"Does anyone do Napoleonic Imaginations?" Topic

There are lots of 18th Century imaginations out there does anyone do 19th Century?

I run a fictional PBEM campaign based on 1813. I use the names of historical commanders, but everything else is fictional. The orders of battle, deployment, campaign objectives are all fictional. not sure if that qualifies as 19th Century imaginations?

I thought Tango did? Ah yes here's the link

Armand [Tango01] lives in Buenos Aires and he plays big (really big) battles with his 1/72 figurines.

All the battles, take place in the context of a fictitious campaign located in Africa in century XIX. In his Ucronia, European-like powers fight [for] the control of the territory, faced in two antagonistic blocks: the Allied (German, Austrian, British, Hungarian….) and the Associated (French, Spanish…).

It is a solo-campaign, in which many of the participating generals have their personality developed, in a way similar to role-playing, so Armand is really writing a full history.

The atmosphere is Napoleonic and the tactical rules have been developed by the author. The man:figure ratio is 1:1, so Armand must move several thousands of figures in each battle.

He plays only [one] battle a year (during a full month) and spends the rest of the time, writing, painting and preparing the next battle.

TMP link

Yes, of course, the history of my Grand Duchy of Nordmark includes the French revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. The Nordmarkers fought with the Prussians in 1806 alongside the Saxons. They held Hohenlohe's left rear against Bernadotte's I Corp (yes, the real reason he never showed up at either Auerstadt or Jena). Nordmark then joined the Confed of the Rhine and were next present in 1809 against the Austrians. The history is all written and recorded and I've re-fought the actions.

in the planning stages. Rather than do all the work I'll probably use a fantasy world (Judges Guild or Harn) for the terrain, villages, etc. and change out the armies for Napoleonic.

I would imagine the problem with Imagi-Nation Napoleonics is napoleon.

LOL Ottoathome +1. I've sort of fuzzed the edges of the Napoleonic era in my Sharps Practice games with the core still set strongly in reality but other events relating to my troops being fiction.
Cheers and a nice era to build those fictitious units that defy the norm Croatian Foot Hussars are being built as we speak :)

Flintloque?

Tony

The 19th century world is just ripe for imagi-nation activity. Colonies in revolt, small wars between the great powers and recent fledgling nations, and the possibility of breakaway polities from shambling behemoths like the Ottoman Empire or China.

I would imagine the problem with Imagi-Nation Napoleonics is napoleon.

Well, you could base it on Napoleon's 'Other' relatives. The ones that are colonising a Found Continent. used as a dumping ground for all of Europe's not-so glitteratti. You know, every family has at least one or more gauche, outre cousins that could ruin a War. So cart them off to 'This Land'.

I wonder how Game of Thrones would translate into Napoleonics. Perhaps something like:

The North: Russia ("Winter is coming")
The Rock: Britain
The Iron Islands: Prussia
The Vale: Austria
The Stormlands: France
Dorne: Spain
The Reach: A composite of smaller states such as Italy, Poland, Saxony

Yep, Edenstein and Alfunburg. Spans the 17th through 19th Centuries. Much fun.

link

Years ago after changing my 1-60 to 1-20 back to 1-60 I had a lot of extra Prussian currassiers I made them into a imagination regiment. At a war game store I mentioned this and while only speaking to one guy he thought it was the stupidest idea he ever heard. Not long after they were changed into Russian cuirrassers. At 15mms there isn't a lot of differences.

Back in the days of the Airfax ?HO scale? plastic sets (1960', 70's?), I took Union infantry and Artillery figures, carved them up – making a Spencer or Bardin-like coat (without lapels) with short turnbacks, added epoxy blobs to the head. When solid, I filed them into a French/Prussian type shako.

I then made plaster of Paris molds, and uses 50/50 Lead/tin Solder to pour metal figures.

I cut the first couple millimeters from straight pins to give them bayonet scabbards on the left rear, on a waist belt.

I used solid-core solder, filed it into the shape of Prussian Grenadier plumes, and made some grenadier figures.

I painted the units in dark green – about like French dragoon green, not the almost-black Russian green. I painted on shoulder boards in varied colors to designate infantry units. My light companies had light green bands top and "V's" on the side.

I called the mythical state "Pohansko," allegedly from the area of the current Czech Republic east into Slovakia, and what used to be Podkarpatski Rus (Sub-Carpthian Ruthenia). Influences were French (shako shape, and green bands); Prussian (Grenadier plumes); Russian (not-as-green uniform coat; and the shoulder board idea). They had a single waist belt with just the bayonet – probably the only Pohan unique feature.

Made lancers in green with scarlet collars, cuffs and turnbacks, and French-style cylindrical shakos – at their size, passed for Garde eclaireurs! But lambs wool saddle edged scarlet.

I did a chasseur figure with the same source, sky blue cylindrical shako, collar, cuffs, turnbacks.

The native indian set furnished the running horses, epoxied to make the lambswool shabraque. Horse and stand were separate pieces.

Also used an Indian with rifle in his hand, carved down to carbine size. Added epoxy to the head, and cut away lots f the Indian feathers, resulting in a master for a hussar. Did one in green with scarlet breeches, gloss black short boots.

Fun, but no one in my group wanted to game in that scale. I did use them on a board game setup, where each figure represented an infantry battalion; cavalry squadron; or battery. I used the Civil War Airfix guns for this army – a British Napoleonic-era influence!

