Schilling Vignette (I) - completed

Paintwork and basing on the vignette all done.

This is based on a detail from a Berne Chronicle illustration, for which see the previous posting. I contemplated adding another Swiss halbardier, but decided to stay true to the illustration. A nice model for my transition from Burgundians to Swiss - the planning for the latter has progressed nicely this week.

More anon.

Schilling Chronicle Vignette (I)

My thoughts are turning to planning the build of a Swiss Confederation army, to oppose my Burgundians. My primary visual sources for getting a contemporary 'look and feel' are the illustrated chronicles complied during and just after the wars by the cities of Berne and Zurich - to record their civic history, defiance against Charles the Bold and military victories.

Whereas I used to scour publications to find relatively rare images from these chronicles, several complete volumes are now online and I've started to click through the pages for useful references - of which there are plenty. One of these showed an image of a rather panicked Burgundian man at arms being attacked by a Swiss halbardier (Berne Amitliche Chronicle, volume 3 folio 727). So I thought I'd start off my Swiss additions with a version of this.

The horse and rider are from Perry's mounted men at arms, the only major change was to use a horse head from their ACW cavalry box, to provide a bit more movement as it's reins are grabbed by the assailant. The Swiss soldier is a plastic body from WotR box with arms selected from the Agincourt French Infantry sprue and a Swiss metal head. The joins have been covered with green stuff, to represent a coat, rather than the livery vest that's designed on the plastic body (which the Swiss don't appear to have worn), although I've not added a breastplate which the image seems to show. Like the illustration, a discarded lance and halbard will lie on the ground.

Now on to the painting stage.

Crapaudeau

A relatively quickly assembled and painted artillery piece - a Crapaudeau - which was one of a number of contemporary terms for a cannon with wrought iron barrel looped with iron staves on a wheeled carriage. This has been done as a generic gun, no specific signage or colours for any late fifteenth century army, so it has potential usage with my Burgundians, Swiss or any others

 

The gun itself and carriage is Front Rank (I think...it's been sitting in my stash for some time); wheels from another source. The crew are Perry metals, all with some minor conversion. The labourer's spade has been made into a ramrod, a headswop for the onlooking gunner with folded arms and the master gunner, who is a wagon driver, has a new plastic head and replacement hand (from Ansar box) holding the linstock. The only other work was to add a discarded doublet from putty on top of the barrel; its my first attempt and I'm happy with the overall shape (it just maybe a tad too small).

 

Culvineers and Crossbows

A final contingent of shot - mixed crossbows and handguns - for the Burgundian army.

I got these assembled and painted relatively swiftly in the last week. Consequently there are just a few assembly combinations which are different from those previously completed - I've used crossbow arms from the Perrys Light Cavalry box and some plastic open hands with handguns added - and just a smidgen of Green Stuff in evidence. All are plastic figures, apart from one metal (which was painted by Chris Thompson).

Now that I'm close the planning 'finish line', I'll try and take some pics of the army over the Christmas break.

Coustillers for Bastard of Burgundy

I've completed the coustillers which are the second rank for Antony, Bastard of Burgundy's men at arms. This also finishes off all the mounted troops that are in my initial plan for the Burgundian Ordonnance army.

The extra two bases are all Perry Miniatures plastics (the central base was completed and is in the previous posting here). As per usual there has been some tinkering - green stuff and metal bits - to accessorise the original figures. These have been a bit of a labour of love to get to the finishing line; progress has been glacial at times and I've had to switch from doing small painting sessions on these interspersed with other stuff.

Here's a picture of the full unit, with men at arms on the front rank.

Just a few more pieces now on the list to 'complete' the army against the original plan - a Charles the Bold vignette, a unit of handguns/crossbows and casualty markers - just 12 months behind my self-imposed schedule!

Coustillers - one base down.

Here's the completed central base of the last three planned Burgundian Coustillers - the supporting rank for the Bastard of Burgundy's men at arms.

