Old Glory Italian Wars Swiss Pikemen

Here are the two bags of Old Glory Swiss Pikeman - one each armored and unarmored. As noted in the previous post, the armored bag was missing 5 figures; but the unarmored on had 31.

Old Glory got the positioning of the pikes just right, IMO - not level or upright. The flags for the Uri and Bern Cantons came with the Perry Mercenaries set.

The 56 figures worked out to 14 40mm square bases with 4-figures each. An odd number for grouping into 2 units.

The were painted in four basic colors: red, blue, green, and yellow. Added small white crosses to their clothing to ensure they were cleary identified as Swiss.

Glad to have these guys done, and the next project with be the 3D resin print "Empire" knight. Thanks for stopping by, and wishing you all the best.

Old Glory Italian Wars Swiss Pikemen - WIP

Got them all "piked" and primed. Unfortunately, the armored pack only had 25 figures instead of the usual 30. I was intending to have them in 30-figure units, but since I plan to base them 4-figures per 40mm squares, this will make it easier with having 6 bases per unit. I would've had to base a few as singles or pairs to fit a 30-figure movement tray.

Earlier today, drilling out their hands and using plastic broom bristles for pikes.

Thanks for stopping in and checking out the blog. Best wishes to you all!

Highland Miniatures 3D Printed Sunland Knights, General, and Cannon

Just got the knights and general today in 28mm. A few weeks ago I had ordered and received them in 32mm, thinking it would match the larger 28mm Games Workshop Empire Knights, but when I got them the 32mm guys were way too big. I returned them to the seller on Esty for 28mm ones which match very well. The seller was very accomodating and I only had to ship back the initial figures.

The knights set comes with 10 horses and 11 riders. One of the riders is a musician, which I chose not to use. It also comes with shields and extra helmeted heads. My set only came with two lances, but will likely replace the two with swords or maces, anyway. I'm pretty sure the seller would send me more lances if asked for.

The general figure and horse in 28mm match up very well with GW. 

The cannon are in 32mm, but work fine as I like them looking big. The painted models are old GW metals. I didn't order the crewmen as I wanted to use some from Steel Fist Miniatures, but they are currently not in stock. I may get some from Foundry or Artizan.

I also got a set of Victrix Greek Hoplites (Greek and Persian Wars) today too - and LBMS shield transfers the other day. Along with the two bags of Old Glory Italian Wars Swiss Pikemen, and the 3D printed knights, I should be pretty busy for awhile.

Although I'm trying to downsize my figure collection, I just couldn't pass up these Hoplites as they have some great looking Corinthian and other earlier helmets - which didn't come with the Mercenary Hoplite set I already have. As a kid, one of my first figures were a box of Airfix 1/72nd Romans - which I "converted" to Greek Hoplites using a hot knife to sculpt their helmets into something looking like Corinthian helmets (not very successful) - as best a 10 year old could. I also added round shields using metal soda pull tabs cut with a pair of scissors. Anyway, just wanted to post an update to share what I'm up to right now. 

Enfilade 2025 - Siege of Ulsan

Well folks I'm finally making a post again. Apologies for being away so long, but I mentioned a while back of having to deal with some major issues with our home. We're still not finished with the problem, but getting there. Anyway, I hosted my Imjin War- Siege of Ulsan game twice yesterday. Both games went very well. Much better than the play test earlier last month. The besieging Ming and Koreans were able to scale the Japanese fortress walls and fight their way onto the ramparts with several units. They even managed to break down the main gate in both games. However, they were held off by the defending Japanese inside. I used a modified version of Hail Caesar, and homebrew rules for the scaling ladders and assaulting the main gate. The Japanese relief force met stiff resistance from the Korean right, and weren't able to provide direct support to the defenders.  Here are some pictures from both games. 

I also managed to get into two great games with old buddies. This morning's session I Bruce Meyer's (Company B) Archeologists v. Zombie Terracotta warriors game.  And I the afternoon, Kevin Smyth's One Hour Skirmish Moro vs. US game.

My buddy also gifted me back my old Warhammer Empire core troops which he bought from me almost a decade ago. He said only wanted me to paint a 54mm Prussian figure in memory of an ancestor of his for him. 

Still have tonight and tomorrow morning. I'm in another game hosted by Kevin tomorrow - Shrewsbury,  LionRampant. Again, apologies for being away so long, but I should be back in swing soon. 

Airfix 1/12th Yeoman of the Guard

While waiting on some 3D printed "Gendarmes" and cannon, figured I'd paint up this old Airfix kit that was picked up off of ebay a few years ago. This kit was originally released in 1959, and molded in plastic with just a few parts, with the expected need to fill seam gaps. This particular kit is a re-release from the 70's. He was block painted - trying to stay within the lines of the embroidery, and then given the usual brush on stain of Minwax. I only hightlighted a few areas, like his face. He's big enough to use natural lighting for shading, etc.

He joins the other Airfix 1/12th kits in the collection.

Someday this Henry VIII kit will get painted too. I used to have the Charles I kit, but either misplaced it or threw it away by mistake.

Well, so much for now. Thanks again for stopping by, and hope you all are doing well.

Warlord Games Landsknecht Command, Handbuchse Light Gun, and Roll Call

Finished the last figures from the Army Starter set. The four officers and light gun and crew are metal. The drummer is a plastic figure. I may rebase them on rounds in the future.

I used references on the internet to set up the light gun and pose the crew. The guy in blue and red is holding up the stock (aiming?). The other guy has one foot on the support of the gun mount and lighting the fuse.

