A Gondor book?

[Indur Dawndeath]

I would like to get the books like this:
"Minas Tirith, northern Gondor, Ithilien and Mordor"
Incl. Mass combat, formation, plate armours and monsters from Mordor. Playable cultures: Rangers of Ithilien and Frontier gondorians.
"Pelargier, southern gondor, harad, Dol Amrod, Umbar"
Incl. Naval battle rules, desert survival and turnament rules.
Playable cultures: Knight of Dol Amroth, Captain of the Sea, Haradrim.

Cheers

[Terisonen]

I would like to get the books like this:
"Minas Tirith, northern Gondor, Ithilien and Mordor"
Incl. Mass combat, formation, plate armours and monsters from Mordor. Playable cultures: Rangers of Ithilien and Frontier gondorians.
"Pelargier, southern gondor, harad, Dol Amrod, Umbar"
Incl. Naval battle rules, desert survival and turnament rules.
Playable cultures: Knight of Dol Amroth, Captain of the Sea, Haradrim.

Cheers

That will fuel one more discussion

[Jon Hodgson]

That will fuel one more discussion

I was going to do the clichéd "WELL HERE'S WHAT I THINK" response, but actually this is more interesting: Anyone who believes there is plate armour in Middle-earth - could you post a quote from the LOTR or the Hobbit that supports that belief?

There's the single mention of a vambrace, but beyond that, I know of none. But if anyone can share something more, it'll be you lot!

Ooooh oooh I want to edit - I am very serious about this being based on a quote from the texts. That's all we can work with.

[zedturtle]

Well, Prince Imrahil's knights are mentioned to be arrayed in 'full harness' and he himself is the possessor of that famous burnished vambrance. So one could make an argument that those two things put together might hint at plate or at least what some might call half-plate.

But it can be argued other ways, too.

[Rich H]

Well, Prince Imrahil's knights are mentioned to be arrayed in 'full harness'

I think that is often cited as a reason so its a great point to bring up, however does 'full harness' absolutely mean plate armour to the exclusion of any other type of armour? I'm not sure it does so it would be dangerous to assume it is in this case.

[zedturtle]

Well, if you're talking about medieval knights, then yes, full harness means full plate. But you're right... full harness could (at other times) mean full body mailed or scale armour or what-not.

That's why my original answer is 'go not to Zed for answers for he will both say yay and nay.' If you want to do plate, you can interpret vague statements one way, if you don't then you can interpret it another way.

[Stormcrow]

People sometimes forget that Middle-earth is not the Middle Ages, and, technologically speaking, it's not even particularly medieval. The closest you get is Rohan, which resembles Dark Ages England, but the horses make it not very much like the Dark Ages. Gondor is much more like Byzantium or Rome in technology. In those Classical cultures there was some partial plate armor, but it was expensive and difficult to make and so rarely used.

So let Imrahil have vambraces, but recognize that this is likely exceptional, as is Imrahil himself, and partial. This in no way demonstrates "plate mail armor" or anything like it.

[Mim]

I concur Stormcrow. It's rather clear that Tolkien studied the earlier period (Beowulf, etc.), and the vambrace and full harness are likely exceptions. IMHO, TOR gets it right so far and I sure hope they stay the course - Jon's art in the game and on Pinterest indicates the way to go.

[Otaku-sempai]

Agreed; plate armor should be left to Peter Jackson's Middle-earth. Though I wouldn't mind seeing some adversaries (Easterlings, Southrons) with alternate armors and weapons based on historical precedents.

[Indur Dawndeath]

That will fuel one more discussion

I was going to do the clichéd "WELL HERE'S WHAT I THINK" response, but actually this is more interesting: Anyone who believes there is plate armour in Middle-earth - could you post a quote from the LOTR or the Hobbit that supports that belief?

There's the single mention of a vambrace, but beyond that, I know of none. But if anyone can share something more, it'll be you lot!

Ooooh oooh I want to edit - I am very serious about this being based on a quote from the texts. That's all we can work with.

I'll give it a shot, but I guess it comes down to interpretations of the text as Zed pointed out.
My books are in Danish, so the original may be different, I honestly don't know.
Hobbit, when Thorin engages with the Orcs at the Battle of five armies.
(DK: Ud sprang kongen under bjerget, og hans kammerater fulgte ham. Borte var hætter og kapper. De var i blanke rustninger
The meaning in English would be: "Polished armours, where you can see your reflection, same as with a polished sword.

I know that the original text is what matters, but we are also talking about how people see the world and if original translations of the text describe plate armours, then it is a valid interpretation, that there were such things available.

Also, original art has shown plate armours on both the Enemy, Elves and Gondorians. John Howe for one...

So I think that I'm not alone, when I dream of plate mail, or just a half plate...

EDIT: I just found the passage where Imrahil enters Minas Tirith, there is no doubt in the Danish text: "og med et kompagni riddere i panser og plade."
These knights are dressed in platemail...

The argument remains. I have grown up reading the book, where there is no doubt about the existance of platemail.

Cheers