"In Defence (Attack) of practical jokes in gaming." Topic

First let me define what I mean by practical jokes. This is something done in miniatures that makes a joke on the players. For example. If you examine the wagons in my
18th century Army you will see one which is set up like a ration wagon with a guard and a driver, but in the back is down and it looks like a typical "roach coach" and there is an "O" guarge figure of a 1950's waitress on roller skates supporting a tray.

If you look on the Colors of the regiments you will notice puns and out of period references, for example the "Red Cavalry" a brigade of three dragoon regiments witht he names of "Gentlemen Mutineers," "The Princess' Horse Revolutionaries" and "The Loyal Insurrectionists" all dressed in red has standards with references to the Soviet Era and so forth.

The Mackattack Indians are skirmishers with them in various poses. One of them however has two of them peering over bushes and behind a rock at a couple "en-flagrante delicto."

Most games players don't notice them, but when they do it's What…. What!!??? WHATTTT!!!???

Are these things fine or over the line.

Another regiment, the Royal Marine Regiment (called the Floatsam and Jetsam Regiment) has a navy seal on it. It's a model of a seal, in a wash tub borne on a wheelbarrow, and with a beach ball on it's nose.

I think it's pretty groovy.

To me that is character to the set up. A friend of mine made a water tower for a steam engine train and had a few towels hanging on the side with a few bathers in the water tank.

Matthew

Once playing Civil War, my opponent was calling out the moral of some of his units and pointed at one and said this is my green regiment. And of course that is the first one I sent attacks after.

When the moral phase happened he stated that this particular regiment had veteran status. I objected reminding him of his earlier statement. He proceeded to pick up a stand and hand it to me.

Green flesh tone on every figure.

Long ago, when I painted up Airfix Ancient Britons as orcs for Middle Earth (yeah, before lead (real lead) minis were available – or at least, before I knew of them), Saruman's orcs had some "interesting" white hands on their shields. Most had the basic 'stop' hand, (or the Red Hand of Ulster), but some sported peace signs, the finger, etc.

I tend to go slightly insane when I've been working too long on terrain and miniatures for a new project.

My first Hirst Bricks project, while I was building Weathertop, I eventually scribed some graffiti under the stairs. It says "Elrond Is A Fairy".

My zombie town has become a magnet for little easter eggs tucked away here and there. I park Ghost Rider's motorcycle in the handicapped parking slot, usually next to the Mystery Machine and one or another version of the Batmobile. The die-cast vehicles from the movie Cars were the right scale, so a couple of my emergency vehicles still have eyes for windshields. I have an "UNKIND DONUTS" shop, a sign in the gas station saying "Long Haired Freaky People Need Not Apply", and Han Solo Frozen In Carbomite tossed in the back dumpster. I hope to someday make a billboard with the Chick-Fil-A cows holding signs that say "Eat More Children".

Sure

I mostly do this the names of commanders

Barbarians – Gottagetafix, Musthavefix, Igor the Smelly, etc.

Romans – The tribune Gluteus Maximus, Legate Noxious Carbuncle, Senator Odious Orifice

I have a 15mm diagram of druids praying & sacrificing to the 'god of sixes" (a die with all numbers removed except the six).

I also have a WFB flag for my vikings – a mermaid on ablue field. The motto says "chicken of the sea" in Finnish

My 15mm ancient Brits have a stand of 'beastie boys', their shield designs are a BMW badge, a merc badge and a Toyota badge. No-one has ever picked up on it in a game

A few years back I set up the terrain for a Wild West game, which featured a road that happened to pass by a rather tall cliff. I placed a large boulder in the middle of the road beneath the cliff, and had a small wooden sign sticking halfway out from under the boulder. One of the players got curious and had a figure go look at the sign, which read "Free Birdseed".

Yes, there was a coyote on top of the cliff…

Dear Tachikoma

I put Burma=shave signs on terrain.

Otto

Hate any types anywhere, any time. Least favorite day of the year…April 1st

Sometimes used 2 elephants in battle – one was painted white, the other one pink.

My D&D wizard had various arcane symbols painted on his robes – pi, H20, E = MC2 – can't put subscript 2 or squaredsymbol here, might be useful future 'fix' if anyone's watching…

I think most of those are just fine. I like them to be subtle and not over the top. One of my Stuarts in Company H is "Haunted Tank."

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog

Years ago I played 15mm Napoleonics in Raleigh, NC with a group that had a "quarter-pounder" artillery battery, a carriage with "two all beef patties, etc…" One of the best scratch builds I had yet seen.

I would call this whimsy, and very much approve.

JJ you left out Natalie Wood and New Orc City.

I have an old unit of Irish looking Celts from the 70s.
They are all left-handed.
Does that count?

For a friends Sudan campaign (you know who you are!) I made some dervish flags with decidedly non-Koran verses.

"Hey Gordan,
your mother was a hamster
and your father
smelt of berries."

"Practice random
kindness and
senseless acts
of beauty"

"Have a
nice day."

Used an online translator, and had my Arabic speaking son verified them. Or course, no one got the joke, let alone notice it.

A friend and me are building some streets of a roman town in 1/72 for this August. Next to the tavern, I have a stairs conducting to a "lectus et ientaculum" (bed and breakfast).

I also have a giant frog as a pet of my French napoleonic division in 15mm.

There was a large battle of Alesia game at a convention in England. In one of the warbands two Celts were carrying a banner that said "Ban the Ballista" Astric and Obelix were also in one of the warbands.

I believe this kind of thing should be compulsory in a HotT army. My Bunny army will, if it ever gets built, have actual Easter Eggs

@freerangeegg

Of course no one gets it. If memory serves it was a VW symbol. Of course by now memory doesn't serve that well and I refuse to google Beasty Boys

John

Doesn't bother me hugely either way, but it helps if everyone is on hte same page.

Someone trying to be serious in a mostly silly game? Bad time.
Someone trying to be goofy in a mostly serious game? Bad time.

Make sure everyone is on the same page, and I'm fine whether it's goofy or serious business.