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Post by goragrad on Apr 30, 2024 9:04:13 GMT
Among the other reading during my time away I finally picked up a copy Verbruggen's 'Art of Warfare in Western Europe - During the Middle Ages.' Which had been recommended to me by timurilank some time ago.
Very interesting and provides some really good analysis of strategy and tactics that contradicts so much of the 'accepted wisdom' concerning combat during the period. He goes into detail on a number of battles and campaigns to give examples of not only tactical and strategic planning, but also attention to logistics to show that the commanders during the period did indeed take these into consideration.
Recently I also picked up a 'used' copy (frankly it appeared unread in mint condition) of 'Roman Imperial Armour - The Production of Early Imperial Military Armour' by D. Sim and J. Kaminsky.
Very interesting. The authors go into the mining, smelting, and fabrication of the metals used and the provenance of the leather, etc. They bring their actual experience in the recreation of the tools and armour into the text to fill in the gaps in writing from the period by the contemporary authors.
There are charts of the actual thicknesses of helmets, scales, and lorica segmentata plates. Dimensions of scales and the diameters and wire thickness of mail rings. Heat treatment of the various materials with resulting hardness values from recovered pieces of armor.
I learned that Roman armourers differentially hardened scales (hard face with softer backing) and other armour components long before I had previously understood it to have been done. Frankly i now see Roman metallurgy to be much more competitive with that of later centuries.
Sadly the book has some editing errors, but that appears to be all too common in anything printed these days - an example of my own from former employment (not a commercially published item, but produced by an engineering firm) from a Stormwater Management Plan produced for a land development project - There were several sentences in the plan where 'after any major precipitation event the drainage swales and structures will be <i>regarded</i> by the construction supervisor.' Totally threw me for a loop until I realized that the author of the plan used a spellcheck that didn't have 'regrade' in its dictionary and substituted 'regard...' The author of the plan didn't step through the spellcheck to ensure it only fixed actually spelling errors.
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Post by goragrad on Apr 29, 2024 9:40:16 GMT
Interesting tokens rudi.
And excellent work on those camps claudermilk!
Currently wrapping up 32 of the Essex MID74 Heavy Billmen - picked up off TMP with a lot of miscellaneous Normans, Saxons, Welsh archers, and some Spanish Spearmen. Already primed - black and that reinforced my preference for white... Three elements for the BBDBA HYW English and the others may go to a future Serbian Empire army?
Also 'touching up' (adding some additional color) 15 MER29 Late Medieval Partisanmen also picked up secondhand and painting 5 more. Three elements likely to become BD for the BBDBA HYW French.
Some MER28 Medium/Heavy Billmen to mix with a couple of MER36 Dismounted Knights/Men at arms for 2 elements of 'stiffened bills' for WOTR English.
Previously completed 3 elements of mixed MID1 to 7 Feudal/Early Medieval knights, 2 elements of mixed MID9-13 knights, and 2 elements of MID17s. Have 4 more elements of the MID17s in the queue. These will fill in various variants of the early Book IV armies. I have taken some of the historical blazons and varied the colors to avoid making them specific individuals.
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Post by goragrad on Apr 29, 2024 9:03:30 GMT
Rather interesting interpretations of the Arthurian Cycle. I presume the fact that both series referred to Saxon 'axes' as their primary weapons is a misreading of 'saxes.' Bernard Cornwell gifted the use of axes to his Saxons in the Winter King series, IIRC (?). Maybe historical writers (a tad less ‘informed’ than us readers of Armies of the Dark Ages et al) associate hairy seafolk in a dark age setting with axe wielding Vikings, subconsciously, regardless of their nationality. Of course the really amusing aspect of the which weapon was actually used is that for the majority of the warriors of the period it was the spear. Which makes it rather frustrating when manufacturers tend to provide disproportionate numbers of swordsmen (although at least swords can be considered long saxes...).
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Post by goragrad on Apr 28, 2024 3:11:11 GMT
My niece was given a couple bags of used paperbacks from a friend who was moving a while back.
Among them were 'The Pendragon Cycle' by Stephen Lawhead (now apparently coming to television) and The first four books of 'The Merlin Chronicles' by Mary Stewart.
