Crusaders for SAGA & Frostgrave

Has it been over three months since I posted? I guess so. 

I have been busy over the summer, but not extraordinarily so: Some house renovations, camping with the kids and running a lot more, four or five days a week. 

The hobby has taken a bit of a backseat, but not entirely. I am painting a lot of fantasy figures lately and posting them on my other blog, Fantastically Small. I tend to compartmentalize, and this site is reserved for historical figures - from a pretty narrow slice of history at that. One reason for the slowdown in posting is that by and large, I've already completed most of my goals for Dark Age gaming. I've assembled rather large armies of Vikings, Normans, Scots and Irish. For Southern Europe, I have the Spanish, Moors and Byzantines. Sitting on the backburner is a Tibet v. Tang China project that I hope to get around to one day. 

Also, I need to game more often. I've yet to get in a proper Crescent and Cross scenario, but I'm eager to play the Crusader faction. Black Tree's Second Crusade line looked like a good starting point. 

In the Crusades, military units were a long way from having standardized colors and heraldry. But this is wargaming not history, and  I like thematic colors. I based my colors on the Jeremy Irons character from Kingdom of Heaven. He is supposed to be Raymond of Galilee, but called Tiberias, after his fortress. I recall reading that the filmmakers thought there were too many Raymonds in the movie and they didn't want to confuse viewers.   

A group of four knights and eight sergeants:

Historically, the early to mid twelfth century is a good period got building a Crusader Army. The Christian Levant kingdoms were still vigorous and the holy orders had just been founded. 

As mentioned, I'm tending more towards fantasy gaming more lately. Open Combat is still my favorite system for fantasy skirmishing. The recently released Frostgrave looked very promising and I'm giving it a try. My main reservation is that the campaign system seems very integral to the game. So if you are an occasional gamer without a circle of multiple gamer buddies, some of Frostgrave's best features are lost. 

Northstar's Frostgrave plastic boxed set is a good purchase. Some of the best faces I've seen, plastic or metal. Furthermore, there are plenty of accessories and options: bows, crossbows, hand weapons and two handed weapons and it is fairly compatible with Gripping Beast's plastics for all sorts of kit bashing potential. 

Historically, the helmets and headgear have in more with the Third Crusade through the  thirteenth century. Obviously they are outfitted for colder climates, so if you're wanting to do a Baltic Crusade for SAGA, this set and some Fireforge Teutonic knights will get you started. 

A wizard and apprentice with their mercenaries: 

These fantasy humans from Black Tree are equally good for a Hundred Years War Army.

February Painting Update - Finns, Irish and Scots

No historical content this week, but a few pictures of my painting efforts these past couple of weeks.

More Dark Age Finns, this time some Black Tree Design unarmored Bondi:

Also from Black Tree, some skirmishers with Javelin.  I kept them nondescript enough to use anywhere from the Byzantines to Ireland.  

Four Irish mounted fianna from Gripping Beast: 

Finally, mounted Scot warriors from Crusader Miniatures:  

Surprisingly, these were my only disappointment.  Usually, Crusader is my favorite manufacturer, but these were a bit of a let down.  Part of is my fault for mistakenly ordering the wrong pack (I wanted the Thegns with chain mail) but I was also a bit disappointed in the casting quality.  The horses were fine, but the men had excessive flash, and the faces are "muddied." 

My Vikings are bigger than your Vikings

On my last post about Black Tree Design Vikings, there were some comments and questions about their relative size and scale, specifically the fur clad Vikings.

The photo below is a sampling of my various BTD Vikings.  Even without drawing a reference line, the bald guy with the axe is noticeably (but not excessively) taller than the rest of the warriors.  The archers were, I think, the slightest of all the BTD Vikings.

Vikings are perhaps the most ubiquitous ancient/medieval range of miniatures.  They offer a lot of reward for collectors who like variation in their painting routine.  Plus, they can often do double duty in fantasy gaming.  That may explain why there are so many Viking manufacturers out there. 

Here is a size comparison of the BTD Vikings with some other popular manufacturers.  From left to right: Gripping Beast plastic hirdman, Gripping Beast metal (?), BTD and Crusader hirdman,  Again, the barbarian Viking comes out the tallest.  

