The Grand Duchy of Stollen

A bove, you'll see the final Grand Duchy of Stollen painting progress chart update.  My mathematics might be off by a few numbers here and there, but nevertheless, the units are all finished and waiting to assemble for battle in a few weeks' time once the "Which Tabletop Battle Should They Fight?" poll ends.  If you have not yet voted for a particular scenario, please do so by January 31st at the upper right-hand corner of the GD of S homepage.  So far, Sittangbad remains in the lead (not, I hasten to add, "lead."  Get it?), but there is still plenty of time for one of the Charles S. Grant scenarios to come from behind.  I've also been sorting through the pile of lead and plastic here in Zum Stollenkeller , and it looks like it's enough to keep me busy for another couple of years at least if you factor in the additional bridges I want to scratch-build along with a planned dozen or so pontoon, baggage, and ammunition wagons or carts, which I'll ...

  M ore to follow over the next few days in the way of photographs, an updated progress chart, and the like.  But suffice to say, the 61-figure strong 6th (Princess Nene's Luebecker Musketiers) Infantry Regiment , which joins the Army of Stollen, is now FINISHED.  I made a huge push before supper this evening to wrap up painting on the last two company drummers and the mounted Colonel von Weinshenk, who have taken their place with the rest of the regiment to await their two coats of clear, glossy protective coating in the next few days and, afterwards, their marching orders.     What a wild ride the past few months have been due to not just one, but TWO painting challenges (Thanks Bill!).  Since I did not quite manage to finish those Minden hussars until after the November 5th, 2011 deadline of the first challenge, I was bound and determined to to wrap up this latest unit of RSM95 musketeers before the deadline of the second challenge,  January...

The Sittangbad town jail, as featured in Charge!  I have "borrowed" this particular photograph from the Vintage Wargaming blog. O nly three weeks -- 21 days -- left for you to vote for your choice in the "Which tabletop battle should I fight first in 2012?" poll.  So far, a refight of the Battle of Sittangbad is currently in the lead with approximately 45% of the votes.  But will it be the winner come Midnight on January 31st-February 1st?  There is still lots of time for one of the Charles S. Grant scenarios to pull ahead, so you never know.  If you have not yet done so, please cast your vote for the scenario of your choice in the poll at the upper right of the Grand Duchy of Stollen homepage.  This is your chance to have some influence on the painting, occasional gaming, and other assorted wackiness that transpires here at Stollen Central.  Cast your vote right now!

A late Christmas present arrived with the mail this afternoon, and although it is just after 7:30 in the evening here at Stollen Central, I will forgo painting this evening and retire very shortly to bed with a mug of coffee, to enjoy an evening of perusing, reading, and daydreaming.  A quick look through the book before supper reveals yet another triumph by the Grant family.  I might even be so bold as to suggest that this particular title looks like the best in the Wargaming in History series to date.  Thanks to my outlaws for the funds with which I purchased said book!

The shoulder patch of the long defunct 13th Airborne Division, my maternal grandfather's "outfit" during WWII. T oday would have been my maternal grandfather's 95th birthday.  Hard to believe since the image of him that I carry in my mind is of a tall, blond, soft-spoken North Carolina boy, who seemed, when I was young, to be as tall as an oak tree and strong as an ox.   Like so many of his era, Granddaddy was involved in the Second World War, the European Theater.  Initially an anti-aircraft gunner stationed on Curacao where he defended the Dutch oils fields, he later transferred and trained as both a paratrooper and glider-borne infantry.  Scary stuff when one considers how so many similar units of troops fared during WWII when facing the enemy.  Arriving in Le Havre, France during late 1944, his new division, the 13th Airborne, never quite saw combat though it was slated to be dropped into Germany and, later, Japan.  Luckily, neither ever happen...

The black lining went a little more rapidly with this last batch than has been the case so far.  Hmmm. . .  Might my hand be getting just a wee bit steadier? Here is a photograph of the mustering regiment.  I wonder if that's akin to moldering? And finally, the final five figures, which makes it sound rather like an Agatha Christie novel, or something similar.

J ust a few touch-ups on the white turnbacks, and then the last ten musketeers of the 6th (Luebecker Musketeers) Regiment of Infantry are all finished save for two company officers, two company drummers, and the mounted colonel.  These should go very quickly next week.  Watch for a photo update right here!

T he previous twelve months here at Stollen Central were somewhat difficult ones from a hobby perspective.  No games, and not a whole lot of painting occurred until late in 2011 thanks in large part to my feeling intimidated by those 30 Minden hussars and a stop-start, stop-start, "Here I go again, oh no. . .  On second thought, maybe not" approach to painting them to completion.  Chalk it up to the five-year itch.  But, spurred on by several wargaming friends, who proposed a painting challenge during September and October, the blasted things were finished after a fashion.  Thanks to sheer artistic adrenaline and satisfaction at having survived the hussars, plus another painting challenge, I pressed on with the final 60-figure unit of infantry in early December, the 6th (Luebecker Musketeers) Regiment of Infantry , and they should be all done in a few day's time. 2011 also saw the construction of a number of buildings here, including a small farm, featured i...

