Making Hungarians

For no good reason the conversion bug hit me last night and I felt the desire to start working up some RSM Croats for the seven Years' War into Hungarian infantry for the 1740-45 period of the War of the Austrian Succession.

As may be seen in the Knoetel print above, there were decided similarities between the uniforms of the two, especially that of the Kokenyesdi Regiment, so I decided to proceed on that basis.

The raw material, RSM Croats. The similarity between these and the illustration is obvious. Note how good they look in three ranks! Just like the real thing!

Step one. Cut down the Klobuk (the tall felt hat) to a size more in keeping with the Hungarian template. Step two will be to add the red 'bag top" to the hat. Time for some Greenstuff.

Regiment Sachsen-Gotha

A bit of a quickie post this evening. I wanted to show off the first few figures of the latest of the Saxony-inspired Imperial Regiments.

Based on Sachsen-Gotha's Regiment of the Seven Years' War, they depart fropm the original in the headhear of their Grenadiers; those of the real thing being more in the Prussian mode.

Completed Regiment "Markgraf Lubomirsky"

Showing off the Grenadiers' hats.

 Has it only been twelve days since I completed my last regiment? This one has had me by the throat and I've not been able to let it go.

 

This regiment is based on the Saxon one of the same name.

 The drummer is rather anachronistic, being accurate-ish for the War of the Austrian Succession, while the rest of the unit is painted for the Seven Years' War.

Just another view showing off the Ensign. This is the seventh Spencer Smith unit I have painted for my collection and the first I have done without lapes for whatever that may be worth. I'm intending to do one more with pale blue Lapels for the Imperials and then turn to Cavalry.

Sometimes it's not worth posting a comment on a blog!

I've been called a lot of things on the Internet before, but this is a first!

Salm-Salm-Salm Regiment now complete

 As ever, I am posting in very great haste as I am about to shoot off out of the front door, but I wanted to post a couple of pictures of the now-complete Salm-Salm-Salm regiment.

Regimental flag is by the ever useful WarFlag.

In the background lurks the finally completed Obrist of the Alzheimer "la Rosee" Regiment, finally back from leave!

A couple of Landsknechts

 I've spent the past couple of painting sessions working on a couple of Willie Landsknechts. I've carried on the theme of the past fgew months and these two fellows hail from Alzheim and the Empire around 1500-1520 - at least, that's what it said on the woodcut.

 These figures were an absolute delight to paint, and their anatomy, posing and animation are a sight to be seen. I think these are some of Surens' finest.

Looking back and looking forward

Sleepless at a quarter-past-midnight, I've decided to get out of bed and write myself to a standstill.

Looking back over the past 12 months, I am as ever somewhat amazed at how much I have acheived on the one hand, and how little I have actually finished on the other.

On the credit side of the ledger, I have been very productive; taking the Spencer Smith project, I have either bought or painted nine regiments of foot, six of horse and a pair of batteries all of which are in a state where I would not be ashamed to put them on a table and play a game with them. On the debit side, I have yet to do so! Likewise the "Old School ACW" project - I spent most of 2010 getting theresources in place and have so far played exactly one game with them.

While I am being hard on myself, there is the "1565 Project" which in my usual style got off to a flying start and is now little more than a disjointed collection of (albeit nicely-painted) bits.

I suffer from a lack of an opponent and a regular close peer group (sorry online world, but you're just not the same as the real thing!) who would keep me better stimulated. I'm sad to report that I find solo gaming both a bore and a chore. Note - join a club! This is a state of affairs that I really need to address to move forward.

On the positive side (and looking forward) I am currently involved in a group project to put three (!) demonstration games on at CanCon 2013. They will be Isandalwana, 55 Days at Peking and a yet-to-be-finalised action from the Franco-Prussian War - the last I am especially hopng to be deeply involved in as I want the chance to paint some of the Spencer Smith "Classic" FPW figures.

Equally on the positive side, I am fizzing with enthusiasm for my Willie Landsknechts just now. Whether they will develop into a "proper" army or just a collection of stuff I like... well, let history be the judge of that. If nothing else, at least they will tie in with the figures I have for the "1565 project". Or maybe that may morph into some sort of Wars of Religion beast.

