Return to Middle Earth….?

[Anthony March]

Mike, I was going to reply to the Middle Earth wargaming 6mm or 10mm thread. There appears to be a glitch so that I can’t post on that particular thread.

Rohirrim were certainly “Anglo Saxons with horses”.  A lot of Tolkein artwork depicts them with either kite or round shields, so Normans could be an option at this scale.  There are quite a few discussions on various fora about what historical models could be used for Lord of the Rings.  A lot of these see Gondor as being the equivalent of Byzantium (I think the armour and unifirm in this link is close to how I imagine the Tower Guards : http://www.romeomodels.com/product_reviews_info.php?currency=GBP&products_id=111&reviews_id=2&language=en&osCsid=f79d9aad18a32027b92a45178bf3c1e9 ).

The knights of Dol Amroth I think are more akin to knights of the early 13th century.

 

This may help http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=278742

I have seen other sites a few years ago when contemplating this as a project. at the moment I can’t seem to find them.

 

I do like the look of those Copplestones.

[Northern Monkey]

thanks for the reply Anthony, I too have always thought of Gondor as the Eastern Roman empire and Arnor as the Western in look and feel.

 

Ive settled on 10mm now, those copplestone minis are just too tempting

My attempt at a Blog: http://ablogofwar.blogspot.co.uk/

[Fredd Bloggs]

For Rohan, look at OstroGoths rather than straight up Normans or Saxons. Gondor has a Byzantine feel to its descriptions. Then use Saxon/Vikings or Late Imperial Romans for the various rural Gondor fiefdoms that contributed troops.

 

the copplestone 10mms are excellent as are the Historical 10mms from Pendraken.

[Warren Beattie]

Seeing as this is the most recently used part of the topic, I’ll butt in here.

Yep, as you probably know by now, Copplestone 10mms are pretty hefty. These days they’re labelled on his site as ‘big 10s’/12mm, which is at least more honest than labelling a 32mm mini as 28 or even 25mm. 😉 But way back when they appeared and I hoped to round out my handful of Battle of Five Armies minis, I was disappointed to see the CP orcs towered over the plastic GW elves. Some of the range even make Warmaster metals, which are ’10mm to the eyes’, look stumpy. Though they’d be fine enough with eachother or other ‘large 10s’.

I agree with the use of Ostrogoths – I’m tempted to use some Footsore Ostrogoths as 28mm Rohirrim myself – although I’m too fond of Anglo-Saxons to kick them all the way to the kerb.

I’ve heard recently that Dunlendings were supposed to be somewhat viking-like, as aggressive raiders upon the not-Anglo-Saxons. Seems to fit, although I viewed them as a bit more pictish or irish.

[Fredd Bloggs]

Hmmm Pictish/Caledones/Scotti, that is an excellent idea for Dunlendings, I had not thought of them.

 

For Easterlings something like Pechenegs and early Hussites who used wains and wagons themselves seems to fit the descriptions.

 

One of the biggest issues I have found is how to have 3 or 4 factions of Goblins/orcs that vary by more than just a paintjob.

[Warren Beattie]

Personally, I’d switch it around. 🙂 As far as I can see, Wainriders and the ‘Easterlings’ of the War of the Ring are only two of the eastern races that troubled Gondor during the Third Age. But then I haven’t seen a lot (outside the movies, which I’d prefer to ignore) to show that orcs across Middle Earth are divided into sufficiently different races, except for Saruman’s hybrid Uruk-Hai. (and Sauron’s few examples of the same) But maybe I need to go back and read some more.

I know of a guy who also dislikes the movies, and is apparently in close contact with Christopher Tolkien as well as other big names in fantasy fiction and gaming (pinch of salt, I think) who’s in the process of sculpting a number of different 28mm orc races for Middle Earth. To be honest I think he’d be lucky to sell one…

[Fredd Bloggs]

It is not that I want different races per se, more a way to easily tell Mordor orcs from Moria orcs from Gundabad Orcs from Grey Mountains orcs. Perhaps different shield shapes or something similar is really my answer.

[William Minsinger]

So I’m hopping in here late, but my two cents:

First, I agree with the notion that ‘dark ages’ or early medieval is much closer to the book model of LOTR than plate-armored Gondorians and such.

Second, I also agree that while JRRT had Anglo-saxons in mind with the Rohirrim, I think Ostrogoths are probably the best ‘historical’ analogue.

However, on Gondor I’m not entirely convinced Byzantium is the feel that JRRT was going for.  BUT the historical analogy with Arnor = WRE and Gondor = ERE also makes a lot of sense, and I can see the appeal.

Definitely dark age ‘Celtic’ cultures for the Dunlendings, I think that’s spot on.

-Will

 

[William Minsinger]

Also I find this guy’s work particularly inspiring:

http://merlkir.deviantart.com/gallery/29988/The-Last-Days-Tolkien-related

http://merlkir.deviantart.com/gallery/44850880/The-One-Ring

-Will

[Rules Junkie Jim]

Have a look at the old Tabletop Miniatures orcs sold by Viking Forge:

http://www.thevikingforge.net/25mm-fantasy-orcs.html

I’ve a few of these back from TTM/TTG days. They are old sculpts, but for me they’re the best 25mm orcs I’ve seen. If they were available again in the UK I might get back into 25mm gaming. They’re that good

But then everyone has their own idea of what Tolkien was describing – it’s great fun working the imagination.

Another favourite line is the old Black Tree LOTR range, now being released by Scotia Grendel:

http://www.scotiagrendel.com/Products/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=221_222_46_203

 

 

[Fredd Bloggs]

The other advantage of Ostrogoths as Rohan is it frees Anglo-Saxons etc to be the ‘other’ humans, so Anduin woodmen etc.

[William Minsinger]

Yes, I think that the ‘Lakemen’ of Dale also would have an Anglo-Saxon vibe with a bit more emphasis on bows than their historical counterparts.

-Will

[Northern Monkey]

Well i’ve now acquired 10mm not Rohan Copplestone army, and Im very happy with them, I need some enemies now and whilst the Copplestone Orc’s are on my list, i’ve been thinking of other opponents and allies , Copplestones not Gondor lack cavalry, how do these look: http://www.magistermilitum.com/manufacturer/magister-militum/gth1-goth-heavy-cavalry-nobles.html

and Ive been looking at Steve Barber models 10mm Germans as Dunlendings and maybe even his Parthians as Easterlings http://stevebarbermodels.com/

Any thoughts on these or other suggestions?

 

My attempt at a Blog: http://ablogofwar.blogspot.co.uk/

[Rules Junkie Jim]

Those MM Goths definitely have a Gondorian look about them (or vv?). And I think the mounted Parthian archers would make perfect Easterlings, though the heavy cavalry are more western – knights of Dol Amroth perhaps?

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