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

HYW photo

I've been fiddling with my camera to create some pics of a specific battle - more anon.

This is one I edited out to not use - English attack on a French defensive camp - the stream disappearing to nowhere just didn't work.

Simon.

Shepherd's Hut (wheeled)

A few months ago I discovered about the existence of medieval shepherd's huts on wheels - a chance encounter on a Pinterest account which I follow.

It appears that images of these huts occur with some frequency in the background landscapes of medieval illustrations, mainly those showing Angels announcing the birth of Christ. They take different forms, but they're often just a square wooden shed with 2 or 4 wheels attached. Presumably they were pushed or hitched, as flocks were moved about in the open countryside (enclosed sheep fields were a 16th century creation) and as a place for shepherds to take refuge and probably sleep in.

So making one seems both relatively easy and something which would add a little interest in a corner of a wargames table- those areas where you rarely get any gaming happening and so need a little terrain item to be placed.

A recent order from Charlie Foxtrot Models enables me to add their Derelict Shed, as I didn't want it to look too much like a modern garden hut.  This was made as it comes, apart from leaving off the door. Wheels are also mdf from 4Ground and the tiles are left over wooden shingles from an AWI build. It looks a little like a Regency period bathing hut, doesn't it!

So a quick, mobile terrain item which I should be able to use on any medieval game - however, I've realised that I have no sheep!!

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Bauge replay at Partizan - grave undertakings

We're going to replay the demo game of Bauge 1421 at the Partizan show in Newark on 19 May.

Going to make some slight adjustments to the layout. This is to include more space around the village of Vieil-Bauge; up the slope from the river crossing, where most of the fighting appears to have taken place and where Clarence most likely died fighting. This means I'll have room for my church, which I forgot to pack for the trip to Salute.

To sit alongside the church I've made a walled graveyard - one of those terrain pieces which I've had in mind for such a long while and I needed a prompt to find all those purchased bits for it and so get it completed. Visual references for what a medieval graveyard may have looked like have been hard to find. The only ones appear to be from contemporary illuminations showing the dead rising up, presumably to collect souls of the living.

From these images walled cemetaries seem to have a mixture of slabs and wooden crosses. I understand that when cemetery space was full, that bones would be dug up and reburied, most probably inside the church crypt. In the medieval world it was the soul which travelled to Heaven and was proved for after death. Its only post Reformation that the bones of the dead gradually become the focus of remembrance and so graveyards become bigger in size, with carved headstones etc. The walls are from Debris of War, which I've rendered with fine Polyfilla, with Hovels pillars on the ends. The slabs are Renedra plastics, the larger crucifixion and small shrines from a Faller HO kit, other crosses are Hovels, and the smaller wooden crosses and gateway (top part of a well) are mdf laser-cuts from Petite Properties.

Along the open side of the yard, I've embedded small magnets. This will allow me to add/remove a temporary hedge, if I need the piece to be fully enclosed at any time. The church is a Vollmer plastic HO scale railway kit - it's of Strasbourg Cathedral, but works OK as a 28mm parish church! I love the fine moulded gothic details, which I've not seen in a war-games version yet. More on it here.

If you're at Partizan, please pop over to the game and say hello!

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Battle of Bauge 1421, at Salute 2019.

Apologies for the delay in getting some words and pictures together from the Salute game.

So Lewis King and I set up on the Friday evening and spent a very pleasant evening eating and drinking, and chatting about the hobby with others staying at the hotel.

Table layout, looking from Bauge

Regrettably other members of the Lance and longbow Society who were going to join us to play the game couldn't make it due to illness. We did have Ian with us for the afternoon, who led a wing of the Franco-Scots. The game ran well with Lion Rampant. We basically used the rules as they are, jaltoigh we classed Clarence and his mounted knights as "Great" - this was to ensure that he attacked any enemy in charge distance and so reflect his recklessness on the day and to avoid him hanging about and waiting for Salisbury with his longbowmen arriving.

All units were treated as they would be in the rules, we just ignored the limit of 12 figures per unit. We used counters to reflect the rising numbers of casualties and removed a dice per casualty, to better reflect the growing injuries and fatigue in a unit. The Scots archers defending the bridge were a small unit.

So this is how it transpired. Clarence headed for the Pont Godeau over the Couasnon river and quickly dealt with the Scots archers. In hindsight we should have stiffened their resistance with some men at arms, to reflect the close melee that the contemporary records refer to. At this point the Franco_scots on the hill and in the town could be activated.

Clarence crosses the Couasnon

All the other English knights also followed over the bridge. At this point we started to dice for the arrival of Salisbury with his mounted archers, but they would take a few more tunes before they appeared. Clarence they headed for the town (in historic fashion) and attacked and defeated a unit of crossbowmen, whilst taking few casualties.

