The Basitin Military in 3D: Part 6 - Battle on the Bridge

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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 3: Marine

#16 Post by Technic[Bot] »

Thallium wrote: Sun Apr 08, 2018 9:13 am
Technic[Bot] wrote: Sun Apr 08, 2018 4:34 am The marine looks a bit weird. It strikes me as simplified samurai armor for some reason. Not a critic in any way just a comment.
On more curious cultural notes. The buckler and helmet remind me of spanish Rodeleros. soldier armed with short-sword and bucklers. Basically light infantry.
In any case I would not like to be in the wrong side of a Basitian boarding.
I know what you mean about it looking slightly odd, it's the juxtaposition between metal and leather armour I think. I wanted to do something slightly different for this one and having some realistic leather armour seemed like an appropriate choice given their role. If you do have any criticisms, feel free to share them as I'd like to improve things as much as I can.

The lamellar style of armour was worn by many cultures in both east and west and in both metal and leather construction, however you're right, it's most famous usage was in samurai armour. This particular curiass was based of a viking one (seemed appropriate). This is probably the most "fantasy" these pieces get as while leather armour was a thing, it has been tarnished somewhat by it's unrealistic portrayal in movies and video games. All the rest of the pictures will return to metal armour, with one piece in particular which displays a very nice historical complete suit.

I like the look of those Rodeleros, if I ever decided to advance this into Mekkan's future, that might be one of the designs I'd choose.
What i mean is that i do not like to criticize people work when specially when i have no skills in their area (drawing as in this case) of expertise.

The only other type of lamellar armor i knew was the roman lorica segmentata and a wierd chinesse armor made of paper. But as you point out most people knowledge about historical arms and armor comes from tv and movies. Or in my case playing too much Age of Empries on my teens.

Well Rodeleros, or Sword and Blucker men, are not particulary recent. Cortéz conquered Tenochtitlan using mostly Bucklermen in 1521, and I always pictured Mekkan to be in its late 1400's, so yeah maybe some Basitian Conquistador would not be soo out of place.
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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 3: Marine

#17 Post by Thallium »

Technic[Bot] wrote: Mon Apr 09, 2018 3:31 am What i mean is that i do not like to criticize people work when specially when i have no skills in their area (drawing as in this case) of expertise.

The only other type of lamellar armor i knew was the roman lorica segmentata and a wierd chinesse armor made of paper. But as you point out most people knowledge about historical arms and armor comes from tv and movies. Or in my case playing too much Age of Empries on my teens.

Well Rodeleros, or Sword and Blucker men, are not particulary recent. Cortéz conquered Tenochtitlan using mostly Bucklermen in 1521, and I always pictured Mekkan to be in its late 1400's, so yeah maybe some Basitian Conquistador would not be soo out of place.
Hah, I too know most of my history of William Wallace, Joan of Arc, Genghis Khan, Saladin, Barbarossa and Cortéz from AoE II; ah the memories. I do delve a little bit into different time periods during this series. I have one image that tries to show a typical basitin soldier from a hundred or so years ago (comic time) and a few more that show them in modern military equipment (our time), although we won't get to those for a while yet. There's literally an infinite number of basitins that I could of and wanted to draw but eventually I had to say enough was enough and stop with what I had (16 in all), though I'm not ruling out maybe doing some more in the future (including a very special project which I'm hoping will have come to fruition by the time this run of images finishes).
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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 3: Marine

#18 Post by Thallium »

Part 4 of the Illustrated Guide. Today we'll be having a look at the signaller, a soldier who enables that most vital of battlefield functions: communication, and additionally serves as their unit's standard bearer. I had lots of fun with this one designing and finding symbols to use on the banner as well as trying to figure out an alphabet for use on the war horn (which is readable by the way though you might have to zoom in a bit, internet points for anyone who can tell me what it says). Up next will be one of my favourites: the lancer, the first of the basitin cavalry we will be looking at. Enjoy!

