PlaymoFriends
General => Collector's Corner => Topic started by: WarriorOfToys on August 18, 2010, 23:18:44
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How many of you try to recreate armies from a certain era?
Mainly, I am talking about Medieval history.
Do you just combine all the sets to create Medieval armies of no particular period...
Or does anyone (like me) try to recreate truly period armies from a certain era?
What armies are those, and what era is that? (Maybe with pics? ;D )
I know for my Medieval armies I try to recreate the Dark Ages to early Crusading Knights...
So no plate armor, and a lot less of the Helmets Playmobil actually produces.
I am working on period Japanese armies from around the 12th century.
And a Colonial English army (though I haven't chosen an exact date).
I am debating whether to work on a Conquistador army as well.
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It's just you.
Just kidding. I like keeping historical consitency and accuracy too. My viking will not interact with my knights in plate armour. Now for my kids, they don't seem to mind mixing ALL eras together - Romans, knights, modern, late Rennaisance (Magic Castle stuff). I think it's only when we get older and learn history and appreciate it. I would bet there are a lot of adults out there who would mix them all up and not think a thing is out of place.
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I don't think I recreate any historical period actually...I do try to keep my armies accurate to reality as for as their gear is concerned but mixed up!
So you will see lots of full plate knights but the army that goes with them are usually wearing light armour. You will also see half plate knights or ones that have their arms just armoured.
I have not mixed my Templar or Teutonic klickies with these knights and keep them seperated, so these are really just Crusading klickies.
As for the soldiers, I keep redcoats as they are and french-like soldiers as they are!
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I really appreciate the efforts of some to keep things historically correct. However I am mainly creating my medieval setting as a background to D&D adventures. In that light all I worry about is keeping things D&D correct. Also I really have an aversion to guns and cannons for some reason. so I will not be using those.
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Hi WoT,
No, I don't think it's just you!
I come at it from this angle: the range of armour, weapons, heraldic blazons and so forth that Playmobil have produced for their Knights/Castle/Medieval range generally reflects (as far as toys at this scale can) the sort of armour, weapons, heraldic blazons and so forth that were in use in western Europe in the period (roughly) 1350-1450 (I would say).
And in my customs, I choose to stick only to original Playmobil parts (no paint, no stickers, no nuthin'). So that leaves me with 14th-15th century medieval armies, and I can live with that.
My own period of personal/professional interest is somewhat earlier (10th-12th centuries), but trying to build armies of custom Klickies from that period would (in my opinion) be rather more difficult, especially if using only original parts. (This is not to say doing so would be impossible, but far more effort than I feel like expending!)
And I argue to myself that the apparent temporal range in the original Playmobil parts is simply a reflection of the fact that poorer, less-well-equipped men had to make do with older armour and weapons, which was clearly the case in reality.
And then, having gotten myself tied up in all sorts of self-justifying knots... I remember that Playmobil is a toy, and I collect and customise and play with the Klickies and Steck to have fun!
Whew. I've had a long and trying day 8} at work, so if any of that made no sense, that's the reason :wave:
Cheers,
AndrewL
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It's just you.
Just kidding. I like keeping historical consitency and accuracy too. My viking will not interact with my knights in plate armour. Now for my kids, they don't seem to mind mixing ALL eras together - Romans, knights, modern, late Rennaisance (Magic Castle stuff). I think it's only when we get older and learn history and appreciate it. I would bet there are a lot of adults out there who would mix them all up and not think a thing is out of place.
Yeah, non of the kids that play with them really seem to do that. :lol:
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I don't think I recreate any historical period actually...I do try to keep my armies accurate to reality as for as their gear is concerned but mixed up!
So you will see lots of full plate knights but the army that goes with them are usually wearing light armour. You will also see half plate knights or ones that have their arms just armoured.
I have not mixed my Templar or Teutonic klickies with these knights and keep them seperated, so these are really just Crusading klickies.
As for the soldiers, I keep redcoats as they are and french-like soldiers as they are!
