![Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester](/images/posts/peter-des-roches/peter-des-roches.png)

Peter Des Roches was a native of the Touraine in north-central France, Poitevin diplomat, soldier, and administrator who enjoyed a brilliant but checkered career, largely in England in the service of kings John and Henry III as a bishop and as regent (for the young Henry III). Comfortable in warfare, he wore armour, bore weapons, and used them personally in battle, rising to a height of great power in both secular and ecclesiastical hierarchies.

Contemporaries often praised Peter’s devotion to God and the king despite (or maybe because of) his willingness to partake in active fighting in battle. The chronicler Roger of Wendover wrote of Peter’s elevation in 1205 that,

> “He was a man of the knightly order and skilled in the ways of war. He was chosen specifically for his knightly qualities and loyalty to King John and his willingness to advance the king’s interests.”

His election to Bishop of Winchester was eventually confirmed by Innocent III, consecrating him in person and granting him legatine authority in England. In Peter, the pope possibly saw the sort of prelate who could be useful leading papal armies or functioning effectively on crusade, two things that des Roches did successfully later in his career.

He played a key role in the campaigns against the French army of Prince Louis that invaded England in 1217. The History of William Marshal provides some of the best evidence for Peter des Roches’s military actions on behalf of John and Henry III. At the siege of Torksey, Peter led the fourth division of the royal army, earning praise,

> “William Marshal then gave a rousing address, and in his wisdom, he entrusted his crossbowmen to Peter, the worthy bishop of Winchester\*, who was in charge of leading them, who had sound knowledge in that sphere, and who strove hard to perform well.” During the battle, he actively led the royal troops, ‘Peter followed William Marshal shouting loudly and many times, in all directions: “This way! God is with the Marshal!”‘.

In the royalist victory at Lincoln, Peter was described as playing an even more significant and more personal role,

> “The worthy bishop of Winchester, Peter des Roches, who was in charge that day of advising our side, was not slow or slothful, and he knew how to make use of his arms. In the company of his fine troop of men he gave chase, and in the course of that pursuit, he did very well indeed, capturing knights as he went.”

![Peter Des Roches](/images/posts/peter-des-roches/peter-des-roches-2.png)

During des Roches’ years in power after John’s death, he oversaw royal affairs alongside William Marshal (until Marshal died in 1219) and bitter rival Hubert de Burgh. His political games made him many enemies, and he was in and out of favour. He took the cross in 1221 after being accused of treason, returning in 1223 he joined the anti-de Burgh faction. He continued his military activities, including leading a ‘significant contingent of the army’ against the Welsh.

Being forced from power by political opponents in 1227 resulted in him taking up a military command joining the crusade of Frederick II. Alongside Bishop William Brewer of Exeter, he led the English contingent in the army. Frederick succeeded in reoccupying Jerusalem by treaty rather than combat. In March of 1229, des Roches accompanied him into the city, where the emperor was crowned in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. While the nature of Jerusalem’s retaking caused some controversy, it largely enhanced des Roches’ reputation back in England.

Driven once again from high political office in England by 1234 he accepted an invitation from the papacy to assist in Gregory IX’s campaign against the rebellious citizens of Rome. While the pope did not offer des Roches his unqualified support, his endorsement, especially of his military abilities, demonstrate the importance and relative acceptability of this warrior-cleric. This campaign was the last of his military career and in 1236 he returned once more to England; after his death he was buried at Winchester.

_\*There was no indication in the text ‘The History of William Marshal’ implying anything untoward about de Roches’ role as a military leader, nor the fact that he was especially adept at commanding crossbowmen. This last aspect is fascinating since the Second Lateran Council had condemned crossbowmen in 1139, and clerics were explicitly prohibited from commanding them; according to the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215, a point des Roches ignored without consequence or criticism. It makes for an interesting Commander on the tabletop!_

Rules for using Peter des Roches in The Barons’ War:

![Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester in The Barons' War](/images/posts/peter-des-roches/peter-des-roches-3.jpeg)
![Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester in The Barons' War](/images/posts/peter-des-roches/peter-des-roches-4.jpeg)

[Peter des Roches is available to buy from the Footsore Miniatures & Games website.](https://footsoreminiatures.co.uk/collections/medieval-characters/products/peter-des-roches-bishop-of-winchester)

Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester

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  width="auto"
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  src="/images/posts/equipment-profiles/equipment-profiles.png"
  alt="Equipment profiles"
/>

Having received this question a few times now I thought it would be a useful exercise to write a post explaining why
equipment profiles differ across The Barons’ War warrior profiles.

