Previously, we looked at how Wargames Atlantic plastics could be used to represent warriors from each of the Seven Kingdoms. This time, I want to take that idea further and focus on the kingdom of Byland.
Or rather, what is left of it.
The Broken Warhost of Byland is one of the ideas I keep returning to while working on the Warhost lore. It has the kind of background I enjoy: a clear visual theme, plenty of room for kitbashing, and a force that should feel different on the tabletop.
The ideas for the Broken Warhost are mine, but once again Steve Beckett is the one doing the hard work at the bench. He has been snipping, gluing, converting, and painting the Wargames Atlantic plastics to a fantastic standard, taking my notes and turning them into miniatures that already feel full of Byland character.
This is not a proud, uniform army. It is a warhost made from survivors.
When the Gate fell for a second time and Byland burned, the kingdom’s armies were broken. Those who survived were scattered across the frontier, while the land they had once guarded became the bloodiest front line in the Circle. What remains is not a formal army, but a hard-bitten mix of riders, fyrd, archers, camp followers, shepherds, foreign sellswords, and grim officials still trying to keep the Kingdom of Byland alive in more than name.
They are not fighting because victory feels close.
They are fighting because the alternative is letting Byland disappear.
The Feel of the Warhost
For the tabletop, I want the Broken Warhost to feel both desperate and dangerous.
The riders are the hard edge of the force. They are the last of Byland’s scouts and outriders, now turned into elite hunters. They know the tracks, river crossings, ruined farms, and broken roads better than anyone. They can strike quickly and hit weak points, then pull back before the enemy can pin them down, but they can also hold their own in a straight-up fight.
Around them are the Broken Fyrd. These are farmers, smiths, herdsmen, and local fighters who once answered their lord’s shield call. Now they fight because there is no one else left. Some are armoured. Some are not. Some still carry proper weapons, while others have taken whatever they could find.
There are also weary camp followers, shepherds clutching slings, and others thrust into the fray. They are not trained fighters.
Their courage and steadfastness, though, inject the force with raw, aching humanity. These people make the Warhost feel full of desperate people with everything to lose, not just an army marching to its doom.
Then there are the foreign sellswords. I like the idea that not everyone fighting for Byland is actually from Byland. Some have come for coin, some for old loyalties. Others know that if the Orcs are not stopped here, the rest of the Circle will suffer for it.
The Banners
One of the most important elements of this project is the banners.
The old banners of Byland are still being carried. They are torn, smoke-stained, and patched, yet they have not been laid down. The banners show the old white gate of Byland. To the survivors, it is almost a sacred object.
“So long as one banner stands, Byland endures.”
That line sums up the whole force for me.
For the miniatures, I want one mounted banner for the Veteran Riders and one foot banner for the Fyrd. I am hoping we can use the banners from the Barons’ War Command frame, though they may need some extra work to feel significant and revered.
If not, Steve is more than capable of creating these centrepieces. These banners must not look like mere decoration. They must look like sacred relics, symbols that warriors would sacrifice everything to defend.
The Reckoner
Another key part of the Warhost will be a Byland Reckoner, sculpted by Paul Hicks. I plan to use his new sculpt, armed with a two-handed axe.
This gives the force a strong centrepiece. The Reckoner represents law, judgement, and order in a land where all three have almost collapsed. His role is to witness what is happening in the Bylands and make sure it is not lost, forgotten, or quietly written out of the record.
His group will also be armed with two-handed axes and shields. They are elite warriors tasked with protecting him. Their shields will bear Byland heraldry and feature a gold circle, indicating their role and status within the Warhost.
I love this contrast. Most of the force is ragged, their faces etched with grief and hardened by necessity, but the Reckoner and his guard burn with a relentless fire. Amid the wreckage, Byland's memory screams against oblivion, its authority a wounded beast refusing to die.
Building the Miniatures
This is where the Wargames Atlantic plastic sets really come into their own.
The test miniatures Steve has already built show how much character can be created by mixing parts among different frames. That is exactly what this project needs.
The Veteran Rider uses parts from the Barons’ War Mounted Serjeants, Dark Age Cavalry, Light Horse, Peasant Levy, and Foot Knights frames. That mix gives him the right look: a proper mounted warrior, but one who has clearly had to replace and repair his kit over time.
The Broken Fyrd are even more varied. Some use Barons’ War Foot Serjeant bodies with Peasant Levy arms and Dark Age heads. Others use Goth Warrior parts, cloaks, daggers, shields, and other pieces. This variety creates a less uniform look.
The Camp Followers and Shepherds use the same approach. Goth Warrior bodies mixed with Barons’ War Peasant Levy arms, pouches, knives, and Dark Age heads give them a rough, practical feel. They should look like ordinary people forced to fight.
The Serevarra Sellswords are slightly different. Using Barons’ War Foot Serjeant and Foot Knight parts, with a Dark Age Irish cloak and Dark Age Army Builder head, makes them feel better equipped and more professional. They should stand out from the Bylanders, without looking out of place.
Rules and Next Steps
Designing the Warhost will begin with the Human list from the sourcebook as a foundation. From there, we will add new warrior types and custom rules specific to Byland, then playtest them to make sure they bring out the character of the force on the tabletop.
I want this force to feel urgent, fragile, yet unbreakably stubborn, led by leaders who reject despair. This is no simple army. It is a wounded, desperate resistance: survivors bound by torn banners, ragged riders, and a refusal to let hope die even as all around them seems lost.
The next clear steps in the project are: finishing the conversions of the miniatures, painting the key units, finalising the custom rules for Byland, and then playtesting them thoroughly to make necessary adjustments based on performance and feel.
The Broken Warhost of Byland gives us a chance to build something that sits right at the heart of Warhost: a force shaped by the setting, full of character, and made for the tabletop.
It is battered, stubborn, and still standing.
And as long as one banner remains above the ruins, Byland is not finished.
Look out for more updates soon.
