SAGA - Normans with a difference!

[Shirer]

I'm fairly late joining the SAGA bandwagon - it's something I've wanted to get into for a while, but other projects have always taken priority.

Having said that, I recently decided to take the plunge! When choosing my force, I had the following things in mind:

A) The majority of the figures need to be plastic - just out of personal preference.
B) The army needs to offer some scope for conversion.
C) The army needs to give me the opportunity to build and paint a nice variety of models.

All of those things, and the books I happened to be reading at the time, led me to the branch of the Normans who went south to find fame, glory and - more importantly - land and gold. The Siculo-Normans. This seemed attractive as it'd offer the opportunity to mix some of the excellent plastic Normans and Arabs, and would also give me an excuse to eventually build a Byzantine warband for them to battle!

At the moment, I'm aiming to build this 5-point warband. I'm undecided as to what to spend the last point on to boost it up to 6, so any suggestions are welcome!

Hearthguard
Hearthguard
Mounted Warriors
Crossbow Warriors
Levies

I wanted there to be a mix of Norman and Muslim Sicilian influences evident across the warrior and levy units - the hearthguard will be Norman knights with a few subtle additions to differentiate themselves from Western Normans.

For the crossbow warriors, I mixed Conquest Norman infantry, GB Arabs and Fireforge sergeants.




Back of the neck just needs tidying up with greenstuff here.


Sicilian wearing scale armour.




The levies are predominantly the famous Sicilian archers, with a few Norman archers and sling-staff men thrown in. Bodies are either GB Arabs or GB Dark Age Warriors

[Shirer]

First hearthguard unit.

[Elk101]

I'm not familiar with the Siculo Norman but those are very nice conversions.

[Centaur_Seducer]

Really liking where this is going

[Burnin Coal]

Top work...I shall be following your progress with interest....already a stand out group of figures and they haven't even been painted yet

[jmilesr01]

Excellent work - I really like the mixing of nationalities

[Atheling]

Guiscard and his reitue then..... should make for a very interesting read as you go along with the work.

I've got a large Italo-Norman WAB army (all metal) of which the Western European elements are about to be re-based for the Hastings demo next year.

You can see most of it here if you're interested (in retrospect i would have added much more from the Cursader El Cid range and some more from Artizan's Andalusians/Moors too):

http://justaddwater-bedford.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Battle%20of%20Hastings%20Demo%20Game

If you like I can post up some pics of the more 'Arab' type mini's- might serve as some inspiration?

darrell.

[Mason]

Excellent, characterful conversions and putty work.
 

Plenty of scope to make your own individual force as well by the looks of it.
I understand the need for conversions as I do love to make something personal myself.
 

[Shirer]

Thanks for the interest, everyone! It is proving to be a lot of fun so far - I've certainly never done this much kitbashing before!

If you like I can post up some pics of the more 'Arab' type mini's- might serve as some inspiration?

darrell.

Those Normans are fantastic! Yeah, more inspiration is always a good thing - that'd be great, thanks!



Went off at a slight tangent tonight, and started messing around with some ideas for the Byzantine warband which'll be providing the opponent for my Normans. Wouldn't want to leave them without anybody to fight!

So, here are some Varangian guard (don't have the SAGA: Basileus book yet, but I'm pretty sure they can be included along with a special character) in parade dress. Based on a picture in an Osprey book, and these http://www.crusaderminiatures.com/images/dab007.jpg . To create them, I mixed Conquest Norman bodies and axes, Fireforge cloaks and GB Dark Age Warrior heads.






Also on the table tonight are a unit of Byzantine spearmen (warriors). Heads are a mix of GB Saxon thegn and Victrix peltasts, bodies are Fireforge Sergeants and shields are from GB Arab Spearmen. I don't actually have as many sprues lying around as this all of this suggests - I tend to pick the odd one up here or there. One of the things I like about Saga is the small unit size means it's easy to knock units up out of these odds and ends.

I will be doing some greenstuff work on the helmets here - I want to make the (I'm not sure what the technical term is!) leather flaps which fall from the back of them as shown here.

[doowopapocalypse]

Really great kitbashing, hope to see more soon.

[Atheling]

Thanks for the interest, everyone! It is proving to be a lot of fun so far - I've certainly never done this much kitbashing before!



Those Normans are fantastic! Yeah, more inspiration is always a good thing - that'd be great, thanks!

Great, I'm off to London today for Salute tomorrow so I'll post up the pics when i get back- along with some lovely Salute show pics too boot! Hurrah!! 

[tomrommel1]

nice start here on your Norman army

[Captain Blood]

Great idea. I always particularly loved that Angus McBride painting of the Normans splashing ashore in Sicily.
Nice kitbashing too. Some good creations there.

[rumacara]

Lovelly conversions.
Its becoming a nice force.

[matiec]

Looking good like the idea I picked up lots of Arabs for a crusade project later in the year, and now GB are bringing outlasted arab cavalry I have little choice. I too have a norman retinue so they can double as saga retinue and c and c Warband.