. Therefore, I prefer to use two 10mm figures in place of one 25mm soldier or one 10mm figure in place of a 15mm, with the balance of space reserved for terraining the base. Accordingly, if one were already playing a period with another scale of figures, I would say 10mm is probably not for you. If one wants to try another period inexpensively, is tired of purchasing squat figures that are not true to scale, or simply enjoys the appearance of a massed army without the loss of detail, then this scale might be for you. It was for me.

1. Roman Velite

The figure is well proportioned. It is armed with what appears to be a javelin and small shield (parma). Its outfit is that of a linen tunic and a wolf head or other animal hood and fur hide cape. The velite's missilery was a throwing dart, approximately 30 inches long. In this scale, the weapon is perfectly acceptable, given that the other models' spears are somewhat thicker and longer. The same can be said for the head covering which, according to Osprey and other sources, was traditionally made from a wild animal.

I have always wondered where a legion would obtain the requisite numbers of hides, wolf, fox, or lion, to outfit the signifers, much less the 600 to 1200 velites assigned to the traditional legion. The answer, of course, is that not every velite had such. Accordingly, the designer might have been better off providing the velites with alternative head covering, such as the galea in the same or even better in a different package. The galea, for those unfamiliar with the term, is a leather helmet with openings for the ears and fastened by straps. It may best be described as resembling the headgear used by early football players.

The velite figure has a most appropriate pose, that of crouching, as if throwing off his missiles or ducking that of his foe. Notwithstanding the youthfulness of the velite, as a new recruit, being between 17 and 25 years, the figure appears to be somewhat dwarfish in comparison with his other more armored compatriots in the line. Only after a careful examination of other figures in the line, one discovers that the velite's lack of height is more illusion than real, especially if matched against figures with helmets. Fortunately for those concerned with such matters, matching the velites with other troop types is minimal since the velites, as skirmishers, were generally formed by themselves, in their own maniples, in front of the hastati. For others, the figure's illusory lack of stature may still be bothersome, given that the velites occasionally were used in support of Roman and Allied cavalry, and that of the triarii, especially with their giant-like appearance.

2. Roman (allied) light infantry

For those who want an alternative light infantry figure, without an animal head covering, this figure should help to address that need. This figure has no head covering whatsoever, as discussed above. According to Polybius, at one time, the velites were initially equipped without a shield and sword, and were not very well trained in their skirmishing duties. Although this figure has a sword, academic sources question whether Scipio Africanus was, in fact, responsible for reforming or even re-equipping the light infantry, since there was more than one type of sword being issued to the troops during our period. On the other hand, some even suggest that it would not have been surprising if such infantry came with their own swords, if not standard equipment. Although the missilery also varied, it was some form of javelin. With this being said, the missilery does appear to be a trifle long. Regardless, this delightful figure deserves a place with the velites, especially in the allied legions and all legions up to, and including, the battle of Cannae (216 B.C.).

3. Roman Hastati with pilum

Both the hastati and principe were given as protective gear, (1) a leather helmet (casses), covered or strengthened with iron, and ornamented with red and black plumes; and (2) a breastplate (lorica) made of iron scales sewed upon stout leather, which covered shoulder, breast and abdomen. Approximately 120 to 160 would form a maniple, of which ten maniples would, in turn, form the first closed order line. Both the hastati and principe were armed with a two-edged sword, used both to cut and thrust (This was better than the Greek sword, which was a mere knife, or that of the barbarian Gauls, used for slashing. Much ink has been spilled over the introduction of the Spanish gladius. Whether one accepts that Scipio Africanus introduced such into the Roman army, the Roman tactics were clearly based prior to the first Punic War on the use of cut and thrust weaponry.).