Any problems viewing these images, you can find them mirrored on my FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/thallium/

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There are many aspects of the basitin military that make it the envy of the known world and one of the foremost amongst them is its highly trained signaller corps. Communications, as any student of military history will tell you, is by far one of the most important and yet often overlooked facets of a military campaign, with those commanders recognising its importance being rewarded with success which those who neglect it being punished with defeat. Knowing where your own men are and what they are doing is equally as important as knowing where and what the enemy is doing and it is this problem which the high generals of almost a century ago sought to overcome when they created the Royal Corps of Signals. Recruiting from those soldiers who even by basitin standards have exceptional hearing, the RCS's mission is to enable a commander to keep in touch with their troops over large distances on a battle field and vice versa. This is achieved by the use of war horns upon which can be blown a series of notes that correspond to words or phrases. There are almost a hundred "pre-defined" or "quick" phrases that a signaller needs to know by heart, including the call to charge, retreat, turn about and double time and should none of these suffice, the signaller can also spell words out phonetically to enable the communication of even complex tactical information across great distances. Messages are typically passed signaller to signaller who then translate and relay them orally to their intended recipients. As such, ordinary soldiers are not required to recognise the entire lexicon, however they are expected to be able to distinguish those calls which have a direct impact on them in the battle ("halt", "enemy behind" etc.).

Signallers are attached to various units in the army with the company being the smallest detachment to receive its own signaller, typically the most junior members of the Corps. Above them are battalion, brigade and division signallers, each more senior then the last and with a bigger war horn to allow them to communicate across the increasingly larger distances. These soldiers serve as intermediaries, collecting messages from those below them and passing on those that need to go up the chain. Last of all is the Magno Audientium who serves the general and his bodyguard and through which all of the general's battlefield commands are issued. In the case of company signallers (as shown here), they stand behind the company with the optio, the second in command, from where they can observe any developments they need to make their superior aware of and listen for any specific or general orders coming from above that they need to tell the optio or the marshal, commanding, about.

Signallers also serve another important function within their assigned units, that of the standard bearer. In days gone by, this function was served by a specially selected member of the detachment and was rotated through different soldiers as a great honour and reward for impressive feats in battle. With the creation of the RCS however, this practise was retired and the signallers became the permanent standard bearers, a function which still carries great prestige. Attached via a mounting point forged directly into the back of their cuirass to enable the soldier to carry both their weapon and their war horn at the same time, the standard is approximately the same height as the carrier and serves as both an identifier of the company/battalion/brigade/division as well as displaying the honours that unit has accrued over sometimes centuries of service. The banner of the company signaller shown here shows at the top the Illyrion Rosette, the crook and sword symbol that serves as the sigil of the Eastern Basitin state. Below that is the company's identifying number, in this case "14", a point of great pride and much good natured inter-unit rivalry for the soldiers who fight under it. The crimson lower half of the banner identifies the company in question as being a Shieldbearer company, with bright blue designating halberdiers, royal purple for greatswords, burnished silver for longbows, forest green for lancers and amber gold for cataphracts.

The black crosses show the number of battles the company has been involved in and the red "T's" mark out over how many different campaigns those battle took place. The symbols in the lower left and right are distinguished service marks, recognising particularly bold feats of heroism of which most noteworthy is the green laurel Wreath of Exceptional Valour which shows that, at some point in its history, the company stood firm and unbroken and was annihilated to the last man with the standard being subsequently recovered. To be a new recruit or a transfer reforming such a company is both a great honour and a great weight upon one's shoulders: are you capable of such a triumph should the time come?
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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 4: Signaller

#19 Post by Technic[Bot] »

Well i guess my sight is worse by the day. No matter how much i zoom i cannot read what the horn says.

Also is it just met, the perspective, or their swords are a bit short?
In any case interesting piece as usual. Love the latin touch you give to the ranks and some of the names. Thought you may want to add a "glosary" with a few straightforward translations, for the curious reader who can't speak latin, specially if a google search won't return anything.
By the way now you got me hyped for the greatswordmen and the cataphracts.
In any case I am curious If a company is completely routed. How can the upper management tell if it was because they "stood their ground valiantly to the very last man" and not because they were stupid? Also there is a cross thing on the opposite side of the wreath are we ever gonna know what that means?



