"quasi-Napoleonic street gangs... with alchemical devices" Topic

Since watching 'Vidocq' imdb.com/title/tt0164961 my head has been full of gaming ideas… mostly for RPG stuff but I'd also would like to do something like Necromunda/Mordheim… small gang wars in a fantasy/VSF version of Paris… in around the 1830s… with the possibility of alchemical devices for armor and weaponry.
I'm also pulling in ideas from City of Lost Children… having various gangs of hoodlums, such as the street urchins run by La Pieuvre and the cult of the Cyclops (CoLC was had a much more modern setting but I'll ignore that).

Some of my Confrontation minis will work for this… but I'd like some policemen and soldiers from that era… soldier minis that aren't sculpted to form up in tight ranks and have a bit more character to their posing.
Also some guys like these:

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So I'm looking for suggestions on a line/lines of figures that would supply Napoleonic-era/mid-1800s Parisian citizenry and police/militia that won't look too out of sorts next to more fantastical stuff… Freebooter and Rackham stuff including some of the Dirz monstrosities.
I'm guessing I could borrow from some of the pirate lines for thugs… but any other suggestions? I seem to recall someone made a line of figures for Gangs of New York that might fit… 'Bhoys' or somesuch… but I haven't been able to find it. Maybe some of the Malifaux stuff…
I'd like some soldiers, police, some secret police (guys with high collars and top hats), street urchins, mad alchemists, revolutionaries/rabble/thugs, prostitutes, etc… Oh, and a dwarf or two… not the bearded fantasy sort.

I'm still not sure what rules I'd use… but that's less of a worry.

Perry Brothers has a line of Civil War Rioters that I've been eyeing for doing a wargame of The Paris Commune:

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That looks pretty interesting.

Could be fun. I do appreciate the paradox of historical miniatures placed into a fantasy/science fiction/horror setting.

Some of our Victorian Age minis might work

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We also have some Spanish rebels in our Napoleonic range that might work for some rioters

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for rules have you heard of Chaos In Carpathia? Not tried them but plan on getting them (finances the cause for waiting)
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and a review

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Chaos In Carpathia does look mighty cool. I was aware of it but only vaguely. I did enjoy the handful of Supersystem games I've played.
Even more excuse to build some terrain for a big Mario Bava-style tomb complex.

No system for designing your own forces it appears…

Thanks!

I *know* Vidocq was active during Napoleon's reign, but what about setting it closer to traditional swasbuckling times: i.e., for instance, during the 'Lace Wars' / mid-18th C. period?
"CiC" could obviously be used with any 'Horse & Musket' miniatures: link
'Gloire' enjoys a good press as the 'basic' swashbuckling rules set for the period
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Including Alain Touller's Vendeans link , Trent minis' Irishs of 1796 link and Caribbeans link , Eureka's Tyroleans… there is a wide choice of minis usable as (early) Napoleonics or easily converted (short breeches, no trousers; san/ file down any flay topped hats to rounded topped ones

) to the 18th C.

The tremendous wealth of Pirates (of both sexes) minis is mostly in tricorne or 'tricorne compatible', with no equivalent for later periods; there are also the FIW 'colons' miniatures (again of both sexes), some AWI militia ones…

And if you want to have an irruption of zombies in 'Pride & Prejudice' YouTube link like good society by Barry Lyndon times: link (can't find the recent TMP thread about the idea in the moment)

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Yeah, who can say 'no' to tricornes?
I'm trying not to be too awfully picky about the historical accuracy of the costuming… none of the guys I play with will be bothered… so yeah… dropping back to the Lace Wars period would be cool too.
I've already got a smattering of those Black Scorpion pirates.
Plus, we could put some of those laced/wigged figures to double use as vampires in games set in later eras (they're a bit set in their ways… still wearing powdered wigs and such).

