Need suggestions for medieval German mercenaries

[Rhoderic]

So I'm thinking again of joining the LPL, which I failed to do the last two times. What I'm thinking of entering for the first round (the German-themed one) is some Northern Crusades Teutonic Knights and their lackeys. Gripping Beast makes excellent Teutonic Knights, but I don't really know what the lackeys should look like let alone what figures to use for them. Don't really want to start buying any Ospreys just to find out.

What I have in mind is some scruffy-looking mercenaries without a lot of uniformity. Any tips? I might just need two or three as I'm not aiming to submit a large team. But they should look like they could pass for Germans. A slightly fantastical look is also not undesirable, as long as it doesn't clash with what I stated above.

[commissarmoody]

Well from what I understand, they used lots of different western Europeans as allies. It was fashionable for Nobles to go on Crusade so some would  so up with a retune to I guess go on a "Crusader holiday" So some French or British looking nights might not be to bad of an option.

[Rhoderic]

I was thinking of something a bit less knightly. Currently my two top choices are Gamezone peasant levies (link) or plastic GW Bretonnian men-at-arms, but neither are perfect. They both have the scruffy look I want, but the Gamezone peasants look too poorly equipped and the Bretonnians have some other aspects I don't like. Both are also expensive.

[Mad Carew Snr]

If you're doing 28mm these may be a bit too small, but I use them alot - they make some great peasants - they use both metal and plastic

http://www.valdemarminiatures.com/

[Poliorketes]

As the GB teutonic knights are 13th century I'd say take a look at any baron wars range.

[Mad Doc Morris]

What's wrong with GB's spearmen from the Later Crusade range?
Mercenaries were rather "generic" in the Middle Ages, at least up to the 15th century. I can't think of any national distinctions, apart from some minor differences in dress and armour (though not portrayed by any current miniatures range).

If you're aiming for some later Crusades in which the Teutonic Order took part, i.e. against the Hussites or the Lithuanians in the early 15th century, the former Kingmaker Miniatures (link) or the Perrys' HYW range (link) might be of interest. The helmets with pointy 'noses', called Hundsgugel, were a very German fashion at that time.

[Rhoderic]

The GB spearmen are OK, just a bit lacking in character. Since I want to only make a small team, I want the figures to be characterful, which the GB Teutonic Knights are pulling off better than the common soldiers.

Still, I might go for them in the end.

[Major Weenie]

Don't know how helpful this will be, but here goes.  Please forgive me if I'm rambling along about something which you already have plenty of information on.
Depends upon what time period you want to build and 'army' for.  But remember, during the period the most advanced country in Europe, both in armor and in fashion, was France.  In Fashion, because, well I suppose because it's France.  In armor because it's the French who have English longbowmen shooting at them.  So any sort of 'German' army, or costume, can afford to be more old fashioned.  Personally, I think that if you're building a Teutonic host from around the time of Tannenburg (1410 ?) you could get by with the fashions of the 100 Years war from Poiters (1356).
But what period are the wonderful Gripping Beast Teutonic figures?  Are they Alexander Nevsky, Battle on the Ice figures?  Pot helmet and chainmail? If that's the case, then much of the infantry would be converted Prussian tribesmen.  I think they'd look a lot like 'Fall of Rome' German barbarians, but with 'almond' shaped shields.
The Games Workshop Bretonian Men-At-Arms might work for earlier Teutonic sergeants. (2/3 crossbow 1/3 spear) Except they'd have smaller sheilds, no longbows to worry about, and they'd all be wearing the sergeant's uniform, which consisted of a grey surcoat with a black "T" cross on it, instead of the white surcoat with the normal black cross worn by the brother knights.
There might also be 'colonist' infantry.  I think that they'd just be a levy of farmers who had been talked into immagrating from more western parts of Germany.
Did any of that actually help?

[Major Weenie]

Sigh!
I really should read the other replies before I start typing away.
If the Gripping Beast figures are 13th century, then have a look at the Wargames Foundry Baron's war line.  Excellent suggestion by a previous, and more diligent, reader.

[Poliorketes]

Btw, you are right in assuming that german knights of the Tannenberg era haven't been as much protected as the contemporary Azincourt french, but using Crecy-french would be wrong. The differences not being caused by backwardnes in fashion (fashion queen Isabeau was bavarian) but tactical necessities like the longbow. German, italian and eastern armor used less plate and more leather of a different style than 50 year older french armor.

[Verderer]

Mirliton has some nice 13th-14th century knights, some mercs and infantry too. Check them out: http://www.mirliton.it/