Hobby Update: KoM Crossbowmen

Infantry-based shooting isn't a popular choice for most lists. Nevertheless, I just finished up a Regiment of Crossbowmen for the Regnum. I'll see for myself how useful (or useless) they can be!

Roman-looking enough for me!

The models are the Foot Sergeants from Fireforge Games, with heads from the Warlord Games Romans, to better tie the unit in with the rest of the existing Regnum.

As I've probably stated previously, the Fireforge kit is a pretty great value, giving you a whopping 48 minis. Unfortunately, it has a couple of downsides. The first is that only 24 crossbows are included, and those parts are very thin and easy to break on the sprue. I think I have around 3 spare, unbroken crossbows at the moment... So if you buy the kit, know that crossbows are not the reason to get it; they are more of a bonus.

The other unfortunate thing about the kit are the bodies. I've picked up at least 4 different Fireforge boxed kits, and in each one, Fireforge generally does a fantastic job with the posing of their minis. Everything has a slightly different stance or position which will give you a pretty dynamic unit. Unfortunately for this kit, while the posing is again on point, they also have a variety of armors mixed in, and the end result is that each armor type only has 1, maybe 2 poses. You're either left with a hodgepodge of armors in one unit, or a very, very synchronized fighting force.

Originally, I did up some of these Foot Sergeants minis as Militia, where the hodgepodge wouldn't matter. The fluff there was the Militia were quickly levied troops for the Regnum, bringing whatever gear they had. It worked there, and I'm hoping the same approach works here: the Crossbowmen are not common (I only have the one unit), so like the Militia, they show up to the battle with whatever they have plus a crossbow.


As for a discussion on the theoretical tactics with the Crossbowmen; I simply don't and won't expect much from these guys, as the shooters for the army are basically Militia with ranged weapons. We'll leave the discussion at that for now; I have other thoughts on the Militia comparison specifically and shooters in general, but none are cogent enough yet for a discussion.