NEVER MIND

THE BILLHOOKS
HERE’S THE

guide
inTinG
Pa
Steve Wood provides an easy ‘wargames standard’ painting guide aimed at getting
your forces battle ready for Never Mind the Billhooks in super-quick time.

The following article should help you The same is true of the ‘uniforms’ that Sergeant Daniel Rose (who usually takes
paint your retinue for Never Mind the the troops wore. We do have details of the left wing). The majority of my army
Billhooks and hopefully give you some the likely coats of arms, the flags and has a white and blue livery, although in
ideas regarding colour schemes. But first, banners and therefore, to some extent, this article, I am using a couple of other
a couple of caveats! the household livery colours and badges colour combinations. Within reason,
that were in use; but there are few you can choose whatever colours you
I am by no means a professional painter.
contemporary records. I’ve put a couple see fit but again, I’ve included some
All of my models are painted with
of references that I used at the end of the actual colour combinations used by the
wargaming in mind and are used to fight
article. The whole point of our gaming historical houses of the time at the end of
battles with my wargaming buddies. I
group in moving to the Wars of the Roses the article.
tend to use whatever technique will get
period for wargaming was to give us
my figures onto the table in as fast a time I’ve given examples of painting billmen
some respite from the ‘button counting’
as I can manage! and bowmen who were the mainstay of
that goes with some other eras, notably
the armies of the time. The techniques
The second caveat is regarding colour Napoleonics. (Which incidentally, is my
can easily be used for other troops.
schemes and uniforms. The information favourite period!)
for this period is sketchy at best. We All figures are Perry Plastics.
With this in mind, my retinue is entirely
don’t really know how the armies lined
fictional. The leader is Sir Harry Hotspur, All paints used were Vallejo, unless
up or how they fought in any great detail.
ably assisted by Sir Eric Diehard and otherwise stated.

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PAINTING THE ARMOURED BILLMAN
1
The model was prepared and assembled in the
usual way - scraping off any mould lines that can
be seen, then assembled using polystyrene glue.
Using polystyrene glue rather than cyanoacrylate
(super glue) is my preferred option as not only
do you get a better joint but the glue will provide
some filling.
I then spray primed the model using Army Painter
Plate Mail.
Once it was dry I gave the model a heavy wash
using Army Painter Dark tone ( black) ink.

2
Using a dry brush technique, I quickly dry
brushed the model first in Army Painter Plate
Mail and then with Silver (70997).
I also picked out the chin and lower face with
Flat Flesh (70955).

3 1

I then block painted the detail:

1 - New Wood (311) was used for the bill staff. 3
2 - Prussian Blue (70965) for the leggings. 4
2
3 - Leather (70871) for the shoes, belt and dagger.
4 - Brass (70801) for the tip of the dagger’s sheath. 3

The figure could have been based at this point and

would have look fine for the table, but I wanted to
put in a bit more effort.

4
I have touched up some areas to finish off.
A wash of soft tone ink on the flesh and bill staff
and boots has added a bit more shading.
I also touched up the silver - dry brushing where I
thought it a bit rough!
This technique of getting armoured figures
painted quickly works just as well on the heavily
armoured foot knight units of the time.

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 APQS
Army Painter quickshade is a superb product in that it
does exactly what is says on the tin and always gives first
class results. In addition, the quickshade provides a good
protective coat to your model. I do, however, share the
reservations of many in the hobby who think that the product
is expensive. This is not helped by the fact that the product
goes off as the tin is emptied and no amount of thinning
helps. I have yet to get to using anywhere near over half a tin
before I have to replace it. Once you are halfway down the
tin, the air in the tin reacts with the quickshade to produce
a skin which leads to the product spoiling. If Army Painter
could produce a tin half the size, I am sure that they would
convince more wargamers to use what is otherwise a first-
class product!

PAINTING THE ARMOURED BOWMAN

1 1

The archer was primed in leather brown, before

painting the flesh and helmet.
1 - The bow was painted with Old Wood (310).
2 - The tips were painted with German Camouflage 2
Black Brown (70822).

2
Next I block painted the main colours. I used a
Black (70950) and Red (70957) scheme for the
livery. The moulding on the figure makes this 1

straight forward to do, you don’t have to be an

expert at painting straight lines!
3
1 - I used Stone Grey (70884) for the sleeves.
2 - Leather Brown (70871) for the boots.
2
3 - Buff (70976) for the bottom of the gambeson.

