Dux Reconquista Christian Spanish

Isn’t it funny how things happen? I’ve been thinking about my figure collection for a while, being very conscious that I have a fair bit painted that I’m just not goping to use in my current gaming group and with the prospect of yet another house move pending (5^th in the past 4 years) I want to downsize the collection. Anyway, I was going through everything when I unboxed my old WAB El Cid army. This army has been through it a bit, being one of two armies I rescued from under filthy, effluent-filled floodwater after losing my house in Storm Babet in 2023. I always loved how I made it, using heavily converted Perry First Crusade minis. After the flood debacle, I cleaned it all up (a horrid and lengthy job) and redid the bases with the help of a local gaming friend and then it went back in its box and hasn’t been out since. But I can’t bring myself to part with it, so therefore it’s got to be used. And thus the idea of Dux Reconquista was born. 

My gaming group loves Too Fat Lardies’ rules. We play loads of Dux Britanniarum and Sharp Practice and those of you who frequent the Ancients board here may have seen my Dux Italica thread about converting Dux Brit to 4^th Century BCE Italy. So I figure, why not convert it to the 11^th-12^th Century is Spain? The core mechanics can remain the same, but there’ll need to be a few tweaks to suit the cavalry-heavy nature of the warfare. Anyway, ‘Dux Reconquista’ is now drafted. I won’t make it available just yet as I want to playtest it and might even submit it as an article for a Lard magazine (or wargame mag article) next year, but I’ll give you a sneak peak of a few bits and the forces I have to playtest it. 

Here is the draft Christian Spanish core force. 

First we have Count Ricardo Martinez of Castillo Vida Loca, a Status 3 Character, accompanied by his Status 1 Champion Antonio ‘El Mascarilla’ Banderos and two groups of Caballeros Hidalogos – Shock Cavalry noblemen fighting in the new style using spears couched under the arm. I’ve altered the original Shock cavalry rules and written a ‘Couched Lances’ Fate card to bring Dux into Medieval Spain. News on those ideas after the first playtests. 

Next, we have Julio ‘El Padre’ D’Eglesias, a Status 2 Character accompanied by two groups of Caballeros Vilanos, Shock Cavalry armed with spears and javelins but not yet using the ‘couched lance’ technique. 

Next we have Sancho ‘El Rapido’ Gonzales, a Status 2 Character accompanied by a Group of Jinetes (Raider cavalry) armed with javelins.

Next we have the Infante Enrique D’Eglesias with the Peones (spearmen).

Finally, we have a Group of Arqueros (archers) and Ballasteros (crossbowmen), both Missile Troops. The crossbows have a range of 30”, but short range of 12” and may not move and fire.

I’m just working on painting 23 Andausian models to complete an ‘Andalusian Taifa Kings’ force to oppose the Christians. Am hoping that the Arab force one of our gaming group possesses will be able to morph into the Moroccan Berber Almoravids who will be the other force in Dux Reconquista.