"Pierre De Rohan..."

"...Came from a famous French family who had fought their king's wars for many years."

This 28mm metal model of a Renaissance Knight is produced by "Steel Fist Miniatures" and was bought as part of the ten-figure Code REN 20 - Foot Knights Deal from their Italian Wars 1494-1538 range. The sculpt can also be purchased as part of a pair under Code REN 01 - Foot Knights, and whilst not specifically named as the "close advisor of Kings Louis XI , Charles VIII and Louis XII" was painted with Pierre de Rohan in mind.

The "Marshal of France since at least 1475", the multi-part model proved slightly cumbersome to assemble before painting, due to the caster's belief that the figure's massive number of helmet plumes would apparently stay attached with just the smallest of nodules fixing it in place. Considering just how heavy the panaches were I decided a much safer option was to file down the 'underwhelming peg' and pin the collection of feathers in place with wire.

"Steel Fist Miniatures" WIPs - Three more Foot Knights currently on the painting table

Only once this ensemble had been super-glued together and given an appropriately long time to harden, did I dare apply a couple of coats of "Citadel" Abaddon Black to "the youngest of the Rohan-Guéméné family." This was then followed up by a combination of Sir Coates Silver from "Duncan Rhodes Two Thin Coats" and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, before the armour and blade were given a thorough dry-brush of (more) Sir Coates Silver .

I did initially consider colouring de Rohan's plumes in an elaborate mixture of white and blues. However, having perused the marvellously sculpted feathers, the headdress appeared a little too fiddly for me to easily 'pick out' the odd area with a brush-tip, so I ultimately decided to go with an all "Vallejo" Heavy Blue palette. This was subsequently shaded with "Citadel" Drakenhof Nightshade and later carefully dry-brushed with (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Blue.

"Pendraken Miniatures" WIPs - This 10mm Sherman Firefly tank has been primed and shaded

With the recent arrival of eight Foot Knights Attacking from "Steel Fist Miniatures", along with my two missing models from my first order, I've found my mojo for this skirmish-sized Italian Wars project to have bounded back with great aplomb. So perhaps unsurprisingly, I have made some steady progress on some more combatants in the Battle of Fornovo, with several other figures impatiently waiting in the wings.

In addition, spurned on by my recent purchases at the "Pendraken Miniatures" stall at Colours 2023, most notably some Canadian armoured decals, I have also been busy putting a brush to some of the last 10mm Allied World War Two tanks I previously picked up off of Leon whilst visiting Salute 2023. These three M4A4 Sherman Fireflies still have some work to go. But with a dedicated session or two should soon be busy representing the Second Canadian Armoured Brigade for Late War (Winter) campaign.