The Barons' War 2 - 28mm Medieval Miniatures

You asked for the Maid Marian...
almost 4 years ago – Sun, May 10, 2020 at 03:36:22 AM

Some say he has no feelings however we now have proof that this is not the case.  Paul has surprised us all (including me) with a special thank you of his own.

Totally unplanned Mr Hicks has sneakily sculpted the Maid Marian to join our Merry Men. If we end on at least 600 backers, we will include her FREE for everyone who backs for 'one of everything' or pledges to the same value.

Why 600 backers?  Well, we have been hovering around this number for the last few days, we are currently on 598, so it has become a mythical target for both of us which we would really like to reach.  How will we achieve it?  Please share this project out in social medialand it may encourage a few new people to get involved before it ends on Sunday the 10th of May at 9 pm (BST).  

59 hours to go!
almost 4 years ago – Sat, May 09, 2020 at 08:05:16 PM

Good morning all, with less than 59 hours to go Paul and I have made the decision to share our final stretch goal with you with us being so close to unlocking the second Bannerman and Musician.  It is, as many of you successfully guessed, bad King John.

The way he has been sculpted I imagine him surveying the French fleet landing on English soil deciding should he either attack the invaders while they are still feeling seasick risking a pitched battle or withdraw to fight another day.

With the last stretch goal revealed we can also share this.

Over the last few days we have had many people asking the same question, how much will it be for one of everything? The total cost will be £145 and to help we will set up a 'one of everything' product in the pledge manager for you to select.

As always if you have any questions during these final hours of the project please don't hesitate to get in touch, as always Paul and I are massively appreciative of your support.

~Andy & Paul (Hobday & Hicks)

Update on Day 12 - Falkes de Breauté and Command Pack 2
almost 4 years ago – Thu, May 07, 2020 at 03:57:04 AM

Good morning everyone and welcome to day 12, yep its day 12 already! Today we have more sculpts to show you as Paul has now finished all the miniatures for the project.

Falkes de Breauté

First up we have Falkes de Breauté an enforcer of King John's dubious rule and one of the four captains of his loyalist army, a highly successful one at that.  A total social climber who raised himself up through the ranks of the nobility by getting the job done, fast and efficiently and marrying way above his station. 

Bannerman and Musician 2

Musicians were used for rallying the troops and to sound out orders, banners were used to indicate a leaders position on the field of battle and as a rallying point.   Both of these ideas have been incorporated into the Barons' War skirmish game and both of these miniatures, by paying extra points in-game, can be used to increase the effectiveness of your leaders as well as bolstering your troops.

It's all about Actions (and reactions) in the Barons' War skirmish game
almost 4 years ago – Thu, May 07, 2020 at 01:48:50 AM

In-game your retinue comprises of individual groups of warriors who have the opportunity to either take an action or carry out a reaction to an opponents action each round.  All groups of warriors have an Action stat which illustrates the number of times they can be activated during a single round. 

For most groups of warriors, they have one action, leaders and heroes may make two or three actions (or reactions) per round and you may continue to assign Action Tokens as indicated on their profile until they have used them all up, this is what makes them truly heroic!

The player chooses which  Action Token is freely assigned to a group indicating the action they will perform. This action is carried out moving the models and rolling dice as necessary, at the same time your opponent has the opportunity to react if they have an available action of their own. 

Once an activated group of warriors have completed their action, initiative switches to their opponent to decide on their next Action, select the correct token and take their turn.

Actions/Reactions

A list of the standard actions/reactions that warriors perform during a game:

• Move: distance in inches determined by armour and warrior type.

• Fight: charge move into a melee attack or ranged attack.

• Defend: defend all fight actions during this round.

• Order: a leader can use their actions to give order actions to other warriors.

• Broken: indicates the group has failed moral and is running.

• Shocked: indicates a group who can do nothing but try and recover their wits. 

• Ability: traits, gifts, skills by another name, special abilities are special actions.

