This is doable.....

Marksmen of Miragliano converted into pikemen, cos I'm a masochist.

I sometimes feel a bit guilty about dragging the OGRE guys into brightness of the dayglo RT future. Most of the guys are hardcore fantasists and keep dangling rusty new scenery in front of them and they have all been excited enough to paint up spacemen and monsters to join in. However I feel that I've got a handicap in not having a fantasy army to join in with the 3rd edition fun. Linz is also a fantasy fan and has been regaling me with the plot of the end times but I stare at him blankly when he comes to naming characters and events, I just haven't immersed myself in the world since playing WFRP in my youth. Time to make a change. I've tried, believe me. I've collected orcs, hobgoblins and chaos and have enough for an army of each. The idea of painting a whole army from scratch just bored the tits off of me though. I'm full of good intentions but I just lose focus so quickly. 

Unit of halberdiers converted from advanced hero quest men at arms

So I need to put an army together so I can play some games. I was reading some of my old ospreys and came across 'the German Peasants war' with some gorgeous Angus Mcbride illistrations and it got me to thinking about my poor neglected Milanese army.

Could they work as a motley army of disgruntled mercenaries led by a rebellious noblemen? A force raised by a league of towns unwilling to pay the new taxes their lord has demanded? 

Volands Venators mounted on Front rank horses.

Most of the figures are citadel anyway, not that it matters, but it does assuage my WAB guilt. Combined with the halberdiers I had started, the pikemen, cannons and knights make a convincing start to an empire army.

Some more Venators which are spot on 15th century italian armour hence why I used them in a historical army

I dragged the figures out their boxes and set them up to see whether they looked as if they held together as an army and I was pleased with the results.

Ickle cannons with foundry and front rank crews

So I reckon I can do this. First job is to get the unit of halberdiers finished. Another ten figures and they'll be done. I've already got the bits I just need to pull the finger out! Next job is the flagellants. I might be brave and try and paint on the white undercoat, I'm not normally a fan but I think we'll give it a go.

All the odd citadel figures that I have sitting about anting assigned to units and painting

Next step is some firepower. I have 10 of the old tilean crossbowmen and 10 of the lead adventure crossbowmen plus a mixed unit of Handgunners.  I also have have two of their lovely cannons and crew. 4 cannons too much? Nah!

Placcy figures awaiting conversion

After that I try and do another unit of halberdiers using the one piece figures, some headswaps again and some metal characters.

The one lead adventure crossbowmen I've painted so far, there will be 10 in the end

In addition to this lot I think I can add some Bretonnian cavalry and a unit of brigands and a unit of Kislivite cavalry I once started. I can also field a unit or two of Estalian Handgunners which are already painted.

This lot will be Kislivite Druzhina

In the meantime I have plenty of crossbowmen and Handgunners I could use. So, an empire army? Seems pretty doable.