Sir John Touchet, Lord Audley

A second Retinue, that of Sir John Touchet, Lord Audley, is now finished and can join the collection. A mix of figures from Eureka Miniatures and Perry Miniatures. The two manufacturers' figures fit alongside one another quite well in my opinion. As with my first Retinue posted earlier there are three bases: one of Bow, one of Bill and a Command stand. For this project I decided that I would eschew the usual round bases for all the Command stands below the King(s)' mounted army command base, it is more suited that they be down and dirty with their men! "Send the horses to the rear!" as the Hail Ceasar supplement's rules say!  The standard and banner are from Pete's Flags, although I did copy them onto thinner paper as I usually do, finding it easier to manage the folds for animation. The bases of course are from Warbases, who else? Enough blathering on, the Retinue is waiting impatiently for your opinion ~

When I started to plan this small project I knew almost nothing about the history, the characters and the battles so I looked at the sheets of flags offered by Pete's Flags, mostly choosing those who changed sides or were local-ish to the West Midlands. A few weeks down the line I now know next to nothing, so an incremental improvement in my knowledge base is evident! Given this thinning of the mists of ignorance I put in an order for another Retinue from Crusader Miniatures, via North Star, and two more flag sheets from Pete's Flags! The two opposing sides have spilled over into a third RUB in the Lead Pimple so they will be some further additions - 🤫don't tell Phil though! I shall have a list for The Other Partizan (DV) for more figures from Dave Thomas/Perry Miniatures and hopefully from Eureka Miniatures... if the War Chest can stretch that far that is! Meanwhile next to endure their moment under the brush will be a base of mercenary handgunners - who can turn out for the highest payer!

Rhänsbadden, a SYW battle

The most recent encounter here in GHQ for Phil and myself saw a return to the SYW with the fictional battle of Rhansbadden fought between the French of the Comte du Merde - yours truly- and the Allied army lead by Duke Philip of Ränzkastel. Really just an excuse to get almost the whole collection out on the tabletop battlefield! As ever, an annotated photomontage to hopefully carry the interested visitor down into the action ~

Massed British cavalry hold the Allied left, supported in the centre by two Brigades of Foot,  with the Foot Guards in reserve ready to deal the death blow to the French!

The Allied centre right is held by the Hanoverian contingent of the army.

While the far right is held by a small Brigade of Brunswickers supported by two batteries of artillery.

The French centre and left comprised a number of infantry regiments making a colourful show, if nothing else...

Masses of cavalry dominate the French right supported by a battery of heavy artillery. They French plan to drive off the Allied cavalry and take their infantry in the flank. A bold, aggressive plan not entirely without risk!

The leading regiment of Grenadiers Royale are charged by Hanoverian Heavy Cavalry.  They stand firm in the face of the charge and level their muskets.

A dreadful volley crashes out dealing out death and destruction and the remnants of the cavalry flee!

The leading squadron of the French Cuirassiers du Roi crash into the Scots Greys and sweep them from the battle!

With their dander well and truly up they sweep forward and smash the remainder of the Greys. All this while the rest of the French cavalry calmly look on.

On the French left the Scots contingent comes under attack from the Brunswickers. Volleys crash out and casualties mount on both sides.

The firefight extends further to the left as the French seek to hold up the Brunswick assault. 

Back on the cavalry flank the horses of the Cuirassiers du Roi are blown and destroyed by a smart counter charge while their supporting squadron is caught as the British victors sweep forward. Not at all how the French commanders planned this!

As the cavalry swirl around in ever more bloody combat the British infantry finally engage their French opponents in the centre.

The masses of French cavalry sweep forward in support of their infantry and things are looking tight for the Allies in this sector of the battlefield. 

Faced with the French onslaught the British infantry stand in stoic lines with muskets primed and ready,  steadied by the arrival of the Foot Guards in their support.

Back on the French left the Hanoverian grenadiers are sent packing by a devastating volley from front and flank. The Brunswick infantry though has moved up to flank the Flying Geese ready to deliver their own devastating fire.

French Dragoons charge the converted British grenadiers whose calm close range volley shatters them!

Despite their numerical advantage the French cavalry assault is being at first blunted, then turned back. Merde!

As their cavalry attacks are being thrown back so are the infantry in the centre being shattered by close range volley fire from the British foot.

Death and destruction are the fate of the leading French regiments smashed by devastating volley fire at close range, their own fire proving ineffective.

The French left has broken, joining the cavalry on the right in fleeing the field. It's all up for the Comte du Merde and he concedes the field of battle to the Duke of Ränskastel!

A great tussle swinging back and forth for 9 Turns in the best traditions of Black Powder games here in GHQ! At times it seemed the French might win the day, only for it to slip through their fingers...

Sir Robert Giffard of Chillington, in the County of Staffordshire

I mentioned in an earlier blog post that I had unearthed a few figures in the Lead Pimple to enable me to complete Sir Robert Giffard's Retinue by adding a small Command element ~

The figures in question are three Perry Miniatures plastics, one from the Command frame and two from the MAA frame, while the fourth figure is a Eureka Miniatures billman fitted with a Perry Miniatures bill. One of the MAA is bearing Sir Robert's standard which I cobbled together myself.

The standard began life as that of Edward IV made by Pete's Flags. I overpainted the red and blue sections leaving the lion's head to proxy for Giffard's panther. The conversion is aided by adding the neck spotting and golden flames proceeding from either side of its mouth. The Stirrups I added by hand in Foundry Ochre and lined in with Black. I did consider painting out the motto and putting in Giffard's,  but in the end common sense prevailed. {The motto, for those who might be interested, is "Prenez Haleine, Tirez Forte" ~ 'Take Breath, Pull Strong'.} After all, its only a toy in a game and at gaming distance it will do just fine for me. See what you make of it in that context anyway ~

The next Retinue is already underway and will hopefully prove a little quicker and easier now that I have some relevant experience under my belt.

