Showing posts with label Breton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Breton. Show all posts

Friday, March 31, 2023

Medieval Mad War Breton Gendarmes

Guerre Folle Breton Gendarmes.   


Some Perry miniatures cavalry additions to my Guerre Folle/Mad War collection. This was my final entry for the analogue painting challenge. I decided to add some coats of arms, livery and do a bit of scroll work on the armour, plus the normal spiral lances I like to do. More to come in the coming months as I have assembled another two boxes worth plus some metal commands for my Italian and French troops for the Mad War. 

Breton Gendarmes 1488 

Perry Gendarmes




Cheers
Matt

Monday, September 20, 2021

Aragonese Mercenary Crossbow Guerre-Folle

Aragonese Arbalète - Crossbow

 At the battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier, Aragonese contingents were sent by Ferdinand of Aragon to support the Breton Cause. The documents have 1000 mercenary Aragonese landing at Quimper to join the Breton Army under two captains, Pere de Queralt commanding a unit of Arbalète and Gimenez  Soler (a Aragon Jewish captain who had fought with Edward Woodville) a unit of spear men. The crossbow unit are complete and the spear unit not far behind. I have used the red cross on a green field the field sign of the Aragon contingents at the siege of Montpellier in 1479.

Again Perry miniatures based for impetus

Aragonese Arbalete -Crossbowmen

Cheers

Matt

Sunday, August 29, 2021

Breton compagnie d'ordonnance billmen

Breton compagnie d'ordonnance billmen

Another Breton unit off the table for my Breton army for the Mad War. The Breton Ordonnance companies were required to have one Archer (crossbow, longbowman, or spearman) per every 10 hearths. In 1488 less than 20 per cent mustered, mostly because the French Army invaded during the harvest season and captured large numbers in Vannes and Chateaubriant. Some of the northern and south western parishes compagnie d'ordonnance and Arrie ban did muster from the city of Rennes and the border marches( Vitré, Dol and St Malo was already occupied by French) and the Comte de Laval (owing allegiance to both sides) sided with the French, and many of the Marcher lords of Normandy, Anjou, Maine and Brittany owed fealty to both sides and did not even take part on either side.



Breton Compagnie d'ordonnance

Breton Billmen 1488

Breton Billmen

Breton Billmen




cheers
Matt

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Breton Harquebus Guerre Folle- Mad War

Breton Harquebusiers 

Another unit off the table for my Breton army for the Guerre Folle-Mad War. Breton harquebus were in small numbers, around 200 present according to accounts and archeology of the field does prove they were in use. It is thought the german mercenaries also brought some with them.  


Breton Harquebus

cheers
Matt

Friday, July 30, 2021

Breton crossbow Guerre Folle- the Mad war

 Breton crossbow 

Some more Perry miniatures crossbowmen off the table for my Guerre Folle project 1485-90.

The anniversary of the battle of Saint Aubin du Cormier was yesterday, so good to add something for the commemoration. We offer a battlefield tour and a visit to the chateaux of Saint Aubin du Cormier and Chateau Fougeres (largest medieval chateau in France) as part of our wargame holiday experiences.

Breton Crossbowmen 

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"
French Wargame Holidays at l'hotel de Hercé



cheers
Matt


Friday, March 12, 2021

French Bandes d'Infanterie Pike Guerre Folle 1488

 

 French Bandes d'Infanterie Pikemen

As I am basing and completing miniatures this week, I have some more foot this week for my own project for the Guerre Folle, the 1488 campaign in Bretagne. 

The French Bandes d'Infanterie pikemen performed well in the campaign with a number of veterans from the Burgundian wars.  The Bandes d'Infanterie (old Arrière-ban) were to be formed along the Swiss model, but were in some documents were still referred to as Ordonnance still. The units if formed along the old ordonnance structure of one mounted MAA, 3 archers (mounted for transport) and one polearm foot, this gets confusing trying to make the numbers match up for the units, for the battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier. 6000 odd of the Normandy Arrière-ban were raised for the invasion (only 3000 were present at the battle though)

These chaps will be one of 8 French pike double base units (representing 1000 men) for the French army, plus attached crossbow, archers and flanks of halberds, I hope to have them all finished by April this year.  Figures from the Perry plastic mercenaries box, which I think is the best box available.


