Monday 16 June 2014

10mm Romano-British for Dux Bellorum

I really like games that can deliver discrete, definable and achievable goals when it comes to building your armies. That is one huge tick in the box for Dan Mersey's Dux Bellorum. I am yet to play a game but the rules read very well and it looks to be a very enjoyable game. 

Army lists in Dux Bellorum are defined , but loosely and allow for a lot of flexibility in the forces you raise. Generally you are looking at between five and ten units, plus  up to three strategies - strategies might be unique unit types like monks or wardogs, or they could represent unit upgrades etc. My starter army lists, as I may have mentioned before, were driven by the models I already had at hand, either painted or in the lead pile. 

We will be playing our games based in the north of Britain (c. AD 500) to permit Picts, Saxons, Irish, Welsh and Romano-Brits all to have a go. Here is my Romano-British army, sans strategies. It stands at 29 points, allowing me three points to spend on a strategy of my choosing during any given battle. Nominally it is the war-host of Rheged, the British kingdom straddling the Solway and taking in the regions of Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway (perhaps). In AD 500, that might (or might not... I love this period) make my commander king Meirchion Gul - Meirchion the Lean.

I will be using this unit of Sarmatian-esque equites as my mounted companions.

These are two units of noble riders, the experienced warrior caste of Rheged.

The local Rheged infantry consist of a shieldwall muster and a body of archers.

The infantry is supplemented by two shieldwalls of foederati - fierce Germanic mercenaries. The unit on the right - fully equipped in chainmail, swords and the odd wolf skin - will be used as a noble shieldwall; at least to begin with. The other unit will be an ordinary shieldwall. I have stuck with a red colour theme with this army, except for the foederati whom I have themed in blue. This way they can form the basis of a future Saxon army, should the need arise.

The army assembled; and to top it all off, at the back is a small hamlet for them to raid or defend (as the notion takes them).


15 comments:

  1. Great looking army...and village! Nice work...

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  2. Awesome work! Where are those houses from?

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  3. A company called Baggage Train, they do a lovely watch tower too which I have my eye on.

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  4. Like I need to start a new period in this scale. Don't do this to me please.
    Which measures are the bases, 6x2?

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    1. Bases are 60mm x 30mm. It's a great scale!

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  5. That's a wonderful little army. I have Glutter of Ravens and I'm tempted to upgrade to Dan Mersey's new version of those rules.

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  6. So, which figures are you going to use for their enemies? I have looked about and there seems to be a gap in the market where Arthurian Britain and their enemies are concerned.

    Steve

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    1. I'm currently working on a small Irish army of noble warriors using a mix of Magister Militum, Pendraken and Eureka figures.

      Pendraken are doing Picts later this year and between MM, Pendraken and Kallistra, people should find it possible to put together Irish and Saxon armies easily enough.

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  7. Great Work! Where the figures are from?

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    1. Just about everything there is from Pendraken Miniatures.

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  8. Wow these are gorgeous!

    Are the buildings also pendraken?

    cheers

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    1. No, I believe they are Baggage Train buildings.

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  9. what size bases? 80 x 40 or 60 x 30? really spiffing work

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