Gonzalo -The Final Furlong

 

Above, Blue Moon Spanish Heavy Cavalry, some are fully equipped Gendarmes barded horses and all. Others have lesser armours. This is my take on the Spanish noble cavalry. 

A lot of the lesser nobility were in financial difficulties and it showed in their armament. Distressed Gentry supplied much of the military momentum across Europe. Assets and wealth were flowing relentlessly upwards. Centralising as we might say today.  

Those with good titles but empty purses sought military success to restore the family fortune.  It was worse for the poor of course. They joined the Army too but were unlikely to enjoy the tangible benefits of Royal attention.

I will note that the Caballeros were quite prepared to stick a lance into a French destrier if they thought it would defeat its rider. The French hated this. Good horses were very expensive. Also, Spanish Heavy Cavalry could and did fight as Genitors if circumstances required it.  I cannot say where the first flag above came from. The second is from David at Not By Appointment.  

Blue Moon Genitors above and below.  Good figures with a fine variation of pose and equipment. Note the feathered darts also found in Ireland.

Blue Moon Stradiots next.

Again fine variety of pose and equipment. The resulting units look the part.

I intend two units of these Stradiots. They could after all be found on all sides.

Venexia arquebusiers and crossbows. Mostly I have kept the Blue Moon and Venexia cavalry in separate units. I will make an exception for the Gendarmes. They work well together.

I thought I might usefully add a few flags. Imperial imagery for the Spanish and their Allies.

Pretty good Stradiots from Blue Moon.

A Venetian influence for these Blue Moon Stradiots. Another stronger unit below. I actually have Stradiots from Venexia and Mirliton too. All are good figures. I guess I just like Stradiots.

With that the project is nearly done. A base or two of gendarmes.  Another Colunella and more German Pikes for France are in the works. A unit of Italian swords and halberds and a couple more of crossbow skirmishers. We are near done. Parades will then ensue for each army. 

Looking for a Rani? India 1857

 

Above Blue Moon's Rani of Jhansi. Smart, brave and well liked yet. Venerated even. The late Angus McBride was a wonderful illustrator. He painted the Rani like this. Many thanks to Iain below in the comments who reminded me of this splendid image.

Back to our model with a better look at her face.

Time was we had Irregular, Dixon and Blue Moon to represent the epic Indian struggles of 1857. Irregular is gone now. All the same they may turn up second hand and so are included.

Here we see the Rani accompanied by an Irregular Bugler and officer. Not a bad fit I think. Let's do more.

I bought the Blue Moon Indian Command pack in the hope that it would fit with my existing collection. You may judge if it does by the pic’s below.

 

Here is her nibs with a base of Dixon Indian Cavalry.  Not such a good fit is it? Now things get odd. Below, Dixon infantry protect the Rani.

 

This is a very good fit. Indeed, better than that between Dixon mounted and foot.

Now to Irregular Miniatures infantry with the Rani. 

A tad small I think. 

Not so above with the Dixon Cavalry. Very compatible I’d say.

I cannot advise on the Blue Moon infantry as I have none. I can tell you that Blue Moon infantry can be bigger or smaller. The 7YW are bigger than the ’45 fellows. The former match Old Glory, the latter Essex Miniatures. If the Blue Moon 1857 offering is among the smaller fellows they will do. If not they won’t.

To conclude I can see Dixon Miniatures infantry and Blue Moon/ Irregular cavalry working very nicely together. While the Dixon Cavalry go really well with the irregular infantry. Separate units enable a wider selection.

Here is the artillery. Dixon first.

Irregular Miniatures next.

I hope this is useful for those contemplating a new collection or just additions to an existing one.

Addendum

I couldn’t help being inspired by Angus McBride’s rendition of Lakshmi Bai Rani of Jhansi. Mine I thought was a bit plain by comparison. I reached for my brushes. 

Much better. Thanks again Iain.

Wild East-Wild West A 15mm Settlement

Recently Pendraken miniatures had a Sale-10% off.  A first apparently. I thought I'd show willing. Mainly bases although that's nothing new. Also, more MDF Red Vectors. This time in the form of a WW2 Russian Village. 

