Perry HYW Plastic Sets Update

[Arlequín]

I'm no physicist but I believe that the hammer has more mass and so if you didn't deform the armour, you would move the man, while the axe generates energy that would cut into him, presuming it defeated the armour. I imagine the axe is better against someone in 'padded' protection (with or without mail backing it), while the hammer will reduce mobility by deforming the armour, or cracking it given the low quality steel or iron used for armour back then.

I'm certainly willing to be schooled on the physics of this though. 

[Charlie_]

What about shields?
I'm aware that with the rise of full plate armour, shields were perceived as obsolete. A few of those funny little cavalry shields still pop up, and these Perry kits have one per knights sprue. And everyone seems to use bucklers, as they neatly go at your belt with your sword.
These French infantry have large pavise-style shields. Had 'heater' style shields been completely abandoned by this point? Would they not see some use among the 'common' infantry still, the ones who weren't decked out in full armour? Or would a pavise and a buckler give you the two sorts of shields you might want, with a heater filling a pointless role between the two?

[Silent Invader]

I imagine axes were too... who'd use a double-handed axe when a poleaxe offers far more utility against an opponent?

Shields are somewhat redundant in terms of the best armour of the time, but if your preferred style of fighting is with a sword, or single-handed axe, hammer, or whatever, a shield can be used to block, or to obscure what your other hand is doing when pushed towards your opponent, or indeed to smack him in the face.

... but that is somewhat predictable. If you can change your grip, you can change your direction. You can take a tree by surprise but the guy facing you is expecting blows to his unguarded side. Even with a tree you have to make a few swings opposite to the side being cut and unless you walk round the tree, you have to swap your grip.

Even with something like boxing, if you're a righty your opponent is expecting a blow from that hand when the jabs stop. A good boxer learns to switch his stance quickly and to use his less-favoured hand too. 

I agree entirely that a skilled professional will change the stance and the grip to maximise the opportunity (as said by T1/2M). Not arguing that at all, my rather small underlying point was that the trained and experienced  can sustain a stance and action for longer than the untrained and inexperienced, thus if only one grip can be used (and in your point about cutting down a tree, access might well be an issue) the professional is likely to be more adept and successful than the amateur. More than anything, I was endeavouring to add to the man vs tree comparison, of which I have much experience, rather than man versus man, of which I have no experience (reenacting not counting as, well, it's a show without malice and I preferred a blunted sword with telegraphed blows).

TLDR: I was replying to your point about cutting down a tree with one grip 

[jauntyharrison]

Had 'heater' style shields been completely abandoned by this point? Would they not see some use among the 'common' infantry still, the ones who weren't decked out in full armour? Or would a pavise and a buckler give you the two sorts of shields you might want, with a heater filling a pointless role between the two?

Those funny little cavalry shields are some the last survivors of the heater shield tradition, sort of. The heater shield seems to have come into vogue as a result of the general improvement in armour of the 13th century, especially the increasing frequency of Chausses to protect the leg. This allowed for a shortening of the tail of the shield to produce one that was less cumbersom to carry around all of the time.

By the early 15th century, cavalry armor was improving to the point that the popularity of their shields was in decline, and infantry shields had shifted towards specialized rather than universal roles. The pavise was a return to earlier modes of tall shields for infantry in formation, or portable walls for crossbowmen. The buckler was infinitely portable, and accordingly prolific. You do see an occasional recurrance of a medium sized infantry shield in the 15th and 16th century. There were hand-pavises which retained the shape of their oversized cousins, and later came the domed rotella, but the classic shape of the heater never really came back.

[Arlequín]

TLDR: I was replying to your point about cutting down a tree with one grip 

C'mon you should know by now I never miss an opportunity to type at length, even if you agree with me. 

What about shields?

 

I don't know, as said those curvy curly types do appear occasionally in illustrations quite late and often on the less well-armoured guys. I imagine though quite poor fellows might be inclined to carry one if they had one.

For the better-off gauntlets and those chain-style 'splints' that went up the arm seem to serve as well and leave both hands free for a polearm.

