Topic says it all.
A box of generic styled european monks with swords. If using the standard composition of 28mm (body+legs, arms, head) such a kit is just a simple arm+head swap away from being easily kitbashable into virtually any setting/genre/period.
The plastic 28mm scene really has no robed figures that would be servicable as historical clergy taking up arms despite such a kit being probably more versatile than anything else on the market.
Im certain that such a kit would be profittable just because of how many gamers would be able to fit it into one project or another.
Good Idea. I would kitbash it and build futuristic Space Crusaders.
Yeah, some simple medieval robbed figures would be great. Tho, do please make any iconography a separate bit, like crosses. It makes things easier for conversions.
I would expand on the idea by suggesting pilgrims. A mixture of monks and (shabby looking) peasants.
@Carsten Ohlsson I'd probably throw some bits from the Dark Age Irish kit on them and have them try to defend themselves against vikings.
@Viking Cowboy Yea thats the thought that made me think of it to begin with. If youre in northern europe around the 900s sometimes vikings happen and the soldiers are away, so the monks must try to defend their monastery themselves.
But really any army that involves europeans from romans up to the renaisance could see use of monks scattered throughout their ranks. And most of us have multiple armies I reckon a box of 30 monks would fit into almost everyones collection.
Armies that doesnt really have use for a big unit of monks, could scatter them out in their different units to inspire their men. And if you still got any spare models they can also serve as civilians to be protected or objective markers.
Ive had the thought for a long time WGA just struck me as the right company to suggest it to being a company that aims at many different genres making the models that are absent in the 28mm landscape. And they listen to the community.
Following the WGA trend of 3 head options on the sprue could have 6 bodies, 6 bare heads, 6 hoods and 6 animal masks(for a cultist option).
@Carsten Ohlsson Good thinking with the animal masks, a versatile set right through to Si/FI.
It's not a full kit, but there's a monk on the Victrix Saxon Command sprue if you just wanted to build the one character.
https://www.victrixlimited.com/en-au/products/late-saxons-anglo-danes
@fodzilla Nice war band , great priest, not a bad price set either.
Some of the bodies on the Frostgrave wizard sprue will make servicable monks. Plus the Vicrix command sprue guy (who is on several of their dark age command sprues).
The Fireforge Templar infantry might be worth a look as well. If you used unhelmeted heads and unarmoured arms and don't paint the legs as armour (maybe scrape off the mail texture first), they would likely work as monks. If the monks in question are armoured at all, they are already the right kit.
Actually, most of the good bits are on the command sprue. If you source those instead of the general kit it might be better:
Fireforge do sell this sprue seperately at ten Euro. The Teutonic one, which is similar but different, is also available. Both sometimes go out of stock though.
Having said all that, a kit with robed figures is a great idea.
I'd mix it up with medieval, science fiction and occult options. Wizards, monks, cultists, Jedi and ceremonial guards.
For eastern monks, I find the Perry Anasar Warior kit invaluable (note the upper right pair and the bodies with the shoulder wrap):
Some of the Afgans (WGA or Perry) also work as the basis of robed figures. Extending a long tunic into a robe is a fairly simple job with putty.
@Mark Dewis You mean like a fantasy cultist spell caster kit?
So, not the monks you were describing... :) but the bodies might be useful for some conversions. You would need to find some alternte heads and weapons though.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fireforgegames/the-samurai-wars?ref=user_menu
I think I may have been unclear about this. Im not trying to track down possible robed alternatives. Im surprised though no one mentioned the cultists from anvil industries. (which coincidentally is by far the most affordable option out there for anything remotely "monk looking"for 8£/5 bodies not including arms or heads)
The only actual western monk available in plastic is the one in the victrix saxons kit but its 1 monk for each 29 saxons which means if one wanted to put together a unit of 30 it would leave them with 870 saxon models to spare.
I was hoping to point WGA towards the fact that a certain product is remarkably absent in plastic anywhere despite being a potential massive workhorse for any plastic manufacturer because of its sheer versatility in the overall miniature gaming landscape.
