More musing out loud here.....
I've dug out my box of unpainted Old Glory (and some Citadel) Wars of the Roses (and some Swiss) figures to make another list and see where I can go.
Partially Painted
20x levy billmen (5 stands w/cmdr and flag)
15x levy longbow (5 stands w/cmdr)
12x crossbow (4 stands)
12x gunners (the 2 guns I have need more and nicer crew than the three Essex chaps I got to man siege engines)
1x field gun
10x casualty figures
All useful figures that I need more of.
Unpainted
18x mtd Men-at-Arms (9 stands incl'd cmd)
8x hobilars (4 stands incl'd cmd)
19x mtd archers (Citadel figures, 9 stands)
16x dismounted knights w/ 2handed wpns (4 stands incl'd cmd)
24x armoured pike (Citadel figures, 6 stands)
12x handgunners (6 stands if skirmishers or 4 stands if medium inf)
20x more crossbow
6 extra cmd groups of 2 or 3 figures (cmdr, standard and some musicians)
30x Swiss Medium pike (8 stands if I only 3 figures on a couple in the back rank or add some suitable command figures)
The cavalry will come in handy. I could replace some of my second hand knights with the cocktail skewer lances, or my not-so-well painted 100 Yrs War cavalry with the cloth caparisons (they're listed among the "German" troops in yesterday's post). More command stands always come in handy; more opportunities for banners at least!
I'd like to add all the extra crossbowmen to my Swiss but they're in kettle hats and gambesons, which I don't think Swiss schutzen wore. The Citadel pikemen would be nice in that I could backbench my fragile Italian pike (lead pikes; I'm always worried one will snap off in a game), and they would look Swiss enough too, especially with a fairly generic cantonal colour, which would help bulk out the Swiss if I want them for fighting the Burgundians.
Finishing these up means I could actually field two not-that-bad Wars of the Roses armies or a pair of small, but decent Swiss-Burgundian War armies.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
A Muster of Hosts
So being an obsessive list maker, I took an inventory of my painted late medieval figures. This has helped me sort them into Battles and Armies that make some (?) logical sense.
Keeping in mind that I've got my troops based on 40mm x 40mm (50mm deep for mounted) stands, with 4 heavy infantry, or 3 archers (massed longbows or crossbows), or 3 medium infantry types (Welsh), or 2 skirmishers or 2 mounted per stand. A 4 stand unit of cavalry, heavy infantry or archers would be a 'standard' unit. A 3 or 4 stand unit of skirmishers is 'small'.
Here's what I've come up with:
Wars of the Roses troops
Men-at-Arms on foot w/asst'd 2-handed cutlery 4 stands incl'd Royal banner (asst'd figures)
Mounted Men-at-Arms 4 stands incl'd cmd (mostly Citadel)
Mounted Men-at-Arms 4 stands incl'd cmd (mostly Citadel)
Retinue longbows (red/purple livery) 4 stands (Old Glory figures)
Retinue longbows (red livery) 4 stands (Old Glory figures)
Retinue billmen (red/blue livery) 5 stands incl'd flag (Old Glory figures)
Retinue longbowmen (motley) 3 stands incl'd flag (Minifigs and some GW)
Retinue longbowmen (motley) 3 stands incl'd flag (Minifigs and some GW)
Retinue billmen (red livery) 4 stands (Citadel figures)
Welsh light javelinmen 4 stands (Old Glory figures)
Welsh light javelinmen 3 stands (Old Glory figures)
Welsh light javelinmen 3 stands (Old Glory figures)
Burgundian Ordonnance Troops
Mounted Men-at-Arms 4 stands inl'd Ducal cmd stand (asst'd mfrs)
Mounted Men-at-Arms 4 stands incl'd company ensign (mostly Citadel)
Coustilliers 3 stands (Citadel figures)
Coustilliers 3 stands (Citadel figures)
Ordonnance longbowmen (blue jackets) 4 stands (Essex figures)
Ordonnance longbowmen (mostly blue jackets) 4 stands (Essex figures)
Ordonnance crossbow 4 stands (Hotspur figures)
Ordonnance pikemen (blue jackets) 4 stands incl'd banner (Citadel figures)
Ordonnance handgun armed skirmishers (blue jackets) 3 stands (Essex figures)
Ordonnance handgun armed skirmishers (blue jackets) 3 stands (Essex figures)
Field gun
Field gun (needs more crew)
Italian Mercenaries
Heavy armoured pike (half armour) 5 stands incl'd banner (Naismith figures)
Medium pike 4 stands incl'd banner (Naismith figures)
Crossbowm armed skirmishers 5 stands (Naismith figures)
Mounted crossbow light cavalry 4 stands (Naismith figures)
German Troops
