Roll Call: The Seelie (Humans and related monsters for Oathmark)

 The Seelie forces are the humans and their allies against the Unseelie. The Unseelie consider humans to be a blight on the land, and they may have a point from their perspective: humans cut down holy hawthorn bushes, plant their farms over the grave mounds of the Fair Folk and block access to the Other Realm by tolling their bells and chanting their prayers so loudly that none can find their way from Here to There. Humans think that the Unseelie are being unreasonable and making a fuss about nothing.

For more on my head canon for this conflict, see my roll call of the Unseelie. There I lay out the basis for the two main forces of any future game: The Seelie versus the Unseelie.

The Figures

This is the full roll call of human-related figures. The whole force works out to somewhat over 6000 points. There are a few unit types that I do not have for the human forces, but there is still plenty of choice, especially when considering that I can draw on the other species as well. Most of the figures here are Two Dragons Vikings and Normans, with a smattering of Tabletop Games fantasy adventurers plus some ogres from Ral Partha Europe's Demonworld range, and a couple of figures plucked from boardgames.

The whole army arrayed. What are the chances I shall ever field all of it at one time?

Human leaders and champions

These are the elitest of the elite in the human armies. They lead and inspire the other humans to greatness, and many are legends in their own lunchtimes. I have way more character figures than I shall ever field in a single Oathmark army, but it is nice to have a choice.

Tally: 5 mounted and 14 dismounted

Two Dragons Normans and Essex Miniatures Vikings

Human spellcasters

Battlefield support is provided by an eclectic bunch of sorcerous types. Again, I have more than I need but they will all get names and become beloved to me as they achieve glorious sorcerous exploits.

Tally: 7

Ral Partha Europe and Tabletop Fantasy Sorcerers. The TTF ones are scrawnier but carry a much greater weight of nostalgia for me

Human soldiers (and possibly spears)

The rank and file of every human army is a person with a shield and a spear or other hand weapon. Because many of these have spears, I could field them as spear units instead if I choose to, but I am listing them here as soldiers, because I also have an idea of buying figures for a high medieval army with long spears or pikes to use as spear units. I wonder if this is one of those ideas that will never come to fruition. Either way, soldiers or spear units, they are the backbone of the army. Some of these figures have been in my Pile of Shame since the early 90s, so it is a great feeling to have got them all painted at last.

Tally: 80

Two Dragons Vikings and Normans

Human archers

These basic missile troops gain strength from their numbers rather than their individual skill. The carry a range of missile weapons from bows to crossbows to thrown rocks. I lump them all together as basic archers. After all, you cannot afford to be fussy when you are recruiting from the lower echelons of society. At least they do not smell as bad as the militia!

Tally: 43

Two Dragons Vikings, Normans and peasants

Human warriors

The better class of soldier has a chain vest or hauberk as well as their shield and sword/spear.

Tally: 25

Two Dragons Vikings and Normans with two Asgard 15mm barbarians towering over the others at the back

Human linebreakers

Men with big axes or two-handed swords are useful when the heavy cavalry are not suited to the terrain. The linebreakers are just such a shock unit. Armed with large axes and good armour, they are well-practised at cleaving their way through their foes.

Tally: 17

Two Dragons Vikings

Human militia

What they lack in quality they make up for in quantity and pungency. They are also useful for carrying things for the rest of the army.

Tally: 60

A mix of Two Dragons peasants and Essex Mniatures monks

Human cavalry

These are lightly armoured cavalry, usually younger men who have yet to prove themselves, but they are fast and can still hit hard with all the enthusiasm of youth and a young person's firm belief that they will always survive and win.

Tally: 11

Two Dragons Normans

Human heavy cavalry

The heavy cavalry are the elite of society, just one rank below the commanders and champions. They are well-armed, well-armoured and their foes know to fear their thunderous charges. While they might do poorly against a fully-formed unit of soldiers with spears readied, they will almost certainly sweep unprepared infantry away.

