Santa Hermandad Nueva Castilian

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Historical Overview Section


As a result of the Reconquest the Castilian aristocracy became very powerful, and the Monarchy needed to re-assert it's authority over the nobility and the clergy. With this end in mind they founded a law enforcement body, the Consejo de la Hermandad, more commonly known as the Santa Hermandad (the Holy Brotherhood), which was staffed and funded by the municipalities. They also took further measures against the nobility, destroying feudal castles, prohibiting private wars and reducing the power of the adelantados (a governor-like military office in areas recently conquered). The monarchy incorporated military orders under the Consejo de las Órdenes in 1495, reinforced royal judicial power over the feudal one and transformed the Audiencias into the supreme judicial bodies. The crown also sought to better control the cities, and so in 1480 in the Cortes of Toledo it created the corregidores, representatives of the crown, which supervised the city councils. In religion, they reformed religious orders and sought unity of the various sections of the church. They pressured Jews to convert to Catholicism, in some cases persecuted by the Inquisition. Finally in 1492 the monarchs decided that those who would not convert would be expelled. It is estimated that between 50,000 and 70,000 people were expelled from Castile. From 1502 onwards they began to convert the Muslim population.

Between 1478 and 1497 what had in many ways become a hard-core jackbooted medieval version of the Spanish monarch and military conquered the Canary Islands of Gran Canaria, La Palma and Tenerife. On the 2nd January 1492 the monarchs entered the Later Granadine heartland of the Alhambra marking the end of the Reconquest. Also in 1492 Christopher Columbus discovered the West Indies and in 1497 Castile conquered Melilla. After Castile's conquest of the Later Granadine Kingdom, its politics turned towards the Mediterranean, and Castile militarily helped the Medieval Crown of Aragon in its problems with the Ordonnance French , culminating in the reconquest of Naples for the Crown of Aragon in 1504. Later that same year, Isabella died (aaah)

Using the army in FoG

  • The SNHC or Santa Hooey Doodah army gets up to 20 armoured offensive spear, 20 armoured defensive spear supported by upto 8 sword and buckler men and 8 alumghavars. You also get decent lighthorse, light foot and knights. Unfortunately to pay for all this can be a problem.
  • The Santa Hooey Doo-dah List is a popular one as it can include large numbers of 4-strong units, allowing a Santa Hooey Doodah Swarm army of up to 18-20 units at 800 AP to be built up. Units of 4 can also manoeuvre well to provide rear support
  • The high proportion of armoured foot, with the cost-effective defensive spear option is also an added attraction, making the army largely bow-proof when combined with rear support and an IC.
  • The knights may not even be necessary in the list.
  • Protected Jinetes and crossbows are cost effective, as they can be at +1 against most traditional LH at impact, and evens in melee despite not having swordsman capability. There really isn't much point in having the jinetes and mounted crossbowmen as armoured - take them as Protected.
  • The Almughavars make an interesting addition, in a sacrificial unit that can try and make its impact foot ++ bonus work at impact against many opponents - this being a rare POA in this period.
  • The Sword & Buckler men are excellent at attacking flanks, being drilled they can move and turn very effectively
  • The Swiss are another nice toy to have - unbeatable Pike - hmmm....
  • If you like Knights, this may not be the list for you as it doesn't have enough.
  • If you have a mix of BGs of drilled and Undrilled knights, only the end BGs need to be drilled – the undrilled can march forward and fight anything in their path.
  • BGs of 6 knights are probably too wide to use effectively, even though it maxes the 10 you are allowed to take.
  • Defensive spears struggle to push forwards against most things - only take them if their role is going to be to hold up the enemy.
  • Co-ordinating Defensive and Offensive spears together is a nightmare. Best to give them separate jobs in separate areas of the table if you can.
  • Crossbow units generally are troops which do not win battles. They can cause heavily armoured and armoured knights pause for thought and are pretty good against cavalry but generally unless you expect to face off against lots of knights, or cynically plan to use them as a unit of 6 in column to support spearmen from behind you may be better spending points elsewhere on game winning units.
  • A billiard table will allow all your LH and LF units most opportunity to irritate the enemy

User-contributed links about this army:

Tourney Results

2 / 12 Santa Hermandad Nueva Castilian Northern League R2 2008 (open)
1 / 41 Santa Hermandad Nueva Castilian BHGS Challenge 2008 (open)
1 / 12 Santa Hermandad Nueva Castilian Leeds Doubles 2008 (SoA)
2 / 12 Santa Hermandad Nueva Castilian Leeds Doubles 2008 (SoA)
14 / 41 Santa Hermandad Nueva Castilian BHGS Challenge 2008 (open)
19 / 41 Santa Hermandad Nueva Castilian BHGS Challenge 2008 (open)
24 / 62 Santa Hermandad Nueva Castilian Britcon 2008 15mm (open)
4 / 13 Santa Hermandad Nueva Castillian IWF 2008 15mm (open)
7 / 13 Santa Hermandad Nueva Castillian IWF 2008 15mm (open)
11 / 13 Santa Hermandad Nueva Castillian IWF 2008 15mm (open)

