We're really happy to announce the first release of the new year: 15mm DBA Roman Marching Camp!
This is a model kit of an Imperial Roman marching camp, based on our Hoppidus modular system for ancient fortifications, and designed specifically to be used with DBA rules. This set contains a selection of all the modules you need to recreate this temporary fortification, made by the army every evening when camping. The complete set consist of a base formed by two corner sections of low embankment elements, which leave a full module frontage (40mm) gap; four sections of sudes stakes; and a trunk with spikes to close the gap itself. Two supports are also supplied to hold the spiked trunk.
Sudes is Latin for stake or pike. They were part of the standard Imperial legionary equipment, and presumably used as a perimeter defense of an encampment. Also termed valles, they were wooden stakes 4-to-5 feet long, tapered to points at both ends, with a cut-out "handgrip" in the middle. They may also have been used to create a palisade or picket defense in front of a position, prior to an enemy's expected charge or attack. These stakes are often incorrectly termed Pila Muralis or "Wall Spear," which instead probably was a particularly heavy javelin made for throwing down from walls. Experiments that show them to be easily pulled out if used as a fence are all done by driving them into a finished rampart, but more likely they were inserted into the rampart as it was built and the soil packed around them, so that half their length was buried. This way they would still reach up beyond the bottom edge of a defender's shield, and be much harder for an attacker to pull out; we've therefore chosen to represent them in this way.
All the products in the Hoppidus fortifications range are supplied unpainted in kit and require assembly.
This kit include all the modules required to make a legal 120x40mm DBA camp large enough to hold an element of camp followers in the courtyard. It includes 9 parts, basic assembly instructions, guidelines and painting examples. Please note that the kit does not include (but does need) some sort of base like that shown in the picture. You can make one yourself easily enough, so we didn't felt it was the case to charge you for a rectangular piece of cardboard!
Hoppidus is a truly modular system, and all elements of this set are compatible with the rest of the range. This means you can also add more elements from all the Hoppidus range to expand and customize this basic set - for example, adding the other three sides on a separate base to turn this a completely enclosed fortified perimeter that can be used for a scenario game... Just remember, you can pick and choose any combination of modules you like, and we're here to help you at any time, so just e-mail us for any special requirements!