All Glossed with a Place to Go. . .

 

The tabletop troops in question.  I took this photograph with my iPhone.  Other than some brightening and cropping in Fotor, it provides a good representation of the (almost) finished company,  The fetching Grand Duchess gave these Fife & Drum Hessians to me for Christmas 2022.

Long overdue greetings everyone!  The generic company of Frei-Infanterie shown above, based on the von Hordt regiment, is finished and glossed.  Finally.  Not quite as spectacular as their companion company of Anspach-Beyreuth jaegers showcased in August, but handsome in any case.  

The 30 figures together make up  the light infantry contingent for the Grand Duchy of Stollen whose small army is based very loosely on those of ol' Frederic's Prussia and its neighboring allies.  But less ably led and with lower morale in general.

It has been slow going with the paint brush these last couple of months due to usual cocktail of life and work, but here we are at last.  A few related painting and gaming points come to mind.

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To begin with, however much we might research historical formations and uniforms, there will often come a point where we must diverge from history and squint our eyes a bit if our painting is based on uniforms worn by actual units of the past.  

That could be because the figures available or used for a given project don't quite match where the minutia of piping, the presence or absence of collars, grouping of buttons, and the like are concerned.  Sometimes, we just make a mistake and, for example, paint the officers' neck stocks in the same color as the enlisted men's.  (Raising hand) Please don't cane me, Sir.  I was led astray!

Then, of course, there is the issue of the term "uniform" itself.  We know that official regulations sometimes changed mid-conflict during many eras, to greater or lesser degree.  We also know that the men often modified their kit for greater ease and comfort on campaign.  And, in addition, that older items remained in use even after official decrees to the contrary came down from above.

And as Neil suggests in his comment below, the ravages of campaign also had a not inconsiderable effect on the appearance of military formations thanks to illness, living in the open, bad weather, sun, wind, and the like.  Sometimes, we might occasionally forget (as do I) that dyes were not color fast and tended to fade.  "White" was not always what we think of as brilliant white.  And there was a general lack of consistency across the garments worn by a group of military men.  Even within the same sub-unit perhaps, although the general color palette of their uniform items might be in the same neighborhood.  

Just take a look at almost any modern re-enactors' group in almost any period for example.  Same general cut of coats, breeches, and so forth, yes.  Same general colors, more of less, but a variegated appearance in any case.    

Somewhat fortuitously, that means we wargamers and collectors enjoy considerable painting leeway when it comes to how we clothe our metal and plastic figures even if they purport to represent actual units and formations of campaigns past.  Our units in miniature don't necessarily have to be exact matches to the various descriptions and illustrations presented by the physical and online sources we might consult in the research and painting phases.  The Napoleonic era is one such wonderfully complex (and maddening) case in point.

All of he above is an extremely long-winded -- And when have I ever been anything but? -- way of saying that although my company of frei-infanterie is generic and lacking in a few of the precise details of the actual historical unit according to my Osprey and Project Seven Years War/Kronoskaf, they will nevertheless answer to the name of von Hordt in my order of battle.

Another luxury we are afforded as painters, wargamers, and collectors free to shape and carry out our hobby as we see fit.

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On a similar note, the long U.S. Thanksgiving holiday weekend approaches, and that means there will be a solo game happening here in Zum Stollenkeller in a week's time.  A pared-down affair based on the Combat at Zinna, which the Young Master and I began but did not complete back at the start of September.  

14-year old Paul has since informed me that he no longer wanted to play our game, after just four turns, because it was the weekend following the long Labor Day holiday weekend when he preferred to play.  Keep in mind that our son chose to busy himself with other things during that particular three-day period despite repeated invitations from yours truly.    

Okee-dokee.  

His rather odd sense of logic notwithstanding, I have, as a result, advised my currently sullen and capricious teenager that he is welcome to join in the toy soldier fun Thanksgiving Weekend if he so chooses.  But I am playing the game in any event without unpleasantness.  End of story.

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Before that can happen, I must address two tasks though.  First, the von Hordt Infantry still need some light terrain features added to their bases before they can join their brethren on the tabletop.  Nothing fancy you understand.  Just the usual application of sand, dark brown ink, tan dry-brush, Woodland Scenics materials, a twig or two, and a few pebbles to represent the wooded or broken ground in which light troops of the time might have lurked away from the main battle lines.

