The Battle on the Green Fork or "Really, another ASOIAF Topic???"

[rfitchmc]

I've admired the work of others on LAF from afar for awhile now, particularly the work of Captain Blood and Frank Becker and it definitely has me inspired to create some ASOIAF conversions of my own. Lion Rampant always seemed perfectly suited for playing out some GRRM inspired skirmishes but what I really want to do is see how Lion Rampant can handle a larger battle. There have been some great additional rules that have been popping up online to make Lion Rampant a little more appropriate for large battles and sieges and I've been dying to see how a game designed for around 54 figures divided into 6 units could handle say...two or three hundred figures...Maybe more. I know, I know...its ridiculous. Yet I can't think of a better way to practice using ProCreate and lose what little is left of my eyesight painting heraldry.

What I really wanted to do was to replay on the table the Battle on the Green Fork, as seen through the eyes of Tyrion Lannister in GRRM's Game of Thrones. If you have seen HBO's show but not read the books, lets just say HBO probably didn't have the budget to recreate what Martin envisioned of Roose Bolton's encounter with Tywin Lannister's army. But in 28mm plastic and metal, what could possibly go wrong? I also wanted to paint figures that matched what characters like Tyrion, Bronn, Tywin, Shagga, Roose Bolton, the Karstarks and all those large, walrus mustachioed Manderly's looked like in my minds eye when I read the books. GRRM has said he was inspired in part by the War of the Roses but he also was inspired by "The Accursed Kings," a series of French historical novels by Maurice Druon. He called them the "original Game of Thrones." It is set during the 14th century and even having watched HBO's Game of Thrones first season before reading the books, I couldn't shake the mental image of Game of Thrones looking more like Poiters, 1356 and less like Towton, 1461. Yes, it's fantasy, not history, but I really wanted to paint figures that might look as much at home in the 14th century as they would in Westeros. Doing the 'Battle of the Green Fork' in 28mm also gives the chance to explore some really minor characters and houses.

So here we go. Someday this will take to the tabletop, hopefully after some test games but until then, please enjoy and I am looking forward to your comments and critiques. And thanks to all those who have been here for years posting their own Game of Thrones conversions. What an inspiration!


Ronel Rivers, Bastard of Walder Frey. One of the 'Four Freys' who rode out of the Twins with the Frey infantry.


His heraldry isn't described, so I gave him the reversed colors worn by Walder Rivers, with a border compony to distinguish him.


A Man-at-Arms of House Mormont. He isn't quite as vicious as I might have imagined a soldier from Bear Island to be but his armor is a little antiquated, so I am happy with him.


Harrion Karstark. On the reverse is his cloak of sun bursts.


Wylis Manderly. His mustache and stomach put a dent into my supply of ProCreate.


I have a table full of carved up bits and half primed figures, so hopefully I get the chance to post more soon. While working on these I have also begun work on Tywin Lannister, using a mix of Perry, Fireforge and Mirliton components. I am determined to do this with plastic figures but Mirliton does have some fantastic heads and accessories.

[Magos Kasen]

Nice work mate, these look fantastic. Welcome to the madness of 28mm GoT  It sucks you in doesn't it?!

Can't wait to see more.

[Elbows]

Oh this is fantastic...

[Ogrob]

There is always room for more GoT threads! Stellar work, love your Manderly in particular.

[Captain Blood]

Nice jobs on those. Freehand heraldry and all.
Welcome to the (unofficial) club 
I'll add your thread to the LAF GoT compendium. Keep 'em coming.

You're also very brave to show your paintwork in such close-up detail, warts and all. They stand up to the scrutiny extremely well. Well done 

[arget8]

The heraldry is fantastic. Much better than my own. Beautifully painted minis. I also feel that most of Westeros would look far more late 14th/early 15th century than Martin implies when talking about his inspiration. I feel that the books describe a much different period the show also depicts (which is a mix between early medieval and late 15th century, depending on the part of the world).

Loving it so far!