That is cool, it is how I kinda was until I decided to work on one period.
Your Templar and Teutonic Knights could very well mix with the rest of your Knights
As they had institutes all over Europe
And might have supplied men to some of the Lords that allowed the institutes to be build on his land.
There are many times that we hear of Templars going to battle in Western Europe.
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I really appreciate the efforts of some to keep things historically correct. However I am mainly creating my medieval setting as a background to D&D adventures. In that light all I worry about is keeping things D&D correct. Also I really have an aversion to guns and cannons for some reason. so I will not be using those.
That is cool, especially as I have enjoyed your D&D game greatly so far.
I too do not use cannons and guns for really any of my people.
(Though that will not hold true for my Colonial English, and maybe my Japanese soldiers.(If I choose to do a later period.))
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Hi WoT,
No, I don't think it's just you!
I come at it from this angle: the range of armour, weapons, heraldic blazons and so forth that Playmobil have produced for their Knights/Castle/Medieval range generally reflects (as far as toys at this scale can) the sort of armour, weapons, heraldic blazons and so forth that were in use in western Europe in the period (roughly) 1350-1450 (I would say).
I agree, Knights form those erass could have had all the equipment Playmobil produces.
And in my customs, I choose to stick only to original Playmobil parts (no paint, no stickers, no nuthin'). So that leaves me with 14th-15th century medieval armies, and I can live with that.
I just generally prefer an earlier period. ::)
I have had no trouble though with getting earlier period Playmobil through soft customizing techniques only.
My own period of personal/professional interest is somewhat earlier (10th-12th centuries), but trying to build armies of custom Klickies from that period would (in my opinion) be rather more difficult, especially if using only original parts. (This is not to say doing so would be impossible, but far more effort than I feel like expending!)
And I argue to myself that the apparent temporal range in the original Playmobil parts is simply a reflection of the fact that poorer, less-well-equipped men had to make do with older armour and weapons, which was clearly the case in reality.
And then, having gotten myself tied up in all sorts of self-justifying knots... I remember that Playmobil is a toy, and I collect and customise and play with the Klickies and Steck to have fun!
Whew. I've had a long and trying day 8} at work, so if any of that made no sense, that's the reason :wave:
Cheers,
AndrewL
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I’d like to build a ASW Confederate army, but with modern(ish) gear.
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I’d like to build a ASW Confederate army, but with modern(ish) gear.
Yes... a civil war army is on my list aswell actually... ;D
But only if one of my other Friends starts collecting one of the sides.
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I think an ACW army would be cool. I have been studying that part of
U.S. history as of late...very interesting...and sad.
I think a small southern army would be fun to put together considering the
variety of uniforms the south had.
Jimbo
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I think an ACW army would be cool. I have been studying that part of
U.S. history as of late...very interesting...and sad.
I think a small southern army would be fun to put together considering the
variety of uniforms the south had.
Jimbo
Well the North didn't have much of a Uniform system either did they?
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My goal is not really historical accuracy. Like Gis I'am now working within a D&D environment.
But how historically accurate do you want to be? The standard Egyptian soldiers have bronze age weapons and the romans iron age weapons. The arena was for gladiator games and not for chariots. For that they had a hippodrome.
Where are the bagage trains for the armies? Why are there more police cars, ambulances and firemans vehicles that there are regular cars?
I'm satisfied with 3 feet accuracy. It has to look good from 3 feet.
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I try to go for historical 'accuracy' too, but it's a bit sad in a way, because when we were children it didn't really matter whether pot helms had already been invented, or whether legionnaires held their scutum in their left or in their right hand ::) Your imagination goes, once you're past a certain age. When I was 8 or 9 my parents gave me the PM fire engine with the ladder, and I could transform THAT into a spaceship or a pirate ship, depending on whatever scenario I fancied on that particular day. *gets misty eyed*
At the moment I am trying to customise some knights from the early crusades, but what I would really like to do is a set of soldiers from the Great Siege of 1565. But since I only use PM parts, it's a bit hard. After the Templar and the Teutonic Knight, PM should start thinking about a St John's Special (hopefully armed with an arquebus), don't you think?
