Freedonia shoots! Freedonia almost scores!

Imagi-nations again! This stuff is a load of fun. Martin, Andy, Beth, and I ran our respective troops out on the board at the Hamilton Road Games Group. Since it was the May 2-4/May Run/Victoria Day weekend, the numbers were down at the Group, but no matter! Fun was to be had and fun was had.

Beth had never played these rules before and wanted to try them. (Warfare in the Age of Reason) I must admit that I hurried through some troops for her army but it was worth it. She fielded the Scots/Cossack coalition of Gallifrey under Generals Bulba, Blastov, Stuart, Montrose, and the Doctor (#4, yes, that one. cf photos). Martin set out the troops of the Serene Republic of Rationalia under the command of Philospher-King Karl Mar X and General N. Guells. (A republic with a king... Hmmmm. Martin's been working on his thesis for grad school 'way too long!... Tovarich.) Andy's Frankenschweiners marched under the watchful eyes of Count Frankenschwein himself, and Generals Ziffle, Zuckerman, and Karloff. My own Saxe-Freedonians were under the command of the Grand Elector, Rufus I Glüwürmchen with Generals Belesarius, Heinzelmenchen, and Hartman as divisional commanders.

First off, we realized that there were 'way too many figures on the board. Lesson for next time. Still we faced off and moved to contend over two of the three villages on the table. Beth and the Gallifreians were on the left with the Army of Saxe-Freedonia to the right. Andy's troops faced me while Martin's troops, reinforced by a brigade of Frankenschweiners stood across from Beth.

(Photography by Beth and Andy with a few taken by me.)

The table from the side of Right, Honour, Virtue, and Justice.
(If this doesn't get some comments, nothing will.)

The dastardly troops of the County of Frankenschwein and the Serene Republic
of Rationalia

Beth's commander - the Fourth Doctor with his TARDIS
Those guy(s) are always larger than life.
(25mm Black Tree design figure from the Doctor Who range.
I bought a 25mm TARDIS model and they threw in a random Doctor figure.
Beth was thrilled when it turned out to be Tom Baker!
The little TARDIS is a chunk of pained wood mounted on a penny.)

Something new! Beth's army included a Jacobite clan unit just to see how it would
work. The unit is double sized and will be re-based. I discovered later that I had enough
Scots around to make 5 such clan regiments. Martin calls them the Highland Buzz Saw.

Although the table groaned with the weight of figures, both sides moved toward each other. Sadly we never really came to grips because of time constraints. Beth was her usual aggressive game self and sent her cavalry out to meet Martin's horse. It didn't turn out well. Beth's light dragoons met Martin's guard cuirassiers while one of his black-uniformed Todtenkopf Hussars flanked her. The light dragoons were beaten and routed and took the Cossack dragoons with them, although the Scots infantry stood fast.

Martin's cavalry advances.

The trap is closed. General N. Guells accompanies the hussars while the
Philosopher-King Karl Mar X neglects the proletariat and leads the aristocratic
Guard cavalry.

Andy and I dueled a bit and I realised that he faced me with his guard, his grenadiers, AND Martin's grenadiers! I confronted him with the Freedonian Dragoons, the Hesse-Bruder Hussars, and the Adelfahne Trabantenkorps (Guard armoured cavalry) along with two field guns and three freshly-painted militia battalions - Battalions Groucho, Chico, and Harpo. I was a bit out matched. Still the grenadiers had to form square to face my cavalry and did defeat them. The terrain was a bit too tight to really deploy my horse well.
Plus, newly painted troops, new dice, bad weather, ...  grumble, grumble, excuse, excuse.

Rationalian grenadiers form square to hold off the Freedonian cavalry.

 

Frankenschweiner and Rationalian Grenadiers advance side by side.
There is more than a "whiff" of conspiracy here!

Freedonia's less-than-best.
The Combat Pioneer regiment (conscripts in green), Militia battalions Harpo
(white) and Groucho (in purple). General Belisarius herds them forward.
Battalion Chico is barely in the picture.

The game took longer than expected, but we had to see how the Clan regiment worked! Beth charged into the town as a Frankenschweiner unit advanced. Martin's dragoons hit the flank again. None of it was pretty since we were in a town and all fighting is at a -3 to your number of dice. From now on, we keep the Clans in the open and up-hill if possible.

The Clan regiment roars into town to the skirl of the pipes.
M'Gregor abu!!!

The Clans' original starting position along with  the Highland regulars and the
First Nations light infantry on loan from Robby's army.

The Clan hits the Frankenschweiners but is being flanked by one of Andy's Dragoon units.
They are all in proper red uniforms... to show how the monster works!!

