Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Pikes, Muskets and Flouncy Shirts => Topic started by: OB on October 12, 2021, 09:27:43 AM
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After a few false starts I’ve finally got my Great Italian Wars project underway. I’m mainly using Venexia figures with a few from Blue Moon and Alternative Armies and elsewhere.
I’m intending to put together Spanish, Imperial, Italian and French armies. Also, I thought I’d have a go at writing a set of rules for the period.
If it is of interest here is a link to my progress so far.
https://youdonotknowthenorth.blogspot.com
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Fab stuff OB! :-*
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Thanks Atheling, the Venexia figures are a treat to paint.
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Thanks Atheling, the Venexia figures are a treat to paint.
They are quite lovely. I don't have many 15 mil mini's anymore but I remember the quality of the sculpts for the Venexia range were excellent. Better then their 28's when scaled up.
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Lancashire have them now at a good price too. I wonder who sculpted them. They have been around for a long time.
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Lancashire have them now at a good price too. I wonder who sculpted them. They have been around for a long time.
I bought some of the Mounted Men at Arms from Lancashire Games for the barded horses and was shocked at the quality of the castings- they were pock marked! Very gutted. i might get in touch and ask for my money back though it's well over four weeks since I made the purchase.
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That's a shock, mine came from Lancashire too. My most recent order came this week. No problem at all apart from removing flash from underneath some bases.
It sounds like you got a bad batch. I'd suggest you ask him to replace with good castings. I've found him to be a reasonable fellow in the past and so I think he will make good. Certainly the ones you have are no use to you.
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That's a shock, mine came from Lancashire too. My most recent order came this week. No problem at all apart from removing flash from underneath some bases.
It sounds like you got a bad batch. I'd suggest you ask him to replace with good castings. I've found him to be a reasonable fellow in the past and so I think he will make good. Certainly the ones you have are no use to you.
I'll get in touch with them ASAP. I've had quite a lot of work done on the house (had to vacate while work was being done) so things aren't exactly organised now. I'll have to dig them out, take photo's and see what's what from there.
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Good luck with it.
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Nice work, I love the Italian Wars period, and would be interested if someone can nail a good rules system for them.
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Thanks Ockius, I'll report back as I go.
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Great start. I, too, enjoy the Great Italian Wars. I have quite a few figures in 15/18mm probably from just about all manufacturers in that size. Venexia are my favorite. Blue Moon are very nice, if a bit chunky. I have some unpainted Khurasan figures and they are very nice, but probably won't mix in with Blue Moon very well; they are smaller and thinner--noticeably so. Khurasan offer an extraordinary number of variations of gendarmes. They also have Swiss that fit into the early part of the 16th century, rather than the Burgundian Wars of the 1470s.
In any event, for my 15mm Italian Wars project, I've drawn inspiration from these blogs featuring that size:
https://chrisfigurines.blogspot.com/search/label/15mm%20Renaissance%20Italian%20wars
---and---
http://smallitalianwars.blogspot.com/
Best,
John
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Thanks John.
I'm awaiting the Khurasan figures with interest. like many a manufacturer Khurasan seem to come in different sizes of 15mm. I think you are right about Venexia, they are pretty hard to beat. I'll have a poke about in the blogs thanks for the links.
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I’ve made a good start on the light cavalry for my Italian Wars project. A couple of units each of Stradiots and Genitors. The figures are Mirliton and Venexia 15mm.
There are some pic’s on my blog and some thoughts about how different sorts of light cavalry fought.
If it’s of interest here is the link.
https://youdonotknowthenorth.blogspot.com
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:-* :-* :-*
Fab 8)
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Thanks Atheling, much appreciated.
BTW, I got my final order of Italian Wars stuff from Lancashire Games today. It included some Gendarmes with barded horses. Mindful of the problem you experienced I took a close look. I'm pleased to say they were all fine and should you request replacements they should do the job nicely.
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Thanks Atheling, much appreciated.
My pleasure mate :)
BTW, I got my final order of Italian Wars stuff from Lancashire Games today. It included some Gendarmes with barded horses. Mindful of the problem you experienced I took a close look. I'm pleased to say they were all fine and should you request replacements they should do the job nicely.
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I need to get around to doing that for certain. Thanks for the reminder as I had forgotten o_o
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Nice stradiots and genitors. A friend of mine I’m gaming the 16th century with on Saturday sent me a pic of some of the same figures he completed today too, coincidentally.
I really like the quilted jackets the stradiots wear!
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Thanks Ockius, yeah they are nice figures. The quilted jackets take a wash of ink very well.
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I have been busy on my Italian Wars pike men. There are an awful lot of them and I’m nowhere near finished.
There are some pic’s of progress to date on my blog. The figures are a mixture of Blue Moon, Legio Heroica and Venexia all of which I find to be compatible. There is also more on my Gonzalo rules for the Great Italian Wars, specifically about pike fighting this time.
If it is of interest here is a link.
https://youdonotknowthenorth.blogspot.com
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Fab work OB :-*
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Cheers Atheling, it all seems to be coming together nicely now.
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Looking good! A nice dense pike block with standard is a fantastic sight.
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Thanks Ockius,
I'm increasingly taken by the idea of the look of the thing. I'll have to redo some Late Romans as a consequence.
The pike blocks for this project will have either 36 or 48 figures per unit. A lot of painting time and figures but it does look right.
Also I see the Lancashire Games Sale starts today. Good news for anyone wanting some Venexia figures.
