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Author Topic: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)  (Read 21782 times)

Offline Captain Blood

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The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« on: January 23, 2011, 02:05:02 PM »
Joop van Hoogstraten, mercenary captain of Flanders and his His (un)trusty lieutenant, Brandt the Batavian Bastard. Joop is built straight from the parts on the new Mercs command frame, although I used a dab of polystyrene solvent and a pin to convert one of the standard pixie-hatted heads to a bouffant hairdo. And added a ‘tache with a fragment of melted sprue.

Brandt the Batavian Bastard is a slightly more meaty conversion – pairing the half-armoured legs cut from one body, to the short coat-wearing torso of another. The puff-sleeved command arms from the Mercs command frame complete the coat, and make for a suitably vicious-looking sword-and-dagger man. The head is from the WOTR command frame.





Tambourist. Straight from the parts in the Mercs box, with the addition of a sword and buckler from the WOTR box. I used the body with the short doublet and prominent codpiece, so he looks like a bit of a pansy as he skips along banging his little drum…  ::)

Standard bearer. Straight from the parts in the Mercs box, although I deliberately used one of the ‘other ranks’ heads as a contrast to richly-clothed body. The trick to making these figures zing, is often to do the unexpected. I’d love to tell you the flag is historical, but I just made up something that fitted the colour scheme. (Although that is indeed the Lion Rampant of Flanders to one side). Hand painted on tomato puree-tube foil.





Handgunner. Straight from the parts in the Mercs box. Kept simple.

Crossbowman. Straight from the parts in the Mercs box. Loving this helmet - the deep kettle hat with eye slits.

Pikeman. Straight from the parts in the Mercs box. Again, great new helmet - a spiral-fluted kettle hat.





The advancing man-at-arms wielding a poleaxe is from the metal range. His continental helmet and tall boots didn’t suggest a knight in the English style, so I lumped him in with with the mercenaries. There are probably a couple of others who will be joining him. I’m afraid one or two of the metal figures look slightly crude alongside the plastics.

And one of the new command bodies – another slight conversion this, changing a gauntleted hand to create that distinctive ‘come on!’ Tim Henman fist pump. I’ve used a full encased sallet from the WOTR box command frame.





Billman with glaive. A slight conversion using a pair of billman’s arms from the WOTR box with a glaive head substituted for the original. Truthfully, as I feared, these optional polearm heads don’t join too well onto any of the available shafts. This one snapped off twice during painting, so I added a reinforcing band of dissolved sprue. Nice to have the choice of all those alternative weapon heads, but I can’t see many of them surviving ‘in-game’ handling. The point of connection is so miniscule that the joint is intrinsically weak as a kitten.





That said, I’ve used another glaive head on this figure as well, which is one of the Merc command bodies matched with the armoured pikeman’s arms. The T-opening barbute is one of my favourite helmets from the new box. And the assortment of bucklers and targes is also very welcome.



I can’t pretend that I’m impressed with 6 pairs of marching pike arms though… Was there really no way to squeeze a couple of attacking pike arms onto the sprue? I’m not a fan of ‘march attack’ poses, so maybe it’s just me, but it feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity. Although yes, there are conversion possibilities using the bill arms from the WOTR box.

And finally, my favourite. This is the best head in the new box, the sallet with plume and scarf atop the part-armoured, brigantine-clad standard body, with armoured arms from the Mercs command frame - with a slight conversion to add a buckler to the left hand. I just love the whole set of this figure. The picture of a flamboyant medieval mercenary, lean, mean and magnificent.



Overall, a big thumbs-up for the set. Annoying about all those marching pike arms, and truthfully some of the new elements are not quite so exquisite as in the original WOTR box. One or two of the new hands and arms are just a wee bit blobby, and I think the legs on the new command bodies might be a mite too short. But these are minor niggles. As a whole, taken together with the original set, these open up whole new vistas of build and conversion possibilities.





I have another dozen made up and ready for painting and these are going to be… Scots mercenaries. Pike mainly. Marching obviously.

But first, onto the scurriers…  ;)

Offline Westfalia Chris

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Re: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2011, 02:07:11 PM »
"Miserable Fat Belgian Bastards!" lol

Just kidding. Marvellous work en detail, and the overall impression is great, too.

Offline Plynkes

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Re: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2011, 02:10:03 PM »
I really look forward to the Captain Blood days on LAF. That's all I have to say, really.


Apart from: Have you thought of doing Star Wars 1471? You could use some of the more armoured characters as Stormtroopers.
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Upon our prey we steal...

Offline OSHIROmodels

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Re: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2011, 02:23:09 PM »
Stunning as always Richard  :-*  :-*  :-*

And using solvented sprue for sculpting with  :o Genius  :D

cheers

James
cheers

James

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Online Malamute

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Re: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2011, 02:35:57 PM »
Beautiful, each one an individual work of art, as a group simply stunning.  :-*

And as for sculpting with solvent glue...madness, but also genius lol
"These creatures do not die like the bee after the first sting, but go on age after age, feeding on the blood of the living"  - Abraham Van Helsing

Offline theoldschool

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Re: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2011, 02:42:58 PM »
Brilliant work as always Richard, the brushwork just keeps getting better and better. One very minor point, the Lion would be facing the pole on both sides of the banner, but it's all right I won't tell anyone.
Pat

Online white knight

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Re: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2011, 02:51:33 PM »
As an actual Fleming, I can only applaud this project. And to your ususal high standard too.  8) :-* :-*

Offline redzed

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Re: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2011, 03:12:32 PM »
Fantastic work all round Captain :-*

"a fragment of melted sprue.", words like nectar to my ears. Although this proves that you are of a certain age lol
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Offline jamesmanto

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Re: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2011, 03:34:22 PM »
 :o 8) o_o :-*

Ok I've run out of icons to express how totally smashing those are.

James

Offline Svennn

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Re: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« Reply #9 on: January 23, 2011, 03:36:50 PM »
Bloody marvellous work Sir (as always)

You have certainly got into your subject but which one is Ian?
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Offline Lt. Hazel

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Re: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« Reply #10 on: January 23, 2011, 04:56:18 PM »
Stunning stuff Richard!

Offline Admiral Benbow

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Re: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« Reply #11 on: January 23, 2011, 05:47:23 PM »
Another of your marvelous medieval groups, absolutely fantastic eyecandy. As Plynkes said already, Richard, I'm also really looking forward to the next LPL ...  ;D

Offline Arlequín

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Re: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« Reply #12 on: January 23, 2011, 05:57:07 PM »
Late-Medieval Imperial Stormtroopers if they're post Charles Le Hardi... love them! I think I prefer these to your previous offerings and that is saying something!
 :D

Offline Hammers

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Re: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« Reply #13 on: January 23, 2011, 05:58:48 PM »
Apart from: Have you thought of doing Star Wars 1471? You could use some of the more armoured characters as Stormtroopers.

...and there's my tinnitus acting up again...  :-[

Beauties, Richard, you really know how to make a miniature sizzle.

Offline Tomsche

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Re: The Flemings are coming! (Perry Mercenaries)
« Reply #14 on: January 23, 2011, 06:26:47 PM »
That is darn nice, thumbs up from Flanders  :-*

 

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