On the last big Black Tree sale, I also purchased a few packs of Dark Age/Viking villagers. Below, a group of Viking elders (DA1011).  It offers a nice social cross section, from a poor thrall to a well off village elder. The wealthy beardless gent on the right would make a more than passable Njal from the great Icelandic Saga.

The pack (DA1070) shown below is the only one to offer a female figure, and it was out of stock for quite awhile.  Apparently, a mold was lost, but it is now available.  

Finally, mixed pics from a couple of other packs that I have multiple copies.  Useful for populating your village with artisans and workers.

Vikings from Black Tree

This past summer, Black Tree Designs had one of their massive 50% off sales. I hardly needed anymore Vikings (as if "need" is a word any wargamers ever needs to utter) but I really liked the look of some of their packs.

I've been rereading some of the Icelandic Sagas lately and these Vikings seem to fit into the aesthetic of those tales. Survival was more precarious in Iceland, and minor transgressions could be a cause for murder. With their furs and axes, these Vikings seem more like men out to settle a feud rather than hop on a longship.

DA1105

DA1015

The unit below will be fielded as Norse-Gael hearthguard in SAGA, which I hope to focus on in the future. Their Challenge mechanic is interesting, but I've not played them enough to make the most of that faction's abilities. 

DA1008

I also purchased three packs of the Viking villager packs that should be finished soon.

Reading Recommendations

Any of the Viking Sagas are recommended. On one hand, many can be tough to read, for they contain genealogical lists and side stories that are tangent to the narrative. Overall though, the sagas are a fascinating look the social values of the Norse people in the dark ages - as viewed through the lens of the thirteenth century Christians who wrote down the sagas.  Two of the best (and most violent) are Egil's Saga and Njal's Saga. 

I have previously recommended Finn Gall by James Nelson . The second book in that series Dubh-linn continues the story of Thorgrim, a dour Viking and his son Harald. Tired of raiding, Thorgrim is stuck in Ireland without a way home and becomes caught once again between Vikings jarls and Irish kings and princesses. The books bear some resemblance to George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series with its multiple POV characters and political machinations for control of a throne. However, Nelson's books are fast moving and efficiently-told tales that have come out twice in two years.  Sorry, George.

Dubh-linn at Amazon

1066 Part 4: William the Bastard, ahem, the Conqueror

William the Bastard Conqueror

As far as name recognition goes, few historical figures compete with William the Conqueror.  Maybe Alexander the Great, Christopher Columbus surpass him, but in the English speaking world "William the Conqueror" and "1066" are an enduring pair.

Born around 1028 to Duke Robert, second son of Duke Richard II (the Good) of Normandy. Richard's death in 1026 left succession to his eldest son Richard III, who died suspiciously a year later.  Robert's complicity has always been assumed and for that reason and other conflicts with the Church, he was encouraged to take a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1034. Knowing that death on such a long journey was highly possible, he named his illegitimate son William as his heir.  He also made his vassals swear an oath of allegiance to the child. After reaching Jerusalem, Robert took ill and died.

Oaths to dead men are hard to enforce, and throughout much of his minority William was frequently the target of powerful Norman lords who wished to control the duchy by controlling him.  Close relatives and advisers died frequently.  

Some solidity to his power was brought by his victory at Val-es-Dunes in 1047, with King Henry of France adding support to William's forces against rebellious Normans.  The relationship between the Norman dukes and French kings was always a contentious one, and in this context, William's desire for the English throne makes sense.  Like all vassals, he wanted a base of power independent of his lord. His claim on the English throne was through his grandfather, Richard II, whose sister was King Edward's mother, Emma. Pro-Norman and Pro-Saxon historians have spent centuries debating Edward's intentions, but he was considered a viable successor by Edward during the period of the exile of the Godwin family.  

Favored or not in 1066, William pursued his claim in a bold crossing of the English channel and met Harold's army on 14 October, 1066.  Victory was not certain, for Norman cavalry had yet to develop into the shock troops that would mark the knights of the later Medieval period.  With the death of Harold later in the day, the English forces collapsed and William pushed on towards London.