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My goal is not really historical accuracy. Like Gis I'am now working within a D&D environment.
But how historically accurate do you want to be? The standard Egyptian soldiers have bronze age weapons and the romans iron age weapons. The arena was for gladiator games and not for chariots. For that they had a hippodrome.
Where are the bagage trains for the armies? Why are there more police cars, ambulances and firemans vehicles that there are regular cars?
I'm satisfied with 3 feet accuracy. It has to look good from 3 feet.
The three foot rule works well. :)
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I try to go for historical 'accuracy' too, but it's a bit sad in a way, because when we were children it didn't really matter whether pot helms had already been invented, or whether legionnaires held their scutum in their left or in their right hand ::) Your imagination goes, once you're past a certain age. When I was 8 or 9 my parents gave me the PM fire engine with the ladder, and I could transform THAT into a spaceship or a pirate ship, depending on whatever scenario I fancied on that particular day. *gets misty eyed*
At the moment I am trying to customise some knights from the early crusades, but what I would really like to do is a set of soldiers from the Great Siege of 1565. But since I only use PM parts, it's a bit hard. After the Templar and the Teutonic Knight, PM should start thinking about a St John's Special (hopefully armed with an arquebus), don't you think?
Crusades! :love:
What a great era to customize from... :lol: ;D
The St. John special would be cool. :)
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Crusades! :love:
What a great era to customize from... :lol: ;D
The St. John special would be cool. :)
I find the crusades a very tempting subject too. But there should be more oriental-arab sets. How a about some 1001 night sets? Sinbad the sailor? An arabian nights palace? Alladin and the Djinn? Great stuff for kids, great stuff for customizers!
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I find the crusades a very tempting subject too. But there should be more oriental-arab sets. How a about some 1001 night sets? Sinbad the sailor? An arabian nights palace? Alladin and the Djinn? Great stuff for kids, great stuff for customizers!
Now you're talking Ali Baba!!!
Yes!! I would love to see such sets made by playmobil!!!
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Being completely historically correct with Playmobil is an issue I've been wrestling with for quite some time, and while I'd like to be as accurate as possible, sometimes it's easier and more fun not to be.
For example, my Egyptian army includes cavalry, which the ancient Egyptians didn't really have, and some of the klickies I'm using for their enemies have iron armor and weapons, which wouldn't have been historically correct either. Also, I'm using my Egyptian army to fight my Romans but I'm calling them Meroians, which would have been historically correct, except that Meroians would have had iron arms and armor, but mine don't. I've decided I can live with these anachronisms.
My French army and redcoat officers are basically historically correct, but my redcoat soldiers are not. I'm trying to represent the period from the Seven Years War through the American Revolution, but the redcoat soldier's double-breasted tunics are from the Napoleonic period. I can live with this, but if the new redcoat blister pack materializes, I'll probably replace the double-breasted soldiers with them.
Like others have mentioned, Medieval fighting men from the early 12th Century are quite different from their early 15th Century counterparts. While I think all my Medieval men look pretty good together, if one looks closely and knows armorial evolution, there are some major problems with my klickies, as I have Crusaders wearing chain mail and Norman helmets holding classic shields next to knights wearing full plate armor and basinets holding Norman shields! I try not to get too bothered by it.
With my Romans, I'm fortunate in that they could work from a little before 40 AD until almost 200 AD, which is the period I'm aiming for.
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Well the North didn't have much of a Uniform system either did they?
You are correct, Warrior of Toys. At the start of the hostilities, the uniform system
was a bit nonuniform ;D
If I understand what I read, each state had their own idea of what the uniform
should look like. The blue and gray uniforms were on both sides for a while.
The North finally got around to standardising the uniform as time went on.
