"Has anyone ever modelled "Nordic Fairytale"-style fantasy?" Topic

I'm linking to a site with book covers to a Swedish roleplaying game: link

I find this artwork very inspirational. It depicts Trolls, Dwarfs etc in a similar way to how they would look in an illustrated book of Scandinavian folklore. I'm wondering if anyone has tried collecting and painting figures to this kind of effect. I think it would very much depend on the paintjobs, but to some extent you'd have to be selective about which models use in the first place.

Someone posted pictures of painted Ral Partha trolls a few days back, that's what first got me thinking along these lines since they looked quite right for this kind of style, both the models and the paintjobs. The GW Gnoblars would also make good trolls, although some weapon swaps might be in order (in Nordic folklore, not all trolls were monstrously big, others were small and mischievous, like goblins).

Viking-type human models shouldn't be a problem. As for dwarfs, there are many Norse-inspired ones available, but many don't really fit the kind of imagery I have in mind. It's hard to explain what they should look like, but a vaguely cartoonish look with big, fleshy noses would be a start. Meanwhile they can't look ridiculously over-the-top like, say, the Rackham dwarfs. Elves seem a bit trickier. I think the best solution there would be to make Finnish Kalevala-inspired elves. Do a Google image search on "kalevala" or "kalevala art" and you should see some pictures of the kind of style I'm getting at (as many probably don't know, the Kalevala is a Finnish epic – it inspired Tolkien in writing the Silmarillion, among other things). The Vendel elves with the right paint jobs might look decent enough. At any rate you want them to look "low fantasy".

Anyway, I'm just throwing some ideas around. Would you at least agree it's an inspirational concept? What other suitable miniatures are there for such a theme?

Agreed, an interesting and somewhat under-utilized "concept source" for sculptors out there.

The term "troll" seems to be kind of a generic "humanoid monster" descriptor in some Nordic/Scandinavian myth, kind of like "orc" has become in many roleplaying games.

I think you're right about Vendel being feasible for Elves (and maybe Dwarves), assuming an appropriate paint job. Sadly, I don't think the Dwarf Wars models really have the right look for the genre…maybe the human stuff, at a stretch, but even then historical ranges (Foundry?) might be better.

Rich

I have always liked norse and celtic mythology and am in the middle of having tons of minis painted up for a campaign there.

I've always thought Old Glory's fantasy range fit into this pretty well.

Certainly their trolls looked the part.

I'd say go with Vendal's range of dark age fantasy minis. They look the part.

I have often considered a game based on Norse Mythology, generally while listening to FinnTroll…

Mike

I have been acquiring figures to get this look for some time. Many are long out of production, showing up from time to time on ebay and going for either a song or a fortune. There are new ones out there, but it is hit or miss from line to line as for what will work – no one manufaturer will do, at least to my satisfaction.

Old Glory has some Vanir, IIRC, perhaps just barbarians, that appear to be kitted out in Scythian style clothes with fantasy Viking weapons and armor – the great sweeping horned helmets, etc. They also have GREAT Frost Giants! Other items in their fantasy line just don't get it, in opinion.

Thunderbolt Mountain makes superlative elves, but thus far they are all *good*. For the Dark Side you are left with S&M style stuff or a LOT of frustration. If your elf aesthetic has progressed past 'Dark Elves' to the more subtle and intriguing Unseelie Court, you will experience a LOT of frustration gathering appropriate figures. It can be done, but it requires much patience and thought.

Vendel is good, but takes itself rather seriously, old Citadel figures are often not serious enough. Reaper has a great many items which are in this theme. Do not overlook Essex, which has a respectable line of 25mm fantasy which is more in the traditional European fairy tale mold than the GW horrible people/rotting monsters or LotR pomposities.

If you like the traditional tales you owe yourself the pleasure of reading:

"The Flower War", by Tad Williams

"The Knight", by Gene Wolfe and

"Magic Kingdom For Sale, SOLD!", by Terry Brooks.

All of these books take a not too impressive contemporary from this world, and through one means or another, drop, nudge, or snatch the Reasonable Man into the The Other Side. Very good stuff, staying true to the traditions but restating them into very distinctive tales. Very refreshing stuff, and good idea generators.

Another I will mention is Midsummer Knight, by Jim Butcher. It is one in a series of books about a wizard/private investigator. I hesitate to mention it as it is the 5th or 6th book in the series, and presupposes a certain degree of background knowledge. I mention it anyway because it has an absolutely brilliant narrative depiction of all out war between two rival elf factions. It is vicious and beautiful, and resolved thorough a surprise twist on a well known remedy.

Think outside the box for what you are doing – drive a stake though the heart of any "Chapter Approved" style nonsense. There are some great rules under development, and I cannot recommend highly enough Thane Morgan's 'Armies of Arcana' for rules.

For figures, enjoy the fun and rewarding quest!

"The term "troll" seems to be kind of a generic "humanoid monster" descriptor in some Nordic/Scandinavian myth, kind of like "orc" has become in many roleplaying games."

The original concept of trolls is even wider than that. In some stories they are depicted as artisans that can craft things of incredible beauty and power. They might also have been the original magic-users of nordic folklore. In modern Swedish the verb "trolla" (literally "to troll" or "trolling") means to work magic, "trollkraft" means black magic, "trollkarl" (same "karl" and in "huscarl") means wizard, and so on. Of course, in other stories they're just big cave-dwelling brutes. That's why, in a properly Nordic fantasy world, there probably wouldn't be orcs, goblins, ogres, troglodytes or any other such races that are essentially all the same thing in different cultures. There would instead be cave trolls, forest trolls, river trolls and so on, which would all vary greatly in size, intelligence and skills.

