Backwater Deathworld

St John's Polyptych of Stargard is a very neat altarpiece dating back to years 1450-1460. You can see it on Wikipedia , or even better in the National Museum of Szczecin, in all its glory; the thing is huge and feels holy. On two of its wings, it depicts scenes from the life of Christ, and so it also has its share of armed men. Someone has to do the baby-killing and crucifying, after all.  For someone seeking references for late 15th century Pomeranian soldiers, the Polyptych is invaluable, even though it's more stylised than relatively realistic paintings of Gdańsk and Kołobrzeg. The altarpiece is from the very same Stargard from which hails one of the pavisemen I painted.  I haven't included the Polyptych in my earlier overviews of Perry kits as, even though the altarpiece is barely 10-20 years older than the Gdańsk's "Siege of Malbork", it depicts decidedly older-looking arms and armour, which you can't really find in the War of the Roses-era models. I ...

    My overview of Perry kits viable for my beloved late 15th century Pomeranians continues with this box that I bought quite a while ago, when I was already planning some Turnip miniatures, but knew nothing of epic highs and lows (mostly lows, though) of the Pomeranian Cow War of 1469 and related conflicts.  

  My Pomeranians are mostly built using plastic kits from Perry Miniatures. As I'm planning to build some cavalry, I'm figuring out what parts of Perry's Mounted Men at Arms 1450-1500 would work in my historical setting. Note: I am not a professional historian, and what I write below are educated guesses of a hobbyist with the experience of a few days at a local university library. Note 2: I'm checking historical accuracy for Pomerania only. The model kit by Perry may be perfectly historically accurate for other locations even when it doesn't match my own. 

  "44th Good Root Disciples pledge their arms to the defence of Geets. Our fathers died for hopeless causes, our grandfathers died for hopeless causes, and 43 Good Root Disciple regiments before us died for hopeless causes, and so we would gladly die for a hopeless cause as well. Our Banner may be Black like our Hope for Victory, but our Hearts are True. Geets Shall Stand! Cukier Krzepi!" --- ensign Barszcz, in the name of lieutenant Moszcz, who is currently suffering from a severe case of indigestion

  In the summer 1471, due to sluggish peace talks, the long and bloody war between Brandenburg and Pomerania was still not over. But Heske was in love for the first time in her life and it was the only thing that mattered. (the mini was hand-sculpted from scratch -- the background is historical, particular character stories are fiction)

We have some knowledge of uniform liveries worn by soldiers in the 15th century (white and red for Lubeck town levies, for example), but we also often get depictions of soldiers wearing mismatched colours - like the mercenaries in the painting depicting the siege of Malbork.