The Toad Hall Fencible Legion

"In Days of Old,

When Toads Were Bold,

And Ancestors Were Great,

They Used to Pop Off Early,

A Most Remarkable Rate"

- Mr. Toad's Ghost Song

In the 1980's television production of "Wind the Willows", dear Mister Toad sang a song about his ancestors and their ghostly comings and goings. I must confess the notion of Bold Toads has never left me since.

All these years later and my latest troopship from Scotland has brought one of those Toads to Toy Soldier Life.

I present to you The Toad Hall Fencible Legion!

An all arms force the legion boasts forty or so musketeers, two light artillery pieces, and and ten light horse...well "ram" really. 

The Legion was originally raised to deal with some unpleasantness in the Wild Wood. Despite its Fencible origin the Legion has been taken into the Line and has now seen action in Joccia, Guinalea, and Al Garvey, as well as having dealt with various Leveler. Luddite, and plain old Looters back home. 

"Uncle Hector,

He's the Specter,

On Dark and Stormy Nights,

Who Wails and Moans,

And Rattles his Bones,

And Puts Out All the Lights"

- Mr. Toad's Ghost Song

Sir Hector Toad is the Colonel commanding and of course spares no expense in kitting out his lads. Sir Hector is ably assisted by his good friend and loyal subordinate, Major Badger.

The Legion Foot, "The Wild Wooders" are formed in three companies of 13 figures each. Private soldiers are drawn from the stoats, weasels, and ferrets that so trouble honest folk in the environs of Toad Hall. These "scum of the wood" are drilled and kept in line by officers and NCO's drawn from the River Bank and towns; rats, orcs, and...Sir Hector's nephew, Mungo.

Truth be told young Mungo is a bit of a...well that might just be a bit on the nose!

The battalion is rounded out by a colour guard of two weasels, and an orc NCO led by a rat Officer, an orc RSM, and two light guns crewed by rats. Sir Hector imagines that Wild Wooders could be trained to work the guns. However erring on the side of caution, gunners are recruited solely from River Bankers.

The small force of hussars operate in two squadrons of five each, being in the main, ferrets, led by a rat Officer.

The figures arrived on Christmas Eve, in company with three other orders from Alternative Armies, more on those in another post! They are painted to Alternative Armies' usual high standards and Major Badger was converted from General Davvie McBaird by the very kind and talented Sam Croes. The other "stoats, weasels, and ferrets" are simply paint conversions of Joccian Rat models.

I created the standards on Christmas Day and attached them this morning. The battalion colour bears the Toad clan motto "Semper Bufo!" while the cavalry guidon bears an image of the god Pan, said to be the Piper at the Gates of Dawn by folk about the River Bank and Wild Wood.

These figures will primarily be used with Young and Lawford's "Charge!" rules but of course will see use with any number of rule sets over the coming months.

Hope you enjoyed a peek at the wee fellows and thanks for stopping by!