1:72 Imperial Roman Auxilaries (Flavian era)

HäT 1:72 Roman auxiliary infantry, the Flavian era

A set of plastic figures in 1:72 scale from the brand HäT. The package contains forty-five figures in eight poses. The figures are unpainted and are supplied in softened plastic. The auxiliaries complement the legionary sets from the same maker and make it possible to build the formation in which the Roman army of the imperial period actually took the field.

The real subject

The auxiliaries were made up of men without Roman citizenship, recruited in the provinces. They served in foot cohorts and in the cavalry, wore lighter mail or scale armor and an oval shield different from the legionary scutum. On completing their service, as a rule after twenty-five years, they gained citizenship for themselves and their descendants, which made the auxiliaries a powerful instrument for the Romanization of the provinces.

Building and painting tips

Wash the figures, dry them and spray them with a flexible primer. Mail armor is most quickly rendered with a dark base and a dry brush in a steel shade, which catches on the texture. Paint the oval shields in a uniform pattern group by group; it sets the cohorts apart from the legionaries. Keep the tunics in muted ocher and red-brown, as the auxiliaries had no uniform supply and variety is in place here.

Who the set is for

• for collectors of the armies of the Roman empire
• for players of wargames in 1:72 scale
• for builders of dioramas of the Roman frontier
• for adding auxiliaries to legionary sets

The figures are supplied unpainted and unassembled. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.