Imperial Cmd stand
Mtd Men-at-Arms 4 stands (various mfrs)
Mtd Men-at-Arms 4 stands (various mfrs)
Dismounted Men-at-Arms asst'd 2handed mother-in-law pokers 4 stands incl'd banners (various)
Dismounted Men-at-Arms asst'd 2handed mother-in-law pokers 4 stands incl'd banners (various)
Pavised crossbow (blue pavises) 4 stands (Citadel figures)
Pavised crossbow (asst'd pavises) 5 stands (Citadel figures)
Swiss Troops
Handgun armed skirmishers 4 stands
Crossbow armed skirmishers 3 stands
Armoured pike 8 stands
Medium mixed pike and halberd kiel 8 stands
Halberdiers 8 stands
Of course, (and this is where it gets confused) much of the Burgundian troops can jump into the Wars of the Roses with ease, and the WotR troops can reinforce the Burgundians or Germans as well. The Italian Mercenaries are really just a division of my German army, and both Germans and Italians frequently form up with the Burgundians. The Swiss just glower at me and wonder when I'm going to paint up that bag of Old Glory Swiss troops I have to reinforce them.
If we go with the 'Rule of Four' (four units to a player/command and four commands to an army) then I'm not too badly off.
Keeping in mind that I've got my troops based on 40mm x 40mm (50mm deep for mounted) stands, with 4 heavy infantry, or 3 archers (massed longbows or crossbows), or 3 medium infantry types (Welsh), or 2 skirmishers or 2 mounted per stand. A 4 stand unit of cavalry, heavy infantry or archers would be a 'standard' unit. A 3 or 4 stand unit of skirmishers is 'small'.
Here's what I've come up with:
Wars of the Roses troops
Men-at-Arms on foot w/asst'd 2-handed cutlery 4 stands incl'd Royal banner (asst'd figures)
Mounted Men-at-Arms 4 stands incl'd cmd (mostly Citadel)
Mounted Men-at-Arms 4 stands incl'd cmd (mostly Citadel)
Retinue longbows (red/purple livery) 4 stands (Old Glory figures)
Retinue longbows (red livery) 4 stands (Old Glory figures)
Retinue billmen (red/blue livery) 5 stands incl'd flag (Old Glory figures)
Retinue longbowmen (motley) 3 stands incl'd flag (Minifigs and some GW)
Retinue longbowmen (motley) 3 stands incl'd flag (Minifigs and some GW)
Retinue billmen (red livery) 4 stands (Citadel figures)
Welsh light javelinmen 4 stands (Old Glory figures)
Welsh light javelinmen 3 stands (Old Glory figures)
Welsh light javelinmen 3 stands (Old Glory figures)
Burgundian Ordonnance Troops
Mounted Men-at-Arms 4 stands inl'd Ducal cmd stand (asst'd mfrs)
Mounted Men-at-Arms 4 stands incl'd company ensign (mostly Citadel)
Coustilliers 3 stands (Citadel figures)
Coustilliers 3 stands (Citadel figures)
Ordonnance longbowmen (blue jackets) 4 stands (Essex figures)
Ordonnance longbowmen (mostly blue jackets) 4 stands (Essex figures)
Ordonnance crossbow 4 stands (Hotspur figures)
Ordonnance pikemen (blue jackets) 4 stands incl'd banner (Citadel figures)
Ordonnance handgun armed skirmishers (blue jackets) 3 stands (Essex figures)
Ordonnance handgun armed skirmishers (blue jackets) 3 stands (Essex figures)
Field gun
Field gun (needs more crew)
Italian Mercenaries
Heavy armoured pike (half armour) 5 stands incl'd banner (Naismith figures)
Medium pike 4 stands incl'd banner (Naismith figures)
Crossbowm armed skirmishers 5 stands (Naismith figures)
Mounted crossbow light cavalry 4 stands (Naismith figures)
German Troops
Imperial Cmd stand
Mtd Men-at-Arms 4 stands (various mfrs)
Mtd Men-at-Arms 4 stands (various mfrs)
Dismounted Men-at-Arms asst'd 2handed mother-in-law pokers 4 stands incl'd banners (various)
Dismounted Men-at-Arms asst'd 2handed mother-in-law pokers 4 stands incl'd banners (various)
Pavised crossbow (blue pavises) 4 stands (Citadel figures)
Pavised crossbow (asst'd pavises) 5 stands (Citadel figures)
Swiss Troops
Handgun armed skirmishers 4 stands
Crossbow armed skirmishers 3 stands
Armoured pike 8 stands
Medium mixed pike and halberd kiel 8 stands
Halberdiers 8 stands
Of course, (and this is where it gets confused) much of the Burgundian troops can jump into the Wars of the Roses with ease, and the WotR troops can reinforce the Burgundians or Germans as well. The Italian Mercenaries are really just a division of my German army, and both Germans and Italians frequently form up with the Burgundians. The Swiss just glower at me and wonder when I'm going to paint up that bag of Old Glory Swiss troops I have to reinforce them.
