Slowly Climbing Back into the Painting Saddle. . .

A melee between the small cavalry forces of the Grand Duchy of Stollen and the Electorate of Zichenau.  Figures by RSM95, Spencer Smith, and Holger Eriksson.

It has been, despite my good intentions, a slog getting back into the painting mode since our return from Mexico last week.  As many of you undoubtedly know already, playing catch-up following a vacation along with other unforeseen things (sick wife and child, etc., etc.) tends to sap any available free time that might otherwise be applied to painting.  I had considerable time yesterday evening, following dinner (the Grand Duchess sat with me but did not feel up to eating), but, frankly, retiring to bed with a book was a more attractive prospect by the time 8pm rolled around than was painting.  So, I spent several hours instead reading Deception (2010) by Jonathan Kellerman, a true master of psychological suspense.

However, I have had a chance for several moves in a solo game that I've had set up here in Zum Stollenkeller for a couple of months, and things are finally starting to get interesting at the close of Move 6.  A large cavalry melee has taken shape on the northern end of the battlefield, while the infantry and artillery of Stollen and Zichenau's advance guards elsewhere are now within range of each other.  Move 7 should be even more interesting once the dice begin tumbling (thank you, Mick and Keith), and the smoke clears.

This small game is based on Phil Olley's 'Vanguards Collide' scenario, laid out in the first Classic Wargamers' Journal from last year, and whichever army wins the day, it should help set the scene for the next tabletop encounter in the ongoing struggle between the terminally befuddled Grand Duke Irwin-Amadeus II of Stollen and his nemesis, the conniving Princess Antonia III of Zichenau.