The Grand Duchy of Stollen

Nowhere near finished, but I managed to make a bit of head way with the white lining yesterday (Saturday) evening and this afternoon. B esides all of this foolish talk of morale rules, I have managed to keep the painting on those Minden Bosniaks moving forward.  Just barely.  Sat my you-know-what down the the painting chair and worked on white trim on the black kaftans for about 90 minutes or so yesterday evening.  Not too many mishaps with the brush although there were a couple of notable errant white splotches that had to be fixed after the fact.  Still, it is this particular stage that helps the figures start to look like something other than the finely sculpted castings they are.   Still a long way to go, of course, but I'm pleased with the way things are coming together.  Besides the white piping on the red tunics and trousers, I need to finish the white piping on the black kaftans than runs behind each figure's neck and the highly decorative piping in the vicini

Another old Knoetel illustration from our period of focus. M orale, as I understand the concept, is the psychological state of a body of troops.   Morale ratings in Call It Macaroni attempt to reflect the training, skill, and fortitude of units in the face of contact with the enemy.   Troops with a better morale rating -- guards, grenadier battalions, veterans -- last longer in battle, remain under control for longer, and are easier for officers and NCOs to sort out and rally.   Lower quality troops -- average, green, or militia formations for example -- less so.  A unit's morale is a fluid thing that can change as battle wears on, new and unforeseen situations arise, and casualties mount.   That said, my thinking is that lower quality units would also be more brittle and more likely to succumb sooner to the effects of what is happening around and to them.  In addition, it seems that it would be harder for officers and NCOs to restore order (re-dress), rally, or exh