Medieval Kingdoms Total War: The Kingdom of Castile

[The_Fawn_Rescuer]

In the process of making some aesthetic changes to the roster, see original post for updates

[Heisenburrg]

Very cool! I like all the changes you did, the roster looks clearly better than before. Also I like your current stil for painted helmets and armor, still presented like they should be, but now they are fitting much better in the overall picture without beeing too obtrusive.

But could you lower the leaf-shaped shields on the backs of T3 heavy crossbowmen? Currently it looks a bit weird, like they attached their shields rather on their necks as on their back. This is my only request. Otherwise perfect work!

[Slytacular]

Looks pretty fantastic! I'm in love with this most recent update!

The only few shenanigans I would have to say is that the adarga shield is a very Andalusian/Moorish exclusive thing until the 14th century. Some of the 14th century units are wearing conicals which would be extremely outdated, and I would strongly suggest to switching over to kettles/bascinets/cervellieres. The Italian Bascinet on the foot caballeros have a custom aventail that goes with them. I understand that maille can generally be applied to full coats of scale aside from ye olde chainmail in definition, but I'm not sure if scale would be that largely popular unless you can prove me otherwise (I usually see it as a substitute for faulds, or to substitute some other integrate piece). The attila hood has a really really bad obvious clip with the cervelliere. The conical covered by cloth is a weird addition (especially for 15th century). The Phyrgian cap is something I see a lot of people on Deviant Art use to depict Iberians, but could you show me some sources for reference- usually phyrigian shapes indicate far easterners in medieval european manuscripts. I'm also not sure if jinetes should don so many furs as so much to reference from the almoghavors. I usually find those leather/fur assets as very "Skyrim-y". I also noticed that one of the cavalry units is using the old Latin Empire maciejowski helmet model. I changed that model to get rid of the weird dark splotches you see on the helmet, so update that asset with the more recent version. Also, the tier 3 sallet on the king could use a proper fitting crown!

Otherwise, this is probably my favorite work from you so far! I do have an Iberian kite shield (bottom is rounded) if you want to use that. I also have some KoJ stuff in the works for you if you would like to hop on Discord and message me.

[Knight2708]

Really great changes, the units look better in pretty much every way imho, really cool and unique look. I especially love all the new shield designs and heraldry, although I think that you should keep some of the older metal bucklers for the Rodelleros. I'm also glad that you got rid of the old color-coded units, the new color scheme looks a lot more natural, although I still think that a few sprinkles of green and blue here and there wouldnt hurt.

Aside from that I second what has been said already about furs, scale armor and the shields of the tier 3 crossbowmen.

I also really like the new leather tunics (not sure if thats the right word) that some of the tier 3 units are wearing. I actually think that those would also work very well for the Landsknechte.

[Visarion]

Way better

[tomtucker]

Really nice changes, the only thing i can point is that the elite units don't look as fancy or professional as the ones of other european realms, i'm not an history expert so i supose it should be due to the spanish style .

[The_Fawn_Rescuer]

Really nice changes, the only thing i can point is that the elite units don't look as fancy or professional as the ones of other european realms, i'm not an history expert so i supose it should be due to the spanish style .

Thanks. I agree. I'm working on some elite uniforms

[tomtucker]

Great¡¡ because i think that the main problem in this mod is that some rosters are over armoured (which use to be more attractive for the users) and others are more realistic like yours (in my opinion), so people compare and complain. But anyway i still think that a more elite look for some units is needed

[Sarcasm_pt]

Sadly, general over armoring and excessive use of pikes is a bane on almost all western factions at this point.

[Heisenburrg]

Mhm... Agree, but I think there is nothing wrong in attraction if it´s not completely inaccurate though. Anyway in this faction, there is nothing to complain now. Realistic and attractive, great job.

[The_Fawn_Rescuer]

New unit for Castile, Monteros de Espinosa. This bodyguard unit was originally founded in the early 11th century, and would eventually evolve into the modern-day Guardia Real. This is just the Tier 3 unit for now, but since the Monteros are a very old unit, I'll make earlier versions as well. They wear brigandines with the arms of Castile/Leon on the front, and the blessed virgin on the back:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Ltd.]

Looks great !

Could replace the soldierhead, though.

[tomtucker]

They look very nice¡¡, by the way because you said that you are going to make tier 1 and 2 versions i don't know if you know it but they wore red uniforms was the union between Castilla and Aragón the reason why they add the yellow to their uniforms (so i think tier 3 is perfect )

Also i don't know if you notice but there are some white hands (lack of colour i think) in the unit.

