Italian Wars Update 003 - Clergy

A small update on the Italian Wars, just to keep in bubbling in the background, in the form of a couple of Perry clerical types in the form of a Cardinale and his assistant Supernumary.

Nice and easy paint job and now that these are done, I'll get the mounted versions painted up soon.

Italian Wars Update 002 - Stradiot WIP

It's been a while since I posted any Italian Wars progress, but the project has been bubbling away in the background, with the lead mountain part increasing steadily and a fair bit of modelling and preparation going on too.

As a treat for my birthday, I was given (without prompting of course) a set of the Perry Stradiot which I have now assembled, based and undercoated, ready for a lick of paint.

With a mix of the 'traditional' Stradiot and the 'westernised' packs, the unit should look suitably rakish and ready to pillage anyones baggage.
 

The figures have great character of their own and the 'westernised' pack is crying out for further exploration and conversions. Very nice figures and should look good once painted up.

Italian Hvy Infantry - Perry Release

Another release for the ever growing European Armies Range from Perry miniatures is the two packs EA31 - Italian Heavy Infantry and EA32 - Italian Mercenary Archers.

Another couple of good usable packs to add to the European mix but with an obvious Italian twist. The Mercenary Archers could be used for several armies of the period, but I do like the look of the Heavy Infantry, but that's because I'm a 'Heavy Infantry' kind of guy.

Looking forward to see what comes out from this range next.

More Perry 'Italians'

Just recently released by the Perry's again are a couple of further releases in their European Armies Range are some separate heads for Italians for the Mercenaries boxed set and round and oval shields as separates too.

The eye candy to go with the release are the Stradiots;

EA26 Stradiot Command

EA27 Stradiot with Lances

Up to the usual Perry standard and a useful addition to this useful and hopefully further expanding range. Though actually Albanian and the Balkans generally, they were brought into 'notice' by the Venetians, so come under the heading of Italians I suppose, hence the release with other Italian bits.

There haven't been many decent sculpts of Stradiot available (probably The Assault Group being the best available currently and Old Glory's older sculpts but with more variety) so these are a welcome addition.

I would like to see how they shape up size wise with the TAG miniatures to do a bit of mix and matching if possible, but we'll leave that to later in the year hopefully once I get some progress under my belt with the Italian Wars project first. I suspect that the mix and match here is not likely to work due to the differences in style but we'll check it out.

Perry's Italians Released

The Perry's have released the next wave of their European Armies Range which include most of what you would need for fielding a late medieval Italian army.

The mounted crossbow, I hadn't seen previously but were on several peoples wish lists (and radar) and are were a pleasant surprise to me.

Another addition to the list of releases was the handgunners set;

Along with these and the other sets; crossbow, light infantry, command the carroccio set has also been released.

I like this set particularly even though it is really for an earlier period than I'm focusing on. The set is also available as seperate parts; wagon/oxen/figures which is a thing I like with the Perry's wagons and similar kits and makes doing diorama's a bit easier.

I will be getting this set shortly to go with the Clergy models already on the painting table and will form the centre piece for my Italian Army camp.

Not sure if the Perry's are planning on any other future forays into other European Armies or not, I hope they are.

Perry Italian Medievals...More Goodness

After my musings on the Perry's latest releases for their European Armies range, I noted that the Italian Clergy models would be good for doing a Carroccio diorama or something similar, and lo and behold the Perry's have read my mind;

On their metals workbench an Italian Carroccio which looks to a another great looking set for their rapidly expanding European Armies range.

Also noted on their workbench were these labourers;

and these Italian Crossbow;

and these light infantry types;

All of these figures (not sure when they will be released, but I suspect soonish) look suitably tasty and will be added to my rapidly growing Italian Wars lead mountain. The light infantry and crossbow will go nicely with the Command group they've recently released (and I've recently purchased) 

along with the Clergy set mentioned above.

I am pleased to say that the Perry's appear to intend to expand this range further and I look forward to their next items in their prolific output.

The Italians depicted above are generally useful for Condottiere forces and Italian States of the mid to late 15th Century but the mazzocchio (torus shaped head gear) worn by some of the figures does put them in the circa 1450 - 1475 periods but that really wont stop me from using them in my Italian Wars armies, though all these releases including their Men at Arms cavalry does open up a strong possibility for an Italian Condottiere army as a stand alone army. I'm certainly amassing a sizeable amount of figures for the Italians that I might do an 'either/or' army of 1450 Condotttiere/1495 Italian Wars and get the best of both worlds. Probably the best (and cheapest) option.

Mixing the chaps above with TAG Italian Wars Italians and my recent Venexia Codottiere purchases, does open up lots of good looking possibilities for my Italian forces.

Perry's do it again...again.

Release really excellent, must have figures, just right for your current project that is.

The latest releases for their European Armies range are once again absolutely spanking.

EA13 Italian Clergy

The release includes the very nice Italian Clergy which I can think of lots of uses for in terms of vignettes, set pieces and camps plus attending a carroccio and so on. Some of their best sculpting.

EA12 Italian Personalities

Again very useful and very Italian are the Personality figures, including the famous one based on Niccolo da Tolentino from the painting the Rout of San Romano triptych. The other two perhaps more readily usable but all good non the less.

EA14 Italian Foot Command

The third of the release are once again suitably attired and will certainly join the ranks of the burgeoning (slowly) Italian forces for my Italian Wars project.

They've also released a couple more wagon/cart things to add the the growing range of accessories for the WOTR range which again are all very nice and useful sculpts.

The problem I have with the Perry's prolific output is that they keep on releasing great models for lots of ranges and they make you think of uses you could use it for rather than having the need in the first place. 'Shiny, ooooh..........'

The press release also states that this is the first half of the months releases and that there will be more up soon. Watch that space.

Those lucky enough to be able to get to Partizan coming up, will be treated to the Perry's putting on a WOTR game there which going by the one photo I've seen will be up to their usual standard.

I'll definitely be purchasing some of these new releases, as soon as I get paid that is, having just purchased some Italians from Venexia, the money cupboard is bare this month. The Venexia mini's (bought through Vexillia) are pretty good and very compatible with the Perry stuff if very slightly smaller but not so you would notice in the throng. I've had my eye on these for quite a while and decided to get some when I heard the company may be going under which is a pity as their stuff is very nice and their 15mm stuff quite expansive. Hopefully it won't happen.

I'll post some piccies of the Venexia figs once I get them assembled.