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3
I picked out some of the detail using:
1 - Camouflage Black Brown (70822) for the belt
and wrist guard.
2 - Orange Brown (70981) for the pouch. 1 3
2 4
3 - Black (70950) for the dagger sheath.
4 - Plate Mail for the buckles.
The model was then painted with Army Painter
Dark Tone (Black) Quickshade and left to dry for
24 hours before spraying with matt varnish.

4
Just to add a bit of detail and depth, I dry-brushed
the helmet with Silver (70997).
Highlighted the face with Flat Flesh (70955) -
particularly the nose!
I also carefully re-painted the red side of the tunic to
give it a richer colour and retouched the sleeves and
gambeson with the original colours.
I also added some arrows to the base. These are
from the Perrys’ kit and the arrow shafts are painted
with Iraqi Sand (70819), the feathers painted with
Off White (70820) and then a heavy ink wash of
strong tone applied.
Once dry, I retouched the arrow flights with white
and recoated the shafts with Iraqi Sand (70819).

EXAMPLES OF LIVERY COLOURS

Blue & White: Richard, Duke of York
Black & Red: John Neville, 2nd Earl of Westmorland.
Green & White: Edward Neville, Lord Abergavenny.
Yellow & Green: John Bouchier, Lord Benners.
Blue & Red: William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke.
Black and White; Humphrey Talbot
You can reverse these colours for different houses and pretty
much any combination will do. It simply depends on your
taste and how closely you would like to stick to the history
that we are aware of.

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 PAINTING THE BILLMAN IN GAMBESON/QUILTED JACKET
1
1
This time after assembling the figure, 2
I primed the figure with Army Painter
Leather.
1 - I then painted the helmet and bill
hook with Plate Mail.
2 - The face and hands were done with
Flat Flesh (70855).

2
1 - I block painted the gambeson with Buff
(70976).
2 - The laces with Off White (70820). 1 2

3 - The tunic sleeves are German 3

Camouflage Beige (70821).
4 - The leggings, Burnt Red (70814).
4

5 - Boots and belt, Leather Brown (70871). 6 5

6 - The bill staff is painted with New
Wood (310).

3
The figure was then painted with Army Painter
Strong Tone (dark brown) quick shade.
Note that I paint the figure - not dip it - that way
I can control the amount of shading. It also saves
wasting the quick shade and is less messy!
I then left the figure to dry for 24 hours before
varnishing with Army Painter Matt Varnish.
Once again, apart from basing, your figure could
be used at this point.

4
I dry-brushed the helmet and billhook with
Silver (70997) to make them stand out.
I also carefully highlighted the quilting on
the gambeson with Buff (70976).
The face received another light ink wash
before highlighting the nose and cheeks
with Flat Flesh (70855).

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BASING
All the bases were carefully covered with Vallejo Dark B&Q do a great colour matching service - if you take in a
Earth Textured paste (26218) to blend the figure bases to the paint sample on a piece of paper, they will colour match it
Renedra plastic 20mm square bases. and produce a big pot of paint for about three quid! This is
ideal for scenery and basing and means that you can save
All the figures in my retinue are separately based in this way
your nice paints for the figures.
to allow casualty removal from the movement trays. To add
a bit of detail, the billmen had some Woodland Scenics Fine The base was then highlighted by dry-brushing with the
Talus sprinkled on as the paste dried. original brown mixed with Iraqi Sand.
Once everything was dry, I carefully paint the base with my I finished off the base with some Woodland Scenics
favourite brown. It’s actually an emulsion paint from B&Q - scatter and then add some Gamers Grass tufts or flowers -
(UK DIY store) called Delhi Bazaar. I also have emulsion or both.
pots in Chocolate Brown and one very similar to Iraqi Sand.

REFERENCES
From Freezy Water Publications: From Helion:
Standards, Badges and Livery Colours of The War of Wargame the War of The Roses by Peter Dennis and Andy
the Roses by Pat McGill and Jonathan Jones. Callan.
Armies, Battles and Commanders of the War of The I also used the Perry’s Art work by Peter Dennis as well as
Roses. Volumes 1 and 2 by Martin Stephenson, Dave images from my Pinterest board.
Lanchester and Pat McGill.
From Osprey:
Towton 1461 by Christopher Gravett.

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