1:72 Landsknechts Pikemen 16th century

Landsknecht pikemen, 16th century, 1:72 scale, Red Box

A figure set of infantry armed with a pike. From the point of view of building a scene this is a specific type of set: pikemen do not work singly, their point lies in a close formation where the long weapons make a continuous thicket above the heads of the figures. The set therefore belongs where you are building a block, not a scattered group.

What the set captures

Infantry of the 16th century with a long polearm and in period dress. Neither the number of figures nor the make-up of the poses is stated, and with this subject precisely that has a practical consequence: the density of a formation depends on how many figures you have available, so check the number against the illustration, or count on several packages if you are planning a larger block.

Building and painting: long thin parts

The pike is the most sensitive part of the whole set. If the castings are of soft plastic, the long weapons will be bent when unpacked; they are straightened by dipping them in hot water and fixing them in cold, not by bending them forcibly while cold. With painting, the rule is that the shafts are painted before they are set into the hands, not on a finished figure; you will not reach them with a thin brush once they are assembled. Uniformity matters even more: for the formation to come across as a whole, all the pikes should have the same tone of wood and the heads the same shade of metal, while the dress on the contrary may differ from figure to figure. For the readability of the block from a distance choose darker shafts, which will stand out against the background, and lighter metal heads; the opposite combination merges at a small scale.

Who the set is for

• Builders of 16th century dioramas who need a close formation
• Modelers working with larger formations in 1:72 scale
• Collectors of historical figure sets
• Players of tabletop games where a formation carries a role in play

The set is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Paints, glue and a base are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.