Rogvaldas' Northern Crusades: Baltic Pagan Army and Crusaders added

[ayak333]

The Baltic sea should be viewed as more of a highway than a boundary.  With evidence of trade beginning at least from  the Nordic Bronze age, the Baltic Sea was bursting with interaction.  The Goths moved from Scandinavia to the Vistula in the early centuries AD, followed with migrations to the Crimea, and eventually a Goth sat on the Western Roman Throne.  In the Viking age, Nobles from varying Scandinavian countries engaged in raiding trading and tribute gathering on the eastern Baltic, even before they went on to navigate the rivers of Russia.  

The Northern Crusades informally began in the late 12th century when Danish and North German Nobles became exhausted by Wendish (Western Slavs whose linguistic territory was the area from today's Northeastern Germany eastward to the Vistula) raids. The Danish and German nobles started their retaliation with raids, and eventually moved on to take important towns and fortifications, resulting in the climactic destruction of the Slavic pagan temple at Arkona. After the success of these wars the Pope issued a Crusading Bull with the objective of converting the rest of Europe's Northern Pagans.  

At this point the Germans, Danes, and Swedes, began a rivalry of conquest in the Eastern Baltic lands.  The Germans forged the state of Livonia and Prussia with the help of the Brethren of the Sword and their better mannered successors, the Teutonic Knights.  The Danes held northern Estonia and occupied the important fortress of Reval. Northern Estonia changed hands between the Sword Brethren, Danes, and Teutonic Knights, causing a lot of tension between the Catholic factions.  The Swedes conquered Finland, and had a go at Estonia but saw little success. Their success in Finland however, put them in direct competition with Novgorod.

The indigenous peoples of the Eastern Baltic belong to two distinct linguistic groups: Baltic (Prussians, Lithuanians, Samogitians, Curonians, Semigallians, Latgallians...) spoken in modern Latvia and Lithuania; and Finnish (Karelians, Osselians, Estonians, Livonians...) with territories corresponding to Finland and Estonia.  As stated before the peoples of the eastern Baltic had been in contact with the varying peoples of Northern Europe for time immemorial.  However this time, the foreigners came with a ferocious crusading zeal, that exhibited more greed than piety.  

Hope you enjoyed my quick Blurb! Here is what you've all been waiting for, the pics of my Samogitian or Curonian army. These guys defeated the Sword Brethren at the battle of Saule 1236, causing the Sword Brethren to be absorbed by the Teutonic Knights, and  gave the Teutonic Knights a womping at the battle of Durbe 1260, inspiring the conquered Prussian clans to revolt within the Orden Staat.
(ignore the frostgrave gothic in the background)

[fitterpete]

Very nice painting and scenery! And thanks for the little history lesson too.

In the 7th picture down,the unit with the big redhead in the front, there are 4 figures to the left with conical helmets and mail coifs.Do you happen to remember where you got them?
Thanks,Pete

[The Gray Ghost]

Really nice stuff ayak333, I've often thought it would be an interesting period to do.
a lot of the figures look like Gripping Beast to me

[Marine0846]

I really like your figures.
I agree with fitterpete,
love a little history to go along with the pics.

[ayak333]

The minis you are asking about are all gripping beast Jomsvikings

[Hupp n at em]

Really like these, and love the history blurb. Nicely done!    Out of curiosity, which kits did you use to kitbash the plastic figures members of that lovely horde?

[ayak333]

The horde with no armor consists of kitbashes of wargames factory ancient germans, wargames factory bondi, warlord games celts, gripping beast hirdmen heads and a few weapons, warlord game dacians, and the bannermen is a warlord games metal german. Hope that was the horde you were inquiring about.

[ayak333]

Thanks for the comments guys! I'll post pictures of the Teutonic Knights and Sword Brethren soon!

[tyrionhalfman]

Impressive looking army. Nice mix of manufacturers and different ranges for variety. Thanks for sharing.

[Hupp n at em]

The horde with no armor consists of kitbashes of wargames factory ancient germans, wargames factory bondi, warlord games celts, gripping beast hirdmen heads and a few weapons, warlord game dacians, and the bannermen is a warlord games metal german. Hope that was the horde you were inquiring about.

Sure was, thanks!

[Ensign Madcap]

Great looking army for an unusual subject. Is that statue Svantevit? I can't see too clearly from these pics.

[ayak333]

The Statue is actually a pewter Santa Clause I got for one dollar.  The Balts did not worship Svantevit but had a similar Pantheon to the Slavs and Scandinavians, and there are no archaeological remains of contemporary images of Baltic deities.  But yes, the miniature was created with the idol of Svantevit in mind!

[Ragnar]

Excellent presentation. 

[Johnp4000]

I have a small Baltic Crusades project, but have always had a difficulty in finding a good match for the Balts although I have used some GB figures from the Tribal Warriors range.These figures look a good match with lots of variety and certainly given me some ideas.Could I ask what figures did you use for the Cavalry?

[ayak333]

The Noble Cavalry is made from wargames factory celtic cavalry and gripping beast hirdmen heads with some green stuff to make the body and head compatible. The light cavalry is wargames factory ancient germans, with gripping beast dark age warriors heads, a viking hirdmen head, and warlord celtic warriors heads.  These were made several years ago, and if I were to go about Baltic Cavalry creation now (I still might), I would use the Arab heavy cavalry sets from gripping beast, and mix in suitable heads from the warlord celts, GB Hirdmen, Gb Dark age warriors, and the upcoming fireforge Russians.  The miniatures would also need spears/javelins, swords, axes, and maces. Balts dismounted to use bows until the late 14th century, and there is still debate about the extent to which the Lithuanians used Horse archery, possible only having horse archery in their Tatar contingent/auxilliaries.