Two figures are metals and the trumpeter is a plastic. The left hand flagbearer is a Perry giveaway which came with the Light Cavalry boxsets, which the pointing hand has been replaced by a plastic one from the Mercenaries command sprue. The other flagbearer is a mounted page with headswop and open hand created by cutting away the scabbarded sword he's holding and then drilled. He holds a printed generic Burgundian flag, to which I've added the Bastard of Burgundy's personal device of a blue mantlet, which is repeated on the trumpeter's coat (and will reoccur again on caparison on another Coustiller base, to give this unit some visual cohesion).

Now moving on to one of the other bases, which I'll post when done.

Coustillers - prepared for painting

The recent hiatus in posting has been due to a little personal fatigue with medievals - I needed a break and so switched to getting some AWI units added. This is just a quick work in progress, as I've assembled the last planned group of Burgundian mounted coustillers. These will be the supporting rank for the Bastard of Burgundy's men at arms.

As usual they'll be three bases. The central one is not shown here - it'll consist of 2 flag/pennon bearers and a trumpeter and is further forward with the painting kicked off, so I should be able to get some pics of this up soon.

The two other bases have generic figures (as with all my other bases which are interchangeable), made from Perry plastic Light Cavalry and Mounted Men at Arms sprues - plus a spear holding arm and gauntlet from the Agincourt French box I think. Some Green Stuff work has been done on the horse tack and several figures - mainly to get as much variation as possible. Pictures are a bit dark I'm afraid - an autumnal afternoon.

EDIT 30th October - found picture of the central base figures at their prep stage, so here is extra pic.

Now on to the painting...

Anthony, Bastard of Burgundy and men at arms

Anthony of Burgundy men at arms contingent - completed.

This is my most ambitious unit for this army; in terms of the amount of conversion and putty work that's been done before the paintwork (pics of this are in previous blog posts). They represent the peak of Burgundian nobility supporting the Bastard, all armed in quality harness and barding for their mounts. Looking at the completed unit, it may have been good to add a figure in blue finish armour too, to add to the impression of  fine quality harness, but too late now. 

As per all my other men at arms, they'll have a supporting row of coustillers, a trumpeter and more flagbearers - which I'm planning out the prep for now. I then will have just a handful of extra bases to do for the Burgundians - aside from vignettes and casualty markers - so can maybe (just maybe?) start thinking about the prospect of Swiss.

Anthony was the illegitimate son of Duke Phillip of Burgundy and Jeanne de Prelle. He was therefore the half brother of Duke Charles and was a pivotal member of the ducal household, fulfilling a number of military, diplomatic and advisory roles at the court. He fought for his father on several campaigns, from at least 1451 onwards, and in 1464 left for a crusade against the Moors when he helped raise the siege of Ceuta.  
Anthony was at the battles of Grandson, Murten and Nancy, taking a prominent role in commanding troops on the field. At Nancy he was taken hostage by René II, Duke of Lorraine, and delivered to the King of France, for whom he was to serve after Charles's death.  He married Marie de la Viesville, and the entwined A and M painted on the horse bard covering is my attempt to portray this, applying an artistic device  which is shown for Charles and Mary on surviving pieces of fabric.

Bastard of Burgundy - WIP (2)

More plastic and Green Stuff, covered with paint.

The second base, which will be the left hand one of the three, all done and ready for basing. I'm progressing rather slowly these figures; having to do them in short painting sessions, as I'm getting a bit of Burgundian fatigue - which has been relieved by doing other terrain bits and a small group of Greek Hoplites too (!).

Central group of three men at arms including Antony of Burgundy is underway, so completed group should be along quite soon.
Thanks for all your generous comments so far. Simon

Bastard of Burgundy - WIP (1)

First part of the three bases that comprise this contingent are painted - basing will be done as one task at the final stage.

All held together with Blutac at the moment. The personal pennon of Antony of Burgundy is another wonderful one from Pete Smith.

Next group of three are underway... more soon.
Simon.