Swiss Vorhut - pikes

I've completed the lengthy process of rebasing my existing Swiss figures to create a pike bloc for my Swiss Confederation vorhut. These figures are now on a 180mm frontage and effectively represent two of my 'Impetus' contingents, so a total frontage of 360mm, with a 4 base depth (240mm). The vorhut will have crossbow/handgun and halbardier bases added to make it complete. I'm happy with the overall size and composition; I have the flexibility of reducing the frontage if needed (as I do with all my units) and having this depth mean I can get the cantonal standards grouped near the centre as contemporary illustrations show so clearly and visually it looks sufficiently large. You'd not believe how long I have spent planning the basing layout for the Swiss troops and looking at what others have done with similar pike units (!).

This pike bloc represents the cantons of Lucerne, Uri, Biel, Unterwalden, Nidwalden and Obwalden (the flags for the latter two will be added). The figures are nearly all the Swiss Foundry range, which are the first historical range that Dave Andrews did before starting his 'Great War Miniatures' company. They are historically accurate figures for the Swiss in the later fifteenth century and are nicely detailed and a pleasure to paint. The paintwork on these is a mix done over the last few years, by 'Clibanarium', Dave Imrie, Jim Bowen and myself. I have enough Foundry castings to do a second pike bloc with these figures and for the other one I'm planning, which will be a larger unit and will represent Berne and her allies, will use Perry figures.

I'll re-shoot this when the extra halbard figures have been painted and based.