M ulling lots of wargaming-related things over here at Stollen Central during the last couple of weeks as we sailed through Christmas (where did the day go?) and plowed full steam ahead to January 2012.  Is it me, or does it seem like it was just January 2000? In any case, the basic Sittangbad-sized foces should be done before too many more days elapse.  And that means it's time for some solo tabletop action at long last.  I have figured on a small campaign this year between the Grand Duchy of Stollen and the Electorate of Zichenau, set during 1772 and beginning in the dead of winter that year.  The campaign will consist of five battles, based on Young and Lawford's Battle of Sittangbad and four scenarios by Charles S. Grant from his Scenarios for Wargamers (1981).   As of now, the precise order of these scenarios and related battles has yet to be determined.  So, my question to you Stollen regulars and semi-regulars is this.  Of the five scen...

T hank you to those who have left New Year's wishes here, and a very happy and healthy 2012 to you.  Hard to believe we are already a dozen years into the 21st Century!  We have woken to a very dark, blustery, and wet New Year's Day here in the Grand Duchy, so a walk around the neighborhood with Young Master Paul does not look like a possibility this morning.  Time to pour a second mug of coffee, bundle up with a writing pad and pen, and take stock of the GD of S project to consider what might lie ahead during the next twelve months.  Oh, and then there are ten RSM95 musketeers to apply basecoats to this afternoon, or early evening.  Be sure to check back here in a day or two for an update on all counts.

Here is where things stand with the 6th (Luebecker Musketeers) Infantry, as of mid-afternoon, on December 31, 2011. And here are the remaining figures that make up the balance of the unit.  New Year's Day will see me starting work on the final ten musketeer figures, leaving the colonel, two company officers, and the two drummers until last.  The January 16th painting challenge deadline looms just over two weeks away!

Wrapping up Christmas Week (get it?) with a final image of Father Christmas.  Here is another one of F.C. making his rounds through an English village. No time for blogging yesterday since I was flying at the painting table on the current batch of ten figures, which are almost finished, and which will raise the total of painted figures to 46.  Look for a photo update or two right here later today/tonight!

He's not done yet. . .   Here's another Victorian, or Edwardian image of Father Christmas in keeping with the season.  The overflowing sack of fruit and other treats in his left hand is a nice touch. About an inch of wet snow arrived during the night here at Stollen Central (our first snow was a dusting on December 9th).  Not really enough to do anything with, and given the warm temperatures so far this season, it will probably melt away as the morning progresses, but it is beautiful outside our windows at the moment.  Here's to the small pleasures in life. The current batch of ten RSM figures is just about finished.  Touch-ups will be applied this afternoon, following Young Master Paul's lunch and going down for his afternoon quiet time.  Actual naps no longer seem to be on his daily agenda.  Anyway, the next ten figures were glued onto their temporary bases during yesterday evening's painting session, and tonight after supper, they will receiv...

Here is yet another version of Santa Claus/St. Nicholaus, in purple robes with fur trim, another pleasing combination of colors.  Understated and simple, but sometimes that is just as pretty as more intricate designs. It's the second day of Christmas!  For those of you who observe, I hope Christmas Day was filled with fun, happiness, and friends/family. . .  and, perhaps, a few moments of quiet contemplation.  Here's to a jolly Christmas Week of continued celebration, delicious leftovers, sugary goodies, and eager daydreaming ahead to 2012, wargaming-related or otherwise. Christmas Day here at Stollen Central was all about Young Master Paul, and it was fascinating to note the difference in his level of curiosity and involvement this time around versus last year.  We even managed to get all of his gifts opened in one session instead of two or three as was the case with Christmas 2010.  Another lovely afternoon and dinner for the three of us followed, neat ...

Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and their children gather around the Christmas tree.

Christmas Eve begins early at Krankenstadt Palace in the far off Grand Duchy of Stollen, east of the sun and west of the moon. Following a large English breakfast with copious amounts of thick cut orange marmalade, prepared personally by the faithful Hives, the Grand Duke Irwin-Amadeus II dresses.  Since today is the start of Christmas festivities at Krankenstadt Palace, he puts together a particularly colorful ensemble.  Much to the chagrin of the long suffering Hives, who is heard to mutter something about those blasted macaronis. Meanwhile, the empty ballroom is about to become the scene of much preparatory activity by the palace staff with Hives at the helm. In the palace kitchen, Frau Goetterfunken oversees the roasting of the Christmas boar along with a goose or two and all the trimmings. In an attempt to escape the attention of his three aunts, Agatha, Irmgard, and Waltraud, who are guests at Krankenstadt Palace for the Christmas period, and all of whom are vocifero...