At the core of the army lists, we have a human profile. This profile comes in four varieties relating to levels of experience,
Green, Irregular, Regular and Veteran. This is the same no matter which warrior profile we are looking at, as humans are humans.
Without gear and training, a knight is, when we get down to it in-game terms, no different to a peasant.

<PostImage
  width="550"
  height="147"
  alt="Human stats"
  src="/images/posts/equipment-profiles/human-stat.png"
  caption="The basic human statline as described"
/>

Abilities and Equipment are where we diversify the warrior types adding character. Abilities are what reflects the different
warrior training, as well as natural talent in some cases. For example, a Knight is chivalrous and has trained with a sword from
a young age, so they naturally have the abilities 'Chivalry' and 'Live by the sword'. An archer shoots their bow at every
opportunity so has the ‘Every bloody Sunday’ ability to represent this hard-earned skill. The peasants or Levy haven’t had much
training in anything but have lived a life following the orders of their superiors, so we represent this social difference with
the 'Sorry m'Lord' ability.

The next thing we use to differentiate warrior types is equipment. Each warrior comes ready to fight with basic equipment which
can modify our human statline shown above. For example, a knight is equipped with a sword. This weapon has a -1 attack modifier
which changes a Veteran Humans attack stat from 5+ to 4+.

<PostImage
  width="379"
  height="92"
  alt="Weapons"
  src="/images/posts/equipment-profiles/weapons.png"
  caption="The base profiles for each weapon concerned in the example below. The Militant Monks are equipped with a hand weapon as standard, whilst a Knight has a sword as their standard equipment."
/>

A good example where weapon profiles differ is a two-handed weapon in the Knight warrior profile showing a modifier of -1 whereas
in other entries such as Militant Monks it has a modifier of -2. This is because you must take into account any modifier of the
weapon it will be replacing. A Knight’s sword already grants him -1 to his attack value. What we are essentially doing is
removing the Sword (and its -1 modifier) and equipping with a Two-handed weapon (which has a standard -2 modifier) making the
Knight’s attack value 3+.

<PostImage
  width="570"
  height="49"
  alt="Knight two-handed weapon"
  src="/images/posts/equipment-profiles/knight-2handed-weapon.png"
  caption="The Knights two-handed weapon option, The points cost of a two-handed weapon and a sword are the same, so there is no extra cost to pay and to account for the swords -1 modifier already applied to the profile this weapon will adjust the stat line a further -1"
/>

The difference in modifiers and points cost across the different warrior profiles is to save the player the task of removing any
modifiers from existing equipment before applying new ones. Just pay the points as shown and apply the modifiers to the stat
line as printed.

I hope this has helped clarify why the points and modifiers vary across the different warrior types (of course there may be some
minor 'under the hood' variances that were added during playtesting to allow for balance).

Why do equipment profiles differ?

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With Kickstarter backers receiving a digital copy of the rules and a [PDF copy available](https://footsoreminiatures.co.uk/collections/barons-war-range/products/the-barons-war-rulebook-pdf-bundle)
since the beginning of January 2021, The Barons' War game has finally become a reality out in gaming-land.

The Barons' War, so far, seems to have been well received and we are already receiving feedback from members of the community
who have read the rules and have offered further suggestions and ideas. I have to admit I like feedback as it makes me feel
that engagement has started and players are wanting to invest, it also shifts the dynamic from being just 'my rules' to
'our rules'.

<PostImage
  width="915"
  height="916"
  alt="Optional rules and ideas"
  src="/images/posts/optional-rules/optional-rules-2.jpeg"
/>

With this in mind, I wanted to share three new rule suggestions that you can add to your own games, each has developed from
discussions on the [Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebaronswargame). These ideas are not 'written in stone'
so if you don't like them then please don't use them again, even better get in touch and let us have your ideas instead.

