Saturday 14 May 2011

Medieval Staff slingers

This should have been posted yesterday but due to the "Friday the 13th" crash it wasn´t.
Anyway all seems ok now..:-D
Staff  or stave slings...fustibalus
There arent that many slingers as far as medieval models go, as far as I know there´s only one in 1/72nd scale, a bod from the Zvezda medieval peasant army  set and he´s a Hand slinger using a so called "shepards sling".
After a bit of research I know that there are NO medieval staff slingers represented in 1/72nd or any other scale come to that, although this seems to have been quite a common and effective weapon, with a massive range and deadly effect.
This shows english sailors using a staff sling to launch what appears to be a "bomb" device
Picture of a Trebuchet and a Staff sling. Apparently the staff slings were used a lot for defending castles. These were shorter, about 3 feet (1m) long and could hurl rocks as big as your head !!!
The bods are from the zvezda peasant set. I used them because  they were going spare and the poses offered the best opportunity without masses of conversion.
They are using the "field" staff sling, with 5 - 6 foot long poles. (1.7 - 2m)



10 comments:

  1. They are great looking conversions Paul, well done.

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  2. They are excellent Paul, really well done. The staff sling gave your typical peasant a range weapon that even a fully armoured knight would be wary off

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  3. Very well done especially the one that has already slung.

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  4. Very good conversions. I didn't know staff slings were still in use in the Middle Ages though. I'll be less stupid. Thanks a lot.

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  5. Very cool Paul,excellent work. The last pole slingers I saw were all a single pose lead figure which I bought 30 of then off a friend in 1979. The casting was rubbish compared to most figs we see now, but they were a surprise to an opponent on the table top.

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  6. Very nice - great conversions.

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  7. Very impressive. I automatically assumed they were unconverted! Interesting info too.

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  8. Great idea and realization! :-)

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  9. Really, nice work. You are full of great ideas, Paul! Hut ab ;-)

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  10. Great, good work again. The guy on the ship using a staff sling is shooting an incendiary pot - greek fire most likely.

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