Normandy Bandes d'Infanterie

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two



cheers
Matt

Friday, March 5, 2021

Morvan Lez-Breizh The first King of Brittany

  

Morvan Lez-Breizh

Morvan (Murman or Morman) Lez-Breizh (literally "the hip of Bretagne")750-818





Thought to be the first King of a unified Brittany in the Middle Ages, his rule last a short four years after the death of Charlemagne. The Bretons were always in Revolt against the Franks. The Breton lords particularly active along marcher borders raiding but were never really united. Morvan controlled an area in the north called Poher part of the Kingdom of Cornouaille close to the border of Domnonée, Bretagne. He had a fortified Castra/Palace it is thought at modern Carhaix-Plouguer, capital of old Poher.

In 753 Pepin the Short ordered Frankish troops into the Armorican peninsula to subdue the kingdoms and ask for tribute, the Breton kings would remain semi independent but still owe fealty to the Franks. In 776 and 777 Charlemagne ordered armies into the Armorican peninsula again to create the Breton Marches, marching from Le Mans, Roland (Hruotland) (song of Roland Fame) obtaining tribute and land from the three petty kingdoms and moved the border marcher between Neustria and Brittany to to a line from St Malo to Nantes and set up Carolingian Castra in Rennes, port city of Nantes and the port city of Saint Malo (when the border marcher moved from the Mayenne-Maine and Loire river to the west to the la Vilaine river, also the first wood and stone castra/palace was also built at this time in Ville Mayenne by the Bishop of Le Mans in the same location as the current chateau).

After a refusal to pay tributes by some of the great Breton nobles, in 786 the Frank General Audulf, departed Nantes and campaigned between March and August 786, laying waste to the Breton cities and destroying its defendable castras (leaving the coast vulnerable to saxon pirates). The chronicle of Sigebert de Gembloux noting that several castra were captured and nobles and hostages were bought before Charlemagne at Worms in 787. In 799 Guy de Widonides a Frankish noble was appointed as the marquis of the Breton Marchers and Comte de Nantes. Guy then also campaigned in 799 and had the Breton petty kings bend the knee in person at Tours in 800. Guy again campaigned in 811 breaking a alliance of the northern Domnonée nobles who had threatened Rennes.

When Charlemagne died in 814, Morvan lez-Breizh gathered together the nobles from the Kingdoms of Cornouaille, Domnonée and Bro-Gwened and rebelled successfully, while the Frank armies were busy in Spain and Italy.

In 818 Emperor Louis the Pious along with his marquis Lambert de Nantes (Widonides) lead a large army (10000) to clear the country of fortified castras, take hostages and fealty. They met the army of Morvan somewhere between Priziac and Carhaix, it is said the battle was on a fortified ford of the Ellé river near Langonnet. A ridge nearby is called Minez-Morvan and he is said to be buried nearby in the Tumulus de Kermain a bronze age tomb.

“He [Louis] marched in person in Brittany with a considerable army, and held the general assembly of the nation at Vannes. Then entering the province of which we have just spoken, he took all the strongholds of the rebels, and soon made himself master without much fatigue of the whole country. In fact, after Morman, who had arrogated to it the royal authority in defiance of the constant use of the Bretons, had been killed by the emperor's troops, there was no longer a single Breton who resisted, or who refused either. to obey the orders he received, or to provide the hostages that were required of him "

- Annales d ' Éginhard , (Year 818)


The king figure is Morvan lez Breizh from Footsore, unsure of the priest but I did add the cross from a plastic set. 

For those interested jaunty marching tunes, as I do a nice Breton pipes tune Lez Breizh was written some time after, as a Scottish bagpiper the higher pitch can be a little hard on the ears after a while but worth a listen all the same. I will use it to rouse the troops on the table to fight the perfidious foe the Franks! 




"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™ 

From Caesar to World War Two


Cheers
Matt

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Prince François de Rohan and Breton MAA Guerre folle -Mad War

 Breton Noble Men at Arms Saint Aubin du Cormier

A number of leading Breton nobles mustered to the call of the Breton Ordonances call to arms, like all border regions some families were split, especially those who had lands and Family in the border Marchers of Anjou, Maine and Normandy. 