Keep doing your great work¡ thank you¡

[Heisenburrg]

Very cool!

[tomtucker]

Hello¡, i will attach some pictures and websites to try to help in the developmento of this faction, mainly about the banners, shields and emblems, giving them more variety. The info is in spanish so if you have any doubt i offer myself to help you .
By the way about the Orden de la Banda emblem, there were varieties about it that still exist in some shields of north Spain villages, with lions instead of dragons and with the bottom in other colours like blue, green, etc...
Also is important to point that between the spanish high-born soldiers they used to wear their family emblems and not the ones which belong to their lords.
I hope that will help a little at least, i won't disturb any more jejeje
Good work¡¡

https://miniaturasmilitaresalfonscan...os_16.html?m=1
http://eurojuancho.blogspot.com.es/2...astilla-y.html

[tomtucker]

Hello¡ i found a link about an interesting ancient book in which it shows the coat of arm of different dukes and lords of the Crown of Castille, Portugal and the kingdom of Aragon during the XV. century.
http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/...107&pdfseitex=

[CarlTemple]

Hello, I love the faction but I think with some changes it would be awesome. First of all I think the elite units, like the Caballeros, sould be more armored, with more great helms, they look light to me. I also think that a Tier 2 unit of dismounted Caballeros with sword and shield would be better than the two handed one.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

As you see in the images, the Caballeros are well armored and have more great helms

I also think that you use the geometrical pattern for heraldry to much. There are examples of that use in the castillian nobility, the Cantigas of Santa Maria prove that, but you should use more heraldry from the great houses of Castile and Leon. For example, during the XII, XIII, XIV and even XV century, the Houses of Haro, Lara and Castro were the most prominent in the nobility, specially in the XII and XIII centuries. Other great Houses were De la Cerda, Manuel, Enríquez (all of these from royal branches), Girón, Mendoza, Albornoz, Pacheco, Guzmán etc... I also think that you should introduce the Royal bend of Castile, created in 1332 by king Alfonso XI of Castile, personal banner of military use, distintictive indicating to the troops the presence of the monarch. The same king created a military order called Order of the Band that use the same heraldry.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

House Haro


House Lara


House Castro


House De la Cerda


House Manuel


House Enríquez


House Girón

House Mendoza


House Albornoz


House Pacheco


House of Guzmán



Royal Bend of Castile


Juan II of Castile with the heraldry of the Royal Bend (you can also see the royal crest, a lion on the top of the castle)

I also suggest to introduce two historical figures in the Tier 1. One of them is Diego López II de Haro, Lord of Biscay, royal alférez of king Alfonso VIII, leader of the vanguard in the Battle of Navas de Tolosa (06/16/1212), the most powerfull noble of Castile and probably of all Spain as Rodrigo Jimenez de Rada explains in his "De rebus Hispaniae", and a personal friend of King Alfonso VIII.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This is a depiction of Diego López de Haro from a comic book, which I totally recomend, called 1212 Las Navas de Tolosa.

The second of this characters is Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada, archbishop of Toledo, personal friend of King Alfonso, organizer of the Crusade of las Navas de Tolosa, adviser of King Fernando III of Castile and Leon and prominent military.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Sorry for the bad quality. This is a depiction of King Alfonso VIII (left) and Rodrigo Jimenez de Rada (right) from the same comic as before

[Sarcasm_pt]

New unit for Castile, Monteros de Espinosa. This bodyguard unit was originally founded in the early 11th century, and would eventually evolve into the modern-day Guardia Real. This is just the Tier 3 unit for now, but since the Monteros are a very old unit, I'll make earlier versions as well. They wear brigandines with the arms of Castile/Leon on the front, and the blessed virgin on the back:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

You do realize the in-game unit will actually be *larger* than the historical unit itself? Maybe you're thinking of cutting the unit size down to around 50, which out of the top of my head, was the absolute maximum within the mod's timeframe?

[CarlTemple]

I found the entire comic on the Internet, you can take some ideas for Tier 1 units.

http://galiciacomics.blogspot.com.es...de-tolosa.html

[Slytacular]

I just find the comic as a very fun excuse to read in Spanish. The armour in the comic are very vaguely Western European and they don't really seem to follow the styles and trends of 13th century Iberia.