The Franks (Latin: Franci or gens Francorum) were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD on the right bank of the Lower and Middle Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. According to Roman accounts they were more ferocious warriors than most. Following the collapse of imperial authority in the West, the Frankish tribes were united under the Merovingians and conquered all of Gaul except Septimania in the 6th century. The Frankish state consolidated its hold by the end of the eighth century, developing into what is sometimes called the "Carolingian Empire" which dominated most of Western Europe. Formally Carolingian rule only started with the coronation of Pepin the Short in 754 but the death of Dagobert I in 639 is commonly seen as the end of real Merovingian power. From then on their mayors of the palace increasingly assumed control substituting their own interest for their king's. The establishment of the Frankish Realm with the crowning of Charlemagne (Carolus Magnus or Charles the Great) is regarded as the founding moment of modern France and Germany. It has long been held that the dominance of the Carolingian military was based on a "cavalry revolution" led by Charles Martel (Carolus Martellus or Charles the Hammer) in 730s. However, the stirrup, which made the 'shock cavalry' lance charge possible, was not introduced to the Frankish kingdom until the late eighth century. The great revolution of Martel was to seize the money and property of the church and use it to pay local nobles to supply and maintain well trained and equipped ready-to-fight troops year around. It was Martel's creation of a system whereby he could count at any time on this core of veterans who served with him on a permanent basis that gave the Carolingians their military supremacy. Other than that the Carolingian military success rested primarily on novel siege technologies, excellent logistics and access to large numbers of horses which provided a quick, long-distance method of transporting troops, a critical issue for building and maintaining such a large empire!

This range has been sculpted by M. Campagna and currently already covers all core troops from the late eighth century onward, for earlier periods mixing a proportionally increasing percentage of Longbard figures would be most appropriate. We plan to expand it even further very soon with the addition of new packs, including Breton Light Cavalry, dismounted Swabian, Frankish crossbowmen and more!

Separate horses are provided at random out of a dozen different poses to maximize variation!
Confused about who were the Carolingians? Find out more in this video!

Code: CRL0
15mm Charlemagne Command

Charlemagne (c. 742 – January 28, 814 at Aachen), also known as Charles the Great (Latin: Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus; German: Karl der Große) or Charles I, was the founder of the Carolingian Empire, reigning from 768 until his death. Called the "Father of Europe" (pater Europae), Charlemagne's personal appearance is known from a good description by a personal associate account: "He was heavily built, sturdy, and of considerable stature, although not exceptionally so" our figure accurately follow Einhard's description. His rule spurred the Carolingian Renaissance, a revival of art, religion, and culture through the medium of the Catholic Church. Both the French and German monarchies considered their kingdoms to be descendants of Charlemagne's empire.

Mix Pack of 2 mounted + 2 foot figures (four different poses): EURO€ 4.90

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All figures do not contain lead and are sold unpainted!

Code: CRL1
15mm Carolingian Mounted Command

Charles Martel is considered the father of heavy cavalry in Europe, as he was the first who integrated heavy armoured cavalry into his forces. The creation of a real professional standing army would continue all through his reign, and that of his son, Pepin the Short, until his Grandson, Charlemagne, would possess the world's largest and finest army since the peak of Rome.

Pack of 4 mounted figures (three different poses): EURO€ 4.90

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All figures do not contain lead and are sold unpainted!

Code:CRL2
15mm Carolingian Imperial Scara (Separate horse, riders and lances)

A scara was a contingent or unit of soldiers, the term is a Latinized form of an ancient German word meaning "group." Although of uncertain composition, the scarae are thought by many modern historians to have been permanently embodied units of elite cavalry, because in the primary sources they are generally described as being tasked to important missions that required high mobility.

Pack of 4 mounted figures (three different poses): EURO€ 4.90

Quantity:

All figures do not contain lead and are sold unpainted!

Code:CRL3
15mm Carolingian Caballari (Separate horse, riders and lances)

After defeating the muslim army at Tours, Charles "the Hammer" studied his foe's forces and adopted their superior technology (the Muslim had inherited the armour and accoutrements of the Sassanid warrior class, which made the armored mounted knight possible). Initially using stirrups, saddles and lamellar armour recovered from the dead Islamic horsemen, Charles created his first heavy cavalry. From then on mounted troops become the essential striking force of the Frankish army.

Pack of 4 mounted figures (three different poses): EURO€ 4.90

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All figures do not contain lead and are sold unpainted!

Code: CRL4
15mm Swabian, Bavarian or Thuringian Caballari (Separate horse and riders)

All these German tribes were eventually subjugated by the Franks and served in the imperial army. Swabians and Bavarians were said to be unskilled with the lance and poor horsemen who would rather fight on foot.

Pack of 4 mounted figures (three different poses): EURO€ 4.90

Quantity:

All figures do not contain lead and are sold unpainted!

Code: CRL5
15mm Frankish heavy horse archers (Separate horse and riders)

These Frankish horse archers are based on the capitularies' insistance that each armoured horsemen should own a bow and on contemporary artistic depictions. Their training, experience, weapons, armour and equipment are the same as the other caballarii, but with the addition of a bow.

Pack of 4 mounted figures (two different poses): EURO€ 4.90

Quantity:

All figures do not contain lead and are sold unpainted!