## Battle Axe (one-handed)

An Axe is no longer treated as a Hand Weapon and becomes a Battle Axe with its own rules.
Cost per warrior: 0pts | Modifier: none | Effect: Target receives -1 to Shield Rolls.
Available for all knight types and all sergeant types.

## Reactionary Shooting to Being Charged

When attacking Warriors find they must roll a d6 when charging a Group armed with ranged weapons, they can be subjected to
Reactionary Shooting. For the cost of an Action, the defenders can shoot their charging attackers with a +1 modifier to their
Attack Dice. If the attacking group suffers 25% casualties (p.48), they must take a Morale Check before they engage in melee
combat. If failed, they become Broken instead and proceed to flee. If the defending group is armed with crossbows, they cannot
shoot as a reaction to being charged as the crossbow is too slow.

## Dismounting and Mounting

There are currently no rules for dismounting and mounting in the rulebook. It would be an easy thing to include costing a single
Action. Use an Ability Action Token when dismounting and add a foot model to represent each dismounted knight or sergeant within 1"
of their mount. Either leave the mounted versions at the location they have dismounted, or replace each figure in the group
with a riderless horse. Make sure you adjust the Groups Movement value whilst on foot. When returning to mount, the rider
must be within 1" of their horse and spend an Action to do so.

Other rules currently under development, in no particular order, are siege warfare, campaign rules, ship to ship fighting and
further supplements containing army lists, the first of which will be 'The Dark Ages'.

<PostImage
  width="915"
  height="622"
  alt="Page 5 - The Barons' War rulebook - the introduction"
  src="/images/posts/optional-rules/barons-war-introduction.png"
  caption="Page 5 of The Barons' War Rulebook – The Introduction"
/>

As the introduction to the rules outlined, it would be great if this became a system used throughout the Medieval period, and
possibly at some point fantasy settings as I'm a sucker for a bit of magic. This idea presents us with a huge span of history
for gaming, especially when we start venturing outside of Great Britain. I am under no illusion to make this happen new rules
will need to be added to represent armour, weapons, and warfare changes. However, I hope that using Abilities, plus a new idea
that we are currently calling 'Traits', can achieve this.

Optional Rules and Ideas

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  src="/images/posts/normans/normans.jpeg"
  alt="Normans"
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On the 28th of September, they came. England would never be the same again. With William’s claim to the English crown, he
sailed across the channel on a do or die campaign to take what he believes is rightfully his.

The Normans bring skilled cavalrymen to our early middle ages battles and will fight in a much different manner than the Late
Saxons and Vikings our two previous forces. The ability that sets the Norman cavalry apart from the light scouts of the Saxons
and Vikings is ‘Couched spears’. causing a shock test if only 25% of the target warriors are removed as casualties. This
ability can be seen throughout the force, from commanders to warriors.

<PostImage
  width="915"
  height="487"
  src="/images/posts/normans/norman-knights.jpeg"
  alt="Norman Knights"
/>

William, of course, is the first of the characters available to a Norman player. He can be taken mounted or on foot depending
on the makeup of your force and features the ‘Couched spear’ ability if mounted as mentioned above. To represent his invasion
of England at the time he has a further ability, ‘All or nothing’ this is particularly useful as any group of warriors in his
command range will not break whilst holding an objective. they will fight to the bitter end to secure their foothold on
English soil.

Alongside the Duke, we have Odo of Bayeux who is a huge morale-boosting character. He counts as his own priest and confers
‘God Protects’ to the rest of his command group. Not only this but he shares Williams ‘All or nothing’ ability. The two
characters together on the field make for a very strong objective taking force.

<PostImage
  width="914"
  height="500"
  src="/images/posts/normans/normans-2.jpeg"
  alt="Normans"
/>

The bulk of Norman Forces should be made from Milites, these can be mounted or on foot. They come with leather armour and a
spear but can be upgraded with mail, sword and shields as needed. They do not have any fancy abilities as standard. they are
the rank and file of your retinue. Well equipped they will be a solid core supported by the highly trained crossbowmen in the
list, tabletop control should not be an issue. However, do watch for those big Dane Axes of the Saxons and Vikings.