Speaking of terrain, I finally stumbled across some commercially produced rivers and ponds on Amazon that should do the trick when it comes to tabletop water features.  Out of the box, they look very cartoonish and not quite what many of us are after as far as something approaching realism goes.  But they are 2mm or 3mm neoprene rubber that is flexible and will lie flat on the table.  Not unlike computer mouse pads but thinner.  With a bit of modification, they should look fine.  

But what of that you ask?  Well, I have decided to take care of that with the addition of some dark gray-blue gloss latex (emulsion) paint this evening and tomorrow (Sunday) in and amongst the various other items on the mental list.  Some additional tan and light brown touch-ups along the banks should yield acceptable streams and smaller rivers.  For larger (wider) river-crossing scenarios, I have something similar in mind, but of that more anon. 

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Further afield, and for anyone who might be wondering, next in the painting queue are several squadrons of cavalry (I know, I know. . .), all of which have been in the Drawer o' Lead to my left for quite some time.  Two squadrons of Eureka Saxon cuirassiers, purchased just ahead of the first of several subsequent 29th birthdays back in 2016, and two of RSM95 Prussian hussars, which came into my possession way back in 2008.  The former are destined to represent a squadron each of the Plotz (green facings) and Furst von Anhalt-Dessau (orange-yellow facings) cuirassiers respectively.  

The two squadrons of hussars, on the other hand, will be uniformed as Hanover's Luckner Hussars, with one in the earlier uniform, and the second in the post-1760 uniform.  For colorful variety you understand.  I'll probably tackle a squadron of cuirassiers first to warm up, follow with the first hussar squadron, then the second, and wind down with the easier second squadron of cuirassiers.   Then it will be time for another unit of line infantry.

Now, I am well aware that I have mentioned here, and in various other online fora, that I would never again attempt hussars after painting 30 or so Minden Prussians as the mounted contingent of Lauzun's Legion (sans the lancers) back around 2012 or so.  But it seems a shame to allow the RSM95 figures to languish any longer, and I might as well see to that before aging eyes make painting the buttons and braid any more difficult.

The whole process of working through these four squadrons of cavalry should take me through the winter and into spring, I imagine, but there are many unpainted horse soldiers here, so it's time to get moving,  The cavalry will advance!  And that's not even mentioning the Austrian and Prussian infantry waiting patiently in plastic containers, along with three additional regiments of cavalry over and above the four squadrons mentioned already.  

Prussian dragoons, German heavies in French service, and Lanciers de Saxe anyone? 

The ongoing plan, progress slow as it is, of course, is to continue painting the figures in the lead pile as various Reichsarmee units, or those from other minor states in and around Central Europe during the 1740s-1770s.  A melange of uniforms and flags so spectacular that it seems hardly necessary to make up my own color schemes you'll no doubt agree. 

But I digress. 

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Before heading upstairs for another mug of coffee, I see that a few additional followers have joined up in recent weeks.  Welcome!  Thank you for your interest, and I hope you enjoy the trip.  It's certainly 'round about.  Somewhere in the neighborhood of The Magical Mystery Tour meets Peter Gilder and his Wargames Holiday Centre meets the Carry On films.  With perhaps a dash of Laurie and Fry, the Pythons, or possibly The Young Ones.

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Time now to bring this chapter to a close, head upstairs for that next cuppa joe, and prepare some cinnamon-raisin toast for breakfast before dressing and tackling the leaves outside.  The Grand Duchess and Young Master decamped before sunrise this morning to Chicago for the weekend to enjoy a long-delayed mother-son trip, so it's just the two cats and yours truly here at home in Mid-Michigan until Sunday evening.  

But that means a bit of extra free time in which to take care of yet more leaf gathering duty outside, catch my mental breath, and enjoy some uninterrupted time back here in Zum Stollenkeller where I will finish the bases of the von Hordt boys and touch up the river sections, some of which will play a role in the game planned for next weekend. 

Huzzah and full speed ahead!

-- Stokes