Mixing uniform in VSF. Is it OK???

[Fjodin]

Is it OK to put unirorms from different parts of Victoria Era (and pre WW1) on gameing table? I am I have 2mm, 6mm and 15mm minis for different countries, but they all from different parts of Victorian Ara.
My Brits from Zulu War (I maybe wrong, but I know was 3 main VSF british uniforms from Crimean/Indian Was, Zulu War, Sudan War), but Royal Marine Light Infantry from Boxer Rebellion
Prussians from 1970 (they havent changed THAT much through the era)
Frenchies from 1970 (again, only minior changes)
Russian are from Russo Japanese War (white t shirts, green trousers)
Japanese from Russo-Japanese War
Belgium from early WW1
US and Confederates from Civil War
Austrians from Austro-Prussian War (White t-shirt, blue trousers)

So you can see there are mix of everything... Mainly is because I want to use minis for VSF and historical battles to (Russo-Japanese, Franco-Prussian, etc), and second reason that there are no SO BIG variety of late 19 minis in 15mm than it was is 25/28mm

[rob_alderman]

Yes. It is.

It's science fiction, it's fantasy!

My Japanese are going to be based on the Russo-Japanese war, but the Russians are going to be mostly Crimean. Why? I prefer the uniform! My Brits are going to be ulu War/Sudan, but all in redcoats.

I imagine my VSF stories as if written by someone at the start of Victoria's rule. Therefore, these battles haven't happened yet and the uniform was still changing for these nations. That's why I feel, go with what you like, what you prefer and for me, what looks more dashing (or dastardly)!!!

[Fjodin]

Thanx for replying

[Svennn]

Fjodin

This may sound like I am having a pop but please be assured I am not.

Do what YOU want to do.

From the questions you post it is clear that you are thinking things through and have a good imagination. There are no hard and fast rules and if YOU like it, that is all that matters.

It is when someone does something a little "odd" when we all get excited. If you want your troops in historically accurate uniforms thats fine, if you want pink Prussians - why not.

I put Chinese on the back of a giant panda for my VSF force. Some people loved it but I bet others thought "where the f**k would an elephant sized panda come from - thats just plain stupid"

Thorbjorn & the Danish crew have pickelhaubed Prussians in white uniforms - they look fantastic to me but others will argue they should be blue. Etc. etc.

Svennn

[Dr DeAth]

I think it's more than ok, I think it's mandatory 

[Elprez]

I'm with Svenn. If you fancy it, do it. It IS Victorian Science FICTION.
(Slightly different if you're playing more historical, obviously).
Some of the best inspiration on the LAF (and elsewhere) has been some of the absolutely NUTS stuff that people do. Not all of the crazy stuff appeals to everybody, but thats the fun,  .

[argsilverson]

I agree with the above and I need to add a couple of comments:

.- One of the appeals in VSF is the colourful uniforms. So, if you have more colours in your armies, then the best!

.- If you really like "pink" Prussians then go ahead, but if you want to game with the same units historical affairs, then you have to have as historic uniforms as possible!
For example if you like to game Franco-Prussian war of 1870 then you have to avoid to field those "pink Prussians"

and of course:

I'm with Svenn. If you fancy it, do it. It IS Victorian Science FICTION.
(Slightly different if you're playing more historical, obviously).
Some of the best inspiration on the LAF (and elsewhere) has been some of the absolutely NUTS stuff that people do. Not all of the crazy stuff appeals to everybody, but thats the fun,  .

[rob_alderman]

I agree with all the above. Especially what Svenn said about the stuff that's a little different is what is the most interesting.
I love his giant panda and I want some myself, I love Thorbjorn's White uniformed Prussians, they look ace! Mine are Blue as is historically correct, but I have ignored some of the more minor facing details because I can't be bothered with them! But I can get away with it becauase, yeah, it's fictional!

I am the same with Flintloque, I love looking at Napoleonic uniforms, I love the styles and I love the flashiness. But I hate painting all the little details and finer things. Flintloque allows me to ignore some of these and go for the 'Feel' of the British, or French or Prussian. Hell, sometimes I change the uniforms quite significantly (to a Nappie player) just to create a new feel. My Bog Orcs are in Green tunics, white trousers and have orange facings. They are the Legion d'Irlandaise basically, so should be in green, red and white. The subtle change and inclusion of shamrock symbols in their uniform makes it more obvious that they are Irish and Proud of it!!! 