If you fancy a more fast-paced and lightly armoured force, the Breton Cavalry will suit your needs perfectly. Lightly armed
and with a movement of 9″ these fellows can harry the flanks or rear of your opponent’s force or screen the actions of your
slower Milites and Knights. These warriors have a charge ability which enables them to attack an enemy at any point along a
charge move (as long as they make contact) and, providing they win the combat, may continue with their charge move to a safe
distance. Particularly handy for dealing with lower-class rabble!

<PostImage
  width="916"
  height="523"
  src="/images/posts/normans/crossbow-group.jpeg"
  alt="Norman crossbow group"
/>

Finally, a controversial inclusion, but one that I feel adds a lot of character and fun to the Norman army list is the Death
Squad. Trained to hunt the enemy commander and cut the head from the snake. Their ‘Head hunters’ ability allows them to charge
a command group without taking a Morale check even if it isn’t the closest group and add 2″ to their charge range for good
measure. Again these warriors may be mounted or on foot and can be devastating if used with perfect timing. One thing to
consider however is these are ‘Picked men’ and only one group may be allowed per retinue.

Well, that concludes my look at the first three dark ages factions. There appear to be more files on my laptop with names such
as ‘Welsh’ and ‘Irish’ and one even says something about islands and a kingdom so we will look further into those in the near
future!

<PostImage
  width="916"
  height="645"
  src="/images/posts/normans/norman-3.jpeg"
  alt="Norman illustration"
/>

The Road to Hastings - Normans, The Third of Three Early Middle Ages Forces

<PostImage
  width="898"
  height="428"
  src="/images/posts/vikings/viking-group.jpeg"
  alt="Vikings"
/>

Fearsome raiders or peaceful settlers, the Vikings have captured our imagination for generatrions. The countless tales and
sagas of their deeds are captivating and now you can create great sagas of your own using The Barons’ War game.

The period in which we have chosen to focus on for our first steps in the long history of the Vikings saw both raiding parties
arrive on the coastlines and Danes settle across England within the area known as the Danelaw so it would be remiss of us not
to represent this. Some of the warriors in our Viking list have the ability ‘Settled’, these are the Anglo-Danes, who have
settled in England and would not usually be found on a raiding party so cannot be taken in a Retinue that wishes to use
‘Surprise Raid’.

‘Surprise Raid’ is an ability open to some Commanders that allows them to keep back 25% of their Retinue during deployment.
When these groups activate during the first game round they are placed on any table edge, as long as they are more than 8”
away from an opponent, and may act as normal. Very handy for catching your enemy by surprise and keeping them on their toes
during the first round. Just be careful not to leave vulnerable groups trapped behind enemy lines.

In keeping with the theme of the previous Saxon list in my first post on this topic, the characters we have included are the
mighty Harald Hardrada and his ally Tostig Godwinson.

Harald is a brute on the battle field, armed with a Dane axe and combined with his ‘Blood Lust’ ability, allows him to roll
2d6 for charge range and choose the highest result, he will be in the heart of the melee in no time. his ‘Rousing Presence’
will allow you to take a group of settled Anglo-Danes in a raiding force as he stirs excitement for battle in the settlements
he passes through. Not only this but it also takes two casualties to bring him down, not a man to be trifled with im sure
you will agree.

<PostImage
  width="916"
  height="402"
  src="/images/posts/vikings/viking-archers.jpeg"
  alt="Viking archers"
/>

Tostig is a more shrewd character, eager to get at his brother Harold, he can force the will of those in his Retinue. His
ability means he can issue orders without the recipient having to roll a morale check. His tyranny does take a toll on his
followers however and for every order they receive in this way their morale dice will increase by one.

Again, we have included everyones favourite warrior classes in the list, such as Hirdmen, who gain an extra 2″ on their
charge range when attacking a foe holding an objective, and Bondi who can form a shield wall to defend (but let’s be
honest that’s not why you want to play vikings, right?). Both of these types have the option of weapon choice, meaning
they can carry both a bow and melee weapon and choose which to use in any given round.

Next up we have the Berserkers, what Viking army would be complete with out our favourite axe wielding nutters? These fellows
have the ‘Berserk’ special rule which means once they lose their cool they are no longer under your Commander’s control and
must act as part of the Compulsory Actions phase. However, in their rage they gain +2 to attack rolls but lose -1 to their
defence rolls plus they automatically pass any morale check they are asked to take.