Tally: 24

Two Dragons Norman cavalry supported by a couple of Essex Miniatures Vikings

Ogres

These can be either normal ogres or ogre linebreakers according to whim. With the large swords and axes, they are more like the latter, while the former should technically have shields. However, the terrain that gives you ogres makes you choose either normal or linebreakers, so there will be no confusion there.

Tally: 6

Ral Partha Europe Ogres

Buggane

Buggane are large, shaggy ogre-like beings with an innate magical ability. I am using bugbears from the Temple of Elemental Evil boardgame for these. They are larger than I would really like. In scale they are about 25 feet tall, which makes them as tall as giants are meant to be and thus far too large, but I have them and do not need to buy more figures, so I am content with that for now. If I play enough Oathmark, I might replace the figures with some that are more in scale and use the bugbears as giants, but that is a plan for another time.

Tally: 3

Bugbears from the Temple of Elemental Evil boardgame doing sterling proxy service

Giant

Massive humanoid monsters. They are constantly hungry because it is hard to gather enough food when you are this big, so they will fight for food. This is a Mage Knight berserker, who is very giant-like when placed next to 15mm figures.

Tally: 1

Mage Knight Berserker doing service as a giant

Roll Call: The Unseelie (Orcs and related monsters for Oathmark)

 I have enjoyed Oathmark so far, and am planning to play more. So, that means it is time for a roll call and march past of my armies, especially because ... *drumroll* ... I have painted every single Orc and Goblin figure that I have in my collection (unless there are some in hiding in the attic somewhere).

Oathmark's kingdom design system does not constrain you to a single race/species for your armies. I really like this, because it allows for a glorious mix of different peoples in one and the same army, and I think that was a brilliant design decision, despite it leading to analysis paralysis on my part. I mean, with so many good choices, how do I choose just a few? Well, fortunately there are ten territories in your kingdom, so that means plenty of room for all most of my favourite figures. The problem then is deciding which ones to include in any given army for a game.

That said, this post catalogues all the figures I have for territories marked as Orc or Goblin plus Orc-related figures that stand in for other troop types, such as my bear horde which I am treating as Human Cavalry. Although the lists are for Orcs, I am using the same stats for Beastfolk and Lizardpeople, who are honorary Orcs as far as my Oathmark games are concerned.

Time to get on with the last of the human forces now, I guess.

The Seelie versus the Unseelie: My Head Canon

There is a war between the Seelie and the Unseelie. That is, those that side with the human kingdoms and those that oppose them. All non-human types are considered Fair Folk, although whether they appear fair to human eyes is variable. Some definitely do not and the Unseelie often deliberately adopt forms that are repellent to humans! The Orcs fall into this latter category. They are hard to control because they are massively individualistic, but are more numerous than their fairer cousins, the Sidhe (Elves).

Not all Orcs are opposed to the humans, just as not all humans oppose the Orcs, so you can see Orcs in some human armies. That is the joy of Oathmark! However, the majority dislike humans because they desecrate and build on the Fair Folk's sacred spaces, albeit unwittingly in many cases. Even though armies can contain figures from both factions, my plan is to use the two armies that I have for my games, until I add more. Human and Orc figures will not be mixed in the same army until I have more of both, but I am using Human and other stat lines to field equivalent figures. For example, my Bears and Iguanasaurs will be fielded using the Human cavalry stat line, while the Orcs get their air support from Harpies, who will be fielded using the Gargoyle stat line (a neutral faction).

The Figures

So, here's the full roll call. This lot adds up to about 6000 points of Orcs and Goblins, depending what options you choose for the characters. It is more than enough for a lot of gaming with a bit of variety. Despite that, I would really like to be able to field huge numbers of Goblins, but that would entail buying and painting them first. Shame, because the idea of swarming my opponent with cheap troops just appeals. I would also like to add more wolves and wolf riders, plus more Orc warriors and linebreakers to the army as well as some artillery, but that is also a project for another day

The massed forces of the Unseelie Court. That should be enough Orcs and associated types to give almost anyone a headache.

