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So I got an idea for what could be an awesome diorama: 20 different warriors/soldiers, one form each century from the year 0 to today. So one for the years 0-100, one for 1800-1900 and so on. All in 28mm, preferably on a single large base with the grit and basing changing underneath each one.

So the list right now is:
0-100: A roman legionnaire
100-200: Gallic or Britannic warrior
200-300: Germanic warrior
300-400: Mayan warrior
400-500: Hunnic warrior on horseback
500-600: Visigoth
600-700: Muslim or frankish warrior
700-800: Viking
800-900 Frankish warrior (Charlemagne)
900-1000 ?
1000-1100 Norman knight
1200-1300 Samurai
1300-1400 English longbowman
1400-1500 Gothic knight
1500-1600 Conquistador
1600-1700 30-years war musketeer
1700-1800 French revolutionarie
1800-1900 British redcoat
1900-2000 German wehrmacht soldier
2000+ US soldier

Now I'm trying to find a way to tie all of these together. In a line, in battle formation? Facing each other in combat?

A dance battle?

900-1000 could be a anglosaxan warrior.

Bookend history with the Norman Knight.

200-300 should be Three Kingdoms/Dynasty Warriors; also some of your representation is not in tone with one another, what I mean is what is your definition of a warrior? Because some don't consider English Lowbowmen to be a warrior, even though they are very effective for their time and place. Also what level of warrior do you want to represent? Like modern day US soldier or Navy seals/British SAS..

EDIT: 1900-2000: German Wermacht? Really? I can think of quite a few that could be better representation of a soldier in that era, Vietnam era for instance.

Big Mac, your argument is good, but let's consider that WW2 was one of the most brutal, most savage, most world-changing wars in modern history, if not All of history. The runner up would be WW1, where more than a couple massive empires were shredded into little pieces as a result of the war.

Vietnam was a massive conflict, but if you want wars in that scale, why not Korea? Soviet Afghanistan? Similar size wars, but only a few participating countries.

WW2 had most of the world embroiled in pure unadulterated conflict. Somewhere between 50 to 80 Million People Died. Countries that were only mildly impressive, like the Soviet Union, became massive global powerhouses as a result of the war.

With that in mind, the Germans were the ones who Physically started World War 2 with the invasion of Poland in September '39. Being the primary aggressor, the Wehrmacht are a solid candidate for the time period.

In the 20th Century there is no war on the books that changed as much of the world as World War 2.

I'm reminded of the bias that came from a Top 100 weapons of the post-nuclear era to change the world. Without a doubt the one weapon that changed the world most, with several Million made, involvement in over 75 armed conflicts in the world, sometimes on Both Sides, a weapon so iconic it has been immortalized on flags and coins and other memorabilia, got 6th place, and for some senseless reason the Supercarrier was 1st. It's a matter of pure perspective, here.

The only real argument would be Which nation to represent for WW2.

Just put a UFO above all their heads, as they're slowly emerging onto a battlefield....

Or you could do a Harry Turtledove Legions in Hell type theme

Frequently "time" has been abstracted as a helix. Maybe a helix with 20 levels? Probably too tall. Or perhaps a long narrow diarama where each background and base blends into the next.

Where's the Greek Hoplite? Persian Warrior? No BCE warriors?

I was just reading about the 10th century AD. Wikipedia said it was likely the lowest number of deaths of death from war since 3000 BC. Maybe honor that by some doves flying. The new sister celestime has good candidates. Just a thought. I like your idea. Try to do it. Post progress pics.


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German appropriate for 20th century warrior IMO. Too many innovations to not represent them with an assault rifle or submachinegun.


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Kinda bummed that the 19th century soldier is not ACW. but only a single nation. I guess

A few points I'd pick out with your line-up (Of course, just a suggestion):

- I'd go for Saxons at 700-800AD, that's when the Saxon Kingdoms were at their height with the unification of England under Alfred the Great and his heirs.

-At 900-1000 I'd go for Vikings (Actually, Danes strictly speaking - Viking is an occupation not a racial group), because although the Viking Period was at it's height in the 700-800's, the Danes only succeeded in attaining control of England in 1035 with King Canute - who's descendants promptly dies out in the following decade or so.

- I'd also swap the Roman Legionary around with the Gallic/Brythonic warriors - the Gallic Wars and the Invasion of Britain occurred very close around the 0AD mark (55BC-43AD), whilst the Roman Empire and the Legionary was at it's height in 117AD.

- Finally, I'd switch the Samurai and the Gothic Knight. Whilst the rise of the Samurai is largely analogous with the rise of Knights, the period of mass Samurai warfare,the Sengoku Jidai period, occurred circa 1400-1600. On the other hand, the iconic era of the Knight is roughly 1100 to 1500 - with their height being the Hundred Years War and War of the Roses. From 1500 onward, the Knight's battlefield importance declined in favour of mass infantry, whilst the Samurai wouldn't decline in importance until much later.

As for how to blend them together - have you thought of something similar to the 'Evolution of Man' type of thing - this:


You could have them sort of flowing together in combat, fighting with one another in a way that draws your eye onto each in turn.

The Wehrmacht soldier could be presenting his MP40/Kar98 to the Roman legionnaire...

Gothic knight might be brawling with the muslim warrior as a reference to the Crusades...

 Hawky wrote:
The Wehrmacht soldier could be presenting his MP40/Kar98 to the Roman legionnaire...

Gothic knight might be brawling with the muslim warrior as a reference to the Crusades...

That's a great idea! I could have them meeting and talking! Of course the saxons and normands would be fighting, same with the muslim and knight...

Roman soldier could be trying to fire the rifle and the german swinging his gladius or teachim him how to do it properly. Or if you don't want germans, use dancing Red army soldiers. But don't to forget to place 2or 3 of them! and some other warriors wtching or tying to join in.

Viking and the british redcoat could also be doing something. Or viking and norman having a drink together, as they are related.

Edit// Conquistador could be trying to strike a deal with the mayan warrior. Conq. would have papers in hand and mayan lookong confused.

Just throw in Bill and Ted. Job done.


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or Worf on the holodeck.