Foundry vs. Claymore?

[tomek917]

I'm going to use a slightly modified version of Silent Invaders "By Arrow, Bill and Sword".

They are simple enough to get my friends playing fairly quick and give good look on the tabletop.

[Arlequín]

I'm with Arlequin...

Whoah there! I'm not doing ASOI&F... GM kills off characters quicker than I could buy them, let alone paint them... 

I was just making a suggestion. 

However, this thread and all the contributions you guys have made, has got me thinking. But this is more my cup of tea. Nevertheless many of the same things apply as are suggested here, so keep the ideas coming.

 

 

[Dilettante Gamer]

First Law (and subsequent works) rocks.

However, it's GRRM's description of houses, sigils, mottos that lend his work to tabletop experience. 

[Vermis]

I'm working on a similar project.  We should compare notes off line.

From the looks of things there are so many of us doing this, there should be a public topic to compare notes.   This one could almost be it, but it's horning in on the RL medieval board, a bit.
Still, I could happily babble on ceaselessly for ages before I actually start anything, myself.

For example, to my eye, Greyjoy raiders cannot end up looking like Vikings.

I never really saw the Greyjoys as vikings either.  I don't know exactly how I saw them, but not as vikings.

The New Percy would make a Great Young Robert.

Not to sound ignorant, but the new who?

There's also the Perry's 'Agincourt' range, so if you were going for a gradual 'ageing' from South to North, you could have Perry WotR for High Garden and co., Perry 'Agincourt' for the Lannisters and other middle bits, then Claymore for the Northerners.

In my own head, the Neck provides a pretty good barrier between north and south, so I might go a little more 'either or'.  Partly because I've agonised over Perry Agincourt too and, shock horror, found them wanting.  Partly casting quality, partly all the rolled-down leggings with the trots...

Also, I'm going to use the Dark Sword GRRM range as a rough guide.  Tywin and Jamie Lannister, and Loras Tyrell are all in armour that seems WotR-like to my untrained eye.  With a little conversion maybe, and moreso than the Starks, anyway.

I'd possibly bulk out northern knights with Perry WotR men-at-arms, though, with a few more conversions.

Funny to see that so many people have had the same idea 

I'm one of you actually! I've painted up some 40 Claymore Castings pikemen to use as House Stark, I'm in the midst of gluing the Claymore Knights and painting up Hotspur as Robb!

 

In plastics others have successfully merged Gripping Beast Vikings with Perry WOTR arms, heads and misc equipment to make passable Feudal/HYW Northern Bannermen.

Frank's single House Mormont Impetus unit?  That's what got the ball rolling for me.

So, what rules are people using for their ASoFaI gaming?

I'd really like to try Kings of War with something (ASoIaF, Warhammer background, anything) but I might need to build two armies myself and hold a few demos to get some interest.  The thing that's holding back my ASoIaF collecting so far is I don't know who to play with.  I'm in one club that likes mass combat, but historicals; and another group that likes fantasy, but small skirmish games.

The people posting in this topic make me wish there were a few less seas and borders in the world!  But at the mo I might take a look at Hail Caesar fantasy conversions too.  The club's hooked on that series of rules, and I just got into the relevant yahoogroup.

However, it's GRRM's description of houses, sigils, mottos that lend his work to tabletop experience.

The first time I saw this map of Westeros, I thought "I gotta paint up some knights in some of those colours."

[Dilettante Gamer]

Vermis,

You sound like a brother from another mother:  "happily babble on ceaselessly for ages before I actually start anything"

This weekend, I'll create a blog for Westeros related projects like this one - both as motivation for my project and, hopefully, an aggregator of others' ideas for related projects.

A link to my inspiration here:

http://tabletopdeutschland.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/ein-lied-von-eis-und-feuer-lannister-miniaturen/

You can find links there for PDF boards to use the SAGA system.  Which would be large skirmish with you might attract your fantasy-player friends. (Of course, you'd have to obtain the Saga rule book if you don't already have it.)

As I shared, I'll toy with that but I'm more interested in converting Dux Brit.  I'm also thinking about using Hail Caesar for larger battles. And since it cost me nothing to spin ideas, I'm even toying with Warmaster Ancients/Medieval in 10mm for massed battles with resources here:

http://www.forum.specialist-arms.com/index.php?board=25.0

Some of the Perry Agincourt are not fitting - the rolled hose that you mentioned (too cold) but also the English leades with the iconic demi-bascinet with padded roll, which screams Henry V to m.   Again, it's all about mixing and matching figures and even parts across figures to achieve a look that feels historic but doesn't visually map to a real historical silloutte.

[Mr.J]

I've kind of got two GoT projects going on in 28mm and I've just started one in 15mm too, I can never quite find what I'm looking for. I started with a bunch of BTD fantasy Men of Averaign as Starks, then used a few HYW Perry's as Tullys and Now I'm using Peter Pig WOTR as Lannisters. All bases covered. Although I'm not quite happy with any of them and I can never quite put my finger on why. I love the books and it's their aesthetics that I'm going for but then I think that the series muddies the water and confuses my own thoughts and then I get frustrated and move on.

Figures that I have, and would use, although I am sure that there are many others, include:
Front Rank - HYW/WOTR
Perry - HYW/WOTR/Europeans
Claymore
Kingmaker
BTD - Fantasy/HYW/Crusades
Fireforge

Really need to plow on with the ones I have on the go. Each stand is so close to being finished but I always stumble at the last hurdle (usually shields and basing) and give up.

[Vermis]

Vermis,

You sound like a brother from another mother:  "happily babble on ceaselessly for ages before I actually start anything"

This weekend, I'll create a blog for Westeros related projects like this one - both as motivation for my project and, hopefully, an aggregator of others' ideas for related projects.

 

Looking forward to it.

A link to my inspiration here:

http://tabletopdeutschland.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/ein-lied-von-eis-und-feuer-lannister-miniaturen/

Oh yeah, that's the stuff.   One of my inspirations too.

Although I've noticed for the first time that his Starks have pikes and Lannisters have bills.  My German extends to 'Ja' and 'Nein' and little further: does he give any reason for that?

I've had one or two thoughts about using 28mm for skirmish and 10 or 15mm for mass battle.  Both might be little easier on the pocket, at least (not my biggest concern, but still a concern!) and I have heard a lot of good words about both SAGA and Dux Brit.  I think skirmish could also be a hook into larger battles, but I might have to break a minor rule and lend some books out too. (Things I lend tend to magically disappear, or come back looking like they've had an accident with a sandblaster...)

I've also had a look at the Warmaster lists, a while back.   The problem there, in my view, is that I haven't seen many 10-15mm that are as nicely sculpted as some 28mm versions. (Not that I've scoured the net too thoroughly)  Not so much in terms of detail, but general tidiness.  I know the beauty is supposed to be in the massed tabletop effect, but I still like to pick 'em up and look closely...

[Dilettante Gamer]

Looking forward to it.

Oh yeah, that's the stuff.  One of my inspirations too.

Although I've noticed for the first time that his Starks have pikes and Lannisters have bills.  My German extends to 'Ja' and 'Nein' and little further: does he give any reason for that?

I've had one or two thoughts about using 28mm for skirmish and 10 or 15mm for mass battle.  Both might be little easier on the pocket, at least (not my biggest concern, but still a concern!) and I have heard a lot of good words about both SAGA and Dux Brit.  I think skirmish could also be a hook into larger battles, but I might have to break a minor rule and lend some books out too. (Things I lend tend to magically disappear, or come back looking like they've had an accident with a sandblaster...)

I've also had a look at the Warmaster lists, a while back.  The problem there, in my view, is that I haven't seen many 10-15mm that are as nicely sculpted as some 28mm versions. (Not that I've scoured the net too thoroughly)  Not so much in terms of detail, but general tidiness.  I know the beauty is supposed to be in the massed tabletop effect, but I still like to pick 'em up and look closely...

Vermis -

I'm pretty fluent in German but he doesn't give a reason for why he equipped them differently. I assumed it was just for visual distinction. Funny, I hadn't registered that until you pointed it out.

As for 10mm/15mm, I too don't find them as visually compelling either. The reason I'm drawn to them is more about style of play - massed troops / command & control.  I've got a couple of test packs of Magister Militum, which are great for variety of troop types across 3 centuries of medieval styles.  I was dismayed by how tiny they are. I'm now considering 15mm. However, this is a follow-on project that I won't let distract me until after I get the 28mm project off the ground.

FWIW, I find Tomasz Jedruszek's artwork directional inspiration for the aesthic I'm aiming for.

[Arlequín]

I could be wrong, but I'm sure the description in the books gives the Northmen somewhat primitive weapons (i.e. spears and bows), while the Southerners have the usual array of types... I might be imagining it of course.

 

[Vermis]

I don't mind 10mm myself - I have a couple of small armies for Warmaster Fantasy and Battle of Five Armies minis. Whatever other bad things can be said about GW (including and especially the prices, in this case) I think they do some of the best 10mm minis. IMO only Clibinarium's work for Pendraken matches them.

But, I've just had a look for 15mm figures and Corvus Belli's HYW look pretty good to me. Mirliton's medievals don't look too bad either. I'm getting very tempted to go that route for wee demo armies.

Arlequin: one other thing I might have to do is pore over the ASoIaF series again to take note of the different armies. I'm sure it'll be torment. Although it looks like Thomas Thomas at TMP has done the same for his DB lists.  Something to compare with the WM lists and my own notes...

http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=282162
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=282631
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=284914

Anyway, I might slow down about ASoIaF in the medieval board here and go visit Dilettante Gamer's blog, 'til I get some minis together to show off here. It might have to get in the queue behind some ECW and WSS projects, though.

[Dilettante Gamer]

Vermis,

Thanks for those links to ThomasThomas's work on TMP.  I had not seen those.

I like his thinking on the subject of translating Westeros to the tabletop.

I welcome you over at the blog!

Today's goal will be to post pics of my Stark conversions.

[sukhe_bator]

I'm using Armies of Arcana as the rules and seeing how it goes as a skirmish set and using individually based groups of about a dozen or so figs. Thus a single house / raiding party would be anything from 8 to 16 figures plus a leader, and when combined together with 3 or more houses / clans would make up forces of anywhere between 50-100 figs a side.
I see the Ironborn precisely as Vikings, particularly their use of armour but relatively impoverished lifestyle - which speaks mail clad troops to me. Particularly when characters like Victarion are singled out for using plate. Claymore wins hands down iin terms of 'period' feel for me for Northern Bannermen. It is only economics that makes me bulk out the troops with Perry plastics and add a smattering of metal HYW and feudals.