On a side note, these are pretty detailed description you are giving. Are you a history student or similar? You seem to know your stuff
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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 4: Signaller

#20 Post by Thallium »

Technic[Bot] wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:04 am Well i guess my sight is worse by the day. No matter how much i zoom i cannot read what the horn says.
Yeah I think that's an issue with the down scaling. From my perspective in the raw file at glorious 4K resolution it's very clear but at 720x1280 which is what FA scales them to it is quite blurry. I'll give you a hint, it's a simple substitution cipher using viking runes.
Technic[Bot] wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:04 am Also is it just met, the perspective, or their swords are a bit short?
In any case interesting piece as usual. Love the latin touch you give to the ranks and some of the names. Thought you may want to add a "glosary" with a few straightforward translations, for the curious reader who can't speak latin, specially if a google search won't return anything.
Perspective is one of the things I struggled most with during these pieces and I still mostly haven't got. I bloody nailed it for the marine's sword but just couldn't get it to work for the signaller's so yeah it's not great. As I'm developing this, I'm finding more and more that a combination of modern and Roman terminology works the best with basitins so expect more of that in the images to come. On that note, I can't speak latin although I do appreciate the aesthetic of the language (warhammer 40K ftw) so things like Magno Audientium is just what I get out of putting words into google translate until it spits out something I like (in this case "great speaker"). If lots more stuff like this comes up, I might add it to a list like you suggest, for world building.
Technic[Bot] wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:04 am By the way now you got me hyped for the greatswordmen and the cataphracts.
All of the additional unit types mentioned in that narrative will be making an appearance, a little teaser of what's to come. The cataphract especially was an exercise in "how much armour can I get on this horse...".
Technic[Bot] wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 4:04 am In any case I am curious If a company is completely routed. How can the upper management tell if it was because they "stood their ground valiantly to the very last man" and not because they were stupid? Also there is a cross thing on the opposite side of the wreath are we ever gonna know what that means?

On a side note, these are pretty detailed description you are giving. Are you a history student or similar? You seem to know your stuff
The valour wreath presupposes that the entire army didn't get obliterated (that's a separate sigil) and so someone saw what happened to the company in question. Besides, even if they were stupid and got caught out of position, standing your ground in face of certain death is still something to be remembered for, even if the commander responsible is not looked on so favourably. I had ideas for all the symbols but things were getting long in the description and I didn't want to just talk symbology all day so I cut it out. The cross stands for a company which has had an alumnus make it to the top of the military hierarchy: the high generals, recognising where they got their start. In the case of the XIV Shieldbearer company, that alumnus was the late intelligence general Alabaster.

I am a scientist, not a history student, although I do very much appreciate history as a kind of hobby to pursue. The reason these are so detailed is because I have been world building these guys in my mind for a very long time, like since 2010 when I started writing my basitin-filled "novel" The Art of War (shameless plug, link in my signature). Hence I've had plenty of time to flesh out the details.

Also, the special project I mentioned before is definitely happening and once this thread gets to 500 views I'll give you a little teaser of it, so tell your friends!
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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 4: Signaller

#21 Post by Technic[Bot] »

