Imagi-nations

Flag of Chenarus, Imagi-Nation of  PC Game ARMA II

What is Imagi-Nations?
Simple put Imagi-Nations is creating fictional country and put into real world setting. Its been done numerous time not only by wargaming players but also Game designers, Movie makers or writters.

Good example can be Val Verde which was featured in movies Die Hard 2, Predator or Commando.

But what does that mean in Sabre Squadron? You will create your own fictional country but it South American, European, African, Asian or Arabic and create background history for them, ORBATs and TOE´s, what weaponery and equipment they will be using, how they are organized.

Imagi-Nations are very old. They are something new or trendy because not always is wargaming recent or semi-recent events can be "offending" (Hell i hate using this word because these day people are offended even by different taste of cream) . Wargaming civil war in Syria can be problematic but civil war in Zekistan? It also opens up possibilities to using vehicles you bought for some old forgotten project or you just buy them because you want them (yes i am looking at you damned Saracens!)

Orbats 
So let´s say we will create some fictional country and let´s say we will use Zekistan which was featured in PC/Console Series Full Spectrum Warrior. The country itself is Arabic country using atleast in game Soviet/Russian vehicles like Ural trucks, BMPs, MBTs and other stuff isnt mentioned but lets say its akin to the Pre-invasion Iraq or Iran.

But what vehicles your country uses it is up to you but keep common sense here if your country is poor ex-communist sattelite it would propably dont sport Western top-of-line gear, but it would propably sport obsolete cold war soviet gear, with some other older tech vehicles from diferrent sources for example Zekistan mentioned above:

Main battletanks for this state will be export T72s, and maybe some units equipped with T54 or 55. Reserve units maybe even today equipped with obsolete (gasp) T34/85. on other hand some western kit may found way into its ranks in form of APCs (Saracens, YPR 765 or FV438) , reconnisance vehicles (perhaps  French kit AMX-VCI or AML H-60) along with russian BRDMs and BMP born infantry. Airforce can be mixmatched but i would use majority of airforce to be made up from soviet obsolete gear - Migs-21s, SU-25s Mi-8s and so on.

Companies usually have

2-4 platoons plus command elements and attached support everything above is hard to command and position so in real life larger companies arent used (typicaly).

• Armoured Platoons have 3-5 vehicles depending on disposal of armored forces. Ex-Warpac and allies used 3 to 4 tank formula and western seems to stationed on 4 tank platoons.

• Mechanised Infantry platoon consists of  3-4 vehicles, with 3 infantry squads and command sections.

•  Specialist infantry units are in form of two squads and attached transports (Engineers, Sappers etc.)

• Reconnisance platoons usually have 3-6 vehicles. In some cases infantry scouts are mounted in their transports but the sizes in usually same or little smaller than typical  mechanised infantry platoon

• AA Assets usually consists of 3 to 4 vehicles but they are attached as independent elements to combat groups

•  Lastly Artillery most often artillery is deployed in batteries of 6 or 8 vehicles with attached Observer, Artillery reconnisance or spotting element - these units are often behind lines and only spotting vehicle will be availible on table

 This can help you putting together your own Orbats (or Order of Battle) and game with something little different that you are used to see normaly.

Scenarios
 
So you created your own country , you got your army ready and now what? Well scenarios options are limitless. From defending againts first world countries invasion (USA and Coalition, Russian Federation or perhaps China) to civil war conflicts and of course imagi-nations wars (where players create their own countries in some ficitional conflict between themselves.

The options are limitless and imagi-nations will not be every ones tea but can open really interesting options to the casual games.



GHQ photos featured in this article - used without permission