Curt's Great Italian Wars Project (Updated Feb 7/18: 'Renaissance Duet')

[Ignatieff]

Just been tipped off about this masterclass in imagination, creativity and all round brilliance.  Superb!  Thanks for sharing

[Curt]

Here is an example of an early heavy rifled musket, often called a 'Handbuchse' or 'Doppelhaken' or 'Springald', etc. These light carriage guns were often too cumbersome and slow for field engagements, but would be utilized during sieges, presumably to pick off opponents at long range and make a general nuisance of themselves. I had the pleasure to see a few examples of these weapons on display at both Les Invalides in Paris and the Musée de l'Empéri in Salon-de-Provence during a recent trip and marveled at the size of them. They must have been absolute brutes to use with any accuracy - the risks of being on the cusp of cutting edge technology, I suppose.



These figures are a mix from both Warlord Games and the now defunct Pro Gloria Miniatures (Warlord bought the range a few years ago).

I recruited a Master Gunner from Warlord's Pike & Shotte range and re-purposed him for this vignette as I liked his pose.



He has a fun technician/alchemist air about him.

I imagine him as a Spanish mercenary gunner in Imperial pay who has dropped by to help his German friends sight their 'silly Teutonic popgun'.  His clothing is a little late for Italian Wars, but its a conceit I can live with (He's a trendsetter, folks!  Hot off the Madrid catwalk.).



The two Landsknecht and the light gun are pretty much stock from the kit, except for a little bit of careful bending and re-positioning to better fit the vignette.





Thanks for dropping by folks - Have a great week!

Curt

[the scott]

Hi there love your work hope to see more

[Leman]

Loving that work as well. On another good note, I've heard that Simon Chick is taking over Steelfist Miniatures so production will continue and expand.

[mdauben]

Here is an example of an early heavy rifled musket, often called a 'Handbuchse' or 'Doppelhaken' or 'Springald', etc.

What an absolutely beautiful vignette!  The figures, the painting and the basing are all just amazing.   

[FierceKitty]

Damn. I want one now.

[Curt]

Thanks for the kind words folks, they're very much appreciated.

[olicana]

That is: Very, Very Nice!

I keep meaning to pick up half a dozen of those heavy arquebus pieces, especially for Marignano scenarios (where they employed hundreds of them). Of course, when I say meaning to pick up, I mean it in the same way as I mean to pick up some moulding rubber so that I can drop cast the war cart I made for Ravenna scenarios back in 2011 - ho hum, so much to do, so little time.

[Leman]

And that is a terrific war cart. You should get it in production as there is a gap in the market for it.

[Curt]

@Olicana: Yes, I'd be up for one or two of those lovely carts. Great work!

[Curt]

I've returned to my Italian Wars project to add a bit of artillery support to the collection.



This is a German-crewed culverin (or bombard?) mounted on a adjustable split-tail carriage. In modern terms this is not a particularly large gun, but to those living in the 16th century this would have been quite an impressive piece of artillery. (With it probably being near as much a danger to its crew as it was to their intended targets.)



The figures are from Redoubt Enterprises and while they are a bit ill-formed and perhaps a tad lumpish, I find they have a certain charm about them and they posses a wonderful dynamism, especially in how their various poses convey a sense of movement. These fellows really reinforce the idea of them frantically trying to realign their gun while in the midst of combat.



I tried to match the groundwork to the rest of my bases, which are all autumnal, so a wide assortment of brown foliage, late blooms and a generous carpet of fallen leaves are all there. If it weren't for the big freakin' gun and its boorish crew of beer-swilling Landsknechts, perhaps it would be a nice place for a quiet repast with a bottle of Chianti, a loaf of fresh bread and a plate of prosciutto. Ah, bellissimo!

Have a great day everyone!

Curt

[painterman]

Very nicely done - lovely piece. I'd completely forgotten about the Redoubt range and this model.

[Captain Blood]

That’s a splendid vignette Curt 

[DintheDin]

Splendid! Impressive! A vignette very well done! Gongrats!

[Andym]

Storytelling at its best! As well as the great PJ, the groundwork is amazing!