Miniart Hussites Archers

As the title says, these guys are from Miniart's Hussites box. I don't like them that much, but had these few around here... So, over the last few days I painted them. Slowly, my Silves 1189 project gets its figures.

some Crusaders

Just 5 "Knights" from Italeri... to add to the attackers of Silves.

Some archers from Strelets

During the last two weeks I've been working on these guys (and some other stuff, but mostly these). From Strelets' Norman Archers, they will be used as christian troops of the Portuguese Reconquista or/and wargaming, as my Tempos Medievais army needs firepower! 

These are from Zvezda's Medieval Peasant army. Those arms... :(   Not sure what will be of them...

Medieval siege troops and machines

That's right, not only the guy doesn't finish those bloody goblins and he is already doing something else!!

Yes, the goblins are at the same point and I have some excuses... reasons for that, one being this idea I wanted to see how it worked out.
I was about to start a "full scale offensive" on my medieval diorama... but life plays with us sometimes...
I've read a book I bought last year about the conquest of Algarve by the portuguese kings, and saw that the trebuchets used at Silves were of traction type (man-powered! also called "bricole" by the french), by both portuguese and muslim (defenders) forces. Now that I think about it, can't remember about the ones that crusaders built (yes, we had some help from english, german and... danish or flemmish (I've seen both "versions") crusaders).

Well, scratch built trebuchets, each different from the other, and the figure here is from Orion's Medieval Siege Troops. I must say I am pleasantly surprised with their quality. There's some flash, but the faces are really nice! Well... this one has a somewhat feminine face...

While the previous machine was being reloaded, the next is idle. No crew, nothing. 

 

The Sling staff was of current use as were hand slings (HaT gives us many slingers in their El Cid infantry sets!). I am not sure if this was used at Silves, but I wanted to include it in the diorama. It must have been used! Figures are from the same Orion set but one is from Miniart's Hussites.

 Reloading...

Just fired!

Crusaders

A few crusaders from Mars (the manufaturer, not the planet ;-) ). Those with the crossbows are just... terrible! :-(
... and tents! (+-6cm wide)

Uns Cruzados da Mars (e a piada não funciona em português, claro!). Os que têm as bestas são mesmo horríveis! :-(
E também umas tendas. (+- 6cm de diâmetro)

Strelets Muslim Archers

They are supposed to represent this kind of troops on the East, but I will use some for my dio.
It's only a sprue (well, almost, as I've already used one figure for the "Russian" army.

Started in December, side by side with other things, but now it's done.

Flags and Merry Christmas!

Hi there!!

I should already have posted this but the right opportunity didn't come up!
Anyway, at the beginning of this month I won (here) a set of Burgundian Mounted Knights. The promoter is the creator of the game Tempos Medievais for which I've been painting my Russian army. Thanks, Rui!
I'm not sure of what I'm going to do with them as they don't seem to fit in any of my projects, so it may take a while until I paint them.

Já devia ter postado isto mas a oportunidade nunca surgia. Enfim, no princípio do mês ganhei uma caixa de Burgundian Mounted Knights num passatempo promovido pelo Rui Sena, criador do Tempos Medievais (jogo para o qual ando a pintar um exército medieval [predominatemente] Russo). (Obrigado, Rui!)
Ainda não sei o que vou fazer com eles porque não encaixam em nenhum projecto... ainda pensei em fazê-los passar pelos cavaleiros franceses em Aljubarrota, mas acho que não servem. É capaz de demorar até lhes dar uso...

Meanwhile, inspired by Paul and his Almoravid army and flags, I decided to do something with my own Muslim forces that will defend the mighty Silves in Al-Gharb.
I'm painting a few figures but I tried to come out with some flags as there are a few differences: by 1189 the rulers of Muslim Peninsula were the Almoahds. The only difference for us modelers are the flags and not all of them! I searched the web (and the first ones reflect that) but the ones I know more historically accurate are from this blog. It's dedicated to Portuguese history and by someone that really knows the subject.

