Battle of Hastings Miniatures

[Dr. Zombie]

It is exactly the same principle with spear as with a sword, seax or butteringknife.

But we are straying somewhat off topic. Best get back to the miniatures. I would say go for all of the GB plastic kits and then mix and match to your liking. I am not the biggest fan of the conquest normans. But they are cheap and you can certainly bulk out a force with them. The look better when  painted than in their raw plastic form.

I have done quite a lot of somewhat generic dark age/early medieval type warriors with the GB dark age warriors with helmeted heads from either Vikings or saxons.

I feel the bare minimum to enter (and have any hope of surviving) a battlefield is a helmet shield and spear. In that order.

[Cerdic]

Maxromek....regarding producing curved shields. The method for curving wood which seems to go back many centuries, is to use steam. You make a wooden former carved to the shape you need. The flat shield is strapped to the former and enveloped in hot steam. Gradually the wood of the shield will warp. The straps are progressively tightened, pulling the shield closer to the former. Eventually the curve of the shield will match the shape of the former. Leave the wood to cool and then release it. Hey presto, a curved shield!

Obviously the former must be made of big chunky blocks of wood so that it doesn't warp as well. I would imagine that a handily sized tree trunk, after a touch of 'dressing' would make an excellent choice!

[Jiron]

To be honest, I'm more inclined to the majority of round shields on the side of the English medium infantry. My reasons being:

a) easier production - every village had to be able to produce the shields, it's not like you can go to buy twenty shields in the supermarket...

b) not-just-shieldwall - I mean, we are considering royal fyrd but what about the use in village/militialike fyrd? There might be plenty of use in small local skirmishes, bandit raiding and so on. Not always you are in the shieldwall and as mentioned, round, boss-gripped shield is much more versatile and user-friendly for active use.

But to be absolutely honest, I can see the kite shields on armoured thegns and houskarles. At least at some of these.