Thallium wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 8:25 am
Perspective is one of the things I struggled most with during these pieces and I still mostly haven't got. I bloody nailed it for the marine's sword but just couldn't get it to work for the signaller's so yeah it's not great. As I'm developing this, I'm finding more and more that a combination of modern and Roman terminology works the best with basitins so expect more of that in the images to come. On that note, I can't speak latin although I do appreciate the aesthetic of the language (warhammer 40K ftw) so things like Magno Audientium is just what I get out of putting words into google translate until it spits out something I like (in this case "great speaker"). If lots more stuff like this comes up, I might add it to a list like you suggest, for world building.
I have not much artistic skill but i do know a thing or two about perspective geometry. For the characters themselves it does not matter much as they are not very "deep" so the foreshortening is negligible. In case of any straight thing, like swords spears, reactangular shields their geometry makes the perspective effect more noticeable. For that you can remember that every parallel line must intersect at some point, because that is how our eyes work, you can use one vanishing point or for your case two would be better. If you need further resources on perspective for artistic purposes you should consult architectonical drawing manuals, they deal with that stuff.
Thallium wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 8:25 am All of the additional unit types mentioned in that narrative will be making an appearance, a little teaser of what's to come. The cataphract especially was an exercise in "how much armour can I get on this horse...".
Also, the special project I mentioned before is definitely happening and once this thread gets to 500 views I'll give you a little teaser of it, so tell your friends!
All aboard the Hype Train/horse! (horse armour DLC anyone?)
Thallium wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 8:25 am I am a scientist, not a history student, although I do very much appreciate history as a kind of hobby to pursue. The reason these are so detailed is because I have been world building these guys in my mind for a very long time, like since 2010 when I started writing my basitin-filled "novel" The Art of War (shameless plug, link in my signature). Hence I've had plenty of time to flesh out the details.
Wow a scientist. We need more of those these days. Sorry for the misrepresentation, you struck me as someone with a history major for some reason. Again sorry for that.
In any case i have been meaning to read some of the stuff on the writers corner of the forum, it seems this place attracts people with good writing skills, again something i lack. Besides your novel sees like the kind of fiction i enjoy. Yet i haven't got the time to do it and besides the Forums archaic interface is really not suited for long reading sessions...
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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 4: Signaller

#22 Post by Thallium »

Technic[Bot] wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 4:08 am I have not much artistic skill but i do know a thing or two about perspective geometry. For the characters themselves it does not matter much as they are not very "deep" so the foreshortening is negligible. In case of any straight thing, like swords spears, reactangular shields their geometry makes the perspective effect more noticeable. For that you can remember that every parallel line must intersect at some point, because that is how our eyes work, you can use one vanishing point or for your case two would be better. If you need further resources on perspective for artistic purposes you should consult architectonical drawing manuals, they deal with that stuff.
Thanks for the tips, if I go back to drawing in the future I'll definitely check out some guides, it was one of the biggest things limiting me in terms of poses for these guys is that I knew if I chose anything too wild I wouldn't be able to pull it off well enough.
Technic[Bot] wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 4:08 am (horse armour DLC anyone?)
You would not believe how often that came up in my google searches for horse armour. After 12 years it's still a thing.
Technic[Bot] wrote: Wed Apr 18, 2018 4:08 am In any case i have been meaning to read some of the stuff on the writers corner of the forum, it seems this place attracts people with good writing skills, again something i lack. Besides your novel sees like the kind of fiction i enjoy. Yet i haven't got the time to do it and besides the Forums archaic interface is really not suited for long reading sessions...
Oh I hear you on that. One of the reasons I wanted to make some actual art rather then another story is that it's easier to enjoy "in the moment" rather than having to invest a lot of time to get to the end. It's kinda cringy looking back at it (I was 16 at the time of writing) but I still think it hold up relatively well all things considered. It's over 100,000 words all told so if you find yourself with nothing to do of an evening it's there.

And now on with the show!

======================================================================================================================================================================

Part 5 of the Illustrated Guide! Today we will be looking at one of the two distinct types of basitin cavalry units: the lancer. These armoured spear-wielders strike fear into even the stoutest of hearts. If you hear them trumpeting the charge, beware...
This is I think one of my favourite pieces and I definitely had a lot of fun doing it. It was nice to be able to draw something other than a humanoid for once. Remember, 500 views on this thread and i'll give a you a sneak peak of what's to come after this series is over.

Any problems viewing these images, you can find them mirrored on my FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/thallium/

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A basitin army is often likened to a boulder. Slow, immovable, eternal. However even the most stalwart of rocks sometimes needs to be able to put on a burst of speed in order to catch a pesky interloper or escape an onrushing tide. This is where the men and horses of the Royal Lancers, one of the two distinct cavalry types fielded by the basitin military, comes into play. The basitin idea of "light" cavalry, the lancers are nevertheless a well armoured shock unit, designed to deliver swift, devastating charges to the flank or rear of enemy ranks in a flying wedge formation before breaking, wheeling round and coming at them again with renewed vigour. Soft targets such as opposing missile units or unbraced and unaware infantry are the lancer's preferred victims, however in order to get to these soft underbellies of enemy formations the lancers will often have to go through rival cavalry units first. While not as well armoured as, say, a human knight, lancers make up for this by being far more numerous due to the way they are maintained and recruited.

