the Miniature World of Mike Peters: June 2025

The Brotherhood of the Poor Knights of Christ at the Temple in Jerusalem

My current project takes me to Palestine and the late 12^th century, and I am building two very different Retinues, Templars and Nizari Shia -the Assassins. One thing I love about this hobby is learning about the history as I build a force to represent it, to this end I build a small collection of reference books to extend my ever growing library and immerse myself in the period.

The book I am just finishing now is a real gem that I would recommend to anyone with an interest in this period. Professor Tibble writes with an easy style and a descriptive flair that feels more like story than history and provides a vivid insight into the real reasons for these constant and seemingly interminable wars. Steve is a wargamer as well as an historian and this shows in the details of his writing, he brings battles to life and demonstrates a thorough understanding of the strategic and tactical aspects of war illustrated with some excellent maps. A must have for all who have an interest in the Crusades.

The were only ever a few Templars and a Templar Retinue should only have one true Templar knight. Mine is from Footsore. The white linen is my usual “warm white” recipe of Citadel Screaming Skull, washed with a very dilute Citadel Zandri Dust and highlighted with Vallejo Ivory, I rarely use pure white. The blue head scarf is Citadel Thousand Suns, odd name for a blue, Highlighted with Ahriman Blue and Baharroth Blue. Washed and glazed with Citadel Tyran Blue

The pied shield seems to have been an actual thing, I thought whenever I saw anything like it in an illustration that it was a bit of artistic licence but apparently, they actually had such things. Rule of cool and all that. The shield is my “cold” recipe for white a pale grey, Citadel Administratum, lightened with Vallejo Stone Golem and very lightly glazed with a very dilute Nuln Oil

The cloak has the warm white recipe the soiling at the bottom of the cloak is a wash of a very thin mix of Zandri Dust plus a thin glaze of Vallejo Flat Earth

Religion and the worship of God was a massive element of these Warrior Monks lives, every aspect of every day carried a blessing, furthering the Glory of God was reflected in everything that they did, and thanks be to God was breathed after almost every sentence. These people were fanatics of the highest order.

And so, they must have a Cleric…

…and that is this fellow with his piously covered head! The red used throughout is Citadel Mephiston with its highlight bedfellows. I shall use all my Citadels up soon, my steadily growing collection of Army Painter Fanatics will become my go to paints

This is another Footsore metal figure

A Brother Serjeant! Not a Knight and so not dressed in the white tunic. This is another Footsore and this guy oozes character! You just know that some figures have a story to tell and I believe this is one of them, he is always going to be in the thick of the action. The Brown is Vallejo Flat Brown highlighted with Citadel Deathclaw and Skrag. Deathclaw and Skrag sound like divorce Lawyers or possibly the lowliest super villains Henchmen ever to grace a graphic novel. If I had cats, I might call them Deathclaw and Skrag

His shield has taken a few blows, a bit of fore shadowing perhaps. These cuts are painted with Zandri Dust and then the central dark line is picked out with a mix of black and brown ink that I call Armour Wash as I use it on all my armour. I am never quite sure whether I have over done it until I overdo it!

I am pleased with the cloak, I used to hate painting white but I think I have just about got this now.

The second Brother Serjeant, this time in black. Oooh… I am itching to take these guys to the table! Look at him! He’s just spoiling for a fight. The more Infidels he kills the more pious he feels, and he is as pious as f…!

He is another Footsore and quite lovely. I think the red cross on the white shield would get a monotonous as a look so I am scouring as many pictorial references as I can to justify a wide variety of cross types and depictions

Only the knights wore the white Robes, the Sergeants wore Black or Brown, but does that extend to the cloaks? I don’t know, but as I tend to create Retinues for skirmishing rather than units for battles, I am all for variety.

I am not entrely convinced by the muddying of his cloak maybe a drier looking colour?

“Do you have a moment to talk about our Lord?” I think it would be difficult to refuse these four if they came knocking at your door!

A significant part of any Templar force were the Turcopoles which means “Sons of Turks” These Horse Archers, initially recruited from locals, were an essential element in any Templar force, protecting the otherwise vulnerable flanks from their very mobile enemies.

The Templars are of course essentially a mounted force, and I shall create mounted equivalents for all these figures over the next week or so.

