Imaginary countries?

[Ivan Sorensen]

Maybe this is heresy so please don’t chase me out of town with pitchforks and torches 🙂

There’s a fair trend (Presumably started with AK47 Republic) of making imaginary ex-soviet states and African republics for generic modern gaming. I always felt something like that could be done for “pseudo-napoleonic” gaming. Invent a couple of little duchies and paint them up as you like, then run a little campaign about them beating the stuffing out of each other.

The principality of Hansenstein versus the South-Odeserian Trade League.

As an extra benefit, no one can berate you for getting the sleeves wrong.

[Iain Fuller]

Hello Ivan,

I’m actually starting an Age of Eagles project where I’m doing something similar. It is born from my obsession with the German states armies and a need to find a framework that can justify having say the late Hannoverian army fighting the Westfalian army.

It is based in an alernative history 1815 and uses the premise that a deal was struck in 1813 engineered by Metternich that meant that Napoleon abdicates and is now the King of Italy – haven’t decided wether Louis Phillipe or Louis XVIII ges the throne of France yet. To keep the Prussians in check in Germany two new countries have appeared west of the Rhine: Gd Duchy of Pfalz (ruled by Eugene de B. – he was married to a Bavarian princess after all) and Kgdm of Julich-Kleve-Berg (not sure who to give this one to) which covers the rest of the Rhineland and Westfalia not reclaimed by Hesse-Kassel and Hannover. I’ve based these on historical lands and will use the armies of Kleve-Berg and Westfalia respectively for their forces. I’m also planning on Luxembourg and Belgium being around too – Luxembourg will be about the nearest to pure imagi-nation as I’ll get but I am basing uniforms on later ones and the army on the later Bund contingent, Belgium will be based on Belgian Legion. As much as possible all units will be historical although I am making a few changes here and there – i.e increased the amount of cavalry Nassau has slightly and given them a battery of guns (they actually received them afer Waterloo as a prize) – but all sort of justified.

So just an excuse to paint up as many different forces as possible really, I’m toying with the idea of doing a blog about it.

I think the biggest heresy I might make is that I’ve always fancied building a French Restoration army……….

Cheers,

Iain

[Ivan Sorensen]

Nice. Sounds like you’re putting quite a lot of effort into it 🙂

[willz]

I have not played a Napoleonic war-game for 38 years now (painted loads of figures though) but this idea could tempt me.  I like the concept well done.

[Jeff Glasco]

Ivan,
I think that is a great idea as it allows you to do exactly what you want in your games and campaign. If you want to fight big battles, then make big countries, but if you want to fight a couple of brigades per side, them have smaller countries. If you want to base you forces on some historical armies then do so, and you don’t have to worry about those two armies never fighting in “real life”. I think it solves a lot of the problems wargamers face when trying to run a campaign. You don’t have to research the orders of battle as it is just made up. You don’t have to find exact maps of the region in the historical era, you just make them up, and you can fight what ever armies you and others have as it is just a made up game. I think this is a great way to go for a few battles or a bigger campaign.

Jeff

[McLaddie]

Our group used GDW’s old  “Soldier King” game as a basis for imaginary campaigns.  The game was a set of imaginary kingdoms along the lines of the SYW using the “A House Divided” system. We used the maps and counters and rules for Napoleonic and ACW type campaigns with fictitious countries.   It was great fun.

[Sparker]

Yes sounds fascinating. The French restoration army certainly had nice cavalry uniforms!

http://sparkerswargames.blogspot.com.au/
'Blessed are the peacekeepers, for they shall need to be well 'ard'
Matthew 5:9

[grizzlymc]

Ivan

 

Well before AK47 we had Tony Bath’s Hyboran ancients campaign and the Charles Grant’s 7YW.  Imaginations goes back to the dawn of wargaming.

 

I must admit, I have never seen the inability to get the button counters’ blood pressure up as a real advantage.

 

Good gaming!

[Iain Fuller]

I agree Sparker, they are very nice, although annoyingly no-one does a Roleau shakoed Chasseur in 15mm.

Glad some of you have liked the idea too chaps.

[Thaddeus Blanchette]

Saxe-Tübbio, allied through marriage to the Principality of Guise. Ruled by Landgravine Elza Pappen and her daughter, Princess Cheri of Saxe-Tübbio / Guise.

Biche-Pliese. Ruled by Herzogin Heiline d’Taxis.

My two 18th century imaginations.

We get slapped around, but we have a good time!

[Author]

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