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WHAT'S NEW FROM PLAYMOBIL?
The NEW Knight Theme!
(http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/4865 Large Castle.jpg)
4865 Large Castle
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(http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/4865 New Large Castle.jpg)
4865 NEW Large Castle
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(http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/4866 New Small Castle.jpg)
4866 NEW Small Castle
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(http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/4867 Medieval Missle Launcher.jpg)
4867 Medieval Missile Launcher
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(http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/4868 Giant Crossbow.jpg)
4868 Giant Crossbow
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(http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/4869 Bowmen's Shield.jpg)
4869 Bowman's Shield
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(http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/4870 Medieval Cannon.jpg)
4870 Medieval Cannon
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(http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/4872 Knights with Galloper Gun.jpg)
4871 Knights with Galloper Gun
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(http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/4872 Knight with Galloper Gun.jpg)
4872 Knight with Galloper Gun
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(http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/4873 Knights.jpg)
4873 Knights
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(http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/4874 Treasure Wagon.jpg)
4874 Treasure Wagon
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AND, SOME NEW MONGOLS!
Two Great Sets
(http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/4926 Mounted Mongol Warrior.jpg)
4926 Mounted Mongol Warrior
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(http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/4745 Mongol Warrior.jpg)
4745 Mongol Warrior
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AND, A NEW CONQUISTADOR!
(http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/4742 Conquistador.jpg)
4742 Conquistador
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what historical period are the knights? Do they look like 15th or 16th century?
Do you think that they could be used with the new conquistador?
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Thanks for the larger pictures, Richard! I really like the heraldry and some of the new helmets of these new knights. The castles have potential too.
As for the time period, these knights are really all over the place. While the Norman helmets are 11th and 12th century, the dark grey great helm is 12th and 13th century while the visor helmet and most of the armor and the new shields are late 14th and early 15th century. The conquistador is definitely from a later period.
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what historical period are the knights? Do they look like 15th or 16th century?
Do you think that they could be used with the new conquistador?
Those are a couple of really good questions, Hans!
Cannon appear to have been used in the late middle ages (14th and 15th centuries). The conquistadors seem to have developed as a fighting entity sometime during the 15th century.
Even though Playmobil is a toy, there can often be found some suggestion of historical accuracy.
Therefore, if you are interested in the late middle ages, and can accept that Playmobil is first and foremost a child's toy, then our advice would be to decide for yourself what you want them to be and just have fun ... ;D
All the best,
Richard
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Thanks for the larger pictures, Richard!
You are very welcome, Justindo! ... (http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/grins.gif)
As for the time period, these knights are really all over the place. While the Norman helmets are 11th and 12th century, the dark grey great helm is 12th and 13th century while the visor helmet and most of the armor and the new shields are late 14th and early 15th century. The conquistador is definitely from a later period.
Everything that you have said is true, Justindo!
Helmets were often handed down from father to son. For the lower ranks, a helmet could be a very expensive and cherished possession. Unless you were a wealthy knight, you probably wouldn't have had the financial resources to own the latest helmet.
The conquistador is not part of Playmobil's new Knight Theme (nor are the Mongols). I just added them to the post because they're new and I thought that they might be of military interest to the members here at GW-PC ... (http://www.gardenwargamer.com/images/grins.gif)
All the best,
Richard
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While Norman helmets were used in the 11th and 12th centuries, wealthy knights would have replaced them with the great helm and then later the bascinet, both of which Playmobil features in these various sets. As Richard writes, however, the Norman helmet didn't cease to exist in later years, as they would still be in use among less wealthy warriors. Cannon were used in medieval sieges and on the battlefield in the 15th century quite a bit, so their inclusion here is accurate. As Richard also writes, it is important to remember that Playmobil is a toy and you can really combine a number of periods together and it's okay. ;)
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I'm really liking the new knights. I'm really glad to see more historical looking knights opposed to all of the fantasy ones. Thanks for the great pics Richard. ;D
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Cool new knights!
My dad will probably be going to Germany sometime this year...
Perhaps I could perswade him to pick up some knights while he's there... ;D
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Nuts - I was halfway through a long reply when I hit the compatability view problem, and as I fixed that IE decided to wipe everything I'd typed.
As Justindo says, gunpowder reached Western Europe around 1250, presumably brought back by the Crusaders after they were on the receiving end. So much military technology travels this way.
