I had purchased two starting factions last year (2024 if you read this in the far future) with the intent of teaching gamers to play at my LFGS, yet left these miniatures abandoned in a box in my game room. Fast forward 2025 where I went all in with the preorder of the second edition. The shame of having abandoned my former retinues finally drove me to action and this project was born. The intent is to paint several retinues for BArons’ War, stating with my original metal ones along with an amount of terrain that will populate the fields of their glorious confrontations.
Lord Theobald of Ashenmere
First of my two original factions, the Chosen Men, seems like a good place to start. Armed with my favorite cat AI, I designed a lord, Lord Theobald of Ashenmere and went to work.
I cleaned the minor flashing of the miniatures before gluing them to their bases. Due to the fact the miniatures have a metal base, however quite thin, I decided to use Vallejo basing texture to cover the base, with the intent of priming the miniature, including the base and covering it afterward with flocking, rocks and the occasional vegetation.
- Flesh: Cadian Fleshtone (GW) (any Caucasian flesh tone is ok).
- Clothes: The goal was to create a series of non uniform miniatures (save for the surcoat, but more about that later)
Pants: Administratum Grey (GW) – Mechanicus Standard Grey (GW) – Baneblade Brown (GW) – Ushabti Bones (GW) – Gorthor Brown (GW)
Shirts: Gorthor Brown (GW) – Ivory (Vallejo) – Loren Forest (GW) – Elysian Green (GW) – Khorne Red (GW)
Reinforced Jerkin: Ushabti Bones (GW) – V88 (GW)
Shoes: Choice of any short or shirts colors
Some detailed were added for belts (various speedpaint leather colors), bags (various speedpaint browns) and coifs (off white)
Surcoats: were painted black with Russ Grey highlights and a coat of Nuln Oil to consolidate the color. I will go back to the heraldry later but the (AI generated) graphic presents the symbol I paint on the regular troops chest (right).
Highlights: Once the strong tone is dry, I reapplied the original color, sometimes highlighted with a little white, to the raised areas of the clothes. The same was done to the face before I painted the eyes.
4.Basing
All miniatures were varnished with one coat of AK Interactive Gloss Varnish followed by one coat of AK Interactive Ultra Mat Varnish on the non metallic parts.
Bases received a coat of Burnt Sienna, washed with a home made dark brown wash.
I then used green flock covered with a layer of liquid craft glue (for handling resistance). Each base was then adorned with one set of tall grass and one set of flowers from the most excellent Gamers Grass. Note that I used the flower colors to differentiate the faction as well as placed them on opposite sides of the base to differentiate the units within the faction (many thanks to the Barons’ War Facebook group for the tip).
Spearmen were painted identically to the bowmen . Spears were given a Wildwood (GW) base and highlighted with Gorthor Brown (GW).
I primed the shields manually with a white primer and them painted the inside with Wildwood (GW) and Hardened Leather (AP) for the straps.
The foot sergeants were painted similar to the other troops, wearing tabards from Lord Theobald of Ashenmere (my retinue lord) but bearing their family shields (which I generated using my AI sidekick).
Last but not least, I painted my lord and his command group, with a pennant bearer, a musician and a priest added. I drew and painted the banner on paper (always give a line of color on the inside as it helps with assembly and avoids white lines where they do not belong). Also, please be aware that AK Interactive Ultramatte varnish should NOT be used on paper banners as it give them a white stain that has then to be remedied (painstakingly).
Here are a few details about Sir Theobald of Ashenmere:
Lord Theobald of Ashenmere
A minor but proud marcher lord, sworn to protect the old Roman road through the Forest of Dean. His family held their lands since the days of the Conquest, though his power waned under John’s rule.
House Motto:
“Truth, Though It Burn”
Lord Basset Retinue
For the loyalists, I decided to start with Lord Basset, mostly because I had easy access to his banner and shields decals and also because I could fit him in an extended army alongside Falkes de Bréauté.
I started with the archers, assembled and painted identically to the archers for Lord Theobald of Ashenmere retinue (see previous entries in the project. I only added the f0olowing colors to the clothes, as well as introduced Lord Basset’s colors on two of the archers tabards.
Flash Fitz Yellow (GW) – Skrag Brown (GW) – Thunderhawk Blue 9GW) – Mournfang Brown (GW) – Tuskgor Fur (GW) – Caliban Green (GW)
The spearmen , being part of one of the original starter sets, were, for some identical to the other retinue and i made a point to differentiate them by adopting different clothes colors as well as having many of them adorne Lord Basset tabards.
Below are two units and the last miniature in each unit is 3D printed from Styriwar. They are slightly taller than the Footsore miniatures but then again all soldiers were not the same height.
Next on my Lord Basset retinue were the foot sergeants, which I used my trusted AI sidekick to flesh out.
1. Sergeant Godwin Alward of Drayton
- Origin: From the village near Basset’s main manor.
- Role: Spear sergeant, known for discipline and loyalty.
- Heraldry:
- Field: Or (gold)
- Charge: A single sable (black) bend
- Symbolism: The black diagonal stripe represents loyal service under arms.
2. Sergeant Lambert de Wychebrok
- Origin: From a farming family in the marshy hamlet of Wychebrok.
- Role: Skilled with the longbow, often deployed as a scout.
- Heraldry:
- Field: Vert (green)
- Charge: A silver (argent) fess wavy
- Symbolism: The wavy fess represents the local stream and Lambert’s knowledge of the land.
3. Sergeant Oswin Redhale
- Origin: From the hills of Redhale, near the Staffordshire border.
- Role: Axe-bearing sergeant, served in close guard to Lord Basset.
- Heraldry:
- Field: Gules (red)
- Charge: A cross patée sable
- Symbolism: Marks loyalty to the faith and martial readiness.
Sergeant Edwin of Lynford
- Origin: From a hamlet under Basset lands in Staffordshire.
- Role: Veteran shieldman in the front rank, known for steady courage.
- Heraldry:
- Field: Azure (blue)
- Charge: A single Or (gold) mullet (five-pointed star)
- Symbolism: Represents vigilance and earned distinction.
5. Sergeant Thedric Blaythorn
- Origin: Son of a charcoal burner from the Blaythorn woods.
- Role: Agile skirmisher with javelin and hand axe.
- Heraldry:
- Field: Sable (black)
- Charge: A chevron Argent (silver)
- Symbolism: The chevron for protection, silver for honest service.
6. Sergeant Berwin Cotterell
- Origin: From a family of millers near the River Anker.
- Role: Cart-guard and forager, trusted for logistical duties.
- Heraldry:
- Field: Argent (white)
- Charge: A fess Gules (red horizontal band)
- Symbolism: Symbol of provision and steadfast support.
Finally, for Lord Basset and his knight, and given i was limited by the 4 knights of the starter retinue I chose the following:
Sir Osbert de Ridware
Holding: Ridware, Staffordshire
Background: Osbert’s family managed estates bordering Basset lands. His loyalty was secured through marriage ties. Fought at the Second Battle of Lincoln (1217).
Heraldry: Gules (red) field with a gold (Or) tower.
Sir Fulke de Tamworth
Holding: Tamworth area, Midlands
Background: Fulke was known as an ambitious knight keen on securing greater lands. Aligned with Basset to support the royalist cause in hopes of future rewards.
Heraldry: Azure (blue) field with a silver (Argent) sword upright.
Sir Theobald de Mancetter
Holding: Mancetter, near Atherstone
Background: A pragmatic knight, he supplied a small but disciplined force of crossbowmen. His family’s survival depended on favor from the Marshal and Basset families.
Heraldry: Vert (green) field with three silver chevrons.