Obviously, this will be fine for WW2 and indeed the Russian Civil War. All good. Better again I can see no reason not to use the village for a Western Homestead on the Plains. You see it all here. Above the dwellings.

The stable next.

A rather good Pig Sty.

The Byre.

All very much a work in progress but shaping well. I should mention the roofs lift off. The assembly was very easy despite lack of written instructions. All in all a good buy.

I'd like Red Vector to expand their ranges. Product and pricing will ensure a healthy market share.

Italian Wars- The Italians!

 

Italy was the crucible of military innovation back then. That was where the real experimentation took place. The reasons are not hard to find. Warfare was near constant. It was fought by hired soldiers. Who could, more or less, find endless employ.  If something was militarily worth doing these soldiers did it. They were their own capital and wanted to live to enjoy their wages.

Also we should consider geography. Some Italians did a lot of Turk fighting. Turk fighting was different and no joke. Did it require Horse Barding? What with all those arrows flying? Maybe so. Whatever, the Italians liked it.

Hard lessons were learned, and disseminated. Gun powder was a winner. The composite bow had its fans and the crossbow was everywhere. It was the Italians who reintroduced horse hardened leather barding to the West. As a rule of thumb they had it, the French quickly imitated and Spanish mostly didn't.

Time was we thought the French swept down and pushed the mock fighters of the Duchies, Principalities, Republics and mercenary companies aside. The truth in that lay in two hard charging troop types. Swiss and Gendarmes. Even so neither proved bullet proof. 

The big winners were the Spanish. They learned their trade in Italy. Consider the Spanish Armies pre the Italian Campaign. I must write about that. Light Horse and swordsmen and crossbows. Some Knights of course. Never many. Then consider what Gonzalo made. Very different indeed.

My Italians are intended as the Mercenary Companies. I wanted them to be available to either side in any battle. You see them here. Toys from Alternative Armies (Pike Men) Blue Moon (Trumpeter) and Venexia. I hope you like them. Flags from Pete’s Flags. Note how well those Alternative Armies pike men fit with the Venexia archers. Not all soldiers from those two outfits work as well as that. Where they do, it is well worth exploring.

I’m having a stab at modelling the multi troop type formations the Italians liked to field. I wonder how they do?

Next time with the Italians we will see (Venexia)Arquebusiers mounted and foot and some (Blue Moon) Stradiots. I'm minded to add another base of Gendarmes. I also have some of the new Alternative Armies Florentines. We will have a closer look at them some time subsequent.

Lastly, if you fancy buying some Venexia don't hang back. Lancashire Games will put the prices up in May.

Figure Compatibility for the Italian Wars (15mm)

 

More of my collection for Gonzalo here today. I thought it potentially worthwhile to identify different Manufacturers figures that work well together.  The times being what they are are one firm has already died with its creator. RIP Giuseppe of Legio Heroica.  All "bigger" 15mm should you be unfamiliar with the brands. 

Here and at the top of the page another Swiss formation. Terrors of the Age and can you spot the two Venexia figures amongst the Blue Moon majority?

Next an all Blue Moon Italian formation. Front rank pavisers seconded by Crossbow men. The actual formation showed significant variation. Like this or with swordsmen or halberdiers in the second rank. The whole thing supported by small units of pike men and additional shot.  The Swiss tended to roll over them.

A gun and crew from Venexia.

At the time of writing Venexia are part of Lancashire games Spring Sale. Very good prices for Venexia.

French pole arms (Blue Moon and Venexia) with supporting (Venexia) crossbows.

Mounted Crossbows from Venexia alongside Khurasan French Archer cavalry.

That's it for now. I hope you find it useful if you are considering collecting for the Italian Wars.

Painting Zulus

 

Time was Zulus got painted black because they were (and are) Black People. Except Zulus aren’t very black, Black People. So that won’t do. You can see photos of Zulus and skin colour tends lighter as Black People go.

I’m currently half way through painting a bunch of second hand Zulu figures. The previous owner had undercoated them black. That makes it difficult to see the head ring that denominates the experienced warrior who got to marry. The non head ring lads are younger and perhaps fiercer. The Zulu Nation was quite strict about pre- marital congress. You got to marry after being successful in battle. Call the young fellows incentivized.

