Flodden, I Have More

 

Today I’m pleased to show you more units for Flodden/1513. A lost cache provided the necessary figures. Above, Khurasan archers in royal livery fronting the Macclesfield contingent. 

Christopher Savage, Mayor of Macclesfield commands. His banner is one of Ray's. Thanks kindly Ray. The Billmen are from QRF.

 

Lords Hamilton and Maxwell and their pikemen. All from QRF and once again benefiting from Ray's flags.

  

Above Hamilton's in line to show variants. Below ready for action.

Lord Maxwell's in line.

 Ditto in battle order.

More English archers in Royal Livery. These are the last of my Khurasan archers. 

English arquebusiers, a rarity in this period. Figures from Essex and QRF.

They appeared in France but not at Flodden. The flag is from Army Royal.

This project is just about done. Some artillery and half a dozen Border Horse left to do and that's it. 

The Dark Daughter's Body Guard - The Nine Years War in Ireland

 

Above, the Crawfords under the O'Donnell flag. They constituted the body guard of Iníon Dubh (The Dark Daughter).  She was the mother of Red Hugh O'Donnell and was a Scots Lady of no mean political skills. These she surely inherited from her mother who also married an Irish dynast.

The body guard was part of her dowry. The lads were chosen individually for their size and strength. It turned out that the Crawfords specialised in biguns. The Flag is one of Ray's of Don't Throw a 1.

Annoyingly I think I have made a mistake with my figure selection. Consider this:

 "This was accordingly done for her (Iníon Dubh) for they rushed to the place where Hugh was, and proceeded to shoot at him with darts and bullets, until they left him lifeless; and there were also slain along with him the dearest to him of his faithful people."

The "they" in question are the Body Guards. Note the use the Irish Dart and some of them are using guns, probably Calivers. This is the first mention of Highlanders using darts that I have come across. The guns are less of a surprise. They were about and becoming more so. My choice was the typical West Highland bow and great sword/axe. Ah well, time to think again.

More properly the Dark Daughter was Fíonnghuala Ní Dhomhnaill. Her father MacDonald of Dunyveg and the Glens. Her mother Lady Agnes Campbell wife to Turlough of the Wine, The O'Neill. 

I thought you might be interested to read  her reviews:

The Annals of the Four Masters noted  she was "like the mother of Maccabees who joined a man's heart to a woman's thought."

The historian and biographer O'Cleirigh stated "for she was the head of the advice and counsel of the Cenel Conaill." 

Myler Magrath, the cleric and multiple turncoat, said she was "A cruel, bloody woman who has committed sundry murders".

Well yes, politics was always a deadly business. The point was, and still is, to win. Mother and daughter were adepts.

Above Scots Gaels. They could be a mercenary company or mobilised Clansmen.

The Irish branch of Clan Donald above. The McDonnells of the Route in Antrim. They had displaced the McQuillans some time past. The equally Gaelic McQuillans were the descendants of adventurers of Norman origin. Some of Clan McQuillan were still about. As indeed, they are still.

For the McDonnells things were looking up. They could field a force of 500 men without any real effort. If more were needed they arrived from the West Highlands in swift galleys.

My second unit of English Border Horse. The troopers are from Essex Miniatures and the officer and trumpeter from Khurasan.

Two Khurasan mail clad Irish cavalry and a QRF/Khurasan mix of targeteers. The estimable Clib' tells me Khurasan are to produce  a pack of Irish targeteers. Excellent news.

QRF Kern with a Khurasan Piper. Old fashioned Kern were on the way out but could on occasion be found in both English and Irish forces. They still had their moments. A brave English Captain was rallying his Company at the Ford of Biscuits. A Kern threw a dart through the Captain's neck, killing him. End of rally. 

Two common types of Irish attack tactics. Above caliver men supported by cavalry. Below, the same supported by Targeteers.

I mentioned previously that I was writing rules for the Nine Years War in Ireland. The job is now done. When I have further news I'll report it here.

Flodden Final Units

 

Truth to tell I have 2 Scots and one English units to do. They will have to wait a while. As you will see quite a bit has been accomplished. 

Above, Scots Demi-Lancers under the banner of the Scots Earl Marischal. One of Ray at Don't Throw a One's flags.  The Race of Somerled below. 

Both Clan Donald units. Flags located from the internet by Stuart at Army Royal and overpainted by me.

Lots of Borderers. 

Could be Scots, could be English. The banners of the Commanders enable us to tell them apart.

Below, The English Lord Dacre and his men. Banner from Ray.

The other side, William Graham, Earl of Montrose with his banner. Also from Ray.

The King of England's Spears from Roundway. If I have this right, Stuart of Army Royal drew the flag and Ray coloured it in.

That's it for the moment.

The Scots at Northallerton – Lion Rampant

 

I cannot recall ever seeing the Scots array at Northallerton on the table top. It has always interested me because of its diverse components.  George Shipway featured the battle in his lively novel Knight in Anarchy. In it he repeats an old Tudor lie but you cannot have everything.

When Steve Shaw of Feudal Castings released a suitable range of 15mm figures I was in like a flash.  These are they, arranged according to Lion Rampant v2.

Here are my Fearsome Warrior Galwegians.  One Chronicler credits the men of Galway as using long spears. I could have done that. However, a Mr Walsh devoted some serious time to researching Galwegian armament.  He concluded that it was Axes, Swords and Javelins for those warriors. Having read the evidence I’ve gone with that.  The Galwegians led the attack and broke the Anglo-Norman first line.  Others did less well. Northallerton was not a Scots victory.

