From TamsinP: Three...Errmm, Make That Ten Musketeers at Rousell's Sandhill (70 Points)

Extracts from the journal of TamsinP, Time Traveler, Society Girl and Adventuress

8th March, 1660ish, Paris

As Lady Sarah heaves another crate of empties over the side of the balloon's gondola, I gather my belongings and prepare to land at Rousell's Sandhill. The recently installed spa has been a godsend - all traces of the smell from those badly tanned furs and leathers is long gone.

I bid Sarah "Au Revoir!" and clamber down the rope ladder, reaching the ground quite quickly. Looking around I am surprised to see no sign of a hill. There are, however, several very large piles of canvas sacks. Curiosity getting the better of me, I decide to investigate them. 

Using my handy pocket knife, I cut a slit in one of the sacks. Sand pours out. "Hmmm!" I think to myself. "That dastardly Rousell must be up to his old tricks again!"

With the magnificent sight (according to my guidebook) of the Sandhill no longer present, I reach once more for my device. Selecting "Random" again I utter a prayer that this time it won't send me into Robert E Howard's erotic dreams. The rift opens and I step through.

"Thank goodness for that!" I exclaim. Looking around me, I appear to be in an old city market square. I hear some citizens speaking French and from their clothes determine that this must be the latter half of the seventeenth century.

The crowd begins to murmur in consternation and some measure of fright as two groups of soldiers (I presume - they do look to be in uniforms) enter the square from opposite sides.

"Make way for the King's Musketeers" says the man who must be the leader of the blue chaps.

"Stand aside for the Cardinal's Guard" sneers the leader of the ones in black.

"No, make way for the King's Musketeers!"

"Stand aside for the Cardinal's Guard!"

Clearly an impasse has been reached and the two bodies draw swords. I decide that discretion is the better part of valour and leave the market square by one of the other streets.

Kings Musketeers

Cardinal's Guard

These chaps were good fun to paint. For the Cardinal's Guard, i looked for images to see whether they wore a "uniform" under their cassocks/tabards, and came across the red-on-black from the 2011 film (which I have managed to avoid) and decided that scheme looked much better than the traditional white-on-red of the 1970s movies.

The figures are 15mm from Blue Moon - they are actually all from the "Cardinal's Guard" packs, but as the range only includes the four famous Musketeers (plus Planchet) I decided to paint some up in Musketeer colours to even things up. I kept the basing simple so that they can be used on a variety of terrain.

I do have more figures for this project (including the characters and civilians), but they probably won't get painted for a while.

And my new, improved Challenge Island map as the old one was getting much too cluttered:

For Scoring:

20 x 15mm foot @ 2 = 40 points
Rousell's Sandhill = 30 points

Total = 70 points

Great work once again Tamsin - an entertaining brawl would indeed take shape in the Parisian market.  I think you've made a fine choice in terms of colours for the Cardinal's Guards, and I agree 100% that the 2011 film is best avoided...

That is another 70 points for you!

As for your Challenge Map...well, I agree it seems less marked up, but now we are confused by the lack of confusion. You can't win! :)

GregB