Should real person minis be \"handled\" with greater care?
- Thread starter Masuuruhiito
- Start date
Bigdennis52
New member
lol
Gilvan Blight
New member
There are a few reasons. First off there is no reason that a gamer can\'t learn something from the hobby. Military gamers in particuar are often also history buffs. Besides playing out battles on the table they also research those battles and learn about the relavence of the battles, the people involved, etc. By misrepresenting a historical figure you are \'teaching\' a false truth. I\'m sure many people don\'t know the history of the era, and thus assume things like this must be correct since it\'s the only frame of referance they know. Aliengod3\'s comment is a perfect example of someone who\'s knowledge of this period of history only comes from the Fiction (Note: The V on the shield is histoically accurate, so wouldn\'t be a problem).
Another note is misrepresentation of an actual person. How would you like it if someone decided to make a mini of you, but then got all the facts wrong? He was a soldier who had a uniform, why not get it right? How about if 300 years from now they released USMC minis where all the troops are topless, have ditched the fatigues and wear bonnets?
Overall I do know it\'s for a game, and most likely a fantasy game, so some exageration and \'coolness\' is nice, but at that point I would have called the mini \"Spartan King\" or \"Leader of 300\".
Aliengod3
Active member
@ Gilvan: Thanks for sharing about the shields! I learn somthing new everyday 
I am not much of a history buff but I do agree that the best way to gain general knowledge of a period is to correctly represent it through target markets. Since so many people play the games and paint the minis it seems like making sure that the minis are historically accurate will give people a better understanding, indirectly, of the period and culture the mini represents. The spartan shield is a good example of learning something indirectly. We see the iconography on the shield and assume that it is what all spartan shields looked like.
Sounds like the mini needs mutiple titles: Leader of the 300, Spartan King, Merc, Martyr, etc.
I am not much of a history buff but I do agree that the best way to gain general knowledge of a period is to correctly represent it through target markets. Since so many people play the games and paint the minis it seems like making sure that the minis are historically accurate will give people a better understanding, indirectly, of the period and culture the mini represents. The spartan shield is a good example of learning something indirectly. We see the iconography on the shield and assume that it is what all spartan shields looked like.
Sounds like the mini needs mutiple titles: Leader of the 300, Spartan King, Merc, Martyr, etc.
generulpoleaxe
New member
the v on the shield is inacurate,
it was a lambda symbol that spartans had upon their shield.
before the greeks adopted the city state of which they came from symbol they all had unique patterns much like medieval heraldry.
it was a lambda symbol that spartans had upon their shield.
before the greeks adopted the city state of which they came from symbol they all had unique patterns much like medieval heraldry.
Bigdennis52
New member
hmm, I guess I learn new stuff every day.
BarstoolProphet
New member
I believe the politically correct term for \'real person minis\' is \'height challenged\' or somesuch.
I find that handling midgets is about the same as handling anybody else. Except they fly farther when tossed.
*reads rest of thread*
Oh. Umm... right.
I find that handling midgets is about the same as handling anybody else. Except they fly farther when tossed.
*reads rest of thread*
Oh. Umm... right.
Masuuruhiito
New member
Couldn\'t agree with you more. Asuming that a merchandise is the only medium of information about a particular person or subject for the majority of people, this information can create a misleading or wrong idea altogether. It\'s not because I am Greek and I take it a wee bit more patriotically but I have my fair share of foreign history as well and I\'d make that point for whichever historicall figure as well.
P.S. I am a fan of Millers work, I enjoyed the movie \"300\" very much and I own a copy of the graphic novel.
ScottRadom
Shogun of Saskatchewan
I agree that games are not just fun but great teaching tools as well. Gamers are some of the best out there at calculating probability etc. I also think tabletop mini games are great for shaping a mind to consider things like tactics (Refused flanks, army formations vs different styled opponents) and such.
As to teaching history, I guess I really have to disagree in THIS particular instance. This game looks less like a historically themed game like DBM, Warhammer Ancients, Flames of War etc. and more of a fun skirmishy styled game that just happens to have a few characters (Or maybe just the one) included in it. I don\'t think it can be expected to carry any authenticity to the original King Leonidas in that style of medium.
The most I would expect from this fig in this instance is that it may spark the imagination and interest of a player to do a little more research on the subject. I have no problem with any of the liberties taken for this fig, from the title of mercenary (\'Cause I think it\'s likely just to make the model available to more \"armies\" in the game system, and not a label of Leonidas\' virtues) to the awesome over the top pose.
Thats my two coppers.
As to teaching history, I guess I really have to disagree in THIS particular instance. This game looks less like a historically themed game like DBM, Warhammer Ancients, Flames of War etc. and more of a fun skirmishy styled game that just happens to have a few characters (Or maybe just the one) included in it. I don\'t think it can be expected to carry any authenticity to the original King Leonidas in that style of medium.
The most I would expect from this fig in this instance is that it may spark the imagination and interest of a player to do a little more research on the subject. I have no problem with any of the liberties taken for this fig, from the title of mercenary (\'Cause I think it\'s likely just to make the model available to more \"armies\" in the game system, and not a label of Leonidas\' virtues) to the awesome over the top pose.
Thats my two coppers.
ScottRadom
Shogun of Saskatchewan
P.S. I am a fan of Millers work, I enjoyed the movie \"300\" very much and I own a copy of the graphic novel.
You should pick up a copy of \"All-Star Batman\".
If that doesn\'t make you puke uncontrollably at the awful, awful Miller writing I don\'t know what will. It seems \"The Dark Knight Returns\" and \"300\" days are a long ways behind him. Oh and check out the trailer to \"The Spirit\".