Landsknecht army arrayed below. Except for the three resin command figures in the Black Band, all of the figures are from the starter set, and two additional boxes of pikemen and a box of missile troops. 

I used some of the 40mm square bases that came with the kits with steel paper tops added for smaller skirmish units. There are small magnets glued under the GW-style square bases.

Artillery and cavalry (gendarmes) will need to be added for a proper game - but that will be sometime in the future. Until next time, thanks for stopping in and hope you all are doing well.

Last Of The Plastic Landsknechts - Warlord Games Army Starter Box

These are the last of the plastic figures from the Warlord Games army starter box. Still have the metal command, and light cannon and crew to work on. Made up some more Zweihänder guys and arquebusiers. Also, used some spare Perry Mercenary pike arms to flesh out a pike unit with Perry figures that will proxy as Swiss.

Painting these guys up was a nice distraction from some home owner issues we're going through. Basically, we just discovered we need to replace some of the subfloor of our master bathroom due to faulty contruction of our shower - our place is only 6 years old. Waiting on our insurance to see if they'll cover some of the costs. Anyway, back to these figures - the Perry pike arms went on without issues, and I painted the padded sleeves up with stripes to give them a later look. The one pike guy in blue and yellow is a Perry Merc figure, the rest of the bodies are from the Landsknecht box.

These arquebusiers will be added to the 30 or so already painted. Should be enough for several small (12-figure) units. They could be used to support the Swiss pikes too, I suppose.

These Zweihänder guys could be used with a few others already painted as a Forlorn Hope unit.

The six new figures in the front rank, with Perry Merc pikemen on 40mm squares behind them - for a 30-figure unit. A few of the Perry guys have Burgundian crosses, but don't mind using them.

Thanks again for stopping in and hope you all are doing well.

Siege of Ulsan - Imjin War Playtest

I was finally able to get a playtest in for the Siege of Ulsan game at today's gameday down in Olympia. There were 5 players - 3 for the attacking/besieging Ming, and 2 players for the Japanese - one inside the fortress and one bringing on relief forces opposite the Ming. The Osprey book below was the inspiration and reference material for the fortress (wajo).

As this was a only playtest, and on 6x5' table, I left off most of the Korean forces, as well as some of the Japanese troops. 

The rules were a modified version of Hail Caesar - which was used before for a Siege of Haenju game (Japanese besieging Koreans during the Imjin War). It worked well, but there are a few things that will be modified for the game being hosted at Enfilade next month. During today's game, it was found that the simplified break test results used were a bit too brutal - basically a lot of units (including supporting units) were being destroyed by failed tests. We also found a good way to have units use the scaling ladders once laid against the fortress walls. If a unit on the ladder is killed off by the defenders, nearby units with enough movement can use the same ladder. The ladder rules have one move needed to reach the wall, another to have it raised, and a final move to climb/mount it for combat. 

Below are pictures taken during the game, in no particular order. We played over 10 turns, as the rules played pretty fast. I did mod the activation a bit by allowing players to move one unit a single move on a failed activation.

Above: Ming foot reaching the walls, with heavy infantry bringing up ladders. We did a quick mod to the rules to have defenders not being able to shoot at enemy below them within 3" of the wall - too vertical of an angle for missile fire.

Above: A unit of Korean heavy infantry reaching the walls with their ladder raised.

Above: A view inside the fortress with Ming infantry having defeated a unit of Japanese arquebusiers and occupying a section of the wall. Samurai below them later moved up and destroyed the Ming. However, we called this a spritual victory for the Ming for getting inside the fortress.

Above: Another view of Ming using scaling ladders to enter the fortress. This game only used 3 ladders, but for there will be several more for the game at Enfilade.

Above: Japanese relief forces coming on. They were allowed to bring half of their forces onto the table at Turn 2, and the rest in subsequent turns.

Above: About Turn 2 or 3.

Above: Ming heavy cavalry advancing to meet the Japanese relief forces.

Above: Samurai and ashigaru sally forth out from out of the fortress to assist their relief forces.

Above: Kato Kiyomasa inside of the fortress.

Above: Ashiguru manning the battlements.

Above: A view of the battlefield from the side the Ming entered the table.

We called the game as a  close Japanese victory since the Ming weren't able to overcome the defenders inside. However, the Ming were able destroy several of the Japanese relief forces and ultimately halt their advance. Otherwise, it was a very good playtest and the few mods will be made and should be good for the convention next month. 

Wargames Atlantic Conquistadors

Two units of 24-figures each (from the two boxes). One unit of arquebusiers, and one unit of swordsmen - with a couple of halberdiers to guard the colors. Speaking of colors, the flags are from the Warlord Games Landsknecht Starter Army set.

Their "uniforms" are likely a bit too uniform to be historically accurate, but wanted to keep the color schemes simple. Borrowed the colors from Warhammer Estalia - red and yellow primarily. This not only eased the painting process, but give the units a cohesive (if not historical) look.

The figures themselves are quite robust and in sturdy plastic - very appropriate for gaming. They reminded me of Warlord Games ECW plastics - stylistically, and their poses as well.

As mentioned in the previous post, the sets come with options for crossbows, halberds, and short pikes, in addition to the swords and arquebuses. What little I know of Warhammer Estalian forces, these would be a very decent set to build an army, IMO.

Well, glad to have these done before heading out to host my Imjin War game tomorrow morning. I may also finish up the remaining figures from the Landsknecht start army set - maybe build them as a "Forlorn Hope" unit. Until next time, thanks for stopping by and hope you all are doing well.