The Toughest Women In History Join War Of The Vikings
May 21, 2014 by brennon
War of the Vikings has been going strong for the last couple of weeks and not long ago they added the Shieldmaidens to the melting pot of deadly warriors hashing it out on the battlefield.
The expansion content adds more maps alongside the Shieldmaidens which are looking pretty awesome I think you'll agree. These warrior women come with their own move set allowing them to enter a very defensive stance while using spear and shield in combination.
I like that they've taken some real historical validity into account and these Shieldmaidens are dressed for combat, not to impress. The game itself is pretty awesome and if you like a bit of Dark Age bloodshed I'd take a look at it.
It also made me think about where all the Shieldmaidens are in games like SAGA!
Have you been using the Shieldmaiden?
Although Studio Tomahawk put the Jomsvikings in, the shieldmaidens may have been a step too far even for SAGA. That said, there’s no reason why you can’t use female figures as Vikings/.
True although I could easily see them doing a Lagertha miniature and giving her rules for using her Shieldmaidens in battle as one of those blister pack figures. Think they did the same for Hereward the Wake.
http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/our-ranges/vikings/legends-north-collection-bcvik005/
Also some pretty neat looking Shieldmaidens from Wargames Foundry although a few aren’t very historically accurate.
BoW Ben
I certainly wouldn’t go as far as to say they have no place in SAGA. It isn’t a game that prides itself on its historical accuracy. Just that if I was looking for a reason why ST didn’t put them in, that would seem most likely.
If we are not going to be too worried about historical accuracy; I would like them to make a set of miniatures based on Lagertha, Ragnar Ladbrok, Rollo and Floki etc. from the TV series Vikings, currently airing on the History channel and Amazon prime video.
Shamelessly admitting that “Shieldmaiden” Lagertha is my favorite character in the Vikings TV show, followed closely by Floki the mad boat builder. I’d get this mini just for that except not so sure about that helmet. The Viking Age isn’t exactly the thickest shelf on my historical bookcase, but wasn’t it disproven that they ever wore horns and wings on their helmets? Although I agree with @brennon that I am very glad to see they are not wearing “chainmail bikinis” like a lot of female figures.
I believe there is no sound evidence that their helmets were adorned as such. That said, so much of the Viking stereotype was invented in the Romantic period, or the “Golden Age of Racism” as I prefer to call it lol, that if you start picking at one part of it then it’ll quickly unravel.
At last, woman who have protective clothing/armour, that actually may protect them, not that i recommend messing with these maidens, they’ll chase you down, spear you, and to make sure you’re a goner, in a death grip you with they’re thighs…still, not a bad way to go huh :p