100 years war French Chevaliers and écuyers du Maine VI

French Chevaliers and Écuyers du Maine   

Finally completed some stuff of my own this week some Perry 28mm chevaliers for my French Armagnac western HYW post Agincourt army based on the armies in Maine and Anjou.  The first of the 20 odd figures coming. All Perry plastics as always lovely to paint.

Jean de Boissière, seigneur de la Boissière, Maine
In the company Guy de Laval, at La Brossinere, Le Mans, Fresnay, Baugé, and Verneuil, owed thirty days service La Gravel chateau.

Jean de Quatrebarbes 1407 Motte of Ampoigné , Motte-Sorchin, Genest , others still in Cosmes , Cossé , Astillé (fealty to Baron of Chateau Gontier-Sceau 1441). His father Pierre armorial seal 1372 seal is mentioned as "où étoit empreinte la figure d'une tête d'homme portant une grande moustache fourchue".
Pierre , his son, Jean, Gilles and his grandson Jean, all died at the battle of Verneuil 

Fought at Baugé, La Brossinière, Sainte-Suzanne, Verneuil where he died, in the company of Guy de Laval.

Guy d’Orenges,Seigneur de la Feuillée, la motte d’Orenges, Saint Jean Mayenne.
At Baugé, La Brossinière, Sainte-Suzanne, Verneuil, Vassal de Guy Laval

 

Bertrand de Parthenay, Seigneur de Soubise
At La Brossinière, Sainte-Suzanne, Verneuil, Vassal de Guy Laval

Lancelot de Rouvray, écuyer, seigneur de Fournes
At La Brossinière, Sainte-Suzanne, killed at Verneuil, Vassal de Guy Laval

Guillaume de Sacé, écuyer, sire de Brain-sur-Allonnes, château Sacé (destroyed 1361)
At La Brossinière, Sainte-Suzanne, killed at Verneuil, Vassal de Guy Laval

Jean L'enfant, écuyer seigneur de the Patrière and Cimbré,
At La Brossinière, Sainte-Suzanne, killed at Verneuil, Vassal de Guy Laval

Jean de Foucault, écuyer, seigneur du Cerisier, Maine
At La Brossinière, Sainte-Suzanne, Saint James, Le Mans, Orleans, Vassal de Guy Laval

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

From Caesar to World War Two

Cheers 

Matt

Republican Roman command II

 

 Republican Roman Command

Earlier last week I was getting a little jack of Medievals, tree renovation and Napoleonics, so I switched and opened up my project drawers and looked at my early republicans and decided to complete some more of my commands as I like to have spares in case of civil war etc for my early republican four urban legions. All figures are First corps figures except the dog who is warlord I think, decals VVV on the Roman shields, Impetus markers are Gallic pieces hand painted.

First up is a mounted Equites with his faithful dog, as a commander of my foreign and mercenary cavalry

A Simple legion commander base 

A foreign legion commander

Impetus disorder markers (as I like to do some every time I paint Ancient figures......)

and a supply train, more medieval than roman, a mix of brands and scratch built pack saddles

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

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

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

War of the Roses look out for the billhooks 3

 War of the Roses Mounted MAA

Completed some more mounted Perry miniatures, these are such a joy to paint! 

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

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday Aircraft Flight Stands

 Terrain Tuesday Flight Stands

This week I decided while building the Dassault Mirage III model that I would make another two flight stands for jets, one for Arid and desert games and one more for more green looking european games.

They are mounted on some MDF octagon shaped 10mm deep pieces that I picked up once in a paint shop clearance about 8 years ago. I left with about ten pieces and then had a Hotz mat made to match them for my WW1 Canvas Eagles 1/72 scale aircraft games and I also use them for ww2 larger aircraft like bombers, and DC3-JU52 para landings. Happy with them, although I may add some more bushes to the arid one I thik.

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

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

matt

Argentinian Dassault Mirage IIIEA 1/72 finished

  Argentinian Dassault Mirage IIIeA 

Completed, really happy with the build, went together ok, did need some putty, but sadly my squadron putty had dried out and I tried to resurrect it, sort of successfully. I added a wire through the centreline to attach to my flight stands for jet aircraft. If I was building a display piece I may of spent more time on it, but this model is a poor example of the dassault Mirage III, requiring major changes (wheel hub location, rear tail alignment, panel scribe detail and tail deflectors etc. The paint went on well and happy with my camo work, added the extra fins to the missiles to make them look more like the magic 550 missile. I did fek up with the clear varnish and forgot to mask the canopy for the matt finish.....oh well still serviceable. Decals were the biggest problem but saved by and a big thanks to my mate Robin for saving me, as Hannants are not delivering to France at the moment. 

Built as a Mirage from Grupo 8 de caza I-1003 with the yellow tail marking for the falklands war

I will get around to a Harrier soon, but onto some ww2 stuff for the next three weeks!

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

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

Aulerci Cénomani V Gaulois tribesmen

 Aulerci Cénomani V Gaulois tribesmen

More tribesmen, again I have tried to make them look a little different from their neighbouring tribe of the Diablintes. With this unit I am just short by two miniatures of the 300 figure mark for Aulerci federation army. Still need to add the remaining 80 odd figures to finish it off. Again all Victrix figures, I also started painting up a Warlord general who will be off the desk this week also. Thinking about getting some chariots for the northern part of the Federation for the Aulerci Éburovices (modern Normandy). I think the Nobles rode chariots into battle as a taxi rather than some wild charging beast that we all think of as wargamers. 

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

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

Aulerci Cénomani IIII

 Aulerci Cénomani IIII

More completed Gaulois, another Skirmisher base of four Victrix miniatures. Getting closer to the armies completion, almost clocked the three hundred mark with these figures, hoping to have the army completely painted by April. 