The head ring lads are combat veterans who have seen it all before. Maybe a little slower but boy were they steady.  Marriage might do that to a man.

Anyhow, there is a lot of skin to paint with your average Zulu warrior. Getting the skin tone right is a major part of a good result. Here is how I painted mine. I hope it is of some use to anyone interested in painting Zulus.

Black undercoat is good. Sort your head rings from non- head rings first.

Paint loin cloth, monkey tail kilt and whatever, rear of shield and weapons and hair.

Use a mid- brown to pick out muscles, knee caps, elbows, including brow and nose.

Highlight the above with a leather brown. Paint the head ring grey.

When dry apply a wash of undiluted nut brown ink.

Let it dry overnight and varnish the next day.

Now turn to the front of the shield. Any unit with a head ring will have more white in their cow hide shield. The most experienced units might have white shields. The new boys (no head rings) have mainly dark coloured shields albeit with the odd splash of white.

Getting the shields right is demanding because of the laces that run in a line down the centre. It is easier to create a visual impact by using a contrasting colour for the lace.

There we go, Zulus hopefully looking like Zulus. Mine are intended for TMWWBK.

While we are on TMWWBK. It advises us to deploy a token when the unit's Leader becomes a casualty leaving it leaderless. The token indicates the unit is leaderless. Why not just add a non fighting leader figure and remove it when the leader becomes a casualty?

My Zulus are from Lancashire Games and Essex Miniatures. The former tend slender but both are OK together. BTW, Lancashire British do not size well with their Zulus at all.

Luckily, Essex and Minifigs British do size well with my Zulus. See above.

Next time we will see the British and some interesting bits and pieces I picked up via ebay.

Gonzalo Rides Again

 

Last year I noted that my Italian Wars Game "Gonzalo" was completed two years previous. That's 3 years in all, and counting. Gross neglect, and tardy of me to be sure.

Now my Italian Wars interest is back and so is Gonzalo.

David at Not By Appointment made me some flags for the famous Captains of the day. We are going to see them below, and one from Stuart at Army Royal. The command stands each comprise of two Venexia Gendarmes (Big 15s) and a Blue Moon trumpeter. Let me introduce them to you.

Pierre Terrail, Seigneur de Bayard. Universally acknowledged to be without peer or reproach. Incredibly he paid the peasantry for provisions rather than plundering them. A true paladin and popular with everyone. 

As you can see Venexia and Blue Moon work well enough together.

Louis de Tremouille, top of the page and above. You can see the cross of St. Denis replacing impressa on the French Commanders surcoats.

John La Palais, as above, so below as the Occultists used to say. Stuart Mulligan made the flag.

The last of the French today.

Two pic's of Berault Stuart.

All French so far of course. Well Berault was a Franco-Scot. He was also one of those Stuarts and therefore if I recall right, of Breton descent. So going back far enough, a Dumnonian.

To catch up I have more Spanish Commanders to do.  

The first is Diego Mendoza. His impressa was Fortuna’s Wheel.  The Spanish heavy cavalry could not match the numbers of the French gendarmes. Interestingly they seem to have trained to fight as both impact lancers and skirmishing jinetes. Even de Cordoba might fight as a jinete if he thought it called for.

Note the two versions of Fortuna's Wheel below. Favoured by Louis de Tremouille and the Spanish Commander Diego Mendoza. 

Being a fighting noble was chancy. Capture by a fellow noble mostly meant ransom. No such surety pertained if the commonality got their hands on you. A nod to Fortuna must have seemed a prudent precaution. 

The Spanish Colonela combining targeteers, pikes and shot.

I intend 3 of these. Not all of the same size because that varied.

Note above front a Gladiator Arquebusier wearing a feathered beret matches nicely with the otherwise all Venexia formation.

Next, we have some Imperial Landsknects from Venexia. The flags are from Pete's Flags. In Gonzalo I differentiated the fighting style of these German pikemen from that of the Swiss.

There we go, back with a bang. While we are on the Italian Wars let me commend the Helion series to you. Refreshingly good.