<PostImage
  width="915"
  height="510"
  src="/images/posts/vikings/viking-berzerkers.jpeg"
  alt="Viking berzerkers"
/>

We have also included the controversial Shield Maidens, despite the doubts of their authenticity, because, well, they are cool!
These iron wielding ladies do not fear death and do not count their morale dice towards any morale checks.

Form the Anglo-Dane settlements we have the usual slingers, and archers. These warriors can often sway the fight and its a tough
choice whether to include these handy ranged support groups or go for the more aggressive raiding Retinue.

Finally we have some mounted scouts, these can be taken in a raiding Retinue but you cannot choose these groups as the 25% left
out during your initial deployment. The reasoning for this is, I imagine it is quite difficult to get horses on and off a
longship with any haste!

Well, that wraps up my look at the Vikings. Join me next time for a glance at the Normans.

<PostImage
  width="916"
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  src="/images/posts/vikings/viking-illustration.jpeg"
  alt="Viking illustration"
/>

The Road to Hastings - Vikings, The Second of Three Early Middle Ages Forces

<PostImage
  width="899"
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  src="/images/posts/saxons/saxon-group.jpeg"
  alt="Saxon group"
/>

The dispute for the throne of England following the death of Edward the Confessor in 1066 is the perfect storm for us to introduce
three new army lists in to the Barons’ War ruleset. As you have probably guessed by now these will be, Late Saxons, Vikings and
Normans and today I would like to spend a bit of time telling you all about what we have done to make them unique and fun to play.

Harold Godwinson, Morcar and Edwin are the three named characters we have chosen to release first for the Saxons. Harold will allow
your Retinue to fight under the Fighting Man banner, giving a handy increase to order range. To represent Harolds tactical prowess
he can use Thegns to carry his orders further and with his ‘Forced March’ ability any group running as a result of Harolds orders
will not receive a weary token for doing so. Edwin’s rebellious spirit allows him to shift an objective after deployment and
Morcars hot headedness means he needs to be kept on a short leash other wise his bloodlust will get the better of him. As Edwin
and Morcar are known for fighting together they can be take as joint retinue leaders, meaning they could both potentially issue
orders during the battle.

<PostImage
  width="911"
  height="254"
  src="/images/posts/saxons/saxon-shield-wall.jpeg"
  alt="Saxon shield wall"
  caption="Saxon shield wall"
/>

For the bulk of the force we have all your favourites including Thegns, Huscarls, Fyrd, Shepheards and much more. These come
with a variety of abilities,

Huscarls can use their training to wield a two handed dane axe and a shield at the same time. Loyal to their Commanders,
Huscarls can take casualties for nearby Command Groups as they are willing to die for their Lord.

Shepheards are a crack shot with a sling giving them the opportunity to re roll all attack dice once per game. This gives
a very deadly edge if you judge the situation well.

Thegns bring a group of highly trained nobility into your retinue that can be taken on foot or mounted.

Mounted Scouts are perfect for screaning an advance, taking those early objectives and harrying your foe. Armed with
Javelins as standard they are swift and deadly. Their Evade ability gives some much needed survivability in the harsh
environment of the battle field.

Along with these warrior types you can find Bowmen, skilled with bow to add ranged support, and Younglings, green warriors eager
to take up arms in defence of their village or to accompany their Lord on campaign.

And of course shield wall is a very present ability for the Anglo-Saxons allowing you to make a free defensive action and advance
at half distance whilst in this defensive formation.

Next up will see us delve into the make up of the Viking army list and what you can expect to see there (it’s usually violent).

<PostImage
  width="916"
  height="645"
  src="/images/posts/saxons/saxon-illustration.jpeg"
  alt="Saxon illustration"
/>

The Road to Hastings - Late Saxons, The First of Three Early Middle Ages Forces

<PostImage
  width="900"
  height="506"
  src="/images/posts/dark-ages/dark-ages-main.jpeg"
  alt="Dark ages main"
/>

Currently, we are in the process of putting the finishing touches to the Viking, Late Saxon and Norman force lists to be used with
The Barons’ War rules. I’d had the idea to include them in the printed rulebook before it doubled in size from the initial 60-something
pages into the 138 pages it finished at, yes I am counting the index. Adding the lists would have felt like adding them for the sake
of it as they no longer fitted in with the rest of the content. So, having had a little bit more time to think about it I decided to
make the most out of this opportunity and start a supplement for the early middle ages.