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The latest instalment of my Great Italian wars project is now up on my blog. There are more Stradiots, a unit of mounted arquebusiers and some more on my Gonzalo rules for the period.
There is also a pic of the fellows shown below who are a Scots unit in French service. They could also have been armed with bows or indeed lances.
I intend that they should second a unit of gendarmes yet to be painted. Ideally, I’d like that to be the one led by Berault Stuart a prominent Franco-Scots nobleman. I’m going to have a go at making his flag.
If it’s of interest here is the link.
https://youdonotknowthenorth.blogspot.com
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I have posted my latest completed units for my Great Italian Wars project on my blog. Most of the figures are from Venexia with a few from Legio Heroica and Alternative Armies in the mix. I don’t think you can see the join.
There’s also an extract from my Gonzalo rules. Should that be of interest here’s a link.
https://youdonotknowthenorth.blogspot.com
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Great progress, following your project with interest.
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Thanks MGH, I got some artillery done today.
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A bit of a milestone today I’ve finished my first unit of French Ordnance.
I’ve gone for a three in one of Gendarmes, Archers and light cavalry. You can see figures from Venexia and Khurasan. I intend to do three or four of these. You can see more of them on my blog.
There is also a few words about just what an Archer was and what they might do in combat. There are cards for Gonzalo too and an extract on cavalry fighting.
If it is of interest here’s the link.
https://youdonotknowthenorth.blogspot.com
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There are some more units for this project on my blog and a new flag for the French. It’s one of two I made showing Saint Martin, a soldier saint. He was popular with the French soldiers and they liked to carry his image.
The rest of the post is about missilery. If it is of interest here is the link.
https://youdonotknowthenorth.blogspot.com
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Keep them coming! Enjoying the historical info too.
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Will do Ockius and I'm pleased you are enjoying it.
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great stuff. looking forward to an en masse pic.
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Thanks Bloggard, it should be next week.
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I’ve started on the command bases for my Gonzalo game. Two done so far one French and one Spanish. It is slow going as I’m having to make the banners and that’s new to me in this period.
Anyhow first, a Spanish commander, there are elements of Gonzalo’s personal heraldry in this flag but it is conjectural. Still, it is very recognisable so I’m happy enough.
Second, Berault Stuart Seigneur d'Aubigny for the French. The flag is correct as far as I know.
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Fine looking command bases 👍. Love the flags.
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Thank you, much appreciated.
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Loved your Crusades stuff, you're doing a great job with this period too.
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Much appreciated MGH. I'll be getting back to the Crusades in the Spring.
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Very nice!
I have a lead pile and a painted pile of Italian Wars figures, it's a project I want to follow through on this year.
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Thanks Frostie. I've just started on my next pair of commanders. What scale are you using for your project?
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I read in Helion’s recent volumes on the Italian Wars that French soldiers favoured banners depicting St. Martin of Tours. He was a soldier saint from the Late Roman period famous for an act of charity. Depictions of him mostly show the scene.
I thought I’d like to depict this on a couple of units. No one makes St. Martin flags so I looked for suitable church frescoes. I’ve found two so far and I think they have come up well enough. I’m hoping to find more.
Here are the units, figures from Khurasan, with their St. Martin banners.
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I’ve made a bit more progress on command figures for my Great Italian Wars French and Spanish. The figures are from Venexia and Blue Moon. I f you would like a look here is the link.
https://youdonotknowthenorth.blogspot.com
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Nice poses here. Question about Blue Moon - what do you think of them? They look a bit stouter and thick-legged compared to other makes, which put me off them, but they do have some models in their range that I could be tempted by.
I’ve got most 15mm Italian Wars makes already and have really enjoyed collecting a big variety, but still missing Blue Moon.
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I like them Ockius. They are as you say stout, thick legs too. Once they are based I tend not to notice it.
They do have some nice figures in their Italian Wars range. I have a bunch of their Swiss pike men and found them very easy to paint. I'll post a comparison pic with Venexia and Legio Heroica once they're done. I think they fit reasonably well with both, but not so with Khurasan. So far I don't have any of the cavalry.
It's all in the eye of the beholder as ever with the toys.
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Thanks, yes I don’t dislike them, it’s more a case of what would fit with what I already have and I have a lot of Khurasan, plus Museum, Donnington. and others of similar style. Might build a single unit of Blue Moon at some point.
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Here are three pics of Venexia Landsknechts, Blue Moon Swiss and Khurasan French side by side.
There’s a Legio Heroica figure in the front rank of the Blue Moon Swiss figures.
I hope that’s of some use to you Ockius, and to anyone else doing the period in15mm.
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That’s a handy comparison, thanks. I’ve got a complete English army for the period already, but I am often tempted to keep adding to it, even though I shouldn’t really!
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Not a bother. I bought some Khurasan English too. I've not got to them yet.
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My second Spanish General and my third unit of Genitors. All from Venexia with flags from Pete.
I also finished my third unit of Swiss pike today. This one is mainly unarmoured and has lots of plumed hats. As I understand it such units were comprised of very brave and reckless young men who would begin the attack. Lacking the weight of armour their onset was very swift.
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Lovely command stand and jinets!
Best Iain
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Cheers Iain, I'm gradually getting there.
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My Blue Moon Swiss pike unit is now finished. I also have one each from Venexia and Legio Heroica both nearly done. I'll likely do a blog post on them and how they compare. Anyhow, here are a couple of pics of Blue Moon's Swiss offering. The flags are from Pete's Flags.