Steven’s Arthurian and Reconquista Christian Elements for Big Base HOTT

I recently rebased my Reconquista armies on Big Bases. That includes the elements I use for Big Base HOTT. In this post I feature the Christians which can also serve in Arthurian HOTT. You might have seen some of these guys on small bases in my Strathclyde Welsh (Northern Cymry) for Britannia 600 AD. Of course they complement my “El Cid” Feudal Spanish Army for Big Base DBA and my Dark Age Horde.


Historical HOTT versus Fantasy HOTT

I quite like using HOTT for historical battles. For me HOTT adds some nice flavour over DBA. These are the supposedly fantastical elements of HOTT that I think can safely be used for historical battles. My fantastical I mean the trop types that are in HOTT but not in DBA. These historical HOTT elements are:

Relatively few of the HOTT troop types are truly fantastic and step beyond the bounds of historical accounts. These fantastical HOTT elements are:

Paladins are a bit of a special case. Although historical accounts, at least Spanish accounts, mention Paladin type figures, believing these accounts requires a certain suspension of belief. So I’ve put Paladins in both lists.


Heroes

HOTT’s Heroes are a good example of how HOTT can simulate historical battles. Dark Age and Medieval accounts are full of heroic deeds. The Reconquista had it’s fair share of heroes. Top of the list “El Cid” – you can find him in my “El Cid” Feudal Spanish Army for Big Base DBA.

In Britain there is, of course, Arthur. Arthur is what makes Arthurian HOTT Arthurian. I use the same figure for Arthur and Santiago Matamoros – more on him in a moment. I painted this guy.

Christian HOTT 857 Hero - Santiago Matamoros or Arthur
Christian HOTT 857 Hero – Santiago Matamoros or Arthur

I’ve also got a more generic Heroes. The first figure is a Gothic foot office. I think Ross Pirie painted him.

Then I’ve got some Dark Age pairs of heroes. The Danish Danish brothers Ivar and Halfdan spring to mind – they feature in the board game Britannia. The figures are from ebay.

Arthurian HOTT 874 Hero
Arthurian HOTT 874 Hero
Arthurian HOTT 875 Hero
Arthurian HOTT 875 Hero
Arthurian HOTT 895 Hero
Arthurian HOTT 895 Hero
Arthurian HOTT 896 Hero
Arthurian HOTT 896 Hero

Lastly I have a Celtic hero in all his naked glory.

Arthurian HOTT 915 Hero
Arthurian HOTT 915 Hero
Arthurian HOTT 916 Hero
Arthurian HOTT 916 Hero

Clerics

The other biggies for historical HOTT are Clerics. I’ve got a bunch.

The first one is a Bishop leading prayers in front of an altar. I painted them.

Christian HOTT 881 Cleric
Christian HOTT 881 Cleric
Christian HOTT 882 Cleric
Christian HOTT 882 Cleric

The second is a ground of praying Franciscan monks. I painted them.

Christian HOTT 883 Cleric
Christian HOTT 883 Cleric
Christian HOTT 884 Cleric
Christian HOTT 884 Cleric

The last Cleric element comprise a couple of monks I picked up off ebay.

Christian HOTT 879 Cleric
Christian HOTT 879 Cleric
Christian HOTT 880 Cleric
Christian HOTT 880 Cleric

Lurkers

On small bases these guys formed two Lurker bases. I had one as an ambush from cover and the other as a beach landing party (I think). With big bases I put all of them onto a single base as an ambush party.

Christian HOTT 891 Lurker
Christian HOTT 891 Lurker
Christian HOTT 892 Lurker
Christian HOTT 892 Lurker

Sneakers

One of my favourite HOTT models is the peddler. A peasant figure leading a donkey. In HOTT this element is a Sneaker. The Muslim general better watch out.

Christian HOTT 893 Peddler Sneaker
Christian HOTT 893 Peddler Sneaker

A more obvious Sneaker is the assassin. Swordsman on a mission.


Beasts

The Christians used animals in combat. Rampaging bulls are a thing in Spain – you might have heard about them. I’ve got a bull and handler as a Beasts element. But I really need to find more bulls. I know I’ve got them somewhere in my lead pile.

Christian HOTT 901 Bulls Beasts
Christian HOTT 901 Bulls Beasts
Christian HOTT 902 Bulls Beasts
Christian HOTT 902 Bulls Beasts

The Spanish were also into war dogs. Particularly in the New World. They favoured mastiffs. I have no idea what type of mastiff. But since I originally painted these for Britannia 600 AD I went for English Mastiffs.

Christian HOTT 903 Engllish Mastiff Beasts
Christian HOTT 903 English Mastiff Beasts
Christian HOTT 903 Engllish Mastiff Beasts
Christian HOTT 903 English Mastiff Beasts

Hordes

Hordes of the Things (HOTT) is named after Hordes. So I made a few. The figures range from Dark Age peasants to Medieval Serfs. But the effect is right.

