French Buccaneers for B&P

Finally time for the kind of posts I intended to use this blog for. Yes, it's still Blood & Plunder, but now it's not about the game, but about what I've recently painted for the game.

So, without further ado, here's the French band of Buccaneers that's been sitting on my work station the last two weeks:

First of is of course the generic Commander:

The foppiest fop that ever fopped. Seriously, that hat is insane. We'll see how long until I find a good replacement that looks somewhat more badass to justify the rules he's got.

Next up, a Buccaneer Commander

The model is exclusive to the first Blood & Plunder kickstarter, and is inspired by art by Howard Pyle. He can be used as any model armed with a buccaneer gun and possibly a pistol or two (such as English  Freebooters, French Flibustiers or French Boucaniers). Interrestingly enough, though, all the English and French Historical Commanders able to command Buccaneer factions can be fielded either equiped with a brace of pistols, or a buccaneer gun and a pistol... So I will happily field this guy as either Monbars the Exterminator or Alexandre Bras de Fer. I even have another one of these, that will be painted up in more English colors (and English base marking), to be fielded as Robert Searle or Barnard Speidryke.

On to the painted units. First of them, French Boucaniers (from Boucan, dried smoked meat that these guys hunted and sold to passing ships)

They are almost comparable to modern day rednecks (except with less guns). Master marksmen and experts at jungle or forest movement, they're still quite at home on a ship as well.

Next up, French Marins. Due to limitations of models available, these will form the core of two units of sailors, instead of being all of one unit (as can be gleaned from the base markings)

Somewhat similar to sailors of other nations (the sharp-eyed will notice that I am in fact using to models sold as Spanish Marineros and two sold as English Sea Dogs in this unit, since I was low on "real" French Marins), with a preference for bloody charges into melee from their ship or longboat.

Then, the French Flibustiers (due to bad decisions while painting, these will also form the core of two units, instead of the entirety of one. They can of course be fielded as a single unit while the others are being painted)

The one thing making these somewhat unique is their abundance, or overabundance, of guns, with each man carrying a buccaneers gun and at least two pistols in addition to swords, knives or both. Firepower is note something they will find lacking, especially so short-range firepower.

The final painted unit, French Les Enfants Perdue

If the Flibustiers were well-armed, these "lost children" (nevermind the massive beards on some of them) are overly well-armed with, between the four of them, 9 pistols, 4 buccaneer guns, 3 swords, a boarding axe and a bag of explosive presents to their enemies. And that's only what's clearly visible and distinguishable.

These models can also be used as English Forlorn Hope, and will be used as such by me, hence the somewhat special markings on the base.

The entirety of the French band, as of right now (there still remains Flibustiers, Boucaniers and, when my next order arrives, Marins to paint... as well as some English Forlorn Hope that will of course be able to do double duty)

Interrestingly, this army averages out at only a smidgeon less than 2 guns per model, a number that is set to increase as I get more Frenchmen. And this is despite the fact that half the models currently only carry one gun (either a buccaneer rifle, for the Boucaniers, or a pistol, for the Marins).

And what would a band of French Pirates be without a ship?

The sloop Jeanne De Flandre has been painted, although she's still missing her sails. There will be a more indepth photo session, and accompanying blog post, with her once these are finished, but for now, some images of her and her French crew

A ship needs a name. I had an amazing amount of indecision about what to name her, but settled for Jeanne after a moderate wiki-walk (well, I settled for Jeanne de [something] surprisingly soon into the wiki-walk, but the [something] was harder to find). Thank you to everyone in the Blood & Plunder Facebook page who helped me with naming suggestions. We'll see of I'll get another French ship and use Choucas for her, or if the name gets used on an English ship instead.

She's armed with 6 cannons, either light or medium guns that can be easily exchanged and are secured by magnets. I need to work on the ideal placement of these magnets, since the light cannons are sitting a bit far back right now, though.

She can also have up to 6 swivel guns. These are also secured by magnets, though some more securely than others. Hoepfully I've learnt something for the next ship.

Yes, that flag is white. No, it does not mean they're surrendering. No, you're not amusing by pulling that joke. Go over there and tell it to them (and watch them fire you. Out of a gun).

I can already hear the jokes, but I'm too much of a sticker for historical accuracy to use another french flag. Thankfully, the flag can easily be replaced, and I will most likely make a pure red one to use as an alternative, for piratical No Quarter.

/Fool out, time to paint some Englishmen