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

Renaissance Swiss Mercenary crossbow

 Swiss Renaissance Crossbow

The first of my Swiss mercenary units for the Guerre Folle (Mad War), 4000 Swiss fought at the battle of Saint Aubin du Cormier, in 12 companies. I am not certain what the mix in each company was but crossbow and arquebusier were both present along with pike and halberdiers.

cheers

Matt

Aulerci Cénomani III

 Completed another Gaulois tribal stand for my Aulerci Cénomani, again I have tried to make them look a little different with plumes and larger plaids, the miniatures are 28mm victrix miniatures.

Also as a plus I completed some casualty markers from my project drawer, they are the Wargames Factory Gauls, which are not the best sculpts, but with a few cuts and a little green stuff to fill gaps make good casualty markers.

Back to medievals for the next few days mostly completing standards as I think I have 8 bases to complete,  then I will complete the last 40 odd Gallic figures before the analogue painting challenge begins on the 15th of December. 

Cheers

Matt

Terrain Tuesday 28mm medieval building

Terrain Tuesday

Following my own advice today I spent time on terrain pieces, first upon completed a medieval building that has been in my to do box for at least four years, all it needed was highlights on the roof, and the timber completed. 

The building is a 28mm Plastic from Tabletop Workshop, great little pieces, easy to assemble and they have interior details also. I only added texture to the walls with silicone no more gaps brushed on, then wiped off the timber columbine pieces. painted with artists acrylics.

This building will join my collection for my Saint-Suzanne chateau build.

cheers

Matt

Sassanid & Roman casualty markers

Sassanid & Roman markers

More few pieces from my project drawers, these chaps have been sitting half finished for some time, two maybe three years, in some cases it was only the flocking and shields to be done! The figures are a mix of Old Glory dark age figures, hand painted shields and the Sassanids are from the lovely Aventine range with LBM transfers

Working through the drawer has been good for me, the cleaning out really is refreshing, I can see the back of one now an clear space in two of them so making good progress! 30 odd more figures and two space ships, a steam engine and one drawer will be empty. I may complete one whole drawer by Christmas I hope on the side along with the main projects.

More markers for Impetus or Hail Caesar 

Late Romans 28mm old glory miniatures 

28mm Aventine Sassanids, LBM transfers

Aventine Sassanids with LBM transfers

Aventine Sassanids with LBM transfers

Aventine Sassanids with LBM transfers

Aventine Sassanids with LBM transfers

Cheers

Matt

Sarmation Auxillia command

Sarmations are coming....

 Completed these two as the same time as the main unit but I needed to cut out some 50mm command stands from mdf and then base them.

Both 28mm warlord figures the standard bearers hose had to be filled a little with green stuff. The warlords mace is quite flimsy and I did consider replacing it, on the next set that will get painted next year I will do I have some variation for the command. 

Cheers

Matt

Coloured WW2 and Modern smoke markers tutorial

 

 Making WW2 Smoke markers

Terrain Tuesday

Since lock down began here in France I have been concentrating predominantly on my medieval and ancients collection painting over 600 28mm miniatures. This coming week I am shifting my focus back to ww2.

I was recently on John Bonds blog looking at his lovely ww2 terrain. So I have also decided to make from now on "Tuesdays Terrain day", making terrain or tabletop scatter a priority each week to get through the tonnes of small projects I have in my head for ww2 and modern bits, predominantly though for ww2. Most of these pieces will take several days and possibly weeks, but spending a dedicated day on them will help me get through the list.  

For year and years of ww2 and modern gaming I have just used cotton wool or lounge stuffing that is white for smoke markers, and while watching Band of Brothers...again, I watched the scene at the ferry crossing and thought....I do not use coloured smoke in my games...I have just used white smoke markers, but as we know they were mostly coloured for  ww2 and moderns warfare.

Anyone who served in the military will know they are not particularly good for your health, but neither is getting shot!  The smoke delivery could be via a grenade, mortar or artillery round, or a smoke generator either vehicle or a pump (normally white/grey though) the main colours available were, Red, Blue, Green, Purple, yellow, white, plus pink and  Orange (both post ww2)

So I have put together a simple tutorial.

Step 1 :Lounge stuffing is my choice of product, easy to find and cheap.

Step 2: I selected my colours and made up a wash, with a drop of detergent to break the surface tension of the stuffing and allow colour to penetrate. A few drops of paint 10% to 90% water. Dropped in the pieces that were teased out to shape. 

Step three. Rinse with water, to get rid of any settled pigment otherwise they will shed bits. allow to dry. 

Step 4. I based mine on clear plastic with a hot glue gun. 

Step 5. Put them on the table ! 

Lessons.

Quite happy with the result, but  I think it would be faster to use a spray paint tin in the desired colour or a airbrush, plus the colour will be more vibrant,  I will try again soon on another Tuesday! 

Cheers

Matt