To Westeros with Captain Blood! 14 October, another hill tribesman (p66)

[LordOdo]

Hmmm. Yes. I'm trying to keep them medieval rather than too overtly viking. Tricky. I mean GRRM clearly has vikings in mind with the Greyjoys, but doesn't really describe them culturally as very different from the rest of the great houses of Westeros...

I think, essentially, that HBO took the easy way out, by rooting each of the great houses in very visibly different cultural styles. So King's Landing looks much more exotically Mediterranean than I'd ever envisaged, the North is kind of sub-Lord of The Rings, and no doubt Dorne, when they get to it, will be out and out mysterious orient. Personally, I think this is a mistake. Yes there are climate differences from north to south across Westeros, but as I read it, the Seven Kingdoms are a fairly homogenous pseudo-medieval culture. It's only once you cross the narrow seas that you find the exotic cultures of the middle east, horse tribes etc...

Interesting innit? 

Totally agree with you! I started my own Westeros project (link in sig) and I used mostly GW Brettonians, but I'm quite jalous on your conversions... 
What's your opinion to use reaper? It's btw fun to see everyone picks another army; Sukhe especially Northerns, you Braavosi and Lannisters and I focussed at Arryns and Barratheons..

[commissarmoody]

I was looking at doing house Manderly myself. The hardest part is finding a few "Fat" knights and tridents that will work with the perry plastics.

Oh and here is an idea for a few northmen/ Grayjoys. http://www.claymorecastings.co.uk/ 

[Abbner Home]

I think, essentially, that HBO took the easy way out, by rooting each of the great houses in very visibly different cultural styles. So King's Landing looks much more exotically Mediterranean than I'd ever envisaged, the North is kind of sub-Lord of The Rings, and no doubt Dorne, when they get to it, will be out and out mysterious orient. Personally, I think this is a mistake. Yes there are climate differences from north to south across Westeros, but as I read it, the Seven Kingdoms are a fairly homogenous pseudo-medieval culture. It's only once you cross the narrow seas that you find the exotic cultures of the middle east, horse tribes etc...

While I agree with your interp. of the book I'm not so sure HBO has made a mistake. I read the books and I still have to spend a tiny bit of thought keeping factions straight. For a TV viewer who hasn't read the books and is not yet invested in the story, and thus - no matter how smart or imaginative - has little motivation to spend a lot time trying to figure out who's who, the extreme differences are probably helpful. The more visual cues the better, house banners only go so far and aren't logical in every shot.

But that's just IMO. What's important here is that your conversions look great and I, like so many others, can't hardly wait to see the painted figures.

[Captain Blood]

Thanks again all.

I'm not so sure HBO has made a mistake. I read the books and I still have to spend a tiny bit of thought keeping factions straight. For a TV viewer who hasn't read the books and is not yet invested in the story, and thus - no matter how smart or imaginative - has little motivation to spend a lot time trying to figure out who's who, the extreme differences are probably helpful. The more visual cues the better, house banners only go so far and aren't logical in every shot.

Completely agree with you, that's why they've done it. Quite understandable to engage the casual viewer 

I was looking at doing house Manderly myself. The hardest part is finding a few "Fat" knights and tridents that will work with the perry plastics.

Yeah, tricky... Any fat plastics out there? Or maybe you'll just have to get busy with the Green Stuff

What's your opinion to use reaper?

I'm going to try to stick to plastics for this project, and steer clear of any fantasy figures as such - just adapt my own medievals...

Do you know this book:



It has a wealth of paintings about all the houses and characters by lots of artists, so many different views of their appearance. I would highly recommend it, and there is even a second inspiring volume available.

Thank you Michael. I hadn't seen that, although I suspect a lot of the artwork is probably the same as they use in the various Fantasy Flight GoT boardgame, CCGs and expansions. I play the boardgame a lot with friends. We've just started on the Dance with Dragons expansion - the Lannisters still don't stand a chance 
Certainly the front cover of the book looks like the same picture used on the box art.

But I will look out for the book(s) and add to my Amazon wishlist

[Chris Spicer]

Again, great work.

Are you planning on doing any "named" characters?  Victarion Greyjoy with his helm and cloak would be a nice challenge.

