Change of allegiance. Flags and Banners.

Although I have posted the following information before, on another site [pike and plunder], I feel it needs repeating here. I do not actually know if the idea was mine or copied, but regardless, I think my solution is one of my better ideas.



One great thing, especially for wargamers, about most war game figures for The Great Italian Wars, is that they can fight for any side. They did not wear uniforms as such. Consequently, the only thing that distinguished which side they were on was their flags.

When I started collecting units for the wars one of my first, and better, decisions was to make flags interchangeable. All of my standard bearers only have a bare piano wire (0.047 gauge) pole. All of the flags, in my case home made, are wrapped around a piece of aluminium tubing (3/32 gauge) with a white metal ‘spear point’ stuck in the top. I made dozens of these. Now, when I need to field an army for the Venetians, Papal State, France or Spain etc. all I need to do is add the appropriate flags. With 1000 figures (infantry, cavalry and artillery) I can field forces for any of the above armies to re-fight almost every historical battle, or to fight in my four sided campaign (see Pike and Plunder link in 'places to go'), all with the appropriate flags.