Update

Blogger is working intermittently currently so l am posting when I can. Recently l have been caught up in a detailed look at renaissance Irish warfare throughout the two Helion books l posted pictures of below. I have found the Irish fascinating ever since I read of them first in the book “ Renaissance Armies “ by George Gush. My interest continued through “ Elizabeth’s Irish wars “ and the obligatory Osprey book. However these Helion books have taken my interest to a new level and are filed with the “ nuts and bolts” of Irish warfare. One thing that fascinated me was some details inspired by one of my favourite paintings -

The above is a photo l took of it in the gallery in London a few years ago. It is of an English Captain of Kern. You can read a bit about the painting below-

https://www.tate.org.uk/about-us/projects/tudor-stuart-technical-research/entries/portrait-captain-thomas-lee-1594

It always reminded me of the French soldier in Canada who led his First Nation allies stripped to the waist    etcin imitation/ solidarity of them. I always imagined the renaissance portrait was a conceit but recent reading suggests English captains leading allied kern stripped off their renaissance finery and dressed like their troops. Definitely a conversion opportunity. Now all I need is to find a head like the above painting and we are away…

Do read these books if you are interested in the period at all, they are fascinating, filled with new information and perspectives. Highly recommended 

So the plan today is to clear my permanent table and set up a game using the above figures who have to be found a box as part of the process. Then to set up some games, try and write simple rules with period flavour and fight them with a slightly better idea of what things were like . Things like gallowglass throwing their javelins at the start of the battle before getting stuck in with their axes.

Finally found the Osprey and articles l collected on the Tlingit the last time l considered buying some. It didn’t happen then but I am hoping to buy some of the forthcoming Eureka figures. My plan was to paint what l had only currently but l will make an exception for these. They are released in March.