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

From Caesar to World War Two

Cheers

Matt 

Argentine Dassault Mirage IIIe/a Build part 3

 

 Argentine Dassault Mirage IIIe/a Part three 

Out of the paint shop, I painted it with Vallejo colours using a camouflage guide from the net that a Argentine modeller had put on his 1/48th kit, plus some guess work looking as some paint guides on the net crossmatching Hakata to Vallejo, quite happy with my result.

Paints used

• Base surface primer Vallejo Israeli sand grey 70.614
• under belly Vallejo Air Pale Blue Grey 70.046
• base khaki Vallejo Air Khaki Brown 71.024
• dark green Vallejo Air Russian Green 71.017
• light green Vallejo Air Olive grey 71.015
• Black nose Vallejo Glossy Black 70.861

Gloss varnish done and black lining complete. When you paint things you do see bits you have missed and if it was going to be a display model I may of went back and fixed them particularly joints ... as the I have run out of Tamiya putty so had to resurrect some squadron putty that was not quite good enough....need a replacement putty. 

Next was my problem with Decals........Hannants are no longer shipping to Europe and with no European supplier with any decals in 1/72 I though I may of missed the build deadline for the Brexit Modellers build. My mate Robin saved me with a set of micro scale decals that he had is his stash, we swapped for a set of Mirage 2000 drop tanks.......

 I now need add the guide wire for a flying model, though the chassis, then touch up paint bits, add the squadron markings, add the pilot, missiles, drop tanks, antennas and canopy, then complete!

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

From Caesar to World War Two

Cheers

Matt

War of the Roses.....look out for the bill hooks 2

 

 War of the Roses Men at Arms

Been a bit quite as I am slogging my way through 204 1/72 Cuirassiers for a customer order, in between I have been painting War of the Roses Men at Arms for another customer and some Gauls for myself.

 Figures are from Perry miniatures metal and plastic range, just lovely figures. Happy with the spirals on my lances, I use a hobby holder that I got on a kick starter that uses soft drink lids that screw on than can rotate on the holder, it makes life simple for these lances that is for sure. 

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

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday - more tabletop scatter

 Tabletop scatter

Some more 20mm additions completed for ww2 and modern town and ville scatter. Enjoying these pieces in between painting projects. Again mostly HO train bits, the cross is from a rosary sized set on a base and  large saint Anthony was from a brocante, he was missing his head so now has a essex late roman head. 

Argentine Dassault Mirage IIIe Part two WIP

 

Argentinian Dassault Mirage IIIe WIP 

A work in progress shot, completed the pilot and painted the air intakes and exhaust, a few sinkholes and gaps to be filled then off to the paint workshop, hope to get a coat on it by the weekend.

Argentinian Dassault Mirage IIIe Falklands war build part 1

Argentinian Dassault Mirage  IIIe

A wet day today in Sunny Mayenne so not feeling like doing more trees or painting horses (big napoleonic cuirassier commission). I have been recently watching a documentaries on the Falklands war and reading Dougies wargaming blog on his Falkland war builds. With that in mind I ventured upstairs to the stash and found a old Frog Dassault Mirage IIIe kit.  

A very simple kit, but as a wargaming model that is a good thing, I should have it built and ready for the spray painting yard by tomorrow....I will wait until it warms up later in the week before giving it a once over. I will need to source some transfers from the UK I think, so a searching I go!

Not decided on which groupo I will build as yet, more research to be done.....

Tree Renovation Part 9.....Palms

 

 Palm Trees

As they say, a change of scenery is as good as a holiday! 

I have decided to complete some palm trees from the collection, similar basing to my other trees, lots of work, undercoat base coat, ink wash, highlight, I made the root systems for these from green stuff, before I decided to make a resin mould in the two different tree trunk sizes to speed things up for the next 40 odd trees. really happy with the results.

I will use these in the middle east for my modern games and pacific island WW2 games, I am also setting some aside for my 20mm Middle eastern city fight games for gardens and such and making traffic islands with trees etc. 

I say Pierre, I think we have taken a wrong turn......

Tabletop Scatter part 1

 

 Village scatter terrain Part 1

As I move through my renovation projects I have decided to start adding and renovating my village and town accessories, a majority is HO scale model railway pieces which I find particularly good  for 20mm terrain. 

Tree Renovation part 8, ......oh the pine

 

 Ohh the Pine

more pines completed, after this lot I have about 20 to complete and the pines are done, then complete some palms,  then the huge 100 odd european tree collection. 

Tree renovation part 7 ......a sweet palm

 

Palms 

When I ventured upstairs earlier in the week I also found my Palm trees, suitable either for the desert or Pacific beach landing scenarios.  I purchased in bulk around 80 odd palm trees in three different sizes again from China. So possibly by the end of next weekend they will also be another 80 odd completed trees. Repainting the trunks and foliage, washing then highlighting, plus I will make a master and cast a root base for the three different sizes, so I do not need to green stuff each one individually. I now want some date Palms and will possibly order some in a week or two after I complete my european tree project.

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

From Caesar to World War Two

cheers

Matt

Tree Renovation part 6 ....your dead!

 

Dead Trees

Another mix of part renovation and new paint jobs, the large dead trees are metal from the eighties at least and used to be on a square base for a cemetery pulp game, so I pulled them off and added them to the round large 50mm base as per the larger tree renovation. I also added additional root systems from green stuff, then a new coat of paint, inks, drybrush and rebased to match the other renovated trees. 

The smaller stumps I purchased a long time ago and while digging for spears last week in the spares box I found them and added them to the pile of to be painted terrain box of trees. Notice they have faces so I suspect they are pre 80s metal from one of the fantasy ranges, anyway they will still grace the table without much comment unless someone is looking closely!

these look dead....