Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Medieval Adventures => Topic started by: JollyBob on August 10, 2011, 05:30:23 PM
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I haven't posted much recently, for one reason or another, but I have been busy.
Reading up on some local history stuff after my last foray into the Wars of the Roses, I discovered that in 1462, John Kingscote was appointed Bishop of Carlisle. His tenure was only just over a year, and that made me wonder what sort of a chap he was. In reality, he was probably quite old when appointed, and died or was replaced at a political whim.
But that's no fun.
I thought, what if this nobleman from southern England didn't really want to go North with all those ruffians about, and so brought along a small army of his own to make sure he could do God's work in peace? The idea of an ecclesiastical bodyguard made up of mercenary scum appealed to me, so I would like to present His Grace John Kingscote, Bishop of Carlisle and his retinue of cut-throat bastards:
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/Array.jpg)
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/Array2.jpg)
The main bodyguard is made up of a block of pike
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/Pike.jpg)
supported by two smaller flank companies of crossbows
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/crossbows1.jpg)
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/crossbows2.jpg)
and since the Kingscotes were a fairly wealthy family, they could afford a ribaudequin as well.
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/ribaudequin.jpg)
In the background we can see Kingscote's younger brother, Hugh, leading a group of mounted men-at-arms and flying his own banner
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/KingscotesMen.jpg)
While His Grace looks on, accompanied by his personal page.
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/HisGrace.jpg)
Some individual shots of figures:
Swiss mercenary captain, Hans Zupp
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/MercCapt.jpg)
A couple of his pikemen (the second being an old Foundry casting to make up numbers)
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/merc1.jpg)
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/merc2.jpg)
The gun captain, converted from bits in the plastic mercs box:
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/gunCapt.jpg)
I tried to make it look like he was giving orders about sighting the gun. Not sure if it worked, but I'm fairly happy with it.
The banner from the pike block, showing the coat of arms of the Diocese of Carlisle
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/standard.jpg)
Another shot of His Grace
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/HG2.jpg)
His page, Soft Allan, who displays Kingscotes own coat of arms on his bugle.
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/SoftAllan.jpg)
And finally another shot of brother Hugh's standard, also showing the Kingscote arms, but with a tabbed border reflecting his being the younger son.
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/KingscoteBanner.jpg)
I'm quite exhausted now. :)
Pictures could be better, I admit, but I'm eager to hear all comments and criticisms, and happy to answer any questions.
Cheers for looking.
JB
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Wow! Very very nice. It may have been a while but it was definitely worth the wait!
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What a great set of miniatures! Nice background idea also!
:-*
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Great to have you back Rob. And what an entrance to make. ;D
Absolutely wonderful, loving the conversions too.
Today has been a good day on LAF, your eye candy along with The good Admiral Benbow's Napoleonic delights have brightened my otherwise extremely dull day. :D
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That's a fantastic looking force.
Great work! :-*
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Splendid stuff there Rob :-* looking forward to seeing them on some sort of movement tray ;)
The back story is a great idea and certainly opens up possibilities for people who have no real knowledge in the period 8)
cheers
James
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Cor fabulous! Love em! Well done Rob. And what a great backstory :-*
Lovely all round.
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Thanks very much fellas. :)
... looking forward to seeing them on some sort of movement tray ;)
Will be doing one for the pike block and a little customisable diorama base for the gun, I think.
Glad you all like the backstory, I find it much more enjoyable to hang some of my stuff on a random historical fact and then make up some spurious old shite to go with it. lol
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Whoa...
Black and white. Now that is a rough combination to put together well.
And you have done it superbly!
Very nice! :-*
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Sir Jollee de Bobbe, you have excelled.
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I missed this the first time around. It looks bloody lovely, Sir Bob! Well done :)
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Well done sir.
Great figures, cool back story.
Thanks for sharing.
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Lovely, characterful stuff. :-*
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Cheers guys, very good of you to comment. :)
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Cracking stuff :-* :-*
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In reality, he was probably quite old when appointed, and died or was replaced at a political whim.
Or he got his head kicked in outside The Cat's Whickers down Botchergate… lol
Lovely work there JollyBob! :o
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Excellent :D
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Jolly nice work there Jollybob. I like the background to the retinue too and the idea for basing the pavises.
