Perry Miniatures: Plastic Late Medieval Mercenaries, European Infantry 1450-1500

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**kenshin620**

Perry heavily hinted at the release of new plastics for their WotR line and the greens of these have been seen for a while but now they are finalizing their product

As promised, here are a few shots of the new Mercenaries, European Infantry 1450-1500.

I'll put up photos of the two frames later and a list of what is on them. One of the photos shows the 40 figures contained in the box, with a few of the pike arms converted into halbardiers from the polearm heads supplied. There is a fair amount of variety of arm/weapon choice, allowing you to make up to 18 pikemen, up to twelve crossbowmen, and up to twelve handgunners plus four command. In addition, there are twelve pavises, 15 bucklers/targes, drum arms, two-handed sword arms, and swords in scabbards. There will also be a choice of 26 European banners supplied. The idea of the box is to form the bulk of a number European armies of the period, in conjunction with plastic WR1 Wars of the Roses Infantry already available. The box can now be pre-ordered (by putting in a normal order) and is £18.00 GBP plus P&P, the code is WR 20. Money will only be taken on day of shipping, which should be the second week in December.

**Ketara**

Sounds perfect for a Dogs of War army....

**ImperialTard**

Those look really awesome and fun to paint. .. But is that guy in the last photo holding his sword like a gun?

**kenshin620**

ImperialTard wrote:Those look really awesome and fun to paint. .. But is that guy in the last photo holding his sword like a gun?

Yea I have no idea what they did with that guy. Perhaps some type of strange humor?

**Kanluwen**

He's holding a whetstone in his other hand, it looks like.

Either that or he's holding it in an awkward parrying pose.

**rryannn**

i really like these. and every other perry release. ever.

**lasgunpacker**

ImperialTard wrote:Those look really awesome and fun to paint. .. But is that guy in the last photo holding his sword like a gun?

He is holding it like a pike, and is probably meant to be in the front rank of a pike block.

Lovely figures as always from the Brothers Perry.

**kenshin620**

lasgunpacker wrote:
ImperialTard wrote:Those look really awesome and fun to paint. .. But is that guy in the last photo holding his sword like a gun?

He is holding it like a pike, and is probably meant to be in the front rank of a pike block.

Lovely figures as always from the Brothers Perry.

Hmm true although that would be a weird way of using pike arms

I dearly hope in the near future Perry has Plastic Knights in the works

**nels1031**

lasgunpacker wrote:
ImperialTard wrote:Those look really awesome and fun to paint. .. But is that guy in the last photo holding his sword like a gun?

He is holding it like a pike, and is probably meant to be in the front rank of a pike block.

Lovely figures as always from the Brothers Perry.

I got the impression he was inspecting it, making sure its not bent or knicked. Thats what I gathered at least. Maybe a forthcoming painted version will illuminate us.

**Kid_Kyoto**

Well that just about eliminates the need to ever buy Empire or Brettonian minis again.

**kenshin620**

Kid_Kyoto wrote:Well that just about eliminates the need to ever buy Empire or Brettonian minis again.

Ehhh imo it doesnt fit brets very well. WotR is too far. Mid crusades, Early 100 year war, conflicts in the 12-14th centuries seem more of a match for them. Pikes, Crossbows, Handguns, Halberds, and Bills do fit empire. Scale is a bit of an issue though. and sometimes Empire is a bit more like reniassance/age of exploration

**A Black Ram**

Kid_Kyoto wrote:Well that just about eliminates the need to ever buy Empire or Brettonian minis again.

I like the empire part, but I think Brettonian armies could use some bits, but like I said, I think of this as more of an empire kit.

What is the scale of these?

**kenshin620**

A Black Ram wrote:
Kid_Kyoto wrote:Well that just about eliminates the need to ever buy Empire or Brettonian minis again.

I like the empire part, but I think Brettonian armies could use some bits, but like I said, I think of this as more of an empire kit.

What is the scale of these?

28mm truescale so thinner than bulkier GW

Perry also compared to other 28mm historical makers is usually slimmer, and sometimes taller

**JOHIRA**

Those are extremely nice.

**Mr. Burning**

very nice work.

I can see me getting some of these for an alternative steam future project, and weirdly, a sci fi skirmish.

Maybe I should just bite the bullet and go historical all the way?

**kenshin620**

Hmm interesting. These are priced as observed as being 20% more than their other plastic set for WotR. Apparently it is intentional as they have to increase prices across the board

Regrettably, due to general rising costs, our prices are going up in the new year - the 1st of February, to be precise. We have absorbed the increasing costs for some time now, and haven't had a general price rise for around six years now. We've always wanted to keep the price of an individual metal foot figure to £1.00 GBP or below, but we are forced to increase the price of a metal code an additional £0.50 GBP per box.

There is a general assumption that the costs of plastic manufacturing have gone down. They haven't. We could reduce the price by going abroad (not that we would!), getting the molds made in aluminum, but aluminum moulds lose their edge/detail much quicker than steel. Renedra (the tooling company we use) for one and GW for another use steel molds, which will keep their sharpness long after we're dead and gone! The plastic we use isn't the cheapest, but is the best in terms of toughness whilst still retaining the detail.

We are increasing the price of the plastic box sets to £18.00 GBP throughout the range, except the American Farmhouse which will be £15.00 GBP. We hope this will still represent value for money for the quality we strive for, which Renedra always deliver.

**Empchild**

The funny part of that is GW, Foundry and Perry were all and many still are done by yep you guessed it... the perry brothers. They really do tend to get around

.