Orc leaders and champions

Big Orcs with big weapons and good armour. Nuff said!

Tally: 4 on foot, 1 mounted

Orc shamans and wizards

The Orcs have a range of spellcasters available to them to provide battlefield support.

Tally: 3

Orc soldiers

The rank and vile of any Orc army is its soldiers. Oathmark has a stat line for Orc spears, so these could be used as those. However, I feel that units of spearorcs imply more discipline and teamwork than my Orcs are supposed to have.

Tally: 80

Orc archers

I don't have many archers for the Orcs yet, but these provide a useful ranged ability. I am inclined to deploy them in small units as skirmishers for the most part. Somehow massed units of Orc archers do not feel quite right to me.

Tally: 30

Orc warriors

Tougher Orcs with better weapons and armour, who fight in a more orderly fashion.

Tally: 20

Orc linebreakers

Orcs with big choppers. They like to get stuck in fast.

Tally: 20

Orc Huntmaster

The Orc Huntmaster leads a troop of cave lizards into battle. This is actually a stat line from the Elf lists, but I felt that the cave lizards fitted this, even if the unit will be far more disciplined than the average Orc unit. I guess cave lizards are more inclined to cooperate than Orcs. Another option would have been to field them as wolves instead, but I already have a wolf pack. I suppose I could have several wolf packs...

Tally: 1 huntsman, 12 lizards, 7 medium rats

Wolves

Sometimes the Orcs and Goblins ally with wolf and rat packs, and some few wolves allow themselves to be ridden by Goblins.

Tally: 9 wolves, 4 giant rats

Bears and Iguanasaurs (Cavalry)

Orcs use bears and iguanasaurs as cavalry troops. They hit hard and fast. These guys use the human cavalry stat line. If I ever buy Orc bear riders, they will be fielded as heavy cavalry.

Tally: 22

Goblin leaders and champions

The toughest and most intelligent of the Goblins.

Tally: 4 on foot, 1 mounted

Goblin shamans and wizards

Battlefield support at a budget price, but with an opportunity cost. They are more likely to cower in cover than their Orc colleagues.

Tally: 4 on foot, 1 mounted

Goblin soldiers

Weedy by Orc standards, but they normal appear in huge numbers, although not in my army yet. I really need a lot more Goblins! Although there are only 13 of them, I could use spacer bases to bulk them out to a unit of 15 to 20, but then they would look even weedier than they do now.

Tally: 13

Goblin archers

Speed bumps? If they get lucky, they can still cause you to have a bad day. There are 13 goblins here. I reckon that fielding them using spacer bases to bulk the unit out to 15 to 20 archers would make it look like a skirmish unit, which might not be too bad for these guys.

Tally: 13

Knucker

The knucker is a giant snake with poisonous breath. Here I am using a 28mm DDM Naga figure.

Tally: 1 Knucker

Trolls

Trolls are some of the larger and more feral of the fey types.

Tally: 6

Harpies

Aerial support for the Orcs. I am using the Gargoyle stat line for these fine ladies. Although I only have 10 of them, they look ridiculous when fielded as a unit of ten because of their big wings, so I use unit spacers to make them look less ridiculous and to field a larger unit while simultaneously cutting down on painting time and saving money. Win win!

Tally: 20

Giant Spiders

These are in the Elf terrain selections, but I just associate giant spiders with Orcs and Goblins from reading The Hobbit when I was wee, so they are in the Orc list for now. I have more if the Elves want their spiders back.

Tally: 6

The Oldest Kin: Lizardpeople for Five Leagues from the Borderlands

 The Salamander Folk of the Northern Wastes are more legend than reality to most. They are the remnants of an ancient civilisation that once ruled the whole of Utavoll but their civilisation fell to internecine intrigue, murder and warfare. Now they live more peacefully in small extended-family groups. However, they can be fearsome foes when their ire is aroused and the more powerful among them know terrible magics that can rend a person limb from limb with just a gesture.

