Red Buses...!

Hey, so you wait ages for one blog post and then two come along at the same time!! I found some images I took of the extra figures that I did for the Montargis game at Partizan, so I thought why not pop them up here. They are pretty much all Perry plastics, which as my HYW collection is so old, most of my figures are not - so it was a great opportunity to add some new figures. Actaully I reaslise now that these were nearly all English figures, as we needed thre battles. The horse for the Earl of Warwick's flagbearer is a 3D print. The bombard on the wagon is also a print, with crew and horses converted Perry figures, it's one of those ideas which actually worked out OK as a finished model.

Real Estate - some progress

Hi, it's been a long time, but I'd heard that Blogspot had been revisited by Google and was slightly better to use, so I thought I'd also revisit and pop up some content. Progress on the medievals has been slower than planned. I have added some more French infantry, and also acquired some French mounted knights (from Dave Imrie) for a demo game that we put on at the ast Partizan show of 2025. This was based on the siege of Montargis in 1427. I should have posted about it on here, but there is coverage in Wargame Illustrated number 457 (January 2026) if you wnat to chase it down - it was a great opportunity to get almost all my HYW figures on a table at one time. This post is really just to share some buildings that I've been doing on-and-off for some of last year. They are all Hudson and Allen 25mm and all of them will be added to scenic bases at some point. My iossue is that I now cogitate too much about how I am going to base them and so inertia steps in. In addition I've had a repalcment thumb joint, to sort out arthritis whcih was making the holding of models for painting etc, too painful. I'm now in a rehab stage, which is taking longer than hoped, but I may be back to painting in April...we'll see. Hence the meantime is filled with planning (...too many ideas) and purchasing (...too much on the plastic/lead pile)!!

So, to the buildings. The double-storey ones are basically 2 of the same single-storey models cut and stacked. As the models are made of the light resin, this is an easy job and for the buidling that'll be a shop or tavern, it was just a matter of using a spare window and cutting it in. The longer barn has had plaster added to make it a bit more visually interesting, rehter than a totally wooden construction and I've added staddle stones (to stop rodents eting anything stored within).

So, hopefully not too long before a new post, either on here or more likely the other blog - Je lay Emprins - as there is some modest progress going on with my Swiss and they are defiebely a number 1 project for this year. Simon

Some excess photos

I managed to take a couple of new pictures of my figures, intended for use in the new Saga rules supplement 'Age of Chivalry'. Whilst several pictures - new and old - were used, some missed the cut so I thought I'd share them here, as an interim post. I still have many French knights to be completed, as well as planned new figuires and vignettes and later this year I will get back to them. So in the meantime, just some images. Cheers, Simon

French Knights for Patay (IV)

 

So I made some progress over the earlier summer months, to add more bases of French knights for a future Patay game.

Here are some pics. They are pretty much all Perry plastics from the Agincourt range. Some conversions as previously mentioned, with putty-sculpted kastenbrust added - although when they were painted and based, you can hardly find them!

There are more planned, with a couple more leaders and known participants to be added.

I'm also considering making some vignette bases of fleeing and ridden-down English archers - although I guess Patay will be the only scenario I will use them in.

Simon

French Knights for Patay (III)

 

Some more progress - Étienne de Vignolles and another kastenbrust.

Etienne de Vignolles appears to be the primary leader of the French mounted vanguard at the battle of Patay. In the previous posting, I showed the horse conversion for this figure and the rider is just a standard Perry knight from the Agincourt plastics box. The caparison is hand-painted, in an attempt to match it to the printed flag.

Vignolles acquired the knickname of La Hire at some point. One explanation for his nickname of La Hire would be that the English had nicknamed him "the Hire-God" (Ira Dei: the wrath of God). Alternatively, his name may simply come from the French "hedgehog" because he had a prickly disposition.

He joined Charles VII in 1418, when the English army invaded France. Although not a noble, La Hire was regarded a very capable military leader as well as an accomplished rider. Three years later, in 1421 he fought at the Battle of Baugé.  He was a close comrade of Joan of Arc and an important leader in winning the victories against the English in 1429. 

I've started his banner bearer and the flag is from the excellent GMB Designs. They'll be based up with another knight alongside them.

When looking for references for the kastenbrust I found this image of St George from Cologne museum and its dated circa 1430. So I have attempted to replicate it by adding green stuff breastplate and the 3 overlaping plates at the shoulders - not unlike a small crinnet worn by horses at this time.

I think this will do for now on germanic breastplate conversions!

More anon.

PS - not sure why the fonts have gone awry on this post - I'll try and come back and fix it....

French Knights for Patay (II)

 

So as we are nearing the Christmas season (and for shops in the UK it is already Christmas!) I give you....Five French Sergeants!

These are all the riders I can make up from the remaining spures that I have. Two of them are made up with cut-down bodies from the Perry French Foot pack, which enables a bit of variety with the kettlehats, instead of the bascinets which you get in the Agincourt Knights pack. 

The horses are all painted in the same tones for speed - but these sergeants will be placed on different bases as supporting ranks, so the uniformity will be lost...and uniformity is not what you want in a medieval army.

More anon. Cheers for now.

French Knights for Patay (I)

There's life in the old blog yet!

I recently had the opportunity to join other 'Bodkins' and replay the Battle of Crecy as a demo game at Partizan show. Apart from the joy of gaming and meeting folk again after 18 months of lockdowns, it reignited my enthusiasm to do more to my HYW collection. I'd made up several perry plastic Mounted Agincourt Knights for the Bauge game, but wanted to do more of them. So my winter project will be to create sufficient French knights to refight the Battle of Patay 1429 - a key turning point in the recapture of English-held territories by the French.

So the current plan is to create at least 10 bases of knights, which can be added to the 'agnostic' bases I have done already.

The first conversions for these are using horses from V and V Miniatures, which wear caparisons. Horses with caparisons (cloth coverings) are shown in early 15th century illustrations. However it is probably unlikely that they were worn in battle at this time. They are a useful artistic device to show leaders in imagery of the time - and this is exactly how I'm going to use them for some of the leaders on the gaming table.

I purchased a few of the horse models direct from A&A in Russia in the first lockdown period. They are resin models and are a remarkably close fit to older Citadel style horses. So thankfully the overall size fit with the Perry plastics is pretty good. I could use the assembled horse bodies and easily attach a Perry head instead of those provided which really relate to the Crusading era. The riders just needed a little more width in the gait of their legs - easily shaved off with a scalpel - to fit the horses OK. 

The second conversions are to add a few knights wearing kastenbrust cuirass. For a battle set in 1429, it is just possible that the kastenbrust style of armour was starting to make an appearance. Although most of the illustrations depicting this style are dated from c1430-1460 and derive from Germany or Flanders, it gives me an excuse to add a bit more visual variety and create some unique figures. I recently visited the restored Van Eyck 'Lamb of God' altar in Ghent, dated to 1432, which has the Knights of Christ all wearing kastenbrust, so we're close enough on the dating for me to be happy with attempting these figures.

I've added the angular cuirass with green stuff and I'm happy with the results. However when I attached the riders left arms, those holding the horse reins, and they pretty much cover up all the putty work! But I know (...and you dear reader also know) that they are there. Consequently I've selected right arms which try to avoid covering up all my work.  Next steps will be to paint all of the new figures, before picking up some more Perry boxes at Salute.

More to come...

All the best, Simon