Hail Mighty Readers and Followers of the Luck Gods Math Rocks,Whilst here at Totally Pawsome we're predominantly a Fantasy/Sci-Fi Wargamer, there are times when historically based titles grab our attention. As huge fans of the Bretonnian's and Golden Era Films like The Flame and the Arrow, Robin Hood, El Cid etc, and books by authors like Bernard Cornwell, we have a real love of Knights and archers. So when we had the opportunity to interview Andy Hobday of Wargames Atlantic, we couldn't wait to ask a fair few questions about The Baron's War. Here is the interview:
Totally Pawsome: What is it about the period that appeals to you?
Andy Hobday: There is something about the early thirteenth century that has always felt like the medieval period to me. A knight looks like the knight I imagined when I was a child: mail, a great helm, a shield and a surcoat. There is no plate armour and the heraldry is still in its infancy. The designs are simple, bold and practical because the visual language of heraldry is only just being established.
I also love the different levels within an army. Alongside the wealthy knights, you have professional soldiers such as serjeants, household retainers and poorly equipped levies who may have been pressed into service. They do not all look alike or fight alike, and that gives a retinue a great deal of visual and narrative character.
The period also has a strong local connection for me. I live near Lincoln, where the final land battle of the First Barons’ War was fought in 1217. Lincoln Castle also holds one of the surviving copies of Magna Carta. This history is not confined to a distant place. I can walk around the castle where William Marshal’s forces fought and won one of the defining battles of the conflict.
TP: What did you want The Barons’ War to capture?
AH: Most encounters during the period were relatively small affairs. They were local disputes, raids, ambushes and clashes between rival lords rather than enormous armies meeting for a day-long battle. They were rarely protracted, and once one side lost its nerve, the situation could change very quickly. That is why morale sits at the heart of the game.
I also wanted troop types to behave as you would expect. Mounted knights are the tanks of the medieval battlefield. If they reach the right target at the right moment, they are terrifying. Ranged weapons are dangerous too, particularly if you are caught in the open without cover or decent armour.
The game is scalable, so you can begin with a small encounter and build towards something much larger without changing the rules. The only real difference is how long the game takes. It remains the same system and continues to produce the same difficult decisions, whether you are commanding a small retinue or a sizeable force.
TP: What makes The Barons’ War different from other medieval games?
AH: At its heart, The Barons’ War is about using the right troops for the right job. You cannot expect a group of levies to do the work of mounted knights, but that does not make the levies useless. Put them in the right place and they can hold ground, protect a flank or become a surprisingly effective speed bump.
There is quite a lot of granularity within the system. You have different types of warriors, different levels of experience and abilities that can further define what a group or character can do. That gives players plenty to think about when building a retinue, but the real value appears once the figures reach the table.
For me, those choices create decisions and stories. Narrative scenarios and objectives ensure that a battle is about more than destroying the opposing force. Every game produces moments that the players talk about afterwards: a clever decision, a disastrous failure, a unit holding when it had no right to, or a plan falling apart because somebody committed their knights too early. The result matters, but the story created by the players’ decisions is what stays with you.
TP: How closely do you follow the history?
AH: I describe The Barons’ War as a historical game rather than a historical simulation. History has shaped how the game looks and plays, and I have stayed as close to it as I reasonably can, but I have never been dogmatic. Gameplay must come first.
The game is completely open when it comes to creating your own retinue. There is a character creator that allows you to build your own lord, give them abilities and begin creating their history through play. We have also produced profiles for named historical characters if you would rather command someone who took part in the events of the period.
Those profiles are based on what history tells us, although we allow ourselves a little room where the surviving evidence is incomplete or contradictory. A profile still has to be enjoyable to use and should create a recognisable character on the tabletop. Strict adherence to an uncertain detail is not worthwhile if it makes the game worse.
TP: What would you recommend to somebody trying the game for the first time?
AH: We recommend starting with a 500-point retinue, which is roughly 25 to 30 models. Everything you need to begin playing is included in the starter set. That is a proper force rather than a cut-down tutorial army, and you can happily continue playing 500-point games for as long as you like.
If you want to expand, the next step is usually 750 points. That only requires a few additional groups, so you can grow the starter retinue without suddenly facing an enormous painting project.
