Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-letaniae or more Bretons!

Breton light infantry 

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae, much conjecture surrounds them as to where they were located in Brittany 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,   some suggest they were a Saxon German tribe or perhaps even a mainland Welsh tribe.

Personally I follow the thought train that a Celtic Godess is named Letavia and the mentions on name of a Latin region in the Armorican peninsular in a large number of documents refer to the southern region of modern Pays de Loire as Letavi and the recent archeological find at Clisson near Nantes pointed toward an inscription on a partial tile of a military unit building with “Leto”(waiting for the full report though, before fully drawing my bow).

Looking at all of this I have settled that were either Auxilla or old veterans in Armorican peninsular, around Nantes and Angers defending the Breton Marshe under command of Riothamus.

Figures are 28mm Footsore miniatures, I have elected to depict the unit of skirmishers in pure white bleached tunics and shields, and for the following heavy infantry I will do the same. The current pandemic has allowed me to complete another two units which I will roll out over the next few days.

Cheers
Matt

Anjou-Maine dark age shieldwall III

Carolingian Franks - Anjou-Maine Infantry IIII

Another unit of Carolingian Frankish Anjou Maine dark age infantry circa 800 when the comte de Anjou was created up to the Northmen invasions the fighting with the Bretons  for Maine in the 9th and 10 centuries. 

Next coming up are some Viking raiders, partnering with our Vikings in Maine battlefield and history tour, plus added with our historically themed local battlefield wargame  in our “salon de Guerre” at French Wargame Holidays.

Figures are Plastic gripping beast with LBM transfers, need to pick up another three boxes to complete the army I think

Cheers
Matt

Saxon Pirates Dark Age Command

Saxon Pirates

I received these figures already painted as a gift for Christmas and decided to base them as a Saxon command or a generic dark age command, figures are Gripping Beast, mix of hand painted shields and transfers, plus the flag is LBM.

Buried in research at the moment for 100YW armorials for lords and knights of Anjou Maine.

Cheers
Natt

Dark Age Franks heavy infantry I

Carolingian Frank Heavy Infantry I

Another unit completed for my dark age Franks, ready to fight the troublesome Bretons. Figures are gripping beast armoured dark age plastics with Victrix Roman and Celt plumes, flags and transfers a mix of LBM and warflag, getting low on transfers so need to make a order this week, hopefully they will make it through the border!

The yellow flower I place on all of my French bases is a common weed here locally and where Geoffrey V of Anjou got the Plantagenet nickname from, as he fathered a lot of bastard children so many they were like a weeds. The original name for the plant was planta genista in Latin before being changed in the 1900s to Cytisus scoparius or common broom. The plant was also used as a heraldic badge by five other Plantagenet kings of England, Anjou, Maine, Normandy and Aquitaine as the royal emblem.The "broomscod", or seed-pod, was also the personal emblem of Charles VI of France.

Much on the desk at the moment with six units awaiting basing, just waiting on yellow tufts to arrive from Germany.

Cheers

Matt

Breton Skirmishers III

Breton Javelin skirmishers

Another unit completed, Breton Javelin Skirmishers based for impetus, actually they would suit the Franks of Anjou Maine also,  figures are gripping beast plastic with a few Victrix heads.

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

Cheers
Matt

Anjou Maine medieval infantry IIII

Anjou - Maine Infantry IIII

Another unit of medieval Anjou Maine Infantry to defend against the Norman and Breton invasions in the 11th century. William the Conqueror and Conan of Brittany bring the two main opponents in the period.

Figures are from the plastic gripping beast dark Age set with some Victrix heads, and additional metal or plastic hand painted shields.

