Opinion - Good Vlad Tepes models?

[Ursulescu]

Hi guys,

I'm just wondering if you think that these Games Workshop models would make a good Vlad Tepes with very little effort put in for conversion? I am thinking of making a Vlad Tepes era army for wargamming or just to collect if no one is willing to play against me.



I was thinking that I might have to change the hat and armour, but the face is definatly how Vlad had his moustache.

(Edit) - On comparing the model to a picture of Vlad, it only looks like I'd have to add a star and feather to the hat and I'd almost be 100% dead-on.

Also, how would these guys look for Vlad's Foot Soldiers?



ThanX for the help!

This post has been edited by Ursulescu on March 20, 2010 07:35 pm

[King Arthur]

Hello Mr. Ursulescu,

Maybe you can have a look at this site.
Compare them with these models and also their revieuw can be of help...

Good luck!

[King Arthur]

By the way...

Below the revieuw is also a list of books for further reading...

Just telling you not to miss it...

[Ursulescu]

Hi King Arthur!

I think you forgot to post a link.

[King Arthur]

Whoops!!!

You are wright!

This is the link:

http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=1514

To bad that the models that look like Vlad are from the lord of the rings range in games workshop. They are a bit smaller than their Warhammer fantsasy range from wich you coul have used some models from the Bretonnians and Empire armie...
But the models you showed can indeed be nice items to convert into some diffrent pose models of Lord Vlad...

Happy modelling!

[Ursulescu]

ThanX for the info. That link seems really good! They give the models an almost 10/10.

The Lord Of The Rings guys are smaller, but that might not matter for Warhammer Historical.

I think converting Bretonians and Empire, possibly Kislev would be more time consuming than what the LOTR guys look like.

Next question : Would Vlad, or the Romanians at that time, have used these weapons?

This post has been edited by Ursulescu on March 22, 2010 06:26 pm

[King Arthur]

Hello Mr. Ursulescu,

Well... I'm practising a martial art called : Medieval European Combat Techniques ...
This is based on mostley 15th century medieval manuscripts with wich the "Fechtmeisters" trained the knights and the army....
Together with this I'm training and a re-enactor with the AMEK ( Acadamy for Medieval European Combattechniques( in Dutch Krijgskunsten )
So I know a little about the 15th century weapons.
If you wis you can take a look at the two links below.
The first is from my academy and unfortunately it is in dutch.
The second is from our CANADIAN brothers in arms!!! So maybe you will find a new and extra hobby...

http://www.zwaardvechten.nl/content.php?option=viewitem&id=6

http://www.aemma.org/


For the weapons of the models....

I'll start with the Vlad Models:

- The flags on the backs will have to go... That's Japanese Samurai style
- The bows are okay since they look very much like horse riders bows like the Hungarian horseriders bow. Hungarian weapons were also used by Walachian (Vlad's ) forces.
- The halberds look also okay but they are a bit short for halberds and look more like two handed battle axes. If there where battle axes with a curly tip I don't know but halberds yes. For halberd you will have to make them a bit longer since they meassured about 2 meters in length.
- The clothes, armor and boots are good for a nobleman like Vlad but not for troops who were more poorly dressed...

The foot soldiers:

- The bows have the shape of horse riders bows but the size of a longbow. The "curley" tips are typical for horseriders bows, longbows were bended but straight without the curly tips. It's up to you how you'll model them. Make them a bit shorter or straighten them or leave themas they are as let's say long range horseman bows
- The spears look a bit like the "Lucerner Hammer" . All you'll have to do is shorten them a bit because the Luc. Hammer was about 150cm, and to ad a "hammer" part oposite of the spike part. This is a Swiss weapon but i don't know if it is used by the Walachian forces... You can also take away the spike so you are left with a spear. It's easier but less special.
- The Swordsmen's weapons are okay, nothing to do there. The small shields are called "Bucklers" and the swords they carry are called " Falchion " swords. These swords look a bit arabic/turkish but in fact they are british. Swords of this shape have been used by a lot of medieval Balkan armies. Fighting with sword & buckler is a special technique and can be found all over medieval europe.
- The crossbows look fine too. No work to be done.

Google / Wikipedia search words:

sword & Buckler , lucerne hammer , falchion , longbow , hungarian horse bow


Please keep in mind that in medieval times anything could be used as a weapon and that a lot of existing weapons were ajusted to personal wishes.

Below you'll find a link to a sit with medieval gunpowder weapons and to a Czech blacksmith and if you go through his catalogue you will see a lot of diffferent weapons to get inspiration.

http://xenophongroup.com/montjoie/gp_wpns.htm

http://www.kovex-ars.cz/index.php?poloha=aktuality

You can also look for books about medieval combat techniques on internet and even Games workshop historical has a book aboutr Vlad's armies take a look at this shop for the book and more warhammer :

http://www.maelstromgames.co.uk/index.php?...wab_sup_113_000

This has become a long post but I hope it will help you a bit.

Good luck!!!

[Ursulescu]

ThanX for the detailed response King Arthur!

I actually have the Vlad Tepes book from Games Workshop, but I think it was printed before these Lord of The Rings figures came out. They recommended a company called Old Glory, but I think you still had to customize a lot of the OG figures.

I will have to have a look at your links soon!

The Aemma group is on the other side of Canada that I am, so I doubt I'll get a chance to go over and practice with them. Also, i'm quite out of shape!

The Polish guy makes some nice weapons. I spent time looking at the Axes.

My final question : did Vlad fight with his army, or was he more of a "Behind the Lines" general?

This post has been edited by Ursulescu on March 24, 2010 05:39 pm

[King Arthur]

Mr. Ursulescu,

I searched a bit in some books about Vlad as an army leader.
The best thing i could find is this quote from an internet page:

In the winter of 1461/1462 Vlad crossed the Danube and devastated the area between Serbia and the Black Sea. Disguising himself as a Turk, he infiltrated the fortress and destroyed it. In a letter to Corvinus dated February 2, he wrote: "I have killed men and women, old and young... 23,884 Turks and Bulgarians without counting those whom we burned alive in their homes or whose heads were not chopped off by our soldiers..."[12]. The Christians were spared and many of them were settled in Wallachia.[13]

So i think he was a first and/or second line fighting general

[King Arthur]

Mr. ursulescu,

Maybe these links can help also:

http://www.historyarts.ro/afise/popup.html...al_warriors.jpg

http://www.historyarts.ro/afise/popup.html...al_warriors.jpg

http://www.historyarts.ro/afise/popup.html?antiq_warrior.jpg

http://www.historyarts.ro/ilustratii.htm

[Ursulescu]

ThanX King Author! those pictures look awesome!