Warlord Games Pike & Shotte (28mm)

These Warlord Games Amoured Pikemen are great for adding variety to your exsisting pike units and increasing their size, or building a new one entirely from scratch.

These are great characterful models with a great amount of detail for you painters out there.

The Pike and Shotte Armoured Pikemen pack contains 8 random armoured pikemen with pikes.

Note: models are supplied unassembled and unpainted

England in 1642 was a land of peace and sea of tranquillity compared to the horrors of the Continent’s terrible 30 Years War. So when the King and Parliament fell out and fisticuffs spread throughout the land it was like a bolt out of the blue…

No doubt most thought it would all be over by Christmas, but the war dragged on and on and, as usual, it was the common folk who suffered the most. Raiding parties from both sides waged a small war as a fight for supplies and personal plunder took hold of the soldiery who were, it is fair to say, often poorly provided for. This became too much for the good yeoman people of the midlands, and firstly in Worcestershire, then the West Country, the locals organised…

Led most often by their social betters, the villagers and small townsfolk formed associations, or ‘Clubs’, sworn to defend their livestock, beer and persons from any marauding soldiery whomever they were. They armed themselves from whatever were available, largely agricultural tools, and with whatever other weapons the local squirearchy could avail himself of. Some Clubmen groups even fielded cavalry!

They fought a few actions, seeing off small raiding parties, and even sometimes allied with an army for temporary advantage, though no general could count on the goodwill of these bands for long.

So Warlord Games present a savage looking bunch of villagers, led by their handsome squire (directly above), mustering on the village green before marching off to ‘beat the bounds’ of their parish and see off any intruders.

The Pike and Shotte Clubman Militia blister pack contains: 8 models 1 Gentleman and 7 villager and 2 weapon frames in metal.

Note: models are supplied unassembled and unpainted

Officer. Lifted straight from page 116 of Wagner's classic TYW book, this officer is a classic study. He is richly dressed, in old fashioned jacket and possibly has served on the continent himself. He will be ideal for all early armies, as Royalist, Parliament or Covenanter and will serve as a captain or leiutenant of foot. He has a partizan and sword, and a pistol hung down from his belt. A lovely study.

Ensign. This fellow is taken from the wonderful Haythornthwaite ECW book, and is a classic Ensign, with sword drawn and dressed in a cassock. Again he could be used in all armies, Rebel, Royalist, Scots or Montrose.

Drummer. Every Company fielded at least one drummer and our fellow is neatly attired in a posh jacket with ribbon and braid attached. He wears a jaunty Montero with feathers too, something that the Colonel has thought it worth dipping into his own pockets for, which was common at the time. Being a warlord Drummer, although he is not carrying a sword, he is still packing a pistol for close defence.

Sergeant. We asked for this sergeant to be a hard bitten professional who has seen a thing or two in his time. He wears a Burgonet and sleeveless buff coat and is doing what sergeants do best, shouting! He could be slotted into any Civil war army.

The Pike and Shotte Command blister pack contains 4 miniatures; one Officer, one Sergeant, one Drummer & one Ensign.

Note: models are supplied unassembled and unpainted

There is a compelling thrill about the sight of a Scottish Government army drawn up for battle. Dour-faced hardmen from the lowlands of Scotland drawn up in their trademark Hodden Grey uniforms, topped with their distinctive blue-knitted bonnets, the Covenanters fought hard in many bloody battles of the civil wars.

Indeed they routed the English forces in the Bishops’ Wars leading up to the great civil war where they first sided with Parliament, fighting mainly in the North, most famously at Marston Moor. Then they made a momentous decision and sold the captured Charles I, their King, to his bitter enemies, Parliament.

This unholy alliance could not last and the Covenant army found itself allied with a doomed Royalist cause in the second and third civil wars.

Well-equipped and organised, the Scottish infantry could give a good account of themselves. They scorned armour, and often helmets, in their pike divisions, but all too many of them died at catastrophic battles like Preston, Dunbar and, finally, Worcester or were slaughtered in the Highlands by Montrose's wild Highlanders and Irish. Survivors were shipped to the West Indies where many died of disease, a sad end to a once proud fighting force.

The Pike & Shotte Covenanters Box Contains a Total of 40 Miniatures including:

The Pike and Shotte Covenanter Infantry box gives you enough parts to assemble 40 Covenanter infantry and eight flags, a painting guide and bases.

Note: models are supplied unassembled and unpainted

Robert Devereux, eldest son of the 2nd Earl of Essex who was famously executed by Elizabeth I, was born in 1591. Although one of the wealthiest men in England at the time of the English Civil War, he was never a favourite at the court of Charles I.

He gained his early military experience fighting in the Thirty Years War for the protestant cause in Germany and the Low Countries. Essex firmly tied himself to the cause of Parliament by warning the five MP's about to be arrested on the Kings orders. He was in fact the highest ranking noble to support Parliament and was made Lord General of all Parliament forces in 1642.