<PostImage
  width="508"
  height="379"
  alt="Dark ages tokens"
  caption="Dark Ages Action Tokens for The Barons’ War"
  src="/images/posts/dark-ages/dark-ages-tokens.jpeg"
/>

Initially using these three lists, we will be able to fight battles featuring Vikings raiding the coasts of Britain, the Normans
invading in 1066 and the ten years of conquest that took place after William crowned himself the King of England. We can also use the
lists for some Viking on Viking action or rival Anglo-Saxon armies coming to blows to settle their respective AEthling’s political aims.
Because of the choices these lists give us, very different forces can be created even if they are from the same faction.

Once this new supplement has been designed and laid out to match the rulebook, it will be available here on WARHOST as a free download.
With the Welsh, Irish and Scots already playtested and in the process of being drawn up, we should have six dark age factions in no
time with a plan to keep fleshing out the existing force lists as well as adding new factions as we go along. So if there are any in
particular you think should be included please make your thoughts known in the comments section below. Just so you know I’m keen to
go as far back as 500 AD.

<PostImage
  width="916"
  height="645"
  alt="Dark ages illustration"
  src="/images/posts/dark-ages/dark-ages-illustration.jpeg"
/>

The Barons' War: The Dark Ages?

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  width="900"
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  src="/images/posts/create-group/create-group-sergeants.png"
  alt="Create group - sergeants"
/>

Groups of Warriors are the building blocks for each Retinue, they can be large or small, inexperienced recruits or veterans of the
battlefield. The choice really is yours.

In The Barons’ War game we have only two restrictions when making groups. Firstly, a minimum group size. A group must contain at
least three members, unless it is a mounted group which must contain at least two members. Secondly each member of your group should
be armed and equipped in the same way.

This second restriction is something that, during playtesting, we found was much needed to improve the flow of the action and keep
the game fast and action packed. This being said, however, if you and your opponent agree you are more than welcome to play the game
with warriors equipped individually. As it says at the very beginning of the rulebook ‘Play the games you want to play!’.

Now onto the meat of the matter, how to build a group.

## Regular Groups

In the rulebook there are lots of warriors to choose from but for this example let’s take a look at Sergeants. Versatile and a good
back bone to any Retinue. Whatever the size of the group I am building I always start by creating a single warrior, this way all I
have to do to calculate the points of the group is multiply the value of the single warrior, plus I can always save their profile
for later if I like how they perform on the field and adjust the group size to my needs.

The initial thing I need to decide is the experience of the group I want to build. As I like to include several groups of sergeants
in my Retinues, I will go with Regular. This gives me a nice balance between cost and effectiveness on the field. At 18 points a
man I can’t go far wrong.

<PostImage
  width="768"
  height="235"
  alt="Experience selection"
  caption="Dark Ages Action Tokens for The Barons’ War"
  src="/images/posts/create-group/create-group-xp-selection.png"
/>

Sergeants come equipped with a falchion (excellent for cutting down the unarmoured masses) and leather or padded armour as standard.
Today, I need a group that can hold its own against Knights on Warhorses as my regular opponent fields many of them and they are a
constant thorn in the side of my infantry heavy Retinues. Fortunately for me, sergeants can be armed with bills. A weapon not only
great at putting an end to a budding knight with the potential to kill a model that requires two casualties to take down but also
gives me ‘Reach’, so if i am lucky enough to get a charge on the knights they most probably won’t be able to hit back. In the
‘Options’ table for sergeants I can see that a bill does not cost me any extra points so at the moment I am still looking at 18
points a man.

As you may have noticed flicking through the rule book some of the equipment entries have differing point values depending on which
warrior type they are for. The reason for this is the upgrade cost for the new equipment relative to the chosen warriors starting
equipment. In this example a Falchion costs 2 points and a bill costs 2 points so there is no additional cost when swapping them
over. When choosing an alternative option from the available selection, the new choice will replace the standard equipment. There
are few exceptions to this, for example a lance can be taken alongside a sword or other hand weapon and this is reflected in the
point cost. If a warrior has weapon choice you may take an additional ranged weapon, again this is reflected in the points cost
in the warrior entry.