All of the Salamander Folk are from Alternative Armies, except for the Needle Fang Pack which is from Checkpoint Miniatures.

Salamander Folk with light armour

These lizardpeople will stand in for all the foes with light armour, which is most of the list. They are the ordinary clan members. Their scales are hard enough to ward off some blows and they are moderately trained, but they are not normally called to war. Many use the axes and hammers of their day jobs when they go to war, while wealthier Salamanderfolk may have bronze swords.

Salamander Folk with mixed hand weapons (Alternative Armies)

Salamander Folk with partial armour

Some lizardpeople are more warlike than others. These ones supplement their hard scales with a shield and train for warfare . They are the Ravager Brood, the War-Strong Brood and the Battle Champion Brood. Their role in the clan is to defend the others, so that their less warlike clan members can pursue their lives in peace.

Salamander Folk warriors

Salamander Folk with missile weapons

Salamander Folk favour javelins, but some also use bows for hunting. These figures will stand in for any missile troops they need.

The javelineers carry light shields and a small number of light spears that can be thrown or used in melee as needed. The javelin is a favoured weapon in the swampy terrain the Salamander Folk live in. It used both for spearing enemies and for spearing fish and other water dwellers for dinner.

Salamander Folk javelineers (Alternative Armies)

Salamander Folk who specialise in the use of the bow are generally those who have got tired of a diet of water-dwelling food. They are skilled at shooting birds from the surrounding trees and at feathering their foes with arrows whose large heads cause grievous wounds that take an age to heal, if the target survives at all.

Salamander Folk with bows (Alternative Armies)

The Cold-Blooded Priest Band

The priest caste has ruled the Salamander Folk since before records began, which is not surprising because the priest caste are the ones that keep proper records. Unkind people say that they destroyed the records from before they took over society, but all right-thinking people know this is a baseless conspiracy theory. Not all priests sit in the temples writing histories of the Folk. Some go out into the world to ensure that the Folk are maintaining religious standards and not backsliding. These are the Cold-Blooded. Most are armed with standard polearms, but a small number of them have magical polearms with jadeite blades that shoot bolts of green fire. It is said that the Jadeite Polearmes were a gift from the gods, and that only a chosen few, those most pure of heart, can use them.

Salamander Folk priests with Polearms (Alternative Armies)

Salamander Folk priests with enchanted polearms (Missile troops for the Cold Blooded. Alternative Armies)

Hunter Beasts

Hunter Beasts, as the Salamander Folk, call them or Iguanasaurs, as the humans call them, are lizard beasts the size of a large bull. They are used as draught beasts by the Salamander Folk when tamed. Wild Hunter Beasts are not to be messed with. The females in particular are hugely aggressive and protective of their herd, and they will attack if the unwary traveller gets too close to the herd.

Iguanasaurs (Alternative Armies)

Needle Fang Pack

Needle Fangs are the size of a large dog and similarly intelligent. They are trained by the Salamander Folk just as dogs are trained by humans. Their name comes from the many rows of needle-like fangs in their mouths. They are loyal to their trainers and protective of them and their pack. While not particularly deadly when encountered individually, they are mostly found in larger numbers that can be a threat even to experienced adventuring bands.

A pack of Needle Fangs on the hunt (Checkpoint Miniatures)

Welcome to Haitabu! (some town terrain for 15mm fantasy and medieval)

 Welcome to Haitabu. Haitabu is the central marketplace in Utavoll. It was once a small nomad encampment but its central location has made it a meeting place for all who travel across Utavoll. Merchants come here for the big markets and the chance to hear of lucrative opportunities across the land, and many have made Haitabu their base. Unfortunately, this has also made it popular with the Thrappled Lemmings too, but they are out of town, so let us take a look around while the chaos they bring is at a minimum.

I needed buildings for my games and bought the Usborne cut-out models Make this Viking Settlement set because it was cheap, readily available from the local museum, and would only require the effort of building the houses. I do like a set where I don't have to paint anything! The set is closer to HO/OO or 20mm than 15mm, but that is a compromise I am willing to make in favour of the price and the ease of getting it to the table.

