Pike and Shotte Scots - Painting Experiment

I've been wanting to start on my Swedish Pike and Shotte army for a while and decided to try an initial painting experiment using some Scottish pikemen based on Mackay’s regiment.

From the Osprey book on Gustav's infantry the regiment were given kersey cloth for uniforms when they entered Swedish service. Records state the cloth was blue or grey; the author suggests that given the prices listed much of it would have been undyed hodden.

I wanted to try a fairly simple palette that would lend itself to painting up lots of troops (well lots to me, since the recently completed LRDG / SAS force has a total of 25 odd figures, and Pike & Shotte can have 40 per regiment!)

 After consideration I chose a blue and a hodden not-brown not-gey as the primary colours, along with two colours each for leather items, shoes, and pikestaves, which were mixed-and-matched on the figures to give a (hopefully) unified but not uniform look.

Item	Colour	Base	Highlight
Hodden (Kersey)	Grey/Brown	VPA Track Primer	Add off-white
Blue (Kersey)	Blue	VMC Luftwaffe Blue	Add off-white
Skin	Flesh	MSP Tanned Skin	Add MSP Fair Skin
Leather 1	Mid Brown	MSP Oiled Leather	Add off-white
Leather 2	Light Brown	MSP Tanned Leather	Add off-white
Shoes 1	Red Brown	VMA Armour Brown	Add off-white
Shoes 2	Black	VMA Black Grey	None
Shirt / Stockings	Off-white	MSP Splintered Bone	Base
Bonnet	Blue	MSP Soft Blue	Add off-white
Field sign	Green	VMC Luftwaffe Camo Green	VMC Refractive Green
Pikestaff 1	Brown	MSP Muddy Brown	None
Pikestaff 2	Brown	VMA US Flat Brown	None
Metal	Blackend	VMA Black Grey	VMC Oiled Steel
Hair	Various	Light browns	None

After priming with Stynylrez grey, the figures were basecoated as shown above, and then all but the flesh was washed with Army Painter Strong Tone ink. After that was dry the areas were dry-brushed or highlighted as shown. Final step was varnishing with AK Ultra Matte.

I've had a few problems getting good photos - not sure why - but they're enough to get the general effect.

So, outcome of the test?  Well, I'm still not sure about the Track Primer hodden, but I do like the Luftwaffe blue and the mixed uniform effect from using a couple of colours for each item and switching them on different figures. Overall I think it's working for a regimental scheme. I'm also thinking I'll work a little more green into the command group.

Now of course I'm obsessing about basing. The original plan was 40mm squares (very much like most of the Warlord reference shots) and grouped on movement trays. (The ones above are from Warbases - and are rather nice).

But since then, and looking at some of the spectacular scenic bases that others are using I'm wavering. I'd suggest checking out David Bickley's excellent Italian Wars project on his blog. David's beautiful 100mm wide group bases are making me rethink my plans.