Sharp Objects

Here's a project that I finished a while back but never had time to photograph. This is my fleet of scythed chariots; the Mark I's (venerable Vendels) at the rear and the Mark II's (lethal-looking Gripping Beast Polemarchs) to the fore. I'm very pleased with them.

I assembled them - no mean task! I made the whips from plastic rod. Shaun McTague painted them all, he did a splendid job with the red and the gold. I based on my wobbly-edged bases.

All the models are intended for the Ipsus game that I plan to run at various shows in Q3 and Q4. I fully suspect that they will last for less than 90 seconds! I'd have done better building wrecked chariot models, at least they'd be there all game. ;-)

In other news, I've just published an updated version of the Medieval army lists. If you bought the lists before you should have received a download link.

There are now 108 lists in the Medieval Army List eBook, and around two third of them now include historical background material. I've also started to include photos of my favourite wargames figures painted by my favourite wargames artists. If you'd like to buy a copy you can find it here.

Flagtastic

Mats Elzinga has very kindly made me up some beautiful Liégeois guild flags for my Low Countries Militia, who are clearly becoming more than a side-project. Above is the flag for the Meuniers (appropriately, the Millers) Guild- most of the minis are ex David Imrie.

Below the city flag with minis that are painted by me or Shaun McTague. Mats is going to do flags for the other guilds, too, so I will need to get a lot more minis painted! I don't mind this, though, as I have lots of spare plastic minis that suit this army rather better than they do Italian or Swiss hosts.

In other news, there's a palpable sense, here in the UK, that the tyranny of Covid is finally coming to an end. I'm busy dusting off half-finished projects from last year and planning events for Q3 that might, actually, happen! I am sifting through my lead-reserves and planning a real table-groaner.  :-)

Low Countries pike

Last night I finished repainting these repurposed surplus Swiss pikemen who have signed up, instead, for the Liégeois militia. 

There's a cracking image of a soldier with a padded jacket with added metal arm protection (just like the Perry plastics, above) on the left in this painting of the Flemish School by Hans Memling (late c. 15th). He even has the red trousers that the militia wore.

At the moment I'm undecided as to whether I should base them, now, or paint up a bunch more to introduce more variety of poses. I might buy some Perry metals. We'll see what happens, next week!

Busman's Holiday

Whilst building the Swiss army I have picked up a lot of figures that are really well painted but which look slightly less Swiss, to me, than most. This can be because they have padded gambesons, which one doesn't see a lot (any?) Swiss in, or have shields. The front rankers above were superbly painted by David Imrie but fall into this category. I also have quite a few other minis painted by Shaun McTague that look rather northern European.

 

I have decided to use a lot of these minis in a different army. They will become Low Countries city militia, from Ghent or Antwerp or wherever. Apparently these militia came to the musters dressed in distinctive colours city or guild colours, such as red and yellow, which is very convenient as I have a fair few in those colours. I can give them guild flags, the one in the image which is from the Perry box art. These will become a block of 48 in 4 ranks.

I can then use them in various armies within the Medieval Army List book that will suit- notably the Low Countries list, Burgundian and the Hapsburg Burgundian lists, so they should see some action! I have lots of similar unpainted minis, too, so other formations can follow in due course. I'd like to be able to field the armies for Guinegate 1479.

In other news I came across some rather well-written TtS! medieval scenarios on another site- well worth a look!

Switzers XIII

 

I have broken the habit of a lifetime and painted a few minis from scratch. These are guide minis that will gone to Shaun McTague, in the next week or so, so that he can paint the final two contingents of Swiss pike. 

I like both sets of heraldry, although I particularly like the former with the unusual diagonal, which came out great on the right-hand figure. I'll definitely also want some Zurich arquebusiers, too as Flags of War do such a lovely standard for the Zurich skirmishers.

Also I read an interesting piece in the Swiss Osprey, which says that Bernese skirmishers carried an axe called a mordaxt, in addition to an arquebus or crossbow. I read that a mordaxt is a 2m long polearm, which seems somewhat incompatible with carrying an arquebus, but perhaps most had a missile weapons and some the polearm, to support the former? It's an interesting modelling challenge, anyhow.

I'm confidently moving towards finishing the Swiss, and have even been able to find time to start a new unit of Burgundian opponents for them, pics in a day or so.