**Noble713**

ImperialTard wrote:Those look really awesome and fun to paint. .. But is that guy in the last photo holding his sword like a gun?

It looks like the Ochs (Ox) guard position. I'm no swordsmanship expert but holding the blade like that has several advantages from what I've read:
1. Keeps the point of the blade oriented toward the enemy's face/throat.
2. Conceals the length of the blade, and by extension your threat radius, from the enemy.

Aragorn transitions into a similar position @ Helm's Deep, just before he and the Elves charge the Uruk pikemen after they breach the wall.

reference: http://www.thearma.org/essays/StancesIntro.htm

I like the realism of these figs and if I still had any interest in my Empire army I would buy them in a heartbeat.

**Sarrazon**

Noble713 wrote:
ImperialTard wrote:Those look really awesome and fun to paint. .. But is that guy in the last photo holding his sword like a gun?
It looks like the Ochs (Ox) guard position. I'm no swordsmanship expert but holding the blade like that has several advantages from what I've read:
1. Keeps the point of the blade oriented toward the enemy's face/throat.
2. Conceals the length of the blade, and by extension your threat radius, from the enemy.

Aragorn transitions into a similar position @ Helm's Deep, just before he and the Elves charge the Uruk pikemen after they breach the wall.

reference: http://www.thearma.org/essays/StancesIntro.htm

I like the realism of these figs and if I still had any interest in my Empire army I would buy them in a heartbeat.

If it's supposed to be an Ochs (and I had the same thought), it's a pretty gakky one. The hands go above the head, the sword is pointed downwards towards the opponents face. Holding it at eye level isn't going to be able to block an overhead strike nearly as effectively, and just feels awkward when you do it.

Why yes, I do a bit of historical fencing, why do you ask?

**chaos0xomega**

ImperialTard wrote:Those look really awesome and fun to paint. .. But is that guy in the last photo holding his sword like a gun?

Thats actually a valid stance in western sworsmanship technique, its called Ochs (or Ox) in German longswordsmanship: http://www.thehaca.com/essays/StancesIntro.htm (scroll down). Looks pretty awkward to me though...

In any case, i'm thinking 10 boxes of these guys will get almost anyone started down the right path for a large Empire infantry force.

EDIT: Noble713 beat me to it.

**LuciusAR**

Even at £18 a set these are a bargain. Especially compared to GW. £18 for 40 humans or £15 for 10? No contest.

I'll be telling anyone interesting in Empire or Dogs of War to buy these bad boys.

**kenshin620**

New pics

Here are the frame shots of the Mercenaries, as promised. As with the Wars of the Roses Infantry Box (WR 1), there are two command frames, three infantry frames, as well as a frame of green bases and a leaflet with 26 banners.
Listed below is a breakdown of individual parts, for those of you who are interested:

40 x torsos (36 from WR 1)
60 x heads (36 from WR 1)
18 x pikes with arms
18 x left arms for above
12 x crossbows with arms
6 x left arms for above
12 x handguns with arms
3 x left arms for above
12 x crossbow quivers (3 with windlass and 3 with cranequin attached)
15 x targes/bucklers
12 x pavises (2 types)
12 x polearm heads (4 types)
2 x drums and arms
2 x drum stick arms
2 x hand and a half sword arms
2 x left arms for above
12 x swords in scabbards
4 x scabbards
2 x standard pole arms
2 x mace arms
4 x sword arms
2 x dagger arms
2 x command arms

**jester1525**

It is Ochs. He is a lefty, as standard is dominate hand at the cross guard, secondary hand at the pommel.

His footwork is horrid, as you would want a wider spaced stance.

You can hold the sword above your head, unless you're like me and have very short arms and wide shoulders, which makes that stance impossible to have the sword above your head. Off side Ochs sucks if you have short arms anyways.

I will say that if they were going for that stance, good on them as Liechtenauer, considered the master who created that stance (along with three other common stances) taught around 1350-1375.

**The Dwarf Wolf**

At first look i thought it (the weyrd position guy) was just checking the edge of the sword... Thanks for the clarification about the Ochs position, learn new thinjgs are always nice...

Even for a guy who dont like late medieval figures, those guys are very nice...

**Agamemnon2**

These are quite nice. Two boxes would get you nice-sized units of Empire pikemen, crossbows and handguns. Quite lovely stuff. Too bad you'd look offscale with the funkier war machines and fantasy units in the armylist.

**kenshin620**

Agamemnon2 wrote:These are quite nice. Two boxes would get you nice-sized units of Empire pikemen, crossbows and handguns. Quite lovely stuff. Too bad you'd look offscale with the funkier war machines and fantasy units in the armylist.

Well real life was funky too......

Also from Perry

**Agamemnon2**

A beautiful thing, that.

**Wehrkind**

Ohhh those are VERY nice. The bombard is a really nice unit too. Damn, but now I want to start an empire force

And yea, I was going to suggest the Ox as well as done by a lefty with bad footwork.

A nice touch, and you probably could get his feet and arm height a bit better with a little work.

It also occurs to me that these would make a great set of core troops, with GW models for standard bearers and champions who are a little bigger and more muscular than their less esteemed comrades

**Henners91**

Kanluwen wrote:He's holding a whetstone in his other hand, it looks like.

Either that or he's holding it in an awkward parrying pose.

Looks like he's examining it to me.

**Empchild**

Lovely cannon, but the cannon itself will most likely be consigned from Tim Addock (or T.A Miniatures). He does most of those things for a lot of historical ranges, as well as commissioned on occassion by GW. God bless the perrys for using his fine work with their ranges!!!