Picts for Pillage

I've always wanted some Picts and the opportunity to assemble a small force for Pillage convinced me to buy a box of Gripping Beast plastic Picts and get on with it. I already have various Dark Age Irish and Norse Gael models which can provide some alternative figures (and Dane Axes) so really just needed some unarmoured, shielded spearmen, a couple of dog handlers, some crossbowmen and a Warlord. 

Photos below of the finished figures.

four crossbowmen

I realise I can probvably have up to five crossbowmen, so will probably paint another one - or another eight if I want to expand this force to play Saga.

ten spearmen

I painted all of my Picts so as to appear dressed in coarse woven material and this seems generally to have worked well. The shield designs are my own, based very approximately on pictish or celtic styles and painted freehand.

dogs and their handler

My dog handler is simply armed with a spear so that he can give support to his pack when they attack. No idea how this will work in practice but had to include him simply for the flavour.

warlord from various angles

The warlord is the only model with armour - very expensive for Picts. His torso is a Conquest plastic Norman infantryman and the cloak, belt and chest plate are (not particularly well) made from green stuff.

alternative warlord

I couldn't decide whether or not my warlord should be equipped with javelins or not - so made a similar model with added javelins. Again this was made from a plastic Norman and green stuff and I've kept the colour scheme the same.

pigs

sheep

With a need for things to pillage, I also painted up some Gripping Beast dark age pigs, and some Foundry sheep. Excellent figures all.

beehives

And finally, using a little left over Milliput and oddments from the bit box, I made some beehoves. These will be useful as scatter terrain but also for the new optional rules in the Pillage Sheep and Beehives supplement.

Three (or so) Retinues for Ruckus

Having played a few games of Ruckus, the skirmish relative of Wargames Illustrated's late medieval game Never Mind the Billhooks, the time was right to paint my own retinue. The figures I've used are a real mixed bag, made up from old fantasy figures from ages ago, some newer metal figures from Gripping Beast, and a selection constructed from Perry Miniatures WR1 Wars of the Roses infantry and WR20 Mercenaries European Infantry 1450-1500 plastic box sets. In the end, I have assembled far more figures than needed for one (or even two) retinues, but that of course allows the makeup of the retinue to be varied.

Each retinue is distinguished by its colour scheme, and heraldry. The sheld designs used are all my own made up ones, each illustration generated using Drawshield and labelled with its blazon. 

Retinue #1

first retinue

The first (and largest) of the three retinues has a colour scheme loosely based on an original shield illustration from a medieval mauscript. As far as I am aware this is original so if I have inadvertently used someone's real arms without knowing this was entiely unintended.

per pale gules and azure, a lion rampant argent armed, langued and ducally crowned or

The captain, accompanied by three squires and a herald. Yes, too many squires, I know. Perhaps my subconscious is telling me to paint another retinue...

Retinue handgunner and crossbowmen, with the arms on their pavises. They're by no means perfect but I'm still very pleased with how they turned out. As above all are Perry plastic Eurpoean Infantry.

Four retinue archers, all Perry plastic Wars of the Roses figures. I love the way the arrows in the ground have been made as separate parts.

Retinue billmen. Almost all of these are old fantasy figures and consequently are quite short and look a bit weedy against the plastics (compare the chap on the far right) and the metal figures. I'm pleased to have painted them, but might well paint up some more plastic billmen for this retinue as in my opinion they don't quite work. if I do that I will probably repurpose the fantasy figures for Frostgrave.

Retinue #2

second retinue

argent, a chevron gules between three bats displayed sable

So this (according to the admittedly limited family tree research I have done) is the coat of arms associated with my surname. If it ever existed (which I doubt) it is highly unlikely that I am entitled to actually use it. But that doesn't stop me assigning it to my toys.

The captain and his squires, however, are so thoroughly bedecked in armour plating that they don't actually bear the relevant arms, and could therefore be from any retinue of choice. 

The arms do make themselves very evident on the retinue handgunner and crossbows, though, as they have pavises to hide behind. In hindsight I realise this is not an easy design to paint freehand and perhaps there might have been a wiser choice. All figures are Perry plastic Eurpoean Infantry.

Two retinue archers largely dressed in white. One of them bears the arms (or at least something approximating them) on his surcoat. Gripping Beast figures.

The white theme continues on the three billmen.

Retinue #3

third retinue

Vert a fret argent

This retinue accordingly has a generally green and white theme.

The captain is accompanied by two squires and a herald.

The captain of this (small) retinue is  Wargames Foundry's Scots Noble from the Hundred Years War. His model can equally well serve as a mercenary in other retinues. 

The green and white theme is echoed in the retinue's three bowmen. Gripping Beast figures.

The three billmen of the retinue are Perry plastic European Infantry. Most of the figures in this set are holding their weapons on their shoulders, in marching order, which is OK but I prefer a more active pose.

To make up the numbers this retinue includes some figures that might equally be fielded as mercenaries.

And finally there's always a few odd ones. These are fantasy figures I painted before settling on the themes above, but they can serve to make up the numbers in any of these or future retinues.

n total, 49 figures painted for Ruckus. More than enough to field at least two sides with plenty of options available to both. I'm looking forward to getting them on the gaming table soon.