Because the basitin military is almost entirely state funded, the upkeep and retention of horses is shouldered by the treasury, removing a major obstacle in raising cavalry divisions: exorbitant cost. Whereas the number of horsemen a human army can field is directly proportional to the number of landed nobility fighting under its banner (as only they can afford to keep horses), a basitin army can increase or decrease its proportion of cavalry to suit the present situation with the cost of doing so being passed to the government and from there spread amongst the entire populace through taxation. The net result of this policy is that, in a rare reversal of norms, human knights often find themselves outnumbered by equally well trained and only slightly lesser equipped basitin cavalry soldiers. Recruitment is another way in which the raising of mounted troops differs from continental armies. As wealth is not a factor, those people who are already the most familiar with horses through their upbringing or work such as farmers, stable-hands and pack-horse drivers tend to feature most heavily in the recruitment lists. Such a policy cuts down on training time for recruits as such people already know how to care for their steeds and generally know how to ride as well; in comparison to city dwellers who generally spend the first few weeks of training falling repeatedly out of the saddle. This makeup of the cavalry and the lancers in particular sometimes leads to an unusual dynamic where human knights, defeated in battle, surrender expecting to be taken as hostages by their social equals in basitin society, only to realise that the concept of "nobility" does not exist across the Grand Sea and they are in fact being made prisoner by the equivalent of the squire they left back with the baggage train to polish their spare suit of armour.

Lancers are armoured much like the infantry in almost full suits of plate and mail, leaving only the thighs and lower face exposed. Equipped with long, winged spears (hence the name) and small heater shields made of wood with heavy cloth reinforcement and rimmed with steel to give excellent structural rigidity, the lancers are perfectly suited to keeping enemies at a distance while being able to fend off attackers of all sizes. The noble steeds themselves are also armoured with a chanfron to protect the head and eyes and a peytral to ward off blows from the chest. While not granting complete protection, such armour and barding is sufficient to protect the rider and horse from most incoming attacks, especially considering the goal of the lancer is to never stop moving and so never give your opponent an opportunity to aim a strike at an unprotected flank or leg. Heavier armour would also not be practical for their role as light cavalry as speed and mobility are the primary attributes they exploit in order to always be where the enemy is weakest and most vulnerable. In tandem with this role, lancers also serve as the advanced scouts to a basitin army on the move, screening the columns advance and keeping watch for any ambushing enemy, as well as reporting back any ground features that may be useful for the commander such as the location of streams to refill water skins and areas of high ground which would make good campsites.
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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 5: Lancer

#23 Post by Technic[Bot] »

ThaLlium wrote:Oh I hear you on that. One of the reasons I wanted to make some actual art rather then another story is that it's easier to enjoy "in the moment" rather than having to invest a lot of time to get to the end. It's kinda cringy looking back at it (I was 16 at the time of writing) but I still think it hold up relatively well all things considered. It's over 100,000 words all told so if you find yourself with nothing to do of an evening it's there.
Well i would not consider writing not being "actual art". In any case i once read a 700,000 word piece once. No regrets, that lass really could write.
Thallium wrote: You would not believe how often that came up in my google searches for horse armour. After 12 years it's still a thing.
Horse armour is still a fresh wound in most of us gamers. We never forget....

----

Anyhow back on to the main course:

I imagine that since the average basitin is quite small, compared to human standards that gives them an edge over heavier riders. the only question is where do they source their horses? Ans island like thiers can't have an ample supply of large mammals.
Respect to the horse itself, her front legs seem to be pointing in different directions.

