Robin Hood - "Final Plan" on page four 4/22/2024 US Style

[FifteensAway]

Glad to see my 'left field' concept not entirely implausible - it is just a game after all! 

Irregular Miniautres is a good thought, will have to check them out again.  I actually have an order from them in transit - though for something else entirely.  Customer service from them has always been stellar.

Maniac, I love your #1 scenario concept - that is the sort of thing I was hoping for from my OP.  And #2 is good for me - I have plenty of appropriate figures for both a monastery as well as a convent.  Oh, and unrelated, I have figures with dogs (Prince of Thieves).  For #3 I have the castle linked to above and another much larger one I can put together - but almost all stone cast so some concerns about durability.  #4 is one of the reasons I asked about detail bits - though I'm certain some things will have to be scratch built.

A wagon being escorted and taken, prisoners being rescued are good scenario thoughts.  Hmm, maybe Robin and company out redistributing wealth get interrupted and have fight their way out and still protect the "innocents"?

I guess what I am working through is trying to decide how many figures I want to use for this - I have CONSIDERABLY more than enough.  As to where have they come from - well, some from Splintered Light (primary source), I think some from Essex, maybe some from Irregular, QRF Freikorps probably, maybe some Minifigs.  Really too long ago to remember them all.  Museum Miniaures for some.

As constituted some years ago - without ever getting near a paint brush - I had groups of three "leaders" with one of them being a Named Character and then 12 henchmen per group.  So, Robin Hood gets 12 archers + 2 (Maid Marian and Azim), Little John gets 12 men with staffs, etc.  I also have at least a quartet of 12 mounted men matched up (as best possible) with 12 dismounts.  And, of course, Maid Marian - riding side saddle even! 

I am thinking to reduce the henchmen to groups of 6.  Thoughts?

Similarly, I have literally dozens of figures, many dozens, to use as villagers, laborers, some higher born sorts, etc.  What do you folk think is a reasonable number of civilian NPC figures?  My natural penchant has always been "too many" but I am hoping to reduce the painting total to something more reasonable.

For carts and wagons - spoked wheels or solid wood wheels?

[Flying in the face of wanting to reduce total figures for this project is a nagging desire to buy into some of Splintered Lights figures to add in a touch of The 13th Warrior: http://www.splinteredlightminis.com/bearclan1.html. But not the bear rider type stuff, just the people wearing bear sourced hats including riding on horses - just more 'shenanigans' to spice up scenario options.]

Thanks for all the good input - and feel free to keep it coming. 

It is all appreciated.

Off to look again at Irregular and search the 3D print world - who knows, might be stuff out there.

edit: did a tally of the Robin Hood figures: 474!  Of course, that is people, horses, dogs, dismounts, and dead figures, 334 "individuals" (62 horses, 52 dismounts, 8 dogs, 20 dead), 96 are villagers with some being "mobs" and 4 dog handlers.  Fairly easy to reduce to about 180 "individuals"

[Hitman]

I got the prison wagon from Etsy. It is 28mm heroic. I also picked up a nobleman's wagon as well. I don't recall if it was available in 15mm. Sorry.
Regards
Hitman
😎

[NickNascati]

As to,rules, I agree that Fistful of Lead is probably perfect.  I do think though that Pulp Alley would be fine as well.  I’ve played lost of medieval games with both.

[Wilgut Spleens]

Spiked wheels for sure

[Wellington Bonaparte]

Great thread with lots of interesting views and ideas.
Wagons for that period would, especially at the poorer end of society have been solid. Even the better heeled are likely to use solid wheels due to the weight of the carriages.

[FifteensAway]

I have another thread going for Three Musketeers and I'm copying and pasting something from that thread about how FFOL can be used to really enhance Robin Hood games just as much as musketeer games:

"And on the rules front, with FFOL and the task roll, I will be including significant Victory Points for players who engage in Cinematic/Dramatic actions with extra credit for those who really get into the character.  And 'might' let players vote on whether or not those VP points need to be awarded and how many but reserve the final decision to the GM.

Oh, and for those who fail their task roll, I will be coming up with possible consequences - with mostly nothing bad but when the roll is failed really badly, then unpleasant to bad things might happen."

I'm not sure of the history but I lean towards the solid wheels, perhaps more influenced by cinema than history - but I could go either way and see no reason can't have both side by side.

[nozza_uk]

As to,rules, I agree that Fistful of Lead is probably perfect.  I do think though that Pulp Alley would be fine as well.  I’ve played lost of medieval games with both.

