Sunday 8 July 2018

New Terrain and more Border Horse


Continuing with the theme of the new terrain, here are the river tiles. They form quite a sizeable river which can cross the table in a variety of ways, an example of which is shown below. These pieces add another really useful element to my terrain and will mean I can game all kinds of scenarios. The river also has the potential to be used as a moat for my fortifications which is excellent. I wanted it to look like a river that could either be very deep and difficult to cross but could also potentially only be waist deep and crossable and I think David Marshall from TM Terrain, https://en-gb.facebook.com/Tmterrain/  has done a great job on it. Now I just need to invest in some different bridges to cross it!

The table with the river tiles.

The table with the river tiles and no other terrain on it.

I have also finished a new unit, another set of Border Horsemen. I have already completed one set of specifically English Border Horse, http://camisado1500s.blogspot.com/2017/05/1513-invasion-of-france-border-horse.html, but wanted to do a unit that could be either Scots or English. I am slowly putting together a Scots army and these cavalry will combine with the Irish who can act as Highlanders and lots of "Generic" Pikemen who can serve as Scots with a simple change of banners. I have not made these horsemen specifically Scottish as I like the idea of being able to combine them with the English Border Horse that I have already. This gives potentially two dozen Borderers for my Early 16th Century Tudor Army.

As with the previous unit I have used plenty of targes and given some of the men beards and caps to bring them into the early 1500s. The only real difference with this unit to the first set of Border Horse is that this set don't have any of the stitched on St George's crosses that the first unit had. I've also poached a couple of heads from the Warlord Plastic Landsknecht sprues for this unit. Below each of the bases is shown and I have included some photos of them combined with my previous Border Horse and all riding under English Flags on the banks of the river. When combined they make an impressive force of Light Cavalry!

Scots Border Horse Command.

Charging Border Horse.

A Veteran Borderer with a younger relative supporting the charge.

A Border Captain with a trumpet.

Grizzled Border Veterans!

Border Horsemen with a "latch" crossbow and warbow.

Combined with the English Borderers they form quite a force.

The English Border Horse

The English Border Horse - note all the targes.

While photographing the Border Horse I set up the last unit I completed, the generic early 16th Century Infantry, with a complementing set of archers. Below they are shown under the banners of the Stanley family who contributed men to both the Flodden and French Campaigns of 1513. I am aware they are not wearing the Claw and three Crowns livery badge that the Stanley Troops are meant to have worn at Flodden but I hope you will agree that the new polearm troops work well as English Billmen, especially when in support of the traditional English Bowmen. At the moment I am working on a unit of levied English Bill, complete with stitched on St George's crosses and some supporting Men-at-Arms with Poleaxes. When these are finished I should be all set for some early 16th Century Anglo-Scots Border warfare with the Scots and English catered for.

Northern Troops raised for Border Warfare by the Stanleys.


An English "Bill and Bow" unit.