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

Cheers
Matt

Dark Age disorder markers

Last week while resting my eyes from plaid I prepared a bunch of 20mm round bases for markers (actually completely exhausted my stock of them), just builders sand glued onto the base, then painted and drybrushed as I do for Western European soil, rocks painted, then flocked. I felt I had enough Gallic and Roman, so I dug through my spares box of shields and decided to do some dark age disorder markers also. All freehand painted, quite happy with them, got a little carried away and completed another 10 so a Purchased of round bases required, plus now I will also do some Plantagenet period and 100 years war pavises as well.

Cheers

Matt

Maine medieval Infantry

Maine medieval infantry, ready to repel The Norman invaders.

At French Wargame Holidays We offer a “Walk the battlefield in the morning, and Wargame in the afternoon”©️ tour and Wargame of the siege of Saint Suzanne, we tour the chateau with its eleventh century Donjon and the amazing Norman siege camp that still remains.

Tour Details
https://www.lhoteldeherce.fr/wargames-battlefield-tours-2

Cheers
Matt

King Riothamus King of the Bretons

King Arthur....... perhaps!

Riothamus (also spelled Riutimus or Riotimus) was a Breton-Romano military leader, and King of Brittany and possibly lands in southern England. He was active circa AD 470 and lead a army against the Goths in alliance with the Romans. He is called “King of the Bretons” by the 6th-century historian Jordanes but the extent of his realm is unclear. Some Arthurian scholars identify Riothamus as one of the possible sources of the legendary King Arthur.

The miniature is from the Footsore Miniatures 28mm Dark Age range

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

cheers

Matt

Noble mounted Breton Kingdom of Domonée III

Breton Noble Cavalry III

Off the desk finally this week my noble Breton cavalry unit, lovely figures from Footsore 28mm Picts range. Quite happy with my plaid, possibly should of had the same coloured cloaks for each noble so I kept to the northern part of Domonée Amorican kingdom plaids. The final cavalry unit for my 5th to 7th century Bretons.

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

cheers

matt

Viking Traders.....raiders!

Viking Raiders!

For those on the Lead adventurer forum you will know about the Christmas trader present swap each year, you list your wants and then you are partnered up and you send a gift to your secret Santa. I have participated for three years and this year I received this unit, fully painted!

 So this week I based them up, what a excellent gift that is fully appreciated. I still have a command vignette to base also then they will all be ready. I would highly recommend anybody who is a member join in this great idea on the Lead adventurers forum.

These trader Vikings will join my impetus Viking army and hopefully will do sterling service against my Franks and Bretons.

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

Cheers
Matt

Breton Domnonée Dark Age cavalry II

Breton cavalry II

A unit of medium Breton cavalry for my Kingdom of Domnonée project, another project from the 2019 pile that was partially completed and required a few steps to complete them. I am almost at a end for this army one more cavalry unit, a command and thirty figures. This will give me quite a large army for the 5th through to the 8th century and by swapping out some infantry and cavalry will stretch until the 9th century.

The figures in this unit are footsore with one converted gripping beast celt to make up the unit. Quite happy with the plaid on these.

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

Salut
Matt

28mm Kingdom of Domnonée Breton light cavalry I

Breton Light Cavalry I

Completed more light cavalry for my Kingdom of Domnonée army which spans from the 4th to the 11th century. These are great sculpts from Footsore miniatures. I am very happy with the light plaid pattern on two of the figures, not convinced with my red though.

 The Bretons have a recorded history of light cavalry since the eastern invasion of Francia of the Goths/Alani in the early 5th century. The Romans settled the Alani and Goths along the border with the Armoricans, the Notitia Dignitatum places them in Orleans, Poiters, Rennes, Alençon, Mayenne, Le Mans and Chartres. These areas became predominant Frank horse breeding areas in the 10th century and remained so up until the 19th century, 6 of the 8 French military light and heavy horse breeds come from the area).
  John Wallace-Hadrill in his book Long Haired Kings, links the strength of the Breton feigned flight back to the Alani tactic in the 5th century, and the the overall use of heavy cavalry by the nobles. In several battles with the Franks, Vikings and Normans they used this tactic very successfully. By the 8th century the Breton border had moved to the west from the modern Mayenne river to the Vilane river, then back and forth for the next two centuries. Under Pepin the short, the Anjou-Maine Franks gained the territory, capturing the remaining Breton horse breeding areas almost entirely.  By the 11th century the Anjou-Maine cavalry were also using the tactic of feigned flight, most famously allied with William the Conqueror along with the Bretons knights using feigned flight tactic at the battle of Hastings to break the Saxon sheildwall.