Again, on the plus side, I have just about finalised a deal on some old Ral Partha Renaissance/Condottiere figures. And, yes, I do realise that this is doubling up something terrible. Nonetheless, these are really lovely sculpts and do I really need a reason? True 25mm by Ton Meier. They look like Swiss and Landsknechts for the most part that I have an eye on to mess about with for the early Italian Wars. I am seriously thinking of turning them into DBR armies as they would fit the basing really well. The small army sizes for DBR mean that I could create 3 or 4 factions should campaigning appeal.

A final mooted project would be a Willie Old West Cavalry versus Indians grand skirmish. Again, I love the figures and I am certainly NOT thinking of the Little Big Horn. Really. Not.

No, really.

Salm-Salm-Salm Regiment

 Happy New Year to all, and as the painting round starts to crank up again, I thought I'd post a couple of work-in-progress pictures of the latest regiment of the Imperial Army. Thirty figures down and another 23 to go to finish up the current painting challenge.

Regiment Salm-Salm-Salm is the personal plaything of the Imperial Minister to Alzheim, Herr Salm-Salm-Salm. A wily minister, he will play no little part in the dramas soon to unfold.

Hoka-hey! It is a good day to fight; a good day to die!

 Among my small pile of Christmas lead were a few Willie bits and bobs including this rather splendid Apache.

 I have painted him as Crazy Horse as he may have appeared on the day of the Little Big Horn with white spots on his body representing hail. His horse has been painted as though it has lightning bolts on it's flanks.

You'll note I had to use a piece of brass rod to prop up the horse as the one leg actually attaching it to the base was sagging under the weight of horse and rider!

I also got a few other Apaches and Comanches as well as a few US Cavalry. not to mention a half-dozen Landsknechts in Pluderhosen who would not look out of place in my "Siege of Malta" project.

The Gestalt Dragoner Regiment

 Today I applied the last coat of spray gloss varnish to the Gestalt Dragoons of Colonel Zigmund Freud.

Hurrah!

Progress Report

I was wanting to post a brief update on the latest of the Imperial Cavalry Regiments I was working on.

 Just to refresh your memories, this is one of the "before" shots of the unrenovated figures.

 Here are the latest "after" shots. As you can see, I've completed 17 of the Troopers and three of the Officers. Only 7 Troopers and the Regimental Colonel to finish off and then I can start on a regiment of Imperial Foot I have been thinking about. I guesstimate there is about another day and a half's work to do on them before I'm done.

I'm open to suggestions for a name for this unit.

Doings

Hello there. I've not dropped off the twig entirely, just been a bit quiet.

I've about finished off the last 18 figures for the la Rosee Regiment - if you remember from the "Grand Review" they were 17 fusileers and a mounted officer short-handed. That has now been remedied; the colonel needs a bit of paint and we'll be all done there. Photos to follow.

I am currently working at freshening up the paintwork on one of the dragoon regiments Gary donated to the project. The troopers glory in a mid-blue coat with yellow turnbacks, a red shabraque with a snappy yellow and black lace edging. I'll post some 'before' photos this evening.

Unlike the Comardo Dragoons, these will not get a full repaint, but more a bit of a touch-up and re-modelling. I will post some images of the test figure I am doing as soon as it's complted. These lads will be joining the Imperial forces. Has anyone a suggestion for a name? Perhaps something inspired by the Austro-Hungarian Army?

UPDATE: The first two test figures have been completed.

The officer - only the face, coat and lacing on the shabraque are original.

 I finished retouching the first two of the Imperial Dragoons this evening and was quite pleased with the result. I think that the fairly simple "tarting up" serves to bring the figures in line with my own painting style whilst remaining pretty true to the spirit of the originals.

The trooper - untouched at the left and re-touched to the right.

 Took about 40 minutes for the pair of them. Most pleasing!

Kalnocky Hussars - Finished!

 Not much more to say, is there?

Absolute agony to finish up all 28 figures in one go. Imagine painting 28 faces, 28 pairs of breeches, 28 swords etcetera, etcetera...

The Kalnoky Hussars

For my next Imperial regiment, I decided to build a Hussar regiment and eventually settled on the Kalnocky Hussars on finding this portrait by David Morier in the Royal Collection (available online). I have been painting madly for the past week and a half and can report that the bulk of the work is done, up to and including the (much simplified) yellow lace and frogging. I'm painting in the rest of the fur detail tonight and will be knocking off the final details of betls, glove muskets and so on this weekens if all is well. Pics on Sunday night?

