Chevauchee bound for Edinburgh

The effect a course of good weather, practice and tinkering makes on your miniature photography is immense. For once haven't had to spend a couple of hours editing photo's for the best result. Hopefully this shows.

Sir Robert Davidson Bearing the Campbell banner. 28mm Irregular Miniatures.

Anyway the last week has seen a frenzy of medieval shenanigans, with a well fated battlefield walk on the field of Bannockburn, (followers of my other blog Traileth Thou the Puissant Pike, keep your eye's peeled in coming days), coupled with finishing off my retinue based on the forces of the Earl of Mar for the Claymore Rampant event, run by Claymore Castings of Fife next Sunday, has meant that the Anglo-Scot's Wars of the 14th century have very much been on my mind recently. Obviously having supported SBT's wargames event so well earlier in the year, I only felt it was kind enough to reciprocate in kind, while also persuading me to get some miniatures off the painting desk.


I've been playing a number of games of Lion Rampant in recent weeks, being slightly worried about getting back into the rules after a year, but it seems I have taken to it like a duck to water and am looking forward to a series of chevauchee's being waged next weekend. The following miniatures are a mix of Perry HYW plastics (originally intended for an Agincourt  project but financially recycled for a smaller campaign) and Irregular Miniatures, I think I have provided them with a fairly decent paint job. Inspiration and colour schemes were taken from a mix of Ian Heath's WRG Armies of the Middle Ages (1982) and Peter Armstrong's Osprey book on Otterburn (2007). Flags are a mix of the ever brilliant Flags of War and Ray Roussel's from his blog. Armour has been finished off in gloss varnish, while the flock for anyone asking is actually made out of dyed saw dust, from a past issue of Battlegames.

Anyway here for your delectation and delight is my retinue, representing the Earl of Mar's Forces at the battle of Harlaw 1411. It is my hope to soon extend this collection with a retinue to represent the forces of The Lord of the Isles, using new Perry HYW French MAA.

The Earl of Mar's Personal Schiltrom, 28mm Perry

A note of advise. Too often it gets commented on the fact that Scots were distinctly different from their southern neighbours. Certainly I have never seen any evidence to suggest this and just like the Welsh, the difference between the rest of the British Isles in clothing is often negligible. Only by going into the Highlands, with definite Irish and Norwegian influences, did clothing differ drastically.Certainly in terms of arms, documents from the 12th century Assize of Arms portray Scots armaments as being a generation behind the English. However, the fact that relative economic stability, with conflict becoming more infrequent except for clan disputes and with Scot's still being recruited as mercenaries to serve in the French Army, it is likely any lowland Scots force would look just the same as anyone else.

Irvine of the Drum's Schiltrom

 Scot's Archers-note a lack of difference between Scot's, Welsh and English Warbow's.

Armoured Sergeants of Sir Alexander Leslie

Note a preponderance of Gerry Embleton lookalike's within Perry Miniature's Sprue, far left.

Knight's Retinue under the flag of Hay, Earl of Erroll.

Armoured Retinue of Knights, under the guidons of The Earl Marischal.

I think the number of photo's taken speak for itself the pride I've taken in building this retinue. Hopefully it plays as well as it looks on the battlefield.

So onto the next project, where The Stanehouse's will go Border Reiving, using Hoka Hey. Reviews forthcoming