The following topic is for the sake of seeing how many people would like to see the High Elven Noble's have different skins. Now before one comes to hasty conclusions and finds this to be another dumb poll that should be relocated into sub-forums, hear out the following idea.
The High Elven Nobles, as they are, do not fit the standard model of the Eldar Army; they are complete replicas of the Warriors of Mithlond. Now the point isn't to say that the current skins of the Warriors of Mithlond are all in all not befitting of the High Elven army, but I would argue that the High Elven Nobles should not be duplicates of an AOR unit from Mithlond. The Warriors of Mithlond are, aesthetically, a unit that resembles a ceremonious parade garb. They are dressed in miss-matched garments, with a rainbow full of colors, and a complete lack of uniformity.
Their shields are splendid, but again, they are not uniformed, the armor is elegant, but some of them are wearing purple tunics over their armor, which again, I find to be detrimental in its lack of uniformity. The Unit is simply to colorful for a High Elven Bodygaurd Unit. I believe as much as the next person that they should look prestigious and splendid, I simply don't believe that this particular skin is the right one for the job.
Now, arguably, this is fine for warriors that hail from an area of Middle Earth that has not had much need for a standing professional army. Their Elite Status and fighting skills can be attributed to their immortality and longevity, which means that they probably fought in conflicts gone by, and are wearing such garments because of the fact that they have lived secluded from the outside world because of their geographic location. They are veterans, they are elite, ok, I get it, but by no means do I believe that the High Elven Nobles, across the board, should be wearing the same armor as the Warriors of Mithlond. It simply, logistically, doesn't make sense, seeing as Nobles don't only come from Mithlond, they are all over Lindon and many of them reside in Imladris, and don't necessarily wear the clothing of "Mithlond Warriors".
I propose that the skins of mounted Mithlond Warriors don't be wasted, for they are a creative and bold design, but instead that the current High Elven Noble skin become an AOR unit, just like the Mithlond warriors, under any number of different names, such as; Mithlond Lancers, Knights of Lindon, Mithlond Nobles… or any combination of that.
By doing this, the High Elven roster gains an additional Heavy Cavalry Unit (which certain people wished to see come to fruition) that is region specific and Elite, creating a further incentive to develop Mithlond's Military capabilities down the road, with a late game heavy cav unit.
The High Elven Nobles should be adorned in armor and clothing that is similar to that of the bulk of their Army, albeit "slightly" more lavish. Elves are the embodiment of harmony and efficiency, and in the military as in everything else, they practice those two principles to perfection. In a sense they are like the Roman Legions, the crème de la crème of their day and age; a representation of Elite military organization and armament. The reason I'm mentioning the Roman military is because the legions were armed and clothed like an army of clones, "harmony" and "efficiency", with their commanding officers and their bodyguards wearing very similar armor to that of the Legions.
This aspect is something that draws me aesthetically to the High Elven military, and ever since I saw the epic first five minutes of "The Fellowship of the Ring", and the battle under Mount Doom, I have dreamt of the day that a game, (or mod) such as this one, will exist, and when I can command the GOLDEN LEGIONS of the immortal elves.
First of, I believe that the High Elven Nobles should (if at all) wear the same helmets as the rest of the army; key point being, cohesion.
A good example of this cohesion are the Units of the Sylvan Elves, which Bodyguard or not, share the same Armor and design, and due to something as slight as the color of their cloaks, can embody Elite alongside the regular soldiers. I believe that the Sindar Archers are fantastic as a Bodygiard unit, and wish that something similar can be accomplished with the High Elven Bodygaurds.
There are numerous possibilities with the actual look of the High Elven Nobles, but one that I have found particularly appealing is that of the concept art made by WETA of Gil-galad.
The overall look and design is superb. It's sleek, elegant, and not overdone and flashy. Notice that the figure is indeed not wearing a helmet, but a simple Eldar helm would do, or even no helmet possibly. I understand that there is the argument that the movies don't have everything right, that they are not truly lore specific or what not in every respect; the movies have created a vast majority of what this entire mod is based of off. The Elite units of Gondor, the armies of both Elven factions and much much more are based on the incredible work and designs of WETA. A vast majority of people, myself included, wanted to be able to have the armies that we saw on the big screen at our finger tips, and this mod brings those designs to life. That is why I believe that this design of Gil-galad would fit in perfectly into the look and design of the existing Noldorin army.
They stand out from the common ranks and the Eldar Lancers because of their blue embroidered cloth, and the slight differences in Armor decoration. Also, very importantly, I believe that the shield design (which is used actually in the Mithlond Warrior skins) from Gil-galad should also be incorporated, because it likewise would help this New High Elven Bodygaurd Stand out as "ELITE".
Another possibility are these "Kinslayer" Skins, which could be incorporated with the shield that Gil-galad and the Warriors of Mithlond wear, albeit a little darker. Honestly, I believe that the Gil-galad model is perfect for the High Elven Bodyguard/Nobles, but it never hurts to put an idea out there since we're on the topic. Mounted, obviously, the slight differentiation in color made me take this design into consideration, seeing as the design of the Unit was similar to that of the Eldar Units, but had something a little different about it. Honestly such a unit may look to similar to the Eldar Lancers, but if anyone would be willing to make a design, it'd be worthwhile to see.
As aforementioned, I believe that the mounted Mithlond Warrior skins should be kept, albeit as a Noble Mithlond Cavalry Unit. The Bodygaurd unit of the High Elves should be cohesive in design with the majority of the Army, and the Gil-Galad design would be the most obvious and well polished choice. The exquisite shield alongside the finely detailed cloth designs would create that perfect "Look" that would fit perfectly into the ranks of the Eldar Army and this mod.
On a side note, when it comes to the name, I find that "Eldar Bodygaurd" could work just as well as "Elven Nobles", or perhaps "Eldar Nobles". Food for thought
I believe that this should be a mounted unit by all means, and perhaps all white steeds to show how "pure" they are. The way the movies portrayed Elves and their steeds was, as far as I could see, across the board completely white. In all honesty, I find that aesthetically it fits very well, and should be taken into consideration quite strongly seeing as the rider is only half of the entire unit, the steed itself also is an artistic touch of the design.
So there are my arguments, feel free to comment, give your feedback, and I'd love to see what people think, and if people find that they like the ideas I've presented here. Thanks for your time.
New High Elven Bodyguard
Originally Posted by athanaric
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