[epmoretto]

What about shields?
I'm aware that with the rise of full plate armour, shields were perceived as obsolete. A few of those funny little cavalry shields still pop up, and these Perry kits have one per knights sprue. And everyone seems to use bucklers, as they neatly go at your belt with your sword.
These French infantry have large pavise-style shields. Had 'heater' style shields been completely abandoned by this point? Would they not see some use among the 'common' infantry still, the ones who weren't decked out in full armour? Or would a pavise and a buckler give you the two sorts of shields you might want, with a heater filling a pointless role between the two?

I have never understood the contention that heater shields "disappeared" in this period. Manuscript evidence still strongly supports their usage in to the fifteenth century, though perhaps in a greatly diminished capacity. Here are a few examples:










Image 1 is from the late 14th century. Image 2 is from around 1400. I have not found a solid date for image 3 (admittedly, I am working through some homework right now, so did not try too hard  ), but the gothic looking armour suggests it is from well after Agincourt.

Kind Regards,
Rico.

[RedRowan]

Both sets are now available to pre-order, official release date is 22nd Feb but they say it may be a little earlier.

Steve

[joroas]

Two Plastic Agincourt sets available for PRE-ORDER!

 Both Agincourt French Infantry and Agincourt Foot Knights sets will be released on the 22nd February, however we may get some in a little before.......
 To pre-order just order as normal and when we get them in we'll send them to you. Your card will be charged when you put the order in.
 If you buy 3 boxes (either the same or a mix of both) or more, direct from us you will receive a Joan of Arc figure shown here.


 Agincourt French Infantry 1415-29

 This set contains 36 infantry and 6 men at arms/knights. The infantry are armed with spears, crossbows, double-handed weapons and hand weapons. The men at arms have pole arms, hand weapons and cut-down lances/spears. All the figures in this box can actually be used for any Western European army of the period as the clothing and armour styles were very similar. The components of this set can also be mixed with the English Army boxed set (AO 40).  Although the men at arms are specifically designed for the 1415-29 period, the infantry could be used for the 1390’s through to the 1430’s/40s.
 Figures designed by Alan Perry
 Box contains:  42 figures, bases, banners and painting guide.
 Agincourt Foot Knights 1415-1429

 The figures in this box represent both English and French knights/men at arms from the height of the Hundred Years War. They can actually be used for any Western European Army of this period as similar fashions in armour and clothing stretched across Europe at this time. The figures are armed with polearms, hand weapons and cut-down lances/spears. All the figures are wearing plate armour, half of which are covered in coat armour .
 Figures designed by Alan Perry
 Box contains : 36 figures, bases banners and a painting guide.

All the best
 Alan

[Charlie_]

[Captain Blood]

My God 
What a glorious selection.
Sorry to be a philistine, but these are going to be wonderful for my Game of Thrones project.

And what a blinding bit of painting on those top two rows of French infantry, Simon. Really well done 

[sukhe_bator]

I heartily concur. These look fab!

[tomrommel1]

Just stunning indeed have to get some boxes for my GoT project like Richard

[Charlie_]

They do look absolutely fantastic don't they...

I had mixed feeling about the English Agincourt set. I feel they are technically superior to the WOTR ones perhaps, but there isn't much you can do with them. These on the other hand seem really versatile, and combining both the English and French sets will provide all sorts of opportunities. Already just by using some of these new French bodies you can build much more interesting archers than just the English box allowed, as some of these painted examples show.

The big question for me is how they will mix in with the WOTR range. I've already pre-ordered one box, and at the very least I'm going to use lots of the arms in it to add new options for my WOTR collection. Though I'll have to be careful how I mix in these new bodies with the WOTR ones, not just because of the 'dated' armour but I found the English ones are a little bit taller than the WOTR sets, just a few millimetres but it is noticeable...

[sukhe_bator]

its the garlic - it stunts their growth - stick to good ole rossbeef and grow hale and hearty!

[Atheling]

Pre-ordered..... 

Darrell.