looks at some new terrain products, which use space age technology!
We are very pleased to make available our new 15mm Renaissance Swiss range.
The Swiss had already cemented their reputation in the late Gothic Period as the best infantry in Europe, and in the sixteenth century brought that to market, serving as mercenaries in large bands in French armies, and also fighting in alliances with other powers, though often for pay for all practical purposes.
The prowess of their huge attack columns, now increasingly made up of pikemen, was legendary, and justly so - this was arguably the greatest development in infantry shock combat to date. Some historians think the fear of the unstoppable Swiss pike column was largely responsible for bringing on the "Military Revolution" itself.
These models are dressed in the elaborate slashed garments on this period, with voluminous sleeves. We have ended the line at 1550, when pluderhosen became the most common legwear of the Swiss mercenary. The models clearly depict the cross of the Swiss warrior slashed onto chest, arm, or leg, rather than the "X" (the saltire raguly) that marked the Landsknecht mercenary. They also carry the small half-moon-handled Swiss dagger or the long hand-and-a-half sword of the Swiss mercenary, rather than the distinctive Katzbalger shortsword of his Landsknecht foe.
The models wear baretts, but also the turbans which Swiss mercenaries preferred, many of which have ostrich feathers in them, another peculiarity of the Swiss mercenary. Gamers will also note that the dress of the Swiss, though elaborate, is somewhat less so than the Landsknecht.
We've even had made a model in the image of Death, the constant companion of the Reislaufer, holding an hourglass, in case you wish to have this character march alongside your pike squares, as he does in so many wood cuttings of the period!
We hope you'll agree that Mike Broadbent has done a magnificent job bringing these fearsome warriors to life, and Carl Robson has done a splendid job painting them.