The South did not have the industrial base to punch out uniforms in quantity,
so as the war progressed, the uniforms became less "uniform".
Best regards, y'all
Jimbo
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Being completely historically correct with Playmobil is an issue I've been wrestling with for quite some time, and while I'd like to be as accurate as possible, sometimes it's easier and more fun not to be.
For example, my Egyptian army includes cavalry, which the ancient Egyptians didn't really have, and some of the klickies I'm using for their enemies have iron armor and weapons, which wouldn't have been historically correct either. Also, I'm using my Egyptian army to fight my Romans but I'm calling them Meroians, which would have been historically correct, except that Meroians would have had iron arms and armor, but mine don't. I've decided I can live with these anachronisms.
My French army and redcoat officers are basically historically correct, but my redcoat soldiers are not. I'm trying to represent the period from the Seven Years War through the American Revolution, but the redcoat soldier's double-breasted tunics are from the Napoleonic period. I can live with this, but if the new redcoat blister pack materializes, I'll probably replace the double-breasted soldiers with them.
Like others have mentioned, Medieval fighting men from the early 12th Century are quite different from their early 15th Century counterparts. While I think all my Medieval men look pretty good together, if one looks closely and knows armorial evolution, there are some major problems with my klickies, as I have Crusaders wearing chain mail and Norman helmets holding classic shields next to knights wearing full plate armor and basinets holding Norman shields! I try not to get too bothered by it.
With my Romans, I'm fortunate in that they could work from a little before 40 AD until almost 200 AD, which is the period I'm aiming for.
That is cool, but I have a harder time putting my Templars next to men in plate armor.
Fortunately The very beginnings of plate armor were just starting around the end of the period I am reaching for.
So I don't find it too hard if I have a "crack force" of up-to-date knights wearing a bit of plate.
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Like Gis and Ali, my Playmoworlds are more fantasy than reality, which allows me to mix and match pretty much anything I like. For me it's too much trouble, and too potentially expensive on spare parts, to do otherwise.
e.g. The Roman auxiliaries add-on packs had greaves when they should have sandals. To replace those I bought before I realised would now be costly. The redcoats wear black riding boots, when white trousers with black shoes or ankle-length boots, grey ior black trousers, or black trousers with a red side stripe, would be more accurate depending on your period. Cheaper and easier to stay with the original figure and have done. The list could go on forever.
It's the coward's cop-out, but life's too short to sweat the small stuff.
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Like Gis and Ali, my Playmoworlds are more fantasy than reality, which allows me to mix and match pretty much anything I like. For me it's too much trouble, and too potentially expensive on spare parts, to do otherwise.
e.g. The Roman auxiliaries add-on packs had greaves when they should have sandals. To replace those I bought before I realised would now be costly. The redcoats wear black riding boots, when white trousers with black shoes or ankle-length boots, grey ior black trousers, or black trousers with a red side stripe, would be more accurate depending on your period. Cheaper and easier to stay with the original figure and have done. The list could go on forever.
It's the coward's cop-out, but life's too short to sweat the small stuff.
I agree with Martin. While it would be wonderful to make historically correct armies of custom klickies, it's just too expensive and too difficult to do so.
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Like Gis and Ali, my Playmoworlds are more fantasy than reality, which allows me to mix and match pretty much anything I like. For me it's too much trouble, and too potentially expensive on spare parts, to do otherwise.
e.g. The Roman auxiliaries add-on packs had greaves when they should have sandals. To replace those I bought before I realised would now be costly. The redcoats wear black riding boots, when white trousers with black shoes or ankle-length boots, grey ior black trousers, or black trousers with a red side stripe, would be more accurate depending on your period. Cheaper and easier to stay with the original figure and have done. The list could go on forever.
It's the coward's cop-out, but life's too short to sweat the small stuff.
I agree with Martin. While it would be wonderful to make historically correct armies of custom klickies, it's just too expensive and too difficult to do so.
Good and solid points... perhaps that is why it takes me so long to create armies! :lol: ;D 8}