Sunday 29 January 2017

Gondorian Infantry Battalion

Hej!

So, its been a while, but hopefully we will be able to get some regular updates on this blog!

So I will just dive right in and show off one of the many projects I worked on while Llama was here. So for a while I have been dissatisfied with GeeDubb (GW). But I will not go into that here. Suffice to say that I was not going to directly purchase any of their products anymore. And so, when my hobby butterfly brain inevitably flitted back to LoTR, I needed to find some models that I could use. I have always had some problems with Peter-OvertheTop-Jacksons LoTR. Especially with the Gondorians. Yeah, they looked awesome, but I felt they just didn't suit the Gondorians realistically. Just looking at the sheer economics of arming all those soldiers is frightening, especially for a nation on the decline.
There really isn't any hard or fast rule, so this is just my interpretation.

In my opinion, the Gondorians would have behaved in wartime a little like the Late Imperial Romans.
I believe there would have been a core of heavily armoured troops (but still no plate armour) aided by a levy system, perhaps each province providing troops for the kingdom at large as well as maintaining a reserve, and being able to call up a levy in times of need.
These levies in my opinion would have been lightly armoured, to make it as cheap and as expedient as possible to raise significant forces within a given time period.

I would also imagine that they made extensive use of the shieldwall, fighting in a Nordic or Saxon style (albeit with more discipline in some cases). Therefore shields would have been a key component in the levy's military inventory. The use of shields in this manner would allow these relatively light infantry units to fight alongside their more heavily armoured brethren in the front line.

I will cease to theorize here, and perhaps save more ideas for another more appropriate time. So, here are the miniatures.

Gondorian Infantry Battalion

Comprised of an armoured command troop, two troops of levy infantry, a troop of skirmishers and the baggage train.



The Command Troop

With a Captain, Veteran, Standard Bearer and Hornblower.




One of the Infantry Troops




Levy Lebennian Javelinmen




Ye Olde Baggage




The idea behind this force was that they had been promoted from auxiliary duty guarding Lebennin (their home province) to one of the field battalions in the Southern Gondorian Army (no doubt after some particularly nasty clashes with the Haradrim!) As such I have avoided helmets wherever possible using caps/hats/hoods as a substitute.




Still, the Infantry are uniformed in the classic "black" of the Guard, although the blue hats/hoods/caps do lighten this up a bit and giving it some life.



Below is the standard bearer with the White Tree of Gondor and the Seven Stars.

 On the back their is a smaller representation of the Tree, along with Lebennin inscribed on the bottom (just in case they forget where they came from!).


And here lastly is the Veteran (on the left), second in command to the Captain. And the Hornblower.


Anyway, these were a blast to paint, and I really enjoyed working on the backstory and explanations. Llama also completed several warbands, which shall be portrayed on this blog at a later stage!

Oh and by the way, in case anyone is interested, the models used are Gripping Beast Vikings and Dark Age Warriors as well as some Warlord Games Celts and Dacians.

And last but not least, a snap of my next LoTR project, a Cavalry Battalion, using some troops that llama kindly converted for me! ;D