Saxon Leaders & The Real Robin Hood From Footsore Miniatures

May 9, 2023 by brennon

Footsore Miniatures & Games have released a few new sets for those looking to dive into a bit of Medieval action whilst also venturing back to the Dark Ages. We start this look at these lovely 28mm miniatures with William Of Cassingham!

William Of Cassingham // Footsore Miniatures & Games

William was nicknamed Willikin Of The Weald by the chroniclers and fought during an invasion of the South East by Prince Louis and the French. He took command of a band of guerrillas who were able to sow chaos and havoc down in the Kentish Weald.

After fighting during this period and the First Barons' War, he travelled to Nottingham and might well have been a source of inspiration for the legend that was Robin Hood that came to be. It's always nice to have a bit of the Historical mixed with a dash of folklore to create interesting ideas for tabletop gaming. You could obviously pit William against the French but also perhaps play around with his real-life adventures and turn him into a bit of a Robin Hood going up against some pretenders to the crown.

Late Saxon Reinforcements

If you're seeking to raise up the Fyrds and defend yourself from marauding Vikings and Normans then you can also get your hands on some new Late Saxons. Leading the way is a new Commander but you've also got a Banner Bearer and Musician too.

Late Saxon Fyrd - Commander // Footsore Miniatures & Games

Late Saxon Fyrd - Banner Bearer // Footsore Miniatures & Games

Late Saxon Fyrd - Musician // Footsore Miniatures & Games

This gives you three new miniatures for leading the way during the Dark Ages. The Commander can lead the way for your regular band of surly spearmen and the Banner Bearer is there to make sure everyone is in the right place. Last but not least, you've got a Musician who can sound the charge.

The Fyrd was a Saxon army that was made up of the different free peoples who were called on to defend their country against invading forces. They could also be summoned by the various lords of the land for any number of campaigns. A Fyrd could comprise experienced veteran soldiers but also a lot of villagers and farmers that would need to fight or their homes were going to be burnt down. You'd also be expected to bring your own arms and armour (for what it was worth) and so that meant a lot of spears and very few swords unless you had one passed down from father to son.

Late Saxon Fyrd With Spears // Footsore Miniatures & Games

With that in mind, you can also get your hands on a bunch of Fyrdsmen with spears at the ready. If you're looking to get stuck into a Hastings-style affair then you might want to snap up these fellows and start using them for a bit of army-building. I hear SAGA is a pretty darn good set of rules. Oooh, or Conquest of course!

A nice variety of Saxon options are now available plus you can pick up that historic "Robin Hood"!