Alatristes Hidlagos: Francisco Quevedo

 You may recall I was looking for a figure represent Francisco Quevedo as a member of Alatristes' band of Hidalgos.  I found one a last that will do for now but I am on the look out for a better one.   Quevedo is something of a guardian angle (though an unreliable one by his own admission) to Alatristes and Inego.  He's well connected at court (when not of favor) and brings them jobs or provides them with information occasionally and when needed a ready sword.

Quevedo is clubfooted but a skilled fencer despite this indeed at one point he and Alatriste take on five men and more than hold their own.  It the book he dresses all in black save for the red cross of the Order of Calatrava which I have tried to render (with little success and then ralized I had done the wrong style of cross).  I made the collar white to keep the black form being too overwhelming.

Why does Quevedo a great poet maintain a friendship with a lowly sword for hire?  Because Quevedo knows the value of true friends who do not care for how well received your poems are at court, a friend who will stand with you when "we have no choice but to fight!"  The following exchange sums Alatriestes' side of the relationship well:

"With a deep sigh, the captain (Alatrieste) started to get up from the table. Don Francisco, who had already drawn four fingers of his sword from its scabbard, shot him a comradely looks of thanks, and even had the brass to direct a couplet to him.

'You, Diego, whose Sword so nobly defends

The name and honor of your family...'

'Do not Fuck with me, don Francisco,' the captain replied illhumoredly. 'We will have our fight with who we must , but do not fuck with me.'

That is how a true man talks! (said Quevedo)"

--- From Captain Alatrieste by Arturo Perez-Reverte

All the Hidalgos

"Captain" Diego Alatriste y Tenorio  I wanted to gather the images of all the members of Alatriste's war band (so far) in one place. 

Saramacho El Portuque

Bartolo Cagafeugo

Sebastien Capones I have used both of these figures for Sebastien, I'll have to settle on one someday. 

"El Bravo"

The Yellow Cavalier

Martin Saldana

Ensign Balboa

Alvaro de la Marca

Gurriato the Moor

Alatriste's Hidalgos: Gurriato the Moor

 A late comer to Alatriste's circle of companion the Moor Gurriato joins forces with him after the Captain intervenes to prevent the rape of a Moorish woman, by two Spaniards. Gurriato and his knife (with which he is an expert fighter) keep the fight even.  Gurriato then joins the galley crew as a volunteer rower.

 In the book Gurriato is described as having a cross tattoo and having red hair both seeming a bit odd for a Berber (Moorish) tribesman. Supposedly his tribe had intermarried with the Vandals or Visigoths and had adopted Christianity.  Since then they had converted to Islam but retain some earlier traditions like the cross tattoo.  I think the tribe is wholly fictional though I recall form my college studies that some Berbers did adopt Christianity before the coming of Islam.

 The figures is a kit bash, Warlord Body (the spruce I got had 13 bodies but only 12 sets of arms) the arms, weapon and buckler shield are from the excellent Frostgrave Cultist set.  I also took the belt pouch and curved knife form that set it seemed to fit.

I was unable to get a good sense of what the author intended the cross tattoo to look like.  I googled some images but all the images I found of Berbers with traditional tattoos where women. Those crosses where of dot type but I couldn't paint that so when with a line of paint.. its not perfect but it look OK especially at a distance this close up is for those who I know will want such an image.

Alatriste's Hidalgos: The Grandee

This is a fine 17th Century officer from one of the Warlord command packs.  its a gret figure but the stance made me think of a man striking a pose... perhaps to dispatch an enemy who is tied to a stake or something.  The helmet in his hand lead me to think that despite the pistol in his hand he was not in danger. So I added a shield to the base to increase the impression that he is unconcerned with his safety, rightly or wrongly.

I bought him to be Alvaro de la Marca from the Alatrieste books. Alvaro is the second Count of Guadalmedina, Grandee of Spain. A former soldier who had is life saved by Alatrieste at one point they have since developed friendship to the extent their very different social classes allow. Alvaro uses Alatrieste to take care of difficulties that require direct action and Alatrieste views Alvaro as the last ace up his sleeve when his work get him in political situations above his head.  Alvaro and Altrieste eventually find themselves in conflict over the affair with the Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet. Alvaro is also know for his poetry, his skill at cards, his pursuit  of ladies both high and low and connections with the very highest of society.

In addition to standing for Alvaro it could work for any number of higher rank figures that find themselves nominally in command over the brave captain and his band.  I haven't worked out game stats for him yet and will post those when I have

Alatrieste's Hidalgos (4) Ensign Balboa

Another figure form the Warlord Command pack I picked up recently. En Garde! war bands can have banners that grant you a re-roll on moral tests. Íñigo Balboa rise over the course of books as a soldier and by the Battle of Rocroi he describes him self as an Ensign in flash forward (though its not clear to me if he refers to a rank or simply that he carried the flag)

I like this figure and his stance though having carried a flag I have to say it would be a hard one to maintain, regimental battle flags are surprisingly heavy (especially in the wind)

I selected these colors because I like their look and because they were described as Rocroi colors on several occasion when I went searching for "Spanish Tercio colors" though I am not 100% certain of its authenticity.