Code: CRL6
15mm Carolingian Archers

Tight formation could hold off the enemy, but eventually opposing missile troops could take a toll of even the most closely knit formation. The Franks, therefore, employed both types of infantry; bowmen to hit the enemy at a distance and spearmen to protect the archers, because their relatively low rate of fire would expose them to being ridden down.

Pack of 8 figures (four different poses): EURO€ 4.90

Quantity:

All figures do not contain lead and are sold unpainted!

Code: CRL7
15mm Carolingian heavy spearmen Standing

Professional, all year round training enabled Carolingian heavy Infantry to adopt longer spears and use complex formations like the phalanx to withstand superior numbers of enemies. At the core of the Frankish army was a body of these tough, well disciplined and experienced warriors who wore as much as 70 pounds of armour. It was them, standing together in close formation that turned the tide at Tours. As the Mozarabic Chronicle of 754 says: "And in the shock of the battle the men of the North seemed like a sea that cannot be moved. Firmly they stood, one close to another, forming as it were a bulwark of ice;"

Pack of 8 figures (four different poses): EURO€ 4.90

Quantity:

All figures do not contain lead and are sold unpainted!

Code: CRL8
15mm Carolingian Levy Spearmen

In the late sixth century the Merovingian monarchs introduced a new element into their militaries: the local levy. A levy consisted in all the able-bodied men of a district who at the call had to report for military service. The Saxons, Alemanni and Thuringii were all subject to it as well and could be depended upon by the Frankish monarchs until the mid-seventh century. These conscripted spearmen, with little training and poorer quality equipment represent a very cost effective alternative to elite troops for fulfilling secondary roles.

Pack of 8 figures (four different poses): EURO€ 4.90

Quantity:

All figures do not contain lead and are sold unpainted!

Code: GSC1
15mm Basque or Gascon javelinmen

both the words "Basque" and "Gascon" derive from "Vascones", the name of an ancient people who, at the arrival of the Romans, had already been inhabiting for several thousand years the region of present day Navarre and north-western Aragon. They kept their independence for centuries and resisted early Frankish attempts to subdue them but were eventually defeated by Charlemagne. Extremely determined fighters well versed in skirmishing they fight as a very reliable light infantry.

Pack of 8 figures (four different poses): EURO€ 4.90

Quantity:

All figures do not contain lead and are sold unpainted!

Code: GSC2
15mm mounted Basque or Gascon Light Horse

The Basques of North Spain and the Gascones of South-West France were well-renowned for their ability to harry the enemy with javelins (‘dards’) from horseback. They were fiercely effective and experienced guerrilla fighters who often found employment in other armies.

Pack of 4 mounted figures (two different poses): EURO€ 4.90

Quantity:

All figures do not contain lead and are sold unpainted!

Code: BRT1
15mm Breton Cavalry

The "Armorican" peninsula came to be settled with Britons from Britain during the poorly documented period of the 5th-7th centuries. When Vikings or Northmen settled in the area in the ninth and early tenth centuries these regions came to be known as Normandy and the name Armorica fell out of use. Western Armorica eventually evolved into Brittany, while the east became the Breton March under a Frankish marquis. The native Armoric Breton were skilled horsemen and their standard weapon was the javelin, which they continued to use well after neighbouring Nortmans and French took to charging with the lance.

Pack of 4 mounted figures (three different poses): EURO€ 4.90

Quantity:

All figures do not contain lead and are sold unpainted!

Code: LNG11
15mm Peasant levy (redesigned!)

The freemen of the Lombard kingdom and Frankland were levied whenever it was necessary. They were exercitales and viri devoti, that is, soldiers and "devoted men" (a military term like "retainers"); they were thus sometimes, if infrequently, called to serve, though this seems not to have been their preference!

Pack of 8 figures (many different poses): EURO€ 4.90

Quantity:

All figures do not contain lead and are sold unpainted!

 

Code: DBAIII-28

Save and get everything you need for a DBA 3.0 Carolingian Frankish army!
This DBA army pack contains at least 55 figures (some handy spares are normally included!) of which 34 are on foot and 21 mounted, including Commands.
Include enough figures for most common options: 1x 3Kn Gen, 4x 3Kn, 1x 4Bd (dismounted Kn Gen), 4x 4Sp, 1x 3Cv, 1x 2LH, 1x 3Bw, 1x 2Ps and 1x 7Hd (15 elements in all) plus a tent model, accessories and figures to use as camp!

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DBA 3.0 DBAIII/28 - CAROLINGIAN FRANKISH 639-888 AD
55 figures (15 elements) + camp army Pack: EURO€ 49.50
(regular price EURO 55.00 SAVE 10%!)

Quantity:

All our figures do not contain lead and are sold unpainted!

Code: 15BYZ



This ridge tent is a typical troop field accommodations based on the traditional Roman model as used in the Byzantine empire. Tents of this type were probably in use in all the former territories of the empire. The model is about 33mm wide, 35mm deep and 21mm tall.

15BYZ is also available cleaned and primed, based and ready to paint; or as a finished DBM baggage element, painted, based and flocked, ready to play! You can order them here.

Click here for shipping charges!

Plain cast: EURO€ 3.50
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