Rather interesting interpretations of the Arthurian Cycle. I presume the fact that both series referred to Saxon 'axes' as their primary weapons is a misreading of 'saxes.'
Recently picked up and read 'Black Horses for the King' by Anne MaCaffrey a young adult novel dealing, obviously, with obtaining mounts more suitable for heavy cavalry.
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Post by goragrad on Apr 28, 2024 2:17:05 GMT
I am in the US, but have done quite a bit of business with alternative Armies as I like the figures and the prices are quite reasonable. Medievals - www.alternative-armies.com/collections/15mm-medieval-medus-rangeSHIPPING - "Europe (all regions): Small Order (7.00GBP) up to 20.00GBP value of order, Standard Airmail (10.00GBP) from 20.01GBP to 124.99GBP orders over 125.00GBP free standard shipping (not tracked). Tracked Airmail Shipping is a flat rate of 15.00GBP on any order size. Order Values are AFTER any discount is applied before shipping is calculated in the cart." My impression is that for non-VAT countries (US) is that instead of taking off the VAT (included in the pricing) they use it to offset shipping. Not sure how that works for EU.
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Post by goragrad on Apr 10, 2024 2:35:24 GMT
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Post by goragrad on Apr 9, 2024 9:25:57 GMT
Interesting to see all of those Metal Magic (now Gladiator) Pruss/Lithuanians figures scattered through the various armies. At this point in time I have a BBDBA Pruss army that is mostly Metal Magic with some Essex elements. Thinking of adding more of the Metal Magic and shifting the Essex elements to a Lithuanian army or as the Pruss contingent in my Teutonics.
At any rate all of the previous look quite good.
Although it would be interesting to see some figures for the Siberians in lamellar as that armor goes back a couple of thousand years there and one would think that at least a few of the warriors would be wearing it.
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Post by goragrad on Apr 9, 2024 8:44:26 GMT
The Sassanian battle reports were, as always, interesting. The differing results in particular.
I seem to remember doing a single army Nedao replay with my nephew quite some time ago. Due in part to some Tabletop Goths and Gepids that I had picked up off Ebay, refurbished, and expanded on. Problem back then is that my nephew tended to commit his forces somewhat piecemeal making him less successful.
Might have to have another go at it as I recently brought the Gepids up to BBDBA numbers. Although at this time I would have to use some Scyths in the Hunnic list as I stalled on finishing the Huns due to lack of inspiration on painting those I had primed. Might be a good time to revist them...
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Post by goragrad on Apr 9, 2024 8:16:50 GMT
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Post by goragrad on Mar 2, 2024 11:00:03 GMT
Bee busy with work projects and other distractions, but I was painting up some Essex 15mm pavisers and while looking for references came across LBM transfers for French HYW pavises (28mm). Looking for some additional inspiration I came across some references that show somewhat different arms for some of the cities and thought it might be of interest. www.heraldica.org/topics/france/frcitalp.htm (current blazons with some history) Orléans (Loiret): Gules three coeurs-de-lys argent, on a chief France modern. Hanging from the shield the Croix de Guerre 1939-45 with palm. Motto: "hoc vernant lilia corde" (the lilies bloom from this heart). The coeur-de-lis is today depicted as a flower, whose three petals point to dexter, sinister and base and without stem (a trefoil's petals point dexter, sinister and chief, and it has a stem). The petals are pointed. It seems that in previous centuries they looked like either hearts inflamed, or hearts with flowers issuant. Both the name of the charge and the motto allude to Orléans' special place in French history: it became part of the lands of the counts of Paris in the 9th century, before they became kings of France in 987 with Hugues Capet. It was therefore the second capital of France until the 13th century. Soissons (Aisne): Gules a fleur-de-lys argent. In 1819, on a complaint from Lille, the arms were changed to Azure a fleur-de-lys or. Tours (Indre-et-Loire): Sable three towers argent window and port sable and a Croix de Guerre 1939-45 proper in the center point, on a chief France.= Angers (Maine-et-Loire): Gules a key per pale argent, on a chief azure two fleurs-de-lys or. Seal of 1482. Sometimes the key is over all. In an armorial published some time between 1501 and 1600 (https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8528582x.r=17256?rk=193134;0) - The field for Soissons is indeed gules - folio 109r.. The field for Tours is azure - folio 106r. (Orleans on same page). The chief for Angers has three fleur-de-lys - folio 105y. Note that in the folio the fleur-de-lys in the chiefs appear argent as well rather than or. I am looking at some image hosting sites and when I find one will see about posting some of the folios. Am trying (recapcha problem) to send the above to LBM is case they might care to modify their current designs (in the interest of historical accuracy). For what it is worth thought I'd post here as well.