Altrieste's Hildagos (3) Martín Saldaña

Martín Saldaña the former soldier and comrade of the good "Captain" a familiar sight to the denizens of Madrid as he is a commander of the "alguaciles" or police. As a result he is sometimes used a go between by those who need help from men like Altrieste. As a servant of the powers in that city sometimes Saldana and Altrieste find they are on opposite sides of a fight but they try not to take it personally and work things out reasonably when they can. The figure is from one of Warlord's pike and Shotte Command packs.

Saldana could be part of Altrieste's war band as a Rank 4 Character leading official back up on a sanctioned mission alternatively you could bump Saldana up to Rank 5 and have him head his own bad of Alguaciles on a mission (possibly even facing off against the "Captain") my stats for Saldana are below. Once again copy rights for characters from this novel belong to Aturo Perez-Reverte.

Warlord Musketeers

I picked up a single spruce of Warlord Pike and Shotte figures from Noble Knight Games to flesh out my En Garde Warband of Spanish adventures and soldiers 

First up we have tree men with matchlock muskets at ready to fire.

On has a barrette style hat and looks like he could be an Irish or Scottish "renegade" and the others have more ordinary broad rimed hats.

Two men on the march while I wanted a mostly brown palate I deiced some men needed other color like the green used on both of these men.  The blue cuffs on the left add another touch of color.

The "Monmouth" style cap was a nice piece and I wish I had more as they would be great for Frostgrave kit bashing.

Two men advancing at the ready.  The one on the right has a straw hat which I like a lot as an inexpensive replacement hat.

The guy on the left clearly has better gear with his read dyed buff coat, clearly a gentleman volunteer hopping to be noticed and promoted by the higher ranks.  All and all a good set of soldiers to add bulk to Alatieste's War Band.

Alatriste's Hidalgos(2): the Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet

Another of the Brigade Games Militia set. 

The figure is an elegant gentleman hunter there's only two problems.  1) he's sighting down the musket with his right eye which is covered with an eye patch. I painted it over in flesh tones so it isn't obvious at a distance. The other issue is his leather baldric with nothing hanging from it and a Warlord sword form my spruce of musketeers and pike men fixed that.  That Said I felt this figure would be a perfect choice for a character form the Alatriste Novels.

So I have painted him as the mysterious hunter of ladies heart and more traditional wild game the Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet.  Those who have read the novels will know his true identity and aristocratic station (I will only say it is of the very highest quality) and will know how he and Alatriste both vied for the affections of a noted actress. Readers will also know that in the end they fought on the same side.   Yellow is a tough color to get right but I think it worked out in the end.

En Garde stats as you can see he's crack shot but not as good in hand to hand as his rank would indicate. I also gave him an extra attribute because truly he ought to be a rank 5 character but only one of those is allowed.

Brigade Game: Running Musketeer

 I got this fellow to add to Alatriste's war band he's form Brigade Games "town militia set".  Originally I had intended for him to be Sebastian Capones(and did in our En Garde at sea game) but in rereading the books decided he's far to elegant for that blunt soldier.

 Now I am thinking of using him for an older version of Inigo Balboa as he might have appear a year or two after the events in "Pirates of the Levant"  I went with muted colors and I think I got the impression of a brown velvet jacket quite nicely.  The lace collar really pops.  I can imagine this fellow staking dear or boar on a royal hunt.

I'm also pleased with how the cloak came out. The sculpture is just wonderful at once balanced and dynamic a new favorite of mine.

En Garde: Alatrieste' Hidalgos (1)

The concept for my En Garde! war band is drawn form the characters of Arturo Perez-Reverte Captain Alatriste Novels. This is a long way form all the options (and I am painting more) but I wanted to share my thinking.  Copyright for the characters below belong to Arturo Perez-Reverte.   I will be doing some additional characters. Please note I am using an elite war band structure from En Garde! 

"Captain" Diego Alatriste y Tenorio the title Captain is apocryphal but the leadership is real (at lest among such rough and ready types). A skilled hand with gun, sword or dagger Alatriste a deadly opponent. A man of few words and even few words when under threat, he meets fortune good or bad with silence and an ironic smile. He is not at great strategist, but is a master of the simple and brutal tactics of close in fighting.

Íñigo Balboa y Aguirre Alatriste's "page" a capable and brave lad with quick wits and a nose for trouble. Despite his youth he usually handles himself well in fights. I'm using on of my pirate miniatures as I haven't found another figure with the youthful look I want. Íñigo is Alatriste's chronicler keeping a record of their adventures.

Sebastien Capones served with Alatrieste in Flanders. He's a crack shot and almost as skill in hand to and fighting. Like Alatriste he is a man of few words, he has a good head for tactics and Alatrieste relies on him as his second in command and is one of the few men he trusts implicitly.

Bartolo Cagafeugo met the captain in prison and after sizing each other up he became the Captain's fast friend. More Braggart than brave Bartolo is never the less a good humored companion (a man with the sir name "shit fire" must be good humored) and more than willing to lay his life of the line to back up a friend.

Saramacho El Portuques an educated master swordsman. Like Alatrieste he's man who clings to a thin line of morality. He's willing to kill in a fight but never takes a contract to murder. He spends his money printing a long epic poem of his own composition. If he's not fighting or fence you will invariably find a book or pen in his hand.

"El Bravo" A pimp and ruffian from Seville with a high opinion of himself.  He claims to have been a soldier but there is not much doubt that this is a lie.  He is brave enough in a fight but not very disciplined and likely to question orders and he may well try to steal something for himself on the side, its best to watch your back around him.