Victorian Era gaming thoughts and request

[FifteensAway]

So, I've amassed quite a collection of colonial figures awaiting paint (mostly) and am now contemplating the various ways of putting them to use.  The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and the French Foreign Legion are very well represented as are opponents - two generic arab armies, plus touraeg and bedouin, plus haddendowah and ansar.  Then I have a nice, though smaller, Boxer rebellion setup and opponents.  Somewhat earlier, I have a very large Indian Mutiny collection with plenty of Mutineers and lots of local rajah troops.  Probably what drives my inquiry is my Slightly Cracked Colonial collection where I have British, German, Italian, French, Dutch, and US troops, plus an eccentric with his own army and a local Sultan's army - and this tosses in a variety of river boats, a couple of Chinese junks, a couple of ironclads, and a couple of "sea" worthy craft.  Finally, and recently, I've added in a variety of African Explorer figures.  All told this is several thousands of figures, maybe many thousands of figures.

Obviously, this is not a Sword and the Flame type of collection.  And, naturally, each collection can be used as a stand alone and game the traditional.  But what is the broadest possible agglomeration of troops here that can create an entertaining event (not all at once!)?  I will base everything to the same standard - though some variation in the texturing to allow for the "natural" theaters of the historical events.

Your thoughts and ideas are welcome and encouraged.  Especially appreciate links to blogs where others have travelled.

Now, if I can just find a nice collection of figures for German East Africa!  In 15 mm to match everything else, of course.

Camels, elephants, horses, alligators, river boats, ironclads, Chinese, African, Indian, European, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and Animist all tossed in an imaginative blender - and what comes out?  Is it a palatable drink or a noxious concoction? 

And, oh my gosh, I can toss in the Wild West and the ACW if the above isn't enough!   

[warrenpeace]

The most international colonial scenario I've played in was an intervention in Morocco, with the Germans supporting the Sultan against a motley collection of troops from other nations (France, Spain, Britain, Italy, and the USA). This was very loosely based on The Wind and the Lion. Have played two or three variations on that theme. Not sure that Dutch participation would be plausible, but why not? Part of what was happening was the kidnapping of European persons by the Raisuli in order to discredit the Sultan. You could postulate that various dignitaries or business people from several nations had been kidnapped, including some Dutch.

An alternative would be an international intervention in Egypt, say around 1880. The actual mostly British attack a year or two later could have involved multiple nations that had outstanding loans to the defaulting Egyptian government. Italy was just starting to get active about that time and was looking at a possible grab for Tunis, until the French beat them to it. Also, Britain had invited France to participate in a joint operation to take over and reform Egypt, but the French declined. The USA did participate with ships and marines in the initial attack on Egypt from the sea. Don't know how plausible Dutch participation might be, but you could postulate a loan from an Amsterdam bank that was going bad, putting pressure on the Dutch government to participate in an international co-dominion/co-protectorate over Egypt.

There is the Red Sea coast, where the forces of the Mahdi clashed with the powers active in colonialism along those shores. The British, Italians, and French were active in that area. Perhaps you could add some Ethiopians and Somalis to the mix. You could perhaps justify some Dutch or American intervention against Arab or Sudani pirates.

[FifteensAway]

Warren,

Thanks for the input.  I have given some contemplation to converting the Dutch into Portugese somehow or another (they were speculative as Dutch in the first place - a fictional campaign set in a fictional archipelago that didn't work out because all the players headed for different islands and there was no conflict!).

By making that conversion, the options do improve and fall closer to the historical reality.  However, history is only a starting point for my hyper-active imagination.  One day I'll have it all painted and photographed to share with the world.

[Paul]

So, I've amassed quite a collection of colonial figures awaiting paint (mostly) and am now contemplating the various ways of putting them to use.  The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan and the French Foreign Legion are very well represented as are opponents - two generic arab armies, plus touraeg and bedouin, plus haddendowah and ansar.  Then I have a nice, though smaller, Boxer rebellion setup and opponents.  Somewhat earlier, I have a very large Indian Mutiny collection with plenty of Mutineers and lots of local rajah troops.  Probably what drives my inquiry is my Slightly Cracked Colonial collection where I have British, German, Italian, French, Dutch, and US troops, plus an eccentric with his own army and a local Sultan's army - and this tosses in a variety of river boats, a couple of Chinese junks, a couple of ironclads, and a couple of "sea" worthy craft.  Finally, and recently, I've added in a variety of African Explorer figures.  All told this is several thousands of figures, maybe many thousands of figures.

Obviously, this is not a Sword and the Flame type of collection.  And, naturally, each collection can be used as a stand alone and game the traditional.  But what is the broadest possible agglomeration of troops here that can create an entertaining event (not all at once!)?  I will base everything to the same standard - though some variation in the texturing to allow for the "natural" theaters of the historical events.

Your thoughts and ideas are welcome and encouraged.  Especially appreciate links to blogs where others have travelled.

Now, if I can just find a nice collection of figures for German East Africa!  In 15 mm to match everything else, of course.

Camels, elephants, horses, alligators, river boats, ironclads, Chinese, African, Indian, European, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and Animist all tossed in an imaginative blender - and what comes out?  Is it a palatable drink or a noxious concoction? 

And, oh my gosh, I can toss in the Wild West and the ACW if the above isn't enough!   

Sounds great. Fun´s the main thing..
My colonials will be fighting in an imaginary county called khandibar, somewhere aroung 1880. The regimental names, the officers, the leaders of the enemy are all puns or spoofs .. Cowboys sounds like a good idea.. and I never thought of ele´s either..thanks 

[warrenpeace]

Why not use a fictional "Arab Spring" (to borrow last year's term) set in 1880 as a trigger for a grand campaign? Perhaps some kind of Islamic revival sweeping the world from Morocco to India could undermine many local Sultans and the deals that they had with European lenders for economic projects. Such an "Arab Spring" could impact the established French colonies in Senegal and Algeria, and the established British control over India. Governments in Morocco, Tunis, Egypt, and elsewhere in the region could be toppled, triggering major intervention by Europeon powers which had invested in those countries. Your Sudan troops could actually invade Egypt, taking advantage of the chaos. You would have the ability to involve Spain, France, Italy, Britain, Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the USA.

[Plynkes]

Your Sudan troops could actually invade Egypt...

The Mahdists did indeed invade Egypt, so that one has a perfectly historical grounding, and isn't a flight of fancy in the slightest. They weren't very good neighbours, and picked fights with just about everybody unlucky enough to share a border with them.