Welcome to the first release of Italians for our Spanish Century range of 16th Century miniatures.

These Italians are for the period 1495 - 1525, the start of the Great Italian War and could be of any of the main-land states or colonials fighting Turks in the Adriatic.

These are the full details;

• REN327    Italian Pikemen advancing with pike/pole-weapon at 60 degrees
• REN328    Italian Pikemen advancing with pike/pole-weapon at 45 degrees
• REN329    Italians standing with arquebus at port
• REN330    Italians advancing with arquebus at port
• REN331    Italian/Swiss Papal Guards with Halberds

Grand Ambition is another set of rules that uses the AB One system.

Having covered the Thirty Years War period and the English Civil War with previous versions, I wanted to finish off the seventeenth century by covering the wars of James II, Louis XIV and William III.

This later period saw the rise of the standing army: regular troops, funded by the state and employed all year round. This period also saw significant developments in weaponry and tactics and it is these changes that I hope are reflected in the rules. Included in the Grand Ambition rule book are sections detailing with the organisation of troops and the type of formations and tactics deployed.

Work on our Spanish Century continues with more greens, dolls and parts from our Master Sculptors talented hands.

Firstly and the only complete 'greens' on show in this batch of miniatures, are a pair of Spanish Wives. These wife, not subtler or whores, as designated by the visible wearing of the households keys on their skirts, are going to be given away next month with a Spanish Century offer.