Saturday, September 17, 2016

Forsooth! Ye Olde Knights and Saracens!

A special thanks to Ross Mac of Battle Game of the Month fame for making my medieval collection nearly complete!

Combined with some eBay purchases, here are the sides as they stand now (click pics to enlarge):




There is some clean up to be done - some touch ups, conversions, and repairs - but they are already a game-able group.

In fact, I couldn't wait to play:



I chose scenario 2 from One Hour Wargames, because it's straightforward. Rules were Neil Thomas's medieval rules from the same book.

The grid is not in play, but I did use the 6 inch squares to aid measuring. The astute among you will notice I've set up the Saracen line too wide. I corrected that error after the picture was taken.

OOB:

  • Euro-knights: 4 units of knights, 1 unit of men-at-arms and 1 unit of archers. 
  • Saracens: 3 units of knights, 2 units of men-at-arms and 1 unit of levies.


I chose 4" square sabots and jammed them as full as possible. The visual effect was satisfying and lived up to the idea of the "shock" period (to borrow from Morschauser).

Stay tuned for the first clash of my new armies and some thoughts about the rules.

2 comments:

  1. Nice report--it has inspired me to dig out my own collection of these figures and have it! What did you use for the Saracen levies? One of the things that has frustrated me regarding the Deetail line (and their clones) is the rarity of archers (they're around, but not easy to find), and so far as I know, no peasants or similar low-lifes.

    Best regards,

    Chris Johnson

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    Replies
    1. Hi Chris,

      First, apologies for the long delayed reply. Second, I believe the Saracen levies are Deetail Arabs armed with melee weapons (from a set that, if complete, contains riflemen).

      As for the rarity of archers, I feel your pain (ditto the peasants). Deetail really seems to have dropped the ball there.

      That said, Toy Soldier Co. sells sets that they paint including the Marx Robin Hood sets, which would work well for European peasants/levies. Although pricey, they also sell Reamsa and Jecsan sets for Saracen levies, both painted and unpainted.

      -John

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