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Landsknecht Ogre Planning!
May 12, 2021 Wargames Atlantic

Landsknecht Ogre Planning!

Having had a great discussion with Landsknecht Ogre submitter and winner Michael Stockdale, we've settled on an approach for this set that we'd like to share with you.

First, we need to lock down a size and proportion for these boys as they are our first "monster" size. Having looked around yesterday we settled on the excellent Westfalia versions. I have really loved their design aesthetic and their half-men were an inspiration to me when starting Wargames Atlantic. If you haven't seen their work click on this image to go to their site: 

 

So these fellows will come in around 45mm or so. This will be a full frame set aiming for three unique bodies on the frame.

The bodies will be armored cuirass with square-toed shoes/boots to emulate the classic Landsknecht look. Slashed style sleeve arms will hold a variety of historical/fantasy weapons including Zweihänders (very big two-handed swords), halberds, a matchlock style hand cannon, large, ornate dueling-style pistols. Spear or double-duty standard pole. We will experiment with some options. Maybe a dagger or mace too. Will need at least one larger shield and some buckler style for the swordsmen. Perhaps some segmented plate armor pieces for the legs. The iconic floppy hats and helmets will be included and Morion helmets as an extra option. 

Since this is a Wargames Atlantic set, we can't leave it there though! Alternate arms with heavy autoguns and plasma weapons with shoulder pads on the arms, futuristic helmets and bare heads, and a  variety of packs comm units holsters etc to equip the bodies will also be included to sci-fi up these fellows. 

Officially this set will be part of our Death Fields AND the Classic Fantasy ranges. Within DF the backstory will be that these are a group of abducted Landsknecht - The Vain - who after some time on the circuit succumbed to flattery and allowed themselves to be genetically modified to be bigger and stronger. Their alien owner of course didn’t explain that they would also become grotesque. They now operate as guns for hire and are lent out to the highest bidders as a supplement to regular teams on the Death Fields circuit.

For fantasy they are also mercenaries fighting for and against the High Queen - a band of brothers united in their love of fashion and fighting.

We hope you like these ideas for this set. We hope also that we can fit all the ideas we keep coming up with onto the frame! Let us know what you think below!

Artwork credit: Landsknechts in the Sack of Rome, 1527 by Angus McBride (1988)

Previous article STATUM ATLANTICUM MMXXIV

Comments

Jess - May 16, 2021

@Axel

First off I haven’t cursed you out or made any attacks on your personal character. Beyond that, buddy, what have you done to earn my further respect?

I’m criticizing your behavior, because it’s small minded and transparent.

Ole Andreas Hoen - May 15, 2021

Would ut be possible to have separate feet and options for a shoeless build, thus going barefoot?

Ole Andreas Hoen - May 15, 2021

Would ut be possible to have separate feet and options for a shoeless build, thus going barefoot?

Axel - May 15, 2021

@Jess
If somebody invents some intend into my postings that is simply not there then I am indeed the aggrieved party. If you think that is manipulative then you find that in yourself, not in my postings.

>trying to link to your supposedly massive collection of women models.
Fitzgerald claimed that I “really, really oppose including women” and insists my motives have nothing to do with “miniature making or gaming”.
Which is utterly wrong and indeed aggrieving.
He (or you) will be unable to find anything in my postings to support that. As proof that I am not against including women I named FIVE female Landsknechts models that DO exist, and showed that I own at least one of them – how would I when I am “really really opposed to include women”.
That is simply replying to a baseless assault with some counterproof, and not – as you state – to show of a “supposedly massive collection of women models”. There was ONE. Where did I claim a MASSIVE collection of women models? Please cite me, or take that back!

>demanding some imagined “realism”
The “realism” has nothing to do at all with female miniatures but just with a coherent style. If you have a different opinion just do so and say so. WA will make their own decisions anyway.

The reason why I am against a female body is because WA said there will be just THREE bodies on the sprue. Making one of them female will yield less opportunities to build units, as the female pose will ever spring out as a female, and all females will have the same base pose, while you have just two variations for the males. This makes unit building harder for me. To solve that WA could just go with three female bodies, which would suit me fine.

> for some reason want LESS variation and customization options.
The “reason” is the limited spruespace. Anything that goes upon a sprue means that something else dumps out.
If I am “against” a specific variant its not because I do not want it or oppose it on principle, but because I think the limited space will be better used for other options, usually based upon historic authenticity. In the case of OGRES that argument is mainly moot, so I have not argued against anything (not even scifi components) for this release, just a female body. I prefer a unit builder, not a set of characters.

>But you’re talking out of both sides of your mouth
Always nice when you treat your fellows with respect.

Jess - May 15, 2021

@Axel

You keep insisting that you’re “totally fine” with famine miniatures, writing essay length posts and trying to link to your supposedly massive collection of women models.

But you’re talking out of both sides of your mouth, still demanding some imagined “realism” still trying to insist that you for some reason want LESS variation and customization options.

You tip your hand in your final paragraph there “no need to apologize”. Give me a break. You play the aggrieved party as hard as you can as a simple emotional ploy, it’s weak, frivolous, manipulative behavior.

Neil - May 15, 2021

Had some more brainstorms!

Thinking in terms of “personalities” that could be made from the kit, that are roughly in the right time frame (!), what about:

An executioner?
An Inquisitor?

That’s all from me 🤗

Axel - May 15, 2021

@M Fitzgerald

>And yet, you persist in arguing against including women in the kit.
Yep, but ONLY for the variety of poses. If you have but two different male poses a host of them will look repeterive. Three poses will probably push it beyond the threshold of “too similar”. A problem that also exist with horses when you simply cannot do a charging mass with just two poses, while three or four will give you sufficient variations.

If WA ever produces a “female” only box I will surely get me that set.
So your assumption that I do not want females is certainly not in my postings. On the contrary I do make sure to get females when they show up. There is a fine female Landsknecht by Hasslefree with two poses, and Black Scorpion made one, too. There is also one by Hobby miniatures, now available through Ral Partha. I have two of each pose, one even painted. Mail me if you want proof by image :-)

And while I have a “focus” on landsknechts I do collect all fanatsy versions of Landsknecht style. I do have most of Foundrys Mercenary Black Orks, TAGs halflings and dwarfs, Westfalias Halflings or MOMs giants, and just too much other stuff to ever have a chance of painting them.

BTW: I made a small gallery for a friend of mine in 2016. By chance it starts with a Mithirl Rohirrim that I greenstuffed into a female ranger and shows some of my Landsknecht collection.
No need to apologise for your claim that I do oppose “female” soldiers on principle, but please be careful with what you assume and accuse in public for your next disagreement. Perhaps someone else made that argument, but it certainly did not came or was at least not intended from me.
http://schudak.de/axel/bilder/minis/gallery1/

Marc - May 15, 2021

My two cents on the elephant in the room: I see no reason why there should be no fantasy of sci-fi female versions of topics where such would be ridiculous in a historical set.
However, as they are a niche within a niche within a niche, I also see no reason to include them in a plastic box that will only have three bodies available. One third of the box used for a gimmick would alienate most customers. If someone needs female ogers, he can buy them in metal/resin. The same argument has been made for command figures in the past and it holds even more true here.
Listen to reason, not vocal minorities.
More gaming, less arguing everyone. Life is short!

Scott - May 14, 2021

Any chance of non-space non-LANDSKNECHT
Parts in this box set to make simple fantasy ogres?

BZ - May 14, 2021

Because of the demand for female ogres: would it be possible to include head options, and make a more feminim shaped (I cant be more pc) armour part, which could be glued as an addition on the upper half of the curiass?

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