"Is there a generic uniform...?" Topic

Hi all,

Okay, so totally not my era… but I wanted to ask, is there an acceptably generic uniform that could cover an officer from the AWI/SYWF&I/lace Wars eras? Maybe not one that would work for the most button-counting of player, but something the majority of players would be okay with?

Thanks all!

I would say no. You could get by with maybe a F&I uniform for an AWI militia unit, but the styles changed quite a bit between the Lace War era and AWI.

If you had a whole unit you could perhaps use a Lace Wars unit as a backwater state's contribution to, say, the Reichsarmee, but overall the SYW and early Lace War uniforms were, as noted, quite different

I think if not, then you need to find a more relaxed crowd to game with. 18th Century is generally decidedly more chill than the Napoleonic crowd. I play very generic/imagination armies and we have a great time. Officers are denoted by the extra uniform details.

Technically, I guess the answer is, "no." If you are just playing for fun and/or you are not worried about button counters, an officer's generic uniform would be well cut, made out of good cloth, and have pretty lace and buttons -- big cuffs are optional -- and there should be a sword or walking stick somewhere about the officer's person.

We have been known to mix in units from different eras, but whether they are close enough to look correct is a separate issue. Indian warriors from the FIW look close enough for the AWI to satisfy most wargamers. You can also find certain AWI militia figures who could pass for armed civilians in the FIW, especially if you stayed away from hunting shirts and rifles. The appearance of the AWI British and French forces, and the uniforms of the American continentals varied significantly from what was worn in the FIW.

I have heard that AWI Hessians are close enough so some could be used for 7YW Prussians. Maybe someone with more Prussian knowledge can comment on this.

What scale?

Hey guys!

Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it!

I'm actually working on creating a figure for sale… but I want to make sure there is something for approximately this era, you know? Something imagination guys could use, and also some guys around the AWI sort of era? But I don't know a DARN thing about the era!

Honestly, if anyone could link a uniform they thing would be one that a number of the guys of these eras could use, I'd hugely appreciate it… one there are tricorns, I'm out of my element:)

Thanks!:)

Personally, I wouldn't try to produce a figure to cover that great a period of time. A game between friends is one thing, marketing a figure like that is something else.

There is a bit of a trick to it that might make people really want the figure… can't really get into the details quite yet… but it's the sort of thing where a number of people might want it, and I just want to make sure to cover as many people as possible, if that makes sense?

No, there are no uniforms that can span the periods you listed.

Before you paint, get some uniform books. It is a good investment. Well I guess you can do what you want. You really shouldn't lump all those periods into one uniform. Read!

To be honest, I'm not even sure where those periods overlap! That's why I asked here… a lot of experts and people who could, in four minutes, figure out what what take me a dozen hours and dozens of books to figure out… which, when you have two small children, a wife who works when you do not, and are balancing two jobs… well, that's why I was hoping for help from my kind fellow wargamers!:)

SYW Prussians to AWI Hessians, definitely. American militia, maybe. French or British regulars, definitely not: It's not just details that change, the whole cut of the coat is tighter and shorter, making for a very different outline.

um, I have to ask- why are you sailing out onto an ocean for which you have no charts… or even a boat?

Along the same vein-What is it about the 18th century your Lordship which interests you enough to spend your efforts and your money to produce a line of figures?

Why? That other people might like what we can offer?:). Same reason I maintain the blog… do stuff people might enjoy :)

I know this sounds very strange and mysterious and random, but there is something there, I promise… just not able to exactly discuss yet. Will within a few weeks!:)

If you watch Pirates of the Caribbean and didn't go into a fit, you can follow their lead as the costumes covered about 100 year period.

Maybe not one that would work for the most button-counting of player…

If by "counting buttons" you mean accurate figures. For the money I spend on figures for the AWI, you better believe I am "counting buttons".

Eighteenth century? Pretty well anyone on a tricorne would do for me. My eighteenth century armies (WSS right through to SYW) are just the same figures painted different colours.

I'm not that fussy.

So this is a fantasy figure?

Hi guys,

Thanks to the people who helped out… it seems there isn't really a way to pull this off. What can you do… maybe next time, if we have a bit more financial reach!

And sorry, to be clear… by "button counters" I mean the type of person who could look at a beautiful army of toy soldiers and insist that it is a travesty because the waistcoats should have three buttons but are sculpted with four. That type. If you are one of those… well, I'm sorry ;)

Buttons aren't usually a problem for 15mm. For 18s, you can add or remove.

Now, if the hat is shaped completely wrong or the gear? Then I pass. If I'm going to devote time and effort to build an army, I want it to look right.