This figure is a kit bash. His legs are WGA Serjeants, his trunk is GB Light Arab Cavalry, his head and arms are from Victrix Medieval Islamic Warriors

The scabbarded sword is from WGA Sergeants, the bow case is Victrix as is the quiver

He painted up quite nicely! The head scarf thing is Citadel Steel Legion Drab, Tallarn Sand and Karak Stone

His coat is Citadel Incubi Darkness, Kabalite Green, Sybarite Green based and washed with Coelia Greenshade -didn’t I go to school with her?

His leggings more Citadel (I wish they had simpler names) Jokareo Orange, highlighted with Trollslayer and Fire Dragon Bright. Washed and glazed with Fuegan Orange

Initially recruited from local Islamic Turcic Archers the Turcopoles evolved into a position held by Westerners who used the same gear and tactics but were never the equals of their Islamic foe. Eventually a rank was created, Turcopolier, a Templar Brother serjeant to command them all. It would be ok to paint these guys with Caucasian flesh later in the period but mine are done with the Foundry Dusky Flesh Triad.

And shield completes him! I am useless with transfers/decals, they stick to everything but the figure and if I get them on, it will be in the wrong place or worse… they fold! So, I free hand everything. I won’t describe the various colours used on the shield except to say it was all far too bright until I gave it a heavy, patchy glaze of armour wash

Another Turcopole, another kit bash. This one is very similar to the previous figure WGA legs, GB torso, Victrix arms and head. The shield is a GB metal one.

His boots are Foundry’s excellent Buff Triad.

His coat is Citadel Kantor Blue mixed with black and highlighted with whatever Citadel blue goes with Kantor

The shield pattern is something made up as I went along, you never know how these things will come out until they are done but I am happy enough with this.

His bow case is done with the lovely Citadel Rhinox hide trio and washed and glazed with Flesh ink. You can use a red ink or a brown ink or a combination to change the basic hue of these paints with great effect. Stippling the paints and edge highlighting with some Vallejo Dark Sand in the mix hopefully produce the effect of some quality red leather

The last of my Turcopoles is the metal Turcopole Guide from Footsore. I can’t quite decide from his gesture and his facial expression if he is being helpful or sarcastic. “After you, my Lord!” but with what inflection?

His lovely bright shoes are Citadel Caliban Green and its constituent Highlights, his Aketon is Citadel Zandri Dust, Ushabi Whatnot and Screaming Skull. His tunic is the same recipe as the Templars head scarf

His shield is a direct copy of a LBM transfer, I have no idea what the text says, I hope its not disrespectful…

I am quite pleased with him

The rest of the Retinue is made up of poor foot soldiers. These were recruited from local Christians, Pilgrims who have completed their journey and ex Crusaders who have stayed on. This chap is a Westerner, his cross may be from a Crusade or from being employed by the Brotherhood

I like this guy! He has a cheeky air about him. Local Christians would of course have a local ethnicity. He might be one of the Maronites or an Armenian or any of a number of different groups that had chosen to follow Christ many hundreds of years before a white man ever trod the dust of Outremer.

He is basically a Fireforge Serjeant with a GB Arab head

His Aketon is Citadel Balor Brown thru Zamesi desert, His legs are Citadel the Fang et al

This Character is of the same ilk and is pure Fireforge

A failed Crusader? A Westerner for sure. He is all WGA Sergent and is a “Shootist Armed for Combat” in Ruckus terms.

Another local- a WGA figure with a Fireforge head

another failed Crusader maybe a survivor from a lost battle by the look of that shield

He is all WGA

WGA crossbow

The armour is a very simple job, AP Fanatic Gun metal with Armour wash

More WGA Another Crossbow “Armed for Combat”

Another battered WGA Crusader. This chap is equipped as the majority of medieval warriors would have been, very simply, with a spear and a shield. He is actually better protected then the vast majority, having mail. In the early period only the highest in society would have been so well equipped.

I like this guy, he looks like another story to be told. His tunic is Citadel the Fang highlighted with its associated colours and washed and glazed with Tyran Blue

“’ave at you!” One of the great poses from WGA.This guys discerns to use his shield and dares his opponent to come on

Next up will be the mounted versions of these guys. I have bought some GB metal mounted Templars and for the Turcopoles I will be using the Victrix Medieval Islamic Cavalry , which I will review with the infantry in a future blog