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…