Some Chivalric Characters

I thought I would show off some of the chivalric characters for my early Medieval troops whilst musing about how to utilize them in Hail Caesar. My collection has, in my view, a decidedly Arthurian feel to it. One of the tropes in the Arthurian stories are these knights showing up all in solid coloured livery and matching shield, so I took some of the figures I thought had a bit more character and turned them into such champions.

I was thinking assigning these champions some of the special rules from Hail Caesar, and as long as they are alive (make them test for wounds in combat just like a general) the unit they are with would benefit from that rule.

Of course we have to have a Black Knight. He may not be completely evil, but he is a force of chaos and lawlessness, defying the rule of law which Arthur, and of course Good Count Raymond, wish to impose on their truculent barons. He's usually with the Black Company's cavalry.

The Black Knight

Next of course is the White Knight, heroic and virtuous. A knight without peer or reproach. This is a Gripping Beast Norman figure I got in a random assortment. I thought he looked defiantly heroic and rather tired. Just the sort of guy to keep fighting against the odds because it's the right thing to do. His shield is white, but with some cut marks on it.

The White Knight

I always enjoyed Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in school. The idea of a 'fairy knight' in archaic armour and lost in time appealed. I also wanted to paint one of the Games Workshop LOTR Rohirrim, just because.

The Green Knight

Next up is the Red Knight, full of berserk rage and leading furious charges against the enemy. He's from the Old Glory Crusader Command set.

The Red Knight

Of course, the Courtly Romances of the era often feature troubadour knights, wooing the ladies with songs and using their wit to defeat their enemies. The knight is from Old Glory's Norman Command pack from a anecdote about a Norman Knight who inspired William's host before the battle with the 'Song of Roland'. His fool is the old Games Workshop jester, which I got back when GW had a warehouse in Canada and you could buy separate bits.

Guillame d'Or, Troubadour Knight with his fool

They count as two figures in a cavalry unit obviously. The fool's acrobatics and quick wits making up for his lack of a horse and weapons, obviously.

Yes, they are inspired quite a bit by the similar character in a very old Bretonnian army list from a few editions ago of Warhammer.

Finally there's the Brown Knight, or Hermit Knight, Sir Abelard. He went to the Holy Land, was presumed dead and his true love went into a convent. When he returned after many years, he took vows of poverty and chastity and lives in a small hermitage, patrolling the roads for bandits. He looks old and grouchy to me. He's from the OG Crusader Command Pack and is supposed to be the Hospitaler Grand Master.

The Hermit Knight

Cardinal Berengar is a command figure. He's from the OG Crusader Command and is supposed to be Grand Master of the Knights Templar, but I have little use for Religious order knights in my setting. I thought a devious clergyman encouraging Fulk in his rebellions might be just the thing. So he gets a good command rating (9) but adds few combat dice (1) if he gets stuck in.

Cardinal Berengar

Here is Iago the Black, Mercenary Captain of the Black Company. Cunning and intelligent, he gets decent command rolls (command 9, combat +3). He is also the only figure I purposely bought for the Black Company. The rest were second hand dark age figures bought cheap and unified with some black paint and wash to hide their otherwise garish paint schemes

Iago the Black, Captain of the Black Company

Fulk the Bastard, illegitimate son of Raymond (he wasn't always so good in his youth and now suffers for it) with his Raven standard. He's from the OG Norman command pack. I had my friend Dan add the hawk to his out stretched hand, because otherwise he looked kind of goofy. He is Command 8, combat +2.

Fulk the Bastard, the constant rebel

Good Count Raymond, patron of the arts and sciences, a kind and just lord to his folk. He's taking his role as Lord of the Realm very seriously. Command 9, combat +2.

Count Raymond

Henry the Lion. One of Raymond's major Barons. A more traditional fighting, hunting, feasting kind of lord and less into the benefits of education. But he is a just lord in his own rough and ready way. Command 8, combat +3.

Henry the Lion

I am of course still on the look out for a suitable Blue Knight figure. And I haven't totally ruled out a company of religious order knights, I just haven't figured out the back story to fit them into the realm of Mantovia.