Below: In a moment of doubt and confusion at Hastings, William removed his helmet to show his men that he still lived.

Numerous Saxon nobles submitted to William and he was crowned as the King of England on Christmas Day, 1066.  Despite the coronation, resistance to William continued for several years.  His brutal response, particularly the "harrying of the north" laid such waste to the country that even some of his contemporary supporters were disturbed.

While his numerous detractors then and throughout history might disagree, "the Conqueror" is a better epithet than "the Bastard."  Throughout his entire reign, he energetically and enthusiastically expanded his reach.  From Normandy, he made vassals of lords in Brittany and Maine.  Form England, he campaigned against the Welsh and Scots, forcing King Malcolm of Scotland to be his man.

His success against rebellions diminished in his autumn years . His eldest son Robert and brother Odo led one such uprising, even defeating the Conqueror in 1078 at Gerberoi. Supposedly, William was unhorsed and wounded by Robert.

In 1087, a raid by the French on Normandy roused the now obese William to his last campaign. While pillaging the French town of Mantes, his horse reared and William ruptured himself on the pommel of his saddle, and died days later.  One final indignity awaited the King.  As his coffin was being moved, his body tumbled out and the smell from his bloated corpse sickened onlookers.

Modelling and playing William

William is frequently depicted by miniature sculptors and as an in-game character.  Gripping Beast offers two, mounted and unmounted, as does Crusader Miniatures.

Gripping Beast's four pack includes William, his half brother Odo and two support character. William is shown raising his helmet at Hastings.

I am very fond of Black Tree Designs Norman command pack, and it includes a couple of nice miscellaneous figures.

Above, William (center) flanked by a Crusader Miniatures Norman (left) and another BTD Norman (right).  Below, a falconer from the Black Tree Norman command pack.

In rule systems with characters, he is nearly always given top ratings.  Field of Glory rates William as an Inspired Commander. SAGA's depiction is one of the most powerful historical characters.  His abilities include a limited activation of two units per turn, instead of the usual one, and the ability to field non-mounted Hearthguard archers.  

Suggested Reading:

Marc Morris' The Norman Conquest is my preferred history on English politics in the eleventh century and William's invasion of England.  It is clearly written, objective and up to date on recent findings.

For a biography on William, I like David C. Douglas' William the Conqueror.  Published in 1964, a good era for historical writing. It is modern enough to be free from antiquarian language but too early to be afflicted with the social history fads and obsessions of modern scholarship.

I suppose anything can be given a humorous treatment, including the Norman invasion. The Doomsday Book (No Not That One) by Howard of Warwick is set in the days after Hastings, as a small group of men are sent by William to scout the English countryside.  At times, it is laugh-out-loud funny with its characters and Pythonesque wordplay.  Funniest character is easily Le Pedvin, an irritable one eyed Norman whose only response to continual frustration is a desire to kill something.  The Norman with an eye-patch in the photo above is my homage to this character.

Next in my 1066 series is the Conqueror's half brother, Odo, the man perhaps responsible for the tapestry which gives us our most contemporary visual record of the Norman conquest.

Gripping Beast Plastic Arabs - Review and First Look

Having good experiences with Gripping Beast's previous plastic releases, I preordered their Arab Spearmen and Archers boxed set.  A quick plug for my favorite online retailer - Architects of War - my order arrived on Friday, .

The box contains eight identical small sprues and there is no separate command sprue.  Each sprue contains five unarmored bodies and eight heads.  Three of the bodies have premodeled left arms for shield carrying warriors.  The other two bodies have attachable arms that can be used as archers or light spearmen.  The weapons on each spear are five right arms with spears, two right arms with bows, two quivers, three round shields, two teardrop shields, one right arm with a sword, one right arm with a horn and four attachable left arms in several positions.  Also included, is a green Renedra sprue with assorted base sizes for individually mounting a few figures and group basing the rest.

The quality of the figures is up to the standard set by previous Gripping Beast plastic releases.  Mold lines are minimal and the parts detach cleanly from the sprues.  The poses and stances are very natural; excellent for ranking up into large units.

