Ravensrodd needs miniatures... so I need to get sculpting. But before I can start sculpting, I need to plan what to sculpt!
So, I started by listing out the different types of companies that will be in the game, and then working out exactly what figures I'd need for them. These would just be the starting lists, and could be added to later, but it would give me a basic list to work to.
I needed to keep it fairly short, so that I would be able to do the sculpting without investing to many months in it; but with enough figures that there would be the variety people would expect to see. I've settled on 6 different companies, and each will have about 10 figures, so I'll be sculpting 60 or so for the basic game.
The first company I'm working on is The Outlaws. They're a sort of 'Robin Hood and his Merry Men' style group, robbing from the rich, but not really giving to the poor... in fact, they are more likely to be robbing from the poor – slimmer pickings, but much less risk!
The basic sculpting list for the Outlaws consists of a Gang Leader, 3 Rogues, 2 Thugs, and 2 Cut-throats. All with either light armour, or no armour, and a mix of basic weapons – bows, quarterstaffs, swords, daggers and the like. I'll also need to sculpt some dogs for them; 3 lean-looking Hunting dogs, and a couple of heavier Guard dogs.
The dogs will also be used for the second company, The King's Men, also known as a Posse Comitatus. These are the forces of law and order in Ravensrodd; although to be honest, they are just likely to be as corrupt and criminal as the Outlaws – this is the 14th century after all! Anytime the Hue and Cry is sounded, these characters will be looking for a way to turn an easy profit from the situation...
For the King's men I'll need to sculpt a Bailiff, probably with sword and armour, 3 well armed and equipped Constables, a Capital Pledge and 3 Tithing Men. These last two types are peasants, and are pretty poorly armed, but help make up the numbers.
The third group is The Sellswords. The wars with Scotland and France had led to a huge increase in the number of knighthoods, and a lot of these newly-made knights had to find ways to make money when they weren't fighting for the King... hitting people with a sword and taking their money was often the preferred option!
On the sculpting list are an armoured Knight, 2 Men-at-arms, 3 Squires, and 3 Archers. As a company, they are the hard-hitters in Ravensrodd; exceptional in a straight up fight. Still, however deadly a Knight is, stick a knife in him from ambush, or swamp him with peasants, and he'll still go down...
Those are the first three Companies, and all are fairly straightforward... but the next three Companies make things a little bit weird...