Madzerker: Sounds interesting. What models are you using?

Rogue Fairie: Haven't even thought about dark elves yet. As I said, I'd like to do my elves as Finnish Kalevala-style rather than Celtic-style. As such I suppose dark elves would be inspired by the realm of Pohjola and it's queen Louhi. No idea how to model that. Celtos Sidhe, maybe, except they're looking quite underdressed for the bleak North (some of the witch models might work, though). I will check out that ruleset you mention. I think I'd like to aim for fairly smallish battles ("big skirmishes", more like) with lots of terrain on the board. In the site I linked to in the beginning of this thread, there's a book cover labeled "Vildhjarta". I've fallen totally in love with that picture and would like to model the kind of vast, bleak forest that can be seen in it.

At any rate, this is all something I'd like to try sometime later. I might get a box of gnoblars and try to convert them into forest trolls. Some weapon swaps and some hair on their heads might make them look just right. Will see about trying out Kalevala-style Vendel elves while I'm at it.

Armies of Arcana, which can be found at Thane's Games in the manufacturers' secion here at TMP, are geared towards larger games in 15mm, but I think could easily handle smaller battles too. What I like about the rules is that they are clearly written, wonderfully flexible, and not subject to revision – addenda are added to the group website, rather than trotted out for never ending expensive revisions in the manner of GW and WRG.

I like the gnoblars, but I do not like plastic. You might want to mix them with some GW night goblins. Their pointed hats have sort of a northern, Lappish look to them, and the long robes would be suitable for northern climates too.

I have to admit I am shooting more for a Celtic, even Elizabethan style Unseelie Court than what you are looking for.

BTW – I forgot to mention that what you are looking for in dwarves can also be found in various 'gnome' lines, or even hobbits but for their stupid feet.

Fun projects!

My mom has an old book from Norway about trolls. Lots of mysterious paintings, and quite varied.

Most important—give us pictures as you get going!

andy

Modelling the elves as celtic is of course one option, and probably something that comes more obviously to mind than Finns, unless you're a Finn-Swede like me. I grew up with the Kalevala and have recently started thinking it would translate well into an element in a fantasy world.

For your Elizabethan dark elves, you're using the fantastic (but expensive) Foundry Elves I presume? They do look quite perfect for an Unseelie Court.

Incidentally, very few people outside of Scandinavia seem to know this, but the Sámi don't like to be called Lapps or Laplanders. Sámi or Sami seem to be the only politically correct terms.

Here are the most fitting dwarfs I've found so far, surprisingly enough they're Black Tree ones: link

I normally find Black Tree stuff to be horribly uninspirational, but these dwarfs have such a great "droop" to their faces that I think fit the nordic fairytale image well. Some have kind of wrong-looking equipment, though, so I'd have to pick them carefully.

The second best range I've found is the Olley's Armies one: link

They look very well sculpted, have more realistic proportions, and most of their clothes and equipment look just right. They just don't have the "droop". Maybe I should pick them instead anyway?

I have just a couple of suggestions for figures. Hasslefree produces a few dwarfs and elves. I don't know if you consider their line useful for your needs. They are great sculpts. As you probably know, Foundry has a large collection of Viking figures. One figure in the VIK 5/1 group would make a great Vainamoinen. The figure has one hand to the side of his mouth as if he is calling and the other hand pointing. You can perhaps see a singing Vainamoinen in the figure. Also Hasslefree has a beautiful figure you could use as Aino (HFH022). If you are familiar with the bronze statue of Aino in Turku by Matti Haupt, you will see how well the figure works.

Yes, look this new:

TMP link

Wow! Those paintings from the Swedish rpg look like Paul Bonner paintings!!! Stunning.

Personally, I'm quite obsessed with norse myth.

I've got a half finished Barbarian army, loosely based on nordic myth and sagas. Including a bunch of Wodan incarnations (from gandalf to santaclaus :) and further consisting of berserkers of all kinds; Copplestone Cavemen, Grenadier bearded barbarians, Foundry Suebi and hopefully soon Viking berserkers ulfhednar and werewolves. And of course the grenadier Barbarian giant.
link
Also a dwarf character (also a Copplestone sculpt): link
: the one with the hammer. It's one of the best dwarfs I know. The Vendel ones I like a lot too.
I've got a few of the Black Tree dwarfs, and those are very nice. Some have this melancholic fatalistic look fitting for dwarfs, if you know what I mean. Grenadier/Mirliton dwarfs are nice too. Sculpting wise rather dated, but wonderfull character.

I've got some half orcs that I use as both Uruk hai and Wendol (a la 13th warrior) Two Copplestone yetis serve as very effective Trolls.
Reaper recently released a Troll that's one of the most amazing ones I've ever seen. Very much Folk Tale style.

Here's my gallery (a.t.m. offline it seems..)
link
Check the SAGA'S gallery for some work-in-progress pics.

GW did a few Gnoblars in metal too. They're nice.

Ralpartha/Iron Wind Metals do some VERY nice storm and/or snow giants, btw.

Here's that Reaper Troll!: link

Oi! That's the kind of look I want to achive once I can sculpt with decent proficiency.

But now I want to return to my Swedish classes, badly… And an artbook for that game!

I had another look at the Trudvang website, and those pictures are just amazing!! Seconding Javier; are there any artbooks available from this rpg?