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Author Topic: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany Project update 15/7  (Read 5114 times)

Offline bluewillow

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Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany Project update 15/7
« on: April 05, 2020, 07:27:16 AM »
Vikings in the Loire

My next dark age project is the Loire Vikings, a mix of individual bases and Impetus bases for skirmish and largest battles.

The first raid in the Carolingian empire was on the monastery of the coast of Nantes in Pays de la Loire (Nuestria) on the Île de Noirmoutier in 799 in the bay of Biscay. The northmen finally departed Nuestria and Brittany in 1076. Noirmoutier monastery became the most regularly raided monastery in France and a major base for Viking raids of the Loire, Brittany and Aquitaine.

I have been painting the lovely V& V Vikings on and off for the last two weeks while I prepare our Vikings in the Loire and Brittany tour information and battlefield Wargame and tour release for 2020.

These figures will be for the skirmish raids that made up most of the fighting locally, as they tended to raid Monasteries, trading centres, salt and Linen production  centres along the Brittany, Pays de  la Loire, Normandy and Aquitaine coasts and up the large rivers and tributaries. We also have three major field battles nearby, I will use Impetus for the larger games and Saga for the smaller skirmish games.

Lots more coming this weekend, rear and close ups for each figure will be on my blog.



Lots of close ups on the blog here

https://stormandconquest.blogspot.com/2020/04/vikings-in-loire.html?showComment=1586090871867&m=1#c4964032659790612122

Cheers
Matt

« Last Edit: March 05, 2021, 11:24:35 PM by bluewillow »

Offline Norm

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Re: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2020, 08:19:43 AM »
Matt, very nicely done, there is so much to look at within each figure, which is such an essential part of the joy.

Offline bluewillow

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Re: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2020, 08:27:37 AM »
Yes the V&V Vikings are exceptional miniatures, so much detail, a little intimidating almost, I wanted to do them justice. I would if not normally purchased these figures, but picked them up in a job lot of dark age figures. I was so impressed I ordered more!

Cheers
Matt

Offline skip

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Re: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2020, 10:02:49 AM »
very nicely done

Offline bluewillow

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Re: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany Project
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2020, 08:09:43 AM »
More norsemen off the desk last night to add to the growing raiding party. In our part of Pays de la Loire the vikings main targets were monasteries, linen, leather production and trading centers, they used the tributaries of Mayenne and Sarthe to raid and pillage up to Entrammes and Le Mans. Taking advantage of the continual infighting among the Frankish lords and using Breton alliances to control some of the region for 30 years.



Close ups on the blog
http://stormandconquest.blogspot.com/2020/04/vikings-ii.html?m=1

Cheers
Matt
« Last Edit: March 05, 2021, 11:25:48 PM by bluewillow »

Offline Atheling

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Re: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany Project
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2020, 09:10:58 AM »
 :-* :-* :-*

Offline bluewillow

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Re: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2020, 02:21:51 PM »
very nicely done

Thank you, I am enjoying painting them they are lovely miniatures

Cheers
Matt

Offline Patrice

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Re: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany Project
« Reply #7 on: April 12, 2020, 10:01:58 AM »
Superb painting!  :o :-*

Taking advantage of the continual infighting among the Frankish lords and using Breton alliances to control some of the region

Yes! This could inspire funny scenarios and motley armies, as in 862 when the Breton king Salaun (Salomon) allied with Vikings of the river Loire and with the son of the Frankish king Robert the Strong, to fight against Robert himself who at this time had an agreement with Vikings established on the river Seine... lol A rivality between Seine Vikings and Loire Vikings which sometimes played against them also.

Offline bluewillow

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Re: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany Project
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2020, 02:20:05 PM »
Yes, it is a interesting period to Wargame.

Cheers
Matt

Offline Fabien

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Re: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany Project
« Reply #9 on: May 12, 2020, 09:59:26 PM »
Hi

Do you know the "Château à Motte Castrale" of Saint Sylvain d'Anjou (Maine et Loire).

It's a good source of inspiration for scenery.
Fabien

Si vis pacem, para bellum

Offline bluewillow

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Re: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany Project
« Reply #10 on: May 13, 2020, 07:01:15 AM »
Hi

Do you know the "Château à Motte Castrale" of Saint Sylvain d'Anjou (Maine et Loire).

It's a good source of inspiration for scenery.

I have not visited it Fabian, but I have visited the reconstruction of a 13th century Motte Castrale (motte and bailey) near Saint Suzanne in Mayenne, and a new one being built in Orne, Normandy, both on original sites.

Inspiration for my build will be Mayenne Chateau Carolingian fort, first timber then the first stone chateau west of Le Mans for the defence of the marchers. The Bishop of Le Mans constructed a manior with a tower in the 9th century on the point overlooking the roman bridge, much of the interior still remains inside the current keep, particularly interesting are the Windows and chapel.


A reconstruction sketch by Oxford University of the stone Manoir in the tenth century.

It is thought that it had a watch fort like this gaurding the crossing in the 8th-9th century

Actual period sketch





Reconstructed one






And I have thought about making this for my 5th to 7th century dark age games.




Cheers
Matt
« Last Edit: May 13, 2020, 07:42:41 AM by bluewillow »

Offline Atheling

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Re: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany Project
« Reply #11 on: May 13, 2020, 07:58:29 AM »
Wow! Those artists renditions of the fortress will be very useful at some stage that's for sure!

Thanks (again) for posting Matt  8)

Have you read Western Warfare In The Age Of The Crusades, 1000-1300, John France Matt?

It concentrates on Western Europe and the absolute importance of the local fort in the expression of power in both defence and land claims. The way in which I've described it might sound like it's a bit of a dry read but it's a fascinating book and every bit as good as his Victory in the East: A Military History of the First Crusade

« Last Edit: May 13, 2020, 08:04:38 AM by Atheling »

Offline RichyBee

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Re: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany Project
« Reply #12 on: May 13, 2020, 01:46:47 PM »
Reminds me of the movie with Charlton Heston as a norman lord...i think it was called The Warlord. Hope the project goes well.

Offline bluewillow

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Re: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany Project
« Reply #13 on: May 14, 2020, 07:42:50 AM »
Wow! Those artists renditions of the fortress will be very useful at some stage that's for sure!

Thanks (again) for posting Matt  8)

Have you read Western Warfare In The Age Of The Crusades, 1000-1300, John France Matt?


Thanks mate, my wife is a medieval archeologist, so I do not get away with battlefields that have late terrain on my tabletops otherwise I get beat up by her!

The big plus we by lots of documents and books relating to the period, although we have five book cases of books, plus pamflets etc.

I do not have that book I will add it to my list.

Cheers
Matt

Offline Atheling

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Re: Vikings!!! In the Loire and Brittany Project
« Reply #14 on: May 14, 2020, 11:51:11 AM »
Thanks mate, my wife is a medieval archeologist, so I do not get away with battlefields that have late terrain on my tabletops otherwise I get beat up by her!

Quite right too  lol

The big plus we by lots of documents and books relating to the period, although we have five book cases of books, plus pamflets etc.

I do not have that book I will add it to my list.

It's an excellent read and has the bonus of being academic (to a point) without the stuffiness.

 

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