Another vote for Dragon Rampant. Allowed me to use some of the mystical elements from "Robin of Sherwood".

Also, gave me a "Prince of Thieves" feel too as I had a 'reduced model unit' of Robin Hood, Little John & Friar Tuck taking on a dozen Norman soldiers. Looked very Hollywood on the table.

If you need some scenarios, just ask ChatGPT 

[fastolfrus]

King Arthur and Vikings don't really fit with Robin Hood, but if you went down a Hollywood route to King Arthur you could take all sorts of liberties.
Alan Ladd in the Black Knight would be a prime example as that has pagan villains from Cornwall allied with Saracens facing off against Camelot's finest.
oh and the villains wear horned helmets too.
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&q=the+black+knight+1954+trailer+alan+ladd&&mid=9D56DF24EE028B9A3E289D56DF24EE028B9A3E28&&FORM=VRDGAR

[fastolfrus]

As for Robin Hood, the old 1950s series with Richard Greene (the Adventures of Robin Hood) is quite cliched but has lots of scenario ideas.
https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&q=robin+hood+green&&mid=CA2C0CE3B6EB85551978CA2C0CE3B6EB85551978&&FORM=VRDGAR

Some of the plot lines were possibly influenced by the McCarthy anti-communist hearings - a lot of Hollywood exiles came across the pond and worked under assumed names as scriptwriters etc.

For terrain you'd only need a castle on table for specific scenarios, but Airfix used to have one that looks quite good with 15mm figures

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=1%2f7OaYQ5&id=6265BC5E824396E96CFA711B11A82EA0F8CCBE34&thid=OIP.1_7OaYQ5ad8X9E_RcQIRBgHaFj&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fwww.figurenschnapp.de%2fmedia%2fimage%2f59%2f02%2f7e%2fimage69673.jpg&cdnurl=https%3a%2f%2fth.bing.com%2fth%2fid%2fR.d7fece69843969df17f44fd171021106%3frik%3dNL7M%252bKAuqBEbcQ%26pid%3dImgRaw%26r%3d0&exph=1200&expw=1600&q=airfix+sherwood+castle&simid=608002979900049227&FORM=IRPRST&ck=D6F7F8B23AA821725E65D440EC7ECE8C&selectedIndex=3&itb=0&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0

[FifteensAway]

Rules well sorted for my purposes: either FFOL for smaller games or FFOL:Bigger Battles for larger games.

Inspiration will come from wherever my hyper-driven imagination takes me - so Saracen types might make an appearance, besides Azim of course, Arthurian sorts advanced a few centuries, Vikings are 'close enough' in time since 1066 had them and Robin Hood's actual time frame is loose considering it is a legend rather than history.  And who knows what else.  As mentioned, The 13th Warrior figures grow more tempting with each passing day so I suspect an appearance by them at some point (and the justification for their appearance, well, to paraphrase a famous movie line: "Justifications, we don't need no stinkin' justifications.").

One source I likely will skip will be the made for TV stuff.  I tried watching the first episode of the first season of one and it was so slow paced I just couldn't stick with it - my nickname for the vast majority of television is 'entertainment for unfinished dead people'.  So, movies, books, and mild 'insanity' for inspiration.

The "big" decision still to make - and leaning heavily on reducing - is unit sizes.  Most likely will mirror what I am doing with Musketeers: five man fighting units, mounted or foot (but with dismounts for mounted), six figure unarmed civilian groups and Heroes and Villains.  Individually based on thin round steel discs (lots more on order so I will not run out once they arrive, 3/4" for foot, 1" for mounted and sometimes casualties). 

I'm also well sorted on castles and most buildings though may add more on that front, that's a wait and see.  Plenty of trees for forests ready to hand.  Will borrow in wagons and carts from various sources already owned with types mixed very likely. 

After an errand I will come home to do some more sorting towards getting this collection ready for painting.

So, if I may, let's turn the conversation for essential figures - besides those most obvious to most of us.  What, besides the principle characters, would you include in a collection for Robin Hood games?  What foot figures, what mounted figures with dismounts, any special characters you'd bring in from other stories?  Think in terms of not just small skirmishes but grand skirmishes, too.  100 fighters would not be too many - maybe even that many per side. 

Keep those ideas flowing.
 