Prince Francois de Rohan the 19 year old son of Jean II Vicomte de Rohan and Marie de Brittany(daughter of Duke Francois I of Brittany) . His Father Jean II Vicomte de Rohan had elected depart his allegiance to Francois I Duke of Brittany to side with the French King handing his border chateaux over to the French armies, coming from the Blois line, he also an ancient claim to the Dukedom of Brittany.  

At the coming of the war young Francois de Rohan like most young Breton Nobles was in the household of the Duke Francois, and in 1487 rallied to the Breton Duke, when Nantes was under siege lead the Arrie Ban of Cornouaillais and Leonard in its relief breaking the siege. 

In 1488 at the battle of Saint Aubin du Cormier he lead one of the Breton MAA companies on the right Flank, he was killed it was thought by French artillery. 




from the left 
  • Pierre de Francheville (Scottish) wounded at Saint Aubin du Cormier and lance captain, taken prisoner was ransomed. After the war was appointed Seneschal of Rhuys, appointed the tax commissioner of the salt mines at Truscat and Seigneur de Sarzeau.
  • François de Rohan killed at Saint Aubin du Cormier. 
  • Baron Pierre du Pont de l'Abbé, seigneur de  Pont l'Abbé, de Rostrenen, and Ponthou, killed at Saint Aubin du Cormier, Lance Captain.

                              Raoul d'Estimbrieuc, écuyer seigneur de Estimbrieuc

cheers
Matt



Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Jean IV de Chalon-Arlay Prince of Orange Mad War-Guerre Folle

Prince of Orange, Jean IV de Chalon-Arlay


Jean IV de Chalon-Arlay Prince of Orange , Lord of the House of Chalon-Arlay. Vicomte de Besançon , Vicomte d' Auxonne, Lord of Arlay , Nozeroy , Arbois , Bletterans, , Cuiseaux , Varennes-Saint-Sauveur , Beaurepaire-en-Bresse (Burgundy) Lord of Lamballe , Moncontour , Rhuys and Lespine-Gaudin (Brittany). Jean was born in 1443 in the County of Burgundy. Son of Prince of Orange William VII of Châlon and of Catherine of Brittany (daughter of Count Richard d'Étampes and sister of Duke François II of Brittany). He fought at the battle of Grandson during the Burgundian wars in support of Charles the Bold. 



In 1477 at the close of the Burgundian wars and following the death of his powerful ally the Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold, King Louis XI of France took a position of strength and confiscated all of the property of the House of Chalon-Arlay, forcing the Prince to 'Orange to compromise and enter the service of the king. However, he returned to the side of the Duchess Marie of Burgundy to facilitate her marriage to Emperor Maximilian of Austria . In 1477, in anger Louis XI banished him from the kingdom of France and had him hanged in effigy.

Nephew of Duke François II of Brittany , he travelled to the Duchy of Brittany sent with a marriage proposal by Maximilien I in 1481 for the hand of Anne of Brittany who was a minor. He returns to Brittany in 1486 with a contingent of Bearn Mercenaries halberdiers and crossbow (1100) and Burgundian nobles MAA. 

 He was in the main body at the battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier the July 28, 1488, after having fought fiercely, he tries to pass himself off as dead but is taken prisoner, and remains under house arrest in Riom until February 1489. 

He returned to Rennes in 1489, sent by Charles VIII of France to prevent Anne's marriage with Alain d'Albret and to negotiate with her the French occupation of the duchy. After the death of duke Francis, John became heir presumptive to the new duchess, Anne.  As a member of the high council, he was appointed commander of Rennes and lieutenant general of Brittany. Jean once again attempted to secure Anne's marriage to Maximilian, but the French intervened. John negotiated the eventual marriage between Anne and king Charles VIII, where he was one of the witnesses. He surrendered his own claim to the duchy for the sum of 100,000 livres, and was re-appointed as lieutenant general of Brittany, a position he held until his death.

