Balbus the disfigured - Early Republican Roman command stand

Finally I've made it! My first scheduled friday-submission!
Well, live is rather busy around here with me being away on in-company training for much of the time as well as taking over new responsibilities in my job. Normally I would have planned to have more time for painting this challenge, but alas it was not to be. I'm rather sure most of you know such real live issues only to well so I stop blathering and will come straight to business.

Senatus Populusque Romanus 1: Velites pro Impetus

Over the last weeks I've painted some figures here and there but didn't manage to get anything finished to a standard I'd show here.

But these Republican Roman 'Velites' by Aventine Miniatures were standing on my desk for some weeks now waiting patiently for basing. So I sat down after work and gave these fellows their 'terra firma'. As I don't like basing that much and wanted to cut some corners I decided to use the Model Scene 'Grass mats with calc stones'. I still have to figure out how to use them best.

This time I used a knive to cut the mat where I wanted to place the miniatures. Then I glued the mat to the 12x6cm Impetus base using PVA. Afterwards I attached the miniatures to the already cut out positions.
Unfortunately at first the figures looked like sunken knee-deep into the ground. That's because there's some kind of felt beneath the foliage. The problem was solved by pressing the mat hard to the base till the glue was rather dry. Next time I'll glue the mat to the base first I think and then attach the figures on top the mat.

Ok now on to the pics: