28mm Medieval update.

So with plans at the club for some Lion Rampant games to finally utilise everyone's retinues that they started a few years ago, some even completed them, it was time to revisit mine. So far I had two units of mounted troops and half a unit of foot troops (the basing has been finished on the foot troops since).

First batch from over two years ago.

So back out came the box of Fireforge Foot Sergeants and some more assembly commenced. Now I required some archers and while this box does contain parts to make crossbowmen I decided this was far too Frankish for my late C13th English. This led to the purchase of a box of Medieval Archers which was split fifty-fifty with another club member as I only needed twelve out of the twenty-four this box provides part for.

So the next batch were assembled and started. Shields are painted separately an attached at the end.

Next batch started.

After these were completed I was left with just eight archers to go to complete my retinue.

Also at this time I ordered some MDF sabot trays and circular bases from Warbases. The circular bases I drilled in the centre to allow for a miniature rare earth magnet to be inserted. I normally use self adhesive magnetic sheet on the bottom of my bases but this would raise them above the top of the sabot bases, so I went with magnets. The mounted figure were based on thinner plastic bases so I used magnetic strip on these.

Magnet in base.

I also decided to string the bows and used fine strands of wire for this. A few cut down embroidery pins were re-purposed as arrows for those about to loose. Some small pieces of thick paper were added as an attempt to give an illusion of fletching.

Troops ready for completion of basing

As an experiment I painted the slots in the sabot bases with a ferrous paint, hoping that the magnets in the figure bases would attract to them and provide an extra level of grip when moving these bases. It seems to have worked.

Sabot bases with slots painted with ferrous paint.

The completed units with just varnishing to go, ready for some games of Lion Rampant.

Next up, back to the Napoleonic British Peninsular army and some heavy dragoons.

Tony.

Medieval Diversion

Some time in late 2015 or early 2016 a club night discussion led a lot of members to consider building retinues to play Osprey Publishing's Lion Rampant wargame. By this point I fancied painting something other than napoleonics and as essentially a skirmish game this seemed a good idea as not many figures would be required.

So now came the question what to do? A bit of digging around led to the decision to build my retinue based loosely around Sir Richard de Holbrook or his son Sir John de Holbrook who were knocking about in the reigns of Henry III and Edward I "Longshanks" so late C13th. Why these? well it is about the right period historically for retinue skirmishes and my mother's name was Holbrook so possible family connections.

Now for the figures, and after viewing other club members collections a purchase was made from Fireforge Games for a box of their Mounted sergeants and Foot sergeants. Assembly and painting commenced with the mounted troops and I discovered the joys of painting large areas of yellow, a consequence of picking the Holbrooks.

This is very much a background project with the napoleonics the priority so to date only the two units of horsemen and one unit of spearmen have been completed.