Landsknechts, Italian Wars, and Facebook page

First bit of news. I now have a Facebook page for Phil's War Cabinet, just to document hobby stuff. It's gone live today, so those who use that platform may "Follow" the page for future updates.

Perhaps more importantly, I've been painting, scratch-building, and generally pottering around with my Italian Wars project - Italiana Imaginata, as Andy calls it. He has been drawn in too with some Spanish and the fictional state of Peroni, alongside my own fictional states of Capriccio and Bruschetta.

Anyway, here's the new stuff I've been doing, plus a little background story to set the tone for the project campaigning...

First up, the Landsknechts.
These are organised and based for Never Mind The Billhooks, rather different than I would otherwise have done them in bigger pike blocks (as I once did, back in 2003).

Landsknechts pics

And so a little back story...

The states of Capriccio (red) and Bruschetta (blue) have been sworn enemies for centuries, and this rivalry reached a peak in the mid 15th century with their armies frequently locked in battle under the command of warring families and their mercenary Condottiere captains...

More recently, the ambitions of Capriccio have been well publicised and their recent employ of Swiss troops has been previously documented.

But, wait. What's this... Cardinal Leo, that wily old cleric, in talks with an Imperialist commander, negotiating the employment of some Landsknechts...

(Footnote: The Imperialist command group was painted c 2003 for my Italian wars project back then).

And so it was that Imperial landsknechts arrived to take up arms in the service of Capriccio...

When news reached "The Gnome of Zurich", ahem, (Swiss Quartermaster), Cardinal Leo hastened to persuade him that whilst the landsknechts had indeed arrived as allies, surely they could happily co-exist with Swiss troops in the same army. Surely...

Oh dear...

The Swiss depart, heading back towards their homeland.

The Capriccio army, however, does still look a fine array with the Landsknechts deployed in the centre...

The Swiss meanwhile, might have already found new paymasters. Well, no surprise there... it's the army of Bruschetta, with the Swiss in the centre...

And so the scene is set.

To add to that scene, I also recently scratch-built an Italian farm... 

For those who want to follow the Facebook page... here's the link...

Facebook

This does not mean I will be neglecting the blog (well, not any more neglect than it has been suffering of late). Far from it. I'll continue to post here too. Thanks to all who visit. And thanks in advance to those who also follow on Facebook.

Cheers.