The ground is white with fresh snow east of the sun and west of the moon in the Grand Duchy of Stollen. Billowing, silvery drifts are piled throughout the country. The rivers and lakes are frozen solid. The woods are still but for the distant jingle of sleigh bells in the bracing air. The sky is slate grey, and heavy coal smoke hangs over the villages and towns. It is almost Christmas here in the far-off Grand Duchy of Stollen, somewhere to the northeast of Frederick’s Prussia. Citizens bustle to and fro through snow-covered streets in the small capital city of Krankenstadt, running last minute errands before the Christmas festival begins in earnest. The red brick North German Gothic storefronts feature special Christmas items and treats, and the happy faces of children peek in through the frosty windows at the cheerful seasonal displays. Street vendors peddle their wares in the town square, shouting loudly above the din of shoppers, their voices forming puffs of st...

They still don't look like much, but steps 4a (Humbrol Orange glaze) and 4b (Cadmium Red glaze) are finished on the current batch of Luebecker Musketeers.  I find it's the smaller details and brown, or black lining that pull figures together and help to make them look more like finished pieces instead of sloppy works in progress.

This is, I think, my favorite image of Santa Claus/ Father Christmas this season due to the wonderful red-brown robes and the fact that he is on skis.  Some of you Stollen regulars my recall, while I am by no means an expert Nordic/Cross-Country skier, and I have more than my share of face-plants each time we have been lucky enough to get out on skis, I am an enthusiastic participant.  Now, if Mother Nature would just send about 6"+ of the white stuff to our neck of the American Midwest! Things are clicking into high gear fairly smoothly here at Stollen Central this early afternoon.  The Grand Duchess is off to have lunch with a friend from school and then to the supermarket to shop for Christmas Dinner.  Meanwhile, yours truly has been busy folding and stowing clean laundry and ironing a few things to wear on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  I am nothing if not a thoroughly domesticated male.  Thank good ol' Mom, who once told me while demonstrating how ...

Yet another Victorian-era image of Santa Claus/ Father Christmas, this time in red with a sprig of holly, one of spruce, and a pack of toys and assorted goodies for the little ones on his back.   Little of great consequence to report today.  Finished the black bits on those current ten figures lats night.  This afternoon and evening it's the two-part process on the coats.  During breakfast today, I introduced Young Master Paul to a slice of his mother's stollen, which he quickly consumed and then asked for more.  Good boy.  Can the requisite mug of fresh, strong coffee be far behind?  Not, I fear, if we want the Young Master to sleep again before 2020! Later, I ran a couple of final errands to assist Santa Claus midday and returned in time for a pre-Christmas walk around the neighborhood with the Grand Duchess and the Young Master, who insisted on climbing the stars to the second floor by himself this morning.  It's amazing how quickly l...

Today's Victorian postcard image shows another green-robed Santa Claus/Father Christmas atop a small sleigh drawn by two rather more realistic reindeer. . .  in size at any rate. We took Young Master Paul to visit Santa Claus late this morning, and he did very well.  Hopped right up in Santa's lap, babbled some toddler language for a few minutes, smiled, hopped down, and thanked Santa in English and then German before taking my hand and leading me away to his mother.  All in all, it was a very pleasant exchange. And I must commend Santa on his genuine white beard and deep, resonant voice, which is what you would expect from the Big Man after all. As for the next batch of ten RSM's. . .  The fleshtone has been applied.  And I am pleased with the way I am gradually learning to use the brush to wipe off excess paint on the raised areas of each face (cheeks, chin, and bridge of the noses), providing an instant highlight when using a white basecoat.  After sup...

Not Mel Brooks's Young Frankenstein (1974), but a scene from the 1931 version of Frankenstein with Boris Karloff, I believe, as The Monster.   As mentioned in a post earlier this month, the Grand Duchy of Stollen was born on a chilly day in early December 2005 when we lived a few blocks away in our old apartment.  Classes were over for the term, final grades had been submitted, and the Grand Duchess was across the hall from my office, the old Purple Room, busily kneading dough for a couple of Dresdner Stollens.   Meanwhile, I was ensconced at my desk, bored out of my skull by painting corp-sized 15mm Napoleonic Waterloo-era forces and daydreaming about a new, no, THE new wargaming venture on which I was about about to embark. The only possible alternative.  A mid-18th Century BIG battalion project in the spirit of Charge! by Brigadier Young and Colonel Lawford, something I had intended to do since purchasing and reading that charming and fas...

Another seasonal image. . .  This morning, it is another photograph of, you guessed it, a Dresdner Stollen! Nothing more to say except that the Grand Duchess is planning to bake a couple of her authentic Dresdner Stollen today.  I cannot wait, and it is difficult to decide whether the aroma that fills the house is nicer than that first slice of warm stollen, or if it's the other way around.  What a holiday conundrum! Here is a blue Santa Claus/ Father Christmas, wearing an interesting cap, not the usual tasseled variety or a bishop's mitre, along with a vase of holly.  Holly is something you don't see too much anymore in the United States, at least to the best of my knowledge, at this time of year.  When I was a small boy in the early 1970s, quite a few families we knew in Missouri and Pennsylvania still used holly to dress up their houses for the Christmas season.  It's a shame that seems less common now because the leaves and berries of holly are extre...