A 15th century terminator
Building Edward IV: England’s Warrior King
Mike Peters is something of an unstoppable giant in the world of army painting, and in this article he kitbashes and paints an unstoppable giant from the Wars of the Roses.
We can’t be certain of the facts 500 years after the event, so it’s hard to know exactly why Cyberdyne Systems chose to send a T-800 back to 1461. It may have been the failure to exterminate Sarah Connor in 1984 that led to a quest to eradicate the genes of her much earlier ancestor, Margaret of Anjou. Whatever the reason, this Terminator stole the surcoat and armour of Edward Plantagenet, Earl of March, and wreaked havoc on the medieval battlefields of Olde England until, in 1483, its power unit failed. That would at least be one explanation for this gigantic, fearless, seemingly invincible killer King, who was always at the centre of the action and in the thick of the melee. In a world of treachery, incompetence, and vitriolic hatred, Edward stands - literally and figuratively - head and shoulders above his peers.
As a commander, he was “the best general of strategy in Europe in the 15th Century”, according to Andrew Boardman in his book The Medieval Soldier in the Wars of the Roses. Tactically, Edward IV was an aggressive, confident, natural leader, and he is the supreme battlefield general of the Wars of the Roses. Magnanimous in victory, he tried (perhaps too hard) to forgive his enemies and reach a peaceful solution. More of a Terminator 2 Arnie than the original movie, then? Whatever the case, he is the perfect wargames general and all-round hero for this era, so I just had to give him a suitably impressive representation on the tabletop.
Above: Edward IV on the frontline, leading his retinue and making himself look big!
The quest for a king
Perry Miniatures produce a metal figure for Edward IV, and as far as a Google search can tell me, this is the only commercially available miniature for him. The Perry offering is… ok. To my eyes he’s not tall enough. It’s hard to tell in the images I’ve seen online - he may be modelled to be bigger - but he has flexed knees, so it’s hard to be sure. I want my Ed to stand out as the giant he was, so ‘possibly a bit bigger’ just isn’t going to cut it.
I asked around if anyone knew of a figure in 30mm or 32mm that would be suitable, but enquiries on the Never Mind the Billhooks Facebook group and with my usually reliable contacts proved fruitless. I searched online catalogues of 30mm - 32mm manufacturers, but like Bono, I still couldn’t find what I was looking for.
Creating a giant amongst men
My uncompromising desires meant that my next step would be to dig in my plastics collection, find some suitable bits, and make a taller, more imposing kitbash by cutting and extending legs and torso.
Perry plastic Foot Knights were the obvious choice to provide the core of the model, and there were six to choose from. The ones with surcoats stood out to me as I was planning on cutting them just above the belt-line, and surcoats would be easier to sculpt back in place than ultra-smooth plate armour.
Two of the six seem ‘taller’ in their posture, and happily, one wears a surcoat and has straight legs, which I guessed would be easier to extend than bent ones. He’d be my guy then.
The cruellest cut!
I use a razor saw for most cuts, although these legs are probably thin enough to use a sharp bladed modelling knife on them.
Above: Essential kit for any kitbasher: pin vice, cyanoacrylate superglue, and brass wire (0.8mm in this instance).
How tall is too tall?
Here comes the maths bit! It is said that 28mm figures are approximately 1:56 scale, although it is given variously at anything from 1:54 to 1:64, so there’s some latitude. The real debate around the size v scale argument is more about where the height is measured to and from. Most manufacturers apparently measure from sole of foot to eyeline; as many figures wear helmets, it is therefore difficult to say where is the top of the head.
If we accept that the average height of a man in 15th Century England was 68"/170cm (thank you Google!), then to find the scale, divide the height of the man (1,700mm) by the height of the figure (28mm), and we get 1:60, which is a nice round number and one that I am happy to use.
Above: “Malmsey sire? I think not, I am already legless!”
Big for his age
Edward IV was very tall! This we know from all contemporary accounts where his height has been given as being anywhere between 6'3" and 6'5". He was exhumed in 1789, and his skeleton was measured at six feet three-and-three-quarter inches.
