Lion Rampant Retinue(s)

As I mentioned in the Previous Post I’ve been a little distracted by the new Lion Rampant rules from Osprey Publishing.

I’ve spent the better part of the last week’s hobby time organized, planning, re-basing, and repainting a bunch of figures to put together some sort of Retinue so we can try these rules out. A number of the figures I’m using are some of the oldest figures I have that still have their original paint on them (I have a few older figures – but I’ve mostly stripped and repainted them in recent years…)! They were the retinue of Baron Philippe du Lapin – one of the first miniature armies I put together (and the last of the Warhammer armies I put together). The force was mostly made up of old Wargames Foundry (Hundred Years War, Barons war – mail ordered from England in the pre-internet days) and Citadel Historical miniatures (War of the Roses) – with a few gen-u-ine Games Workshop Bretonians, as they became available. Other figures have worked their way into this force – some Front Rank Figures War of the Roses Billmen and some Axemen of some sort from Old Glory… There’s even a few I modeled and cast myself (see if you can spot them!).

Most of them were re-based a number of years back to form part of a generic medieval human DBA/HOTT army. As it was never a complete army and I have plenty of other armies I could use for Humans in HOTT (all the Dark Ages

 DBA armies

) I figured I could make better use of these as the core of a couple of Retinues for Lion Rampant.

Here’s what I’ve put together so far…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version):

The entire Retinue so far. This reprents about 42 points worth of troops – Retinues are generally to be built around 24 – so I have almost enough for two full forces… unfortunately these have mostly been painted all the same colour (as they were to be one force originally).

I’m hoping over the weekend we can find some way to split them up and get them on the table to try out the rules – I do have more stuff I can paint up to make a second complete retinue (in different colours!) if (when!) we really get into this!

Foot Men-at-Arms – The hard hitting core of the foot element of this retinue - 6 points

The chap up front with the Bunny Rampants on the shirld is one of the oldest figures I own – one that I repainted a few years back – after scraping of layers of old acrylics and older Testors paints. I think it may have been made by a company called Heritage…? He was used for many D&D characters over the years. The four immediately behind him are Wargames Foundry (with original 23 year old paint – for the most part – I touched one up a bit this week and the others could do with a little love), and the woman in the back was, I think, an old Citadel Miniature (ebay purchase a few years back – stripped off paint from previous owner and repainted).

Expert Foot Serjeants – Regular Serkeants have spears and shields – as these guys have two-handed-choppy-choppy weapons they get classified as “Expert” – 6 points

Recently painted additions that I got in a trade a few years back and never got around to doing much with. They were also earmarked for use in a DBA/HOTT army, but as I never got to painting them, they didn’t need to be re-based. The figures are from Front Rank Figures

MORE Expert Foot Serjeants – 6 points

A mix of Hundred Years War Billmen and other Medieval two-handed sword and axemen from Wargames Foundry. I’ve had them for 23 years – mostly in original paint – though a few have been touched up over the years.

Mounted Serjeants with Crossbow upgrade – 4 points

Old Citadel Historical War or the Roses figures – these were likely part of my earlier Empire Army (and were originally painted with purple and green colours). Some I repainted earlier, some I re-based and re-painted this week).

Crossbowmen – 4 pints

More of the Wargames Foundry I’ve had for 23 years. Mostly original colours – though a few were recently touched up or entirely re-painted.

Archer Unit #1 –  4 points

A mix of Wargames Foundry (Hundred Years War, Barons war) and gen-u-ine Games Workshop - it’s hard to tell which are which – they were both sculpted by the perrys and I think, at one point, some of the same figures were available from both the foundry and GW…

Archer Unit #2 – 4 points

As above…

Bidowers – light skirmishing scouts and woodsmen -  2 points

More of the 23 year old Wargames Foundry. Original paint jobs – these were part of a unit of scouts. Bidowers seem to have pretty much the same function…

STILL MORE Expert Foot Serjeants – 6 points

These are the Old Glory figures. I’m not entirely sure what range they came from. I got them in a trade a few years back, painted and based them for HOTT, and re-based them this week. This will be the core of my new opposing force retinue… Those dastardly black-hearted souls from a across the river that are constantly raiding and harrying the lands of Baron du Lapin…

Without even BUYING any new figures I should also be able to put together (by painting up figures I already have kicking around) another retinue to oppose good ol’ Baron Philippe. I should have enough to build

2x Mounted Men-at-Arms – some Old Glory Crusader-types – I think… (one of these will join this force and include the good Baron) @ 6 points

1x Expert Foot Serjeants – more of the Front Rank Figures billmen. – 6 points

1x Crossbow (with Pavises upgrade) – a batch of old Citadel War of the Roses figures a friend passed on to me – 6 points

1x Bow – Spare Old Glory Welsh Archers I have kicking around – 4 points

I also have a bunch of Old glory Medieval Irish Spear and Axe men I should sort out and make into units (probably two more)…? Could be another 8-12 points…?

The kids also have a bunch of Hät plastic 28mm Almoravids and Andalusians that I picked up for them to make DBA/HOTT armies, but I have a feeling they’d rather paint them up individually and use them for something more like this…

In Other News…

I finally finished up the Graphic Novel Book Shelf… I had hoped I’d be able to get all my comics on this unit and have space left over for the inevitable books I will acquire in the future. Alas… I have gathered up all the books from the previous shelves and boxes and stacks about the house and spent a good chunk of time organizing them all onto this shelf only to find the shelf almost full and I still have these boxes on the floor to get on there somewhere!?!?

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Hopefully a game report featuring these forces!