It was on this day 5 years ago that I did this post about my return from Argentina. This trip was the catalyst for me to start my own project and create my own little imagi-nation in Latin America. Little did I know then how big this project would become but Oronegro, as this nation came to be called, has defined all of modelling endeavours ever since. So today we celebrate five years of the Oronegro project! Sadly I can't do a grand review as some of the models have been damaged. So instead I shall start with a look at the forces of Oronegro through time. From those first arrivals on the sea of an unknown land in 1492 until the armed forces that took part in the second civil war of the 2020s. There is more below...
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| Oronegro through history! Or mostly a range of Caesar figures with some Airfix, Imex and others thrown in. |
Here is the progression of the 'standard' Oronegrean infantry soldier. Note that the intermediary uniforms are not included and that some uniforms are not fully representative of the infantry at that point in time. (Mainly because I just don't have enough figures for every single variant over 6-7 centuries.) Also weaponary changed vastly over the period but these changes are also not shown.
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| And let's not forget the evolution of another troop type: Los Angeles Negros! |
Sadly I can't do every single Oronegrean military unit through history. But there is one that I simply must have represented: Los Angeles Negros - the Black Angels! Currently I can only represent a portion of their history and uniform (because they often wore whatever was most appropriate for a particular action). Here the origin of the unit, which was based off and initially trained by Japanese Ninja and some indigenous hunters, and the elite killer of the 21st century stand side by side. Don't piss them off.
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| From the early years of the 15th and 16th century to the hight of power in the 18th and 19th |
The first soldiers in Oronegro were mostly armed with swords, crossbows and a few guns (1st on left). As time went on through the 16th and into the 17th century the gun became the main weapon of war in Oronegro. Unlike elsewhere Oronegro retained armoured troops meaning that they looked very outdated to many eyes (2nd from left). However at the end of the 17th century uniforms began to change. This led to the development of a new uniform more familiar to travellers from Europe (3rd from left). This design retained the helmet, a feature of Oronegrean troops that was retained in some numbers from the inception of Oronegro until the present day.
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| from the 19th century to the early 20th are represented here. This era saw the 1st civil war and Oronegro's decline |
The crested helmet (1st figure on left) and blue uniform was standard until the first decades of the 19th century will little variation from the start of the 18th century. However, as time went on a new design (2nd from left) was to take over. This design came from the units of el ejército segundo where it was introduced in the late 18th century. It replaced the previous design in all but a few 'guardia' - guard units. It was soldiers in this costume (and the previous one in guard units) that took part in the 2st Oronegrean civil war in the mid-19th century and faced off against soldiers uniformed in a new design (3rd from left). This design, much like the crested one, would remain in use for a very long period of time lasting until the 1920s.
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| the 20th and 21st centuries saw Oronegro's power return slowly but then the 2nd civil war began! |
During and After WW2 Oronegrean uniforms design was influenced by that of NAZI Germany (1st figure on left). These uniforms were inherited first by the national guard and then later by the native units who used them into the 2020s. Next is a bit of an oddity. The second figure on the left is representative of the 'official' uniform from the 60s to early 80s. In reality most units had uniforms based of US kit with only a couple of units being in the official kit. The next figure shows how the Oronegreans began to catch up with other places militarily towards the end of the 20th century. This uniform (which usually included a helmet) became very common amongst the rebel units in the civil war of the 2020s. The final figure shows the uniform that became standard towards the end of the 2010s and was worn during the 2nd Oronegrean civil war.
And there we go. How Oronegro's soldiers changed over time from the beginning until the 2nd civil war. But wait there's more!
CHARACTER COMPETITION!
To celebrate 5 years of Oronegro I have come up with a competition in which you, yes you, can help shape part of Oronegro. The competition is to create a character (or characters if you prefer) who play a role in Oronegrean history. They don't have to be the great and powerful, they could be a humble farmer. They don't have to be from Oronegro, they could be from overseas. Or alternatively they could be from Oronegro but make a name for them-self elsewhere. It is all up to you.
Prizes:
The winner will have their character's biography posted on both the Oronegro blog and here. Plus they will receive a miniature of their character (if you make more than one I will give the one of your choice) and probably other things that can fit in the envelope I send the figure off in. (I will also create a second figure for them so they can continue their adventures here in Oronegro)
The runners up will have their characters biography posted. In addition a character will be painted up to represent them, but they will stay here so they can have more adventures in Oronegro.
Winners will be announced later on. I will announce the closing dates of the competition with at least 1 month warning later as well (This will be based on how many entries come in and at what speed.) Furthermore the number of runners up is also random and will include whatever stories I really enjoy (could be all of them knowing me.)
So put on your creative hats and give it a go! Submit your entries to: gjditchburn@gmail.com I look forwards to reading what you come up with.
Here is to the last 5 years of Oronegro! And to all those to come! Have an excellent day/night everyone.
