RESERVE WARD KIGHTS: The Other Half

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I seem to be forever saying , 'these figures have been a long time coming' and so they have. I think I finished painting them several months ago but only finished the bases today. Of all the shots to cover this post with, I decided my top-down view would best shop my injured horse with that gorgeous smile.

For the visitors of this blog (as opposed to the followers), this posting is of the last half of my Reserve Ward knights of the rebel army at Lewes which I am also fielding as Simon de Montfort's bodyguard. Above is my depiction of William de Vescy charging in alongside Walter de Colville.


All of these figures as with the rest of the Bodyguard unit are Crusader Miniatures and Gripping Beast (pretty sure). I'm pretty well wedded now to my lances of thicker wire and home made grapers.

I have Humphrey de Bohun with an improvised red difference on his family blazon (arms) and thought to give him a brass finished helm.


In the centre is Robert de Ros and the leftmost in shot is Thomas de Clinton. As you can see and as promised last post, I remembered to have a couple of helmets painted this time.

When figuring out the caparisons, I look to represent as many design types as I can find and then match the least complex heraldry to the larger caparison - highly recommended. In imitating the different design types, it also breaks down the monotony of replicating these complex patterns and devices.

 

And so here are the boys all in a row. As you can see, I still haven't decided on who gets a pennon and who doesn't. Maybe nobody will.

Painting them dismounted really made this unit double sized in terms of effort but it's the only unit in my rebel army which needs to be. I imagine them unhorsed ad continuing the fight on foot in a desperate defence of their lord and commander de Montfort.

 

They mark a significant benchmark inasmuch as they are the last unit of knights for my rebel army. I have to admit to a genuine sense of satisfaction in their completion but one tempered in the knowledge I have a large unit of spear and another unit of archers before I'm done.

I studied a number of images in my various texts for the knight's garments. I also observe that it's curious how the manufacturer of these figures provided not a single broadsword or long-sword for the dismounted knights.

 

Here are all of them together on foot. As you can see, mixing my own khaki makes for divergent results ... but I can live with it.

It's taken more years than I could have imagined to get even this far but this represents the last of 40 individually researched and painted knights who I'm happy fought on the downs at Lewes. Next up, some archers methinks.
 



Comments

Aly Morrison said…
Lovely looking figures…
They are certainly well worth the time you have spent on them…

All the best. Aly
July 16, 2022 at 2:05 AM
Unlucky General said…
Thanks Aly. I suppose time is why we hobby so taking a little more for some units is never a problem.
July 16, 2022 at 2:16 PM
Ijon Tichy said…
What is the definition of a Ward in this context? I tried looking it up but hard to filter out the regular meaning of the word.
August 24, 2022 at 1:12 AM
Unlucky General said…
A ward is simply a division in it's most general sense - a divided part of an army. Ward is a term with the same meaning as 'battle' or division.
August 24, 2022 at 12:46 PM
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