• Weary: warriors who sprint or take a double-action become weary 

Not all actions may be carried out by all warriors. For example, a Fight action using ranged weapons can only be taken by a group of warriors armed with ranged weapons; while an Order action can only be given by a leader. Your leader may use all three of their actions to issue orders as you see fit, however, each group of warriors may only receive a single Order action from their Leader each round. 

Sometimes a group of warriors must use their action as the result of something directly happening to them becoming Broken when they fail a morale check or Shocked due to an unusually bloody round of combat for example; in these instances, actions are forced onto them and not freely chosen.

Groups of warriors share a single set of ability scores and a single Action Token; when it is assigned the group acts as a single body of men working together as one.

Games will be won and lost by carrying out the most appropriate actions and reactions when the right opportunity presents itself; a simple concept to learn but with plenty of options available, difficult to master.

Did You Know 22 - How simple was it for Prince Louis to invade England
almost 4 years ago – Thu, May 07, 2020 at 12:35:44 AM

It was the 20th of May 1216, the auspicious feast of Pentecost and the seventh anniversary of his knighting ceremony, when Louis embark via ship to England. The tide was right late evening, which is when his ship led the way out of the harbour into the open sea and into the darkness. Despite the blessings and his prayers and his general optimism, God did not immediately show his approval. As the fleet reached open water the winds rose up, and a huge violent storm blew its way across the Channel, scattering the fleet and putting the prince's life in danger jeopardising the campaign from the onset.

Although the storm raged all night long and the occupants of the boats, both men and horse were violently tossed around when night gave way to day, and the sun rose on the morning of the 21st of May 1216 they were in sight of the English shore.  Just seven ships of the fleet managed to stick together, however, Louis would not be dissuaded from setting foot on the land he was claiming, and he assured his men the others would catch up shortly.

He was first to wade ashore watched by his men and by a crowd of curious locals who had sighted the moored ships. From the gathering emerged a priest; Louis a pious man approached him and kissed the crucifix he was holding, whether in relief or triumph we will never know.  He was on English soil, and he intended to make it his. Louis's confidence in his fleet was not misplaced and during the day more and more ships arrived until the masts resembled a floating forest out at sea.

Meanwhile, John had hurried to the coast to see the size of the invading army for himself.  Now he watched as more and more of the enemy arrived realising he was now at the point where he needed to make a decision. As he had a host of men with him should he attack while the French were still seasick risking everything on a pitched battle to prevent them from gaining a foothold driving them back into the sea?

Surely in the back of his mind was the knowledge of what had happened to a previous English King who gave battle against French invaders as soon as they arrived at Hastings 150 years earlier, where Harold and the flower of his men were slaughtered.  Whereas Harold's men had been personally loyal to him, John's were in the main foreign mercenaries, many of them from France who he wasn't sure would stand and fight against the son of their own King.  The advice of the experienced William Marshal who John relied on to an increasing extent cautioned against a battle at this stage but was clear to John it was a decision for the King to make.

We have two versions of what that decision was:

In the History of Dukes, it is said King John 'lost heart' as he rode up and down, and although his force was three times the size of Louis's he abandoned his camp and fled.

The more measured account by Roger of Andover states he chose not to attack as Louis landed as he feared that his troops might all leave him to join Louis, he, therefore, chose to retreat for a time, rather than to give battle on an uncertainty.

Whatever was going through John's mind his ultimate decisions was not to engage Louis, and he withdrew first to Dover and then to Guildford and Winchester, in doing so he lost the initiative straight away and gifted Louis a foothold on English soil.

With John gone and a beachhead established including the port at Sandwich, Louis rode out to Rochester to meet the Barons who had been holding London, in their number where Robert Fitzwater, Hugh Bigod, the earl of Norfolk; Saer de Quincy, earl of Winchester; William de Mandeville, the earl of Essex; Robert de Vere, earl of Oxford and even William Marshal's own eldest son and heir; their forces were too much for the garrison of the shattered castle which had not been properly rebuilt after John's long siege the previous year.  At this moment all the momentum was with Louis.