Sukhe's Armies of Middle Earth

[sukhe_bator]

For the sake of completeness,
Dwarves of Erebor and the Iron Hills
These venerable GW sculpts were a job lot with another collection I acquired from a Bring & Buy, but had a compatible historical look similar to the armour tech in use with my Gondorians. I have given them a suitable makeover using decorative motifs of angular interlace in metals developed in part from concept art for Gimli's costumes and weapons in the LoTR films... way before the Hobbit films were a glint in PJ's eye...


I had particular fun with the Khuzdul banner for 'Dain Ironfoot' on one side the runes proclaim him as Lord of Erebor (succeeding Thorin), with a stylised lonely mountain and hammer motif at the centre

The first two cartouches on the reverse have the battle chant of the Dwarfs, Baruk_Khazâd!_Khazâd_ai-mênu! taken from fansites examining the chanting in Khuzdul developed for the OST for the Mines of Moria film sequence.

I have some Dwarf rangers and crossbowmen in support and a 150 figure Em4 dwarf host on order, which will enable me ultimately to field a suitably businesslike Orc-bashing army...

[Brandlin]

For the benefit of Brandlin and the sake of completeness, with apologies for those who may have seen these pics before...

I've been collecting Nick Lund's Chronicle and later Grenadier orcs for some considerable time now since I was in my teens. I liked the brute thuggish workmanlike look of his sculpts, so refreshingly different from the disney-like goblinesque versions being produced by Citadel and later GW. I have been adding to my collection intermittently over the years...

Thanks for the pics.

I too had chronicle orcs back in the day (1985/6) but they are long gone, traded for dwarfs I think. I loved the grimness, but I became seduced by citadel and their new dangled slotta base things.

I had hundreds of citadel imperial dwarfs. I think I only have about 20 left. I never got into the comic Orc/goblin citadel vibe. They were always too childish. Yes, I'm aware of the irony of calling some toy soldiers and not other 'childish'!

You have clearly given yours orcs more love than I have mine. I'm particularly impressed with your wargame rider horde. En masse it looks like a ravening horde of vileness - just the job. I think I have about 30 grenadier riders, and about 20 n14 chronicle ones. But it's the 8 chronicle chariots I'm most proud of? Like said above I did like the idea of having a fully mounted horde whizzing about the table harassing and out manoeuvring the enemy. Sadly war hammer was never that game.

[sukhe_bator]

I think I have about 30 grenadier riders, and about 20 n14 chronicle ones. But it's the 8 chronicle chariots I'm most proud of? Like said above I did like the idea of having a fully mounted horde whizzing about the table harassing and out manoeuvring the enemy. Sadly war hammer was never that game.

I hear you. I have 45 wolf riders, about 60% Chronicle and the rest Grenadier. I also have a trio of chariots on my to do list. My Uruk general last led his warg riders into battle in 2010 against some pesky Elves

Sadly I could never make chariots work effectively in any ruleset. They were after all historically primitive tech designed to carry leaders into battle at a time when horses weren't bred big enough to ride... As soon as there was cavalry, chariots were to all intents and purposes obsolete...

[Brandlin]

... pesky Elves ...

Yeah, THAT ^

Sadly I could never make chariots work effectively in any ruleset. They were after all historically primitive tech designed to carry leaders into battle at a time when horses weren't bred big enough to ride... As soon as there was cavalry, chariots were to all intents and purposes obsolete...

Most systems treat them as platforms for inaccurate archery or simply wagons to be rammed into the enemy. Mind you if you have enough of them ramming them into the enemy can be quite fun :-)

[sukhe_bator]

I'm contemplating relegating the 2 wolf chariots to more menial duties and/or converting them to more powerful 'daisy cutters'

[joe5mc]

Great thread. Really enjoying it.

[Brandlin]

I'm contemplating relegating the 2 wolf chariots to more menial duties and/or converting them to more powerful 'daisy cutters'

See that's the problem - you only have 2!

The heavy chariots are good for imposing and just crashing in to the enemy - force of mass, momentum and psychological impact.

The light chariots should have a similar impact but lesser impact but be more mobile.