Of course! I was hoping to find something that could roughly cover a few eras so we could offer a unique upcoming project to as many wargamers as possible… we'll figure out a way to make some folks happy at least!:)

Frontiersmen volunteers would wear similar dress during these wars.

I have to wonder to whom his Lordship will finally be taking uniform advice from? Makes me shudder. LOL

This might fit the bill since they often travel to different time periods:

link

I think that an Austrian uniform woud look generic enough. It has large cuffs and the fit is a little tighter than the French uniform. It has lapels on it If you don't want lapels, then I would model the figure after the SYW French musketeer uniform with turnbacks.

Fritz

historygamer- LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

Fritz, I appreciate it! I know you know your stuff with this. Any chance you would be willing to shoot me a link or email with an example of exactly which you are talking about? I'd appreciate it if you could!

Will be able to post what we are doing with them within a few weeks… pretty unique wargames thing, and we are bring it to Cold Wars!:)

L A;
I think your 'really' over stretching with your goal. A type of character that you expect to just be able to 'pop' onto a battlefield at any time during an entire century and blend right in.
For a casual group of friends, not a problem, but for someone thats going to put down hard earned cash for, yea I'd expect something more precise.

I do wish your group best of luck, but its as if your running a race with out knowing where the track is.

Sure, of course I might be overstretching! That's why I said, in the original post, "is there…". I didn't know if there was; I don't know much about a number of these conflicts. I know that the Seven Years War and French and Indian war involved many of the same nations and occurred at roughly the same time… and that the American Revolution came just a decade or two later… and I don't know much about the lace wars, although I think they sort of ended a decade or two before the SYW? If there *is* something that could satisfy gamers of a few War eras, I was hoping someone could let me know:).

If there is not, okay, tell me that too, and a suggestion from someone more knowledgeable for something that might cover at least a few of those would be appreciated:). I know some wargamers are happy to discuss, and help with, that sort of thing.

No biggie now; we've largely dropped it from the current plans (going with the more popular ones… Napoleonic, ancients, American Civil War, WWII) but hoping that once we put out what we are planning some helpful fellow wargamers like Fritz or Musketier or Bill above can get what we are trying to do and offer their thoughts, so maybe they can make use of what we are doing:)

Oh, btw, while it might not matter, it is an officer of some sort I was thinking of, not an enlisted man. Totally random, but I realize I never actually said that!:)

You actually did say "officer" in the OP.

But good luck making your roll to have folks around here answer the actual question.
=^,^=

Here is a picture of the Austrian uniform of the SYW era, found on Kronoskaf

link

Awesome, thanks Fritz! I really appreciate it:)

I use Zvezda Great Northern War figures – they have a tricorn therefore, for me, are "lace wars". I guess I am not that fussy. (But for Napoleonics, everything has to be right, so no offence intended to "proper" tricorn period gamers and collectors)

Will be interested to see if you ever get traction on this project

Marc

Hey guys!

I hadn't checked back in on this in a bit… yeah, the project has done pretty well:) What we are doing is creating generic miniature bodies, and then doing free scans of gamers heads and making them a miniature of themself!

We debuted at Cold Wars, continued at Little Wars, and now have a half dozen more cons upcoming, including Historicon and, fingers crossed, GenCon. So far it seems that people enjoy the product… I know that I thoroughly enjoy having a miniature me leading my Viking army and my Napoleonic army! Plus, it's been a great excuse to meet gamers and people I know from blogs and even from TMP:D

Here are a few of the models we have done up…

Our Roman General

Our Viking Warlord

Our Norman Knight

Our French Napoleonic Colonel

Our Waffen SS Officer

For the tricorn folks, it seems like we'll be doing a British AWI officer, to be released at Historicon as part of our Brother Versus Brother wave… not sure if there is another tricorn era that is popular enough to get made. If anyone wants to share any particularly good images, feel free, although that's an era we've got a good handle on;)

And if you come to Historicon, please do visit us for a free scan, and consider picking up a miniature you!:)

Oh, I should mention, because of how I crossposted this… in the wave AFTER Brother Versus Brother, we WILL be including a Pirate… so the Blood and Plunder people can get a Pirate Captain THEM to lead their crews:)

This was us, at Cold Wars:)

No as mentioned there were drastic changes in the coat from the Syw to the AmRev era.
However if the officer was in frontier dress then he could be used for the AmRev and F&I war eras.

10 or 6 mm, grey.

Hope to see you guys at Fall In. Id be in for several models.

My main query is why?

Why?
Because fashions change?

Oh a clothes horse eh?