Brytenwalda: Dark Age Britain warbands

I'm developing a free skirmish rules set based on Dark Ages Britain
(yes, that is romano-british, saxons, picts and irish) and I've created a
blog to show how the progress is. The rules are in the workbench yet...
as long as the miniatures, but I can show them to you more properly.

This is the blog (it is also a WiP): http://brytenwalda.blogspot.com/

And here is some of the Splintered Light miniatures I'm working on:

Looks & sounds like a FINE project. The heavy cavalry mini is particularly cool. GOOD LUCK with the rules set; AND keep posting your progress on the armies.

Those are excellent painting skills on your 15mm blog sir. I love Splintered Light mini's, I am planning a few 15mm warbands myself and some terrain to go with that scale.

bookmarked!

I love the idea of historical gaming, but I'm sort of past the "mega-armies" phase of my gaming life (or at least firmly planted in a "skirmish" phase...), so I'll have to keep tabs on this as it looks like a lot of fun.

Thank you for your comments

Some advances with Saxons and Romano-British:

Very nice! Very colourfull (like your halfling warband), very nice basing and great overall quality. Absolutely great work!

It really is remarkable the amount of detail those little Guys have & that you've managed to bring out. The shield patterns are particularly striking. VERY WELL DONE!

Thanks guys
More updates straight from Brytenwalda blog.

The Teulu were the bodyguards of the Romano-British warlords. Teulu means "family" in Welsh, and that was mostly what they were, but they could be friends, allies or clientes also. Anyway they were really similar to the Macedonian Companions.
In this picture you can see a couple of members of Arthur's Teulu: the brothers Gwalchmai and Gwalchafed. Known as Sir Gawain and Sir Gaheris thanks to medieval literature. They were sons of Lot Luwddoc of Gododdin and Elain, and nephews of Arthur.

LOVE the Teulu, they're looking really good! I also appreciate all the "sponsors" for the project - I've wasted entirely too much time browsing those re-enactment groups' websites lately!

Any guestimates on when some rules might be ready? I'd love to give them a spin as a play-tester, too, if you're hammering out details and whatnot.

The rules are already written. I got some guy checking the text, cause my English grammar isn't as good as it should be

When I get them back I just must work on the graphic design. That would be around a week, I think.

So I logged in today to ask if anyone knew a good company for minis of this time period, saw this thread and went "WOO!" This looks very interesting.

Thanks Plutz. Take a look on Gripping Beast if looking for nice 28mm Age of Arthur models

Another update, there are few Romano-British to show now ...

First we have Owain mab Urien, son of the king of Rheged, he is known as Sir Yvain thanks to medieval works. He is also son in law of King Lot of Gododdin (brother in law, therefore, of the other two Teulu I showed you above.) Despite the initial rivalry with Arthur he would eventually become part of this Teulu. He was popular by the group of elite cavalry that rode with him, called "The Crows."

Next to Owain is the famous bard Taliesin, who served in the court of his father. Taliesin is remembered as having the blessings of Ceredwen, although they come to him in an unconventional way. His works are filled with an overwhelming mysticism, and his writings are highly recommended.
Taliesin talked about Owain in several of his works and he wrote for him the elegy "Marwnad Owain."

Endakil wrote:

Thanks Plutz. Take a look on Gripping Beast if looking for nice 28mm Age of Arthur models

Another update, there are few Romano-British to show now ...

First we have Owain mab Urien, son of the king of Rheged, he is known as Sir Yvain thanks to medieval works. He is also son in law of King Lot of Gododdin (brother in law, therefore, of the other two Teulu I showed you above.) Despite the initial rivalry with Arthur he would eventually become part of this Teulu. He was popular by the group of elite cavalry that rode with him, called "The Crows."

Next to Owain is the famous bard Taliesin, who served in the court of his father. Taliesin is remembered as having the blessings of Ceredwen, although they come to him in an unconventional way. His works are filled with an overwhelming mysticism, and his writings are highly recommended.
Taliesin talked about Owain in several of his works and he wrote for him the elegy "Marwnad Owain."

I discovered Gripping Beast the same night I posted here.

Gonna keep watching this thread I'm loving the fact that you are researching the historical Arthur and not the "fantasy" Arthur. The Gododdin source is our most reliable source on the real Arthur, and yet he is only mentioned in passing.

Known as Arthur Pendragon, but Pendragon is not a surname but a title meaning something like "head of warriors" in Welsh, which could translate as "warlord" or "chieftain". Arthur was not a king, but a warlord in the service of a king, possibly Maelgwn Gwynedd, king of Gywnedd and one of the most powerful British lords of the time. If we seek a comparable figure we have a very close resemblance: El Cid, although we could say that he himself was king (from Valencia).

Like another famous fantastic magician Merlin was also known by many names, such as Emrys, Llallogan or Ambrosius, but his original name was Welsh: Myrddin, later latinized as Merlin. The first reference to Merlin is found in Armes Prydein, Y Gododdin, and his role of prophet or counselor was drifting towards its designation as magician.His biography varies widely according to sources, but it's remarkable his relation with the kingdom of Dyfed (it is said that he was the illegitimate son of a princess), their advice on Vortigern when building Dinas Emrys and its role as guardian of the young Arthur, along with Cynyr Ceinfarfog. Later he directed his steps towards the north after the battle of Camlann, heading to the court of King Gwendoleu. He remained there until his new employer went to war against the kings of Strathclyde and Ebrauc. After the death of Gwndoleu in Battle of Ardderyd it is said that Merlin went mad and disappeared into the wilderness.

EXCELLENT STUFF! I actually don't know whether I enjoy staring at your LOVELY minis more or less than reading your background material...in either case, keep posting as things develop. VERY WELL DONE!

Funny thing is I saw a thread on the Taleworlds forum advertising your rules. The Brytenwalda mod is fabulous.

Man, I have enough trouble with the 28mm miniatures... I can't imagine painting 15mm miniatures. That's one reason I never got into Warmaster.

These look really cool though! Good stuff.

Looks like a excellent project. I'm a big fan of skirmish games, and an even bigger fan of gaming in the Late Roman and the Early Medieval periods. I'm in the process of devising a Dark Age campaign for Mordheim, I look forward to seeing your rules when they're finished, though I'd probably use 28mm rather than 15mm. Mainly because I'm in the process of painting 28mm.

When will the rules be ready to purchase by the way?