The Viking settlement is a card-model set that I have reinforced with foamboard inside. The roofs are removable, as is evident in the pictures below, because some have been knocked and sit slightly out of place. All I did for them is to add a triangle of foamboard to keep each roof in the right shape. Because the roofs are removable, the interiors are playable spaces, even if they are not pretty and decorated at all. The buildings are all stuck to mdf bases and some texturing added. I hope that this makes them prettier and more durable, even if my terrain making efforts are never going to win an award.

The base for the town is the Dave Graffam Cobblestone Streets mat that I printed out and put into a cheap picture frame. I play Five Leagues from the Borderlands at 60% scale in 15mm, so this 70cm x 50cm picture frame offers a playing area equivalent to approximately 45" x 33", which makes it ideal for Rangers of Shadow Deep and Frostgrave too (and, no doubt, many other skirmish games).

The trees are from a local model railway shop and I really need to get more of them. The figures in the images below are a mix of Essex Miniatures, Alternative Armies and Two Dragons.

So, let us start our tour of the town.

Haitabu overview shot

Another overview shot

Young Ketil is throwing stones at a rabbit, while Gunnar is planting turnips in the back yard. Jarl Atli has sacrificed a pig on the platform over his door recently and stands there taking in the view, while one of his serfs, Marit and her child Moldi, watches over his sheep. Jarl Atli hopes that the pig will bring him favourable attention from the gods.

It is turnip planting season all over. Helgi the Leatherworker and Thorbjorn Hammerbreath are also planting turnips on their plots

Meanwhile, a thirsty traveller takes a drink from the town's freshwater spring. (This is a rock pool from the Warlock Tiles Mushrooms and Pools set. It's nominally 28mm but it works for me)

Lady Greta chases sheep and goats from her plot. Her serfs must soon plant turnips too, but she sent them on an errand to collect mushrooms earlier, so her turnip crop will be planted a day later than everyone else's

Lars the Apprentice and Guthorm the Boatbuilder are discussing the best ways to split logs. Lars has lots of ideas and thinks that Guthorm does not think big enough, but he is wrong as usual. Old Forsi, Guthorm's father has just got up and is off to see what the market has to offer. Meanwhile Young Forsi Guthormson is planting turnips just like so many others.

Svarti the Swineherd is tending the pigs in the woods near Haitabu. He knows that the winter sacrifices will be along soon and he is planning on making a lot of bacon out of them. It is traditional to sacrifice a pig at midwinter for luck and good fortune in the new year.

A merchant caravan passes through the streets of Haitabu watched by Jarl Atli and Lady Greta's husband Jarl Tovi. Jarl Atli dislikes Jarl Tovi because Tovi's house is bigger than Atli's. The merchant notices them watching and orders his slaves to stand straighter and put on a show. He hopes that Atli or Tovi will buy the slaves and the other goods he has brought to market. His assistants hope that they will buy the other goods first, because they are sick of carrying them. A goat and a sheep look on incuriously. They know from experience that merchants are not a good source of food for them.

Roadside encounters for Five Leagues from the Borderlands

 Travelling in Utavoll can be dangerous, what with the weather being so changeable and the possibility of meeting bandits or hungry wild dogs. With dangers like these around, most travellers will travel in larger groups and prefer to wait for a merchant caravan that they can join, rather than setting out on their own.

Dust hounds

Wild dogs are a nuisance to most, but can be deadly if encountered in large packs. Utavoll is home to packs of wild dogs. Mostly they avoid settlements, but they are opportunistic when food is scarce and will enter a settlement in the winter to pick off whatever they can get their teeth into.

I'm not particularly happy with the rank and file here, but I like the look of the two leader figures. Can't be bothered going back and repaintng them all yet though.

Iceborn curs (RPE Demonworld)

Petty robbers

These minor thieves are only minor in the sense that they are poorly armed and equipped. If there are enough of them and few enough of you, they will pick your corpse clean.