As you can see the Galwegians are wearing a lot of black.  Black wool was common in Galway and it makes them stand out.  Here are the LRv2 Stat’s.  You can see they are an expensive unit.

The troop type is “Warriors”.

Models per unit	12	points	6
Attack	5+	Attack Value	3+
Move	6+	Defence Value	6+
Shoot	-	Shoot Value	-
Courage	4+	Maximum Move	8”
Armour	2	Special Rules	Flexible, Wild Charge, Counter Charge Against  Infantry, Fearsome.

In our period Normans had accrued to the Scots Throne. We need a unit of them too.  King David (Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim)  or his son Henry will be there. The Leader unit then. These Knights are from Gladiator, Josef Ochmann sculpts.  As 15mm ranges go the Gladiator Feudal range is rather special.  Get them while you can. Fighting 15s who retail them intends to retire in October '25.

Interestingly, some of those Normans were actually Bretons. They could converse easily enough with the Cumbrians. The root of both the Breton and Cumbric language being Brythonic.

The troop type is “Elite Cavalry”.

Models per unit	6	points	6
Attack	5+	Attack Value	3+
Move	7+	Defence Value	5+
Shoot	-	Shoot Value	-
Courage	3+	Maximum Move	10”
Armour	4	Special Rules	Wild Charge, Counter Charge

The bulk of the "Warband" is comprised of spearmen, long spears is the consensus. I think the Light Infantry LRv2 category suits them better than Heavy Infantry.

I'm using two variants, first a Veteran unit representing the Cumbrians. King David had fought and politicked his way to the throne. He was a Cumbrian. 

The troop type is “Light Infantry”.

Models per unit	12	points	5
Attack	6+	Attack Value	5+
Move	5+	Defence Value	4+
Shoot	6+	Shoot Value
Courage	4+	Maximum Move	8”
Armour	2	Special Rules	Wall of Spears

A similar unit but less enamoured with King David.

Models per unit	12	points	3
Attack	6+	Attack Value	5+
Move	5+	Defence Value	4+
Shoot	-	Shoot Value	-
Courage	4+	Maximum Move	8”
Armour	2	Special Rules	Wall of Spears

Our final two units are of Skirmishers.  They both look like this.

Models per unit	6	points	2
Attack	7+	Attack Value	6
Move	5+	Defence Value	4+
Shoot	7+	Shoot Value	5+/12 range
Courage	5+	Maximum Move	8”
Armour	1	Special Rules	Skirmish, Hard to Target, Evade, Fast

I have a variant of this "Warband" with Bloodthirsty Galwegians, one unit of Skirmishers and the Aggressive Skill for King David.

I already have the figures for other in period LRv2 Warbands.  We will see them as they come. I'll start with Bishop Thurstan's Anglo-Normans for Northallerton. There are some interesting choices to be made there.

For the future we will see North and South Welsh "Warbands" and the same for Moray and The Isles. Almost all comprised of Steve Shaw castings. I can also put together an Irish "Warband" with variants and a few more too.  

A little Later and I can do both sides at Otterburn also with Steve Shaw figures .

For me LRv2 is proving to be the catalyst for getting old collections back on the table top.

The Army of the King of Scots 1688

Scotland in 1688 still had its own military establishment.  Beyond that the Highland Clans were armed to the best of their ability. With judicious political management it was possible for the King of Scots to bring together most or all of Scotland’s military resources.  The circumstances that permitted judicious political management were oft in short supply.

Here is my Scottish Collection for 1688. First the Regulars. Armour was issued to the Scots Cavalry in 1688.

Above the cavalry, below the Dragoons on foot.

The Dragoons mounted.

To the infantry.  

We begin with Dumbarton’s Regiment. Wauchope’s regiment apparently carried the same flags and wore the same uniform.

Now, to the Scots Brigade in Dutch Service.  They could be recalled at will by the King of Scots. Indeed, they were during Monmouth’s Rebellion.

 MacKay’s Regiment.

  Ramsay’s Regiment.

Balfour's Regiment.

A militia Battalion.  Aberdeen Colours for this one.  I may well do another.  If so they could appear in blue coats faced white.  That may have been standard for Scots militia.

The artillery.  A light gun first.  I'll likely add another.

Note the gunners are in their undress coats, grey faced black.  The officer is in full fig, below a Frame Gun. I'll be doing another two of these.

 

Frames were used at Killiekrankie. Anything on wheels could not have got there. Frames could be dismantled and put on pack ponies.  One of those at Killiekrankie promptly collapsed when fired.  The frame was rotten.  Never the less new frames were easily povided and in difficult terrain it is easy to see their utility.  A more portable form of the Battalion Gun in reality.

The Highland Clans make for an interesting game component.  Here are 7 such units.  They could fight on either side.

 

I find the Beneath the Lily Banners treatment of Highlanders to be pleasing.

 

It neatly reflects their strengths and weaknesses.

A Clan unit on the attack was a fearsome thing.  It moved fast and hit hard.

Conversely, when on the defensive lack of firepower rendered them easy meat for most regular forces.

 

I've used figures from Essex, Khurasan, Matchlock, Minifigs, and a smattering of others for my Highland units.

 

The fine Clan flags are mainly from Ray at Don't Throw a 1.