I know some hobbyists do not like the preset left arm and prefer the adaptability of being able to attach more parts separately. For me, that's one less unnecessary gap to fill. Speaking of, all of the arms on my first batch attached very well. The gap line was so minimal that a little extra paint was sufficient to fill it in.

With any plastic release, a common complaint centers on the offerings - what's included and what's not.  I expect the lack of a command sprue with an armored officer and retinue will bother some as it has been a feature of previous previous plastic releases from this manufacturer and others.  In all honesty, I already have plenty of those figures in metal.  I appreciate forty low level troops for a reasonable price, saving the show pieces for metals.  And while the package and sprue size is very efficient, it means fewer add ons. For me, a few extra bits would have been a nice inclusion: small pennant banners, swords in scabbards and another shield variation.  

The five figures from a single sprue

As for uses, Gripping Beast obviously brought this set out in time for the SAGA Crescent and Cross release. Even without that tie-in, affordable Arab/Saracen troops is something the market has been demanding for some time.  The box touts the fact that the figures can be used from pre-Islamic conquest up to the Renaissance Ottoman battles.  I suspect with a little bit of conversion, some Colonial gamers could put these into a Mahdist uprising battle. But if a gamer wants to be most accurate, these are centered on the Crusade era.  The fully veiled heads will make good Berbers from the Almoravid invasion of Spain, while the beardless turbaned heads could be good for Ghazi era Persia - enemies of Seljuks. Speaking of Seljuks, I don't think these would fit Seljuk infantry for the Crusade period.  Eleventh century Seljuks might have been more likely to be bare headed or helmeted, and most would favor trousers over robes.

Outside of historical armies, lots of eastern themed fantasy options exist.  A Middle Earth gamer could use these for Easterlings. I have been itching to return to my Dark Sun AD&D game, and with some appropriate weapon changes, a few of these might do as NPCs.

The two archers.  The fully veiled figure will represent a Berber in Spain. 

For a size comparison with metals, the two on the left are Gripping Beast, on the right is an Artizan Moor and a Black Tree Design Arab.  The plastic figures are of the same size and proportion as my metals. 

For the archers: The Gripping Beast in the center is a bit a less bulky than the Artizan Moor on the left, but they should mix in well together.   The Essex Arab archer on the right is noticeably diminutive beside them.  It is an older figure, and obviously a victim of the "scale creep" in 25/28mm.

Edward the Confessor

This is the first in a series of posts about the historical figures associated with the Norman invasion.  Historical information, miniature options, wargaming uses and historical fiction will be covered in this five (possibly six) part series.

King Edward the Confessor



While not a warrior or conqueror, Edward the Confessor was certainly a compelling figure in the eleventh century. The unique circumstances of his life and death led to the Norman invasion which is often rated as the most significant event in English history.  He was born c. 1003, the son of King Ethelred (the Unready) and Emma, daughter of Duke Richard of Normandy. After his father's death, Edward and his brother Alfred went to live in Normandy among his mother's relatives.  It was here that he developed an outlook on religious practice and organization that differed from his home country. Edward was finally invited to rule in 1042 after the death of his half brother Harthacanut.  He took the throne beholden to the powerful Godwin, Earl of Wessex, who years before had a role in the murder of Edward's brother, Alfred. Throughout his reign he tried to check the growing power of the earl and his numerous sons, but was apparently forced into a marriage with Godwin's young daughter Edith.  It was a childless marriage, the nature of which is still a source of speculation.  In 1051, conflict with the Godwins over appointments and the treatment of royal guests escalated to such a degree that the Earl and his sons were exiled from the kingdom.  Edward's triumph over the family was brief.  A year later, with Godwin and his men encamped in London and his own army wavering, Edward was forced to restore the family to their lands.  After Godwin's death in 1053, the aging Edward left more and more of the kingdom's administrative duties to Godwin's son Harold, but nonetheless encouraged his earls to strongly deal with threats from Scotland and Wales.

He died in January of 1066, and was buried in the still unfinished Westminster Abbey, a project that he had begun over twenty years earlier. He was eventually canonized, the only English king so honored.

