Those new Zvezda Swedish GNW Dragoons look very tempting!

The Plastic Soldier Review people have their latest review up. . . and it's on this new release by Zvezda. Find the link at right and have a look yourself. In general, these look and sound like excellent figures, so I might just have to order three boxes to form a large regiment of dragoons, who fight for on of the lesser principalities surrounding the Grand Duchy of Stollen and the Electorate of Zichenau.

Have been exchanging e-mails with Richard from the Dayton Painting Consortium about some suitable cuirassiers (with swords cast as part of each figure rather than separately, as in the case of the RSM Prussians) . Looks like the Austrian troopers and officer fit the bill. Richard suggested that I use the English heavy cavalry trumpeter. Since I want to include a standard bearer in the unit, I 'll have to ask about that. I think I might need to use one of those open- handed Prussians here with a flagpole and a home-made paper standard, which I always prefer to commercially available flags and standards.

One of you, Marc, I think, asked whether I was moving away from plastics in favor of metals. Quite the contrary! As you'll see, I am excited by the new Zvezda set -- so much, that I think an order is imminent.

I must admit though that those attempted conversions (Zvezda Saxon cuirassiers and Revell tri-cornered heads) currently hold less fascination for me than they once did. I just can't seem to get the angle of the cut right when I separate the heads from their original kneeling musketeer bodies. The result has been that many of the heads are cocked at very strange angles when pinned and glued to their new cavalry bodies. I think it's very good that I harbored no desire to become a surgeon when I was younger!

So, those are on the back burner for the time being. Besides, I've got hussars to finish, a game with Jonathan Broadus to plan, and an 80-figure regiment of RSM Prussian fusiliers to paint before year's end.

Which brings me to today. No social obligations for the first time in about two months this weekend. Meaning that painting can assume its rightful place once more here at Stollen Central. I hope to wrap up that first squadron of Revell Prussian hussars and maybe get started on the second. Look for some photographs Sunday evening or Monday morning!