"The heck with truth, it's more fun this way!" Topic

Is there any particular convention (especially with painting or unit stats) that you ignore because it is more fun that way?

For example, Dan S has (unfortunately) convinced me that the Hakkapeliita of TYW fame probably weren't any better than Standard Swedish cav of the era; but in my army they are: Because it is more fun that way.

Same with some of GARS (Gustavus) units – yeah I know they aren't supposed to be uniforms – but I like painting them like that.

Anybody else have examples?

My Polish 10th motorised are *ALL* black, except for flesh and weapon stocks. To be fair, this has a LOT to do with lazy painterliness.

My Hoplite and Early Libyan armies are both amazon armies.

Oh, and camoflaged Soave Marines.

My American Span-Am warships are in the peacetime white hull with tan/buff upper works simply because I prefer it to the actual grey.

A lot of my British Victorian era colonials are in red coats, regardless of where they're fighting.

I pored through Haythornthwaite before deciding to paint my early war Confederates as South Carolina's "Charleston Zouaves".

Then I realised that the castings lacked the Charleston Zouave's epaulettes.
I considered the prospect of getting busy with the greenstuff, but realised that actually, I wasn't the least bothered by the prospect of fielding epaulette-less Zouaves.

I know. I'm some kind of monster.

Since I am a redhead, all my CinC's are, too!!
John

I too paint my colonial British in red jackets. I like the look of the red with white belts.

Matthew

More British Colonials in red coats, here. I just think they look better that way.

7th Cav with kerchiefs and gauntlets. John Ford had a better eye than reality…

AWI British in cocked hats/tricornes throughout the war, even down south.

You will take away the Colours from my American Revolution British Guards from their cold dead hands.

And my 1813 Napoleonic Prussian Reserve and Landwehr battalions feel the same way, as do my French line battalions!

Jim

Well, let's see…

-My TYW Swedes have more Saxon Cuirassiers than they've a right to, that 3/4 Plate is dang sharp if you ask me.

-Like many here, I am guilty of recycling British Colonial infantry, but mine are gray coated, kilted, Scots. Sudan War Black Watch showing up anywhere in the Sudan, and occasionally in Afghanistan, is beyond a stretch. I unicorn promise that the 24th Foot have their own minis, though, and 6mm covers a multitude of sins.

-Basically all my War of the Roses heraldry is made up, as it does double duty for fantasy gaming

-My British militia for FIW all wear brown coats with red facings. I'm pretty sure the coats were a dark blue with red facings for the Virginia Regiment.

Well, that's probably not conclusive, but, that's at least one per period. An inaccuracy a miniature keeps the doctor away!

And if we need a good 40k joke, my Blood Angels aren't wearing recognized Astartes marks of powered armor. It looks sorta like Mark VI Corvus, but it ain't… ;)

My LRDG force are all mounted in Mark II Cortinas and wear tricorne hats.

All my FPW Prussians have full standards because they look better than the tatters they would ave had…

all my 54mm 19th Century armies are in full parade dress because I like the look.

Mike

I commit all sorts of appalling faux pas, either because I'm lazy or it is more fun that way.

My Romans are all in nice neat white or red tunics.

All my APW/FPW armies have nice flags.

I made up most of the French flags for my WSS armies, because really life is too short…

My 20mm 'Celts' stand in for any and all barbarian armies, because I would rather poke my eyes out than ever have to paint another Celt checked shirt ever again.

My Colonial British are all in khaki with white/buff crossbelts, as I think it looks nice.

Most of my WW1 British tanks are painted green, because the Airfix Mark 1 box art showed they were green.

My WW2 Russian tanks are definately painted green, because all those recently unearthed WW2 camo schemes just look silly. Russian stuff is green. End of.

My WW1 15mm British are in brown khaki because I didn't know any better and I certainly can't botherd to repaint them. Besides, WW1 was muddy.

WW1 and WW2 British webbing is always unblancoed, because I've been painting them that way for forty years and it looks nice against the khaki uniforms.

I have stopped painting collar insignia and waffenfarbe on my WW2 Germans as my eyesight has deteriorated. So far the sky hasn't fallen in.

I paint 1943+ WW2 German vehicles in Humbrol desert sand, because I've been doing them that way for forty years.

Many of my units morf into something they are not for a game. I've played Marengo w/ Russian Austrians and my German 3.7 AT guns have fought on Guadalcanal w/ the US Marines for a couple of examples.

Yes my Cello Grenadiers have three flags instead of the required two and I painted up ten buttoned Piccolos marines as eight buttoned Baritone jager, oh my, the sins I have committed :D pure button counter heresy.
If it looks good, if it works and if its fun, who has a right to say your wrong? Cheers happy gaming all. One of my real hearsays? Besides atrocious spelling :) I use kilted Scots in India circa 1800 oh no! The wore tight trousers I'm told not even trews and horrors no bonnets, but Sharps Practice games would be dull if the Scots didn't have kilts.

My ancients are all much too uniform in painting and poses, a left over habit from getting started in the hobby with Napoleonics. Same with my TYW. It's one thing that has kept me form painting my mass of Italian war figures. I really can't bring myself to the new style of individual poses prompted by the various 28mm plastic sets. I know the variety looks more realistic but it's just not my style.

When I'm at your house I play by your rules.

I like to paint what I like to paint and fit them into humorous and burlesque stories. Thus Mohawks and Mongols are part of an army supposedly made up of the "Kleinstaaterie" of 18 th century Germany.

I like to put small dioramas on stands, even if it makes them look entirely un-military or not in combat.

Just like the motto above on rules, "When it's your collection you can put into it whatever you want."

Same as above – red coats for colonial Brits. Add white sun helmet and you have my take on "history as I should have been".

I also do Spanish American War and a few of my Spanish officers are in dress uniform.

I admit my 15mm forests are devoid of wildlife, but only because the deer have never left the painting table and nobody makes a 15mm scale squirrel. The cows are coming out for the battle of White Marsh next month, though.

- Ix

My American Span-Am warships are in the peacetime white hull with tan/buff upper works simply because I prefer it to the actual grey.

Everybody does that. I bet the buff & white paint schemes outnumber the gray ones by a large multiplier in miniature pre-dreadnought collections around the world. Similarly, most WWII merchant ships have tan wood decks, most Nelsonian SOLs are painted in the black and white checker pattern, most iron ships are rust-free… it's the Accepted Wargaming Standard™.

I started adding boats to my WWI ships because it adds the impression of detail and lets me make each ship of a class somewhat unique. I don't care that a ship cleared for battle wouldn't have so many, the ships look more like the peacetime photos, and superdetailing is fun!

- Ix

Colonial British in red, or at least some of them. Royal Marines in dark blue that they may or may not have worn on combat.

Some ECW cavalry in red coats. ECW figures with fancy plumes.

Napoleonic British with fully unfurled colours – I'm told, by a well respected historian, that they were only half unfurled for combat.

Generally troops in prettier uniforms than they probably wore in reality.

Tonight I will be giving some buff coats to Swedish TYW cavalry. I figure even if not issued, the first time they beat a unit that had them – some would be acquired.

My 19th century Austrians wear both white jackets and great coats. I plan on using them for 1859 and 1866.

I never make any historical or other mistakes. I'm porfukt.

The collective has no plans to buy genuine 3rd Century Romans for Aurelian when it already has plenty of LIR figures eager for action.

ALL my russian battalions have flags ,all 32 of them…….crimean war, half in caps, half in helmets, and no they are not mixed

All the queens regiments must wear red service coats, white webbing, and cream/ white cork sun helmets.