Victrix Dark Ages anyone??

[Cubs]

I didn't know anything about them either, except a footnote in a couple of Crusades books I'd read, talking about Normans in Italy, which earned no more than a "Whu?" and a raised eyebrow from me at the time.

I snapped up a copy of 'The Age of Robert Guiscard' for £15 from Oxfam! It's not cheap so I reckon 2nd hand will be your friend here.

I got into the genre through the Jack Ludlow 'Conquest' trilogy, which is followed by the 'Mercenaries' and finally 'Crusades'  trilogies, following the De Hauteville family line, from Normandy to Italy & Sicily and finally the Holy Land. It's based on the real De Hauteville family, an astonishing collection of warriors and conquerors who rose from the cash-strapped sons of minor nobility seeking employment through the sword, to literally changing history and redrawing the maps of the Mediterranean.

I'm also working my way through 'The Normans in Sicily' by John Julius Norwich, but it's a weighty (if lightly written) tome and I'm still grinding my way through.

[mweaver]

I think the Norwich book is the one and only thing I read on the subject, back in the late 70s!  So, don't remember much.   

This place is dangerous.  Not only do people drag nifty figures across your path, they keep talking about interesting books as well. 

-Michael

[Cubs]

This place is dangerous.  Not only do people drag nifty figures across your path, they keep talking about interesting books as well. 

You can get the Ludlow books cheap on Kindle too …

[Captain Blood]

You can get the Ludlow books cheap on Kindle too …

I’ll have to check those out...

[Tonhel]

Update:

Here are the renders for the 3rd Armoured Norman figure. He has various head and arm variants. Our sculptors are now working on the 4th Armoured Norman figure, before starting the Norman command frame.

Attached is a sketch of the first Norman command figure. We are going for some dynamic posing on some of the these figures with arms crossing the body, as well as body and head twists. This is going to be quite technically difficult with the fit and function of the separate pieces but the results will look great.

[Kitsune]

Is there a rough ETA for the Norman foot box?

[Siegfried]

I love the fact they're including Italo-Norman helmets. That gives the set a lot more versatility than what a lot of other Norman miniatures offer. I have high hopes for this range; I dare say it's probably going to be the best range of plastic Norman miniatures in the market (and that's no small accomplishment considering how many plastic sts of this kind there are).

My only complaint would be the poses. I don't know exactly what is it about them, but they look a little weird. Maybe it's just a problem of the digital sculpts that will get fixed once the figures are produced on plastic. But for now, that would be my only critique.

[Atheling]

I love the fact they're including Italo-Norman helmets.

Me too. This is an excellent addition as it extends the time period for which they can be used for as well as allowing for Guiscard and co

My only complaint would be the poses. I don't know exactly what is it about them, but they look a little weird.

It's the arm and weapon position. In particular the arm. It doesn't look natural in some of the weapon poses. The 'oddness' of the arm position and angle of the weapon is accentuated by the rest of the design as the rest of the figure looks *very* natural. I think that this is a problem that needs ironing out.

Apart from this I think these mock ups are excellent and I will be buying!! 

[Cubs]

Oh my.

[Codsticker]

I agree- ideally I think the arm should be a bit straighter but they look like very nice figures over all.

[Atheling]

I agree- ideally I think the arm should be a bit straighter but they look like very nice figures over all.

I agree. I'm sure they will iron it out prior to production, which I believe Victrix said (on their forum) would be in the later stages of the first quarter of next year (?).

[Tonhel]

 

PRODUCT UPDATE: ARMOURED NORMAN RENDERS

Here are the renders for armoured Norman 4. This completes the Norman main frame and we will now move on to the command frame.

This figure has multiple head and weapon options and can be used as a Norman, 1st Crusades and other European nations. He has an Italo Norman head option for the Normans fighting in Sicily, Greece etc…

The command frame will have some figures in scale armour. More updates to come.

Keep your eyes peeled as we will be announcing the 2020 release schedule at some point this week.

[Cubs]

Really like the flanged mace option.

[Kitsune]

Liking those a lot. Release them, dammit!

[Breazer]

I think I need these