Rate RoM Gondor units

[Chaman]

Yeah I made the numenorean helmet initially (based on this badass and very realistic concept IMO):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

But the result wasn't good enough and was looking more like Stannis' Dargonstone helmets

That helmet does look very nice. I can imagine with a few design tweaks you could easily work it as a marine style. Perhaps some kind of fish as a crest on the helmet. Like on the children of hurin helm. A except with a fish.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

In fact I just like this helmet regardless. Perhaps it could be worked into another faction. It's aesthetic fits very well with rohan and could be changed simply to a horse.

[Teutonic]

That's the candy of Gondor faction in it's origin. It has medieval fiefdom system and if you are familiar with this in real life you should know that each lord provides equipment only to his army and so armies are very different when combined under one banner. The few things that make them uniform are same historical (economical, politic, religion etc) zone and another thing is culture and language.
When think about gondor you should remember that there are mixed nations (northemen, hillmen, numenoreans and rest local folks). While official culture and symbolic is numenorean.
Game of Thrones show is very perfect at portraying this feudal military system. Each lord has own troops, symbolic, colour and armour.

Also I tried to match books descriptions as much as it was possible: Green soldiers of Pinnath-Gelin, Hillmen of Lamedon, Lossarnach Axemen in chainmail, Hunters&Farmers&Fishermen of Anfalas etc.

Exactly! The movies are not the only source.

Also, I like the marines. It's one of my favourite "new" units (visuals not from the movies). I like the current helmets. They may feel a bit less out of place if used for some other units as well. E.g. give some to Ringlo Vale and Lamedon soldiers (like 1 in 5). They are not too far away. Also, to Dol Amroth men-at-arms if you ever make them.

[cshewey]

As a team, we are trying to scale back the warhammer-yness portrayed in the Hobbit movies that gave some bad conceptions of Tolkien's world. Plate armor did not exist in middle earth, now we compromised on that a little, but we are going to make most units without plate armor, and swan knights in particular as they are often descibed as having "shining mail" and bring main in the sun etc, so this conept came right from the books, were not gonna change it...sorry

[jim501]

Tolkien indeed envisioned mostly mail as the standard armor but since the mod takes visual cues from the movies where even the cannon fodder gondor soldiers have plate armor people ,including me, sugested the same for the swan knights to make them consistent with the rest.
If the team feels the current look is the best one however and that is their vision then that is that.
It is your mod afterall

[AlexiosThe1st]

Oi, the Gondor infantry is most certainly not cannon fodder. These are professional soldiers. It absolutely grinds my gears that in the movies the men of gondor are by and large portrayed as weak and miserable fighters. Then Theoden shows up with half his army composed of "every able bodied man" from the countryside in mail shirts and they literally steamroll a thousand orcs each.

[Maestro1]

You guys seriously need to admit that without TATW and DaC, that made unit upon unit with plated armour knights one even more illogically armoured than the other, you would not have thought about plate armour for DA despite perhaps a mere handful continuing the line from the minas tirith soldiers
After all, the one reference we get from Tolkien clearly states mail, not plate. Thus they have mail, not plate.

[Filips Augustus]

It's not like that. We (I, at least) envision plate armour for Dol Amroth knights simply because of the fact that the standard Gondorian soldiers are heavily armoured in the movies. Dol Amroth's knights are the elite of the elite, and they just look out of place (and weaker) with their mail armor, if you put them next to the fully armoured Gondorian Knights.

[Maetharin]

I pretty much agree(although I wouldn´t call them standard infantry).
The fact that it´s available and cheap enough to equip a great number of troops with it makes it rather illogical for the richest of the rich not to use it.
And since the captain already has a DA flavoured armour, I´d say it perfectly fits on top of the rest of the knights.

But again, it´s your decision.

[Slytacular]

Last time I talked to Jox about the major design of the units, he wanted to represent more of the movies style rather than an Anglo Saxon style J.R.R. Tolkien described in his books. If I designed the units, I would stick to the technology of Gondor. The morion style helmet is a little too futuristic, and a lot of the units not based off the movie has too much of a viking-esque Atilla Total War look to them. That and everybody looks like they're coming from some Gondor Con, and bought their clothes from the souvenir shop. I think the tree symbol gets a little repetitive.

Gondor in the movies wears a very late 14th to early 15th century Medieval technology from Italy. Since the movies already deviate from the books in terms of equipment, I don't think you should look at the books for equipment ideas.