Dans galore, but no sight of Doris...

 Having completed the base of Bills with a stiffening of Men at Arms it was natural to move on to the figures for the base of Bows to complete the second element making up the Retinue of Sir Robert Giffard of Chillington. The figures are made up of Eureka Miniatures, Perry Miniatures plastics allied with Steel Fist Miniatures dollies. Once again the first figures were somewhat more time consuming as I worked out the colours and sequence of their application, though I did benefit from experience gained on the base of Bills. For my first Retinue for The Wars of the Roses project I'm satisfied with the look of the product so far, but see what you think ~

Mooching through the Odds 'n Sods RUB in the Lead Pimple I found a few Perry Miniatures bits and pieces to make up a few MAA and a spare Eureka Miniatures billman. Using them together I can make a Command element now for Sir Robert Giffard's Retinue. The challenge will be to make a standard using the information from the tombs in Tong Parish Church - well worth a visit if you are ever nearby, just off the A48 north of the M54 Jn3. More hopefully on my progress in a day or so.

And, we're off...

...with the first Wars of the Roses figures under the brush! As the 'Hybrid Roses' were spray undercoated ready for painting and not yet placed in an appropriate Lead Pimple RUB under my desk here in GHQ I decided to kick off the project with them! I fixed the ten figures of the Bill and Men At Arms base to their MDF hexes ready to start the next day. As with any new project I have to get both a feel for painting the figures and a good idea of the sequence by which the colours will best be applied. As you might expect, the first four figures took quite a while to process, but eventually I was satisfied with the look I had obtained for them and so the remaining Billmen were processed. That left me with three fully armoured figures and a musician to complete the unit. 

As these figures and their partner base of Bowmen would be unique in the collection I'd decided to depict them as a Retinue equally unique, that of Sir Robert Giffard of Chillington in the county of Staffordshire. Why unique you might well ask. So, according to the family website the family played no active military role in any of the battles of the war! They can therefore figure in our future games for either the Lancastrian or the Yorkist cause!

Of course there are no commercial banners or standards available for them, so I set to researching and producing my own based on the known family coats of arms around the period. As far as I could discover the family's heraldry featured a black panther - allegedly slain by a C12th ancestor - and three stirrups. Using images my web searches turned up I was able to produce a number of suitable banners to choose from and print them out at an appropriate size.

The base of Bows are underway now, though progress is slow on the first five archers for the rear rank as I work out the colours and sequence for painting. Hopefully the remaining six figures will prove quicker as was with the Bills.

The Hybrid Roses - an update!

Just the briefest of updates on the Hybrid metal/plaaaastic Wars of the Roses figures now I'm back in GHQ. Firstly, after almost two weeks, all the joints bar two were very firmly set! One plaaaaastic figure had a sword and arm loose while one hybrid archer had a loose arm. I fixed both of those with Superglue. Secondly, while Sue was finishing tidying in the garden, I spray undercoated the hybrid Retinue figures. I think that this brings them together nicely, see what you think ~

The Retinue viewed from the front left...

...and from the front right.

Front view of the base of Bow, with added arrow groups.

Front view of the base of Bill. I've noticed I ommited to fix swords/scabards on a couple of these, so I'll add them as I go along.

Now I'm back home and post holiday stuff is sorted I need to get organised to start painting for The Wars of the Roses project. As this week's game is over at Phil's  tomorrow and I've nothing underway to show in the immediate future you'll be spared any of my inane babbling now, for a while at least! 

From the South West

Sue and I have been on holiday for 10 days, down in South Devon firstly and then moving on to South Cornwall. A few pictures now with at least a peripheral link to our marvellous hobby ~

Remains of Exeter's Norman castle attributed to William the Barsteward.

Corinthian helmet on display in the RAMM.

Flags laid up in Exeter Cathedral, the VIII regiment of Foot

Tomb of the 2nd Earl of Devon and his wife.

I was 3 months old when these were laid up!

Indian Mutiny memorial to the 9th, Queen's Lancers.

Ceiling boss depicting the murder of Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, by Henry II's knights.

Exeter Cathedral viewed from the Close. I'd not visited the cathedral since I was 12. It was so disappointing to find the entire Chancel and associated areas screened off for renovation!

Cornwall gets a lot of weather, or so they say. Despite dire forecasts we were mostly dry. A quick trip to Torpoint to look over at Devonport and Royal Naval dockyards.

The chain ferry in action.

Most of our ships seem out at sea on deployment? We christened this one HMS Troutbridge, after the radio show of my youth, The Navy Lark. We assume this is the vessel that's been up and down our bay for the previous two days.

As Anthony House is just up the road a way from our base we popped in again and almost had the house and gardens to ourselves.

The Carews of Anthony House were a divided family in the ECW. This portrait was cut out, thrown into the cellar, rescued and restitched into the frame as fortunes ebbed and flowed.

Nearly Headless Charles, and others, adorn the grand entrance hall.

In the C18th I may not have been Stout!

Admiral Cornelis Marteensonn Tromp,  a C17th Dutch Admiral during the Anglo-Dutch Wars - the time Samuel Pepys was at the Navy Board...

...today's Navy would probably make his jaw drop. HMS Troutbridge on sea trials, again, it seems.