The Untold Tales of Robin Hood

For a little while, in the background, I’ve been working on a set of rules for Robin Hood themed games. Specifically to play with the Not So Little Miniature.

It’s a simple system, aimed at being fast and simple, to tell fun stories rather than provide a simulation.  It’s also unashamedly biased towards the ‘Good Guys’.  Essentially it involves opposed dice rolls - with better characters rolling more dice and picking the highest results.  To add some extra flavour, there will be special cards that can be played to influence the game.  More on them another time,  but they have titles like ‘trick shot’, ‘Feat of strength’ - and ‘don’t just stand there, get them!’).

Our first outing saw Robin Hood walking through the forest when he finds his way across a river blocked by a giant of a man…

“Now stand back,” quoth Robin, “and let the better man cross first.”

“Nay,” answered the stranger, “then stand back thine own self, for the better man, I wot, am I.”

Robin managed to get the first blow in, and the two yeomen traded stout blows, pushing each other back and forth but, in the end…

Then Robin grew mad with anger, and smote with all his might at the other; but the stranger warded the blow, and once again thwacked Robin, and this time so fairly that he fell heels over head into the water, as the queen pin falls in a game of bowls.

So our game ended in the traditional way, with Robin taking a plunge in the river.  We swapped characters after the first game, ending up with the same result; which was good as it meant we both had a chance to win.

All the captions above are quotes from Howard Pyle’s retelling of the Robin Hood tales, which very much set up our modern image of the noble outlaw.

Models are Medieval Mayhem and Footsore Miniatures.

Bolsover Legendary Joust 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYI5LIjSbkwA bit of a diversion today, but still sort of related to gaming and miniatures, if you think about it as inspiration.

This weekend saw the annual Legendary Joust at Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire, which we always try to attend.  A great day out but also, in one respect, a victim of its own success - the crowds are getting so big it is increasingly difficult to actually see (let alone photograph) the jousting.  Not helped by families who decide to bring folding chairs, extensive picnics, and other paraphernalia that gets in everyone else's way.

Anyway, here are the shots I got, in case they are inspiring for anyone out there painting (or planning to paint) any knights.  If these are of interest to anyone, let me know in the comments and I will do a few posts of other photos from previous years of different armours and equipment.

 

 

Particularly noteworthy was "The Wild Man", who was jousting in a highly decorated bridgandine, rather than a breastplate.  It looked fantastic!

For more on why, there is an excellent video by Zac Evans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYI5LIjSbkw

Men of the cloth

Priest and monks, formerly of Grenadier Models Fantasy Warriors range, now available from Forlorn Hope Games.

I wanted these chaps to have flagstone bases like my other ‘civilians’.  Unfortunately I couldn’t figure out a way of removing the cast on bases without compromising the feet and robes, so went instead with sculpting them out of milliput.  Not perfect, but not bad I think.

LEGO Jousting!

The miniature and I were left to our own devices a couple of weekends back while the other half had a night out with her sisters.  As well as introducing her to Star Wars (she wisely agreed that ‘Empire’ was the best, good girl!), I snuck in some gaming while she wasn’t looking. 

(I’ll confess I built the castle in my 20’s, when old enough to know better, it has a detailed interior and everything!)

For the joust I wanted to introduce a bit of decision making, so borrowed the scoring from the English Heritage jousts that we go to each year as a family, as she’s familiar with it.  We had three knights each - I was the ‘Lion shields’ and she took the Eagles.  Before each run, we chose one of the following:

• Head - 3 points; roll 1die
• Shield- 2 points; roll 2 dice
• Body - 1 point; roll 3 dice

If any dice rolled 4+ the relevant points were scored.  If we each got one success and rolled the same, it was a ‘barricade’ (crossed lances - no points, but it added some fun and flavour, and she remembered the concept from the jousts we've seen).

As you’d expect, she completely trounced my team!

The crowd were very impressed…

Archery next.  A similar system was used, but she was allowed a couple of extra dice as her character was Robin Hood in (a rather thin) disguise!

(Excuse the mess!)

Of course by the end, Robin was unmasked, and had to make a run for the forest, chased by knights - a series of events that were… less rules based, shall we say.  But a good time was had overall!

Old Stuff

Pretty sure we all have these ones - partly done models that have sat around for ages.  I’m trying to be disciplined and finish off some half finished projects in between doing ones from scratch.

First up, a Foundry (formerly citadel I think) crossbowman.  He’s likely to do duty at some point as a forester up against Robin Hood I think.

I’m struggling with the providence of this one, I’ve had him over 30 years!  Doesn’t really fit with any particular army or game.  Painted the cloak and tabard some years back as practice for trying to paint, shade and highlight white. Thought it was about time he had a little attention.

Huge Tracts of Land!

Just finished a nice couple of medieval bystanders.  A joy to paint and I’m really pleased with how they’ve turned out.

These two are from Studio Miniatures Medieval Mayhem range (none of which seem to be listed on their website at the moment).  Resin bases are from Fenris Games.

After painting Maid Marian, I didn’t fancy doing white robes again so far.  Instead I was inspired by the daft blue robes worn by prefects when I was at school it was a grammar school with more history than it sometimes knew what to do with in the late 20th century).

If they look familiar in shape (if not colour), that’s because they look to be based on Michael Palin and Terry Jones from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Maid Marian

Continuing with the Robin Hood theme for a moment, here’s another classic member of the band, Maid Marian, from Footsore Miniatures.

A really lovely sculpt, nice folds in the cloth but not fussy.  Stylistically the Footsore models are a more ‘realistic’ take on the subject than the Studio Miniature Robin and Tuck; neither the Hollywood romance of Flynn and de Havilland, nor the mysticism of the ‘80s ‘Robin of Sherwood’ - my two favourite takes on the stories. And she’s not a fox either, like the Miniature would prefer.

The (now not so little) miniature was involved in colour choices, as they are sort of to get her interested in gaming ;-)

She was adamant she wanted the dress to be white, which is not my favourite colour to paint, but challenge accepted.  I suggested that she should then have a cloak in brown or green to allow her to hide in the forest when needed, which she was enthusiastic about, fortunately.

Luckily I had a trick up my sleeve to try out for the white…

This model actually proved to be an interesting exercise.  Aside from a little GW ‘Ogryn Flesh’ wash on the face and hands, I didn’t use my normal washed for shading, this was all brush shading and highlighting through multiple shades.  While I wouldn’t say it’s my best work by a long shot, I am really pleased with the result.

Will Scarlet

Continuing my efforts to put together Robin Hood and his merry band.  Here's a version of Will Scarlett from Footsore Miniatures 'Baron's War' range.

He will also be joining my Five Leagues from the Borderland Heroes.