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

Cheers

Matt

28mm Breton Kingdom of Domnonée Coloni infantry IIII

Coloni Infantry IIII

More 28mm Armorican Kingdom of Domnonée Breton 4th to 11th century project. The Coloni were colonists from mainland Britain. The infantry are from the Gripping Beast Miniatures dark age Plastics. Ready to fight the Alani, Romans, Franks and Vikings. A few head swaps with Victrix miniatures and two metal shields. Based for Impetus rules. 

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

Cheers

Matt

28mm Dark Age Anjou-Maine infantry III

Carolingian Frank Anjou-Maine heavy Infantry III

Another unit completed of Gripping beast plastics with a few head swaps of Victrix Celts, a few plastic javelins and a few metal shields in the mix. Transfers are LMBS and hand painted shields.
This unit could easily serve as any dark age unit, Carolingian Frankish Anjou-Maine infantry, Bretons, or even Goths.

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

Cheers

Matt

28mm dark age Breton heavy infantry III

Breton heavy Infantry III

A hive of activity on the desk this weekend as my mojo returns for painting, another Breton unit but for my Kingdom of Domnonée army from the 4th to the 11th century. All metal from Footsore miniatures, with various shield makes, LBMS transfers and metal spears I made myself. Really easy to paint these and happy with the result. This base with it flag will designate an attached command on a stand for Impetus, although I prefer separate commanders normally as I tend to get them mostly killed when attached!

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

Cheers

Matt

28mm Dark Age skirmishers

Completed two units of archers, one for late Roman -Alan  archers and a generic Archer dark age base.
Figures are Footsore miniatures. They will fit into any of my late Roman and dark age armies nicely.

Cheers

Matt

28mm Alan warlord

This Footsore command miniature has been sitting around for some time awaiting completion as I wanted a hunting or war dog on the base, after a desk clean up today in preparation for clearing for the Autumn painting projects,  I headed up to the third floor and seeked out my 28mm spares box and found a suitable Warlord Miniatures war dog.  I then finished the dog off and added it to the completed the command base.

This commander will lead my Alan warband. The Alan's were based in Aurelianum (modern Orleans) capital from 406ad and controlled lands along the Loire, Sarthe and Mayenne rivers. The Romans and later the Franks used them to put down rebellions in the west including Armorican massif (Brittany) and famously defended their capital Aurelianum against Atilla the Hun. Later at the battle of Challons in 451 the Alan and Goth cavalry break the Hunnic centre.

Cheers
Matt

28mm Dark Age Breton Coloni Infantry II

Breton Coloni Infantry II

Finally back into a rhythm of painting after assembling 200 odd perry miniatures 100YW miniatures, it truly has been a slog. I also completed a number of Celts also, and finally had an opportunity to undercoat them. I also managed to get some time for some painting yesterday and today completing another two units with another three close behind.

The latest off the desk some more Breton Coloni infantry for my Kingdom of Domnonée dark age army 4th to 11th century, although this unit could double as Maine/Anjou or saxon pirate raiders also.

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

Cheers

Matt

28mm Neustria Franks Milities and Vassi I

Carolingian Frank Heavy Infantry I 

Off the desk some 28mm Gripping Beast plastic dark age figures. This unit will represent the first of my Neustria Franks for the 8th century defending the Breton/Maine Marchers. Shields are LBM transfers, based for Impetus.

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

Cheers
Matt