Franco-Scots left wing

On the Scots left, the crossbowmen and men at arms were reluctant to advance and shoot - they repeatedly failed their activation phases. This allowed the other English knights to charge Scots men at arms - a close melee took place over a number of turns, with the Scots being pushed back. However the English knights, still fighting on horse, were starting to accumulate casualties. At this point the English mounted archers under Salisbury appeared on the table and made for the river.

Crossbowmen in flight 

Clarence continued his heroic attack, forcing his way into the centre of Vieil-Bauge and defeating a unit of Scots spearmen. At this point we ran out of time and our energy was sapped too - plus some shopping was calling us!

Ian finally manages to get the Scots to attack

Many thanks for all those who came along and were very generous in their feedback on the game or who wanted to know more about a battle which seems to be relatively unknown - the English being good at hiding their defeats under their bushel!

One of the two mills

We hope to revisit this at Partizan show, Newark, in May - with some minor adjustments to the terrain and maybe the Scots.

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English Mounted Archers (I)

The battle of Bauge was primarily fought on the English side by the mounted men at arms, led by Thomas duke of Clarence and other knights. The chroniclers tell that the earl of Salisbury followed Clarence with a contingent of archers, possibly comprising of the rest of the English army, or just an element of it given the apparent haste with which Clarence had set off to engage the Franco-Scots.

Salisbury’s archers appeared to have arrived at Vieil Bauge on the aftermath of the fighting and death of Clarence. They did engage with the enemy who held the field on the 22nd March. Instead they returned the following day and were able to retrieve the bodies of slain noblemen, including Clarence whose remains were eventually to be interned in Canterbury Cathedral and to bury other dead. They then retreated towards Normandy via Le Mans, evading the pursuing Scots.

For the game I’m adding the opportunity for Salisbury’s archers to arrive and fight – something which may just tip the balance? Their arrival will be decided on a randomised basis.

So I need to make some mounted English archers – who’ll then shoot and fight on foot. I’m using the new Perry Agincourt Mounted Knights box again. There are 2 bodies (separate legs and torsos) on each sprue with men wearing padded gambeson and arm options for bows, swords, covered bows, arrow sacks etc. I’ve created some variations by using heads, arms and cut-down torsos from the Perry Agincourt English archers and French foots sprues, also the (smaller) arrow bags and a pair of arms from the WotR Light Cavalry box too. I plan to add a few ‘period correct’ arrow bags from the new box to the saddles, when they’re all painted.

Again painting approach for men and their mounts will need to be speedy…


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English Knights for Bauge 1421

The English knights for Bauge are completed – sorry that I didn’t have an opportunity to create a posting about my work in progress with these – the Salute deadline is looming closer (…worryingly).

These are all Perry plastics from the recent Agincourt Mounted Knights box. I’ve based them on 50x100mm bases, which matches the frontage of the rest of my HYW collection. I’ve really cheated a little by basing them with a 50mm frontage but placing only 3 models on each (an idea from Lewis, who I occasionally game with). They are relatively speedy paints, so the final detail/highlight that I’d usually apply is missing from both horses and riders.  Washes on the base colours and a single highlight in most cases - but they’ll look OK in the cavernous semi-gloom of Salute.

Most figure builds are out-the-box, although with the mounts I’ve removed some tack (the straps across the rump and some studs, as I get fed up with painting these en masse). As per previous post, I’ve fiddled with some chamfrons and the peytral (removing some orbs and painting them as leather, rather than steel).

There will be 3 units of English men at arms for the game; each denoted by a leader and their displayed coat of arms – duke of Clarence, Lord Roos and the earl of Huntington (flags by GMB). The rest of the bases I want to be ‘agnostic’ so that they can also be used as French in future games (such as Patay).

I’ve done a couple of caparisoned horses. It seems that caparison were probably not commonly worn by the early 15^th century apart from tournaments, although contemporary illustrations do show them, however this is possibly an artistic device to denote kings and leaders through the display of their heraldic arms? So Lord Roos sits on a Fireforge plastic horse (with Perry head) and Clarence on a Steel Fist Miniatures – both requiring some surgery to cut away the insides of the riders’ legs and the addition of saddles with modelling putty, to make a good fit.

I’m indebted to Matt Williamson of Le Hotel de Herce for his knowledge and insights on the mediaeval and modern battlefield site and information on English knights at the battle. Consequently I’ve adjusted the table layout slightly to reflect the most likely terrain for the battle (more on that anon).

Now on to creating English mounted archers…quickly!