"What are your favorite fantasy substitutions?" Topic

I'm curious what others have used from either ancient or medieval lines for fantasy armies. Normans and Saxons are obvious stand-ins, but what else have you used? What countries/factions have a "fantasy" look to them?

Aztecs.

Late Romans, Romano-Britons, Picts, Scots, Goths, Saxons, etc. Armies from Late Antiquity and the Early Medieval periods have a fantasy look about them. Especially in regards to games inspired by Middle Earth.

Yes, in the Splintered Lands I haver simply picked up sub-Roman Britain (Logres) and the Picts and Irish and the pagan Saex. Since it is not our world, each of those cultures has magic or other super-natural assistance: Odin and Thor really can help the Saex, while the Logres God-fearers have a variety of miraculous powers as a result of spiritual gifts. Haven't worked out the Irish and Picts magic yet, but it is high on my list of future projects.

The Brotherhood of the Four beasts is going to have a late-Roman/early Byzantine look to them, I believe, though we haven't started sculpting yet.

This is a great topic! I think there are all sorts of reasons to use this-world prototypes as a starting point in fantasy worlds, because 1) why re-invent the wheel (unless you are doping Aztecs!) and 2) there is a limit to how much newness a player/gamer can handle.

Used Mongols as GW Kislev and Vikings as GW Norse men .

Egyptians – definitely those guys.

Bronze age figures have a 'more fantasy than actual fantasy' look in many cases. Trojan wars, 'Sea Peoples' and ancient Libyans present an appearance that seems wonderfully outlandish!

I like the War of the Roses stuff…pretty much Lannisters and Starks going at it…or Lancaster and York. But I always liked my fantasy a lot like GoT. Magic is there, but not in your face. Those models suit my tastes well.

i often use samurai in my fantasy skimishes

colonial afganas

I agree with Howard, and of course Glorantha does wonderful things with civilized and barbarian ancient cultures.