Conte Collectibles Future Project: Normans: First, we have some samples of possible Norman poses. Next, I share some new Russian figures. Finally, some upcoming shows you might be interested in.
Conte Collectibles Future Project: Normans
Richard Conte of Conte Collectibles has released photos of a future project Normans. Here is what he had to say about this future project. These are the foot sculpts still in the running for the first sets of new Normans. (We have approx. a dozen additional foot poses -not shown-which are being held for the future)
3 additional poses are currently being sculpted which might jump to the head of the line.
The ‘white’ fellows are resin mold masters who are ready to ship to the factory. The others which are a combo of different colors of wax and resin are original sculpts. We are in the process of deciding which 4 to 8 of these originals Should be readied next…. As soon as 8 masters are complete, the poses in the first set will be finalized and masters sent off to the factory.
Most have alternate heads/weapons/etc. I can’t wait to see what comes out of this great project.
Russian Figure Sets
Once again the Russian makers are coming up with a wide variety of subjects. Beriland Toy Soldiers has done a Hussette gun crew and cannon.
Beriland Toy Soldiers did another set of anicent hunting a Wool Mamoth Rhinoceros.
Not to be out done Plastic Platoon has donea fifteen figure set for the Battle of Snowshoes which was between Roger’s Rangers and the French with their Indian allies. This set sells for 130 Euros ($136.00).
Finally, Plastic Platoon has done a set of four mounted Conquistadors.
Upcoming Shows
Once again I have to promote a great show. Lots of great items.
Another great show is the Midwest Toy Soldier Show. I hope to get there next year. In the mean time, Mike Pendergast of Warhorse Miniatures has more information here.
The Plastic Platoon set is great. Lots of dynamic poses with excellent detail. Too bad Conte doesn’t produce his metal Rogers Rangers series in plastic
Pretty sure the Conquistadors did not have any kind of rifle or musket.
They are not later “muskets” or flintlock mechanisms muskets or rifles type muskets .These are arquebuses/”harquebuses” used and developed from 1450 well in to early XVI century .The use or arquebuses ,petronels, or hackbuts and sclopus fire weapons by cavalry both mounted and dismounted was gaining quite a bit of traction by the early 1500s .It was used limited by Spaniard and Portuguese Conquistadors .None of the figures have any musket or “rifle” modern type weapon. However some of the arquebuses made for cavalry were rifled inside barrel to increase the accuracy .What is not quite entirely correct or accurate is the use of full heavy armour that was barely used by conquistadors unless very early period and only some cases .Conquistadors from 1520 forward did use muskets .Muskets were first a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour .
Is it accurate to portray them firing arquebuses from horses like that? It does not seem possible.
Yes it is correct and and was used a lot indeed !! There plenty pre 1500 to 1550 era battle painting depiction ,even manuals in how were used were made and some manuscripts exist about the training on mounted riders using it .It’s been reenacted in several historical battlefield as well today in Europe .In Jacopo di Porcia’s The preceptes of warre, first written during the early Italian Wars, he says specifically about gunners on horseback: Quote “For no sort of souldyers, is more profytable than they nor yet doth more myschife and hurte. For no man is so well harnaysed, that can be saulfe from them: such a violence is in that warlye instrumente.” The largest shift began with the growing availability of wheelock and snaphaunce firing mechanisms towards the end of the Italian wars, which made it easier for horsemen to fire and reload while moving without have to worry about tending to their lit match at all times. By the end of the sixteenth century other sorts of cavalry in western Europe had been almost completely replaced by horsemen armed with pistols or arquebuses.
The numbers mounted fireman soldiers units increased and varied greatly depending on which year and which army you look at, for example in the 1557 St. Quentin campaign Imperial-Spanish army fielded some 5400 mounted arquebusiers while the French had at most a couple of hundred wheellock arquebus among their German Reiters. (The bulk of the French light cavalry was made up of Chevaux-legers, light lancers also armed with a pistol.)
A couple of examples from the 80-years war in the Netherlands and the Spanish army of Flanders:
Quote:
“In 1567, before the beginning of the march to the Flanders, the Duke of Alba had also 5 companies of Jinetes, 3 companies of Italian horses, 2 companies of light cavalry from Albania and 2 companies of Spanish harquebusiers on horses, in total some 1 200 horsemen.
In 1573 a document (see Quatrefage 1983) from the Duke of Alba shows that the Spanish had, in the Army of Flanders:
3300 heavy horsemen subdivided in 1 cornete (a company) of 300 horses and 15 ordinance bands (an average of 200 horsemen per ordinance band), 980 light horsemen divided in 14 companies (an average of 70 men per company) and 5 compagnies of harquebusiers on horse (500 men). So we have in total 4780 cavalrymen subdivided in 35 companies or ordinance bands.
In the battlefield the cavalry was organised in squadron of 2 or 4 companies (100 – 300 horsemen). At the battle of Mook in 1574 the Spanish deployed their cavalry as follow: 3 small detachments of harquebusiers on horse (170 in total in 4 companies)
A simple google will give you some examples easy as well …
https://imgur.com/a/sqED0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Firing_Horse_Arquebussier.jpg
https://en.topwar.ru/114923-konnye-arkebuziry.html
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/harquebus.html?sortBy=relevant
Wow, I had no idea. Thanks for the info.
Love the Conte Normans !!!