Last week saw the return of the mighty Roman Testudo to our range, after an absence of several years. Today, we’re taking a quick look at this mighty model, as well as its history both in 28mm and at full size.
The Testudo is one of those bits of Roman military history that has become truly emblematic of the period, helped by the fact that (a) it’s relatively well-documented in both text and sculpture, and (b) it’s really, really cool! Designed to offer excellent protection against missile attack with its closely interlocked shields, it appears to have been used both in sieges and on the open field to good effect. It’s only fitting, then, that this iconic formation appears in Hail Caesar!
Anyone who’s been on a tour of our HQ will have heard the tale of our first plastic kit, the Early Imperial Roman Legionaries. Alongside the plastics, naturally, we produced an extensive range of metal and resin supporting kits, and the Testudo was an obvious choice for inclusion – so in it went! It proved exactly as popular as we expected, and sold well for many years. However, over the years, the moulds and masters began to wear out through repeated casting cycles, and by about 2019 the kit was starting to show its age. The decision was made to take it off sale for a period, so it could be fully remastered, something we do from time to time with all of our resin kits. The plan was for a relatively quick turnaround to get it back on shelves as soon as possible.
As you may recall, 2019-2021 was a slightly… disrupted period in time. Not only did we move to our current HQ site on Finch Close, but there was also the little matter of a global pandemic and national lockdowns. When everything opened back up, we had an enormous number of new products stacked up for release, and the poor Testudo ended up sliding down the release order, and then down the back of the metaphorical sofa under the deluge of new products.
This sad state of affairs persisted until earlier this year, when eagle-eyed CEO John Stallard was inspecting the new release cabinet in the Studio. Noticing the Testudo hiding behind some Konflikt ‘47 walkers, he asked the team when it was planned for re-release. Some awkward shuffling of feet followed, but it was soon back where it belonged, on the webstore, for all to enjoy!
So, you know where it came from, and where you can buy one – but what do you do with it?
Well, first and foremost it’s an amazing centrepiece for any Early Imperial Roman collection. A Testudo (or two, or three) forming the centre of your battleline makes for an inspiring sight, advancing into the teeth of the enemy with arrows and slingshots bouncing off them. They can fill in for your ‘standard’ units of Legionaries, particularly if you’re assaulting enemy fortifications, or you can dive to page 164 of your Hail Caesar: Second Edition rulebook to find the full Testudo rules (or just look below!). These add an extra dimension to your Legionaries, and give you the ability to deploy into Testudo whenever the situation calls for it. Just imagine the look on your opponent’s face when you declare Testudo, and pull out the model to properly represent it – no awkward shuffling of troops required!
Ready to face the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune? You’ll be much better protected if you do it with a Testudo!
