Bidowers for HYW Free Company? Finished unit at the bottom.

[CaptainHaddonCollider]

Hi all,
I am currently working on a 24 point force of Free Company, using the Lion Rampant list for a small company set in the Agincourt-era of the Hundred Years War. I've included a mix or english archers, light gascon cavalry (mounted serjeants/yeomen) and knights, but I'm struggling with the two units of bidowers for the force.

What sort of light skirmishers would a free company have hanging about? I was thinking ribaulds, using the excellent claymore castings sculpts, but I'm not sure if that would be likely for a bunch of irish/scottish chaps, to hang around in brittany and southern france and plunder - they wouldn't have to travel outside of the Celtic fringe for that sort of thing.
Another possibility would be a small detachment of handgunners, but those things were awfully expensive to obtain and maintain.

Any ideas? I'm using mostly Perrys plastics, but that's not to hinder any use of other manufacturers.

[Dr. Zombie]

The obvious thing would be more archers.

If you just use the ones with little or no armour and make them a bit more woodsmanlike.

[JollyBob]

I have a box full of Perry minis waiting to make an almost identical force! 

I think in the end I went with 2 units of Expert Archers, one Foot MAA, one unit Mounted Serjeants and one of Bidowers.

I had the same probelm with suitable skirmishing figures, but eventually plumped for a pack of Crusader Miniatures longbowmen (MEH002):



http://www.crusaderminiatures.com/prod.php?prod=182&cat=5&sub=15&page=1

They fit nicely with the Perrys and a couple of headswaps (bless the Perry's and their spare head options!) will take care of any aversion to doubles in a small unit.

Crusader also have some nice Irish Skirmishers if you stil want to go down that route...

[Patrice]

If you recruit Gascon cavalry, you could probably recruit some Gascon bidowers too, with a variety of weapons.

If it were for the early HYW I would say Breton bidowers, but they have no reason to be still there for Agincourt.

[Codsticker]

The obvious thing would be more archers.

If you just use the ones with little or no armour and make them a bit more woodsmanlike.

That is what I would do. Alternatively, I would get a unit of Curtey's early medieval archers (their attire may be a little too early but they aren't armoured and are very nice figures).

[JollyBob]

Actually, thinking about it, Crusader also have this pack of actual Bidowers in their "Later Crusades" range:

http://www.crusaderminiatures.com/prod.php?prod=962&cat=5&sub=56&page=1



MCF028.

If I'd seen them earlier I may have bought them rather than the lightly armoured lads above... 

[pbjunky1]

I had the same ponderings as yourself over this. I'm using some of the really nice Claymore ribaulds  for Irish with an English HYW force but I didn't think these would be right for Free companies. There are figures you can buy as has been indicated but I decided to use some plastics with conversion to give an impression of Gascon irregulars (at least my  idea of what a Gascon irregular would look like - not much armour  mostly missile weapons but some melee). You could  maybe even include a dog like the  nice Warlord Games Mastiff as part of the  unit, I’ve done that with my Irish kerns.
Anyway my first lot are javelin men They are on the Forum under Perry Fire Forge mix

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=90815.15

I’ve just finished the second unit so I’ll put some pictures of them up soon, they are a mix of bows and small hunting crossbows and melee weapons, again all kit  bashed . I guess it depends on if you enjoy kit bashing  some of the plastics (which I do for small units) or prefer buying some ready mades.

[CaptainHaddonCollider]

Thanks for the excellent replies! There's been several good suggestions, and I shall have to give the crusader miniatures a good look before settling on anything. I'm already kitbashing my way through the gascon light horse and knights, so another unit or two would not go amiss.

@pbjunky1 your bidowers are excellent! I really like the mountain-peseant look, and the javelins are a nice touch, as are the minor GS conversions... Actually, now I think about it, I might have some conquest sprues somewhere in the pile. They look quite the part!

[pbjunky1]

I'm already kitbashing my way through the gascon light horse and knights

I wouldn't mind seeing some pics of the Gascon light horse & Knights when they are done.

[Dilettante Gamer]

I like the Ribaulds from Claymore Castings!

http://claymorecastings.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=20_43&product_id=142

[CaptainHaddonCollider]

I wouldn't mind seeing some pics of the Gascon light horse & Knights when they are done.

Sure. They're still wip but getting there. Slowly. The Knights need some trimming and a single visor, and the light horse still needs filling here and there. Plus, I need to figure out what gascon heraldry look like.

[Patrice]

Plus, I need to figure out what gascon heraldry look like.

Not very different from others. 

A much later source for general impression (although the shapes may not be correct for the 14th-15th century):
http://www.genealogie-en-47.fr/Heraldique/Nobiliaire/Nobiliaire_01.html

[pbjunky1]

Those cavalry are very nice, I like the light cavalry in particular.

[dinohunterpoa]

Perry Bretonnian Squires:



They're great sculpts full of character and mix very well with the Crusader bidowers!  

[CaptainHaddonCollider]

Not that anyone was wondering what came out of this thread, but finished the unit up yesterday:








I ended up going with the bretonnian squires, supplemented by Warlord mastiff hounds. I think they look like a hunting party, which I think is quite fittings with the bidower profile. 12 models in total makes for either 1 archer unit or two units of bidowers in LR.