In the centre, Beth and Andy traded volleys and the Irish Legion and the Archbishop's Own took damage, but gave as good as they got. The Pandours Pavkovic had to fall back because of the advance of formed troops in front of them. My side of the board was split by a small village and My rifle-armed Jägers pecked at Andy's light infantry until they were replaced by his Guard battalion. Andy's artillery on his far right claimed some successes but all the other guns never really got into action.

Night (or curfew) fell... mercifully. And lessons were learned.

• Don't try to push an elephant through a keyhole a/k/a don't try to put too many troops through a small area. If it's too small for me, it's a bottleneck for them as well. Grab it, hold it, and move elsewhere.
• Too many units and not enough players makes for a cumbersome game. We need to learn limits.
• I unlimber my artillery far too early.
• Keep the clans on the lever or on a hill if you can. (There's a plus for charging down-hill.) You also need more than one clan to make it worthwhile. Beth's army will probably include Regular Highlanders, Clan highlanders at 16 figures apiece, Cossack cavalry - both regular and irregular, other regular cavalry, and some sort of light infantry. In the 7YW period, light troops are more of an annoyance than a game winner.

So now, more photos.

Some of Martin's Todtenkopf Hussars. He has two regiments of them.

The Frankenschweiner left flank before the game began.

The Native allies - Turtleburpers and the Galoshicolla

Beth's light dragoons and the Cossack dragoons (in red)

Frankenschweiner line infantry and light infantry behind

The Grand elector with the reserve - grenadiers and guards (in blue)
Frying Pan & Blanket makes a Conestoga waggon set and I HAD to get one.
There's another to be assembled and painted.

Frankenschweiner heavy artillery

Freedonian heavy artillery and howitzer.
Guns are sold with limbers and gunners are a separate pack.

The ox-drawn Conestoga waggon. I see a supply train raid scenario coming!

Scots in square - facing Rationalian cavalry.

Not sure what is next. You'll just have to look in when I write next!

Forward... into the past... that never happened!

So there I was... minding my own business in the 21st century, when all of a sudden, a thought hit me... and Andy... and Martin... and Kevin... and Rob: "Shouldn't we do an 'Imigi-nations' campaign?" The common thoughts hit it usually means divine intervention or rather tasty beer. Still this was something I'd secretly wanted to do since... well, since I was knee-high to a prat, as it were.

So what rules to use? After much discussion and a few knock-down-drag-out friendly conversations, we decided on Warfare in the Age of Reason. (Maurice and Koenig Krieg were considered, and I'm sure most of you, my gracious readers, have your own favourites, but we've got to start somewhere.) Next, maps. Since Martin is a graduate student studying economic geography, we'll leave that to him who is an expert-in-training. Next, Figures. ("Dig in, boys; it's going to be a long war." he says to himself.) Andy and I have extensive 15mm collections for the 7 Years War. Andy has a large collection of 25mm figs for the French and Indian War in North America. But it's an "Imigi-nations" campaign and we want to paint up the figures as we please, not impress Prussians, Russians, or Swedes as troops of our postage stamp empires! Some new figures are being released... but not for SYW and they are not cheap.

What to do? I spelunk into my old documents and find something I never considered. 20mm figures for the SYW and the AWI (American War of Independence) by Frying Pan & Blanket Amalgamated of Minnesota. They've been around for a long time, but do they still exist? What do the figures look like? They have no Web-presence (e-mail address or website) so how do we contact them? There is a fan-run website that has a few photos and list the all the ranges FP&B produce [http://fryingpan.freewebtools.com/] but even he says all correspondence is by surface mail... y'know, with stamp and envelope. HOWEVER, their figures are boxed 24 infantry (including 2 officers, 2 colour bearers, and 2 musicians) or 6 cavalry (6 horses, 6 riders, and 6 dismounted cavalrymen or 6 command - like the infantry with no dismounted). There are some variations for light troops and such. Artillery is boxed 4 crews of 6 and the range of ordnance is extensive. Best of all the figures are white metal of the usual sort and cost... wait for it... $9.95 US a box! Are you kidding me? $.41 a figure for metal? So I ordered a sample. A while later (I think they mould to order, so there's little stock on hand), a package arrived. The folks at FP&B were most gracious and friendly and acually called me to say when they were shipping. This might be out of the ordinary, but it was great to have them do that.

So I painted and here's what some of the troops look like: (the good photos are courtesy of my wife, the scummy ones are mine.)