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Much obliged, chaps. :)
@ Phil: I'm glad you think the pavises work. I didn't like the look of them on the figures, but didn't want to do without them as they are a very necessary bit of kit. Basing them up like that was a bit of a compromise so I could instantly create a defensive line as and when needed.
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Not my period (and I can resist! :D), but absolutely lovely. Soft Alan indeed! lol
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The shields were a great idea. I also found them a bit difficult to attach to the figures without looking awkward... granted they are large, heavy wooden shields. A bit hard not to look awkward with one of those on your back.
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Absolutely super! I especially like the subtle paint jobs.
I believe the gun captain is saying, "Calm down, calm down..." :)
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This is what wargaming is about.
I take my hat off to you sira..!
Nightmask
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Where is that gun from, by the way? Is it scratchbuilt?
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Where is that gun from, by the way? Is it scratchbuilt?
Redoubt's Renaissance range:
http://www.redoubtenterprises.com/shop/?page=shop/flypage&product_id=1971&category_id=eb73981cf64d4b195808a2977a1bfb79
When I first got it, I found it slighty large for the Perry minis, but then I have no idea how big a real one would have been and by a happy coincidence, the gunner in the green cap can be posed to be peering straight through the hole in the mantlet. So it all worked out in the end. :)
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Very nice, excellent theme and back story. These little snippets of real history are fantastic and really colour this type of army. Well done sir!
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Absolutely spanking retinue, lots of character and definitely catch the eye. Very well done.
Is the pike figure leaning forward, (the one just above the artillery officer) an old foundry figure converted. Looks very nice and goes size wise with the Perry mini's?
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Cheers. :)
Yeah, both the pikemen on the front rank of the block that are leaning forward are Foundry figures. Neither are converted though. And they should fit with the Perry minis because they sculpted them, although the older Foundry castings are ever so slightly smaller. Not by any degree you'd notice on the tabletop though.
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Lovely band of not so merry men!
Lovely paintwork on a not so easy colour scheme.
:-*
Love the story behind it all, even if it is a load of 'spurious old shite!' ;)
That gun captain looks like a football manager screaming nonsense form the sidelines whilst waving his arms about.
Brilliant.
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It's a great army! They look very good!
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I seem to have missed this each time it has come around. Wonderful stuff. As it happens I was just about to paint some pavaises but shall first nick your idea and rebase them!
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Inspirational work. Gives me some ideas for all those boxes of plastic Perry infantry gathering dust on my shelf.
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Beautiful - posts like this make this forum the best on the web.
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Thanks for your comments guys, nice to see people are still enjoying this. :)
Keep an eye out, too, there may be a small update in a couple of weeks.
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A bit later than I had planned to post piccies, but I added a new unit to the Retinue.
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/MAA1.jpg)
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/MAA2.jpg)
A handful of Men at Arms to give the Pike some support and plug any gaps in the line.
Also, I saw this figure looking unloved and unwanted in the Miniature Heroes shop, and thought that he would make a great Ranter for my ecclesiastical brigands:
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/Ranter.jpg)
That should round everything out nicely, hope you like them. :)
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Excellent. :)
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Good stuff - love the livery coat :)
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Very nice painting on these.
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Nice work!
I really like the 'at eae' pose on some of those fellas.
Just waiting for the pike line to falter.
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Oooooh lovely. There's some figures there I don't recognise so it's off to the Perry website for me. :D
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Thanks chaps. :)
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we likee :D
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Very nice. Any chance of a shot of the whole force?
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Any chance of a shot of the whole force?
Um, possibly, depending on time and whether LittleBob is behaving himself. I'll try to snap one in the next couple of days though. :)
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Very nice Jolly 8)
cheers
James
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Since Mr J. asked, this is the best group shot I could get in my loft. Not great, but I reckon you can see everything, more or less... :?
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb155/GrunterPulpit/Wars%20of%20the%20Roses/Bishcrop1.jpg)
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They look cracking altogether, three thumbs up.
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That's a great little force you have there 8)
Now, let's see it in action :D
cheers
James
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Yes! Very nice, they look great.
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fantastic stuff :-* :-* :-* :-*