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Post by goragrad on Aug 6, 2021 21:41:56 GMT
Was always interested in Asian military history and equipment. College library had a book on the tomb of the First Emperor which focused me on the Ch'in. Attempted a reconstruction of the infantry armor which lead me to conclude that the plates for the lamellar were either depicted larger than they actually were or were curved as using the plates in number and size based on the statues didn't work (was very interested in later years to see the stone lamellar armors with many more much smaller plates). I was correct though in my deduction at the time in that the armor was lammellar (based in part on having read H. Russell Robinson's Oriental Armor, pity the tomb was found after he had written the book it as he would have recognized that immediately) with laced plates rather than rivets as so many articles stated.
The impetus to actually get my Chinese armies on the table was finally picking up a painted DBM Han Army off Ebay. Turned out to be a fair bit of Ch'in in it, but gave me the incentive to paint up figures I had previously purchased and touch up and base some miscellaneous painted elements also picked up on Ebay.
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Post by goragrad on Aug 6, 2021 21:22:44 GMT
Not sure if it skews the total number of responses Psul, but at the bottom of the census you can click on the 'View Responses' button to get to the compilation.
One caveat, it would have been nice to see one's responses prior to finally submitting them.
Should have scrolled thru after filling out the form, but an intermediate step with just one's own armies would have helped in ensuring that none were missed (thinking back don't recall clicking off on the Palmyrans and don't want to double up if I did).
Still very much appreciate the effort that went into this and the chance to see what armies are out there.
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Post by goragrad on Aug 5, 2021 0:12:30 GMT
For some time I have been going back to my Ospreys as I work on the army covered. Usually re-reading the entire issue.
Fiction has been Way of Kings series by Sanderson and Forgotten Warrior series by Correia among others.
Not too much in the way of historical fiction or histories.
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Post by goragrad on Aug 5, 2021 0:08:25 GMT
Nice breakdown.
Particularly as I already have Han and Three Kingdoms and picked up figures for Northern and Southern not long ago.
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Post by goragrad on Aug 4, 2021 23:56:34 GMT
My lot -
Reference Description dba DBDBA BBDBA Book I Old/Middle Kingdom Eyptian(a) 1 Early Nubian 1 Midianite Arab(b) 1 1 Pre-Vedic Indian 1 Vedic Indian(a,b) 1 Scythian(a,b) 1 1
2 6
Book II Republican Indian 1 Mountain Indian 1 Classical Indian(a) 1 Athenian 1 Ch'in(d) 1 Gallic 1 Sarmatian 1 Early Armenian(b,c) 1 Parthian 1 Han(a,b) 1 British 1 Three Kingdoms 1 MIR 1 Sassanid(b,c) 1 Ostrogoth 1 Early Saxon 1 Gepid 1 Frankish 1 Palmyran 1 1 LIR West 1 LIR East 1 Pict 1 8 2 13
Book III Early Lombard 1 Italian Ostrogoth 1 Rshrui Armenian 1 Feudal Spanish 'b' 1 Feudal Spanish 'c' 1 Norman 1 Ottonian 1 2 1 4
Book IV Anglo-Norman 1 Feudal French 'a' 1 Early Crusader 1 Later Crusader 1 PRUSSIAN 1 Teutonic 1 Low Country 1 HYW English 1 Early Burgundian 1 Later Swiss (generic figures) 1 WOTR 1
2 4 5 14 7 28
Not quite all options for each army, although with the DBDBA and BBDBA I can probably build a all option DBA army for that list.
And particularly with the late Book III and Book IV DBDBA and BBDBA armies I could break them up to make a number of other lists and increase the nominal number of DBA armies.
Just as those BBDBA LIR armies could be split up and combined with Gothic, Frankish, or German elements to make Patricians and Early Byzantines.
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