To give you an idea of the size, here you can see me adjusting the ensign of the cavalry unit
(Box #151 - 18th Century Horse command)




British line infantry in overalls for Rob's British North America-style army
(Box #161 British line infantry, marching, hide pack, overalls)



A rear view of the British. The officer is carrying a musket, so it's a late war figure.



Prussian-style German infantry - Hessians, I suppose. Very good for SYW Prussians
(Box #112 German Line Infantry, tricorns, marching)

The command stand close up. Age of Reason calls for 12 figure battalions, so a box from FP&B
gives you two battalions for less than $10! 

Germans showing the detail on the backs - knapsack packs for the rank and file, aguilette for the officer,
"Swallow's nests" for the drummer.

Box #107 Continental Line Infantry, Tricorns, uniforms, marching painted up as a Pennsylvania battalion
in "Quaker Brown." They'll serve in Rob's army.



The command - the flags are moulded in a draped position which makes them a bit hinky for painting.

 

Box #103 Highland line infantry, bonnets, kilts, defending
This the first unit for Beth's Scot's style army. She wanted green coats with a MacGregor tartan.
I did my best.



Back view of the Scots. They are behaving themselves. No "Braveheart" kilt flipping today.



A second Scots outfit - Green with lighter green facings AND a regimental mascot!

 

A close-up of the officer, ensign, and MacTavish. The unit includes drummers, no pipers
(Deep sigh)



A close up of the back of the 2nd Scots unit.



Jagers for my army - These are the dismounted version of the 18th Century horse. I decided to turn them
into light infantry since we probably won't dismount our cavalry. I only had nine figures, so I'm a stand
short until then next order. I added an officer who came with the mounted command.
They're carrying a short firearm which I now declare to be a rifle. So let it be written; so let it be done!

The Jagers and their wolfhound mascot, Mitzi. This is actually a 15mm figure from a now defunct range
whose name I can't remember, but the sculptor or producer of the line was one Jamie Fish. I've heard
he'd passed on, and I still like his figures. I think my Imigi-nation will be the Grand Electorate of
Saxe-Fredonia under the enlightened rule of his grace, the Grand Elector, Rufus I Glühwürmchen.

Native Warriors (Box #132 - Woodland Indians - 7 poses)
Rob intends to make these his light infantry. I've added a few figures from the dismounted batch of
Box # 509 - Plains Indians Mounted from the Pony Wars range.



Various Braves






... with warpaint...





... and head dress (From Box 509)...

                     

... shirts and leggings.





A tribute to a reenacting friend - Aaron immortalised in pewter.




From Boxes #150 & 151 - 18th Century Horse and Command - painted as a dragoon regiment.
The Fredonian Dragoons are renowned for... something or other, I can't remember, but
they're renowned!

 

The dragoons pass in review!

 

Ensign and trumpeter of the dragoons. I'm rather pleased with the results.



The trumpeter close up. I decided to use reversed colours - red coat with medium blue facings- for the
regimental musicians.  I want to do a regiment each of heavy horse and hussars, but the reversed colours
may not hold for them.

 

A Saxe-Fredonian general office who appears to be aping an American War of Independence officer.
(Box #106 British or Continental Officers, mounted) FP&B generals come with horses who have the saddle
and horse furniture attached. With the other cavalry, except for the mounted Indians, the horse furniture
is attached to the rider.




From Box #509 - Plains Indians, mounted.
Rob says he wants to use these as his light cavalry. I'm gong to stick to hussars.

 

From Box #106 - His Grace, the Grand Elector of Saxe-Fredonia, Rufus I Glühwürmchen

 

A close up of His Grace. I've GOT to remember to paint that mustache!
Not the most detailed figure ever, to be honest, but it has character.

 

An extra officer. So is he an engineer/sapper/miner? An official of the Electoral Committee on Secrets?
(the EKG - That's the Electorate's uniformed secret police.) A cadet from the University's Reserve
Army Training Service (the RATS)? I don't know. Check back later when I get more figures.



In general, the bunch of us are satisfied with this range of figures. There are holes in it, but that's easy to make up. Unpainted they look a little spindly, but even a fair paint job adds lots. Other ranges offered include the Seven Years War (British, Austrian, French, & Russian, theWar of 1812, the Legion of the United States for Tippecanoe, and the Pony Wars of the later 1800's. I'd say look into this range of figs. Since they are 20mm, they stand alone, but as metal figures, they can hold up to the plastics available and I don't think you can beat the price.

The Electorate will be recruiting soon! Christmas is coming and I'm tough to buy for.

"Hail, hail, Fredonia! Land of the Brave and Freeeeeeee!"

(I love having a national anthem already composed.)