This week sees the release of a brand-new, full-colour Kingdom of Bretonnia transfer sheet. With so many options and more than 700 transfers crammed into a single sheet, it’s time to talk about Bretonnian heraldry and explain some of the intricacies that govern this most complex of subjects.
Each of Bretonnia’s fourteen Dukedoms can be identified by a single, central aspect of its heraldry. The Dukedom of Brionne, for example, is represented by a stylised battle axe, displayed as the central charge in the heraldry of the Duke and each of their Barons.
Within each Dukedom exist a number of Baronies, each further divided into the estates of many knightly families. It is from these families that the majority of Bretonnia’s fighting strength is drawn, in the form of bold sons and daughters destined to serve their Baron, their Duke, and their King as Knights of the Realm.
By tradition, the knights of Bretonnia are entitled to wear the heraldry of their noble families, though over time, the coat of arms worn by a knight might change, gradually evolving to reflect the character traits and record the noble achievements of the individual. Thus the coats of arms worn by many of Bretonnia’s most heroic knights might become ever more ornate and intricate. Whilst much of the finer detail within a coat of arms might mean little to one uneducated in the language of heraldry, to a Knight of Bretonnia such detail speaks volumes about the individual and allows fellow knights to quickly identify those that occupy a higher rank within the chivalric order.
Many of Bretonnia’s knights live among their fellow Knights of the Realm at the court of their Baron or Duke, spending their days refining their skill at arms through jousting, hunting, and sparring, and their evenings banqueting within the great hall rather than managing the affairs of their estates – work that can very well be delegated to servants and retainers. In effect, these Knights of the Realm form a standing army based at the court of their lord, ready to muster for war and ride to Bretonnia’s defence at a moment’s notice. The familiarity that comes from their time spent at practice together makes a Baron’s household a formidable fighting force, one which, as decreed within the detailed rules of the Code Chivalric, will wear the colours of their patron.
This can be seen in our studio army, painted by the ’Eavy Metal team. Representing the knights of Duke Gastille, the Red Hand of Brionne, the knights within this army all proudly display the colours of their Duke, though upon closer inspection, you will see that many also display their personal heraldry upon one or more of the smaller shields that adorn their armour. With the new transfer sheet, it’s easier than ever to represent Knights of the Realm bearing the colours of Barons and Dukes associated with three of Bretonnia’s largest Dukedoms: Couronne, Quenelles, and Bastonne, as well as those in the employ of the infamous exile Sir Cecil Gastonne.
You can add more colour in the form of Questing and Grail knights. Such bands of bold individuals habitually take to the field of battle in a riot of colourful heraldry, for their units contain brave knights drawn from many courts across the length and breadth of Bretonnia, allowing you to combine different iconography in a single unit. To help with this, the transfer sheet contains a number of more individual motifs and a range of fleurs-de-lys.
Alternatively, you may wish to paint your army in a more classic scheme, with each knight proudly displaying their own heraldry, in much the way the knights within an Errantry Crusade army might. By mixing and matching the different transfers within each unit of your army, combining them with a wide array of colours and themes, this is easily done.
The Bretonnian Transfer sheet will be available to pre-order on Saturday, alongside a fresh wave of reinforcements for the Kingdoms of Bretonnia, the Tomb Kings of Khemri, and the Orc & Goblin Tribes.