The Last Stand of the IX (9th) Legion 1/16 – 120mm Miniart figure conversion and re-sculpt. Using Reedees Miniatures replacement heads. Depicting the final stand and eventual massacre of a Vexillation of the IX (9th) Legion, at the Battle of Camulodonum. Faced by the combined forces of the Iceni tribe, led by Boudicca. Set in 1st Century, near modern Colchester Essex the ancient capital of Roman Britain. Using the Miniart 1/16 Legionary kit as base for all the figures in the scene, I first cut off all the kit parts, like tunic around the upper arm section that attached to the layered armour. I then reconfigured the arms and legs. The kit parts when formed come hollow in the kit, so I added styrene sheet ends to the joints with metal pins inserted at shoulder, elbow, hip and knee joints to create new dynamic poses. Then I locked the Arm and Leg joints with scraps of styrene and superglue. I used some replacement character heads from a company called Reedees Miniatures. These fitted the Miniart kit size perfectly and give an individual personality to each figure that helped bring out the build in painting. Once all the figures were converted I resculpted detail like their tunic, adding breaches, boots and leg protection and warmers as worn by the Romans in ancient Britain. These changes also created unique looking figures for the final scene. The most converted figures were the kneeling Signifier (standard bearer) and Tesserarius (officer with the ball ended staff). The Signifier was depicted with chain mail armour to distinguish him from the common Roman soldier. He would be the rallying point for any legion, protected to the last man as in my scene. The Signifiers chain mail was sculpted in a mix of Greenstuff/magic Sculpt putty. His visored helmet used one of the kit faces converting it to to face shield distinctive on the field of battle that would have put fear into the enemy. The Tesserarius was the first figure in the scene I converted and painted and loved his slightly arrogant and confident look; he would have commanded respect in any battle. The shields were distressed to show the intensity of the battle, with the Iceni shield, helmet and Roman standard all scratch builds. The bull design on the Roman Scutum Shields could have been used by the 9th, it was apparently used by legions as a religious symbol of Mithras (bull) who was fearless charging at their enemy in battle. I thought this a fitting tribute to brave Roman warriors who were fighting to the last man. The figures were painted with a mix of Jo Sonja acrylics for skin tones, oils for the clothing and weathering and Alclad II, Tamiya and Mr Metal for the metal work, swords, helmets and armour. The scenic base was scratch built in a mix of polyfiller and PVA glue with mixed static grass and painted bare stone. Weathering was airbrushed oils, a new technique I picked up during the build that works effectively at the 1/16 120mm scale.