Fenrir's Easterlings- advice needed!

[Fenrir]

Hello! I'm off to Vapnartak soon and thought I'd use this as an opportunity to pick up some models for a future Easterlings army to use in Dragon Rampant.

And so, I'm looking for advice on which model range/s to go for- as always, I'm trying to steer away from the movies and be closer to the books- but Prof. Tolkien didn't leave us with a whole lot of information! I think most people's first instincts (mine included) are to go 'Far-Eastern' with their Easterlings, but the East of Middle Earth is a large and unexplored place that seems to be home to a wide variety of cultures and peoples...

I've seen Chinese, Persian, Byzantine, Seljuk Turkish and even some Assyrian and Feudal Japanese Easterlings, but I feel drawn to Dark Ages/Medieval Russia for mine! I have seen the Fireforge plastics, and I'm thinking they might be the way to go for my main heavy infantry- along with some Varangian Guard/Jomsvikings as Variags of Khand, and some Mongol cavalry... I could also go the 'war-wagon' route to represent Wainriders...

What do you folks think? Is this just a terrible excuse for me to paint up those lovely Fireforge Russians, or am I on to something? I know there are plenty of Middle Earth scholars here on LAF who might be able to set me straight, but any input would be welcome before I throw my hard-earned money down at the weekend!

Cheers!

[nicknorthstar]

Hi Fenrir
Gut response to Easterlings is Hun/ Steppe warriors. The Fireforge Steppe Warrior Infantry would be perfect, Dave Thomas (Perry Mins) will have them at York. One jumps to this conclusion because ME has an Earth quality to it, and the Easterlings come from the East (duhuh  ), the part they come from are the Steppes and at least pre-WOTR they came in wagons, the Wain-Riders.

That'd be my choice.

But there's some clues from JRRT that mean it might not be that simple. This is one of his descriptions: broad, short, and bearded, and wielded axes like Dwarves. Hun doesn't spring to mind here. Then there's Frodo's vision: and out of the East Men were moving endlessly: swordsmen, spearmen, bowmen upon horses, chariots of chieftains and laden wains. Chariots!

[Bodvoc]

Hi Fenrir,
the picture that Easterlings created in my mind were more Arabic somehow, crusades era types. Also, the very early Middle Earth range from minifigs had Easterlings in turbans which probably helped bias my frothing teenage mind.
Whichever way you go, I shall be there on Sunday to help direct your spending!

[nicknorthstar]

Forgot to say, I'd use the Fireforge Russians for Laketown and Dale, maybe Woodmen as well. It's the architecture of Laketown from JRRT's drawing that would push me that way.

[area23]

You could also consider steppe warriors like Sarmatians, Pechenegs.
Aventine sells steppe cavalry with seperate heads which, eventually, would like to get to convert infantry.

Or use crusader era Armenians:

[Daeothar]

This would be a force well into my future, as I still have to finish my ME 'standard' forces, so I haven't given this much thought yet.

Still, my first inclination would also be steppe peoples, such as Huns or Mongols, although Russian or maybe even Baltic forces might work as well, especially for peoples coming from the region around the Sea of Rhûn.

The more Middle Eastern type armies (for me at least) are more linked to Khând. So forces from there I'd base on Arabs, Selchuks, or maybe even Mesopotamian sources.

Hârád forces, I see very much as African.

I must admit to being influenced in my views by The last Ringbearer a bit, but overall, my views of Middle earth (I first read LotR at the age of 12) originally were mainly influenced by comparative geography; matching Middle Earth areas with historical peoples and cultures in equivalent areas in the real world, as that was all I had to go on at the time (and according to such a one on one comparison, I'm living in the heart of the Shire right now ).

There were no movies to colour my opinions just yet, and my first encounters with other fantasy (RPG) materials were still a few years off. And even though I'm pretty familiar with all fantasy tropes by now and have seen Peter Jackson's vision of Middle Earth many times, my own miniature Middle Earth project is (as much as possible) based on my impressions after that very first read-through.

So yeah; for me Easterlings would, at the first impulse, have to be based on steppe peoples...

