And the first scenario is. . .

Here's the first shot of the battlefield taken from the southeast. You can just about make out the two gentle ridges (books) and shallow valley between them in the middle of the table. As C.S. Grant mentions in the instruction for this particular scenario, these terrain features have no appreciable effect on troop movements.

Another shot taken facing to the southwest this time. You can just make out the torso of the Jolly Green Giant at the top of the picture.

A final view of the battlefield, including my helper The Young Master, who is not only color coordinated with the miniature landscape here, but he also decided that we needed a windmill and an L-shaped section of wall. From left to right, the settlements are Doltz, Schtügesdorf, and Bumpfkinzort. That's Hasenpfefferwald near the other end of the table. And the Woodland Scenics Ready Grass mats don't look half bad. I'll probably purchase some 28mm fields from Hotz at some point to disguise where the three mats overlap each other and help break up the broad expanse of golf course just a bit. Overall though, I like where this is headed and should have upped my terrain game much sooner.

And the first scenario is. . . The 'Flank Attack' found on pages 34-35 of Scenarios or Wargamers! I'll reduce the orders of battle slightly to better fit the forces available to me and set them out in the next day or so. The Stollenians (commanded by Grand Duke Irwin-Amadeus II and General von Bauchscherzen) will defend in the roll of the Blue Army on the northern ridge (at let in the bottom photograph) while the invading Zichenauers (commanded by that dastardly ne'er-do-well General Phillipe de Latte) will attack in the role of the Red Army from the southern ridge near where the Young Master stands. I am considering seeking assistance from a couple of wargaming pals along the lines of what we did via e-mail last December and January. Stay tuned!

-- Stokes

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!

And It's the End of September!!!

Saxony's Ploetz Cuirassiers, an illustration lifted from the Kronoskaf website, which has thus far guided my spectacularly glacial painting of 30 28mm Eureka Saxon cuirassiers purchased all the way back in October 2016. A gray, cool Saturday here in Mid-Michigan with rain in the forecast. The Grand Duchess is away at a conference, so it's just "The Boys" here at home. The Young Master (almost 15) has retreated to his room for something or other following breakfast while I have stolen back down here to Zum Stollenkeller (masquerading as my office) with a second mug of coffee and both cats comfortably ensconced nearby. Enjoying the late morning and still in my pajamas! Not much planned for today beyond designing a couple of promotional flyers for workshops my department is presenting (small parties we will throw?) in October and November. With maybe a bit of on the next podcast script. More important, I am toying with the idea of returning for an hour or...

Happy September 2nd!!!

T his weekend, the question of what, precisely, constitutes an "imagination" came up in an online forum of which I am a part. To be fair, the issue originates from further afield in a Facebook group that I am not a member of, but I weighed in with my own view. The following was in response to the question posed yesterday (Sunday) morning by an exasperated member of my own rather more gentlemanly town square, who had been met with a strident response to information he shared about his (admirable) hobby activities on said FB group. Here is, more or less, what I wrote: To my mind, the concept of imagi-nation(s) is a broad one. It can range from historical refights or what-if scenarios/battles/campaigns between armies of a particular era, to completely made up combatants operating in a quasi-historical setting, to the rather generic red and blue forces of the Prussian Kriegspiel that examine a particular tactical problem, task, or exercise. ...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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