The Chronicles of Rise of Ancient Wars
Complete Etruscan Army 15mm : Rise Miniatures figures painted by Claude Corbières and based by Jean-Philippe Imbach
The idea behind this blog is simple: to offer a true development journal following the creation of my armies, from the earliest historical research to the final sculpts, including print tests, equipment choices, gameplay compromises, and the various interpretations that come with such projects.
After the Etruscans and the Samnites, it was time to prepare a third campaign dedicated this time to the Umbrians.
The first two ranges — Etruscans and Samnites — were mainly designed around the army lists from De Bellis Antiquitatis and L’Art de la Guerre V4. The primary goal of these projects was to create armies that were both coherent and enjoyable to play within those systems, while still trying to maintain a certain degree of historical credibility.
The Etruscans allowed me to explore a period still heavily shaped by Greek and Orientalizing influences, with its hoplites, richly equipped aristocrats, and the highly distinctive symbols of archaic Italy.
Heirs to a brilliant civilization and a proud military tradition, they refused to submit and attempted to rally the cities of the Dodecapolis in order to defend their independence.
Their army reflects the full richness of their culture: noble cavalry, disciplined infantry, agile and diverse light troops, and elite units drawn from the ruling classes — a unique blend of cultural refinement and military power.
The Samnites, on the other hand, gave me the opportunity to explore a more Italic and mobile approach, with more varied silhouettes, distinctive shields, and an aesthetic already oriented toward the wars of pre-Roman classical Italy.
The Samnites were not a secondary opponent. Their resistance forced Rome to adapt its military structures, strengthen its alliance system, and gradually transform its way of warfare.
The conflicts against Samnium marked decisive stages in the evolution of the Roman army.
For this third Kickstarter campaign, I am this time taking into account the army list proposed in To the Strongest!, which notably introduces a dedicated Umbrian army list.
It is quite rare to see this people represented independently in historical wargaming. The Umbrians are often absorbed into broader Italic army groups. This new list was therefore an excellent opportunity to attempt the creation of a specifically Umbrian army.
Of course, “Umbrian” lists do still exist in De Bellis Antiquitatis and also in Field of Glory, but my goal has never been to restrict myself to a single game system.
Above all, I tried to design an army that feels credible:
coherent with archaeological discoveries,
influenced by historical reconstruction work,
compatible with gameplay constraints,
while still preserving a certain degree of artistic freedom.
I am not a historian, simply a passionate enthusiast of:
wargaming,
ancient history,
digital sculpting,
and 3D printing.
Mix all of that together, and you get the RAW range.
In the end, this range is simply a pretext to do what I enjoy most: offering miniatures to paint, experimenting with new ideas, and hopefully seeing these armies claim a few victories in future battles between friends.
Over the coming days, I will therefore be presenting a complete review of the various troops that make up the Umbrian army, in order to showcase the project’s progress as well as the choices I made before the posing phase begins.
It will also be an opportunity to discuss the historical interpretations, selected equipment, and various influences used in building this army.
Your feedback will be especially valuable at this stage of development, before the equipment is definitively locked in and production of the final poses begins.
