Sculpting Plumage

While Landsknecht's were a force capable of turning the tide of battle to your favor, the price was not cheap. The wage of one Landsknecht foot soldier was 4 guilders, and Doppelsöldner being 8. For a company of 4,000 soldiers, their wage would equate to 32,000 guilders per month, plus whatever officers and staff that company employed. Landsknecht companies were contracted for a minimum of 6 months adding up to 96,000 guilders which according to the International Insitute of Social History (link) is equal to €8.5 million today. 

Francis I had 20,000 Landsknecht under his command during the Battle of Novara, and 17,000 during the Battle of Marignano...

Just a quick update here, the last step of my gendarmes is to sculpt feathers for all their helmets in some crazy and outlandish style. Here, Steel Fist Miniatures is a big inspiration, I'm using the models I have of theirs as guidelines

Love to just give it a crack, can't wait to see this unit when I'm done - and which will be the next update for this unit

Royal French Gendarmes

France entered the sixteenth century with its gendarme companies being the largest and most respected force of heavy cavalry in Europe, feared for their powerful armament, reckless courage and esprit de corps. As the fifteenth century waned, so did the tactical practices of the Hundred Years War, and the gendarmes of the sixteenth century returned to fighting exclusively on horseback, generally in a very thin line (en haye), usually two or even just one rank deep, so as to maximize the number of lances being set upon the enemy target at once.

-Excerpt from Wikipedia's "Gendarmes in Battle in the Early Sixteenth Century", author not listed

This is an update I have been very excited to make for the past few weeks. I had half this unit done for some time now but I was focussed more on finishing the pikemen, now I am at a pause with them as I have plans to speed paint them using a system I quickly wrote up.

I have changed the focus of my project. I opted for complete plastic units with upright pike just for ease of play but after some thought units with 45 degrees and leveled pike just look so much better. This leaves all the upright pike I own at the moment as rear rankers so I'm not gonna put too much effort into them anymore.

I'll go over the details of how I'll be speed painting a 3-layer method in a future post.

Only the feathers left to sculpt. I've taken inspiration from Steel Fist Miniatures renaissance knights, so they should be appropriately exuberant for Royal Knights

A lord and his unfinished retainer to be carrying his device

Rear Rank Done

When the Emperor Maximillian I was in need of an army the steps to form one were very quick and very simple. A letter (known as a Bestallungsbrief or "ordering letter") would be sent to a renowned Colonel along with details of the conditions of which Landsknechts were to serve. Once accepting the appointment, would appoint his second-in-command as well as the captains to lead the company (or Fähnlein). Drummers would be sent to beat for recruits and if the colonel's reputation was considerable enough, armies would be raised incredibly fast. Franz von Sickengen was able to raise a band of 20,000 soldiers in a matter of two weeks.

-Excerpt from Osprey's "The Landsknecht" by Douglas Miller and G.A. Embleton

I am incredibly happy how these models came out. I have been collecting equipment, paints, and models for so long and to see my work come to fruition is unbelievable. A reason I chose Landsknechts is the creative freedom I have to paint the models in essentially any way I want using typically unusual colors.

However, the work is far from done. I hope to finish about 5 more bases + a command stand then I can start working on the arquebusiers and knights. Once I get a sizable army I'll reach out to some local wargaming clubs to see if I can arrange a game, otherwise, I'll try to use these guys as Empire of Sonna for the 9th Age.

The Rear Rankers

One of the most popular elements of Landsknechts is their colorful and outlandish outfits. During the 16th century, only nobility and the wealthy upper class could afford such flamboyant clothing and most of the peasantry wore cheap fabrics reflecting their economic status. However, most companies of Landsknecht were comprised of the poor and lower class. It is believed that Landsknecht used the opportunity and their short-lived wealth to dress so brilliantly as a figurative middle finger towards the upper class and against the class system.

So technically I failed that November Challenge, but I was able to paint the clothes on about 16 Pikemen (half the pike block). I got bored of painting just clothes so I took a break and finished two bases completely to give me a sense of accomplishment.

