Skip to main content

Kurmainz Grenadiers Update. . .

Almost there with the Kurmainz contingent.  Nothing fancy, but decent looking, unfussy painting.  It's difficult to observe here, but the green bags hanging from the bearskins have gold tassels and careful gold lining along the outer edges.  I wasn't going to add the latter, but green and gold look so pretty together.  And they are grenadiers after all, you know!  The cartridge pouches were also given small brass badges in the center.  The painting hand was especially steady that evening.

Well, the long Christmas break is coming to a close.  Between enjoying our snow by teaching the Young Master the rudiments of cross-country/Nordic skiing in a couple of local parks, syllabus updates for the new college semester starting next week, and some related professional development activities on campus, there hasn't been much free time the last week or so.  But I did manage to sit down and work on the mounted officer at left last night for a couple of hours.  This evening, if all goes well, I can finish the drummer and officer on foot, and then it's time for the usual two coats of acrylic glossy varnish, and classic, early Peter Gilder-inspired basic basing before starting the next batch of 20 figures.  

This next group will have blue, Prussian coats (RSM95 figures again), and be based on the uniform apparently worn by the troops of Sachs-Weimar-Eisenach (red facings, straw or yellow small clothes, etc.).  They were part of the Ernestinisch Saxon infantry, a unit made up of small contingents from the various Sachsen duchies.  Some of their uniforms resembled Austrian infantry in color and cut, while some resembled the Prussians.  Some of the latter, apparently, wore coats with the skimpier Prussian cut, but these were nevertheless white rather than dark blue.  In any case, the 80 or so figures will make a colorful composite (and fictitious) infantry unit in the Grand Duchy of Stollen milieu with the Kurmainz Grenadiers above forming their elite company

Now, the eagle-eyed among you might notice a couple of Minden Austrian standard bearers lurking at the background.  As soon as some Front Rank cords and tassels arrive, I'll purchase piano wire at the local hobby shop and do "proper" standards.  Besides other hobby goals this year on the ol' mental list, I've decided that 2015 will be the year that I gradually replace most of my old infantry standard bearers with nicer Minden figures, add the cords and tassels, and painted paper standards.  That's the plan at any rate.  Blather, blather, blather. . . 

Up to this point, said standard bears have been rather squeezed looking old 25mm MiniFigs.  As I've continued painting and adding to the collection over the last 8.5 years (Yes, really!), these have begun to look out of place with the slimmer RSM95, Minden, Fife&Drum, and Revell plastic SYW figures that make up most of my units.  The Minden figures will look nicer heading up everything, even the plastics I think, and won't stick out like sore thumbs.  While I still really like the old true 15mm MiniFig Napoleonics (and other ranges), their 25mm lines strike me as somewhat less than elegant.

At any rate, each line infantry battalion -- there will be ten of these in another year or so, one more 60-figure regiment after current large one -- will eventually have two standard bearers by the way, a colonel's color and a company color.  At some point, I'll do something similar for the cavalry units although I do know that each squadron will receive it's own guidon or standard.  We'll see how things progress.  Maybe in 2016?  The reflagging of the infantry, however,  should help give my infantry units a more finished and consistent look especially since I like to think that my painting has improved a tiny bit during the last eight years.  In my own mind at least.   

Happy Friday everyone!

-- Stokes

Comments

My Dear Heinz-Ulrich, Salutations!

You and I share a common opinion about the Minifigs 25 mm figures which are completely out of place with the Mindens and RSM 95's. They clash dramatically on an esthetic leven with even the Front Rank and Foundry figures. The style is truly out dated but the interesting thing is that the 30 mm figures that were once produced by Minifigs had a more modern appearance. Your painting work continues its excellent quality - well done.

Gerardus Magnus
Archbishop Emeritus

Popular posts from this blog

Presenting the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere!!!

Here they are, with the rearmost nine figures still drying, three squadrons of the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere, now in the service of the Grand Duchy of Stollen. And now, it's onto that artillery!

Taking Stock Part II: The (As Yet) Unpainted but Planned OOB. . .

  Two companies of Reichsarmee grenadiers painted back in 2017 or 2018.  Minden Austrians of course. A lovely early autumn day here in the grand duchy.  Bright sunshine and a light breeze with cool temperatures will make for some very pleasant late afternoon lawn mowing in a little while.  But first a bit more discussion of painting plans for the future. Last time, I looked back at the various and sundry units, support troops, and civilians that I've managed to paint in the last 17 years as the Grand Duchy of Stollen project has developed.  So today, let's look into the seemingly bottomless Drawer 'o' Lead to my left for a clue to the new direction.  Be forewarned, it's not going to be a quick job getting everything painted and based, but there we are. The following plans are based on the pile of unpainted figures already here.  Any future purchases will be limited to small things that might be needed to fill out the envisioned units (the odd few officers mounted o

Having a "No Day". . .

  F or the almost 20 years that she lived in Mexico, one of my late mother's Irish friends frequently mentioned having a "No Day."  A day with no social obligations, chores, tasks, or other work that interfered with whatever personal interests took one's fancy on the day in question. Since today -- a gray and chilly Saturday -- is Mom's birthday, the Grand Duchess is out with friends, and the Young Master is ensconced on the sofa in the TV room with a cold, yours truly is taking his own such No Day.  I think Mom would approve of my decision to make the world go away, as the old Eddie Arnold song intoned, even if only for a little while. So, I will spend Saturday afternoon focused on that first squadron and small regimental staff of Eureka Saxon cuirassiers.  These have stood waiting  untouched over on the painting table for almost three weeks while we skied and otherwise gadded about with snowy, winter outdoor activities. I hope to share a painting update Sunday a