Christian HOTT 917 Hordes
Christian HOTT 917 Hordes
Christian HOTT 918 Hordes
Christian HOTT 918 Hordes

Behemoth

There was a period when the Spanish carried their army’s flag into battle upon a wagon defended by axemen. I have modelled this wagon. Although historical I have never fielded it outside HOTT. In HOTT I count it as a Behemoth. I painted these figures.

Christian HOTT 859 Religious Banner Behemoth
Christian HOTT 859 Religious Banner Behemoth
Christian HOTT 860 Religious Banner Behemoth
Christian HOTT 860 Religious Banner Behemoth
Christian HOTT 861 Religious Banner Behemoth
Christian HOTT 861 Religious Banner Behemoth

Paladins

Santiago Matamoros (Saint James the Moor Slayer) was for a time the Patron Saint of Spain. He was certainly popular for much longer, particular amongst the militant types. There are many accounts of Santiago Matamoros appearing to lead Spanish armies to victory. Starting with the legendary Battle of Clavijo, where he supposedly helped defeat the Muslims, but also in the New World, where some claim he led the Conquistadores against the Aztecs. In HOTT I field Santiago as a Paladin. Awesome and religious. I use the same figure for the heroic Arthur. I painted this guy.

Christian HOTT 858 Hero - Santiago Matamoros or Arthur
Christian HOTT 858 Hero – Santiago Matamoros or Arthur

Magicians

Of course HOTT is meant to be a fantasy game with fantasy elements. HOTT. Magic. Magicians. Simple as that. I’ve got a couple. I painted both. The first is a kind of court wizard type.

Christian HOTT 905 Magician
Christian HOTT 905 Magician
Christian HOTT 906 Magician
Christian HOTT 906 Magician

The second is a necromancer. I didn’t bother flocking the base – left it bare dirt – on the grounds that the necromancer has probably killed off everything around.

Christian HOTT 907 Magician
Christian HOTT 907 Magician
Christian HOTT 908 Magician
Christian HOTT 908 Magician

And lets not forget the frogs.

HOTT 909 Frogs
HOTT 909 Frogs
HOTT 910 Frogs
HOTT 910 Frogs

Dragons

I picked up a couple of dragons from Essex Miniatures. Martin Boulter from Silurian Wargames painted them for me. One as a Welsh dragon (Red) and one as a Saxon dragon (white). Of course the colours of these dragons actually referred to the colours of dragon standards not the mythological mascots, but I couldn’t help myself.

I think the Welsh dragon is really cool. But with Thomas as a surname I might be biased.

Arthurian HOTT 862 Welsh Dragon
Arthurian HOTT 862 Welsh Dragon
Arthurian HOTT 863 Welsh Dragon
Arthurian HOTT 863 Welsh Dragon

The Saxon dragon is alright. I just don’t feel much affinity for those Germanic mainlanders.

Arthurian HOTT 864 Saxon Dragon
Arthurian HOTT 864 Saxon Dragon
Arthurian HOTT 865 Saxon Dragon
Arthurian HOTT 865 Saxon Dragon

Gods and Goddesses

My older daughter’s name is “Dana”, named after an Irish goddess. So I couldn’t help getting Dana on table. Okay the figure is not as pretty as my daughter, but hey. I painted her.

Arthurian HOTT 876 Dana Goddess
Arthurian HOTT 876 Dana Goddess
Arthurian HOTT 877 Dana Goddess
Arthurian HOTT 877 Dana Goddess
Arthurian HOTT 878 Dana Goddess
Arthurian HOTT 878 Dana Goddess

Flyers

Well, if the Muslims can have a flying carpet, why can’t the Christians? I had crafted the carpet and used a kneeling monk figure for no other reason than I knew it would fit on the carpet. I painted him.

Christian HOTT 854 Monk on Flying Carpet
Christian HOTT 854 Monk on Flying Carpet
Christian HOTT 855 Monk on Flying Carpet
Christian HOTT 855 Monk on Flying Carpet
Christian HOTT 856 Monk on Flying Carpet
Christian HOTT 856 Monk on Flying Carpet

Strongholds

Another favourite of mine is my “Religious Stronghold”. Massed praying monks. An essential aspect of many Dark Age battles – particularly in Britain.

Christian HOTT 919 Religious Stronghold
Christian HOTT 919 Religious Stronghold
Christian HOTT 920 Religious Stronghold
Christian HOTT 920 Religious Stronghold
Christian HOTT 921 Religious Stronghold
Christian HOTT 921 Religious Stronghold

For my Spanish armies I’ve got a choice of two options. Admittedly these are more camps than strongholds. The first is a mule train. Actually two mules trains that link together in two ways.

DBA 924 Christian Mule Camp
DBA 924 Christian Mule Camp
DBA 925 Christian Mule Camp
DBA 925 Christian Mule Camp
DBA 926 Christian Mule Camp
DBA 926 Christian Mule Camp
DBA 927 Christian Mule Camp
DBA 927 Christian Mule Camp

And for a more Medieval look I’ve got some heraldic tents.

DBA 928 Christian Camp
DBA 928 Christian Camp
DBA 929 Christian Camp
DBA 929 Christian Camp

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