Essex was a naturally cautious general, although undeniably brave. In fact, at Edgehill he was seen in the thick of the action with pike in hand. Beloved by his men, he was nicknamed 'Old Robin' by them as a term of endearment, his regiment becoming known as 'Olde Robin's Foote'.

This fantastic sculpt shows Essex mounted and his hat off taking a salute.

Note: models are supplied unassembled and unpainted

Warlord Games' Ranter is a New Model Army man who is obviously appealing to his fellows to see reason. He has a scarf wrapped around his arm as a sign of his politicisation, a pamphlet on soldiers’ rights stuffed into his hatband, and a suitably barmy expression. All he needs now is a chat with that nice Mr Cromwell - he seems a reasonable man….

The next model is a Cleric based in some part on Archbishop Laud, who was done in by the Roundheads for being a bit old-fashioned in his views (ie, not being a bigoted Puritan). This saintly man has a sly expression, and worryingly carries a sword by his side (for protection or to enforce his preachings?).

Warlord Games' Puritan Preacher is a bit of a misery. He carries the good book and isn’t afraid to use it! As you can see he is giving his flock a severe talking to, hopefully inspiring them to great things in Parliament’s cause… “One King, KING JESUS!”, was one of the Parliamentarian’s regular chants.

The Fire and Brimstone blister pack contains 3 miniatures, one Ranter, one Cleric & one Preacher.

Note: models are supplied unassembled and unpainted

Firelock companies were raised throughout the Civil Wars for a variety of purposes. Formed originally to fight in the wild bogs of Ireland where a flintlock was more easily handled than the clumsy matchlock, firelock-armed musketeers grew more common as the Civil Wars progressed, all armies sometimes fielding large units so armed.

The firelock had numerous advantages over the older matchlock. It was ready to fire at a moment's notice, was more weatherproof and did not betray a night advance with glowing match cord. It was also much cheaper in the long run as they did not consume vast quantities of match cord.

They were regularly used for baggage and artillery guards, as the flintlock mechanism was seen as infinitely more desirable in a gunpowder depot than spluttering, lit, match cord!

By mid to late war, whole companies were fielded. For the Royalists, Legge's who fought at Edgehill, Rupert’s and Maurice’s redcoats and Sandford's from Ireland. Parliament issued them liberally and many of the New Model Army had whole companies so armed and later, whole regiments. The Scots Covenanter forces also used the firelock to good effect.

Warlord Games’ Firelocks are shown storming a bridge led by their dashing Captain, just the sort of action that Firelock Companies were used for!

The Pike and Shotte Firelock Storming Party box set contains 16 plastic Firelock Musketeers, 1 Officer & 1 Drummer.

Note: models are supplied unassembled and unpainted

There were few more terrifying weapons in the 17th Century than the fearsome blast of the mortar bomb. Employed largely at sieges, mortars spat their fizzing, hissing shells high into the air clearing the tallest walls or towers to crash into streets or houses below before exploding in a shattering blast.

They terrorised garrisons and townsfolk alike, sometimes leading to the civilians petitioning the city’s governor to surrender and avoid any more damage.

Rarely used in the field, mortars needed a skilled crew to set the fuses, and lob the shells accurately without blowing themselves to kingdom come!

Perhaps a master gunner could be useful….

Note: models are supplied unassembled and unpainted

Six Boxes of Warlord Games Pike and Shotte Parliament Infantry gives you a huge variety of models to mix and match on your tabletop. You can have great fun particularly with the command models assembling and equipping them in a whole variety of ways, remember most regiments fielded many flags when in action.

A box of Pike and Shotte Firelocks contains 10 Firelock miniatures and can be used as trained guard, mixed in with your regiments or fielded as a separate firelock company.

The Parliament Association contains 6 boxes of Parliament Infantry (240 pikemen and musketeers!) & 1 Firelock Storming Party box (18 Firelocks).

Note: models are supplied unassembled and unpainted

There are few more iconic images of the English Civil Wars than the grim-faced lobster pot helmed, buff-coated Parliamentarian Ironside.

Parliament cavalry cut a fearsome appearance on the Civil war battlefield. For offensive purposes they could be armed with a good stout broadsword, two long flintlock pistols and sometimes a carbine. This reflected their tactical use on the field, often drawn up six deep, using their carbines, and then their pistols, in the Dutch fashion, to pepper the enemy with shot and then and only then close with the sword.

When it worked it worked well, but crushing defeats by the dashing Cavaliers led to Cromwell reorganising his horse regiments and playing the Royalists at their own game.

Warlord Games’ Parliament cavalry are equipped with sword and pistol, in addition to carbines and poleaxes.

The Pike and Shotte Parliament Cavalry boxed set contains:

• 12 mounted Cavalrymen
• A set of 6 cornets 4 English Civil War and 2 Thirty Years War
• Standards for Royalist regiments and the Thirty Years War Swedish army
• A set of bases

Note: models are supplied unassembled and unpainted