Ottoman Light Cavalry

Nothing too fancy here, just some Besli (conscripts, in the white turbans) and Gonullu (volunteers, in the colored turbans). Essentially unconverted from Gripping Beast Arab Cavalry (again!), I think maybe two of the turbans are greenstuff.

Voevode (Russian Commander)

My Muscovites need an officer, and while I believe The Assault Group is working on one, I'm impatient! So I made this guy mostly out of Gripping Beast Arabs, with a Warlord head and horse and a TAG mace.

I gotta say, the Gripping Beast Arab Light Cavalry plastics have been an absolute godsend for Eastern Europe kitbashing. The long-robed legs and embroidered-front torsos are just so handy!

Muscovite Reiters

Been a while since I tried any really interesting kitbashing, so here's one. the torsos are from Warlord Games' (formerly Wargames Factory's) War of Spanish Succession cavalry, the horses and some arms are from Warlord Games ECW cavalry, and the heads / legs / other arms are from Gripping Beast's Arab cavalry. These represent the "new style" reiters incorporated into the Russian army post-Smolensk to supplement the traditional feudal horse. I will field them in Pikeman's Lament as Veteran Trotters.

Apologies for the gaps and mold lines on the horses, guess I'm a little out of practice.

More Nobles

NPCs or future PCs, here are some noblemen equipped as more than civilians:

Flashing Blades - the gang's all here

The last player character has been rolled up and modeled, so here is a revised group shot:

From left to right:

Baroness Villanelle de la Croix, a noblewoman of remarkable aptitude. Capable even in fields of endeavor that she has not studied, and certainly no stranger to the blade, Villanelle is toying with the idea of developing a masked alter-ego to escape the confines imposed on her by the patriarchy.

Baron-Viscount Sadko Stroganoff-Rachmaninoff, an eccentric boyar from distant Muscovy. Due to some combination of privileged upbringing and a rather, um, "recursive" family tree, Sadko is as feeble as a child, but he does not shy away from adventure or romance, and thus far his luck has steered him well.

Pierre de Bourdeau, rich Parisian moneylender. Already wealthier than large swathes of the nobility, the studious Pierre is at risk of developing a somewhat unsavory reputation. Aware of the possibility, he has adopted a scrupulous code of honorable behavior to deflect such aspersions.

Valentin de la Fontaine, an apothecary of Paris. Well-connected and upwardly mobile, this ambitious gentleman may in fact be living a bit beyond his means, so he is always on the lookout for a chance to augment his income.

Lachlan MacCailin, Scottish mercenary. With his strong arm and large sword, Lachlan is something of a medieval throwback, with a temper to match. Fortunately, military technology has not yet progressed to the point where a big fellow with a big sword serves no purpose.

Joelle de Villiers, spy and assassin. Devious and utterly ruthless, Joelle is a master infiltrator and a versatile combatant, but her consistent misfortune adds an element of risk to even the simplest of missions.

(all descriptions are my own; the actual players might see their characters differently...)

Specialist Swashbucklers from the collection

Been sorting through my miniatures for ones that might come in handy for Flashing Blades. Since I recently made all those unarmored swordsmen to represent the more average duelists of the setting, I can now broaden my scope a little to include a few minis to represent the more specialized and well-equipped antagonists that might appear as the campaign progresses.

None of these have been painted recently, I just wanted to consolidate my more characterful Early Modern infantry minis in one place for inspiration.

Noble Duelists for Flashing Blades

Eventually the Player Characters will come into conflict with fancy-pants aristocrats, so here are a few built from the Warlord Games pike & shotte infantry command sprue.