lego knight army's from you guys

[boses]

Here are a small group of my soldiers. They were meant to guard and operate a small fortress.

Here is a picture...



The weapons and shields are my own design, but the swords were inspired by the buster sword from FF7. The armor is from the submarine Lego sets.

[Sir-Boris]

This is an honest question (and not a veiled criticism), so please don't jump down my throat. Can I ask what the point of army-building is? (Ducks and runs for cover...)

I see army-building discussions a lot more frequently over on FBTB, but haven't seen nearly as much here on C-C. I probably have close to a thousand minifigs, but I only have forty to fifty from any one theme. I used to build Royal Knights and Forestemen armies to soundly defeat my younger brother's Black Falcons army, but we created complex strategy games (with hit points assigned to units and so on). We built armies to play with them.

Now that I'm "grown up," my wife is probably glad my collecting instinct tends toward amassing unique minifigures rather than large quantities of the same ones. I guess that's why I'm wondering what motivates you army-builders. (Ducks again... )

Thats a great question, I'm looking forward to seeing other responses too.

I originally started building my army to compete against my friends when younger (sorta like you mentioned with your brother). When I went to college, I was introduced to Lego films, so I wanted to create a movie. Although I haven't gotten around to doing it yet, I wanted to make a movie based off of certain scenes in Braveheart (one of my favorite movies) therefore needing a large army, so my numbers continued to grow. Now, after joining C-C, I'm trying to become more moc oriented, which I believe answers you other question. I find that people here tend to be more MOC oriented rather than army builders. I've changed my focus to MOC building (will hopefully have some to show in the near future), but my army continues to grow (I need somewhere for them to live now).


Nate

[Tanotrooper]

This is an honest question (and not a veiled criticism), so please don't jump down my throat. Can I ask what the point of army-building is? (Ducks and runs for cover...)

I see army-building discussions a lot more frequently over on FBTB, but haven't seen nearly as much here on C-C. I probably have close to a thousand minifigs, but I only have forty to fifty from any one theme. I used to build Royal Knights and Forestemen armies to soundly defeat my younger brother's Black Falcons army, but we created complex strategy games (with hit points assigned to units and so on). We built armies to play with them.

Now that I'm "grown up," my wife is probably glad my collecting instinct tends toward amassing unique minifigures rather than large quantities of the same ones. I guess that's why I'm wondering what motivates you army-builders. (Ducks again... )

Thats a great question, I'm looking forward to seeing other responses too.

I originally started building my army to compete against my friends when younger (sorta like you mentioned with your brother). When I went to college, I was introduced to Lego films, so I wanted to create a movie. Although I haven't gotten around to doing it yet, I wanted to make a movie based off of certain scenes in Braveheart (one of my favorite movies) therefore needing a large army, so my numbers continued to grow. Now, after joining C-C, I'm trying to become more moc oriented, which I believe answers you other question. I find that people here tend to be more MOC oriented rather than army builders. I've changed my focus to MOC building (will hopefully have some to show in the near future), but my army continues to grow (I need somewhere for them to live now).


Nate

I just get my kicks of seeing an army made of thousands of soldiers marching. Yes, i really mean it. And i like army's battling together.

P.S. how do you guys have so many knights? On Ebay evryone overbids me for rediculous prices. But, i'm planning on buying from brickshelf... Mwuahahahahaha

[TwoTonic Knight]

My dwarves (more like 50 now):



My fully barded knights (more like 90 now):



I haven't bothered to document the rest - the dwarves, for instance, are usually allied with another 40 hobbits as skirmishers and missle support. The total is somewhere north of a 1000. The primary expansion has been fantasy troops, with dwarves and hobbits. Orky Boyz and elves are following, along with Greek hoplites and then maybe some Roman conversions (not to mention the usual collection of suspects from the traditional LEGO lines).

Why so many?: Pack-ratitis? Mine is bigger'n yours? Just like impressive quantities of troops?

Nope. I'm a long time miniatures wargamer. My figs are mounted on 8x8 stud movement stands cut from 64x64 baseplates and used in conjunction with the 25mm measurements for Fantasy Rules and Days of Knights.

http://www.sabersedge.com/chipco/

I wanted the bardings, for example, so I could easily visually differentiate higher-quality knights from seargents, who would be used in the same fashion, but not quite so elaborately trained and equiped.

My collecting tends to stall out around 80-100 per faction since I don't really need more than that, and increasingly I find myself filling out battle armies with generic figs anyway. Or I make allied armies (my 40 strong-each Bulls and Dragon Masters tend to get lumped together).

How so many knights?: Let me edit this in since I just noticed the question after posting my pic with all the knights above. I accumulated a lot of figs through mixed-lot auctions on eBay, which tend to be the cheapest. But that meant I got a fair amount of my least favorite fig, the plain old style silver breastplate print. I make it a point to cover every darn one of those up with an armor over-piece of some kind. This meant buying out lots of armor and helmets and bardings whenever I spotted them for a good price, usually on eBay, but also on Bricklink. I often laid in lots of this stuff long before I had the actual figs to use them on - this was long-range planning.