On a last note this army seems to be quite begging to be bombarded. I now there are no gunpowder in their world, but the moment someone invents a cannon their slow moving heavily armored are completely obsolete. However scratch that the live in a world were being blasted away by a ball of magic is a real possibility. They are running a one-legged race.
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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 5: Lancer

#24 Post by Technic[Bot] »

Technic[Bot] wrote: Sun Apr 22, 2018 2:52 am
ThaLlium wrote:Oh I hear you on that. One of the reasons I wanted to make some actual art rather then another story is that it's easier to enjoy "in the moment" rather than having to invest a lot of time to get to the end. It's kinda cringy looking back at it (I was 16 at the time of writing) but I still think it hold up relatively well all things considered. It's over 100,000 words all told so if you find yourself with nothing to do of an evening it's there.
Well i would not consider writing not being "actual art". In any case i once read a 700,000 word piece once. No regrets, that lass really could write.
Thallium wrote: You would not believe how often that came up in my google searches for horse armour. After 12 years it's still a thing.
Horse armour is still a fresh wound in most of us gamers. We never forget....

----

Anyhow back on to the main course:

I imagine that since the average basitin is quite small, compared to human standards that gives them an edge over heavier riders. the only question is where do they source their horses? Ans island like thiers can't have an ample supply of large mammals.
Respect to the horse itself, her front legs seem to be pointing in different directions.

On a last note this army seems to be quite begging to be bombarded. I now there are no gunpowder in their world, but the moment someone invents a cannon their slow moving heavily armored are completely obsolete. However scratch that the live in a world were being blasted away by a ball of magic is a real possibility. They are running a one-legged race.

----

Also if you are curious the second image on your signature is no longer visible for me :?
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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 5: Lancer

#25 Post by Technic[Bot] »

Technic[Bot] wrote: Sun Apr 22, 2018 3:26 am
Technic[Bot] wrote: Sun Apr 22, 2018 2:52 am
ThaLlium wrote:Oh I hear you on that. One of the reasons I wanted to make some actual art rather then another story is that it's easier to enjoy "in the moment" rather than having to invest a lot of time to get to the end. It's kinda cringy looking back at it (I was 16 at the time of writing) but I still think it hold up relatively well all things considered. It's over 100,000 words all told so if you find yourself with nothing to do of an evening it's there.
Well i would not consider writing not being "actual art". In any case i once read a 700,000 word piece once. No regrets, that lass really could write.
Thallium wrote: You would not believe how often that came up in my google searches for horse armour. After 12 years it's still a thing.
Horse armour is still a fresh wound in most of us gamers. We never forget....

----

Anyhow back on to the main course:

I imagine that since the average basitin is quite small, compared to human standards that gives them an edge over heavier riders. the only question is where do they source their horses? Ans island like thiers can't have an ample supply of large mammals.
Respect to the horse itself, her front legs seem to be pointing in different directions.

On a last note this army seems to be quite begging to be bombarded. I now there are no gunpowder in their world, but the moment someone invents a cannon their slow moving heavily armored are completely obsolete. However scratch that the live in a world were being blasted away by a ball of magic is a real possibility. They are running a one-legged race.

----

Also if you are curious the second image on your signature is no longer visible for me :?
There are three things that motivate people: Money, fear and love.
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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 5: Lancer

#26 Post by Technic[Bot] »

ThaLlium wrote:Oh I hear you on that. One of the reasons I wanted to make some actual art rather then another story is that it's easier to enjoy "in the moment" rather than having to invest a lot of time to get to the end. It's kinda cringy looking back at it (I was 16 at the time of writing) but I still think it hold up relatively well all things considered. It's over 100,000 words all told so if you find yourself with nothing to do of an evening it's there.
Well i would not consider writing not being "actual art". In any case i once read a 700,000 word piece once. No regrets, that lass really could write.
Thallium wrote: You would not believe how often that came up in my google searches for horse armour. After 12 years it's still a thing.
Horse armour is still a fresh wound in most of us gamers. We never forget....

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Anyhow back on to the main course:

I imagine that since the average basitin is quite small, compared to human standards that gives them an edge over heavier riders. the only question is where do they source their horses? Ans island like thiers can't have an ample supply of large mammals.
Respect to the horse itself, her front legs seem to be pointing in different directions.

