Landwasters and Raven Feeders”: Official rules for Lion
Rampant in the Dark Ages
Back in issue 331 (May 2015) of the superbWargames Illustrated magazine, I looked at how to raise a
Warband (which seems a more suitable title for this period than the medieval ‘Retinue’; your
Leader is restyled as your Warlord) for your preferred Dark Ages nation, and added a list of Boasts
more suited to the Dark Ages.
As that issue now seems almost impossible to find, according to some eager correspondents who
have been in touch, here I present an abridged version of the article so that the Dark Ages Lion
Rampant love can be shared!
I’ve removed a certain amount of background info, some of the sample warbands, and of course you
see none of the lovely photos that accompanied the article – but this blog entry does give you
everything you need to play ‘Landwasters and Raven Feeders’.
But if you do find a copy of issue 331, snap it up!
Troop Types and Points Values
The upgrades available in this period are more limited than for medieval Retinues, and the
appropriate ones may also be found in the conversion table.
LION RAMPANT TROOP TYPES: DARK AGES WARBAND CONVERSION
Medieval Troop Dark Ages Allowable Notes
Type Troop Type upgrades
Mounted Men-at- Cataphracts Mounted bows This troop type
Arms should only be used
to represented fully
armoured cataphracts
on fully armoured
horses.
Mounted Serjeants Mounted Mounted bows The Warlord’s
Companions bodyguard and his
best fighters;
sometimes they
would fight on foot,
sometimes mounted.
Mounted Yeomen Riders Javelins The majority of
Expert horsemen in the Dark
Ages fall into this
category:
unarmoured, and
using either javelins
or bows.
Foot Men-at-Arms Foot The Warlord’s
Companions bodyguard and his
best fighters;
sometimes they
would fight on foot,
sometimes mounted.
Foot Serjeants Upper Class Expert Armoured spearmen,
Spearmen equipped with body
armour as well as a
shield.
Schiltron renamed
Shieldwall.
Fierce Foot Warriors Impetuous warriors
fighting in a much
looser formation than
spearmen.
Foot Yeomen Lower Class Javelins Unarmoured
Spearmen Mixed Weapons spearmen, equipped
with only a shield.
Schiltron renamed
Shieldwall.
Note that they cannot
be upgraded to
Expert!
Serfs Villagers Should be rare: only
usable if defending
against aiders, etc.
Archers Archers Slingers (-1 point, Units of bowmen
range 12”) would be fairly rare,
Bidowers/Skirmishers
and Foot Yeomen
with Mixed Weapons
being better
representations of
missile fire for many
Warbands. Note that
they cannot be
upgraded to Expert!
Crossbowmen Crossbowmen Only usable by a very
limited number of
armies in this period.
Bidowers Skirmishers Sometimes
specifically trained,
sometimes skilled
hunters or woodsmen.
New Upgrade: Holy Men & Banners
‘Holy Men & Banners’ special characters
Available to: Any unit except for Skirmishers or Villagers; units containing your Leader may
not take this upgrade.
Cost: 1 point per unit.
Maximum of 1 special character per unit.
Special characters may not transfer between units.
Replace one ordinary model in the unit with a special character. This special character
moves, fights, and acts in all ways like any other model in the unit.
Units with a special character gain +1 to all Courage tests (in the same way as, and in
addition to, being within 12” of their Leader – see page 11 of the rulebook).
Test for the death of special characters in the same way as Leader Lucky Blows.
A player killing an opposing unit’s special character gains +1 Glory.
New Boasts
3 GLORY BOASTS
“I have prayed to the Gods and they have listened!”: For the duration of the battle, you
may never have more than one Battered unit on the table. If you last until the end of the scenario
with this being the case, you get your glory; your units may be destroyed, just not visibly losing
faith in the face of their enemies.
“Your shields are as strong as the walls of my mead hall”: None of your units may be the
‘loser’ in a melee in this game.
“They will cower before me”: At least three enemy units on the table must be Battered at
any one time.
2 GLORY BOASTS
“Burn their homes”: If the table has at least one building on it, and you’re not playing a
scenario where your objective is to burn these (or one where you are defending them!), you may
Boast that you will burn at least of the buildings down. See the rules in Scenario F for how to do
this.
“They will tremble before me”: At least two enemy units on the table must be Battered at
any one time.
“And I shall drink my mead while my wolves ruin their sheep”: Confident in victor, you
decide to go drinking rather than be present at the battle – your warriors are capable enough to win
without your help. Your Leader’s unit may not move or take any action all game. If you are required
to roll any dice for this unit or move it in any way, your Boast fails.
“We shall avenge them”: Secretly choose one enemy unit; you must destroy or rout it during
the battle to avenge the dreadful deeds it has previously inflicted on your people.
1 GLORY BOASTS
“Plunder their dead”: On a turn following their enemy being wiped out or routed, one of
you units must stand in place and take no action in the game (they are looting the bodies). If
disturbed by having to move or fight, the opportunity (and Glory) is lost. This Boast may be taken up
to three times, and used/scored on that many occasions in a scenario.
“Drive them back into the sea”: You must make at least one enemy unit Retreat off the
table during the game.
“Their arrows shall be lost like tears in rain”: None of your units may be ultimately routed
or destroyed by missile fire (they may take missile casualties, but this cannot be the cause of their
removal from play).
Playing with Smaller Numbers of Models
If you’re playing using a Saga warband – for example – you might find that you don’t have enough
models to field a full sized force for Lion Rampant. Two choices have been popular with players
using smaller numbers of models:
Field Warbands consisting of only 12 or 18 points rather than the standard 24 points. Ignore
the Courage test trigger ‘Retinue has had half or more of its total points value of units removed
from play.’
Field half-sized units (3 or 6 models); use the rules exactly as written, and remember that
numbers are rounded down in the rules … meaning that a 3 model unit counts as under half strength
when reduced to 2 models! Courage tests are less likely to be failed and casualties will mount up
quickly, meaning you’ll have faster, bloodier battles.
Sample Warbands
As with the rulebook, these lists are not hard and fast lists that players must abide by; rather, they
are suggestions to base your own Warband on.
Anglo-Saxon
2 Foot Companions* @ 12 points
1 Upper Class Spearmen @ 4 points
2 Lower Class Spearmen @ 6 points
1 Skirmishers @ 2 points
Arthurian British
3 Mounted Companions* @ 12 points
2 Riders with Javelins @ 6 points
2 Lower Class Spearmen @ 6 points
Pictish and Scottish
2 Riders with Javelins* @ 6 points
3 Lower Class Spearmen with Javelins @ 12 points
3 Skirmishers @ 6 points
Viking
2 Foot Companions* @ 12 points
2 Upper Class Spearmen @ 8 points
1 Warriors @ 4 points
