Princess Antonia's Personal Reply to de Latte. . .

30 July 1768

My Dear de Latté,

Thank you for your communication of the 30^th instant. I am pleased to know that your plans do include actually advancing on Krankenstadt sometime before the current campaigning season ends. It is imperative that you do so as soon as possible! Irwin-Amadeus must be brought to justice! The Duchy of Schleiz must be returned to its rightful monarch. . . namely me. And it must happen before the winter snows drift across the frozen River Zwischen. Our territorial integrity depends entirely on you, de Latté. Do not let Us down!

As for your other news, yes, by all means “groom” the young von Meckern. I am quite certain we can find some way to employ him beyond the fields of Mars. Summer is warm and tiresome here at my summer residence, Liebhaberinske, and I grow weary of the affairs of state. My ministers and staff all patronize me, and I have no real person to entertain me. It is a peculiar kind of ennui from which I suffer always at this time of year. Perhaps the young von Meckern is just the antidote? He is a handsome specimen I trust? At the very least, von Meckern might be useful in the acquisition of certain information about Stollen. We can discuss the particulars when next you visit me here in three weeks’ time.

Fondly,

“Toni”

Comments

Bluebear Jeff said…

I suspect that soon the new game table in Zum Stollenkeller will be "Christened" with it's first battle.

May the Lobster Claws arise in defense of the homeland!

-- Jeff of Saxe-Bearstein

3:25 AM

The 18th century? What's the Fascination?

Hessian musketeers by All the King's Men Toy Soldiers of Snellville, Georgia, U.S.A. Just a quick post post today, but I thought the above question might be interesting food for thought. Obviously, there is an array of possible periods, theaters, and conflicts that might catch our eyes. But what is it about the era 1700-1799 -- either real, or imagined? Is it the commanders and politics? The fairly straightforward tactics? The myriad of uniforms and flags? The variety and scope of the conflicts? The patchwork of various and sundry petty states, (at least in Central Europe)? I'm very interested to learn your thoughts. Don't be a lurker! Please leave a comment -- or even two or three. Have a nice day everyone!

An Early July Hussar Update. . .

Marginally neater in appearance with green bases, girths, and ivory horse markings added, but I need to neaten up some hooves now before moving onto the rest of the tack. W here in the world did June go? While I still ponder the answer to that question, how about a quick painting update on the first batch of 14 Minden Austrian hussars and Nadasdy? Good. I'm glad we are of a like mind. Still on the sloppy side, but I've managed to move things along, painting the green bases, white (ivory) horse markings, and beginning the miles and miles of tack adorning the various horses. I always like to begin with the girths spanning the horses' ribs which helped hold the saddles in place. Even with the figures mounted individually on temporary painting bases, these can be kind of tricky to access, but there we are. I've also used various Army Painter washes (Mid-Brown and Strong Tone) as well as their Speed Paint (Grim Black) to make the manes and tails of the horses a bit m...

Basic Reds Done at Last. . .

S till quite a way to go with the current batch of 20 human figures and a horse (of course), but they're actually starting to look like something after all of the red distinctions. Quite a bit of painting in hour-long sessions the last week as and when time has allowed. Mostly applying the basic dark red to facing areas and turnbacks followed by the inevitable touch-ups to clean up wobbly edges and those misplaced, minute splotches of Citadel Khorne Red. They're looking like so many Austrian infantry regiments of the era at this point, but the eventual flags will turn them magically into the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment, more or less, of the AWI period. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. One frustrating point (ahem) of sad discovery. I've started trying to use those Winsor & Newton 'Series Seven' brushes (#1 rounds) purchased last spring, and the blasted things simply will not keep a point. Very frustrating since I have heard over the y...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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