The painting continues apace as I try to get as many leaders for the 1264-65 Lewes and Evesham campaigns. Most of these are the Wargames Atlantic 28mm plastics, with a few metal Crusader Miniatures. Banners and shields are a mixture of transfers (Four Ways Designs bought from Footsore Miniatures) and hand-painted, depending on what I could get my hands on. All photo backgrounds are from the Jon Hodgson Backdrops A3 Skies book.
First up, here are Simon de Montfort and his three sons (further mounted/ foot versions will follow).
I put Simon the Younger on a horse, dashing to defend the breach during the attack on Northampton in 1264 (he was captured shortly afterwards).
This is John de Bracebridge – not a major player, but a supporter of de Montfort. I had a banner for him so decided to use it, even if I don’t think he was a banneret…
Everyone has a printed cardboard label blu-tacked onto their base for games of Midgard Heroic Battles to show their level (Champion = Level 1, Minor Hero = Level 2, Major Hero = Level 3). The number of symbols denotes their level.
To add to the royalist forces, I have Hamo Lestrange. He features in the Ian Ross novels as a bit of a villain and is also used by the artist Graham Turner to carry King Henry’s personal banner at the Battle of Lewes in an Osprey book illustration, so I’ve given him the King’s golden dragon.
I didn’t have any decals for his six-lion heraldry, so had to do that one by hand.
Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford was a good opportunity to use one of the older heads provided in the Wargames Atlantic boxes. His son fought on the side of de Montfort so I’ll need to paint up a version of Humphrey the Younger as well! Again, I didn’t have a shield transfer for this one, so more hand painting needed, but the banner is a good ‘un.
I had great fun creating Roger Leybourne and William de Warenne, Earl of Surrey.
These two distinguished themselves holding off Simon de Montfort for ten days in the siege of Rochester Castle in April 1264, which is why I’ve started with dismounted versions.
I was able to copy Leybourne’s yellow banner from the Lance & Longbow Society booklet on the Second Barons’ War by Alan Easton, but once again I had to fudge painting six tiny lions on the shield. It’s OK from a distance!
De Warenne is a bit of a geometric nightmare (I’ll show you the horse barding later), though his surcoat and shield went easily enough once I’d gridded out the chequers.
Speaking of geometric fun and games, here’s John de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, one of the King’s favoured Lusignan relatives.
I had no transfers or banners for him so had to do all the decoration from scratch, though once again, a helpful image of his banner appears in the Lance & Longbow booklet.
More coming soon!
mogsymakes 