Chain mail arms

[Pallando the Blue]

I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I cannot find it. It seems recently the trend has been to created armor printed torsos with colorful arms and legs. However, when I look at pictures from the castle eras, if I see a tunic at all it is over the mail armor, with arms and legs exposed. I understand printing chain mail arms is a tall order, but certainly on a unique figure (Falcon knight, etc) you could splurge, right?

What I'md be just as happy with would be flat silver or pearl dark grey arms. I've used dark grey helmets and arms before on the old tunic torsos, but updated weapons and armor colors calls for some body parts as well.

[Shadowviking]

What you are thinking of is not a tunic but a surcoat. Sometime in the 11th century (I think) this style began to be worn- a cloth tabard, worn over the top of (usually long-sleeved) mail. Probably most associated with the Crusades. The tunic was worn yet under the mail.

The current LEGO look seems to be short sleeved mail worn over a tunic, as would the Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and others from an earlier period, and perhaps those with less gold in a later period.

Here are a few examples:

http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llt45 ... r1_400.jpg

http://hrafns-vikingr.deviantart.com/ar ... 9876&qo=15

http://hrafns-vikingr.deviantart.com/ar ... 9876&qo=14

I should add I only vaguely know what I'm talking about. But a mail-printed torso with tunic arms is certainly historically founded.

Mail-printed arms would be cool though. Great for Normans and most from the post-Norman period. Perhaps we'll see this on a future collectifig- those have had the highest concentration of arm printing.

[OverLoad]

Since mail torsos are almost always dark bley (from the current LEGO selection of the Kingdom's mail torso, the Vikings ones, and even a few Ork ones if you look closely) I always use dark bley arms to signify that the coat of mail extends to the arms, I want the mail to extend to the arms.

As for printed arms, that certainly would be neat. Thinking back to previous minifigs with arm printings, I can think of a mere few, one of which is the Cloud City Boba Fett (which fetches a VERY high price since I checked last) and the CM Gladiator. So, I'm guessing if there was printed mail on a minifigure, that minifig would fetch somewhere in between those two prices.

[Shadowviking]

The collectifig mummy, mime & skater girl have printed arms as well. Possibly a few other collectibles I can't remember right now.

[Pallando the Blue]

Yes, surcoat is what I mean. I feel that Lego castle (aside from the Vikings) is usually trying to recreate 12th century onward. I don't have a problem with mail printed torsos, but looking at images from the Macejowski (sp?) Bible for example show a full shirt of mail, not simply over the torso. For my Saxon-based faction, I do use The mail torso with colored arms.

As for the dark belt arms... I'm almost torn between dark grey or dark bley arms. The two look strange together, but I can't bring myself to use any more of that wretched color.

Above, where I said flat silver I actually intended to say metallic silver. We could even get those in a space theme ( I toyed with the idea of using the robot arms for my 15th century knights, but the hands look too weird). Or PDG arms? I would be in love if the arms and helmets of my knights could match again.

[Eklund]

LegoLord used the alien "metal" arm for armor here. I think it was used quite effectively.

[Medieval Guy]

I agree that this would be wonderful. We probably won't see it in a regular Castle line, but rather, as was mentioned, in the Collectible Minifig Series.

[richardanthonyc]

LegoLord used the alien "metal" arm for armor here. I think it was used quite effectively.

I don't know, looks a bit out of place to me!

[OverLoad]

LegoLord used the alien "metal" arm for armor here. I think it was used quite effectively.

I don't know, looks a bit out of place to me!

Not to mention it's a much brighter, heavier looking, and not as posable under a breastplate. So all in all, it might work for heavy suits of armor, but as mail it's a no-go for me, and think others would feel the same.

[richardanthonyc]

LegoLord used the alien "metal" arm for armor here. I think it was used quite effectively.

I don't know, looks a bit out of place to me!

Not to mention it's a much brighter, heavier looking, and not as posable under a breastplate. So all in all, it might work for heavy suits of armor, but as mail it's a no-go for me, and think others would feel the same.

It's just when it gets down to the elbow piece that it looks quite strange and out of place to me. It makes it look like the man has weird arms

[Eklund]

LegoLord used the alien "metal" arm for armor here. I think it was used quite effectively.

When I posted that, I guess I didn't really think it looked like mail, more like an extension of plated armor. I posted it, because in the above post by Pallando the Blue, he had mentioned the possibility of using those robot arms, and I just wanted to show I think it could be used effectively, just as plate armor instead of mail.

[mencot]

The collectifig mummy, mime & skater girl have printed arms as well. Possibly a few other collectibles I can't remember right now.

Gladiator

LegoLord used the alien "metal" arm for armor here. I think it was used quite effectively.

When I posted that, I guess I didn't really think it looked like mail, more like an extension of plated armor. I posted it, because in the above post by Pallando the Blue, he had mentioned the possibility of using those robot arms, and I just wanted to show I think it could be used effectively, just as plate armor instead of mail.

I think it looks good, ofcourse it isn´t chainmail as you said. Has plate it looks really good, I have to try that.

[ludzik]

Very good point on the chain mail arms. My issue is (somewhat related) that when the minifig has breastplate , the body and arms should be the same color as the breastplate as armor should cover sides as well and extend down the arms.