IMAGINEERING UTTERLY NEW THINGS

Or --- What Happened When A Vexing Cold Attacked Me!

IT STARTED THIS WAY
December 3, 2016 was to be our annual Light Troop Game. It didn't happen because a disagreeable virus the night before laid me low. Rather than contaminate my pards, I called the host and he immediately thought it best to postpone the game to a later date. Everyone understood, especially the four friends I was driving to the game 1.5 hours away. I figured there was no way being in the close confines of a car would not get them contaminated.

THE WEEK BEFORE
Saw many of us getting miniatures collected and packed for the game. Mine remained on the table....

Especially Bad Squiddos regal and lovely 28mm Catherine The Great. 

She was not going to be Catherine The Great on December 3rd. However, she was going to be associated with Hinterland's 28mm Princess Victoria mounted Hussars just finished for the game.

Such fun to paint in the prior week.

Their dismounted counterparts including matching hair color were completed several years ago. Once upon a time they guarded Lady Diana Pettygree in the Annual Light Troop Game held at Randy F's.

Opinion: The ladies are styled historically and beautifully which I really appreciate --- rather than heroically or scantily clad. Sculpting females in a lovely way is needed too. How about it you designers out there?

THEN IMAGINEERING KICKED IN
John B. has mentioned an interest to do something post WWI in Russia. I fancy he may mean the Reds versus the Whites. I don't think he has any of either side yet. However, he completed twelve gorgeous and varied mounted and dismounted Cossacks for the cancelled game. They could feature in 1919-1925 Russia. And....

So could these 28mm Tiger Miniatures Bulgarians. These fellows appeared in my blog Story Expedition To Alexandrapour 3-5 years ago as Russians. To me they look like Russians of the era. Tents and buildings are from Miniature Building Authority.

The USA vendor is Recreational Conflict.

These riders have dismounted counterparts --- not shown.

WHO ELSE COULD BE FIELDED?

As I was taking photographs of the Russians, I remembered....

These 28mm USA infantry also suitable (close enough) with imagination. The USA, Canada and India sent Expeditionary Forces into Vladivostok and/or Murmansk in 1919 or so.

So here are Americans trotting down the scratch-built dock somewhere in conflicted Russia. Miniatures are from the collection of Der Alte Fritz, Jim P., artfully painted by his nephew Alex.

A few minutes later I wondered if my Japanese Special Naval Landing Force could also land? Though the SNLF did not exist until the 1930s, there were Japanese marines who looked like these fellows serving in The Boxer Rebellion. The Japanese were ardently anti-communist and did commit combatants into the region. These fellows are 28mms from Pulp Miniatures in Canada.

AND SO....

"Vill you join me to defeat the Red Menace and restore the monarchy?"

FROM DON FEATHERSTONE'S --- SOLO WARGAMING

"We wargamers are no less fallible than other human-beings to the pangs of sickness, so that there usually comes a time when Fate beats us in the dice throw and we are put on our backs and pushed around by surgeons, doctors, nurses and wives for varying periods. When recovery is just around the corner, Man displays an unfailing sign - his return to normalcy is heralded by a desire to resume some pastime or practice...." p. 148

CLOSING REMARKS

1. Imagineering allows latitude with uniforms and fictionalized history. Many of you do this with your 18th Century armies, don't you? Jim has Hesse-Seewald. I have Gallia. Michael has Litharus and so on. Close enough --- is often --- good enough --- and fun.

2. Catherine or whomever she may become is obviously a survivor of the Russian monarchy because she wears a proper 18th Century uniform. Here it is a retro ceremonial uniform. It just occurred to me I have Pulp miniatures who can double for her in more customary 1919 garments when in the field.

3. So as I write the day after the cancelled game, you see Don's words come true for me, "...to return to normalcy...to resume [wargaming]."

4. This also shows what we can do with our collections - cutting bindings of strict historicity - if we want to. It's liberating actually.

5. Will we do the above concepts? I don't know, but the idea is banked here for later withdrawal.

6. I haven't been able to do much but things are getting better. I may try to paint some 1/2400 Australian WWII destroyers later today. Easy does it. However, it would be better for a little while if I take a nap.

7. I did rest after posting this. Later the three destroyers were completed.

Here they are: Voyager, Vampire and Vendetta; late WWI British V Class destroyers eventually transferred to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). They served in WWII. Destroyers are easy. (GHQ 1/2400 scale)

8.What are you able to do when sickness strikes?

Your remarks are welcome below. Click on Comments.

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