Modeling Edward:

As far as my googling skills could turn up, no manufacturer markets an Edward the Confessor figure in 28mm (or any other scale).  Edward was often described as a tall, fit man with a prominent white beard.  The figure pictured above is an Anglo-Saxon king from Black Tree Designs. His guard is a mix of Gripping Beast metals and Conquest Games Normans with Dane axes. 

Use in SAGA:

Edward is not exactly a character that the average gamer is clamoring to play.  He was not a warrior, and England had little direct threat during his reign with occasional raids from her neighbors.  In fact, with little to fear from overseas invaders, Edward ordered much of his navy scrapped, lowering taxes in the process. However, with the three principal belligerents from 1066 (Harold, Harald and William) already depicted in SAGA, it is natural to find a place for Edward.

One could use generic Anglo-Saxon or Anglo-Dane king as Edward, and give him typical Warlord rules. For a more customizable character, I used two of the Charlemagne traits from The Raven's Shadow, along with a modified two SAGA dice rule. It should be acceptable in terms of game balance and if anything, Edward is nerfed a bit like my previous custom characters.

Elderly: Taking the throne at the advanced (Medieval) age of 40, Edward generates only 3 Attack Dice In combat, rather than the 5 usually granted to Warlords. He may not voluntarily engage the enemy in melee, and is not subject to the Warlord's Pride rule. He may not use the side by side rule.

Blessed: Although Edward only generates two SAGA Dice, his piety and devotion guide and reward him. Therefore, as long as he is on the table, one SAGA Dice can be re-rolled per turn.  This must be done during the Orders Phase.

Household: At the start of the game, one unit of four Housecarls may be designated as his royal guard.  The armour value of these household troops is increased to 6. Its role being that of the king’s bodyguard, if this unit starts the Activation Phase of its controlling player more than M away from Edward, it takes two FATIGUES.

PDF Download of Edward's Character Card

Suggested Reading (Historical Fiction)

The predominant view of Edward has long been that of a saintly and slightly withdrawn king who cared little for earthly matters, aside from hunting.  For a nuanced view of King Edward, check out Alfred Duggan's The Cunning of the Dove.  Decidedly pro-Norman and anti-Godwin, Duggan's pre-1066 England is withering under fractious rule by incompetent and jealous earls. King Edward is genuinely devout and celibate, who, as the book's title implies, subtly tried to insure that his successor will be one who will reform the church and centralize authority.

Edward the Confessor also plays a prominent role in Julian Rathbone's The Last English King.  Here he is not so celibate, in a not-that-there's-anything-wrong-with-that depiction. This Edward is also more petulant and selfish, and lacking the foresight to see the damage that his death will bring to England.  It's also a very thought provoking book about the basis of power and authority, along with some intentionally sly anachronisms. 

Up next will be a look at Edward's brother in law and immediate successor, Harold Godwinson.

Not So Angry Monks

Not a great deal of figure painting this week - four monks, six slingers, a few Vikings - but I have got an interesting terrain project that I should finish soon.  It is a Spanish church based on San Pedro de La Nave. 

SAGA recently added Angry Monks as a sword for hire unit for Christian factions only.  They are basically a non shooting levy that generate SAGA dice if they are in close proximity to the Warlord. Additionally, when killed, they allow the controlling player to re-roll a spent SAGA die and place it on the table.

The Gripping Beast figures in the first two rows were painted a couple of years ago.  I recently added the four in the back from Black Tree's monks based on the Cadfael series. None of them are particularly angry looking, most are dour and a couple look menacingly stern.  Maybe they can make the raiders feel guilty.

The best use that I can imagine for Angry Monks would be to surround the Warlord and function as human shields.  However, since they are a levy, you cannot use them to take wounds for the Warlord under his special rules.  If you like to play unpredictably, the extra dice from your martyred monks could make for some wild situations, but I do not see them ending up on my game table as anything other than background for a scenario - maybe escort "baggage." If anyone can suggest a good tactical use for the monks, please let me know.

Cadfael is one of my favorite mystery series and I like these Black Tree figures.  They have nice proportions, expressive faces and are a bit taller than the Gripping Beast monks.  