Entretanto, inspirado pelo mestre Paul e o seu exército Almorávida e suas bandeiras, decidi arrancar também com os meus mouros de Silves! Estou a pintar uns arqueiros (Strelets) mas decidi tentar fazer também umas bandeiras e uns estandartes. É que há uma pequena diferença entre os Almorávidas e os Almoadas que lhes sucederam e já dominavam a Peninsula aquando da tomada de Silves em 1189. A pequena diferença é para nós modelistas e consiste apenas em alguns símbolos e bandeiras diferentes.
Procurei na net e estas são uma amostra disso mesmo, mas onde sei que posso confiar em termos históricos é neste blog, dedicado à nossa história e feito por quem domina o tema.

From what I could learn, the checked pattern was Almohad. Can be used as you wish (as long the first square from the top left is black (nice, now I see that the first flag is wrong!!). The red flag with the sun and the crescent moon is one of the few I got from the blog I mentioned before.

Pelo que vi na net, o padrão em xadrês era próprio dos Almoadas. Pode usar-se com qualquer design de bandeira, mas o primeiro quadrado (1ª coluna, 1ª linha) deve ser preto (como podem ver, a primeira bandeira tem isso errado!). A bandeira vermelha com o Sol e a Lua crescente foi retirada do blog mencionado, pelo que tenho a certeza que está historicamente correcto.


I quickly tried some but this must take some time.

Rapidamente experimentei mas isto tem de levar o seu tempo.

I'll post some more flags soon. I'll keep posting during the season, but here's my Merry Christmas to all who keep following the shameful miniatures I insist showing here!

Mais bandeiras em breve. Conto continuar a actualizar o blogue durante esta época, mas aqui fica um Feliz Natal para vocês que continuam a ver as pobres figuras que vou colocando aqui!

Silves - mais cavalaria / more cavalry

Nove cavaleiros da Strelets (Caroligian cavalry) para acrescentar à cavalaria do Rei D. Sancho I.
Pode-se argumentar contra o uso destas figuras para o diorama em questão. Afinal, são 400 anos de diferença entre o que está esculpido e o que se pretende retratar. Fi-lo com a perfeita noção disso. O que posso argumentar é que estes seriam nobres de poucas posses, talvez com as armaduras dos avós... Se fossem peões, infantes, poder-se-ia dizer que se armavam com o que arranjavam; sendo cavaleiros já haveria mais imposições.
Nine knights from Strelets (Caroligian cavalry) to add to King D. Sancho I's cavalry. One can say that these are not good figures as they represent an age 400 years before. I'm well aware of that. I can only say that these were not-so-welthy knights, maybe their armor belonged to their grandparents... If it were infantry, one could say they used what they found; I admit that cavalry, or knights, had more restrictions on what they should wear.

Tecnicidades à parte, ficam as fotos. / Technicalities aside, here are the pictures.

Silves - os defensores (the defenders of Silves)

Já tinha 2 figuras pintadas - as únicas que tinha que representavam os mouros (na verdade pertencem a esta caixa) e há dias tive oportunidade de encontrar mais umas quantas do mesmo conjunto numa venda de rua. Além de umas figuras com espingardas, arranjei 2 "gémeos" para os que já tinha. O que até foi bom, porque voltei a pegar-lhes e melhorar alguns pormenores. Pelo menos, penso que melhorei... E também fiz umas bases com escadinhas para ajudar os que estão com o pé no ar. Não devia era ter tirado as bases originais...
Além dessas 4 figuras está também aqui um atirador de funda daqui. Achei que ficava melhor do lado dos muçulmanos.

I already had painted 2 figures - the only figures I had for moors (from here) and some days ago I found some more at a street sale. Beside some figures with rifles, I got 2 twins for the ones I had. This was good as I went back on them and improved some details. I like to think I did... Also did 2 bases with stairs because of those 2 with the foot in the air. My mistake, taking the original bases off...
Together with these 4, also a slinger from here. He fits better along with the muslims.