Ranulf de Gernon is my nominal retinue leader, if you wiki him you'll get lots more detail but in summary he was the dispossessed son of Ranulf le Meschin 3rd Earl of Chester. Amongst the lands the 3rd controlled where much of northern England including modern Cumbria and links can still be found. However when the scots invaded and caused trouble the land went to Henry and the 4th Earl lost out. This allows me to fix my retinue somewhere around 1150 a time of much turmoil. The first part of his retinue consists of 6 elite and well armoured retainers. Probably his best foot troops or representing his household knights on foot.
As I am looking to use the troops fairly flexibly I am trying to have a range of shields from those that are more specifically early Norman to some which allow me to stretch the army into the crusades and right up to 1250 beyond which I can really get away without plate armour. The figures are conquest with some additional variation from wargames factory parts I had spare allowing a range of different axes and poses. Not sure if it is correct but I am sure if you had a double handed axe you would carry or shield on your back ?
Maybe you should be painting them in multiples of eight if you want them to play Saga too?
ReplyDeleteFirst ever comment ! Thanks. Good thinking but I was working on the basis that this was an elite unit for lion rampant or a single point in saga where they would normally be mounted.
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