"Best 15mm minis for 12th century Scandinavian army’s" Topic

Am quite interested in painting a 15mm post Viking age Scandinavian army just wondered if any one had some miniature suggestions.
Have looking at the min fig 12 century spearmen with spear and no armour or with quilted army for the main stay of the infantry.

Thanks

Take a look at the Gladiator 15s Feudals range sculpted by Jacob Ochmann and sold by Fighting 15s (UK), particularly the 12th century unarmoured and armoured spearmen. The mounted sergeants also work well for Scand knights. As do the Mirliton Italian Communal Knights with kettle hats and covered horse. link Essex also have suitable figures in their Dark Age and early Medieval ranges and are available in the US through Wild Fabrum. You'll also find workable figures in ranges from Feudal Castings and Thistle & Rose.

Thanks Chris

They are good suggestions

Jim

For 12th century, I wouldn't use the kettle hatted figures. It seems to come in during the 13th century. A couple of Lewis chessmen have a sort of proto-kettle hat but they are unusual and may be early 13th rather than late 12th. The horse barding would also be later – it does start to appear in more southerly Europe by the end of the 12th century but even 13th century Scandie pictures usually show the horses uncovered. Denamrk would likely be the first to use it although German knights working in the area may also use it earlier than the locals.13th century seals tend to show no horse covering even when it is normal on seals from other parts of Europe.

The Mirliton 12th century Crusader range has a lot of useful figures especially the three packs with a mix of swords, axes etc. There is a bit of the Lewis chessmen about their look even though they are designed based on a late 12th century Italian manuscript. Mirliton's 12th century knights are also useful.
QR miniatures do some suitable knights in their 'War of Thrones' range. One has a covered horse if you do want to have the fashion reaching Scandinavia that early.
Some of the OG15s Crusader range will also work and provides figures in aketons. Helmets are mixed – some are in kettle hats which are a bit late.

I wish Thistle and Rose were easier to get in the UK.

13th century is a bit easier – that is what I have done. One advantage (for me, at least) is that heraldry started to take root so my 'knights' and a few of the foot have got coats of arms on their shields. The splendid Wappenwiki link has a wealth of shields*.
All the above are suitable for the less fashionable man on the field. I used the Communal infantry from Mirliton for the richer troops. Gladiator miniatures (currently at Fighting 15s)have some nice figures in the Feudal range but they are limited in pose. They match the Mirliton communal range better than the Mirliton 12th century figures due to their size (the 12th century figures are larger).
I used the Gladiator Prussians for my Finns. They are very nice figures.

The resin printed figures from 3d breed link look like they would provide a good suitable mix. The shield file includes round, kite and various heater shields if you want to have a mix.
Their mounted figures look like they have very short legs. I have just painted some Spanish jinetes and they look okay despite the legs, but it seems more extreme with the knights.

*Many shields will be post-13th century so a bit of research will narrow it down if you are bothered. A rough rule of thumb is that simpler ones tend to be earlier though even some of the more complex ones appear quite early on.

My collection of contemporary illustrations of Scandinavian Costume and Soldiers may be of interest.

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

@Druzhina – your stuff is always useful.

I've been using your Spanish stuff in the last few days. I couldn't find the illustration Heath used for link in that edition of Hulyot. It seems to be the one facing page 36 here link
I'm not sure I would agree with his interpretation – the hood looks to be separate on the original – but the value of your site is that it lets the viewer make their own conclusions based on the source material.

Lately, I've found seals very useful for 13th century stuff, especially with regard to styles of flag being carried and placement of heraldry on bards. Those you have have been useful. Thanks.

The 13th century Norwegian Speculum Regale prescribes the use of horse armour, but the description's a bit hard to make sense of and it's been suggested the author is describing something he's heard of rather than seen. (And even if it's accurate it may be only for the cream of the cream.)

English version of the Speculum Regale is here link the relevant section being Chap. 38. The armour is indeed a bit too complete – I agree that it is perhaps more wishful thinking than actual use.

Seals do not always show the most up to date usage but FWIW Norwegian King Haakon the Young c.1250 is shown in typical mid-13th century armour but his horse in unarmoured. A late 13th century Duke Haakon Magnusson, Eric II in 1298 and Haakon V c.1300 are shown with barding. (The Haakon V seal is labelled on another site as being c.1250 but the rider's armour fits the later date far better)

@Swampster, thanks. I will add some from this to my collection. Plate 54 seems to be the source of fig. 72. p.36 indicates the cross worn after 1397 should be red (rather than green).

Historians do not agree on the form of their clothing. Some claim that it was the same as that worn by the Religious of Cîteaux, others say that it was not different from that of the Seculars: but they all agree that they had a white scapular with a hood attached to a mozette in the form of a camail, which they wore until the year 1397, when the Antipope Benedict XIII, who was recognized in Spain as the legitimate Pontiff, allowed them to remove the Scapular and the hood and ordered them to wear only on their clothes a fleur-de-lis cross of red cloth which they attached on the left side.

Druzhina
Illustrations of Costume & Soldiers

FWIW, I put both my Danish and Swedish leaders on covered horses – my Birger Jarl (or perhaps one of his sons) is on a plain mail covered horse and my Danish king has a heraldic bard.

Apologies to the OP for the Spanish digression…
Yes, Druzhina. I should have checked Heath – he does say it is based on Alcazar. There is another plate, of Avis, with similar attire.
P.36 is about Calatrava, so Heath is okay with the red cross rather than green.
He doesn't say anything about the Calatrava cross before 1397 – as on the Cantigas of SM on your site and on the Alcaniz murals (not sure if you have all of them) link the cross is black.

On a Wikipedia page about Santiago, there is mention of them carrying a gold shield. There is no source though, but it may explain the single gold shield when the rest of the Santiago are carrying the crosses with cockles. I had wondered whether the different one was a Templar with his arms obscured but probably not. I can't find anything in Helyot which mentions either a gold shield or the cross with cockles but my knights follow the Cantigas.