Figures are again Perry Plastics 







cheers
Matt

Friday, December 11, 2020

Louis II duc de Orleans (Louis XII King Of France) The Rebel Prince

 The Rebel Prince!

My next unit for the Guerre Folle-Mad War is Louis II Duc de Orleans, born at Chateau Blois, raised from a minor by King Louis XI. A very interesting figure in the early French renaissance. After the death of King Louis XI, his son young Charles VIII was crowned in minority (13) the regency was then held by his older sister Anne de Beaujeu.


Louis II duc de Orleans lead the opposition against the regency of Anne along with a number of leading French Princes in the west, particularly Maine, Anvegvin, and Blois Lords, predominantly to gain back territory annexed by Louis XI during his consolidation and unraveling of feudal rights within France (this lead the War of the Public Good/Weal). After the war of the public Weal, and the Death of Charles the bold of Burgundy, Louis XI annexed all of Armagnac, Anjou and Maine, taking it by force in 1471 from his Uncle René of Anjou, thereby in 1476 disinheriting Marguerite of Anjou queen consort of King Henry VI of England (who was executed in 1471). Louis XI had also obtained Burgundy and Picardy by 1482 making him the direct ruler of France rather than through the feudal fealty.


A plan is hatched by the Princes and Dukes after his death in 1483, Louis II Duc de Orleans joined with a great number the western Lords, René duc de Lorraine, the Breton Duke Françios, Jean de Chalon-Arlay Prince of Orange, Comte Alain d'Albret, Charles d'Orleans-Longueville count of Angouleme constable of Normandy, Odet d'Aydie count of Comminges, Phillip d'Comminges Flanders, and the Emperor Maximilian I of Austria. to overturn the annexations and the changes.


Louis II Duke of Orleans then tries to kidnap Charles in 1484, this fails, so he sieges Paris, this fails and he retreats to Maine, then back to Orleans. He is then besieged in Beaugency in central Val-de-Loire and captured imprisoned in Blois. Francois of Brittany signs the peace treaty of Bourges on the 2nd November 1485, this ends the first phase of the Mad War.


The rebels then are still planning rebellion, fighting again breaks out with the invasion of France by Maximilian I of Austria in the North in November 1486, the successful siege and capture of Parthenay by Charles d'Orleans-Longueville. On January 11th 1487 Louis II duc d'Orleans, is broken out of jail and rides hard for Brittany with Franc archers in hot pursuit


The French sent an armies North, South and West to deal with the rebels. The Northern Alliance was easily defeated by Philippe de Crèvecœur, Lord of Esquerdes Marshal of France. In the South-West the French army arrives in Bordeaux besieging the city, and Oydet d'Aydie, governor of Guyenne, is dismissed and replaced by Pierre de Beaujeu. The west however was a whole new exercise, negotiation began with François of Brittany, but Guy fealty to the King of France and the Duke of Brittany give over there important border chateaux to the King.


At the end of the month of May 1487, the French troops, nearly 15,000 men entered Brittany. The army of the Duke of Brittany is concentrated towards Malestroit. It has 600 MAA and nearly 16,000 men in the Archer Ban.
However, the advance of the French troops is dazzling Charles VIII and Anne de Beaujeu arrive in Laval: the border Breton Chateaux of Ancenis, Châteaubriant, La Guerche and Redon surrender after short sieges. Plöermel tries to resist, but fell after three days of bombardment and was taken on 1 st June. By this bad news, and political differences between the Breton nobles, the ducal army is dismembered. There are only 4000 men remaining in the field, unable to rescue Plöermel. François II and Louis II Duc d'Orlean fled to Vannes, and then onto joining Nantes, before Vannes was also taken.

In Nantes, the defense is organized, the French troops lay siege on the city on the 19th of June. It dragged on in front of the effective Breton defense, and the loyalty of the inhabitants, helped by the foreign mercenary Germans and Gascons, finally the city received the decisive support of the Arrie ban of Cornouaillais and Leonard who arrived lead by Léon Rohan, the son of the Vicomte de Rohan, and broke the encirclement. The French troops held in check lift the siege on August 6th. In the North Guy de Laval XV hands over Vitré on the 1st of September the Royal troops then move and capture Saint Aubin du Cormier and Dol de Bretagne on the 10th. Another ceasefire comes into effect and the King returns to Paris.

