Imperial army chess game.

[Rhalius]

This idea is both a chess set, an army builder and a collect them all set.

Basicly there is only a single set but it is released in many nationalities (which are available in every country, if shopkeepers are smart they stock up more on their own nationality due to higher demand)

The chess board itself is sold seperatly and very cheap, it could be a mat that can be rolled up. It's squares are quite big since horses and cannons need to fit on it.

Moving on to the main set:

-army.
Sixteen clickies are in a set, enough for a single chess army. On its own it's a good set already and would be very popular with army builders and history lovers.
So what we have here are sixteen soldiers in the Same style as the latest redcoats but without straps painted on them.
Included clickies are:
-eight infantry soldiers armed with a musket with bajonet and sporting a tricone hat. They represent the pawn piece.
-two cannoniers with a cannon. They could look slightly different from the infantry soldier but easily recognizeable. They represent the tower piece.
-two hussars. On horseback with very different uniforms and armed with a sabre, they represent the knight piece.
-two musicians. Generally one has a trumpet and the other has a drum with drumsticks, the drum is carried in front of his chest. They represent the bischop piece.
-General.  A clicky in an elaborate uniform, with a feathered hat, gold decorations, a powdered wig and a rapier, carries a large flag. Represents the king piece.
-Lady. A beautifull lady with an elaborate dress, fan and umbrella. She represents the queen piece.

A footpiece will be included for the cannons, so that the clicky and cannon can easily be moved together. For each nationality the armies are released in, the uniforms will look appropriate to the nation and the hairstyles and flags as well. It's of course not accurate that the general carries the flag, but it seems fitting for the game since it means the national flag is seen through the entire game. 
For the most part the armies are merely in different colors since armies looked very similar at the time, but where required there are differences.
More blonde soldiers amongst germans for example while a spanish army could stick to brown and black haircolors.

As for the nationalities, each country where playmobil is having good sales could be included, needs to be looked at the period of course.

My suggestions would be:
-Prussia. (germany)
-Austria.
-France.
-Brittain.
-Dutch.
-United States.
-Denmark.
-Sweden.
-Norway.
-Spain.

Pretty much all non-export countries since I'd gues playmobil is selling best in these countries. Aside from those also Spain, Brittain and the United States due to their historic position during that period. They'd be popular outside their own country to collect. And of course the Brits and US armies are a classic match up during this period due to the war of independence.

Of course such a chess theme could be done in the medieval period, but due to countries being so different back then and many not existing yet it would lack the national pride it could sell on when focused on the imperial period.

I'd put the price of such an army set at 35 euros. Seems about right for a set with sixteen clickies with accesoires.

Maybe just 2 euros for the chess board.

[mike1003]

its a great idea. i had a similar one too. hell vs. heaven.. with little devils in front row for the hell side and black monks for the heaven side.. etc.. but i never found a suitable chess board (size wise). i would like to use a glass one!

[Rhalius]

hell vs heaven might prove too difficult to sell, a nice idea for a customized chess set but it would prove too controversial for stores.

[mike1003]

oh yeah.. not for selling.. was my custom idea

[cachalote]

it's funny how a lot of us think the same.
i thought about this 5 years ago when my stepson was in a school where chess was mandatory.
this is the first time i remembered thinking about that.
back then i "saw" it using medieval figures and that's maybe why i never spoke about it (it had nothing to do with pirates).

  but now rhalius, you are a genious - of course playmobil could do it using the pirate theme.
and maybe, one of the sides could be made of pirates.
pirates vs. soldiers - what a fight it would make.

[mike1003]

it's funny how a lot of us think the same.
i thought about this 5 years ago when my stepson was in a school where chess was mandatory.
this is the first time i remembered thinking about that.
back then i "saw" it using medieval figures and that's maybe why i never spoke about it (it had nothing to do with pirates).

  but now rhalius, you are a genious - of course playmobil could do it using the pirate theme.
and maybe, one of the sides could be made of pirates.
pirates vs. soldiers - what a fight it would make.

well playmobil is aimed to kids.. who actually under 10 plays chess?

[Rhalius]

Kids who learned to play chess playfully by use of playmobil.
What better teachers could there be for them to learn chess than friendly clickies?

The game is not that difficult, and it will help them develop their intellect. The chess board could include the instructions to play chess.
The instructions could be presented in story form. Each kind of clicky could tell what he can and can't do and could show it in the pictures.

@Cachalote,
good idea to include a pirate army as well.
They aren't uniform of course so the pawns would look different, but the type of hat could tell what kind of figure they are. It could be different colors still.
Like all pawns could not wear a hat, cannoneers could have a tricone, horse riders a bandana, etc.

[cachalote]

well mike 1003, my stepson started to learn how to play chess when he was 8.

... and rhalius, for the pawns, there is always the possibility to use "children".
there are some pirate children aready - http://www.playmofriends.com/forum/index.php?topic=4863.0.
and there could even be a "traveller" version using the small figures introduced in the microwelt series (the pirate set is the 4331).

[Bill Blackhurst]

Very good idea! It would be something, I'd buy for sure! A chess knight theme with Black Dragon knights, & the White Swan knights as George has done in his photo story would be great, too!

[Rhalius]

Children might not work as well since then their use would be more limited to the chess game. What else would they need so many kids for after all?

When its armies of adult clickies, they could just as easily be used in play which they can show in pictures as well. All the nationalist armies would allow children from quite some countries to have their own national soldiers fighting pirates.

Medieval sets could work too, the nationalistic thing would not be possible that way however, due to countries being very different back then and none using a flag that would be recognizeable these days.

Just look at how well the civil war clickies have sold. This way it could be sparked for other countries as well with the proper combinations.
I bet that a United States-Brittain match up would be very popular in the US, probably more popular than the civil war clickies.