I want to get together a First Crusade project, probably using Victrix or Conquest Normans for the Crusaders, and Gripping Beast plastic Arab infantry and cavalry for the Saracens/Seljuks/Fatimids/Muslims in general.
I've been wondering how accurate the Gripping Beast figures are for the Muslims living and fighting in the Holy Land – from what I'm gathering, Seljuks generally wore pants? And I'm not quite sure about who wore face coverings and so on. Obviously, being the only available plastics, I'm willing to do a bit of "eh, close enough" but I'd like to know how far I'm stretching it.
As for the terrain, I'm thinking about making some of the stereotypical desert buildings us wargamers use for anything from the Wild West, to WW2 North Africa, the Crusades, and even modern Iraq or Afghanistan gaming. Those simple rectangles with slightly recessed roofs, wooden beams sticking out, maybe a stairway on the side or a second floor, you know the ones. Should be pretty easy to make; some foamboard, plaster, and matchsticks is really all I'm planning on using.
For the Middle East/Holy Land in particular, how accurate are these houses? Probably not in the city of course, but perhaps for a small village. Again, as these buildings should be pretty easy to construct, I'm willing to stretch my limits on accuracy pretty far, especially if I can indeed use them all throughout North Africa and the Middle East.
Thanks in advance!
P.S. Also, do the Victrix Normans scale well with the Gripping Beast Arabs, or should I go with the Conquest figures (or is there any other reason I should get the latter)?