On January 20th 1488, the Duke of Orleans and the Duke of Brittany are both declared rebels and guilty of lese majesty. In March the Duc de Orleans leading his own household troops and the newly arrived German mercenaries recaptured the chateaux and cities of Vannes, Auray and Ploërmel. Capturing the Vicomte de Rohan in the process.
The Royal French Army musters at Chateau Gontier under the command of Louis II de La Trémoille Vicomte de Thouars. A large contingent of Swiss and Italian Mercenaries join them along with a large artillery train. On April 24, a confiscation order was issued against all of Louis d'Orléans' property.
La Trémoille and the royal army, 15,000 strong, easily took Château Marcillé-Robert on March 28. On April 7, François II ordered the muster of the Breton troops in Rennes. On April 15, the royal army laid siege upon Chateau Châteaubriant, it fell 8 days later. La Trémoille then moved towards Ancenis where he laid siege during the night of 12 to 13. The town and chateau fell on May 19 the large Royal French artillery train completely destroyed the citadel. While negotiations begin with the Duke of Brittany seeking a truce, La Trémoille seats Chateau Loroux-Bottereau, which also falls on the 14th., the southern Breton chateaux are all taken.

On the 1st of June, a thing begins, the Breton nobles and peasants returned home for harvest, but the Royal army remains in the field. La Trémoille moves north and Château-Gontier becomes one of the stores of the army of La Trémoille.

La Trémoille anticipates the end of the truce, and from June 17, he sets off his army towards his next objective Chateau Fougeres the largest fortification in the west (and France). The talks breakdown on July 9th, the Royal army departed Vitré and besieged Fougères around the 12th. The city is defended by a garrison of 3,000 men, the French artillery train again batters down the walls and the chateau falls on the 19th.


The Breton Army Musters in Rennes, pulling together an army of around 11,000 men by the 24th of June. They depart Rennes moving north meeting the Royal army just south of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier on the 28th of June.
At the battle of Saint Aubin du cormier Louis II duc de Orleans, was given the left flank command position of the Breton Army, leading the German Mercenaries, some loyal Blois nobles and some Breton nobles, in the battle the wing suffered terribly under the French heavy artillery fire, and fell back, leaving the hole that the Italian Mercenary cavalry to punch through and role up the center and right flank from the rear to the wood after a successful one.




cheers
Matt


Monday, December 7, 2020

Guerre Folle-Mad War Breton Crossbowmen

Breton compagnie d'ordonnance crossbow 

Another Breton unit off the table for my Breton army for the Mad War. The Breton Ordnance companies were required to have one Archer (crossbow, longbowman, or spearman) per every 10 hearths. In 1488 less than 20 per cent mustered, mostly because the French Army invaded during the harvest season. Some of the northern Arrie ban did muster from the city of Rennes and the border marches( Vitré, Dol and St Malo was occupied by French) and the Comte de Laval sided with the French, and many of the Marcher lords of Maine and Brittany owed fealty to both sides and did not even take part on either side.

Perry Miniatures again, the pavises are Perry plastics, lots more coming this week.



cheers

Matt

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Guerre Folle-Mad War Breton Arrie Ban Longbow archers

Breton Arrie Ban Longbow archers

Contrary to the belief of many, the bretons also conducted practice for archery, quite often gathering at the local parish church, after 1425, 1 in every ten hearths raised a longbowman, at Saint Aubin du Cormier only about 1700 of the army was armed with them and a further 500 with the crossbow.  This Archer unit will join my Rennes contingent. I do like painting livery, it is very quick, I have another couple of units not far behind.  

Cheers

Matt

Thursday, November 12, 2020

English Longbowmen Guerre Folle -The Mad War II


 English Longbowmen

Completed one of my English Mercenary longbowmen bases to add to the Breton army. 28mm Miniatures are from the Perry Miniatures Range.

Edward Woodville, known as Lord Scales, fought in the war of the roses supporting Edward IV, after Edwards death he fled when the Duke of Gloucester seized power and declared himself Richard IIIrd, his brother Anthony was executed being an ally and uncle of the two princes who later die in the tower. 