Pride and Prejudice and zombies: link ; TMP thread: TMP link

Recent TMP thread about gaming with zombies in 'unconventional' periods: TMP link

Eureka just 'zombified' French Revolutionary soldiers: a little early for Vidocq, but I suppose zombies don't have to be freshly dead, as long as enough meat remains on the bones? TMP link

Now I maintain that the best way to have miniature zombies in period costume is *to make your own*. Movies zombies are humans with a few prosthetics and a lot of make-up: just do the same. A matter of carving tears in the clothes, wounds, pustules, scars in the skin, mutilations of the lips, grooves around the eyeballs… with wire cutter, nail pincer, pin point (the kind of mistreatment the Hinterland sculptor used to 'zombify' his female hussars link ). Then it's a question of appropriate(ly disgusting) painting and 'weathering'. I got an interesting 'freshly unearthed' look by 'inking' with (or dripping in) the syrup so obtained: dried prunes are 'reinflated' in boiling tea, mashed, filtered, thickened with honey / egg white. When dried, the plant miniparticles, while almost imperceptible with the naked eye, gave (even under a protective varnish) a 'texture' that no ink / paint could have provided.

A 'Not Fantasy', not bearded dwarf will not be easy to find. Perhaps give a 32mm head to a (plump?) 25mm (plastic 1/72? link ) body: the disproportion will complement the short size to suggest dwarfism?

I was thinking of maybe putting shoes on a hobbit/halfling figure… but big head to small body swap could be easier.

Almost parallel, if wider in topic, thread: TMP link

Some good ideas here. I've been kicking about a 19th C game idea with some common ground to yours for awhile now and buying odd packs of figures. Still haven't tied it down too much as I see a pack of nice figures and that takes me off on another tangent. Have a look at the New Zealand wars range from Empress
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The pack of civilians code NZ05 should be suitable. They could be some of the most adaptable figures out there and they're superb sculpts. Hopefully, they'll do some more.
I also have the ACW rioters with firearms from Perrys, slightly smaller to the Empress but not noticeable on the table top. Be careful though as a couple have six guns so make them more suitable for later.
I would think many of the figures from the Perry's Carlist wars would be suitable as well. Depends how accurate you want to be with dress as of course these are Spanish not French civilians.
I've looked at Malifaux as well, lots of interesting stuff but maybe a little large as i think they're 30mm.
Keep me posted as to how you go with your project looks really interesting.

[The Bug stroke again!]

We could put some of those laced/wigged figures to double use as vampires in games set in later eras (they're a bit set in their ways… still wearing powdered wigs and such).

Just like the Emigres coming back to France in 1814, having 'forgotten nothing and learned nothing'.

Indeed I maintain that, even more than for zombies, Vampires require NO special miniatures. Dracula -THE reference- looked perfectly normal to his guests in Transylvania (as, fortunately, Selene looks 'perfectly human' in "Underworld" YouTube link ). At most give them a 'whiter shade of pale' skin (only those > 55 could understand ‌), rich blood red lips and perhaps red eyes.
I understand that manufacturers want to offer (well, sell) special figurines, but they have to 'overcharacterize' them. The height of silliness was reached with the early minis for D&D adventure: despite the medieval setting, the 'vampire' was in early 20th C. clothes, referring to Bela Lugosi's movies YouTube link ! While the 'witch hunter' was dressed in 17th C. Puritan fashion, and the 'illusionist' a modern stage performer with a turban…

Now if you want 'someone special', the Precinct Omega link 'Faerie Emissary'

is unfortunately 40mm, but striking (as is its price).

Then, simple conversions (adding pointed ears OR tricornes) would allow to introduce Elves to your 'brainchild universe'

"Castle Falkenstein" link or "For Faerie, Queen and Country" link fashion.
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Black Scorpion started a range of 'Elf Pirates in tricornes'

(one in Napoleonic bicorne, alas, according to their silly habit): hope they'll expand the range, and remember that among Elves as among Humans, women are generally more petite than men -BS minis already being, inconveniently, on the 'giant' size.

Not irrelevant threads:
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Initiation of a general discussion about Lace Wars SF and Fantasy:
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Seek out Lead Adventure miniatures.

The B'hoys range is sold by TVAG. Good figures and nice guy to deal with.

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Oh, thanks Thunderchicken… I'd had a look for that and couldn't find it.

Excellent examples of 'home made' zombification by 'pimp my minis' conversions: link

Quasi-thread-piracy, but has no one yet come up with Lacepunk use for the Dr Who Micro Universe clockwork robots? The dress is okay, right?

I'm mostly VSF, but could always use them as archaic attired automatons. Perhaps a crazed Bourbon decides to take his dreams of the reestablishment of the monarchy to a new level?

Doug