dnavenom Posted January 28, 2018 Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 Hey guys i`m working on something and honestly i need your help. I can seem to find a description for the normal Alethi soldier. We have some renditions of their uniforms made of cloth. Do they also enter the battle with that uniform or do they strap some kind of armor on, before they enter the fight. I cant imagine a 19th century soldier holding a shield and not protecting some vital parts with additional metal. Help me out if you know something more I`m really confused! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vissy Posted January 28, 2018 Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 (edited) What Highprince do the soldiers work for? Look at @Botanica (botanicaxu on tumblr/deviantart IIRC) drawings, I think she does a very good job of drawing the Kholin uniform on Adolin. For example this is from her. So maybe just add that kind of clothing on top of traditional plate armour, if you want to do Kholin heavy infantry? Edited January 28, 2018 by Vissy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnavenom Posted January 28, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 Botanica make amazing art! But I can`t seem to find soldier battle gear there. The High prince is Sadeas in this case, but any kind of soldier gear will give ме an idea. I`m just wondering of the normal soldier changes gear for battle. Taking the uniform of and putting an armor on, or maybe just adding some metal plate parts, helmets on top of the uniform? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yezrien Posted January 28, 2018 Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 I highly doubt those are battle uniforms. They're too decorative, and too loose and flowing. In combat, open jackets and long coattails make it easier for the enemy to grab you and tangle you up. You can get away with that kind of thing when war becomes a matter of firearms and artillery, but In a world where combat is still done with swords and spears, soldiers need to go into battle with simpler, more practical uniforms, and at least some armor. I recommend looking at soldiers from relatively prosperous pre-gun civilizations. Rennaissance Europe Roman Republic circa Julius Caesar Imperial china Ancient Persia, Mesopotamia Mamluk Egypt Early Ottomans Obviously the known Alethi uniforms look very European, but other Alethi fashions (havah, takama) feel much less western, and their language is inspired by semitic languages. So you can mix and match influences. As a general rule, plate armor is expensive, and probably only for high-ranking lighteyes without shardplate. Most common soldiers will wear chain mail, leather, or scale armor. Here's how one artist imagined a darkeyed Alethi spearman. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnavenom Posted January 28, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 I just made the same reply about uniform as you did in FB! Great minds think alike, fan minds too That`s the point when you go close combat, you can`t wear a uniform. Imagine you kill 2-3-5 ppl and survive, your uniform will be soaking with blood. Cleaning that blood from the crisp blue uniform would be impossible! Especially if you happen to survive a few battles. True it`s different for firearms and you can get away with it there. But we do need some kind of protection here. I was wondering if maybe Brandon explained that somewhere, but I guess he hasn`t. That gives me some artistic freedom to experiment! Maybe they use leather for light infantry, mostly darkeyed, chain for heavy infantry and plate for Nobles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackYeti Posted January 28, 2018 Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 @dnavenom, I suggest rereading chapter 1 of WoK, it's a goldmine for examples like these . Quote The darkeyed spearmen wore equipment like Cenn’s: leather jerkin and knee-length skirt with a simple steel cap and a matching breastplate. Quote [Kaladin] wore the common leathers of a spearman, but under them was a pair of dark trousers. That wasn't supposed to be allowed. Quote “Should I have my shield out?” Around Kaladin’s team, the other ranks were unhooking their shields. But Kaladin’s squad left their shields on their backs. Quote A pocket had opened in the enemy forces, and a man rode there on a white horse, swinging about him with a wicked mace. He wore full plate armor, polished and gleaming silver. “A Shardbearer,” Cenn said. Dallet snorted. “No, thank the Stormfather. Just a lighteyed officer. There may well be others that I missed while skimming through as well. Hope this helps. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnavenom Posted January 28, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2018 7 minutes ago, BlackYeti said: @dnavenom, I suggest rereading chapter 1 of WoK, it's a goldmine for examples like these . There may well be others that I missed while skimming through as well. Hope this helps. Thank you! (bow) This is what I needed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emily Posted January 30, 2018 Report Share Posted January 30, 2018 In one of Dalinar’s Visions in WoR,(does this need to be spoilered) Spoiler He notices that the men wore leather helmets and breastplates rather than the steel ones used currently. (This was the one in which he is in the Purelake and they are hunting the thunderclast. I have the audiobook so I can’t reliably say which chapter it was. The chapter summary says The Lame Fortress.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts