Thursday 17 March 2011

Musings and Explorations into Steampunk

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We love all things Roman here at Chez Dropship. This week we've luxuriated in watching the classic HBO/BBC drama series ROME and the UK/Latvian movie CENTURION.

Add an old episode of Time Team into the mix and the threads converge in my head to produce a Roman Steampunk alternative technology world. Sort of Simon Scarrow meets Jules Verne.

Probably more a flight of fantasy as far as 15mm gaming goes but could be merit in 28mm as something different.

Whilst on steampunk,  Mars. Victorian Mars. I'm firmly wedded to the idea of an early Victorian Steampunk colonisation of Mars in the 1850's. Flashman and the Overlords of Mars - that sort of thing. Inspired in part by the famous painting of the last stand of the 44th at Gandamak.


Easy to imagine the guy in the Afghan coat (2nd right, standing) as (Gene Hunt) Flashman holding off the Martian hordes. And East Riding Miniatures do appropriate Colonial Brits in their ERM15 range who only need a small amount of conversion to give them a more off world feel, wearing Martian tribal coats etc. Dixon's Indian Mutiny range would also be suitable with some of Essex's Victorian British officers (with headswops) for characters. It's also easy to transpose the Indian Mutiny to the canals of Mars.

Crimean War figures could be pressed into service, once gain being very Flashman. The best are undoubtably Eureka's 18mm range. The officers are nicely heroic, there's some grizzled Highlanders and some very,very classy British Guards. You can also double these up for Martian invasions of good ol' Blighty in the early Victorian age without a second thought, unlike more traditional Victorian colonial types in pith helmets.

Mmmm, I'm just picturing in my mind's eye adding some of Khurasan's Felid heads to the Eureka Crimean British bodies? A Felid Flashman perhaps?


Sláinte Mhaith!
Happy St Patricks Day
Mark

Centurion....Dog Soldiers meets Gladiator. Put tongue firmly in cheek, a couple of glasses of wine whilst watching and it's a good movie, especially as it starts in Inchtuil, just down the road.... Salve!

5 comments:

  1. I'm also a huge steampunk fan, always enjoyed VSF, finally started a gaming project for it, using Quar. I've been musing on Romans as well, though hadn't considered 15mm for any thing. This has some interesting ideas, thanks!

    Speaking of Rome, and things sort of VSF, or at least Pulp, check out a novel called Orbit, centering on the return of the Roman Empire, from space, in an alternate WWII era earth.. great stuff. Some strange gaming potential in that novel.

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  2. Have you had a look at the Black Hat Martian Empires range?

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  3. http://gwargamesp.18.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=4636

    One of our games, Not very photgenic though

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  4. Thanks guys.

    Only the Black Hat Martian Green Hill Tribesmen interest me. Too much of a Last of the Mohicans thing going on with the Martians. Rather paint Dervishes with red skin.

    The Brits wear pith helmets and have Tesco carrier bags over their faces - lost a trick in not also doing normal 1870 Brits (just a different head afterall) as I, and I expect others would have Zulu'd them to death.

    The Home Service troops (very nice) have no cavalry or senior officers last time I looked.

    As for Green Martians, perfer Micropanzer's Krystrial Empire troops.

    Cheers
    Mark

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  5. Mark, for Roman Steampunk in 28mm you might find these of interest:

    http://www.scotiagrendel.com/Products/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=60_74&sort=20a&page=1

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