"Options for Lion Rampant?" Topic

I'm toying with the idea of building a couple of retinues for Lion Rampant, but my medieval knowledge is a little dusty. So interested i some suggestions. I'm looking or a few things:

- Colorful forces – shields, surcoats, whatever.
- Forces that will let me field all troop types Heavy through to light cav, likewise infantry). Some eras feel like they'd draw on a smaller array of troop types.
- Swirling alliances and broken allegiances (although I'm guessing this would cover a fair swathe of medieval history).
- Who does the best ranges for the era in 28mm?

Thanks for your help,

Bill.

Crusader states would fit your conditions.

- Colourful forces: check (you can field military orders, knights both from the Latin Kingdoms and knights taking a pilgrimage to Holy Land, Byzantines, Armenians, ecc)

- Different troop types: check (Knights, both mounted and dismounted, lancers, bowmen, turcopoloi, Muslim allies, Armenian light horse and archers, and so on and so forth)

- Swirling alliances: check (even if it is outdated, Runciman' story of the Crusades is a good starting point to understand the fluid web of conflicting interests that characterized the political relationships in Levant in that period)

Best ranges in 28mm: Perry Miniatures, Fireforge, Gripping Beast. Those are my favourites for this period in 28mm.

Great, thanks for a comprehensive answer. Will have to do some reading!

Bill.

1261 gives you Crusaders (Fireforge), Late Byzantines, Mamluks (Perrys and Gripping Beast), and Mongols (Fireforge).

Or do like I do and make up your own imagi-nation where the High King reigns but doesn't really rule, his barons all hate each other (and try to out do each other sartorially), and the barbarians of whatever stripe suits your fancy are nibbling along the borders.

Jim

Crusader states is probably your best bet; England and Scotland are probably your worst. Plenty of colour, but if you want your forces to be historical for skirmish actions you're really limited to mounted men-at-arms or 'knights' in terms of DBA. The army lists at the back of Lion Rampant (for England and Scotland) are not useful. If you wnat lots of troop-types imagi-nations may well be the way to go.

I would disagree about England being a poor choice. The Anarchy and the 1st Baron's War would make excellent choices for the focus of any medieval project. The forces of both these examples are certainly not limited to knights. During the Anarchy especially one of the main drivers of disorder were the castellans, upstart mercenaries essentially, who manned the large scale building of castles and used them to ravage the lands of their opponents.

Other prime options for LR would be the Normans in Italy, Dauphinois vs Savoyard in C14th France, Charles of Anjou vs Manfred of Sicily, the Northern Crusades – to be honest the list is endless. If I were you I'd pick the figures you like and then see what fun and games they would have gotten up to!

EDIT – Spain – Christians, Moors, Berbers – there's colour for you!

Ok, thanks. Some options I'm not at all familiar with there, so some research needed. Picking the nicest figures might be a good idea!

I would start with the figures and armour styles that most appeal to you and start from there. Whatever era you pick there was always someone fighting someone else in the Middle Ages!

Frothers – you're probably quite right; I was thinking of actions between the two countries – 1296 onward. The Lion Rampant Scottish list with dismounted men-at-arms, bidowers etc just does n't reflect the practice of the day at all.

Ah, I see your point, UFB. I must admit that the later Anglo-Scottish wars aren't my own strongpoint.

A couple of resources the OP might find useful – cryhavocfan.org/indexeng.htm is a fan website dedicated to the old Cry Havoc medieval skirmish boardgame. There are loads of official and fan made scenarios on it which can easily be adapted to LR.

link is a report on a WAB El Cid event which is truly glorious 28mm medieval eye-candy. Have a good shufty around the gallery on that site if you want inspiration for your own 28mm armies.

At the level of LR, you aren't really looking at a "typical" army composition in the manner of DBX or other mass battle games.

True, you should be looking at the nature of ordinary day-to-day actions, which typically consist of small parties of men-at-arms…in fact I can't immediately think of one that does n't fall into that category.

Cry Havoc stuff looks really useful, thanks.

I'm gravitating towards Crusades – trying to decide between post-1st and pre-3rd!

blacksoilbill

You might want to consider the earlier campaigns during the Anglo Welsh wars. English v Welsh, Welsh v Welsh and even English & Welsh v Welsh. Plenty of real life material for skirmishes, battles, sieges etc.