From KerryT: Anybody got a penknife or a watch? - 28mm Swiss hand gunners for Italian wars (60 points)

 Morning, afternoon & evening all

A small entry this week because of work pressure and a lack of painting time. I hope to rectify this in the next 2 weeks when we have the next 2 upcoming Mondays off here in NZ, firstly because of Auckland Anniversary Day and then Waitangi Day

This really is my slow burn project, maybe its more glacial than slow burn in reality though!

I think I started collecting figures for the Great Italian Wars in 2009 and painted my first unit of Landsknecht then after being captivated by Artizan Designs figures sold by Northstar. Later on, sometime in 2011 I think  I painted a small 24 man Swiss Pike block that I entered in one of the LPL painting competition rounds on the LAF forum. A few years later I'd added another 72 figures, painting 2 units in mainly red and the other in mainly yellow colours, here they are below

Not a current entry,these were painted ages ago

I'd always intended to add supporting missile troops and only recently bought some. Unfortunately Artizan only make 1 pack of 4 handgunners and no crossbowmen, so I've only bought 12 figures. I suspect this is not enough in game terms to support a unit of 96 pike

I've tried to match the colours to the older figures

Again I went for a mix of red & white, then mainly yellow, white & blue in the hope of making them look somewhat varied

Not historically accurate I suspect!

I realise that these are not enough in the way of support troops so in the long run though I have no idea of what rules I'll eventually use. I'll probably add some  Perry Miniatures plastic figures with Swiss heads and hope that they match up ok. If anyone has any suggestions for what troops or figures to add as support for Swiss pike I'd be grateful. Does anybody know if the Swiss also used 2 handed swordsmen and halberds to support the  pike?

Many thanks

In summary then

12 figures @ 5 points = 60 points

1 squirrel (grand total of 10) so far

Codpiece & feathers = 60 points

Those handgunners look great, Kerry - I'd say you've matched them closely enough to your previous chaps. As for your question at the end, the Swiss definitely had halberdiers mixed in with their pikes; not sure whether they had the greatsword chaps as well.

Tamsin