Wars of the Roses

Nice example of a WoR banner

My last pictures from Loseley Park are of the Medieval Siege Society's skirmish. They were in War of the Roses period armour and equipment. I really felt for these chaps (and, again, quite a lot of ladies) as tramping around in full plate can't have been much fun!

Feeling hot, hot, hot!

They conducted an archery duel as part of their demonstration and Guy and I, who are both archers by inclination and practice (he has been having lessons recently and I did it for three years-competing in the Moscow Olympic trials), thought that this looked like the most fun type of re-enactment as you actually did for real what your original models had done. "The musketmen don't really fire bullets, the swordsmen don't really stab people but the archers really do shoot arrows (albeit rubber tipped ones!)" as Guy said!

My Wars of the Roses Army is one of the few that I have that I can actually field as a complete force. I think I have about 1750 WAB points worth.

My sole mounted Man at Arms

No army is ever finished, of course, and mine needs a unit of mounted men-at-arms. I have painted one and that wasn't too bad but I just haven't got around to painting the 11 others I reckon I need. They are very expensive in WAB and tend to be a one shot weapon. I have also found that mercenary crossbowmen deal with them pretty effectively. I have fought several battles and never felt the lack of them. Still... I would also like a few handgunners, maybe a bombard and some pavise men. OK and maybe another unit of billmen. And some more archers...

My force represents the Earl of Oxford's

The figures I have are probably my least favourite of all that I own. When the Club announced it was doing a WotR campaign a few of us needed to get armies from scratch. Mike (of Black Hat Miniatures) and I went halves on a very good Foundry deal whereas the rest of them went for Front Rank Miniatures.

My commander

I sort of regretted it. They are old Perry sculpts and nearer to 25mm than 28mm with some very big heads on some of them. They were dwarfed by the FRM figures on the field and the latter looked much nicer (despite them having bows that look like baguettes). Despite me not being happy with their proportions they did paint up quite easily and I had to get a lot painted quickly.

Men at Arms

Wars of the Roses is pretty popular at Guildford as so many of us have an army and you can do a characteristic three battle army on each side and involve six players. So I am increasingly tempted by the prospect of the Perry Miniatures plastics that are set to appear later this year. I saw the three ups at Salute and they look very very nice indeed. Perhaps they will do mounted men-at-arms and I can confine myself to those. But somehow I feel that it will all be a lot worse than that! Never mind they are some way off, it seems...

Nothing wrong with the proportions of these...