Also controversial were the pilum and hasta, in particular, as to when they were introduced and discontinued as standard Roman and allied infantry weaponry. The pilum, a heavy lance, was constructed of cornel wood, whose dimensions are variously given. Probably, it was two inches square, with rounded corners, and five and a half feet long in the shaft, of which nine inches was iron. At another time, the pilum had a three foot shaft, of which was two and one half feet iron. In either version, the pilum was used both as a hand weapon and that of a missile. As a missile, its soft iron would catch in a shield and render it useless. The pilum's predecessor, the hasta, a lighter and longer lance, gave name to the hastati. Some sources suggest that the hasta was an anachronism, being no longer used by Roman infantry in the 2nd Punic War, whereas others suggest that it was on the way out, possibly due to the reforms instituted by Africanus Scipio.

The figure truly has to be one of the best on the market, bar none. The wargamer should appreciate being given the choice of deciding whether to arm ones hastati with pilum or hasta. The figure's pilum is clearly two (or three) separate components as shown by the wooden haft joining the shaft and the iron lance. The armored mail coat, which was brought by the wealthier citizens or provided by the state, is a joy to paint, whether one uses black or white primer. For the fanatic painter, the mail coat is correctly edged to enable one to paint a leather trim. The underlying tunic has appropriate folds, which are a very nice touch for those who like washes and shading for their figures.

My only personal grievance, with the figure, is that it takes a little extra effort to paint the shielded left arm. For those less finicky than myself, one can get away with not painting the arm at all. For those who can endure painting tens, or even hundreds, of the same figure for the pleasure of seeing lines in perfect array, this is truly a fine addition to your army. However, others like myself would not mind having another selection, possibly one, with an action pose, having sword in hand, especially for the front ranks, or for the rear ranks, with a more stationary pose, as if waiting ones turn to deal with the approaching enemy formation. Variety is still very much to be desired even in the smaller scales.

4. Roman Principe, with pilum

Much of what was said for the hastati could be repeated for the principe. Initially, the principe was the first closed order line within the legion, but when it became the second has become lost in the pages of history. Some sources suggest that the principe and hastati both had used the long spear, whereas others indicate that only the Allied Legions had principe, no hastati, and retained the hasta, or the hoplite's long spear, during the 2nd Punic War. Personally, I credit that the Latin tribes and their allies, with their traditional conservatism, might not have wished to give up the morale benefits perceived accruing to the older, more experienced veterans, through the retention of a familiar and prestigious name and the use of a longer hand weapon.

As a wargamer, I like the idea of having my Allies distinguished from my Romans, but as a historian, I must question the validity of this distinction. There are no historical grounds to support that, in fact, the allied legions had different armor, weaponry, tactics or morale from the Roman legions. What the sources do indicate is that the Allies provided more men per legion. Whether this reflects organizational differences as opposed to treaty obligations is not clear. Unfortunately, what sources we have are incomplete and not contemporaneous. In terms of development, the Roman legions of Livy and Polyibius were light-years from those legions used in the wars against Pyrrhus and Hannibal.

The breastplate placed on the principe figure may be used to distinguish the principe from the hastati. The men, constituting the principe, upon being drafted, were required to bring a coat of mail, sword, shield, and greave, as part of their equipment, were from the wealthier elements of Rome. Some sources show the breastplate as bronze, whereas others show it as iron. Whereas some gamers prefer to game with units that are absolute dead look-likes, there are those who like to vary their units with multiple figure types. It would not be unreasonable to mix the principe and hastati figures having pilum.

Regardless, this too is an excellent action figure. The figure is nicely proportioned and the metal greave only on the left leg (also on the hastati) is accurate. My only negative comment regarding this figure is that occasionally the straps to the breastplate in the back are missing, as if there was not enough lead poured into the mold. Fortunately, a few deft paint strokes should address this condition.

5. (Allied) Roman Principe, with thrusting spears

This is one of those breath-taking figures that wargamers should love to paint and talk about. The figure is extremely well posed and the features crisply detailed. The spear is modeled correctly, but others like myself may rush to their sources, thinking that, in mistake, they have a Roman pikeman instead on their hands. However, because of the accurate pose, which has the lengthy spear thrusting over its shoulder, it is a difficult figure to base in more than rank. The casses appears to be a much later version, possibly more appropriate for the troops of Julius Caesar and later. This just may be my personal ignorance, since the sources, which I resort to only show the helmet in question on statues of later periods.

