"Painting Handgunner Bidowers/Mercenaries for Lion Rampant" Topic

Next unit of the Perry's plastics will be the handgunners for Lion Rampant.

I intend to use them as bidowers; if I use them all together as a 12 man unit I will treat them as Crossbows.

All my other units are liveried. When I do the rest of the mercenaries I will do them with European liveries. These I'm not sure, Do I do them as a unit, or do I do them as a mix of clothing, unliveried?

Who do you intend them to represent?

No one in particular. Just a 'band of mercenaries'.

In that case the choice is yours. I'd be inclined to do them differently to your other troops to make them stand out. Variety is the spice of life!

OTOH, the Burgundians were renowned for their mercenary handgunners. My WOTR handgunners are painted as Burgundians.

You pays yer money …

I was discussing this with a friend; would mercenaries really be wearing national colours? Even if being provided by a foreign state, would they really want to be tied in so recognisably? I'm thinking more like *ahem* 'Advisors' in the Cold War – "No, those men are NOT members of the US/Red army."

I'm thinking a mercenary unit would possibly have a common livery, to help it's commander out. I'm thinking a cross on single colour background – similar to the national liveries in the Perry's box, but not those combos.

There is not much information about Bidowers. There is a 14th century Bidower in Armies of the Middle Ages, Volume 1 by Ian Heath based on Julius Caesar and Attendants from the Nine Heroes Tapestries, Flanders

Druzhina
14th Century Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

I'm thinking a cross on single colour background – similar to the national liveries in the Perry's box, but not those combos.

Then you need to take some care not to avoid mix-ups, since at least the following combinations were in use:

- Red cross on white background
- Black cross on white backgound
- White cross on red background
- White cross on blue background

I was discussing this with a friend; would mercenaries really be wearing national colours? Even if being provided by a foreign state, would they really want to be tied in so recognisably?

In the WOTR, they would want to be recognised as mercenaries so that their allegiance was not in any doubt. Their loyalty would be to their paymanster – in this case the Burgundian state and as paymaster, the Burgundian government would want to make the political statement regarding their financial support.

I'm thinking a mercenary unit would possibly have a common livery, to help it's commander out.

Yes, they would, but IMHO that would be the national livery in the case of the Burgundians.

If they are not serving the Duke of Burgundy (for example) they are unlikely to be wearing his livery, even if they are Burgundian.

They might, however, wear a 'bend' or sash (or even a livery coat) in the colours of the man who has hired them.

If they are not serving the Duke of Burgundy (for example) they are unlikely to be wearing his livery, even if they are Burgundian.

Burgundian mercenaries in the WOTR WERE in the service of the Duke of Burgundy, so would be obliged (by his authority) to wear the national livery.

They might, however, wear a 'bend' or sash (or even a livery coat) in the colours of the man who has hired them.

Do you have any evidence to support the wearing of such a bend?

Thanks for the replies – gave me some search pointers. I a going to do all the mercs in 'unknown' (ahem) liveries, so they are not tied to one side. Just need to come up with 3 'unknown' liveries!

How uniform would mercenaries be? Can I justify them in all roughly the same colours (leggings/tunic) under any livery?

How uniform would mercenaries be? Can I justify them in all roughly the same colours (leggings/tunic) under any livery?

Depends on how fussy their employer was about appearance and also the ethos of the unit. For example, Landeschneckts were notorious for outlandish foppery and each tried to outdo the other so there was no uniformity at all.

Dark green tunics, dark grey hose. Easy colours to dye, and won't show too much dirt when away from lodgings (nothing to do with dark grey undercoat, honest)