[BA] Suitable Miniatures

[Sir Barnaby Hammond-Rye]

For foot soldiers, the Tekumel miniatures that Eureka is now producing might be exotic enough to fit the bill. No mounted troops, unfortunately, as horses didn't follow mankind to Tekumel.

There are two legions of Tsolyani currently available and four Gureks of Yan Koryani should be available for Historicon - if all goes well.

Details of the 93 Yan Koryani figures coming over the next several months can be found here:

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/TekumelMinis-War/files/The%20Tekumel%20Project/

Regards,

Howard Fielding
The Tekumel Project

[Rhoderic]

I rather like those Legion of Sérqu figures. Any idea of their size? Eureka figures are normally on the smaller side, aren't they? Also the shields are a bit over-the-top but I notice Eureka sells some very nice round shields under Assyrians.

Another idea (hear me out before you dismiss it) is to use certain elf miniatures, only with the ears filed down. They often have this kind of exotic, hard-to-define look that I think would work perfectly for many eastern and southern Hyborian peoples. I recently bought a Foundry elf (it's the one called "Eacre" in the picture below) and I think I'll be using him as my main hero in Broadsword Adventures.



To me, he rather has this look of a northern barbarian that's been travelling around in far-flung lands, working as a mercenary and picking up all kinds of exotic-looking kit along the way. Another elf range that's interesting in this way is the Celtos Sidhe one, but there are bound to be more if you look around (I haven't bothered).

[Sir Barnaby Hammond-Rye]

The Tekumel miniatures are 28mm ie. roughly the size of the Artizan figures, though the build of the figures is slightly finer, IMO.

Howard

[KeyanSark]

With a little retouching, those elves sure may pass by hyborians soldiers...

[WitchfinderGeneral]

Normal "middle-age warriors" don't suit well the hyborian kingdoms, who are a mix of middle-age/dark-age/fantasy

Like in all fantasy games, only your imagination is the limit.

I think it isn't important what clothes the figures wear.  The clothes are just symbols, to make it easier to understand the characters. Like Conans lack of much clothing doesn't stand for nudity, it stands for his savagery, to point out how different he is to civilised people.
So no matter what "age" you choose, a knight will stay a knight and barbarian still is a barbarian.

The age, like the background decoration, doesn't matter at all.  You could dress all the people right and put them in the right setting but it would still be a poor game. Because all this isn't much important, it's important how the story is told. It must be surprising and risky  - simply adventurous. And it is important how the characters act in different situations and howthe rest of the world reacts to the behaviour of the characters.
This is what should be considered first and what most of the time should be spent for. After coping with this it shouldn't be difficult to get some nice figures for the game.

[KeyanSark]

Sure... But the look and feel is also very important. I don't see using Space Marines with swords as proxies of Aquilonian knights  :mrgreen:

Or in a less humorous example, medieval knights in armour as hyborian soldiers...  :wink:

[Prof.Witchheimer]

Sure... But the look and feel is also very important. I don't see using Space Marines with swords as proxies of Aquilonian knights  :mrgreen:

Or in a less humorous example, medieval knights in armour as hyborian soldiers...  :wink:

agree, we play with miniatures and their visual appearance is very important, that's a part of the game, of the setting and the story. No matter how great the story is, i can't play it with the wrong (in my opinion) minis

[Howard Whitehouse]

The world is full of sword and sorcery miniatures. Not only in actual fantasy ranges (where the more over-the-top figures, which I generally dislike for my Norse and Celtic myth gaming are often the best), but among historicals.

Afrer all, REH and his contemporaries weren't much influenced by a massive bulk of existing fantasy material. There was no such thing at that time. They were influenced by history, and by older myths. So, say, bronze age figures (and some of them look very fantastical indeed) fit perfectly with the world of brawny barbarians. As do cavemen, Celts and Vikings, because it's not a very consistent world --

I've been building up my collection for Chainmail Bikini (which covers much the same universe as Broadsword Adventures, but is better in every way :: ) by going through the bags of Sea Peoples and Myceneans that I've never got round to. Surely that's what Atlanteans must look like --

[Prof.Witchheimer]

by going through the bags of Sea Peoples and Myceneans that I've never got round to. Surely that's what Atlanteans must look like --

Exactly! That's why i like more the idea to use the assyrians then roman. Great idea to use the Sea people!

