As is probably evident from the scarcity of posts
on here of late, I’ve been languishing in the depths of the dreaded Painter’s
Block for the last few weeks. Outside pressures at work, a recent spell of warm
weather and other things are major contributing factors in this, and hopefully
I should be able to shake it off soon, and return to some sort of productive
output.
Thankfully before the rot set in, I did manage to
turn out another couple bases of 15mm Feudal Scots, and finish off Sir Gilbert.
Another base of pikemen for the second rank. Had a
slight disaster with the matt varnish on these boys, and a desperate rescue attempt
ensued. Again, probably mainly down to
me thinning it down too much and putting too much on…
My first base of archers. Note the longbows! As I’ve
ranted about previously, there’s no historical basis for the assertion that the
Scots used a “shortbow”. The inferiority of the Scots archers in these
campaigns derived more from their lack of numbers and tactical employment,
rather than any deficiencies in equipment. Indeed, given that in years to come,
during the Hundred Years War, the King of France instituted his Scots Archer
Guard, the ability of Scots archers on a one-to-one basis must have been fairly
well respected.
Also, a further myth is that “all Scottish archers
came from the Ettrick Forest”. Not so. The forest of Ettrick may well have(and
probably did) supplied a higher percentage of archers, or indeed some of
markedly superior quality, but it was by no means the sole source of bowmen in
the Scottish Army. Amongst other places, Kilsyth was named in muster rolls as
supplying a quantity of archers as its contribution to the war effort. With
this in mind, I’m trying hard to avoid painting my archers as a raft of Robin
Hood clones in varying shades of green and brown…!
Sir Gilbert de la Haye. He’s finished and awaiting
the completion of the Marschal and High Steward to join him on a base of three.
I’d made a start on another base of pike, another
base of archers and Sir Robert Keith, when the dreaded Block set in, so no
further progress for now. Disturbingly, I’m being tempted back to the Cold War
lately, so who knows when they’ll get finished…
Cheers,
Iain.
