"Figures for ImagiNation?" Topic

I'm considering entering the world of ImagiNationing in 15mm and am considering which figures to use. I get the "18th Cent" part but was wondering if anyone uses Napoleonic era minis along with more proper WSS, FIW,SYW, etc. figs. Also, I'm open to color suggestions… Mauve and a Lime-ish Green come to mind. Oh and what are your thoughts on these names {suggestions welcome): Pseudonia and The Grande Duchy of Faux.

The rule is: use the figures you want in the color scheme you like. If you violate this rule you will be banished from your own imagination.

At least dye your uniforms with dyes that were available at the time. And CHEAP.
You want to get on the right side of the Colonels of your regiments, and a little graft on their part is always appreciated.
There are reasons some colors were not used.

Or, make it up.

I always liked Archbishoprics as state entities. Have it ruled by a Non-Conformist Archbishop. I have no idea what a non-conformist is, but I suspect they would disapprove of archbishops in general. So make him a cardinal.
You have a built in excuse for religious strife with your neighbors.

L Sprague de Camp had a fantasy series with strange governments like The Hereditary Usurper and the Grand Bastard.
And don't forget Salic Law. More good excuses for strife.

I like the names

If building sevral armies. I would have each army from a different period. To make them more different.

So "French" in WSS uniforms "British" in SYW uniform ect.

Dear Karl Von Hessen

I run the "Society of Daisy" which is a Yahoo community devoted to Imagi-Nations and Imagination in war games. Generally you can do imagi-nations in any era you like and people do. People do it from the far ancient world to modern times. Personally I have Imagi-nations in that far ancient world, also the Greek City states, 18th Century, The American Civil War, and Between WWI and WWII. You can use any figures or period you like. The key isn't the figures it's developing a satisfactory back story behind the imagi-nation. I hope that helps. If you want more information, the Society puts out a quarterly PRINT ONLY newsletter quarterly, and has been doing so for 12 years now. Subscription is $10 USD a year for four issues, purely to defray costs. Two years ago we devoted a solid year to creating and running imagi-nations. If you wish send me your postal delivery address to me at sigurd@eclpse.net and I will mail you copies of the issues with the most concentrated group of articles.

But as far as figures, any figures are good. If you look at Don Featherstone's book "War Games" or those of Charles Grant or Peter Young, they are all "imagi-nations."

Hi all,

Not related to the horse & musket era, but bear with me…

Last year, whilst at Partizan (UK) a few of us were looking at the 6mm Baccus Crusades range, but it turned out that none of us fancied doing Saracens.

Long story short, we all purchased a 13th century Frankish medieval army & ended up painting them in our own family colours – a sort of Baron wars project, but with each player playing themselves, leading their own family into battle.

It has already led to a number of very entertaining battles, with family honour playing a very big part…

I had never seen the point of ImagiNation before, but I really enjoy it now – and being 6mm its very cheap.

Cheers,
Rob

Me again…

Thought I'd add a pic of some of our Medieval forces… this lot are part of the House Bartram forces…

Cheers,
Rob

Great ideas all

For my Imagination (SYW type) I have it as an Electorate (i.e. Prince-Elector)

For uniforms I use colours that I like for the regulars; for the militia I get colour suggestions from my kids

Now for my medieval units I use colours that my kids recommend – my last unit was orange and white because our youngest likes orange and white

My Axphanian forces are dressed in the Russian Potemkin uniforms.

In the only 'imaginations' game I've played in I'm pretty sure my troops were Napoleonic KGL in yellow coats! So I'd say use whichever troops you like the look of!

-Will

Mine is to be rather different, the grand duchy of Ross, green faced with odd regimentals, for the nation's foot regiments against the margrave of Livingston, Austrian types, so think green Prussians vs Austrians using Spencer's and All the Kings men rules with double sized units.

Thanks to you all for your responses. I was just wondering if regiments with shakos or, even, helmets would be TOO out of place with SYW tricorns. Much input to consider. Thank you all again.

Karl (aka Carl)

Well, if you are focusing on mid-eighteenth century, I'd generally avoid both shakos and helmets (except maybe some cavalry in helmets).

But what the heck, I have some shako wearing folks in my pirate collection that is supposed to be late 17th to early 18th century – but pirates can be pretty loose. I just used them because I had the figures and decided I wan't going to be swallow by Napoleonics and there weren't enough to sell well. (Actually, they might have been a bit later into the first few decades of the 19th century, come to think of it.) But, so far, no one's really complained. They don't stand out too much in a collection of 1600 (soon to be over 1800) pirates and their enemies.

If Falcon Figures Gustavian Swedes were still available, I'd go with those, as they're in stockings, jackets with piping and hats with feathers but since they're not, I'd look at some of the more off-beat 7YW or AWI uniforms and see what you like.

Since Musket Miniatures are back in production, check out their Rhode Island and South Carolina infantry in helmets (1770s is a bit on the tail end of the 18th century). Also, check out the uniforms of the Brabant Rebellion to get an idea on the use of helmets, since the Brabanters used helmets in a lot of units.

Thanks Swampking and everyone else (again)

The mid-1700s are arguably the point where military dress starts to diverge from civilian fashion. There was at least one French Legion (infantry and cavalry), and several of their light cavalry regiments, wearing helmets by the late Seven Years' War, and of course light troops of all nations modelled on the Croats and Hussars wore the felt cap that would morph into the shako. As others have pointed out, by the 1770s and 80s it gets quite experimental, and with imaginations in that period you have even more latitude.

PS: None less than Maurice de Saxe was arguing for some pretty weird kit in the 1740s, so there's really no limit to your imagination.

TMP link

Someone even started producing miniatures of these, but the project seems to be on hold.

strackenz.blogspot.be

Thanks Musketier