Not dead, only resting...
Well, here goes with another chapter in the never-ending saga…
The last thing I need is more fully armoured men-at-arms, because I already have far too many in relation to the number of billmen and bowmen in my Wars of The Roses forces. But since Perry Miniatures have been so obliging as to produce a fourth gorgeous set for the period (‘foot knights’) I have no option but to dabble
So I’ve built a few – just one frame’s-worth to begin with, really just to check out the components and see what’s possible with this exponential increase in spare parts for the Perry plastic WOTR modeller…
First thing to say – I totally agree with the other reviews I’ve seen of these. They are bloody lovely. Michael has really excelled himself here. Not only is the detailing exceptional as usual, but the poses in this set are much more dynamic. The different arm and body combinations lend themselves to all sorts of interesting and dramatic poses. And when you factor in all the available parts from the previous sets, the possibilities for creating exciting, interesting new poses are surely infinite.
I haven’t touched the figures on the command frame yet - it’s too precious. You only get one in a box (boo!) I’m going to think very carefully about what I do with these two figures (until the Perrys make this frame available as a separate purchase, which I’m sure they will). But what I almost certainly won’t do, is use them as shown on the box which would be a bit too obvious for my twisted mind…
The only part I’ve used from the command frame is the head wearing the closed sallet encircled with a crown. As soon as I saw the three-ups of this little piece, I knew exactly what I was going to do with it…
It’s my take on Graham Turner’s stunning painting of Bosworth – Richard III’s final charge. It’s not quite the same as the painting, because I couldn’t achieve quite the right horse pose (well, not without a lot of major surgery). And I wanted my Richard in a tabard, not bare armour. But it’s such an iconic image, I had to attempt it…
Now onto the foot knights…
The first one is an unhorsed knight on the defensive, wielding his big sword.
I nearly used the other Richard III head (long hair) included on the command frame, but then decided that was a bit obvious too. I am going to do something special with that in due course… So I used one of the bare heads from the Mounted Men At Arms set instead…
Next, this chap is a build straight from the FK box. I LOVE this pose. I love this helmet. He looks so damned menacing. I think he’s saying: ‘Come near me and I’m going to chop your f*cking head off… ‘ He’s the static body in a livery coat. Very determined stance. I’ve added a hefty green stuff pommel to his sword, because I think it makes him look even more lethal.
Next, a vicious brawler in the thick of the melee. Sword and dagger. This is the other liveried coated body included on each main frame – leaning into the attack. This looks a very versatile body in an aggressive stance, and I think it’s going to be one of my favourites (also because I like painting livery coats more than I like painting armour… ) Once again, all these parts come from the new FK set.
Next, some sort of European. I don’t know quite what he is yet, but the combination of that Frenchified helmet, the alspeiss, and the elegant stance makes me think he can’t be English.
Again, these are all-new components from the FK set, apart from his scabbarded sword, from the MMAA set.
Now this next one is definitely English. I’ve popped the shouting head of an ordinary billmen/bowman onto a new advancing FK body, and placed the arms well back, so he’s walking forward, chest-out, like a football hooligan shaping for a fight on a Saturday night… ‘Come on then! You want some, do you?!’
Love him.
And this is the sixth and final body from the main sprue – another advancing pose. Taking a swing with his poleaxe. Rather fancy armour, so I used one of the MMAA high-domed, closed sallets on him. Another one you wouldn’t want to mess with…
Having used the six bodies provided, I’ve then tried a few mash-ups with some of the spare arms and heads. This one is one of the two armoured command bodies from the original bows and bills set, now paired with a pair of poleaxe arms from the new FK set, plus one of my favourite heads from the Mercenaries set. I think this one’s probably going to join my Flemings…
And finally, one of the regular, brigandine-wearing bodies from the bows and bills / Mercs set, paired with another pair of swinging poleaxe arms, and the new ‘kettle helm-mit-eyeslits’ from the FK box…
Not sure how I’m going to paint these lads yet... (or indeed when!)
Maybe I’ll start a whole new faction with them… We shall see. Glad to have built a few though. Good fun. Lots more ideas of other things to do with this new set too…
Happy days
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June 06, 2010, 07:04:55 PM