[Eric the Shed]

We have run a few scenarios under the banner of 'The Tales of Shedwood' using Lion Rampant...

links
https://shedwars.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-tales-of-shedwood-ivanhoes-rescue.html

https://shedwars.blogspot.com/2015/01/tales-of-sherwood-taxing-day.html

https://shedwars.blogspot.com/2013/11/st-oswalds-tongue-tale-of-shedwood.html

[FifteensAway]

Eric, thanks for the links to the scenarios, they all look like they would make fun games.

I am Super Jazzed.  Been sorting figures - a combination of Arthurian (with no plan in the purchase AT ALL), Vikings, and Robin Hood stuff with the goal of a considerable reduction in total number of figures to paint. 

Serendipity lent a hand when a nephew sent me a photo via text message of his first painted miniatures in many years, a nephew I got started a long time ago.  He is working with a couple of his nephews (my great nephews) to get them going.  So, once I sort out my stuff, I will be sending enough figures to him so he can build and paint (or have his younglings do so) a half dozen small armies for Fistful of Lead gaming in the era at hand (get his dad, his brother-in-law, and eventually his youngest nephew (only 5) in to the mix).

But what really got my juices going is sorting out about 70 civilian men and boys with all but a group of three being unique sculpts - the duplicates are all small children which are few and far between as far as sculpts go so I allowed duplication, just paint with different hair colors.  Not quite so many women and girls but all of them are unique sculpts - three dozen I believe.  Had to pack away a little too fast to get the counts accurate.  About a dozen of the men and a dozen of the women are higher borne types.  There is a small sampling of mounted civilians, all unique, four men, one woman - for now (might add a few more but will be some duplication if so).

The religious men and women - separate from above, a couple of dozen of each, do have a fair amount of duplication but one group of 'monks' has 12 unique figures.  And then there are a half dozen groups of dozen figure "mobs" with improvised weapons, three male mobs, three female mobs (one naked - had them, figured why not, Lady Godiva gone riot), and then one more mob of religious figures with a minor bit of duplication.  And a small group of Druids, a sacrificial victim on a pyre, and some standing stones (again, very anachronistic, but what the heck, why not?).

Those groups of unarmed civilians, the religious figures, and the mobs will really enhance games.

And then?!  I was able to sort out three Viking men foot units with each one having 20 unique sculpts and no duplication at all across the units - and then two female warriors on foot per unit, all unique, and the same with three mounted figures for each unit, again all nine unique (66 unique foot figures, 9 unique mounted figures).  Now that is just super cool to me.  (may add more mounted figures but that will require some duplication from what I have). 

The Vikings on horseback hauling away captives (one in front, one on foot behind - single sculpt) and the captive draped over a separate horse and the other captive men and woman on foot as well as the wounded and dead do have some duplication in each group but easy to live with, one set for each of the three units.  Might add in an overall command group for the Vikings but that might require buying new figures - but only one pack.

All of the above will allow some pretty cool games.

Next up are sorting a Saxon "army" and a Norman "army" to 'defend' the civilians - so they can oppress them without interference no doubt.  Will be less focused on unique figures for the Normans in particular, more uniform, and less so with the Saxons but as much variation as I can achieve, at least for the Saxons.

And I will still be keeping the Robin Hood figures in the mix, both sides getting some units of their own.  What little Arthurian stuff I have may get adapted (though anachronistic) to more of the Robin Hood 'era'.  But I may still give the unique figures Arthurian names, especially names of Knights of the Round Table.  Just move them into my Robin Hood / Viking adventures with interruptions by Saxons and Normans.   

And maybe a "strange brew" Pict "army" from leftovers, this too may need some added figures.

Imagine a game with Vikings raiding civilians with 150 or more unique figure sculpts on the table.  Well, at least until the local "defensive" forces arrive.  Just love having gotten to this point.   

Oh, and not to forget (though almost did), I have at least 10 figures mounted on caparisoned horses with 4 more without riders that I can use to have jousting tournaments.  And I have plenty of appropriate tents.

And best of all, is accomplishing all of this will leave me with several hundreds of figures to dispose of to others, after nephew is sorted I will offer the balance gratis to the local gamers who might be able to create some DBA armies or otherwise make use of them.

[Aethelflaeda was framed]

Wilgut, thanks for the input - are your scenarios/rules available somewhere and do they need any other rules to work?

Pulp Alley is a no go for me - I don't see it handling what I have in mind.

Please keep the scenario concepts flowing.

Another question: just how far out in "left field" would it be if I combined Robin Hood, King Arthur, and Vikings into one game?  I know the Vikings are a bit earlier than some of the Robin Hood inspirational bits and that King Arthur - the potentially historical version - is quite a bit earlier but this is more of a cinematic sort of game than historical which, of course, doesn't apply here since both Arthur and Robin Hood are, at least, as much legend as anything else.

