"Then strike up drums: God and Saint George for us!"

Still hanging these posts on the Bard's suitable quotations when I can you'll have noticed! The latest Retinue to muster into GHQ having passed under the brush of doom is that of William Neville,  Lord Fauconberg. The figures are a mixture of Eureka Miniatures, Perry Miniatures- both metals and plaaaaastics - and hybrids based on Steel Fist Miniatures bodies. The Standard and Banners are from Pete's Flags and the bases from Warbases, who else  ~

The Billmen are largely from the Perrys' European range, rather more active than the metals in their Wars of the Roses range to my mind.

A plaaaaastic banner bearer joining his metal companions on the Retinue Command base.

Spot the plaaaaastic figure?

Eureka Miniatures bowmen. It seems to take me forever to get through these figures, it must be all the fiddly details.

Two Retinues completed for my Yorkists, two more to go! Next up though a unit of billmen and MAA in the service of Sir John Savage.  Somewhat of a C15th Dad's Army unit! Today though, a Crimean War game here in GHQ to blood my small French force of two infantry Brigades.

"Look on my forces with a gracious eye!" ~ Richmond's prayer before Bosworth

Well now, the Bard's suitable quotations are not yet quite exhausted, so another to hang the latest post on, featuring the Retinue of Lord Zouche of Harringworth {in Northamptonshire}. Another personality, chosen from the list of Pete's Flags on Ebay UK, who can legitimately turn out for either the Red Rose or the White. The figures are a mixture of Athena Miniatures, Perry Miniatures and Eureka Miniatures,  melding together to give, to my eye at least, a suitable medieval appearance. Waffling aside, here they are mustered for your inspection ~

When I started collecting the figures for the Wars of the Roses project I had in my mind the look of the units I hoped to field, so I spent a considerable time searching the net for inspiration. I'd painted a good few Foundry and Front Rank figures for our Italian Wars armies, so I wanted to search out different ranges. The result so far is a mixture of Eureka Miniatures, Perry Miniatures - both metals and, may I be forgiven, plaaaaastics,  Athena Miniatures, Crusader Miniatures with some Foundry figures waiting their turn in the Lead Pimple! 

When you handle the bare metal castings differences in size, heft, sculpting style, animation and level of detail are all too readily apparent.  Strangely though you might think but once painted and based up in my preferred style the differences seem to melt away. At 'gaming distance' on the tabletop battlefield in GHQ I doubt anyone would notice. Painting units of mixed manufacturer in the same batch though is a bit of a challenge I've discovered, involving constantly adjusting how you approach the sequence and application of colours to achieve the desired look. Of course the uniform basing style also plays a major role in deceiving the eye! 

Currently I'm coming towards completing another Retinue, that of William Neville,  Lord Fauconberg, with just a few Billmen and MAA to complete the job. More on them as and when. Meantime here in GHQ attention must switch from the Wars of the Roses to preparing for next week's Crimean War game. It's all go, but it keeps me young...well, youngish perhaps!

Only just in the 'Nick of Time'...

 ...the Norman unarmoured medium cavalry were handed to me by Phil on Tuesday, so there was just time for me to get them based in order that they might muster into GHQ in time for Thursday's prearranged photoshoot with Dan, the owner/editor of Wargames Illustrated. The resulting photos will appear in support of a piece I've submitted discussing my long drawn out 1066 &All That project.  Given magazine lead in times that should appear probably be at the end of August or September, all things being equal that is. In the meantime I thought that you might like a sneak preview ~

They are Crusader Miniatures figures I bought from Colonel Bill’s, before he made the ridiculous decision to stop attending wargames shows and become a web only business! Just my opinion you understand.

The figures make a nice group I think.

They found their place in the line of battle on the tabletop battlefield in GHQ...

...just in time for Dan to start the hard work involved in photographing the collection, leaving yours truly holding up the sky, a role I thought had become obsolete ~

Shows what I know about it!

Philippé-Jean d'Eddner's Ford

Some of you may recognise the figure below as a 'freebie' from one of the recent Partizan shows, '23 or '24, I can't recall just now? Phil has painted it for me alongside the Norman unarmoured cavalry I had passed on to him ~

I've based him up as a Leader or Champion for my 1066 & All That collection just in time for Dan's visit for a photo session which will be utilised in illustrating a piece I've submitted in a forthcoming issue of Wargames Illustrated. I believe the mounted unarmoured Norman cavalry are not too far behind him now, so keep an eye out later... Meanwhile, back in GHQ I have to lay out the tabletop battlefield and the 1066 & All That collection for Dan's visit! One of life's quiet pleasures.

More Burgundian Handgunners

The second base of five figures completes the addition of Burgundian handgunners to my Wars of the Roses project. Two views of the completed base ~

The four handgunners are from Crusader Miniatures,  via North Star, while the command figure is a Perry Miniatures plaaaaastic figure from the MAA sprue I bought early on while building up figures for the project in the Lead Pimple. {The two bases will be able to function as one Regular Unit or two Small Units in Black Powder.} 

You can see them as one Regular Unit in the picture above, or two Small Units in the picture below, which also shows the whole project completed so far!

Next up for their ordeal under my painting ministrations are another Retinue, that of Lord Zouche of Harringworth, yet another noble who could turn out for either the White Rose or the Red.

"Advance your standards; draw your willing swords."