Edward Woodville flees to Brittany and along with the future King Henry VIII, he later returns to England and fights at Bosworth, leading the valiant vanguard. After Henry VIII became king he inherited his brothers estates which was confirmed in 1485 including the captaincy of the Isle of Wight and his castles at Portchester and Carisbrooke. 

Edward uncle of the Queen Elizabeth, approached Henry VIIth to raise an army to support the Bretons who had a long alliance with England, However Henry had been also supported by the French and the Bretons for his return to England, so he was undecided upon what action to take. 

On April 23rd 1488 two ambassadors of Francis II of Brittany arrived in England to plead with Henry VII, also partaking in the investiture of Sir Edward into the order of the garter due to his prowess at the battle of Bosworth. Henry VII is unconvinced by the Ambassadors  and he explicitly orders on the pain of death that no one from England was to get involved in the war in Brittany.

Edward departs for the Isle of wight with the two Breton Ambassadors and offers his services as a mercenary Captain as he had done previously for the Bretons in 1472 and the Spanish in 1475. The exact size of the company is unknown, some contemporary Breton accounts say 300 others as large as 800. I am leaning toward a mid range numbers due to the claim in the Breton financial accounts of 660 men. It is thought 400 archers, 40 knights and squires depart the Isle of Wight. Armed with pikes bows and arrows and dressed in white tunics with a red cross.

On May 20th 1488 Edward departed the Isle of wight with his company and arrived in Saint Malo a few days later(although accounts have him landing at Honfleur also, but that could be more english mercenaries ?). Edward and his company fight a small skirmish at Dinan against the comte de D'Aunay, losing 20 odd men (French accounts inflate this to 240). A further 200 odd english mercenaries arrive from Portsmouth on a Breton salt ship and a French ship captured in Portsmouth harbour along with an Ambassador of the Scots and his son, all of the 200 english men were veterans and had previously fought with Edward in Spain in 1487.

Edward arrives in Rennes on the 5 of June, they are welcomed by a reception committee, in their honour two red Bordeaux wine barrels are opened in rue Haute, and two barrels of white in place Bout du Cohue (next to medieval grand hall). A group of musicians and play and a young boy is doing tumbling tricks. A banquet is held for the officers in the ducal palace, a menu still exists and it consisted of one and a half vealers, two and a half sheep, three kids (goats), two hares, twenty eight rabbits, eight goslings, thirty six chickens, twenty-eight pigeons, one barrel of Bordeaux wine, one barrel of white wine, and seven estamaux (cauldrons) of hypocras (mulled spicy wine). The company and was the only available force in arms to protect the Breton Capital as a ceasefire was in effect and the remainder of the Breton Army was in Nantes and the Rennes muster had returned to their homes for the summer harvest. 

On May 27th Henry VII letter of apology  arrives in Paris informing Charles VIII of the rouge Edward Woodville, and that he had also seized other ships and men who were to join him.  (One knight and more men at arms were seized in Portsmouth)

The French were in a strong position and capture of the key Breton marcher fortresses of Ancenis, Chateaubriant, La Guerche and Redon in May of 1487 and Vitré, Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier and Dol-de-Bretagne in September left Brittany split into north and South and the French on and in the interior lines of the Breton Duchy.

On June 12th Francois calls the muster, but many men do not return to arms as the harvest is not complete, finally a army musters in early July and marches north to Rennes.

On the 6th of July the ceasefire ended and the French immediately advanced from Mayenne and sieged the largest castle in France on the border marches, arriving at the key northern Breton fortress of Fougeres on the 12th of July. 

The Breton Army departed Nantes on the 9th moving North and arrived in Rennes on the 25th of July. A council is called in Rennes on the 25th of July between the leaders of the Breton army and the mercenary contingents. On the 27th the Bretons then march to Andouillé-Neuville to gather the muster and join with the men coming from south western Brittany via Dinan, they are then inspected by Francois II and and Princess Anne. The army now numbering 7000 bretons 4500 mercenaries marches towards Saint Aubin du Cormier on the 28th of July. The Bretons felt they needed a phycological edge over the French and clothed two Breton mixed archer divisions with white tunics with the red cross badge of the English some 1700 men in total, giving the French impression that a large contingent of English were now with the army.

