Army Showcase #7 - The Army of King Richard 1381

Hello, Doombots! I'm back with a new army for you to lust after. This one's been sat in the Italeri Medieval Tournament box since hair first appeared on my chin. So, after a tentative, and fairly blood soaked, shave I got down to business.

Rather luckily I'd made some notes on Richard's available forces when I read up about the 1381 Peasants' Revolt and he didn't have much clout available. Most of the handy lads were either in France, Ireland and Germany or up on the Scottish border and none could be easily disengaged to come and bash up some yokels. Bad mistake there, Dickie.

Some amazing things happened during the rebellion/struggle for liberty. For example the king's mother, Lady Joan Holland and her entourage, had two encounters with rebel forces yet, apart from some mockery, she passed through them safely each time and survived the rebellion (Sneaker). Equally a chap called John Fordham, Keeper of The Privy Seal, who was on the rebels' death list. Well now, he managed to hide in his accommodation and evaded detection while in the same room as some of Tyler's men! (Lurker/Sneaker) I also felt that the distribution of The King's Charters which caused many of the rebel troops to go home in false hope of change could also qualify as Lurker.

As you can see if you're familiar with HotT troop types there's a Sneaker and a Lurker right there. But that's not an army. The king qualifies as a Hero General. He put himself at considerable peril of capture or, maybe, death on at least three occasions and came up smiling and victorious. Richard also had a bodyguard available as well as some knightly types at Court. So, Blades and Knights then. Archers are a must in this period - Shooters.

Now we come to William Walworth, probably the outstanding figure of the King's party during the Revolt. We already have a general and classifying him as Hero goes too far. So, what did he do? Well, first of all he kept his head when others were, literally, losing theirs. He kept the king in the fight with good advice. He conjured (you can see where I'm going with this) the City of London Militia to stand fast by their king and he had a hand in the death of Wat Tyler and thus scored himself a knighthood and pension. He produced the rabbit of victory from the hat of almost certain defeat. He's a Magician!

The Army of King Richard 1381

The Joan of Arc figure doubles as King Richard.

Accompanied by flag waver and kazoo player.

Billy Walworth doing his thing with a couple of heavies.

Joan Holland avoiding capture and death like a pro.

Some knights not in France.

King's Bodyguard of Blades.

Always on point.

Two Shooters. 

Pretty deadly.

Layabouts from Court co-opted as a Warband. 

Bet they're right chuffed about that.

The King's Charters. 

Pah! Never trust a man with that much gold around his neck.

(John Fordham didn't make the cut, couldn't find him........)

The Royal Host

Sharp-eyed readers will have already noted the absence of a Stronghold. That's because I don't have one. Yet. That's were you come in, Doombots. I'm after a resin model of The Tower of London. Dimensions approx 3" x 3" x 3" or 75mm x 75mm x 75mm in new money. If anyone knows where such an item may be procured either freely or at minimal cost please get in touch. Thank you!

All the figures are from Italeri's 'Medieval Tournament' set in 1/72 scale. There's a few head swaps here and there  but no major surgery conversions. The mule with the King's Charters on its back is from Revell's 'WW2 Australians'. The army is on 25mm scale bases as per the basing conventions in the HotT rule book.

A Warband (London City militia) will be added as soon as I source suitable figures.

This army forms a matched pair with these Stout Chaps .

Updates as they happen!