These models were basically tests for me to get the painting method I wanted to use down, so I plan to throw them in the back rank. More creative color schemes will be used for the front and middle ranks.

Another thing I've been working on is a unit of Gendarmes, I have about four of these finished at the moment. I'll be working on these more after I finish the pike block. Boys before Toys

November Challenge #2

"The Swiss took heart and made to charge again with a big force, and came to fight the said landsknechts hand-to-hand, but I assure you that the Swiss found a marvellously good band [to resist them], and for a long time I thought that the Swiss would lose the battle. However, the landsknechts were not very numerous, and believe it that there were not more than 5,000 fit [landsknechts] at the point of combat. And the first Swiss to arrive were repulsed, and I assure you that since then I never saw a band of landsknechts and harquebusiers that did its duty so marvelously. And the said Swiss forced to detach 400 halberdiers that they had, and went to attack the harquebusiers who were 800, so that they made them flee, and then these halberdiers attacked the landsknechts from the flank. When all is said and done, the battle was lost. And the landsknechts were so badly supported, for the French infantryman were neverd or willing to fight: when they saw the second force of Swiss, they all fled."

-Robert III de la Marck, seigneur de Florange

Unfortunately I got sick so I wasn't hobbying so much for the last few days, however, today I was able to get another two pikemen done.

I bought a mounted men-at-arms kit from Perry not too long ago that I'm planning on turning into gendarmes, and the spare heads you get in there are perfect. Particularly the sallet's because by the beginning of the 16th century they were more or less out of style; I think logically it would make sense for one to find its way into a Landsknecht's hands.

Glad to get paint to plastic again, however, what irks me about Warlord's Landsknecht pikeman kit is the lack of some proper slashed, puffy jackets. One pair of arms could pass but the other's are disappointing, namely the arms with the metal plates on the side. I'm going to go ahead and sculpt over that pair of arms the mentioned style and have those be the front ranks. 

Ta

November Challenge Day #1

Emperor Maximillian I gave the newly raised Landsknecht companies freedom to wear whatever clothing they pleased as he exclaimed they lived such "short and brutish" lives. This led to incredibly flamboyant, and outlandish outfits which were worn to protest against the social hierarchy at the time or just shock commoners with their bright colors, puffy clothing, and unreasonably large codpieces. 

This is day 2 of the 30 day November painting challenge which I've decided to personally change to fit my goal. Instead of painting 30 minutes every day, I paint a minimum of one model per day. I've been looking forward to painting this army for a while and don't see this being too much of a stretch. 

Today's progress includes the completion of 2 more Pikeman (just the clothing) forming one 40x40mm base. After I complete the second base in the front rank of bases (3x3 formation) I'm going to start working on my command base for the unit which I am buzzing about. Without further ado

Hopefully, I can get out and buy the last few paints I need to finish the miniatures but until then..

The Bad War

The Schlechtekrieg or "bad war", was the bitter rivalry between the Swiss mercenaries and their imitators, the Landsknecht. Emperor Maximillian I of the HRE jealous and impressed by how exceptional the Swiss were in battle, created his own mercenary companies trained to fight and compete with his enemy. These outlandish warriors in no way impressed the Swiss, and ever since battles between the two usually ended in a bloodbath as there was no quarter given. 

The Battle of Marignano can be considered the battle that began the descent of Swiss superiority. Nearly 20 years after the Great Italian Wars had begun, the French Expedition into Italy found itself facing off against a Swiss army half its size in the southeast of Milan. 

This will be the Battle that my project is modeled after. A pivotal battle in the War of the League of Cambrai, a clash between my two favorite renaissance factions, the Swiss and the Landsknecht.

A box of Warlord's Landsknecht Pikemen arrived in the mail not too long ago, and to help myself along with the painting I've chosen to participate in the November Challenge, where I have to hobby for a minimum of 30 minutes a day, posting my results.

Today, 30 minutes turned into a few hours and I'm proud to say I've finished the outfits of two Landsknechts. Unfortunately, my paint range is lacking so I can't finish them 100% at the moment but that will come soon.

More to come soon!