The Thread of Middle-Earth by Hammers

[Spinal Tap]

Just spent a pleasant 30 minutes going through this thread from page 1. Such amazing work in both terrain and miniatures.

Your attention to detail is outstanding; I will try to apply myself more to this aspect in the future.

Thank you for the inspiration.

[Old Hob]

Same. What an inspirational thread, especially the buildings. I love the thought that's gone into each piece. The hunting lodge and critters (including a white hart!) is especially beautiful.

I agree with you that Tolkien was more than likely influenced by the Barbary Corsairs when he created the Corsairs of Umbar (especially given their location in the not-Mediterranean of Middle-earth). Although, I think as a kid I maybe imagined them as the pirates from Asterix! Fingers crossed that there's a ship for these scallywags in the offing.

[Hammers]

Just spent a pleasant 30 minutes going through this thread from page 1. Such amazing work in both terrain and miniatures.

Your attention to detail is outstanding; I will try to apply myself more to this aspect in the future.

Thank you for the inspiration.

You are most kind for saying so. There's more coming.

[Hammers]

Same. What an inspirational thread, especially the buildings. I love the thought that's gone into each piece. The hunting lodge and critters (including a white hart!) is especially beautiful.

I agree with you that Tolkien was more than likely influenced by the Barbary Corsairs when he created the Corsairs of Umbar (especially given their location in the not-Mediterranean of Middle-earth). Although, I think as a kid I maybe imagined them as the pirates from Asterix! Fingers crossed that there's a ship for these scallywags in the offing.

Thank you.

A huge Umbarean, black sail'd corsair dromon with oodles of slave manned oars beset by Gondorian war cogs brimming with Pelargir and Linhir marines is an old wargames dream scenario of mine. Being a navy man myself, I have researched the topic quite a bit.

[LouieN]

Cool stuff.

I always imagined the Gondor navy as Byzantine Dromons. 

[Hammers]

I dromunds are specifically mentioned in the Lord of the Rings, being the ships of the corsairs. Gondor would most likely have some such galley types of ships to.

Going all nerd boy on you, the Numenorean Alcarondas, the flag ship of Ar-Pharazon seems to have been primarily a sailing ship.
 

[Old Hob]

A huge Umbarean, black sail'd corsair dromon with oodles of slave manned oars beset by Gondorian war cogs brimming with Pelargir and Linhir marines is an old wargames dream scenario of mine. Being a navy man myself, I have researched the topic quite a bit.

Now that would be truly epic! Fingers crossed that it can become a reality.

[area23]

Apart from the barbary coast corsair era I always assumed the Vandal Kingdom a thousand years earlier was a huge inspiration to Tolkien.
Vandals, Alans and local berbers gone viking, raiding even Rome from their base in Carthage. That stuff personally pushes all my nerd buttons.
It's pretty hard to find information on that though but I imagine my corsairs as Numidians and moorish berbers in late roman/byzantine gear and ships.

[Hammers]

Apart from the barbary coast corsair era I always assumed the Vandal Kingdom a thousand years earlier was a huge inspiration to Tolkien.
Vandals, Alans and local berbers gone viking, raiding even Rome from their base in Carthage. That stuff personally pushes all my nerd buttons.
It's pretty hard to find information on that though but I imagine my corsairs as Numidians and moorish berbers in late roman/byzantine gear and ships.

Interesting. I see the upper strata of Umbar society, admirals, captains of the larger vessels from Umbar, leaders of important merchant houses, as men of mixed Numenorean decent gone native. Dromunds are manned by mercenary marines in light armour and are rowed by slaves of mixed origin.

[Hammers]

The whole band of raiders:







King, mounted and on foot:









Chieftain:







Raiders. Some of them converted, with spears added


















A mamuk mahout, unseated







Far Harad mood board

[Basementboy]

Lovely work- the animal skins are particularly impressive, I know I couldn’t those pull off

[Malamute]

Top work Hammers, they are delightful 

[Grumpy Gnome]

Brilliant! 👍

[Elbows]

Yep, those are superb.

[Ray Rivers]

Those raiders are fantuastik!