"Wargames Factory Men-at-Arms" Topic

The first preview render is up in the Liberty and Union League:
link

Thanks all,
Tony

Tony Reidy
Wargames Factory
wargamesfactory.com

It's freakin' MAIL or MAILLE, not "chain". Just because the punters don't know any better, you do!

So get Howard down from his upstate fastness, or his in-laws, or wherever he is, and station him behind your chair with a glaive, with instructions to whack you in the head with it every time you put "chain" on the Web site.

Allen

I am glad I signed up for these-will probably sign up for more yet!

Keep up the good work,

Jason

Pre-ordered.

Chain or chainmail is IIRC a victorian era affectation, made more popular thanks to the efforts of Gary Gygax (RIP).

Damon.

and station him behind your chair with a glaive, with instructions to whack you in the head with it every time you put "chain" on the Web site

Are you afraid that Tony would find the good old spanking too enjoyable, thus the resorting to the glaive?

Wouldn't there be a bunch of other historically accurate methods of punishing evil-doers in a way fitting the period?

Griefbringer

Changed just for Mr. Curtis.

;-)

Looking good, Tony.

If the reality matches the digital it would be pretty, but the stance looks like he has a bad case of the farmers

Here in my upstate fastness (I know I'm upstate, because on Law and Order this is where the bodies are buried) I concur with Allen on the 'mail' front. I especially detest the D&D-ism 'plate mail'.

The word 'chainmail' is acceptable when followed by 'bikini', as we instinctively recognize.

Admittedly, acceptable word usage does change. For example, until today I would not have thought of "diamond bikini" as likely usage.

Nice scuplt but wouldn't that honkin' big glaive be a two-handed weapon?

Just "axeing"… ;-)

w.

yuk, yuk

You know, I'd queried that myself when I first saw the first renders of this model a week or so ago. Why's he got both a glaive and a shield?

Angus McBride said so, that's why.

Since McBride also sometimes showed men in full plate with kitchen knives as their apparent main weapon,I had a look about some other sources. Lo, it appears that in the era c 1200-1350 foot soldiers often had both shield and a polearm, as previously they'd carried a simple spear. Later on, they ditched the full-sized shield since, well, it's all a bit too much.

Well one doesn't have to glue the shield on. But it'd be nice if the fellow were wielding his glaive two-handed, or had it resting on his shoulder for marching. Either way I think he'd be carrying his shield slung over the other shoulder like in the print provided for comparison.

Thanks everyone!

Keep in mind that these are digital sculptures so they are not "set in stone" as a greenstuff sculpture would be.

Our sculptors typically create a neutral pose (think of Davinci's Vitruvian Man: link ) and then cut it up and reposition it to create poses and do various arm fits.

In this case, we would have arm options that would allow for a two-handed hold (fighting) along with an advancing into battle hold (this one) – the idea of over the shoulder is an interesting one. I'll have to add that to the list.

Thanks again!

Tony

Tony Reidy
Wargames Factory
wargamesfactory.com

Wow! Much much better! Excellent.

Little concerned that the ribbing on the shield boss won't really come out when the mold is cut. Fewer ribs, with more exagerated profile? Same for straps, and the rivets/brigadine? Maybe exagerate the depth/height differences a bit more.

Lookin' good.

Could these be used for later HYW? Agincourt campaign?

Whatever they are, they look good.

Shields were abandoned by full plate mail wearing guys with polearms when they discovered that with the CRT, the points they paid for their shield was not worthwhile.

See the Vulnerable Bead in his "Re Mailum Scutumque". It was written by the Privy Purse for Charles the Naughty of Burgundinium.

All are technically Men-at-Arms. some are Sergeants, some are Squires and Knights. but those are social distinctions, not tactical.

To be a purist there's really only Men-at-Arms and Archers in a western Medieval army. Any other distinction is derived from game mechanics.

He looks nice; eager to see the pre-casts for the Generic WSS Inf/Cav

I'd be up for seeing the WSS stuff as well.

This is a very nice looking figure. I've been getting through a thing on Irish history and was looking to do some gaming of that, these guys would work for the English forces.