A Viking Shipbuilder & Charging Crusader Are New From Stronghold
October 30, 2015 by brennon
Stronghold Terrain have added to their collection of miniatures for use in SAGA with not only a well known Shipbuilder for your Viking raiding party but also a charging Crusader Warlord who would work equally well as a Norman Knight too...
Building Vessels Of The Gods
Kicking things off we have the Shipbuilder who looks like he's going to be a rather cheeky chap on the tabletop. He comes with two dangerous looking axes, one of them more tool than actual weapon of war.
While he doesn't look particularly dangerous I'm sure that he will be doing some plotting behind the scenes and he could make an interesting objective on the tabletop as well as just a Hearthguard in a bigger force.
I like his swaggering stance and they seem to have captured the 'craziness' of this character who may or may not be a bit familiar.
Charge! God Wills It!
Following on from him we have a more professional soldier with the Norman Warlord or Crusader who is seen thundering forward atop his steed with sword ready.
I really like this model and, while you don't get the arrow in the shield, I think that's a nice touch and is something I'd do to show his reckless charge into the midst of the enemy with foes all around him.
He will make for a really cinematic and engaging character on the tabletop I reckon. It's nice that he is able to fit into both Crusader and Dark Age worlds too so you could collect a Norman force and use it for both almost.
What do you think?
"...while you don't get the arrow in the shield, I think that's a nice touch and is something I'd do to show his reckless charge into the midst of the enemy"
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I do find that Norman Warlord to be better than that version of Floki.
The horse looks a bit small.
Actually at the time of the Vikings horses were more like Ponies hence the lack of cavalry as a part of most armies of the time.
This is a good video for Cavalry of the Ancient and Dark Ages
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAmf4RTBoYk
By 1096 (the 1st Crusade) knights were already riding heavier destriers, Andalusians and Friesians if I’m not mistaken. William rode an Andalusian at Hastings in 1066. They both average about 15 hands. You may be thinking of the later great horses of the Renaissance.This fellow looks like he’s on his rouncy lol.
Yeah I know what you mean my point was that this was more an early Norman Horse rather than a proper crusader horse which of course would be a bigger heavier horse suited to proper mounted warfare.
I’ve bought the Norman warlord and it’s a really nice miniature.
I believe Norman horses were quite small. There is a correlation between the size of a horses bit and the actual size of the horse. I’m sure there was a program about Norman cavalry tactics or I read about it. Whatever there was a section where they covered the height of horses and the average size of bit of the period.
I remember that Huscarle. I am sure there was something about Warhorse not being over 15 hands. I am sure there would something about it at the Royal Armouries site
As I said, 15 hands, The scale of this horse looks off, more like something a Roman would have ridden. Crusaders would have also tried to get their hands on Arabians, which were slightly smaller, between 14 and 15 hands, but still bigger than the model. My neighbour has an Arabian that he lets me ride every now and again, and it’s a fair chunk of horseflesh lol.
As I mentioned, these were not the heavier great horses we think of that came along later, ones possibly crossed with a draught animal for greater size and strength.
I knew they were small, under 15 is a pony. Agreed though this model does look too small and little on the light side. I think it would look out of place in a post conquest army.