GdeP

While recently spending 12 years in Texas, too far from other wargamers, I painted a lot of Old Glory 15's. I found I had to use epoxy to make a correct helmet, brass wrapped in scarlet cloth, for the French 7YW Legion de Clermont Prince (Belgians?) in buff coat, faced scarlet; and had enough left over to do another battalion. (I paint Prussians and Austrians in units of 48 infantry; and French in units of 36, plus 3 detachable grenadiers; and 3 detachable "chasseurs.)

Painted them as the Legion la Mythique in dark brown coat with scarlet facings, borrowed from the WAS French unit La Morliere. Infantry of real La Morliere unit wore a truncated hussar-style shako with "flamme," but I did them in silver helmet with scarlet cloth band around the base (much as the actual La Morliere cavalry wore). Invented my own flag, and ready to fight if my buds here in PA ever "get back into the game!"

GdeP

I'm working on Piedmontese and Venetian units for the Napoleonic period. They're not really imagi-nations but I'll be pretending they did a lot better against the French than they did and maybe play a few scenarios based on the assumption that the Italians got a little better organised.

I may do some Veronese and some Duchy of Modena as well.

Not Napoleonic but I like the idea of an late 19th Century Imaginations, 1860s-1890s.

Can make some nice looking units.

Never sure I have found the need – there are enough small German states for me to enjoy a fictional 1805-7 campaign setti8ng.

But I do have Imagis based around 1700-1750, so what do I know.

Enjoy the period, whatever they are called.

Sure, Neapolitans. Weren't they kind of fictional? How about this: paint Swedes and pretend that they actually entered the battle.

Well the start of the period went ImagiNation for real with all those republics with cool names like Cispadane or Batavian. If Napoleon had gone the way of dividing to finish old regimes instead of just desperately trying to be accepted as a peer to the ancient nobility-monarchies, Napoleonic ImagiNations could have been aplenty. Split Austria into Hungary, Austria proper and different Balkan dominions; end Prussia for good (a better future for all) and sthrengthen Poland while also (re)creating Brandenburg, Pommern or Bohemia…

I am (still) making a Napoleonic ImagiNation army (it is taking years!) based in my own country, Catalonia. In real history it was considered both by the French Directory back in 1793-4 and by 1808 (both by the Spanish pretendent Ferdinand, who wanted to exchange it for Napoleon's recognition as the Spanish monarch, and by the French by 1810, too late, being instead straight annexed to the Empire) to be made a separate (buffer) state. Using a "parent" appriach as suggested, I chose a daughter of Joseph Bonaparte, Charlotte, to be the princess of the new state…

Well I was but then I started painting them all properly!!

In the forward to "The Wargame" Brig. Peter Young wrote that he and Lawford'a game "Charge" was Napoleonic. Certainly the period tactics are there.. Perhaps then, the forces employed in "Charg!" were Napoleonic rather than earlier Imaginations.

Bob

Bob, good point regarding Young and the book "Charge." The first wargaming book I owned. But years into it, I soon realized that most of the figures and terms in the book were Seven Years War -- but certainly Imaginations. At that time (late 1960's), I think they had very little choice since they had so few options for figures -- had to blend the periods. Great book. Thanks for the memories. My well worn copy still sits on the shelf.

Thanks. Reading Charge! it struck me that the rules are fine for a Napoleon if game. The forward to The Wargame confirmed it. Use it for Napoleon's me self although all my figures are Slaughtreloo fantasy types.

Interesting point about figure availability. I wonder if that was a factor.

We've used minor country Napoleonic troops, Bavarian, Poland, Wurttemburg, Westphalia, Neapolitan and Italy with the old GDW's "Soldier King" game as the campaign engine. The board game has a point-to-point make-believe continent with simple movement rules. With several club members, having several of these armies in adequate numbers was possible.

Not fully imagination, but it was fun. We played several campaigns this way.

Yes but it was years ago and my gaming buddy and I mixed in real nations at will. The whole campaign was set on a medium sized island with the small neutral power trying to fight both against both sides (those allied to the French and those allied to the British).

Like I hear about many other campaigns, ours petered out as we graduated and started lives seperated by hundreds of miles.

My dad created a continent (Antea), although he stole several names, so there is some semi-historical stuff mixed in.
The continent is vaguely close to an offset rectangle, with an island chain stretching north from the northwest point, and the southern region mainly consisting of larger islands.
The Antean Empire is the largest faction by land area, controlling about 2 3rds of the north half of the continent. However, its army is spread thin and its navy near nonexistent. Most of the troops and names are Germanic.
The east is dominated by the Triple Kingdom of Ruritania, Karelia and Karatania, which is vaguely Hungarian/Finnish. It has the second largest land army and is the most developed in terms of colonies.
To the west is the obviously French Galicia (although it uses Latin place names). It has the largest land army but a relatively small navy.
To the south is the Greek/Italian Pontevedro, which has the best navy, but the smallest land army of the major powers. Its troops are mainly SYW Prussian and 1806 Saxons.
In the centre are five landlocked powers. Rasenna uses Saxons as well, although its names are Romance-influenced. Mittmark is Württemburgish, Hemling uses British troops but is really closer to Hannover. Brie Comte is the equivalent of Belgium (at least Wallonia), using a mix of troops, and finally there is Livonia, which is more or less Poland.

Please see Dan Richardson, Trojan Art Painter, video on You Tube, Dressed to Kill, a mostly Napoleonic Imagi-Nation. Absolutely beautifully painted figures. Lots of Minifigs.
He wrote home grown rules and there are hexes on his game table.