You do not need to know a great deal about medieval history before you begin. The books provide a high-level overview of the period and guidance for anyone who wants to read further, but the game should be able to draw people into the history rather than demanding that knowledge at the door. We also have a large and friendly Facebook group where new players can ask questions, share their forces and learn more about the period.
TP: Do you have a favourite unit or miniature from the range?
AH: I love the latest command box sets. They contain four completely new and very characterful bodies, along with a wealth of parts that can also be used to update the existing plastic knights and serjeants. They are full of the useful, interesting bits that allow you to build named characters from history or make a command group that is entirely your own.
In game terms, I have a soft spot for my levies. They are not glamorous, but they can make a very useful speed bump. Mounted serjeants can be a real terror if they are used properly, which brings us back to matching the troops to the job.
I am also looking forward to fielding a new group of militant monks, particularly with Wargames Atlantic about to release a new plastic set containing plenty of characterful options. They should be great fun both to build and to use.
TP: What is coming next for The Barons’ War?
AH: The next immediate releases from Wargames Atlantic are the militant monks and outlaws. Both should add a great deal of character to existing retinues and open up some interesting possibilities for scenarios.
We are also currently laying out a new supplement for The Barons’ War. I cannot reveal too much about that yet, but there will be more to share soon.
After that, we will head to Outremer. It is a very different arena in which to fight. It introduces the Military Orders and the local forces of Islam, both of which have their own distinctive ways of fighting. The environment itself also becomes an opponent. A Frankish soldier covered in metal armour may be well protected, but fighting in that heat brings a completely new dynamic to the rules.
TP: Where could the rules system go in the future?
AH: If we are able to cover the full historical period for Outremer, I would then love to head into Eastern Europe and explore the Holy Roman Empire, the Polish principalities and the many opponents they faced.
I would also like to take the rules backwards through history. One possibility would be Conquest as a starter set, followed by games covering the Heptarchy, the late Roman West and the Romano-British period.
These would be distinct games built upon the same rules engine. Each period had its own character, and it would be important to capture that on top of the underlying system. I would never want a late Roman game to feel like The Barons’ War with different miniatures. The shared mechanics should make the games familiar, but the armies, scenarios and battlefield pressures must belong to their own time.
TP: If you had an unlimited budget, what would you make?
AH: My answer would be to expand Warhost. I have been building its background and developing ideas for it for around twenty years. Having the freedom to fully realise my own setting for narrative-driven fantasy skirmish games would be just about perfect.
Warhost is powered by The Barons’ War rules, but it has its own world, conflicts and identity. It gives me the chance to bring together everything I enjoy: characterful miniatures, grounded warfare, meaningful decisions, narrative scenarios and a setting that can continue to grow through play.
With an unlimited budget, I would want to explore that world properly through miniatures, books, artwork, stories and campaigns. It is a genuine passion project rather than simply another product range.
TP: How did you first become involved in tabletop gaming, and where do you see your career going?
AH: It began when my dad bought me a copy of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain when I was ten. The book completely captured my imagination because it gave me choices and made me feel as though I was participating in the adventure rather than simply reading about somebody else’s.
The following year, Dungeons & Dragons took that idea even further. Suddenly there were no limits imposed by the pages of a book. It also introduced me to miniatures and Games Workshop. Seeing the sheer number and variety of miniatures available eventually led me to first edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle, and that became the springboard into everything else.
After more than thirty years working professionally in the tabletop games industry, I am very fortunate to have the working life I want. I can write and develop games, work with talented people and continue creating new projects. Alongside that, I have Warhost, which allows me to develop something deeply personal.
I have a great deal of respect for the entire independent wargaming scene. It is a real hotbed of ideas and continues to generate interesting projects. In particular, I admire Paul Hicks. He is one of the best traditional miniature sculptors working today and part of an unfortunately dying breed. His are the sort of miniatures I grew up with, and they still have a quality and personality that I love.
I also have a lot of respect for Barn at Void Scar Miniatures. He is tireless in the way he promotes his game and miniatures. Both are excellent, but creating them is only part of the job. He is putting in the long yards needed to get them in front of as many people as possible, and I know how much work that takes.
If somebody has not already tried The Barons’ War, I hope this has made them interested and excited enough to give it a go. Failing that, I hope they will join the Facebook group and find out more. At the very least, I hope they leave knowing the name William Marshal, the man remembered as the Greatest Knight.
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