Being based in USA, I don't recall any exposure to the Robin of Sherwood series but I'll do some checking online to see if I can get a peak at it.

Again, keep the ideas flowing.  Everything is appreciated even the stuff I might not use.

Thanks!

Since the Victorians and later often had little concern with historical depictions and Arthur depicted in 15th or 16th century garb, and these are all archetypes or tropes for a ‘Romantic’ game, play on!  9c Vikings are just reskinned 5c Saxons, and a guerilla band of outlaw socialists protecting the peasants could occur anytime and in any culture.

[Maniac]

In terms of knights/Arthur, you have two options. 

Robin wasn't anti-norman.  In some of the older ballads there are Normans he fights alongside (I cannot remember their names now).  So you can easily put a couple of knights into his battle force, or as parts of one side.

In terms of Arthur, Robin is loosely associated with the Green Man, and Arthur is but asleep after all in the fay realm.  Band of Robin's men hide out in a strange forest glen, and wake up in the fay realm where Arthur needs something done?

Oh, another scenario came to mind.  When Robin dies, he shoots an arrow through a window out into the woods.  His men are supposed to burry him there.  So:

Robin/well known member of the Merry Men is dying.  They start the game with a small retinue in a building of some sort.  The dying member shoots an arrow, between 4-6 moves away (randomize distance) and use an artillery dice for scatter once the point is chosen (2D6 inches in the direction of the scatter dice).  While still a powerful bowman, they are loosing their sight, and just sort of shot randomly out the window into the forest.  The rest of the Merry Men have to carry the body (some sort of encumbrance penalty for the carrying model(s), such as -1 inch per move).  Meanwhile, the current Sheriff's men have learned of the plan, and currently have parties out in the woods looking to ambush the Merry Men.

Prior to shooting the bow, they use a hidden deployment (mark on a piece of paper, use power chips with 2-3 extra that are decoys, etc) to set their forces out.  They are only revealed when within charging distance or if they shoot.  Otherwise they stay hidden.

Merry Men win if they can get the body to the grave site and dig the grave (say 3 actions at an easy task roll for FFoL, such that you can have multiple models dig faster, or one model dig slower over several turns).  The Sheriff wins if they can steal the body, and get off a pre-determined exit point.  They can get a minor win if they cut off the head and get that off the board (they want to put him up in a gibbet, but head on a pike outside Nottingham will do).

[FifteensAway]

Another curious scenario there Maniac, thanks.

I have finished almost all of my sorting - save some of the Arthurian stuff, bought from Forged in Battle with no plan in mind as mentioned.

Ended up staying with 12 figure units and for cavalry I skipped the dismounted element.  Did, however, greatly reduce numbers of figures to paint, a lot going to my nephew and more will be offered gratis to local folk, maybe some kept to paint up as prizes for Jousting games (different thread here).

I now have a Robin Hood force, a Sheriff force, a group of civilians with men, women, and a few children plus religious sorts with a small group of Druids in the mix (anachronistic perhaps but why not?) and then groups of religious figures, monks and nuns, and then mobs of figures with improvised weapons, and finally a group of mounted civilians - don't recall the total but enough to populate a couple of towns or villages if I want.  Then I have four more forces that can be used for Robin Hood or for Viking raiding games - and using those civilians: Vikings - three groups of 36 foot figures and 4 mounted figures and then a higher command group, Normans, Saxons, and Picts/Celts (a bit of a miss-mash for the latter).

And, of course, there are Heroic/Villainous folk in the mix.  Still debating how much to base single and how much to base with multiple figures per base.  A few things on order - the last few Vikings I need and the 13th Warrior figures, just a small set for that.  Other stuff on order that might be useful, at least some of it, but mostly figures to build up my Jousting game.

On the "Arthurian" figures, almost all mounted but for three - two can be/are Viking/Saxon types with the third of foot being William, at least one of the mounted figures will be used as a mounted Azeem (not Azim?).  Looks like some of the figures are rather late quilted caparisoned Sarmatians so not quite sure how to fit them in - maybe make them a special escort for Maid Marian in some scenarios, 3 command and 12 line mounted for that grouping.  That still leaves about 20 mounted men to assign a use, maybe some for the Jousting and some for the Robin Hood scenarios. Or!  Maybe use some of them as not great matches but mounted versions for the main named characters - that is probably going to be it!