Unarmoured bandits (Two Dragons and Essex Miniatures)

Roving fiends

The beastmen of Utavoll are rarely seen, but they are generally hungry and not interested in pre-dinner conversation.

There are many different types of beastmen and I am using my werewolves here until I have painted up the beastmen for my Gnawling Horde.

Werewolves (RPE Demonworld)

Rag-tag Brigands, Organised Robbers and Infamous Marauders

Petty robbers aspire to become rag-tag brigands with better equipment and organisation. Rag-tag Brigands are more experienced and better able to take on larger groups of travellers. They may be based in a nearby village and supplement their earnings with a little light larceny.

Similarly equipped to the Rag-tag Brigands are the Organised Robbers, who are outlaws of the greenwood. These well-organised brigands live outside normal society in the forests of Utavoll. They are prone to singing, slapping their thighs and knifing you in the back so that they can take all your wealth.

The most dangerous of the outlaws, the Infamous Marauders have survived their time as Rag-tag Brigands and Organised Robbers to become the most feared and well trained of the robber groups a traveller is likely to meet. Woe betide the poor traveller that is set upon by them.

Light armoured bandits (Two Dragons)

Bandit leaders (Two Dragons)

Goblin war party

There is a reason they call it goblin mode. Mostly goblins want to stay in their caves and slob around. This makes them happy. As long as they are left alone, goblins keep to themselves and rarely bother anyone except on the occasions that they steal a sheep from a local farmer. That can be avoided by not putting your sheep out to pasture near a goblin cave. These guys are not in goblin mode. Someone upset them and now they are on the warpath. They are organised and can be deadly when met in large numbers.

N.B. Goblins rarely go anywhere in small numbers.

The Goblin entry here calls for slingers, but I cannot find any suitable figures, so my Goblins will have bows.

Goblin warriors (RPE Demonworld)

Goblin archers (RPE Demonworld)

Goblin heroes and leaders (RPE Demonworld)

Goblin shamans (RPE Demonworld)

More Goblin shamans (RPE Demonworld)

Stumbling dead

Sometimes the dead do not stay in their tombs, because they have unfinished business on this side of the veil. That said, they seem to have difficulty communicating what they actually want. As a result, Zombies can occasionally be seen roaming the wilderness. They are slow but that does not mean you should ignore them, because they are also relentless and do not need to sleep, unlike you.

Zombies (Alternative Armies and RPE Demonworld)

Northern wolves

Wolf packs generally avoid human settlements unless it is a hard winter. However, this does not apply to travellers in the wilderness, whom the wolves consider to be fair game. It is always best to travel in larger groups if going off the beaten track, because lone travellers may be set upon by a pack that is not able to find its usual prey. If the traveller is particularly unlucky, the pack will be guided by a goblin captain.

Wolves (RPE Demonworld)

Robber baron patrol

Not all hazards are outlaws, brigands and feral beasts. Sometimes the local lord decides that taxation is not enough and sends out his troops to encourage travellers to contribute to the lord's retirement fund. Occasionally, the minions will be accompanied by the baron's champion, or even by the baron himself!

A robber baron and his minions (Two Dragons)

Strange troops

Travellers occasionally report being attacked by troops "who b'ain't from roun' 'ere." No one knows where these troops came from or where they go to, but all report that they are unrelenting in their savagery.

I must admit to feeling a hefty dose of nostalgia while fettling these figures for the table. I have had some of them since the early 1990s and even got them painted then! I've lost track of the number of times I have repaired damage to their paint jobs and rebased them, but they are still here and ready to be fielded.

Partial armoured bandits (Two Dragons)

Half-fey raiders

The half-fey are often not welcome in human or fey society and are driven to the edges of civilisation where they are forced to prey upon others to survive. They are vicious and strong.

Elven warriors and Archers (RPE Demonworld)

Elven heroes and leaders (RPE Demonworld)