10mm Reiters and Irish Gallowglass & Kerns

Over the past couple of months I’ve slowly returned to my “small scale” pike and shot project with a move up to 10mm.

After working on rules using paper proxies, I made the initial purchase of 6mm figures from Baccus and Microworld. After basing a few, all my interest stalled out. This is not a shot fired at the scale, specifically, only that it became quickly apparent it wasn’t the right fit for me.

I’ve enjoyed the step up to 10mm: details are easier to pick out and paint. They are more recognizable on the tabletop, but still give the mass battle look to a decent enough degree (at the 100x100mm, 100x50mm, and 50x50mm base sizes I remain committed to) to work well.

I’ll be posting more photos as I go along, but please follow Rebels or Beggars, my history Instagram or Facebook page, for updates as well.

Here are two recent units I’ve completed: a big blob of schwarze reiters and a small skirmishing base of Irish gallowglass, kern, & shot.

Schwarze reiters, the pistol-armed heavy cavalry that swarmed battlefields through the long sixteenth century. So named for the common use of blackening their armor with oil or paint – an effective way to prevent rust as a lesser nobleman without the time or servants to polish armor to a mirror shine.

(View these pics of the reiters on Instagram.)

And then we have a small block of skirmishers, representing the Irish forces who would – at least in the history-inspired battles I’ll be playing – make their way to the continent to fight alongside Catholic Habsburg forces.

Here we have traditional gallowglass, kerns, and “modern” shot.

(View these Irish skirmishers on Instagram.)

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