You can get what you want fast, but that usually involves throwing money at the problem. I knew I wanted a Spanish Rennaisance army, for example. The figs were always rare and expensive, so I just concentrated on getting the morion helmets, knowing I could draft other figs in cheaper as long as I had the helmet. I got lots of them when they were cheap, and slowly accumulated the figs.

So I guess the answer is advance planning. Knowing what parts to get and getting them when I spot them for a good price even if I can't use them all right away.

[Lord_Of_The_LEGO]

Here's my (still not complete) 21-man barbarian army:



As to your question, Dunechaser: I don't build armies just to build them and flaunt them. I am very interested in RPGing, especially Brikwars, and so this army is for gaming. Unfortunately, they have yet to see battle. Also, if I ever illustrate an Ikros-style story, these guys will come in hand when snapping pics for a battle scene.

PS - here's another pic:

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/lordo ... atarmy.jpg

[Graynar]

Lol, good one Nate.

Graynar

[Bloody Jay]

My Viking army. There're 47 in that pic, one of my longboats had a missing helmet, and I recently picked up a catapult, so I actually have 50. I plan to put them to good use soon...

[wlister]

This is an honest question (and not a veiled criticism), so please don't jump down my throat. Can I ask what the point of army-building is? (Ducks and runs for cover...) Snipped...
I guess that's why I'm wondering what motivates you army-builders. (Ducks again... )

I started building my armies long before there were digital cameras etc... I had never heard of Lugnet(it wasn't around yet) and eBay was not yet a glimmer in someone's eye.

I always liked building larger castles than the ones supplied by TLC. Bigger castles meant buying/asking for more sets for parts and for the figs. I also used to trade my friends figs from other themes to get more castle figs. That is how I started building armies. As I grew older it became a little more of a low-level obsession and now it has tapered off a bit and I buy parts, figs and accessories to complete whatever perceived lack I feel I have.

For example I recently bought/won about 25 Wolfpack figs. I only had 6 sets when they were released and I always felt they were too small a faction when compared to my other factions.

As for your question, what is the point? I don't really have one. I have used some of my armies for display at train shows and my Lug plans on doing a mall show at some point. So I guess I like the "wow" factor a bit. But for me it was never about bragging rights, I just like to see hundreds and hundreds of figs lined up against each other. It is the visual gratification of seeing my large armies that motivates me to continue building the armies.

I do try to keep my armies unique and at the same time purely castle, I would not be happy with 500 Jedi torsos carrying spears for instance. I like "castle" figs. 90% of my 2000+ figs are castle figs. Villagers, Merchants, Nobility, Mercenaries and Assassins tend to be torsos from other themes. I'll probably keep building my armies as time goes by, Vikings, KKII and hopefully some new Legends will keep me buying sets and figs for a long time to come.

Will

[wizardnoob28]

how do you guys get money for this stuff?

[JPinoy]

By working for it and saving money so we can buy what we want.

But.... thanks to my funds being used to fuel other expenses, I need more $$$ than what Im being paid for at work. Anyone wanna donate troops?

[TwoTonic Knight]

how do you guys get money for this stuff?

By borrowing money from my 14 year-old son. Kids these days always have money.

[Troy T. Moore]

I build armies (total around 600) for the sheer pleasure it gives me to see two sides faced off on the battle field. I have long been a medieval buff. The little skirmishes with 10-15 soldiers per side are cute, but a full out battle with all sorts of troops ( archers, spearmen, calvary, swordsmen, axemen, crossbowmen....) is impressive.

A castle siege, of even a small fortess defended by a few dozen men would have, historically, taken a greater number of attackers because of the advantage to the defenders.

With all the positive response to the "Rune Knights" I really have to show you this http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1000485 (I have 21 of these fellows) Notice the date? Just shows you that great minds think alike, eh Zee?

As far as where do I get the money.... Wherever I can! I spend too much on LEGO considering the fact that I have student loans and carry a significant balance on the credit cards (house and vehicles paid for). But this is my hobby. I neither drink, nor smoke, nor golf!

[Zee]

I only just recently got all the figs & parts after a few months to finally field some 20-50 strong sized contingents. I enjoy forming these minifigs up and I would get the parts bit by bit gradually over a few months, much like I would enjoy building up a castle/MOC brick by brick. When its all done, I don't play with them actually but instead they are nicely displayed for my viewing pleasure when I get home from a hard day's work. For me, I guess the point is that its simply enjoyable, which is what a hobby is all abt to me.

With all the positive response to the "Rune Knights" I really have to show you this http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1000485 (I have 21 of these fellows) Notice the date? Just shows you that great minds think alike, eh Zee?

Right on Troy!

After looking at yr knight, i really need cloaks, lots of them! Nooooooooooooooooooo.... :!:

[Troy T. Moore]

I have started to get pics of my individual armies. Here is a shot of my Black Falcons



http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=145462 gallery when public

[babyjawa]

MEGABlOCKS!!! I have to have more than someone around here.