As I want this group to be able to stand up to Knights on warhorses which can pack a serious punch it would be a good idea to
upgrade my armour to mail. This will reduce the score needed when making a defence roll by one at the cost of reducing movement as
they have to carry the extra weight around. This is a sacrifice I am willing to make to give my lads a chance against those lances.
This upgrade does come at a cost of 1 point per model which bumps my total up to 19 points per man.

The final thing I want to add to improve my groups chances of survival in the battlefield role I have in mind for them is a shield.
To keep the cost down I am going to go for a medium shield. It will offer some protection but still means I can afford a decent
sized group in my Retinue. Shields are effective but come at a cost. In this case 3 points, bringing the total for my sergeant up
to 22 points.

<PostImage
  width="734"
  height="571"
  alt="Create group equipment selection"
  src="/images/posts/create-group/create-group-eq-selection.png"
/>

Now all I need to do is decide how many sergeants I want in the group, I think six will give a decent punch and still be large
enough to soak up a few casualties before I need to worry about morale checks. As the cost of a single Warrior is 22, I multiply
this by six giving a grand total of 132 points for this group.

## Command Groups

Command Groups are groups of regular Warriors in your Retinue that have a model with the ‘Commander’ Rule attached to them.
These differ from regular groups in a couple of ways. The commander may be armed differently from the rest of the group, they
are after all rather special and do tend to be pretty unique in most cases. Additionally the group now assumes the commanders
‘Actions’ statistic. If we continue the example above, were my six sergeants to be joined by a Baron to form a command group
the whole group would now use the Baron’s Actions Statistic of three.

Let’s look into this further and upgrade our group of sergeants to a command group. As I don’t want them to be my Retinue
Commander but instead want them to be relatively disposable (they are going to be hunting mounted knights after all) I think
I will go with a Lord to join them. Not quite as high ranking as a Baron but still carrying a weighty title, a Lord will
bring a nice bit of extra punch! The process of choosing the Lord’s equipment and experience is the same as detailed above
but I quite like his standard sword and mail so we will go with that and I think regular experience will suit our needs. I
will, however, give him a medium shield as well as we don’t want him feeling left out. This will add 3 points to his regular
cost making a total points cost of 37.

One way in which choosing a commander differs is they have the option to upgrade members of their Command Group. These options
include some form of Standard Bearer, usually a banner or pennant, a Priest or a Musician. You may choose any combination of
these upgrades, you can choose to take none of them. For this group I think having a pennant will be a nice boost and allow
this Commander to inspire more groups around him on the front line. This upgrade carries a cost of 7 points, bringing the
Lord’s total up to 44.

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It is worth noting at this point that command group upgrades do not add further models to your group but convert an existing
model to a Bannerman, Priest, Musician or other type of warrior. Their statline stays the same and it does not affect how they
fight in battle. You will need to make sure you clearly represent which model has been upgraded as if they are slain in the
fray the Command Group will lose the bonus given by the upgraded warrior.

So, now we have our Commander’s points cost (44) all we need to do is attach him to the group of sergeants on our roster sheet.
The sergeants cost us 132 points so the command group as a whole costs 176 points.

When building a Retinue you can spend up to 50% of your points allowance on Command Groups. This is the cost of the whole
command group, not just the Commander.

---

I hope this helps in the creation of your Retinues and I look forward to seeing what you come up with. Some of us also name our
groups and give them a few lines of story to add to the narrative on the battlefield. For example my personal Retinue contains
a group of crossbowmen known as ‘The Poachers’ these are a collection of local hunters that have been caught hunting in their
Lord’s wood. Due to their exceptional skill in their craft they have been drafted into his close followers rather than punished
as they serve him better setting ambushes and traps than rotting in a cell under the keep.

Creating a group for The Barons' War

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  alt="Mustering your retinue for war"
/>

When creating the Retinue List for The Baron’s War the key concept was choice. We wanted to offer you, the player, the ability to
create really unique and special groups that would drive the narrative of any given game, or even from game to game. As a collective,
us gamers put an awful lot of time into the miniatures that we place on the table and we wanted the way Retinue creation is handled
to honour that time and combine the experiences of hobby time and game time.