[Mad Doc Morris]

Oh, nice, very nice indeed! Good to see this toned down historical re-imagination of Martin's works gaining ground. I'd rather prefer that over the look of the TV series (which I like a lot, and, dare I say it, definitely more than the somewhat long-winded books I nearly gave up on before the show started). Too bad there wasn't an artist like John Howe with an in-depth knowledge of historical armour styles to take the lead there as well. Btw, the book mentioned is, as assumed, pretty much a collection of FFG artwork.

Your latest conversion looks fine. At first sight I thought the arm would be too thin, despite its overdone muscular definition. But actually it seems in proportion with the rest of the body. So no complaints at all. To allude to the ironmen's vikingish background I'd give them round shields or, if you prefer a more 'High Medieval' look, roundels or even just bucklers. That's perhaps more appropriate to their hit-and-run tactics than large, cumbersome shields. Just an idea.

Following with great interest now.

[OSHIROmodels]

No axes then, hmmm

How about falchions or the Dacian falx. Different enough?

cheers

James

[mentok27]

Mate. Love your work. I've been tinkering with collecting westeros armies for a couple of years now. Ultimately I have nothing to show for it at the moment as it's a relatively small part of my overall hobbying.... I believe I'm on the cusp of delving back in and this and similar threads here are feeding the flames.

[qazbnm]

Your War of the Roses thread over at the Medieval Adventures forum is one of the reasons I signed up for LAF. Mixing that up with Game of Thrones is a perfect recipe for success! Love your conversions and painting style and I'm really looking forward to see these painted up!

[Captain Blood]

Thanks chaps. You shouldn't have to wait too long 

[meninobesta]

hello,

you can see the artwork use for the GoT cardgame here:
http://www.cardgamedb.com/index.php/GoT/gotcardsearch.html

hope it helps

Great project!

[mikeland]

Really interesting work so far on these. I think you are spot on with sticking to historical based figures, whilst there are some fantastical elements to ASoIaF it is very much grounded in 'reality', and using the available plastic historical kits out there will give them the right feel.

Thinking that the Fireforge dismounted Sergeants could be a useful kit.

[sukhe_bator]

I'm thinking that too...
I'm feeling an addition to my Easter wish list coming on!

[Captain Blood]

Yes, I've used bits and pieces from the FF Templar infantry in what I've done so far - they share a lot of components with the dismounted sergeants, but with a different mix of heads.
I'll certainly need another box or two, and I think I'll also try the new FF steppe nomad foot warriors - useful for components for the Free Kingdoms, Braavosi, Lyseni, Dothraki etc...
For more hairy barbarian-looking torsos, heads etc (for the more northerly of the houses of Westeros), I'm currently pulling on a free frame I had of Warlord Games Celts.
But I think I may also need to go to the Gripping Beast generic Dark Age Warriors to give me a bit more variety of choice... I do need to give the Starks, Boltons and Greyjoys a slightly more hairy look - although personally I draw the line at giving them Dark Age / Norse style helmets, which I think is a step too far paired with C15th armour!

You pays your money and makes your choice  

All in all, I can see a lot of plastic shopping in the not too distant future. I'll be going to Cavalier at Tonbridge in a couple of weeks time, so hope to pick up the necessary there...

[sukhe_bator]

Captain Blood,
Don't forget that while padded, jack or mail armour might be hand-me downs, helmets and decent armour were prestige items that would have been highly sought after and looted after battles. Militias and household troops might get poorer quality 'munition' armour - the better off households (an in Westeros we know who they are) the most up-to-date designs, the less well off more out-of-date, archaic patterns cheaper and easier to knock out in quantity.
Viking/Saxon period helmets were made up of quarter segments riveted together with a framework and brow rim, while the helmet bowls of sallets and burgonets were hammered and shaped from a single piece of iron. It is simply a question of who is likely to have access to the better forges and smiths, or the money to pay for such products. I'd have no problem having Viking era helmets alongside WOTR period pieces in my take on Westeros. I've just been careful in reserving the simplest patterns of helmets for my Northern bannermen. Rank doth have its privileges after all!