I don't mind the mix of dates in the equipment of these new knights, as it can be ignored if desired, or lead to a discussion of and research into the subject! Playmobil is a top educational toy, and if they did all the work for us we wouldn't have as much fun discussing the subject! ;D
One trick Playmobil missed is the co-development of siege guns and fortifications. I've noted elsewhere how a round tower is stronger against mining and low velocity missiles. Higher velocity and bigger calibre siege guns accelerated the obsolescence of square walls and towers, and of small fortifications which could be reduced to rubble with less risk to the attackers than creating a breech for an attack.
The new Castles have almost eliminated square corners except in the towers, which should by now be round. A missile is more likely to glance off a round tower or wall, thus diminishing its direct impact and chance of doing significant damage. The advent of guns kick-started a process of moving living quarters away from the castle as a home, and making the military base a gun fort with purely military personnel in residence.
Henry VIII's reign (1509-1547) saw the rapid development of gun forts to defend English shores against attack by the pesky French and Spanish. Such forts had entirely round contours, and comparatively low profiles, to give the best protection against gunpowder weapons. It also gave the garrison an all round field of fire.
(http://www.trethem.com/LG_Images/St-Mawes-Castle_LG.jpg)
This is St. Mawes Castle on the coast of Cornwall, built between 1539 and 1545.
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Thanks for the information Martin!
It is true that if Playmobil created completly historicaly accurate knights there wouldn't be much for us to research...
but I would like a few more historicaly accurate features in the Playmobil knights.
Like long tunics and better armor. (Preferably the clip on armor they used to have...)
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Martin, you make some excellent points. Playmobil really should have went with round towers and a round keep for this generation and it should have been System X, if not Steck.
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Thanks for the information Martin!
It is true that if Playmobil created completly historicaly accurate knights there wouldn't be much for us to research...
but I would like a few more historicaly accurate features in the Playmobil knights.
Like long tunics and better armor. (Preferably the clip on armor they used to have...)
Your wish is granted, some of the new knights, and current knights in the wolf series and their blister clones, do have clip on armor!
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Your wish is granted, some of the new knights, and current knights in the wolf series and their blister clones, do have clip on armor!
Yess! Clip armor is much better then the armor you can't take off...
Why?
The armor you can't take off generaly looks cooler to me...
but with the armor you can clip on and off you can have a knight or a civilian.
And an active knight can suddeny become a civilian and take a break.
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I agree, I've always preferred clip-on plate armor, for the reasons you state, and because you can do pre-battle scenes of getting dressed, and even have pieces knocked off in combat or joust. An armored knight would look bigger and bulkier than a man in clothes, so the overall look of clip armour works too.
Playmo have created several types of clip armor, including arm pieces allowing the hands to turn while holding a sword or shield, so there's plenty of variety and possibilities for different outfits. The new knights look to me like they have added more types of vambraces.
Integral and unremovable armor provides different looks, and maybe for younger children fewer opportunities for loss or damage, but I don't feel it looks better in most cases, just different. For chainmail and scale printing works well, and the Roman Legionaries look good with their printed lorica segmentata.
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I probably would not change the printed chainmail or segmentata,
but Playmobil had clip on scale mail that looked good...
(http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/9324/scalearmor.jpg)
(http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/3593/coolsteckcastle.jpg)
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I too like to be able to take armor on and off of knights to dress them for battle or undress them. That said, I think the arm armor looks a bit bulky compared to the moulded armored arms, so I usually use the latter. Also, I like to have my knights wear heraldic surcoats which goes over armor, so there's no need for breastplates in many cases.
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That is true, I do like the arm armor...
But in many cases fir the period I am trying to recreate I do not really need arm armor anyway...
Unless it is for important people.
And the surcoats are cool, plus they can be used for civilian clothes.
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That is true, I do like the arm armor...
But in many cases fir the period I am trying to recreate I do not really need arm armor anyway...
Unless it is for important people.
And the surcoats are cool, plus they can be used for civilian clothes.
I use my knights from any period, just to have enough to make a battle. Although I prefer them to have a printed torso under the clip-on armor. This way I can buy several of the same klicky and can vary thier armor accourding to if they are peasants or men-at-arms or knights. I can also vary arm armor, using two different styles to show a wear-it-if-you-have-it look to my army.
-- Don
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I use my knights from any period, just to have enough to make a battle. Although I prefer them to have a printed torso under the clip-on armor. This way I can buy several of the same klicky and can vary thier armor accourding to if they are peasants or men-at-arms or knights. I can also vary arm armor, using two different styles to show a wear-it-if-you-have-it look to my army.
-- Don
That is a good idea!
I am just extreamly picky... :P
I try to make everything represent the period I am working with,
And if something doest match I put it in my parts pile.
But that's just me, and as we all know, playmobil is a toy for the imagination. ;)