Rank filler. There I said it. Does that make me a bad person?

Ok so I have tried to be a good person, I really have!

I have been slogging through a unit of 20 empire spearmen but was seriously losing the will to live (well at least paint).

I figured I would just plow through them first (bit like brussel sprouts in a roast dinner), before getting to the good bits, i.e. unit champion, drummer etc (bit like the roast spuds in a roast dinner). BUT the truth is they are just an absolute PIG to paint!!!!!!

I can't complain, I bought the unit of 20 spear men (with command group), 16 hand gunners and a cannon with crew from Russel at the MEGC for £15 !!! Absolute bargain I agree but I am really paying for it in regards to tedium and hard work.

So anyway I sounded out Lee and a few of the other generals of the "four gamers" on Friday and the general consensus was, as long as no one takes the piss unit fillers are ok. Sound like a green light to me!

My son had me up at 6am this morning !!!!!! So of course my first thought was "good I can get a good early start on my rank filler!".

Here is the finished result

Its certainly restored my sanity as I was originally looking at plowing through this lot

Thankfully the command group are really nice looking figures and I will put a lot more effort into painting them and the war priest. I figure I will make a really nice looking first rank and the spears have been painted to a sufficent level.

Truth be told I do not see them lasting much further then the 2nd turn as they will be hit with a doom rocket, or arrow of destruction or a mortar, template spell etc and will probably take longer to set up then they will last on the battle field.

Any way back to the rank / unit filler............

Spears fight in 3 ranks if they are charged so I figured a row of spikes with a chain running between them was fully in keeping with the feel of the unit as the filler is essentially another rank of spears.

I have always been fasinated with the battle of Agincourt and remember reading about the Longbow men cutting 6 foot spikes the night before the battle. During the battle they had to pull the spears out again when the French knights refused to charge and marched closer to the Knights as a challenge before banging the spikes back into the ground again. So it is in keeping with the unit as I do not envisinge them moving around too much just holding the centre or refusing a flank.

The really good news is the filler cost peanuts. the card base was 30p, a pack of 100 spiked dale rods cost £1.20, and a length of small link chain cost £1.50 from a local craft shop.

15 minutes with some sissors and super glue and it was ready to paint.

In theory I could make one for 15 units, but I think that might be taking things too far!

Although truth be told I have already been thinking about some for my Hand gunner detatchments as they are just as painful to paint!

Does that make me a bad person?

Maybe the question should be, does this make me a worse person?