Rounding up to 6'4" makes 1,900mm which at 1:60 = 31.666mm. I am not sure I can be that accurate with my modelling, so I will round up to 32 mm. Allowing for his helmet, I will be happy if the finished figure is 34mm or so tall.
Of course, none of this really matters as long as he appears taller than his comrades but not ridiculously so. Comparing him to a non-adjusted figure helps the process, and perspective and posture will be important too. I don’t want to make his arms look proportionately shorter by stretching him too much.
Above: Wire in place, ready to be hidden with some basic Greenstuff application.
Of course, none of this really matters as long as he appears taller than his comrades but not ridiculously so. Comparing him to a non-adjusted figure helps the process, and perspective and posture will be important too. I don’t want to make his arms look proportionately shorter by stretching him too much.
Above: Comparing the ‘Terminator’ to the original figure shows things are on the right track.
Grim visag’d face of war!
Another way I could make this figure notably different from the other Perry Miniatures that were in my Billhooks collection would be to change the style of its face. I looked around and settled on a selection of Frostgrave heads from the plastic box sets that North Star Military Figures produce. I didn’t want it to be too different though, so I intended to facelift the features onto a helmeted Perry head.
I managed to find a head that at least somewhat resembled Schwarzenegger, and that made the decision quite easy as he was very appropriate for my 15th Century Terminator!
Face off!
A razor saw, a firm grip, and some patience was needed to remove the previous occupant from the Perry helm. For the Frostgrave face, I carefully sliced the features away with a knife and a very sharp, brand-new blade.
Above: The Perry helmet and North Star face side-by-side.
The Frostgrave heads are a little more ‘heroic’ in their scale and style; this works well for my ‘supersized’ King, but the differences meant a bit of trimming was required. I progressively and very delicately trimmed small slivers from the face and the helmet until I got a good fit.
I set the head at a slight angle in some Green Stuff. This is a simple trick I use regularly to better animate and breathe life into the figure. Placing his head onto a small blob of Greenstuff will allow me to make later modifications if the proportions start to feel off. As I had putty mixed, I also filled the gaps at the legs and torso, using a flat silicone tipped sculpting tool to smooth areas out as the putty started to cure.
In doing another height comparison, I felt that Ed needed a little more height. I put the last of the mixed Greenstuff under his inbuilt base tab and this elevated him another 1mm or so.
Above: My ‘Arnie’ head successfully fitted into the Perry helmet.
Above: Things are really coming together. Putting the figures back-to-back again to check the height after giving Edward IV his lifts. I think this is about right.
To arms!
I tried various sets of arms and weapons out before choosing the final armament and pose. I liked the big two-handed sword option that is shown here - he looks regal and tough - but this is a standard pose for Perry figures, and I had already used it on two men-at-arms.
Above: The first ‘dry fit’ of the figure’s arms with a two-handed sword.
I wanted something unique, so Edward would really stand out, and I ended up changing things quite a bit. I cut the original sword from the right hand and replaced it with a hand and a half sword. I cut the grip from a spare and glued it to the hee l of his hand to represent the longer grip of the bigger sword.
To hide the slight discrepancy in the relative length of his arms, I posed him with hands raised, in a victory salute or in exhortation. Edward was renowned as a flamboyant man, and this pose suits what I know of his character. I was finally happy with his pose so proceeded to fill any gaps with more Green Stuff.
Above: The finished build, just needing more Green Stuff under the arms.
Sundog king
Edward had a cool head and was as inventive and quick in his words as he was with his sword. He showed this at Mortimer’s Cross on 2 February 1461; as the day began, three suns appeared in the sky, and his army began to quail at the sight, fearing a bad omen and the wrath of God.
The quick-thinking young Earl - 19 at the time - explained that it was the sign of the Holy Trinity and a blessing that could only mean victory in the coming fray. His army took heart, and they won the day.
It is, of course, easy to offer a scientific explanation for these parhelions (or sundogs) now. They were the remnant fluctuations in the sky of a time-travelling Cyberdyne Systems T-800!
Above: A look at some parhelion, or sundogs, in Fargo, North Dakota. The famous “triple sun” at Mortimer’s Cross would have looked something like this, and to the medieval mind, was a sign from God.
