Medieval Irish (Perry 28mm) - UPDATED 21st June

[Clearco]

These are awesome!  Congrats!!

[wrgmr1]

I always look forward to your posts Simon, as I know full well it will be wonderful eye candy.
As always excellent paintwork and modelling!

[Hu Rhu]

That flag just makes the command group pop.  Wonderful stuff.   

[painterman]

Last planned update (for now).
Three Perry Gallowglass - brought into the early 16th century by converting heads to burgonets (from Steel Fist Miniatures Landsknechts) - happy with 'em. May do a couple more headswops on next batch.
Now hoping Michael sculpts the Irish cavalry!

Cheers, Simon.

[Romark]

Nice ,simple,effective conversions,they look great 

[Charlie_]

Very nice!

So what project are these for? I notice they are on round bases like the Steel Fist ones you've painted up - I've assumed they were just for display purposes on the website. But as these are based the same, and with burgonets are obviously supposed to be from the same era... are you working towards some sort of skirmish project?

(And when are we next going to see some updates on your Swiss project?  )

[painterman]

Charlie
Yes, kinda volunteered to do a Tudor Irish Lion Rampant force, for game with Stuart M's Tudor English, probably for Q4 this year. So its doable and I've made a healthy start. Hence 1p coins on clear plastic bases I'm thinking.
Swiss keep looking at me and are being very patient chaps - but think that Steel Fist stuff for website display etc must be next.....

All the best
Simon.

[painterman]

...and spookily..new Irish packs have appeared on the Perrys website.
WR 44 Irish kern with axes
WR 45 Irish hangunners
...looks like those Tudor invaders will be pushed out of the Pale after all...!!

[aphillathehun]

These all look terrific.  Nice work on the conversions - it's always cool to see some customized figures.

[Metternich]

Highly effective conversions and beautiful painting.

[Arthur]

Now hoping Michael sculpts the Irish cavalry!

I remember him mentioning somewhere on the Perry FaceBook page that he'd get around to doing the Irish cavalry eventually.

Pics of the latest releases in the meantime :

[painterman]

Hi Humakt
Michael Perry has said he'll be doing Irish Cavalry, so you may want to see if they look suitable for 14th century?
Not many contemporary images I don't believe. I would expect mounted Irish to be those who are socially superior, so I think I'm expecting mail coats, rather than cloak-wearing kern types. The later Derrick images (c1580s) have them in mail or padded armour, so you could transfer that armour backwards in time.
Cheers, Simon.

[Arlequín]

The impression I get from the few descriptions, plus bias from recalling the old WRG books, is that mounted lords, warriors, and their attendant 'horseboys' will pretty much match their respective dismounted counterparts; a 'nagge' or 'hobby' were relatively cheap and decent mounts for your hangers-on.

Great figures, although I think another pack of javelin kern are needed.

[traveller]

Excellent conversions!

I would love to see you paint the new released Kerns 

Could they pass as 16th century scots? (I need some low level scots mercenaries for the invasion of Sweden 1519...)

[Arlequín]

My instincts tell me that mounted gallowglass/nobles probably aren't needed so much...

I agree with this assessment and the other reasoning in your post. That said what tactics and troop types your neighbours use will invariably appear in your own forces over time, especially if they prove effective; e.g. the appearance of the Hobilar in English armies from the start of the 14th Century. Likewise any counterfeit men at arms, for example, only need to be compared with what the neighbours have, not the standard Europe-wide.

I would expect that within your mounted nobles and 'gentry', there would be a number capable of fighting in the 'English manner' (which would be mounted with spear to them), the numbers declining the further you were from the Pale. Otherwise for the majority, as you say, horses were for transport or skirmishers.