15mm Manufacturers supplying figures suitable for Late Medieval Armies

You can see some of the figures in the Ancients Photo Gallery also on this site

Image Image Image Image Image Image

Collecting and painting the army

In the Spanish kingdoms wars of the C11-13, military technology was driven by the need to counter their enemies, the North African Almoravid and Almohad armies and their Taifa Andalusian subjects, so the Spanish troops needed more mobility, which may have resulted in less armour for their horses than other contemporary European knights. The Northern Spanish kingdoms woudl have been influenced by the mainland Europeans on their borders to the North and would have been more likely to have the latest types of armour. During Castillian C15 civil wars Medieval French knights, the Free Company and English were their opponents which would have meant state of the art equipment became again the norm.
In the age of the SHNC Fernando's Aragonese troops had been occupying Naples from 1443, and the main market of Castillian wool (Castilla's biggest export at the time) was Flanders, so military technology would have flowed seamlessly between Spain and other European centers. At this time the main type of shield in spain was the Argada but other contemporary shapes (even those integrated into armour) would also have been in evidence.

Army Lists

Sample army lists for this army
Dave Ruddocks Proto Skythian SHNC army from Roll Call 2009

  • 6 LF Bw, Poor
  • 4 Demonic Handgunners, Average
  • 4 Demonic Handgunners, Average
  • 4 Demonic Handgunners, Average
  • 4 MF, X-Bow, Drilled, Protected
  • 4 LH, Protected, jav/Lt sp, Average
  • 4 LH, Protected, jav/Lt sp, Average
  • 4 LF, JLS, average
  • 4 LH, X-Bow, Protected, Average
  • 4 LH, Protected, jav/Lt sp, Average
  • 4 LH, Protected, jav/Lt sp, Average
  • 4 LH, Protected, jav/Lt sp, Average
  • 8 Armoured Offensive Spear Drilled, Average
  • 4 Undrilled Proper Knights
  • 4 X-Bows
  • 6 Armoured Drilled Defensive Spearmen
  • 4 Undrilled Proper Knights
  • 4 TCs


This list won the 650AP Game 2009 competition in Manchester, UK

  • Troop Name Type Armour Quality Training Shooting Close Combat Points Per Base Bases Per BG Total Points
  • C-in-C (TC) 35 1 35
  • Sub- commander (TC) 35 2 70
  • 1 Other Archers Light Foot Unprotected Poor Undrilled Bow - 3 8 24
  • 2 Jinetes Light Horse Protected Average UnDrilled Javelins Light Spear 8 4 32
  • 3 Jinetes Light Horse Protected Average UnDrilled Javelins Light Spear 8 4 32
  • 4 Hermandad Arquebusiers Light Foot Protected Average Drilled Firearm - 5 4 20
  • 5 Hermandad Arquebusiers Light Foot Protected Average Drilled Firearm - 5 4 20
  • 6 Jinetes Light Horse Protected Average UnDrilled Javelins Light Spear 8 4 32
  • 7 Almughavars Medium Foot Protected Average Undrilled - Offensive Spearmen 7 8 56
  • 8 Other Hermandad Spearmen Heavy Foot Armoured Average Drilled - Defensive Spearmen 9 8 72
  • 9 Hermandad Crossbowmen Medium Foot Protected Average Drilled Crossbow - 7 4 28
  • 10 Santa Hermandad Nueva Spearmen Heavy Foot Armoured Average Drilled - Offensive Spearmen 10 8 80
  • 11 Hermandad Sword and Buckler Men Medium Foot Armoured Superior Drilled - Skilled Swordsmen 13 4 52
  • 12 Men-At-Arms Knights Heavily Armoured Superior Undrilled - Lancers, Swordsmen 23 4 92




800 AP knight-free army list

  • 1 Jinetes LH Protected Average Undrilled javelins light spear - - 4
  • 2 Jinetes LH Protected Average Undrilled javelins light spear - - 4
  • 3 Spearmen HF armoured Average Drilled - Offensive spearmen - - 4
  • 4 Spearmen HF armoured Average Drilled - Offensive spearmen - - 4
  • 5 Other Spearmen HF armoured Average Drilled - defensive spearmen - - 4
  • 6 Pikemen HF Protected Average Drilled - pikemen pikemen - 8
  • 7 Other Spearmen HF armoured Average Drilled - defensive spearmen - - 4
  • 8 Other Spearmen HF armoured Average Drilled - defensive spearmen - - 4
  • 9 Other Spearmen HF armoured Average Drilled - defensive spearmen - - 4
  • 10 Sword & Buckler men MF Protected superior Drilled - - Skilled swordsmen - 4
  • 11 Sword & Buckler men MF Protected superior Drilled - - Skilled swordsmen - 4
  • 12 arquebusiers LF unprotected Average Drilled Firearm - - - 4
  • 13 arquebusiers LF unprotected Average Drilled Firearm - - - 4
  • 14 Mounted Crossbows LH Protected Average Drilled Crossbow - - - 4
  • 15 Other Worse Spearmen HF Protected Poor Undrilled - defensive spearmen - - 8
  • 16 almughavars MF Protected Average Undrilled - Impact foot Swordsmen - 6
  • 17 Crossbows MF Protected Average Drilled Crossbow - - - 4
  • 18 Crossbows MF Protected Poor Undrilled Crossbow - - - 6
  • CinC IC - - - - - - - 1
  • Sub-commanders TC - - - - - - - 3


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