Link to Studio Tomahawks PDF for Angry Monks

Here is a Shadowforge female Viking flanked by a Wargames Factory and Gripping Beast plastic figures.  I only have the single figure, so I based her as a Warlord.

Finally, I am now about half way finished with my forty plastic figures from the Gripping Beast Dark Age Warrior box.  The flexibility of these figures is such that with appropriate skin tones and fabrics, they can pass for anything from Vikings to Andalusian slingers.  I plan to put together about fifteen slingers from the set. 

Vikings and Rus

A quick review of some minis from two online retailers that I have used for the first time recently, Black Tree Designs and Magister Militum.

Out of the package, the finish of the Black Tree minis is very good.  There is some flash to remove. Also, the metal on some other (more expensive) companies looks a little cleaner than Black Tree's, but it's all covered by paint anyways.

The sculpting is where Black Tree really impresses me. The poses are lively and natural.  Their line of Vikings is heavy on characters, but the rank fighters are just as good.

I particularly like the wounded fellow below. When I ordered this pack, I did not realize he was bandaged. It's a very good example of some of the detail in their line.

Service from Black Tree has been excellent. Orders were confirmed almost immediately, I was notified of shipping dates, and the package arrived in about one week.

I have been interested in purchasing some Rus for a while.  They are a good opponent for the Byzantines, and combining a few dedicated Rus figures with some traditional Vikings could make a decent SAGA warband.  In light of the recent release of the Byzantine faction, I am willing to bet that a dedicated Rus battleboard is on Studio Tomahawk's three year plan.

These Rus are my first purchase from Magister Militum. I was impressed with their selection of eastern figures, including Slavs, Seljuk Turks and Byzantines.

The finish of Magister's figures is a bit lacking compared to some other miniatures. While the amount of flash was not excessive, the mold lines were prominent and took some effort to remove.  After that, though, these figures were a joy to paint because of their expressive faces, dynamic poses and appropriate details. A pack of six came with four figure variations. 

Service from Magister was excellent, with the packages arriving from the U.K.  about two weeks after I placed the order.

Normans without Horses

The traditional image of the Norman warrior is the mailed knight bearing a kite shield and couched spear astride a powerful destrier. These were the warriors who gave the Normans the reputation as the best heavy cavalry in the tenth and eleventh centuries, from Britain to Byzantium.  However, the mounted knight was hardly the only Norman warrior, and most certainly not even the most numerically predominant.  At the Battle of Hastings, most sources estimate that Duke William fielded one to two thousand cavalry out of a force of six to eight thousand.  Osprey's Campaign Series book Hastings 1066, citing Professor David Douglas, puts the cavalry numbers much more precisely at 1,070 Normans, 400 Franco-Flemish and 530 Bretons.  These estimates make the cavalry at most 25% of the Norman army.  What of the majority of the Norman army, the spearmen, archers and crossbowmen?  As low ranking sergeants or commoners, chroniclers showed little interest in recording their contributions to the battle.  Not surprisingly, The Bayeux Tapestry shows the Battle of Hastings opening with 12 horsemen and 4 archers, an inverse of the probable distribution.

Tactically, Norman infantry and archers initiated contact with the enemy, the cavalry holding back until the point of maximum impact.  The knights did not get all the glory, though.  The Bayeux Tapestry does depict England's King Harold's death by an arrow to the head.  

Gripping Beast Norman Spearmen

The three figures below are from Black Tree Designs.  I recently made my first purchase from the American distributor, and I am impressed.  The finish is a bit rough in some places, but the posing is unique and natural; the company's delivery was very fast.  

There is some debate about whether crossbow units were present at Hastings.  Nonetheless, they were an integral part of the Norman warmachine in Italy and undoubtedly accompanied Norman knights on the First Crusade.

Norman Crossbows, Crusader Miniatures and Black Tree Designs

For a challenge, I recommend playing SAGA as the Normans using the historical percentages from Hastings.  In other words, with a six point force, at most two units can be mounted.  

Gravett, Christopher. Hastings 1066 The Fall of Saxon England London: Osprey Publishing,  1992.

Battle of Hastings scene by scene: http://www.bayeuxtapestry.org.uk/BayeuxContents.htm