If we go with the 'Rule of Four' (four units to a player/command and four commands to an army) then I'm not too badly off.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
A Dalliaunce Perhaps
What is it with our gaming ADD?
I was over on the Lead Adventures Forum this morning and came upon this thread with loads of lovely pictures of gorgeous (mostly Perry) Wars of the Roses figures fighting over equally sumptuous terrain.
I found myself once again at the Perry section of shelves, contemplating how many boxes and blisters I'd need to make a nice little division. Then I remembered that I already have more than a few rather nice Old Glory Wars of the Roses figures still to paint. This of course had me down in the basement poking through my plastic totes of figures to see what I've got actually done and what I still have unpainted. I'm pleased to say that much of my late medieval stuff is actually painted.
Although much of it I painted many years ago before I learned things like dark undercoats to give shading or using highlights. Many also show their age and the scars of many a miniature hurly-burly and dice storm, not to mention road trips to put on games at conventions. There's a few stands of Gens d'Armes which probably couldn't be given away.
And what to do with them? My mix of troops is really all wrong for the Wars of the Roses; too many pikes and crossbows and not nearly enough bows and bills. The obvious answer is of course, to just do the Burgundian Wars themselves, but I'd need far too many Swiss for that.
Of course many gamers (at least the ones I've met) take a decidedly non-historical approach to Medieval gaming anyway. It's all just impetuous knights, oppressed peasants, robber barons and double dealing mercenaries to them.
So perhaps I should go with an Imagination? I already have Count Raymond of Mantovia battling in the 11th century. Perhaps his 15th century descendants should do battle as well in something like Game of Thrones meets The Chronicles of Bern? Then I could excuse all the pikemen being on the same field as the longbowmen and stop worrying about it.
If I can just get past all the obviously English banners that is.
I was over on the Lead Adventures Forum this morning and came upon this thread with loads of lovely pictures of gorgeous (mostly Perry) Wars of the Roses figures fighting over equally sumptuous terrain.
I found myself once again at the Perry section of shelves, contemplating how many boxes and blisters I'd need to make a nice little division. Then I remembered that I already have more than a few rather nice Old Glory Wars of the Roses figures still to paint. This of course had me down in the basement poking through my plastic totes of figures to see what I've got actually done and what I still have unpainted. I'm pleased to say that much of my late medieval stuff is actually painted.
Although much of it I painted many years ago before I learned things like dark undercoats to give shading or using highlights. Many also show their age and the scars of many a miniature hurly-burly and dice storm, not to mention road trips to put on games at conventions. There's a few stands of Gens d'Armes which probably couldn't be given away.
And what to do with them? My mix of troops is really all wrong for the Wars of the Roses; too many pikes and crossbows and not nearly enough bows and bills. The obvious answer is of course, to just do the Burgundian Wars themselves, but I'd need far too many Swiss for that.
Of course many gamers (at least the ones I've met) take a decidedly non-historical approach to Medieval gaming anyway. It's all just impetuous knights, oppressed peasants, robber barons and double dealing mercenaries to them.
So perhaps I should go with an Imagination? I already have Count Raymond of Mantovia battling in the 11th century. Perhaps his 15th century descendants should do battle as well in something like Game of Thrones meets The Chronicles of Bern? Then I could excuse all the pikemen being on the same field as the longbowmen and stop worrying about it.
If I can just get past all the obviously English banners that is.
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