Thursday 5 October 2023

The Elizabethan Irish Finished

I based the last of the Irish up today, so with the exception of an Irish Warlord its complete. Still finishing off the English but not lots to do so hopefully Phase 1 done this month (English and Irish, dotn ask what Phase 2 is yet)

Here are the highlights, lots of pictures, I have added commentary on the manufacturers for those interested, for those not you may just want to skip and look at the figures..

31 companies of Irish, of course I can use many of them as Auxiliaries for the English
First up seven companies of Gallowglass. As with all of these troops there is a big mix of manufacturers to add to that irregular look and a bit more terrain than the English.
A Lord in his Gallowglass gear with a standard bearer carrying the flag of the O'More. Antideluvian Lord and Gripping beast standard bearer.
As with most of these the larger portion are Perry's, or Antideluvian although non of the latter on this base,  from the Wars of the Roses range but this one also includes a 3D printed archer, Gripping Beast Gael standard bearer and Flags of War axeman.
As with the above Perry and Flags of War but also 3 Antideluvian figures.
The wolf hound is plastic from Wargames Atlantic, one Perry figure on the left the rest are Antideluvian.
Front Rank are Perry's and rear rank Antideluvian.
Mix here of Foundry, Steve Barber and Antideluvian with plastic wolf hound and 3d printed archer.
A metal Wolfhound here with Flags of War, Foundry, Antideluvian and Gripping Beast. I particularly like the front figure with the huge sword, this is from a pack by Antdeluvian based on a 16th century woodcut by Albrecht Durer and its a cracking pack of figures that captures the woodcut perfectly. I have however spread the pack over a number of bases.
Mainly Antideluvian here with a Steve Barber figure in the middle and another Gripping Beast Gael.
5 units of Bonnacht, these are Kern but paid and typically better armed than their more feudal counterparts.
Wolfhound with mainly Perrys figures and one Gripping Beast Gael. I have no evidence at all for the Wolf Hounds, call it artistic licence.
Again four Perry's figures and this time a plastic Gripping Beast figure at the back with a Redoubt metal head.
Flags of War at the front and Perry's following behind.
Right mix here, the front figure is Flags of War along with the flag of the O'Neils, Perry piper, Antideluvian to the right, Crusader to the left and Gripping BeaSt standard bearer.
This more static group is a favourite, again Gripping Beast standard bearer with a flags of War Bloody Hand of O'Neil flag, two Antideluvian figures (Particularly love the chap with the doublehanded sword and large red mantle), Perry piper and Gripping Beast Champion challenging the English to battle.
Six units of Irish Light Horse.
Slightly different approach with the cavalry I have kept companies manufacturer specific as both horses and riders dont really work mixed. These guys are all Redoubt, the rear left hand figure is the only one from 3 companies of Redoubt with an original head, as I am not a fan, the other two are Steve Barber Thirsty Years War heads. The Irish horse were great skirmishers but being without saddle or stirrups could not stand up to English horse in close combat.
Another 3 Reboubt all with head swaps, the two outers from Perrys Irish the inner is a Redoubt ECW head.
These 3 are Crusader Scots Thegns with Steve Barber Thirty Years War heads and the flag is the Earl of Tyrone. I think these came out well.
More Redoubt with a mix of head swaps, Steve Barber and Foundry Conquistadors.
Crusader Scots Light horse, no changes except the horse on the left, once his shield was fixed with araldite I couldnt get it off and it blocks him fitting the correct horse so this had to do instead.
Lastly Footsore Irish Dark Age Light Horse, I think they fit quite well.
The Shotte you have already seen but here they are again for completeness, mainly Perrys.
This Redoubt Figure is quite nice but the original head is not so great, I quite like this battered Morion and drooping moustache, a head I cut off another figure and damaged a little bit but seems to work quite well.

4 Perrys with a Morion head swap at the back and a West Wind Dark Age Irishman at the very back.
This one has an old Essex Irishman, a Crusader Kern with hand swap, 2 Perrys and another Perry Bonnacht with hand swap, the hand swaps have plastic muskets and hands from the Warlord ECW packs.
I may have got carried away with the Kern, 9 companies, although to be fair the English used them as well so they are multi purpose.
I have tried adding bits of terrain to these to add interest and accentuate their irregular nature, on here we have Flags of War, Crusader, Gripping Beast and Antediluvian.

Perry's, Antideluvian and Crusader.
Antideluvian, Gripping beast plastic, Crusader and Perry.
I like the log effect on this one that also has Perry, Crusader and Antideluvian.
Flags of War on the left, Gripping Beast in the middle, Perry back right, Antideluvian front right and Crusader in the centre.
This has Flags of War, Gripping Beast plastic, Gripping Beast metal and Perry's.
Two Perrys, a Crusader, Antidiluvian and a plastic Dark Age Gripping Beast in the centre with the baldy head.
Perry's, Crusader, Gripping Beast and Antideluvian in this one.
2 Perrys at the front, 2 Crusader middle and right with a crusader archer back left and a chunk of the privet hedge from my garden front left.
Lastly Perrys front left, Antideluvian middle and right with a Crusader Kern with head swap in the centre and a Gripping Beast warrior rear left.
So there you are the Irish in their war glory, just the one Leader to add and its done. Thank goodness!


14 comments:

  1. They look terrifying. Congratulations on reaching this stage in your plans.
    Stephen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Stephen, really enjoyed this project taking over my life for the last few months

      Delete
  2. A great looking army and a really interesting different period 👍

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Matt, on table at Partizan this Sunday, just need to finish the English!

      Delete
  3. That's a really nice looking army and not one you often see. Great work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PS Thanks for detailing the figure sources, that's really useful.

      Delete
    2. Your welcome, I thought someone might find it useful, not everyone will but as long as someone does

      Delete
  4. Wonderful warrior army. Cheers, Chris

    ReplyDelete
  5. Absolutely bl00dy amazing 👏👏
    Sadly I’ll not be a Partizan this Sunday, but fingers crossed the English give ‘em a good drubbing ⚔️⚔️
    Cheers,
    Geoff

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A close run thing but the Irish eventually saw of the English

      Delete
  6. Excellent work, but the 'Gripping Beast' plastic figures are actually from Wargames Atlantic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, my apologies, of course they are they come with plastic wolf hounds. Sorry everyone.

      Delete