Medieval Kingdoms Total War: Second Bulgarian Tsardom

[lion8000]

This helmet was found in Velico Tarnovo:


This helmet and part of lamellar armor have been found in the Pernik fortress:

[lion8000]

About the current tier 1 Bulgarian Tsar made by Ltd. (my criticism has nothing to do with Ltd., he is doing a great job, it's about the historical accuracy of the reconstructions on which the current tier 1 Bulgarian Tsar is based on). I could be wrong, I'm not an expert and I don't mind being wrong and I don't want to insult anyone. On the right picture you can see the actual reconstructions. The left figure on the right picture is supposed to be emperor Kaloyan of Bulgaria during the battle of Adrianople (1205ad.)- one of Bulgaria's greatest rulers. First of all I have never seen any sources supporting his look and even from a logical standpoint I don't think that the Bulgarian emperor, who wears silk clothes, covered with gold and gems according to the historical texts, manuscripts and chronicles, would look like this during battle. He looks very poor and almost insulting. The figure on the middle of the right picture is supposed to be Baldwin I, but as you can see he is absolutely unaccurate. His mail sleeves are sagging, which is absolutely wrong, in reality they are were close fitting and his surcoat is also wrong. This shows that the artists who made the reconstructions weren't experts on that matter. The right figure on the right picture is supposed to be a Cuman, I don't know much about them, but as far as I can see from the Cuman thread the Cumans don't look like this. And just because there are no better reconstructions doesn't makes them good or accurate. And just because I can't make better ones doesn't means that I cannot make constructive criticism about them. And if I get around 850 000 leva- 435 897,44 euro as part of a European project, I'll try to make better ones. The page is unfortunately in Bulgarian:

https://dariknews.bg/regioni/veliko-...figuri-1027870

The Bulgarian monarchs claimed to be equal to the Byzantine emperors and in defense of this statement I'll give some examples: In 918ad. Simeon I of Bulgaria (893-927ad.) declared himself for "Basileus of the Romans" and there are lead seals on which the title of Simeon is Basileus. On the 8 November 927ad. the Byzantines recognized the title Basileus/Tsar to Peter of Bulgaria (927-969ad.) Seals of Peter I: "Peter, Basileus of the Bulgarians"; "Peter, devout Basileus"; "Peter, Tsar of the Bulgarians". In 1202ad. emperor Kaloyan(1197-1207ad.) writed in his first letter to Pope Innocent III that he wanted an imperial (Tsar) title as one of his clauses for the union with the Roman catholic church. On the 8 November 1204ad. Kaloyan was crowned Rex (King, in Bulgarian Kral (this is the only case this title was used for a Bulgarian ruler)) by cardinal Leo from the name of the Pope. Bulgaria was under the tutelage of the Roman catholic church from 1204ad. till 1232ad. In his last letter to Pope Innocent III Kaloyan claimed that he was crowned emperor.In the Manasses chronicle Tarnovo is called "our new Constantinople". "Passional of Saint Theodosius of Tarnovo", patriarch Callistus I of Constantinople, XIVth century: "...and he reached Tarnovo, which was the ruling city of the Bulgarians, second to Constantinople in word and deed..." and so on... The title of the rulers of the Second Bulgarian empire - "Tsar of the Bulgarians and the Greeks" itself shows their ambitions.The clothes of the Bulgarian emperors were very similar to the clothes of the Byzantine emperors. In my opinion the equipment of the tier 1 Bulgarian Tsar should be similar to the equipment of the tier 1 Nicean emperor.

[hessam]

I haven't changed the tier 1 Tsar and I don't think I will to be honest. But tier 2 and 3 Tsars will have more flashy attire.

[lion8000]

Seriously the tier 1 Tsar looks horrible.

[Knight2708]

Now I dodnt know that much about medieval Bulgaria, but the tier 1 Tsar does indeed look rather underwhelming compared to his Byzantine counter parts. Now I dont think that every faction leader needs gold armor, but a somewhat flashier look would be cool imho.

[Heisenburrg]

Mhmm... I think his "bad-boy-bandit" posing might be the reason for his rather unkingly appeareance. Changing this could already solve the problem. ^^

[lion8000]

I'm not particularly sure what kind of helmet is the tier 1 Tsar actually wearing?

[lion8000]

An example of how inaccurate the reconstructions, on which the tier 1 Bulgarian Tsar is based on, is the fact that the artists, who made the reconstructions, have put brown boots on the reconstruction, that is supposed to be a Bulgarian Tsar (which shows how ignorant they actually were in that matter). The red boots were ones of the signs of the authority (insignias) of the Bulgarian emperors. Those reconstructions are absolutely fictional and inaccurate. The tier 1 Bulgarian Tsar is by far the worst and poorest looking fraction leader in the entire mod. Everything in the tier 1 Bulgarian Tsar is annoying.

[Bobi_TWR]

An example of how inaccurate the reconstructions, on which the tier 1 Bulgarian Tsar is based on, is the fact that the artists, who made the reconstructions, have put brown boots on the reconstruction, that is supposed to be a Bulgarian Tsar (which shows how ignorant they actually were in that matter). The red boots were ones of the signs of the authority (insignias) of the Bulgarian emperors. Those reconstructions are absolutely fictional and inaccurate. The tier 1 Bulgarian Tsar is by far the worst and poorest looking fraction leader in the entire mod. Everything in the tier 1 Bulgarian Tsar is annoying.

Who cares

[lion8000]

For comparison: on the left picture you can see the tier 1 Bulgarian Tsar, on the picture in the middle you can see the reconstruction and on the right picture you can see an actual manuscript of an actual Bulgarian Tsar from the 13th century. Do you really think that the guy in the right would look like the guy in the middle, or like the guy in the left during battle? Those reconstructions are just ridiculous.

[lolIsuck]

Lets keep to the actual topic of this thread. Several posts deleted.

[lion8000]

Inscription: Byzantine (?), 13th century