Now, I appreciate that not everyone wants this level of customisation and is quite happy to pick up the book and get the game
underway. Never fear! Each entry in the Retinue List comes as standard with enough gear for them to fulfil their role in battle
and put a few holes in the enemy. However, for those of you who like to tinker, theory craft or make the perfect themed Retinue for
your favoured character, custom Baron or local hero (my personal Retinue is built around William De Warenne) each entry comes with a
list of optional equipment suited to their station and battlefield role.

Without further ado let’s look at creating a Retinue…

## Where to Start?

I always find the best place to start is with your Command Groups. They are the heart of your Retinue, depending on your play style you
will want to defend your tactical command or charge your bloodthirsty Baron into the heart of the fray.

We have a large number of pre-made, named characters that featured in The Baron’s War conflict (and some that didn’t) that appeal to a
wide range of playstyles. From The Marshal who is an excellent and respected commander who can turn the tide of the battle with his
tactical expertise to Falkes de Breute who likes nothing better than charging into the horde and cutting as many peasants down as he can.

Once a suitable Commander has been selected (if there isn’t one to your taste you can always use The Knight Commander Generator) it’s
time to surround them with their most trusted warriors or supporters. This group can be made from any of the soldier entries available and
in any number you desire as long as you have the minimum requirement. They can be equipped however you wish, there is no need for the
warriors of the group to share the same equipment as the Commander as you can always use different coloured dice for the differing roll’s.

The final thing to do when creating your command group is to add in any desired upgrades. Banner’s, in my opinion, are a no brainer as they
increase both your order and inspire range. Useful whether you want to command from the rear or be on the front lines swinging swords
(or axes if you are that way inclined). Priests are a great way to boost morale throughout your forces especially in Retinues that have a
lot of green or irregular soldiers. Finally, the musician is an excellent addition if you are planning on issuing a lot of orders especially
useful for Retinues led by King John.

You can take as many command groups as you wish as long as you keep within the Retinue building rules. So repeat the above process for each
command group, but remember only one commander can be the leader of your force and issue orders.

## The Fighting Men

Your command structure is in place, but they need some men to command. This is where you can really personalise your Retinue and add real
flavour (or not if you don’t want to). Some of us went as far as naming their groups and having little backstories for each body of men
that made up the narrative for the whole force (I’ll go into the details of The Cyningesburh Garrison in a later blog).

Really, there is not much I can say on this part, it really is down to the individual and how they want to play the game. All groups have
their strengths and weaknesses. Spearmen, for example, are excellent at stopping a cavalry charge in its tracks with the ‘Brace’ ability
but their humble armour means they will fall fast to a hail of arrows. Knights on the other hand are the medieval equivalent of a modern
tank. A group of Knights decked out on warhorses and lances will deliver a crucial, devastating strike but their over charge rule can
make them unwieldy and prone to being unpredictable if not kept in check. Timing is everything in unleashing them at the right time
into the right enemy to turn the tide of battle.

One thing to bear in mind is, don’t get carried away with all the Knights as you have to take a minimum quantity of green soldiers. This
is 10% of your allotted points allowance, this is not a punishment however, green troops are still capable of heroic deeds and have
tipped the balance of many battles during playtesting. Most of the soldiers available have options for the fresher recruits, my personal
favourite being Militant Monks for their ‘God protects’ Ability or Levy armed with improvised two-handed weapons to rush the enemies ranged
troops and soak up a bit of fire.

## Abilities

The rule book features an extensive list of abilities that can be given to your groups to make them really unique and hopefully fit with
your narrative. They are by no means compulsory, but there is no finer moment than your opponent realising that those Knights that have
just smashed into his or her flank are actually armed with the finest Damascus steel blades, or shrugging off a would-be deadly attack
with some ice-hardened mail.

I hope this has helped somewhat when it comes to building your Retinue and we look forward to seeing them and what yarns are woven through
the groups included and their exploits on the table. Next time I will talk more about my themed force featuring William De Warenne at
its core.

The Baron's War