The Bard's prose once again doing duty as a hook to hang this latest blog post from, which is featuring  Sir John Wenlock's Retinue. Taking full advantage of Phil being AWOL in Yns Mon/Anglesey and Paul away in Devon I've been pressing on as well as hand and eye allow with a fourth retinue for my Wars of the Roses forces, this time with the men of Sir John Wenlock. The figures on the Bow and Bill bases are mostly from the small Crusader Miniatures range, as is Sir John himself, the whole supplemented by a few Perry Miniatures figures - both metals and plaaaaastic.  The Crusader Miniatures figures are quite slight, with the Perry Miniatures figures fitting in alongside them nicely in my view. As usual the flags are from Pete's Flags and the base from Warbases,  who else ~

The Retinue of Sir John Wenlock drawn up to give battle ~

Next in line for their time under the brush are 5 figures for a second base of Burgundian handgunners, to round out  the Lancastrians at least for the time being. In the meantime, the growing force ~

Time to get started on the Yorkists then with their first Retinue, that of Lord Zouche of Harringworth. Not that the present heatwave is conducive to much activity...

"Give fyre!"

A quick post today as I've added a light gun and crew to my Lancastrian force. It's from Perry Miniatures as is, straight from the blister pack. The figures were fine, as were most of the gun parts, though the double arc was beyond my hands and eyes as you can see ~

For the Yorkist force I've gone for a far simpler assembly using a Wargames Foundry gun and their Medieval gun crew. I know my limitations when it comes to modelling, only too well...

I started painting for this small project 28 days ago {at the time of writing this post}, three of which were spent in Herefordshire with Matt and family. So 25 days when I had at least some time at the painting table available produced these units for the Lancastrian cause to date. A fourth Retinue is almost done now and I still have to tackle a second base of Burgundian Handgunners.  That will leave two bases of Mounted MAA, and some Command stands in the Lead Pimple, but before tackling those though I thought I'd make a start of some figures for the Yorkist cause.

Harald Dubhghaill

The recent spell of hot weather had really not been conducive to spending time laying out complex games here in GHQ,  so our most recent offering from last week is a run out for some of my 1066 & All That collection. The game sees Phillipe de Rawnslie's Anglo-Normans travelling to seize lands in the Emerald Isle. Needless to say, the local Hiberno-Norse ruler, Harald Dubhghaill, is far from pleased...

A view of the battlefield from behind the Great Hall of Harald Dubhghaill: Hiberno-Norse in the centre, Irish levy on either flank ~ Welsh/Saxons pretending of course!

Norman mounted knights waste no time getting stuck in to the local peasants!

As do the Anglo-Norman infantry!

Waves of Norman knights sweep forward across the battlefield, their thundering hooves shaking the resolve of Harald Dubhghaill's host!

As can clearly be seen in this shot of the oh, so typical combat dice...

...resulting in mounting losses for the home side despite the encouraging presence of the minor nobility!

Time for Harald Dubhghaill to lead his Household forward in support of the local sword fodder, some of whom have had enough for one day...

...finding an urgent need to beat a hasty retreat,  perhaps farming is not so dull after all?

Not that there's much chance of imminent agricultural diversion, nor of a decent crop this summer, as both sides clash on the rich farmland!

De Rawnslie is having his own problems though,  with his centre apparently disorganised or at least lacking in resolve to close up on the enemy!

Not that his opponent has manages his affairs much more successfully, with his lightly armed skirmishers already forced to flee!

What combat there is on his left of centre sees his knights forced to meet the threat from two directions. Neither side here gives ground though losses are steadily mounting!

Irish peasants levy fight bravely against heavy Norman knights,  though the outcome seems obvious to onlookers!

Perhaps no-one told the knights though...

Despite the unexpected success, the unexpected turn of events only serves to delay the inevitable as more Norman knights crash into the victors!

Some of whom, despite the heroic presence of minor nobility, have clearly more important things to attend to in the rear!

With the Anglo-Normans in the ascendancy across the battlefield Harald Dubhghaill's forces are finally shattered, peasants levy being no match for Norman knights in the final analysis!

The Hiberno-Norse army broke in Turn 9 as losses reached crisis point. Despite some successes on the left and dour defence on the right their centre never really got to grips with the heavy Norman knights! A grand game though played out in the best of spirits! No game here though this week, Phil being AWOL in Inis Mon! More time then for painting my Wars of the Roses figures!

Third Retinue musters.

 The third Retinue for my Lancastrian force has been finished and mustered in to GHQ, where it will be awaiting some opponents in due course! It is of course that of Sir George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury,  whose Bows and Retinue Command have already featured here. The base of Bills completed this retinue ~

The figures are all from the Perry Miniatures metals range ~ the Billmen pack supplemented by a casualty, the Warwick figure, a Standard Bearer, and a standing MAA. 

The completed Retinue displayed ready for action! Next up will be the small artillery piece and crew, followed by the fourth Retinue for my Lancastrians. More on this as and when as you'd surely expect..

Sir George Talbot...

...Earl of Shrewsbury joins with his Retinue's Bow and Bill to stiffen their resolve! Four figures from Perry Miniatures - metals and plaaaaastic- and Steel Fist Miniatures body with added head and arms! The standard is from Pete's Flags and the base from Warbases as usual ~

Not a great deal more I can say about them right now, other than that the base of his Billmen is well underway and will hopefully join his Retinue before err long.

After the base of Bill has been completed an artillery piece and crew are next in line, as I really do need a short break from painting bigger units! After that's completed there's one last Lancastrian Retinue glowering at me from the painting queue...