On a last note this army seems to be quite begging to be bombarded. I now there are no gunpowder in their world, but the moment someone invents a cannon their slow moving heavily armored are completely obsolete. However scratch that the live in a world were being blasted away by a ball of magic is a real possibility. They are running a one-legged race.

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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 5: Lancer

#27 Post by Thallium »

Technic[Bot] wrote: Sun Apr 22, 2018 3:28 am the only question is where do they source their horses? Ans island like thiers can't have an ample supply of large mammals.
Respect to the horse itself, her front legs seem to be pointing in different directions.
I think the Basitin Islands are deceptively large. I've seen the maps on Tom's DA been described as the whole northern hemisphere of Mekkan which would by very rough estimation (and presuming a similar planet size to Earth) lead to the Islands being approximately the size of Europe give or take so there should be plenty of room for some wild horses roaming about the plains. At least that's the justification I use for such things.

From the reference image I based the horse off, I think the right leg is cocked slightly to the left rather like how the paws of the basitins I've done so far are pointing in slightly different directions. I think I should have done some shading around the major leg joints in order to show this slightly better an I will make that change to the cataphract before I post it.
Technic[Bot] wrote: Sun Apr 22, 2018 3:28 am On a last note this army seems to be quite begging to be bombarded. I now there are no gunpowder in their world, but the moment someone invents a cannon their slow moving heavily armored are completely obsolete. However scratch that the live in a world were being blasted away by a ball of magic is a real possibility. They are running a one-legged race.
I think it's been stated that the technology of Mekkan is mid-Medieval so hopefully the basitins won't have to worry about cannons for a while, lol. And even when that time comes, I have to imagine that the basitins will probably be at the forefront of developing it, what with the whole no magic thing. Note to self, consider drawing a basitin fusilier in the future.

I can't find it now but I remember reading somewhere that the humans having magic is the reason the basitins lost the Contact War when they first crossed over the sea to the mainland. But then again the keidran also have (lesser) magic and it apparently didn't save them. I like to think of basitins a bit like Warhammer dwarves: no magic but consequently a high magic resistance (at least when they're not trying to use it themselves), and enough heavy armour so that if anything is going to stop a fireball, a plate curiass will.
Technic[Bot] wrote: Sun Apr 22, 2018 3:28 am Also if you are curious the second image on your signature is no longer visible for me :?
It was for me as well; reloading the image from FA seemed to fix it though so let me know if it' still not working. Next picture up will be the greatsword btw, forgot to mention that in the previous post.
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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 5: Lancer

#28 Post by Thallium »

Part 6 of the Illustrated Guide, today looking at the fearless greatsword, a warrior who strikes terror into the hearts of their foes with a combination of zeal and a massive sword. If you're starting to see a Warhammer influence on the structure of the basitin army then you'd be right, a lot of how I imagine the basitin military functioning is based off of my adventures with Karl Franz in Totalwar: Warhammer. Up next will be an interesting departure from the norm I think: the bombardier, a part of the recently developed Artillery Corps. Enjoy!

Any problems viewing these images, you can find them mirrored on my FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/thallium/

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Just as metal that is hard but brittle will shatter easily, so too will an army that is strong yet inflexible. The state troops trained in the use of the greatsword provide that flexibility to basitin armies, enabling both a vigorous defence and a dynamic offence to be undertaken as the situation demands. Greatsword companies are stationed in the second line of the army, behind the wall of steel that are the shieldbearers in the front that bear the brunt of the enemy charge. While there is never a doubt that the shieldbearers will remain steadfast in the face of any assault, only a foolish general would assume that they are capable of holding the line in all circumstances. As such, the primary role of the greatswords is first and foremost as an active reserve element, rushing in to fill any gaps that might open in the line to prevent their foes from reaching the skirmishers and artillery at the rear of the formation. In this task they are uniquely suited because, unlike the shieldbearers and halberdiers, the greatswords do not rely on a tight knit formation in order to be effective as, on the contrary, they need space around them to be able to effectively use their weapons. Hence while other infantry units would need to move as a highly organised group, the greatswords can rush straight into the fray and thus enables them to react much faster to an ever changing battlefield which can often times be the difference between victory and defeat. Greatsword companies are also, conversely, utilised offensively to exploit gaps in enemy formations for the exact same reasons as they are used to defend holes in their own. The slow, inexorable advance of the shield wall may be the hammer that crushes all in its way but the greatswords are the dagger, slipping into the chinks in enemy defences and cutting deep into the heart of the opposing army before they can be covered up again.

