And here they are -- the 7th (von Flickenhoffer's) Fusiliers!

For your viewing pleasure, here is the fourth company of fusiliers -- all done and varnished with two coats of Future/Klear acrylic floor finish. Nice and shiny they are too! On a few figures, you'll notice, I need to retouch the green bases, but that will only take a few minutes when I sit down after supper this evening.

Here is a somewhat close-up shot of the company NCO and a few of his charges as well as the 3rd company to their rear. Two coats of clear glossy varnish seem to approximate that Peter Gilder-esque look, which I have grown to prefer over the last few years. Two coats are glossier than a single coat too. I read somewhere online that Mr. Gilder wanted his figures to look like tiny porcelain miniatures, hence the glossy finish he used. For a classic wargaming project like the Grand Duchy of Stollen project, that's just the sort of appearance I hope to impart to my troops.

Here is a higher angle, third photograph, showing the entire regiment on parade. And to think, I've only been working on them since last December! Where on earth has the time gone? Well, it has been on again-off again in the intervening months with a couple of games, time abroad in June, and the ever-looming student essays to read and correct plus band activities. Presumably, I could have finished the unit more rapidly without these other distractions, but no harm done I suppose.

And last of all, another shot of the entire unit of von Flickenhoffer's Fusiliers for good measure with Colonel von Flickenhoffer himself atop his lively steed just behind the color party. My, how martial and menacing they appear! Is it any wonder that only three companies of these seasoned troops cleared Saegewerkdorf of blue-coated Stollenians (when the former doubled as vile Stagonia's Du Lepps Fusiliers) in the truncated e-refight of Sawmill Village between Jeff Hudelson and me this past spring?

Addendum. . .

And where do we stand with the Grand Duchy of Stollen project?

Total Painted Figures in Army of Zichenau -- 309/318. . . Only nine hussars (one squadron) left to paint.

Total Painted Figures in Army of Stollen -- 226/433. . . Several units and more mounted officers are left to paint.

Total Figures in GD of S Project -- 751 (Does not include generals and ADCs)

Figures Painted to Date -- 535 (Does not include generals and ADCs)

Painting Half-way Point -- 375.5

And sometime in the night, we rounded the 70,000 visits mark. Thank you to one and all!!!

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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