Fougeres, the greatest castle of Brittany had fallen after a six day siege on the 17th of July, the great French artillery train had breached the walls in three places and the garrison had surrendered with full honours so the city was saved from a pillage. 

The French army departed Fougeres on the route towards Rennes, the Breton capital, clashing with the Bretons on route in a field south of Ville Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier. 

I will complete an article about the forces and the battle next week.

cheers

Matt


Saturday, October 31, 2020

Breton compaignie d'ordonannce archers Guerre Folle, the Mad War 1

The Breton Guerre Folle -Mad War

My next medieval project will be the Breton Guerre Folle, or the mad war, it will be part of our "walk the Battlefield in the morning, Wargame in the afternoon" wargame holidays here in France. 

the battlefield tour is here Breton War

The "Mad War" was the struggle of major feudal lords against centralised royal power. As part of these power struggles, in 1484-1485, Louis II of Orléans tried to seize the crown supported by Francis II of Brittany and a certain number of border lords of Anjou-Maine and Normandy, attempting to depose the regent, Anne de Beaujeu. On 2 November 1485, the Peace of Bourges suspended the hostilities for eight months.

The second phase commenced June 1486 to November 1488, is sometimes called the War of Bretagne (Brittany), this is the period I will concentrate on as all of the major clashes and sieges occur within 1 hour of L'Hotel de Hercé-French Wargame Holidays HQ. 

The first army I will build will be the Bretons, along with the Gascon, Béarnaise, Aragonese, English, Castilian and German Mercenaries, followed closely by the French, Swiss mercenaries along with Germans and Italians. The armies will focus on the field battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier in 1488. I predominantly will be using the Perry range of WOTR plus the mercenaries pack along with some other bits and pieces from other manufacturers

My first unit off the table is done is Breton archer Skirmishers based for Impetus, the figures are Perry Plastics. 




cheers

Matt


Friday, June 19, 2020

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae Breton Army part V

Breton Liticani infantry


Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae, the last unit completed for my dark age 5th -6th century Amorican Bretons. A mix of Gripping Beast and Footsore miniatures. Mentioned in a number ancient references with the field army of Aetius by Gregory of Tours. Mentioned by Jordannes at Challons with the Roman army of Gaul against the Huns and with Paulus and Riothamus defending Angers against the Saxon Pirates and Visigoths.


"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™

Cheers
Matt

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae auxiliary skirmishers IV

Auxiliary Javelin 

 Second last unit of my Bretons completed, another simple skirmishers unit.

Figures are gripping beast hand painted shields.


Cheers
Matt

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae auxiliary spear IV

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae, Third last uni completed of Breton auxiliaries off the table, 2 more units and two command stands to go and the army will be complete for this year, I have enjoyed this build and would like to add some more pieces in the future.

A mix of Footsore and gripping beast with mixed shields, LBM studios




Cheers
Matt


Friday, May 8, 2020

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae auxiliary spear III

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae, Breton auxiliaries off the table, 3 more units and two command stands to go and the army will be complete for this year, I have enjoyed this build and would like to add some more pieces in the future.

A mix of Footsore and gripping beast with mixed shields predominantly LBM transfers.


Cheers
Matt


Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae Breton skirmishers III

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae, skirmishers off the table, 4 more units and two command stands to go and the army will be complete for this year, I have enjoyed this build and would like to add some more pieces in the future.

Gripping beast miniatures hand painted shields




Cheers
Matt

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae Bretons II

Breton heavy infantry 

The Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae, much conjecture surrounds them as to where the kingdom was located during the dark ages. Mentioned in a number ancient references with the field army of Aetius by Gregory of Tours. Mentioned by Jordannes at Challons with the Roman army of Gaul against the Huns and with Paulus and Riothamus defending Angers against the Goths and Saxons.

A mix of Footsore miniatures and Gripping beast, LBM shield transfers and flag.





Cheers
Matt