[Rhoderic]

The Barbarian Empire Reaver Marines and Reaver Slavers from Ral Partha Europe fit my image of pirates of the Vilayet perfectly:





I would love to use the Savages from that same range as Picts, but for those confounded swords that are too advanced for a stone-age people. I suppose I could argue they're looted, but it still ruins the otherwise perfect image of Picts:

[KeyanSark]

Great figures indeed. The first ones could also pass for Argosean soldiers (as Buscema used to draw them)

[Operator5]

I know that REH based one of the kindoms on Byzantium. It might have been Aquilonia but I can't find the reference at the moment.

But Ilike the idea of Assyrians. They look good.

[KeyanSark]

Look at these miniatures from Primeval in coolmini...!  :love:  

Sogar Yag, pictish shaman
http://www.coolminiornot.com/75010

Conan, the Outcast
http://www.coolminiornot.com/76626

Well, it is better to see his Gallery
http://www.coolminiornot.com/artist/Primeval

And some proxies...

A Red Sonja?? from Asmodee

[Rhoderic]

Wow, I ADORE that gallery! Exactly the kind of feel I'm going after (apart from my not being able to paint that well :cry: ). Too bad he hasn't gone at all into representing the high civilizations of Conan's Hyboria or Kull's Thuria.

[Rhoderic]

I've been looking this past day for various miniatures to represent civilians of Hyboria (or whatever similar world you have in mind to game in). Something with which to populate some bustling Zamoran or Argosean merchant district, where all kinds of cultures clash and mix. I love the way this lets me take figures from pretty much anywhere and redefine them as Hyborians just for the hell of it.

The most helpful resource toward this end seems to be Eureka. Under Civilians and Vignettes are lots of Middle Eastern and Indian townsfolk. The Indian females look particularly versatile for representing normal women (ie. not princesses or prostitutes) of pretty much any culture in Hyboria. But many of the other Eureka ranges will also yield interesting stuff, if you look. For instance Aztec Baggage Bearers, La Malinche from the Conquistadors range, African Captives, an Assyrian King that'd make a great nob or merchant, and a belly dancer listed under Pax Limpopo. Under Myths there are some Amazons that'd make good noblewomen, priestesses and street/court musicians.

Black Tree and Gripping Beast are another two good sources. The former has some civilian packs under Vikings, Celts, Greeks and Egyptians while the latter has civilians with a mainly Northern European flair (though I also like their Celtic Druids and Roman Emperor vignette).

Further finds include more Middle Eastern townfolk from the Chaos in Cairo range, and Romans from Steve Barber (though many of these are in cheering poses for gladiator fights). Then there are the occasional characterful civilians to be found in various fantasy RPG ranges as well, of course: princesses, slave girls, harlots and so on. Oh, and let's not forget the "not Barsoom" ranges from Bronze Age and London War Room, the females of which will suit perfectly as those elegant but scantily clad girls that abound in Swords & Sorcery. Bronze Age has a Harem Set of 8 figures for just $10, and London War Room has some City Dweller Civilian Females that'll take a little bit of converting to make them human but have just the right type of outfits.

I know there's more stuff out there, but I can't list it all and the stuff mentioned above will suffice nicely for me. I know Foundry and Perry have civilian packs scattered about, and I remember having seen stuff like Mongol, Zulu and Aztec / Maya villagers from other companies. I've personally stayed away from Middle Ages Western Europeans as they don't suit my image of a proper Swords & Sorcery world.

Finally let's not forget the inclusion of some animals as well. Trained chimps, pack camels, mongrel dogs and so on, to make it all more vibrant and exotic. Perhaps a tame mammoth or some caged sabretooth tigers, if you want to go big.