[Drag0]

All archers should have a quiver.
Also I think that archers should be more powerful and with a higher fire rate

[Nikoline]

Sorry I said this before,but I'm gonna say it again...
At least in the movie Officers and Rangers use sword in two hands,do you guys gonna change it?Attila does't provide a good one-handed sword system.
I got some ideas about various models.Helmets still can make some changes.Elite and Officers' helmets have gilt-edged.I noticed citidal-guards helmet got gilt-edged,but ca you guys make it a little bit shiny?The helmet picture：


Also you can add some ornaments and stuff around their belt.

[Mr.Jox]

This picture is not an official film concept. It was made in Photoshop by combining different helmet ideas.
If we ever would want to make captains and generals helmets we'll use our own ideas.
At the moment our priority on animations direction is set on trolls. Don't expect race-specific animations in near future (same as race specific blood etc).

[Gamersville101]

this should help add another populace

votes for best looking faction
http://www.strawpoll.me/12151100
results atm of 40 people

[Nikoline]

I see,my fault.

[jim501]

Guys I have a suggestion
Below is some concept art from the Lord of the Rings Online game, which seems quite beautiful and feeting.
What about using this as the armor of one of the fiefdom units like penelth spearmen or Lossarnach Axemen ?

[twc01]

Great stuff guys.

[Arabian]

I love the units. I love all of them. I honestly feel that the Swan Knights look closer to how the book may have imagined Dol Amroth's standard cavalry to look, in my opinion. Not because they lack plate, but because their horses are rather plain. I know you've said that you plan on replacing them, so I'm glad that's in the cards. If their helmets were replaced with something slightly less expensive, perhaps they could work as is for a Dol Amroth unit? If you plan on doing other Dol Amroth units, that is. I don't know how many units you ultimately envision for the factions, but I like the book based look for a lot of the non Minas Tirith or Dol Amroth units personally, and I think you nailed them.

I do have to add my name to those asking for some kind of plate on the Knights unfortunately, Joker. My reason though is a little different-I actually think that the Third Age mod's Swan Knights are a bit over the top. Too much flash and show and colors for me. But because the other Gondorian units use plate in your pictures, and because the movies are a bit of an influence in some of the units, I think the Swan Knights need some minimal design influence from that. We know that they will be elite cavalry and certainly a more powerful unit than the standard Gondorian knights will be. That design-the heavy movie design-will make the book designed units look a little lacking. It's hard to see men in gambesons or coats over mail take a harsher beating then men in plate.

A simple emblazoned breastplate would be fine for them, and would be fitting in Tolkien's books, since there are occasions were a breastplate has been mentioned in his works. Full plate, as seen in the movies, obviously has not.

My personal opinion is that the movies were done so well that I can accept them into the lore without detracting the books, that's just my view. I want to say thanks for your hard work, and hopefully this is another perspective to consider that you might find helpful. I wish you the best of luck, and I know it's annoying getting all of these opinions on your work from us, but I do sincerely appreciate all of the hard work you're putting into this. Thanks again, Joker!

[MOS-Lukas-Dwarf]

Each faction should have its own concept.Used 2-3 colors,no need to paint in all colors of the rainbow,no need to make different shields,helmets.Otherwise, you lose the originality of the faction.I work the conceptual artist and understand a little bit how to make concept games.Уou mix in one faction all that could be ,so it spoils all the work.Although the models themselves are done perfectly

This is a nice quote because its how I've been approaching Easterlings and Harad

[adun12345]

These units look really cool!

I'd recommend either changing the Swan Knights, or the standard Gondorian troops, to be somewhat more consistent. As others have noted, it makes little sense to have heavy-plate-armored standard troops, and elite cavalry with less elaborate equipment. I like the look of the Knights in general, so I suppose that another option would be to make standard Gondorian troops with mail, more consistent with the current Knights model. But the two together don't really mesh.

Also, while I agree with the point of having a consistent color scheme for various factions, in Gondor's case I might try to diversify the color scheme a little bit. After all, as Jox noted above, Gondor's fiefdom structure means that its troops would be more diverse in appearance. For instance, the Pinnath Gelin Green could be a little brighter, to help the units stand out at a distance from the general black scheme. Some blues or purples might also help diversify some of the roster, and make them stand out from the (presumably predominantly black) Mordor roster.

[Mr.Jox]

Swan Knights, Lebennin Marines, Ringlo Men-at-Arms and Blackroot Archers have been updated and you will be able to see them in approximately within 1-2 weeks as soon as new Gondor patch arrives.