[Rotorcraft]

I'm slowly building my "Dark Ages" Middle Earth too and as Easterlings I've decided to use a mix of Perry and TAG Stradiotti, for me they're just perfect for a low Fantasy, exotic and Eastern looking representation of the the Middle Eastern raiders.



https://stuartsworkbench.blogspot.com/2014/06/stradiotti.html

https://stuartsworkbench.blogspot.com/2014/03/wip-stradiot-light-cavalry.html

Regards.

[area23]

and out of the East Men were moving endlessly: swordsmen, spearmen, bowmen upon horses, chariots of chieftains and laden wains. Chariots!

Based on this quote I imagine more something like Migration Period barbarians, an amalgation of Alans, Goths, Huns and other assimilated tribes. While at the same time orcs and wolfriders already represent the more ferocious and monstrous aspects of the Hun image.

[Fenrir]

Thanks, everybody- this is all great stuff, and real food for thought! The term Easterling can obviously be used to cover a diverse range of different 'real-world' cultures, but that's not really helping my decision much- so much inspiration!
Another way to go might be just to embrace this diversity with a mixture of historical ranges within the same force- Tolkien has certainly left us plenty of wiggle-room!..

Having said that, I quite like the idea of collecting an army from Dale (plus a few Dwarves) to oppose my Easterlings, probably using those Fireforge Russians and some Gripping Beast Rus as a base (thanks, Nick!)... This still doesn't really help me to 'cast' my Easterlings of course! I suspect the plastic Fireforge Mongols/Steppe Warriors might win out, simply because of cost- one box of the cavalry and one of infantry will cover two units of each for DR! Only issue is the infantry- for some reason I always imagined Easterlings as well-armoured in mail or scale armour, and the Fireforge plastics seem unarmoured... Perhaps Steppe-Warrior heads on different bodies (Oathmark humans?)?

Regardless, please keep the ideas coming folks- three days left until Vapnartak (see you there, Bodvoc)!

[arget8]

I view the Easterlings as extremely diverse. For Rhun, I'd probably go with something like Byzantine/Sassanid Persians/Kievan Rus to represent their cataphracts and heavy infantry. For the Variags, I see them as very much the Huns of the Migration period. For the Balchoth, chariots and steppe peoples as well.

As to miniatures:

Rhun- GB Byzantine and Kievan Rus infantry with Sassanid and Roman cataphracts
Variags- Any Huns
Balchoth- Huns and Sassanids

[nicknorthstar]

That's funny Fenrir, I'd always imagined the Easterlings UNarmoured. My impression of them is that they envy the riches of the West, so would be less well equipped than Gondor. But it's purely opinion, there's no evidence to back it either way.

A younger Nick designed a ME range (not sculpted I hasten to point out, I've no talent there). It's now sold by Scotia Micro. This is how I saw Easterlings:

They won't be on sale at York.

[Fenrir]

Just a quick update to let you know where I'm at with this...

I picked up a couple of boxes of Fireforge Mongol Cavalry and Steppe Warriors at Vapnartak, and promptly got side-tracked reading up a little on Dark Age/Medieval Rus' history- which then somehow led to me looking into the Scandinavian Baltic Crusades... Must try to stay on-target!.. 

If I still feel the need for some armoured Easterling troops then I might go for the Fireforge Byzantines with Steppe Warrior parts (heads, shields, weapons etc)...

[Paboook]

I would go with the medieval Mongolians or Huns.

Looking forward to see your vision!

[Paboook]

Just a quick update to let you know where I'm at with this...

I picked up a couple of boxes of Fireforge Mongol Cavalry and Steppe Warriors at Vapnartak, and promptly got side-tracked reading up a little on Dark Age/Medieval Rus' history- which then somehow led to me looking into the Scandinavian Baltic Crusades... Must try to stay on-target!.. 

If I still feel the need for some armoured Easterling troops then I might go for the Fireforge Byzantines with Steppe Warrior parts (heads, shields, weapons etc)...

Mongolians had also heavy cavalry if you need some shock troops. Check the Fireforge resin range for example.