Remember though, sometimes, if everything is individual, then the stuff that you want to stand out, might just blend into the background. That's why my infantry are pretty much normal, but the Tanks, Automata and all the science Fiction stuff is going to be a little different. 

[Sterling Moose]

Mixing uniform is not only OK, it is expected!!!

[Red Orc]

No. You're really not allowed. If you do, a giant mechanical Otto von Bismark will reach into your bedroom at night and take you away to the Prison of the Criminally Imaginative where you will be forced to repeat things that true but dull, over and over again. Until your brain turns to cheese. Not real cheese of course, because to produce real cheese your brain would have to have been made of milk to start with. No, really a sort of not-cheese made from gone-off brain.

Luckily it's very easy to escape from, like everywhere fuelled by dullness it's incapable of holding any imagination whatsoever. All you have to do is imagine a way of escape and then you can. You can also foil any further attempts on your person by the giant mechanical Otto von Bismark by shrinking him with a shrinking ray, hiding in Atlantis, re-directing him to Ruritania or wearing the wrong coloured jacket. He will get baffled and go and pick on someone else.

[Fjodin]

I have strange Idea of making... ferret rider! I have a figure of Ferret from toy shop and now I want to find rider without horse (minifig for example) an put him on this best. Also I have an idea of... Gian torle towing siege gun!

[Blackwolf]

I have strange Idea of making... ferret rider! I have a figure of Ferret from toy shop and now I want to find rider without horse (minifig for example) an put him on this best. Also I have an idea of... Gian torle towing siege gun!

  Do it! Sounds great,infact why not do a VSF A.L.L. (Anti Lagomorph League) You could have foxes,weasels etc.Many years ago I ran a Space Rabbit force in a galactic campaign,my Rabbits eventually took over Earth.There Leader? Big Bunny. So to cut my ramblings short 'do it'.Then post the pics

[Froggy the Great]

My understanding of VSF was that one make a good-faith effort to replicate the uniforms of the times and THEN throw all the Wells/Verne/Hammers stuff at it.  It ends up looking like one just did whatever one wanted, but darnit, it was done right!

[Red Orc]

I think on the whole that's a good approach, but it probably isn't the only one. On the LAF I think there's a tendency to look at VSF as Colonial gaming with some weirdness. Mostly people seem to paint their units more or less as if they were real (except Thorbjorn's White Prussians), then chuck in some tanks and walkers and aeronefs. It keeps things sane when you know the Americans have got blue jackets, French the same but with red trousers, Brits in red jackets.

But we're terrible for having the wrong numbers of buttons on the tunics of the Third Warwickshire Yeomanry, and using figures in pith-helmets when in fact they should be in Home Service helmets if they're defending the Dear Old Queen (Gawd Bless 'er!) from a sneak Japanese attack at Poole Harbour.

When (if?) if I ever get my Dwarf Britannia Dwarves in Pith-helmets, I'll paint them as British Redcoats, from the newly-raised Combined Atlantean Rifle Brigade. Whacky models need a 'stright' paintjob I think. But my 'straight' pith-helmeted (possibly Zulu War?) British infantry will be painted in blue jackets (horror!) to show that they're not 'army' but from the Royal Aeronautical Corps - I think straight models can take a bit more messing, especially if they represent an armed service that never existed.

Meh. In the end we do what we think is cool. But 'suspesion of disbelief' is a strange thing. Aeronefs? Atlantis? Martians? No problem. French... in green? That's just ridiculous!

[Thunderchicken]

to show that they're not 'army' but from the Royal Aeronautical Corps - I think straight models can take a bit more messing, especially if they represent an armed service that never existed.

Funny you should mention that, I've just started painting up my Brit Aeronautical Brigade. They are French Boxer Rebellion Marines with a Westwind gasmask head swap painted in Brit Naval Brigade colours (sort of). Shocking!