The aforementioned is how greatsword companies are employed in a traditional battle against enemies primarily armed with short weapons. However the eastern basitins have, on occasion, been matched up against enemies favouring phalanx or pike-block formations in which the primary infantry arm are long pole weapons. Facing such formations is difficult for short sword infantry such as the shieldbearers because closing the distance to the foe involves wading through rank upon rank of spear-points. In these situations, the greatsword companies are dissolved as individual, cohesive units and are instead directly attached to the shieldbearer companies, mixing into the front few ranks of their brethren. This enables the immense power of the greatsword to be employed in countering the opposing pole-arms, the wielder using its mass and leverage in a continuous figure-of-eight swinging motion to hack, slice and smash enemy weapons out of the way, cutting a path through the forest and allowing their comrades and themselves to commence their deadly work. Such an undertaking is especially dangerous even by battlefield standards and so it was for the greatswords that the plate armour, now worn in modern times by most state troops, was originally designed. The almost total coverage provided by the current design allows the greatswords to shrug off most blows aimed at them, a vital function when you have no shield with which to defend yourself. In order for units such as these to become effective, their armour had to become their shield.

The large, two-handed weapon from which the companies derive their name is seen here in the hands of an optio, the company second in command, as designated by the grey painted armour with a blue plume adorning their helmet. The sword itself is in many regards a scaled up version of a more traditional longsword. It is typically the same height as the average wielder and features a number of important differences to its antecedent that give the weapon its unique function. The oversized quillons, often featuring side rings, grant increased protection to the user as their large breadth makes it easier to catch opposing weapons. The grip is also extended, enabling better of control of the blade by granting a larger moment about which the wielder can actuate it around the point of balance. Also in service to dexterity, the blade features a blunt ricasso just above the guard with a matching set of smaller quillons above. The leading hand is typically moved to this ricasso once the greatsword is in and amongst a throng of the enemy where there is no room to swing the blade using its full length. This technique, known as "half-swording", reduces the length of the weapon amongst the pressed melee and additionally enables greater point control, allowing the sword to be used almost like a small spear, seeking out gaps in the enemy's armour which can then be exploited at a distance.

Greatswords are some of the most fearless warriors in the known world, their courage and tenacity in battle only matched by their dedication to their comrades. It is no surprise therefore that the companies are a favoured testing ground for future Arms Generals, with almost 50% of all the people to hold that post starting their career in a greatsword company, including the current position-holder: Marcus Kaine. Kaine was elevated along with Mordacai Seethe and Gregor Thule to the high generalships of Arms, Intelligence and Master respectively after the debacle with the Templar in Hohlen Hold that cost the lives of all the previous position holders. That incident also created a hitherto unseen fourth generalship: the Ambassador General, a role filled with no small amount of controversy by the black sheep Keith Keiser.
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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 6: Greatsword

#29 Post by ActiveRadarIsCasul »

Eyyyyy, greatsword dudes
I'd really appreciate it if all you dagger and short-sword users could just not turn the battlefield into a pokefest whenever someone shows up with an ultra-greatsword i.e. me

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Re: The Basitin Military: An Illustrated Guide - Part 6: Greatsword

#30 Post by Thallium »

ActiveRadarIsCasul wrote: Sun Apr 29, 2018 1:51 am Eyyyyy, greatsword dudes
They are pretty cool, nothing like a big sword to show you mean business on a battlefield.

In the meantime, I said that once this thread hit 500 views I would give you a teaser of what's to come after the current images are completed, so here you are! Enjoy.

Any problems viewing this image, you can find it mirrored on my FA: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/thallium/ (in the scraps folder).

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