Men Of Gondor

 

Hello, after investing some time in my prevois Work on a Imperial War griffon which turned to be quite succesful, I moved again to Middle Earth, trying to expand that area with a new important army.

This time is for the human Kingdom of Gondor and the warriors of Minas Tirith

I firstly want to declare: even as big fan of Peter Jackspn trilogy, I never really liked the look of the Gondor troops  there(in comparison with Rohan which I really loved). 

Too uniform looking, too plate, too shiny... It was not the hardened army of an old strong Kingdom in troubles, they were just dressed figurants running all time around and  simulating they were fighting an orc invasion....

I was searching from the beggining for a very different inspiration... According to Tolkien himself, this kingdom was more some kind of representation of Late Roman empire or even Byzantium... So more chainmail, quilt and scale was probably to find ..  And troops could not be very uniform...

Here several nice inspiration pictures I found (not esy to find.. Internet is firstly giving you hunderds of pictures from the Peter JAckson version, inlcuding of course the Games Wirkshop minuatures... I spent some time to get to these: 

The next one was the best inspiration (some converted 28mm normans!! In addition to all previous suggestion pictures,  believed then that long  feudal mail hauberk could also work fine for this faction....

(In the other hand, as extreme alternative I also found other more intrincate designs like classical roman-greek which inspired for example the old mithril miniatures range.. i did not like that version either.)

Then, after deciding the desired look, I had to look for adequate 1/72 recruits... Although some late romans were in my sight too, I decided myself for several orion byzantine troops  and also differentr Strelets Normans 8form which I have a lot rpeeated form Strelets big-sets!)

Here my first tetst company of Minas Tirith infantrymen... I think they match what I had imagined and I like their part.. Now I have to look for some archers and then Cavalry, Ithilien rangers... 

And if it goes good , I will add special troop types ( Knights of Dol Amrtoh, Lossarnach Axemen...)

Preparing to repele some nasty goblins:

Here in simulated ofrmation for game "War of the Ring":