As mentioned before , scholars and wargamers are divided as to when the hasta was discontinued. The scholarly consensus is that, if the hasta was still used in the 2nd Punic War, the triarii were the last troops to use it. Being a good wargamer, I do not care to give up a good model, much less an excellent one, if I can help it. Therefore, without hesitation, I recommend using this figure for any one of the earlier conflicts, Rome versus Pyrrhus, Carthage (1st Punic War), Sammites, Etruscans, etc. It is also appropriate for those who use Emperor's Press Ancient Empires and those who believe that the Roman Allied Legions were not mirror images of their Roman counterparts. Others may wish to consider restricting the figure to their Extraordinarii, a special formation of allied legionnaires used as reserve and storm troops. Whether serving as hostages to Rome or providing ones Consuls with extra tactical flexibility, the Extraordinarii, with such an outstanding figure, should be a welcome option to the Roman wargamer.

6. Roman Triarii

The triarii were like Napoleon's Imperial Guard. As the best armored and most experienced, they most closely resembled the Greek hoplites, being armored with long spears and large shields. They were occasionally called during battle to temporarily garrison the legion's fortifications built on the march and form the third closed order line. Unlike the hastati and principe, the triarii had only one century of 60 men, constituting the maniple. If the triarii were used in battle, it was a sign that the battle was not going well. "Inde rem ad triarios redisse!" Loosely translated, it means that, "Its down to the triarii now."

As a figure, the triarii personally gives off ambivalent feelings. Like its brother figures, it is extremely well proportioned and historically accurate. There are no hidden folds to provide the new comer with problems in painting. The long spear and shield look right on the figure. The Greek-looking helmet (casses) is a pleasant contrast to those of the hastati and principe. However, one may question the accuracy of having a middle crease in the back of the helmet. This concern is insignificant to the problem of having a figure, which appears disproportionate to that of the others. On the other hand, in a similar fashion to Napoleon's Old Guard's so-called bear-skin headgear, the helmets of the triarii and the Greek hoplite may have served to give the viewer the same illusion that the wearer was a giant. In this, as in any selection of any line of figures, it is purely a matter of taste. Personally, the triarii fit rather nicely with the and principe, but not as well with the velites, as described above. One suggestion is for the designer to model the triarii, by having them kneeling on the their right knees, a customary position for a line of men held in reserve.

Regardless, this figure, like others referred to in this article, as having this problem, is a true 10mm figure in accordance with the Barrett Scale. (The Barrett scale measures up to the eyeball level only and does not include the headgear.)

7. Roman Infantry Command

A) Cornifer In a similar fashion to the velites, the musician figure, without a helmet, may appear to some to be unduly short. Like the velites, the figure is a true 10mm and is compatible with those with or without helmets. With its attractive cape and eye-catching cornu, it should nicely fill out ones command stand. The cornu, delicately made, occasionally suffers from insufficient lead. A little more quality control should address this unfortunate problem.

B) Signifers This is another fine figure without head gear, which is somewhat surprising (See Velites). The signum is without the usual medallions and symbols appropriate to the legion or maniples' standards. However, many may prefer to use the signum's blank cloth to designate the legion's organization in their own manner. Personally, I prefer to distinguish the maniples with a different colored shield. Regardless, it would have been nice to have an aquifer, an eagle standard bearer, if not the other four standards carried by the Republican Roman legion.

C) Officer (Tribune/Praetor/Consul) If I am lavish with praises for the other figures, the truth is that I am disappointed with this one. Although the figure is a true 10mm figure, its appearance is squat and less than the sum of its finely sculpted parts. Even with the best of intentions of providing the wargamer with a dynamic looking officer, the figure's outstretched arm, with its shield, appears (but is not actually) disproportionate to the other parts of the body, especially the stubby legs and the other arm with a gladius. Also, the figure's legs constitute less than half of the figure's statue, even if one does not include the helmet. The general visual impression of stubbiness is accentuated by the addition of the figure's breastplate and greaves.