In general chariots should have less charge and fighting impact than a lance of mounted toops, but i'd expect the psychological impact to be greater? (perhaps)

Which versions of the light chariots do you have?
I'm still hunting (on and off) for the larger chronicle chariot - allegedly 4 wolves
CM22B2 and CM22C
http://www.solegends.com/chron/chronicmlist.htm

[sukhe_bator]

Yep I have all three versions, and the later Grenadier Orc Generals chariot as per the image I posted...
The Chronicle 4 wolf chariot is exactly the same size as the 2 wolf version but the transom is longer to hitch 4 wolves to, with the tasteful addition of a spiked severed head decorative motif
http://www.collecting-citadel-miniatures.com/wiki/index.php/File:CM22B1.jpg
http://www.collecting-citadel-miniatures.com/wiki/index.php/File:CM22B2.jpg
Possibly the sight of 4 ravening wolves bearing down on you and scythed blades chopping thru your comrades should be enough to inspire fear?

[Dr. Zombie]

I just found this thread.

And may I say my hat is thoroughly off to you sir! That is a seriously impressive build both the terrain and the armies.

[sukhe_bator]

Rohirrim
This is the least finished army in my LoTR collections. Many many years ago I started collecting Mithril Rohirrim, which most closely matched my minds eye of this race. Unfortunately I made a serious mistake as a teen and stupidly cropped the support under some of the horses legs. After years in storage the weight of horse and rider broke some of the legs and I have had to laboriously pin and glue them and fashion additional supports...
When the first images of the PJ LoTR rohirrim came out I revisited and tinkered with some decorative motifs and banners

I started to integrate GW Riders of Rohan into the mix (see front rank behind the Mithril 'Theoden'). Despite the slight scale difference, rebasing helped greatly...

I have since added to the total from Bring & Buys etc. so I now have approximately 40 cavalry. Annoyingly the GW plastic Rohirrim had almost identical issues with broken leg syndrome, requiring further hours of repairs. Now I just need to sit down and paint them all. The lack of a viable 'White Hand' enemy to game with did not help with my motivation  , but that has now changed..  
I have also amassed approx 50 infantry, from both GW and other Dark Ages/Viking types, but need to reorganise them in light of various GoT conversions I have made...
Ultimately I would like to have a DR/LR force sufficient to field 3 cavalry wings, and an infantry garrison for 'Fords of Isen' and 'Helm's Deep' siege scenarios...
Apart from the hill forts, I have had a stab at turf-based building technology to model the Westfold...


and need to build up a suitable Dark Age homestead/farm as well as a Hall, watchtower, garrison and stable blocks...

[julesav]

Now this is proper wargaming madness! I salute you sir! Bravo!

[sukhe_bator]

Easterlings
I've used more exotic Proxies as my Easterlings. For the more tribal axe wielding types I've used Black Tree Designs Kurdish tribesmen, with a variety of nasty medieval Russian axes from Gripping Beast and even some Dacian Romphaia from my bits box... Although they only come in 4 poses, they really are versatile. I will also be drafting them in as Dunlendings

Taking advantage of BTD's occasional discounts I've added a few more unit variants, the front row pretty much as supplied with a handful of conversions, while the rear have Mongol wicker shields and in some cases shield arms from the Fireforge Steppe Warriors box

Skirmishers and light cavalry will be drawn from the Fireforge steppe ranges pretty much out of the box.
Two units of spearmen are drawn from the Curteys medieval Tibetans, organised according to their dress and equipment in two distinct regiments


There is still a lot of work to do but I think this will make for an unusual army...

[Gangleri]

Easterlings

There is still a lot of work to do but I think this will make for an unusual army...

I'll say.  It is already shaping up to be quite varied and interesting.  The Tibetans in particular add an exotic touch.

[sukhe_bator]

Thanks to a timely recruitment drive from Vermis, My Legion of the White Hand now has 112 pike, sufficient to make 7 phalanxes of 16 figures each... Now all I have to do is paint 'em up

[Dilettante Gamer]

Thanks to a timely recruitment drive from Vermis, My Legion of the White Hand now has 112 pike, sufficient to make 7 phalanxes of 16 figures each... Now all I have to do is paint 'em up

How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time...