@Carsten Ohlsson No, I think you were clear on it.. Really if you look through this forum you can find 100 GREAT ideas for kits that are absent and would probably sell a ton... But... :) if they do come out are likely to be a long way off. Wargames Atlantic does polls every now and then as to what they should produce next, or eventually.. Of course everyone has a different opinion and untlimately WA will produce what they feel is best. So... I think most of the posts here were trying to offerent alterntives to tide us over in the mean time. Would I want a western monk set? Absolutely. Hopefully WA will offer it, or another company will. But until then... :)
Apart from the exact match on the Victrix dark age command sprues, you can get very close with the Frostgrave wizards:
Use the body lower right on this picture - full robes and rope belt. Various weapon options, including two western swords, and many of the accessories are appropriate. Two options for a hooded head, one for an old bald guy, one has a tonsure. If you have the Victrix parts, there's a spare head and arms per monk that can be used from there as well.
Really, any or all of those bodies could pass master as monks. Less cheap per figure than 30-figure boxes, but not too bad at £15 per 8.
@Mark Dewis While you can make a great Western European style monk from the Victrix Command sprue and the Frostgrave Wizards I sprue... I still think there is a market for a kit focusing on monks for folks that are looking to make specifically monks instead of adding the occasional monk from their bits box. Especially if you add options that are not available elsewhere... which admittedly is a challenge considering how varied the Frostgrave Wizards set is. But things like different physical builds (ie a rotund Friar Tuck torso) different heads (ie young and old tonsured heads, bearded Templars with short hair as per the Templar Rule, some hooded and/masked heads for cultists).
@William Redford Yea sorry I reread the whole thread and I misunderstood the intend of some replies here first time around.
@Mark Dewis Those frostgrave are a solid choice certainly for the fantasy portion of players where you can just stipulate that "this is how my fantasy priests dress" and use all the bodies. And for most players head options are less important because every single kit out there has more heads than bodies so we all already have an abundance of heads. And theres a female set aswell for diversity.
But historicals are the ones really struggling for anything more than a single monk here or there. For example those fireforge templars/teutonics can pull in pilgrims from any number of manufacturers (alot of unarmoured "sorta civilian" looking kits out there) but they really have no way to put monks in their army without accepting a metal minis pricetag.
I reckon that the player who would build an army of monks might be few and far between but the players who would be lured in the door at WGA by a monk kit are much more numerous if the kit catered to the historical player. Scifi/fantasy/post apoc players would just kitbash their own bitsbox into the set to make it fit their respective theme.
Be really nice if some figures, had that Jedi style of clothing, a Si/Fi touch on monks, adressing the flow from medieval to modern. Got cultist and nearly every thing covered, in one sweep.
@Geoff Maybury Yes! I did see some realy good jedi conversions using wargames atlantic afghan bodies. I havent gotten any of the afghans yet, but may add some to my next sprue order from @Lord Marcus
@Geoff Maybury Cool paste some pics if the oppertunity arises.
@Geoff Maybury Looked through the wargames atlantic legion picgtures on facebook... and... couldnt find them. :) will keep looking
@John Wilson Yup. Those are them!
I think the problem with *historical* monks is... just a lack of historical monks taking up arms. Victrix pretty much nailed most of the demand by putting one on their dark age command sprues.
The actual monastic fighting orders such as the Templars are catered for.
Having said that, I fully support a multi-use robed figure kit that's cheaper than the Frostgrave one.
@Mark Dewis personally I would rather have a nun/sisters set. Not for historical stuff but for sisters of Sigmar/ warrior nun type stuff.
@William Redford fully agree. You can do a little with the Fireforge peasant set, but it's pretty crude.
Frostgrave can come to the rescue a little there with their female wizard set. The female soldier kit is also useful (especially for rank and file), though the clothing is more cold weather than ecclesiastical.
For fully armoured figures you can use male bodies - the Fireforge templars with spare lady heads from Frostgrave and Stargrave would make pretty good Sisters.
Again, a female robed/dress kit with various options to allow fantasy/historical/science fiction use would be very handy.
