From KerryT: Mercenaries and their Masters - The Great Italian Wars ( 505 points)

 Morning, afternoon  and evening all

Why do I always bite off more than I can chew? Having failed to complete an entry last week I now find myself typing away and starting to write this just before I leave for work on a Tuesday morning. Thankfully, for unlike Finland (Sorry Teemu😂) NZ leads the world so while most of you lot sleep through the night I'll try and get home early from work, finish the flags and the odd base, take the pictures and try and get this completed. Then you won't know how much hassle it caused!

I wrote that introduction last night, tonight 3 hours after getting home I've finally managed to finish everything and take a few pictures. I'm up late and my wife has gone to bed

Mercenaries & their Masters is the title of a book that I have and hopefully should get me onto the book studio. Its a great little book detailing the antics of many of the leading figures in the Italian wars. I think I might have to read it another half dozen times before I remember who stabbed who in the back or reneged on this or that or changed sides yet again

This hopefully gets me into my first blue studio, the bookish one and thankfully that nice Lady Sarah gave me a lift as rather than lying down in the road this time I accompanied my Blue Nun (remember that wine?) and simply hitched a lift

These figures are from Lead Adventure Miniatures Bruegelburg range

I'm the handsome one on the right

I failed to post an entry last week as I started too may things and failed to finish basing anything, so what follows represents 2 weeks work

There's quite a mix of figures here

In no particular order.....

The standard indicates these are Genoese not English

Maybe I should have added Pavises, at least the cross would have been easy to paint compared to other city states

Next up more Perry Miniatures, this time Westernised Stradiots in the service of Florence

Flag by Battleflag

There's no way they'll all get through that door ahead

More Swiss and again from Perry Miniatures

Maybe they're wargamers who think they've found a new tabletop mat!

Its a bear ok, no squirrel this time as I've already posted Swiss

Perry Miniatures do produce quite a range of figures

Clergymen who it seems were often found to be stirring up trouble

He's got a funny hat but its not the Pope

Who mentioned the Pope? Here area few of his commanders

Montefletro as Gonfalionere of the church

I really rushed these and regret not adding more detail

The last of the Perry Miniatures 

Montefeltro, as the Duke of Urbino

Flag by Pete's Flags

Now onto something more colourful - Landsknecht. Last post I posted some missile troops for my Artizan Designs Swiss.

This time here are some Artizan Designs Halberdiers protecting a pike block that was finished a few years ago

Only the 12 Halberdiers in the front rank were painted for this entry, but some of you seemed to like the Pike block last time so here are more

A fierce lot

Same door, well the Stradiots have gone so these should get through

More Landsknecht - this time some command figures from Steel Fist Miniatures

Mounted command and a few Steel Fist foot knights

More well dressed troops, this time a Venetian Command group

Wargames Foundry Gendarmes as Venetian Command

Pete's Flags again

Finally the last command group, Maximillian himself

Mad Max is on the left - a Warlord Games figure

Accompanied by Steel Fist Miniatures Landsknecht Command and Foot Knights

2 of the standard bearers are kit-bashed plastic Landsknecht WG plastic missile troops 

Standards from Battleflag which are good value

Well that's it folks

Maybe a group shot as the Churchmen and Venetians haggle and try and outbid each other and secure the services of the various mercenaries

In Summary points wise

Nun and companion @ 10 points

12 Genoese Crossbowmen @ 5 points = 60 points

12 Florentine Mounted Stradiots @ 10 points = 120 points

4 Swiss Bear baiters and bear @ 5 points = 25 points

3 Mounted Papal Command figures @ 10 points = 30 points

2 Mounted and 2 Foot Clergy = 30 points

1 Mounted Duke and standard bearer on foot = 15 points

3 Mounted Venetian Commanders @ 10 points = 30 points

12 Landsknecht  Halberdiers @ 5 points = 60 points

4 Mounted Landsknecht Command @ 10 points = 40 points

9 Imperial Foot Command @ 5 points = 45

Blue Book studio bonus @ 20 points

Lady Sarah's Limousine @ 20 points

Points total - 505 points total?

Codpiece & feathers = 455 points

Squirrels = 6 - Genoese, Florentine, Papal, Clergy, Venetian, Imperial (Landsknecht)

I must say that these were well worth waiting an extra week to see, Kerry. Fantastic points bomb! 

Tamsin