Perhaps, the visual effect would have been better, had the designer made the figure a lesser officer, centurion or decurion, standing at rest, with his shield planted on the ground, as illustrated by Osprey. With the shield being held in the air, the eye is inevitably drawn to the figure's inflated chest size and then to the legs. Even better, this line of figures deserves another officer figure, a consul or tribune, either on or off a horse, with a toga and no shield at all, with his hand, signaling or swinging his sword in the air, as if beckoning his wavering legion. Visualize a hero such as Scipio Africanus or Julius Caesar, accompanied by the Senate's Lictors (bearers of the Senate's arms).

8. Accensus (Roarii)

The designer of this line was thoughtful enough to provide us with an infantry figure, which formed one of the initial five classes of Roman infantry, in the wars preceding, and including, the war against Pyrrhus. For those who like to keep their figures as labeled by the designer or manufacturer, the Accensus was primarily an economic grouping of Rome's manpower, and not an actual formation. Rome's armies were drafted by economic class, social status, and age. However, according to Livy, in one of his more questionable detailing of the Punic wars, the archaic roarii, being formed from the Accensus, were still a battle formation in use as of the battle of Cannae. Again, this obscure terminology may have been an anachronism left over from prior times, since the Romans also used the terminology applicable to their land formations to describe naval leaders and battles.

Fortunately, at least for our purposes as wargamers, the equipment used by the roarii, one of the last two of the five lines of infantry formed from the Accensus, constituting the earlier versions of the Roman legion, did not radically vary from the more familiar hastati/principe/triarii. Although not an exciting figure to view, I am considering using it for my allied Roman principe. Like the hastati figure, the roarii were armed with the hasta and a long, rounded shield, and, perhaps more importantly, lacks the chain mail, and the later version casses of the principe, with the thrusting spear. Others may prefer it because of its stance, with the shield and hasta so positioned as to allow close-ordered ranks.

9. Volones/Convict

10. Roman Cavalry

As a minor criticism, the figure's breastplate and casses are more appropriate to armies later than the Republican Roman period, certainly not those prior to Scipio Africanus. During this period Roman cavalry were drafted from the wealthier elements of Roman society, armored in a similar fashion to hastati and principe, with chain mail, sword and hasta, as they were expected to fight on foot, as well. Rather than complain further, that the figure is not the less armored cavalry type, which formed the bulk of the cavalry in the Punic Wars, one can only hope that, in the future, the designer will design a cavalry figure, equipped with the earlier casses and chain mail. On the other hand, if one were so inclined, one can do an easy conversion by removing the spear and thereby, creating a very dynamic looking consul/legate.

11. Macedonian Elephant

The Macedonian soldier figure, as rider, with its enormous pike, is easily recognizable from the illustrations in WRG's Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars. The exaggerated stance of the rider enables the painter to place it anywhere. After determining its final position, a gentle squeezing of both legs results in the closure of any unintended space between the elephant and the soldier. The Mahout, as provided, an Indian, with its bound-up hair, also closely resembles the drawings previously referred to.

12. Punic Elephant

Sources:

Tony Bath, Hannibal's Campaigns
Theodore Dodge, Hannibal
B. Liddell Hart, Scipio Africanus
Duncan Head, Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars (W.R.G.)
Polybius, Rise of the Roman Empire
Arnold Toynbee, Hannibal's Legacy
John Warry, Warfare in the Classical World
Terrence Wise, Roman and Carthaginian Armies (Osprey).

Conclusions

Overall, I am very pleased with this line of figures, and so should you. If I am unduly critical on any particular figure, my only desire, both as a reviewer and a consumer, is to encourage the designers of this fine historical miniature line to make available to the public the best figures possible. Probably like you, in choosing a line, I carefully study the reviews and then consider buying a few figures. It is important that you make you own decision, but I suggest that you send $4.00 for a catalog and a sample figure to Division After Division, 16710 Bradbe Road, Fisherville, KY 40023, before making that decision. Then you too may be joining Hannibal and me for a trip over the Alps!