[Captain Blood]

Yep. The show has got it all wrong 

(I think I have ranted at great length about this in my own GoT thread... HBO have been seduced by the sub-Jackson's LOTR grungy look, which is not the high medieval romance look that GRRM clearly describes in the books... Still, don't get me started on all that again!  )

[arget8]

Now, don't get me wrong. I love watching the show, but I've learned that I have to divorce it from the books in many ways. I personally plan on making my Lannisters and Baratheons look a lot like they do in the show, but the Dornish are too middle-eastern and the look of a lot of the other houses are a little too fantasy for me, Tullys with leather scale armor, bah! I feel that most of the Seven Kingdoms would have vaguely similar gear, with slight cultural differences, such as the Dornish with cloth covered armor or lighter armor and the Lannisters having better gear for their regular soldiers due to their wealth, but the differences shouldn't be quite so pronounced as the show depicts, which I'm sure is to help the common viewer distinguish who's who for the most part.

[Dilettante Gamer]

A beautiful start and welcome to the ASoIaF crazy train!!

Fantastic free hand and, those shots are ridiculously close. The reality - as I keep reminding myself - is that our little mans will be viewed from at least 3 - 6 feet away. 

Or so I console myself for not painting at the level of our good Captain or many other talented adventurers here. 

Happy to have you with us!!

[Plynkes]

The old "I've read the book" syndrome can really spoil one's enjoyment of adaptations if you're not careful. It has happened to me more times than I care to remember. I have cleverly avoided it with Game of Thrones via the cunning stratagem of not reading the books.

Always good to see a new member in this growing LAF fraternity. It's nice to see the various interpretations LAFers have, even if I don't have the literary expertise to applaud them or tear them apart.

[Hupp n at em]

Nice conversions, and really lovely painting on that heraldry!  Looking forward to more 

[rfitchmc]

Thank you for all the kind words...yes, "madness" and "crazy train" are probably the words I would use to describe trying 28mm Game of Thrones too. Painting around a stack of books on Medieval arms and armour and heraldry is a new problem for me. It definitely becomes an obsession quickly...Thanks again!

[LordOdo]

The heraldry is amazing; I can only hope you wont do them not that detailed for all the unnamed characters

Can't wait to see your take on Tywin!

[Charlie_]

Very nice! As has been said they stand up well to close up photography... but actually, I'd be interested in seeing them in smaller photos, to get a better idea of what they look like on the tabletop!

I feel that most of the Seven Kingdoms would have vaguely similar gear, with slight cultural differences, such as the Dornish with cloth covered armor or lighter armor and the Lannisters having better gear for their regular soldiers due to their wealth, but the differences shouldn't be quite so pronounced as the show depicts

Agreed. In fact I take things a little further, and like to imagine them all pretty much looking the same, with perhaps slight difference in the North and Dorne. I think of Dorne as being roughly comparable to Spain, so their troops wouldn't look too different to those of other regions, and would use the same weapons and wear the same sort of armour... but perhaps have more of a light cavalry tradition, and some slight variations in costume to suit the climate. I don't like to imagine the Northerners all wearing fur all the time, but sure they would be better dressed for a cold winter (though I've always thought it odd that people depict them wearing all this fur and thick winter clothing when they are fighting in the warmer south - surely if they're not used to the heat they'll be quick to shed the winter woolies!). Soldiers from all the other regions I imagine looking the same, though certain (not ALL) nobles from the Westerlands and the Reach will be very wealthy and be wearing fancy suits of armour.... Not to say there aren't wealthy nobles in other regions too.

The old "I've read the book" syndrome can really spoil one's enjoyment of adaptations if you're not careful. It has happened to me more times than I care to remember. I have cleverly avoided it with Game of Thrones via the cunning stratagem of not reading the books.

Very cunning... but what would be even more cunning is to read the books No easier way to spoil your enjoyment of good books than by not reading them!
(though I am biased, I always prefer a good book to a good tv show or film)

[Plynkes]

If he ever gets around to finishing it, I may get around to starting.