The Rose of Rouen
“Now is the Rose of Rone growen to a gret honoure
Therefore syng we everychone, I-blessid be that floure!”
The Rose of Rouen was a 15th Century carol celebrating the Yorkist victory at Towton in 1461.
It identifies the various protagonists by their cognizances (heraldic badges) rather than by name. Edward IV was known as the Rose of Rouen as that was his birthplace, and his own badge was the rose en soleil.
The white rose was associated with Edward long before it became synonymous with the House of York, and the poem is an early example of propaganda, something that the Yorkists were particularly adept at using.
My version of Edward wears the Rose of Rouen on his back and the Rose also forms the decoration on his sleeves.
Painting the Rose of Rouen
Here is the finished, painted figure, resplendent in his livery of Blue and Murrey and bearing the Sun blazon that he adopted after his victory at Mortimer’s Cross. At this point in his life, he is not yet king but rather the Earl of March.
1 - Murrey
• Basecoat: Citadel Khorne Red
• Layer: Citadel Wazdakka Red
• Wash: Citadel Carroburg Crimson
• Highlight: Citadel Squig Orange
2 - Blue
• Basecoat: Citadel Macragge Blue
• Wash: Citadel Drakenhof Nightshade and Citadel Calth Blue
• Highlight: Army Painter Stone Golem Grey
3 - Star
• Basecoat: Citadel Averland Sunset
• Wash: Citadel Yriel Yellow and Citadel Flash Gitz Yellow
• Highlight: Army Painter Bright Gold
4 - Armour
• Basecoat: Army Painter Dungeon Grey
• Layer: Army Painter Gun Metal
• Wash: Citadel Nuln Oil
• Drybrush and highlights: Army Painter Plate Mail Metal
• Final drybrush: Army Painter Shining Silver
• Final glaze: Citadel Nuln Oil or Citadel Guilliman Blue
I try and avoid my armour looking too bright; my understanding is that it was often blackened and rarely burnished. That’s why I finish with a very light glaze of ink. The colour difference will nuance the overall feeling of the figure, with the blue making things feel a little cooler and perhaps a tad shinier than the black.
Matching the retinue
While my Medieval Terminator was now ready to take on whole armies by himself, that would probably have blown his cover, so I painted his retinue in the same livery. The musicians are by Front Rank Figures, now available from Gripping Beast, and the other figures are from Perry Miniatures using Polearm heads from the Mercenaries box. The standard bearer holds aloft The Sun in Splendour, and each livery sports the Sun badge.
Above: Edward’s full retinue.
Above: Edward Earl of March with his two Front Rank musicians.
So… that’s Edward Earl of March, where’s Edward IV, King of England? Well, in the words of that bulky Austrian bloke, “I’ll be back!”
The sequel is just below - Terminator 2: Coronation Day!
Hasta la vista, sire!
Edward of March quickly became the mainstay of my Yorkist army, so much so that I completely forgot about my plan to also kitbash Edward as King. This issue’s imminent sign off jolted me into action; I had three days to get King Edward together to join Edward of March in this article. Just enough drying time for Green Stuff, paint, and varnish!
Making the king
I selected some Perry Miniatures Men-at-Arms parts, extended them where needed, and filled the gaps with Green Stuff. This looked a bit rough when it had dried so prior to priming I gave it a coat of varnish then filed it smooth. The varnish over the top stops the file from tearing at the sculpting material’s ‘rubbery’ surface and results in a better finish.
A showpiece base
I selected an appropriate figure to be Edward’s victim, repositioned arms, and cut away the weapons then painted the man who would act as the King’s unfortunate footrest. With that done I could focus on the more intensive painting duties the King required.
For ease of access, I painted Edward’s arms and torso separately, otherwise they’d have obscured each other. I am not great at swords, so I tried some non-metallic metal techniques but applied them with true metallics to make the large blade more interesting. I finished the sword with a few nicks and some edge highlighting, which made the weapon really pop.
Edward wouldn’t go to battle alone; I fixed small magnets into his base so that his standard bearer and the man-at-arms are detachable. As he takes wounds, I can remove them during games of Billhooks.
By Mike Peters