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Author Topic: Switzers (updated 17/2/22 - von Bubenberg)  (Read 6777 times)

Offline bigredbat

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Switzers (updated 17/2/22 - von Bubenberg)
« on: October 30, 2020, 11:16:56 AM »


I'm plugging away at producing a Swiss army of four, perhaps five, keils for To the Strongest!* Here's the first, Uri canton. Most of the minis were painted by chum Shaun McTague and finished by me, except for the front rank which are mostly painted by David Imrie. I'll take some proper closeup pics later, when the basing is finished.

There's stuff about the project on my blog https://bigredbat.blogspot.com/search/label/Swiss

I'm currently working on the Schwyz, Solothurn and Basel contingents- no photos of those yet, though.

*n.b. there is no need to have anything like this many minis in a TtS! unit; I am just doing it this way, because I choose to. :-)

« Last Edit: January 17, 2022, 03:37:01 PM by bigredbat »

Offline HappyChappy439

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Re: Switzers
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2020, 11:52:20 AM »
 :o That's great work! I definitely didn't expect almost(?) 100 Uri Pikemen when I clicked the thread!

The yellow you've chosen has turned out fantastic too, great painting!

(Also I did like the use of Jenga blocks on the blog to hold miniatures!  lol)

Offline Mad Doc Morris

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Re: Switzers
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2020, 12:16:38 PM »
Seriously nice work!  :-*
Even if you put them out by numbers, they look very sharp and come with great variety of colours.

Offline The_Wanderer

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    • My 15th Century Swiss Blog
Re: Switzers
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2020, 12:28:11 PM »
Incredible work! Very inspirational!
15th Century Swiss Blog: http://hrothgarswiss.blogspot.co.uk/

Offline Captain Blood

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Re: Switzers
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2020, 12:54:23 PM »
Spectacular  :-*

Offline Atheling

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Re: Switzers
« Reply #5 on: October 30, 2020, 01:36:52 PM »
They look stunning Simon and exactly the part  :-* :-* :-*

Big units of pike are the way to go in the Late 15th C, especially with the Swiss  8)

Offline bigredbat

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Re: Switzers
« Reply #6 on: October 30, 2020, 02:23:20 PM »
Thanks all! I am really pleased with the unit.

I'm also working on some Low Countries pike, as opponents. Small units, though- only 48's. ;-)

Offline olicana

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Re: Switzers
« Reply #7 on: October 30, 2020, 02:33:43 PM »
That, my friend, is a proper pike square. I like it.  ;)

Typically, the Swiss fought in three divisions, though not all necessarily the same size.
At Novara, they fought in three keil of 1000, 2000, and 6000. Your squares would allow this kind of versatility, it appears.

But, for the biggest Swiss battles, if I were planning to do five keil, I'd actually do six. That way, for something like Marginano where they fought in three divisions of 5000, you could use two for each - each keil being a couple of 'fahnlein' fighting side by side, thus allowing some scope for manoeuvre (see plate H, Landsknecht Soldier, Osprey, for how this would look). The Swiss have very little else for this battle, so a six box pike frontage would probably be very useful.

If I were doing Marignano again, that's how I'd do it. In the pictures below, the first shows the Swiss on their start line waiting for the off. The second shows the three Swiss keil having smashed through the first line of French holding the ditch and engaging with French and Landsknecht pike beyond. It was at this point that, being able to split a keil in two would have been useful.





This is a shot of a different game of the same battle just after the Swiss have crossed the ditch but the French have been more aggressive - it's when surrounded that the versatility multi-fahnlein keil becomes apparent, and I think they would make the battle a better game. In TtS terms, I would allow each 2 box keil's 'general' to activate both halves of the keil on a single no penalty activation, providing they are both ordered to do the same thing, using his ability to redraw for failure on both if necessary. I'd allow the same for Landsknechts too, but not French or Italian.



Just a thought.

Offline bigredbat

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Re: Switzers
« Reply #8 on: October 30, 2020, 03:11:44 PM »
Quote
But, for the biggest Swiss battles, if I were planning to do five keil, I'd actually do six

LOL James, now you have said it that will almost invariably happen. I have most of the required minis- it's just getting them painted and organising them. I currently only have enough painted minis for 3 blocks.

It's great to see images of your inspirational Italian battles again; they are one of the main reasons that I am (finally) getting into the Renaissance. When I get around to scenarios I will drop you a line. Your suggestion for the special rule for the three Swiss divisions is a really good one! I could see that working very well as a special scenario rule.

Offline bigredbat

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Re: Switzers
« Reply #9 on: November 13, 2020, 02:12:30 PM »


I recently finished the second pike block - Solothurn - Schwyz- Bern.  I particularly like the red/black of Bern, and the bear flag - so much so that I've decided to do another contingent of them for the third block, not shown. There will eventually be six such block (per James, above) which I can group in pairs or in three commands of 3 - 2 - 1 .

Oh- this week I bought a load of Swiss halberdiers, and I might also do a pre-pike block (or several! ;-)  ).

Offline Atheling

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Re: Switzers
« Reply #10 on: November 13, 2020, 02:42:20 PM »
 :-* :-* :-*

Superb stuff Simon.

Offline HappyChappy439

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Re: Switzers
« Reply #11 on: November 13, 2020, 02:45:13 PM »
 :o Amazing work!

Silly question but is that red hood on the middle chap in the front rank with the kettle helm sculpted on?

Offline bigredbat

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Re: Switzers
« Reply #12 on: November 13, 2020, 02:54:38 PM »
It's a conversion of a Perry plastic- it came to me painted. Probably green stuff.

Offline skip

  • Scientist
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Re: Switzers
« Reply #13 on: November 13, 2020, 07:24:05 PM »
very impressive pike blocks, will you be painting cavalry as well, for both sides you must be going to
have a thousand minis or more !

Brian

Offline bigredbat

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Re: Switzers
« Reply #14 on: November 13, 2020, 07:30:32 PM »
Yes I'll be doing cavalry- lots of cavalry. :-) Not many Swiss cavalry though.

 

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