Afther these chaps are finished, it's on to the last 18 figures of the La Rosee regiment.

Grand Review

I had a thought to take a leaf from Der Alte Fritz's book and conduct a grand review of the Spencer Smith Project. Maximilian von Browne, first General of Alzheim is conducting the review from the comfort of the Elector's Arms, a very fine Inn. In a rarae spirit of amicability, the Empire is also taking part, doubtless to spy on our dear old Alzheims preparedness. Truly the imperials are as vile as any Stagonian.

The Estaerhazy Hussars thunder past. Long in the Imperial service, they are well overdue to have their basing brought up to a more modern standard.

The Imperial Artillery. I note their mounted officer is out of uniform!

The imperial Infantry. De los Rios in the foreground, Insbruchen behind, and the Swiss to the rear. remember the French saying "Pas de argent, pas de Suisse!"

Alzheims brave artillery. Time to start on teams for the guns.

Von Browne agrees. As he ought!

Alzheims' Jager korps line the walls of an enclosure. Spanking chaps.

von Prittwitz' regiment. Perfection if I do say so. One of my favouurites.

Alzheimer infantry. The LeibGrenadier Garde, behind them are the LeibRegiment and then de la Rosee. The latter are short 17 Privates, their Colonel (who must be awol with his mistress) and their fahnenjunker. Oh! The shame!

The dread Black Genadiers? No, they just need new coats.

The Buddenbrock Cuirassiers.

The Brigade of Dragoons. The Marchmont Regiment needs to be rebased to match the Comardo Regiment. Apart from tht, perfection!

Work in Progress

 Balloonists' view. Note my daughters' non-military additions to Daddy's Fairy Castle.

You may or may not recall an earlier post on the military geography of Alzheim, but in I made reference to some old, second-class fortifications. On of the images was that of the fortress at Finke, although it just as easily could have been of that at Günzberg.

Obviously this is based on the fortress at Sarzanello.

My rationale is that it's an old renaissance fortress built when the Electors of Alzheim were mercenary princes hiring out their landsknechts to all comers and battling with their neighbours.

The Empire - de los Rios Regiment

 I've spent the last ten days or so painting the "de los Rios" Regiment. I finished off the Colonel's horse this morning, and so thought it was worthy of a couple of quick shots. I'm using quite a different style of painting than with the Alzheimers standard black undercoat, I decided to spray on a white base-coat/undercoat before lining each figure in black, then colouring in!

The Empire

I’ve started to put together Alzheim’s enemy, The Empire.

Obviously, they are going to be based on the Austro-Hungarian Empire. I’m setting the date at about 1739-40. The Emperor is dying and the jackals are gathering…

I have a few units in place already; a Swiss Regiment in red coats, the ”Innsbruchen” Regiment in white with blue facings and the Esterhazy Hussars. I have started work on another white-coated regiment – the green-faced “los Rios” Regiment and will be working on another blue-faced Regiment after that.

After that, well, I’m not too sure as I don’t really have a finalised order of battle yet. I do have some Slavonian Pandours and half a Regiment of Hungarians on order from Spencer Smith. I know I’ll be building another two regiments of Hussars.

We’ll see how we go!

The Comardo Dragoons - Pictures

The Dragoons obligingly gallop past for the camera.

 As promised, I got out the Comardo Dragoons and the camera this evening and, as the thunderstorms crackled away above, got busy snapping away.

Conversion of the regular Dragoon trooper - yes, the flag-pole has been thrust through his foot.

 In the Alzheim Cavalry, the senior NCO carries the unit's colours. His distinctive mark is metallic lace on his hat and shabraque.

Close-up of one of the regiment's Officers.

 Ow, on closer examination, I could have been a little more thorough with shaving this chap's flash down!

 The Regiment sweeps forward in line. On the table, this unit has a huge footprint.

The proud parent!

Comardo Dragoons

I finished the final half-dozen troopers of the Comardo Dragoons this morning as I was getting myself and my little daughter Erin (2 and a half) ready for work and creche respectively. I am fortunate Erin creches at my place of work as will her little brother Sam (one year old on the 25th) next term.

What with packing bags, eating breakfast and an unusual trip to the naughty spot, there was no time for affixing the unit flag nor for any photography, so you'll all have to wait on this evening.

In the meantime, it's been quite good fun doing the repaint on this unit. To digress a little, when I received this extravagant donation of cavalry to the "Spencer Smith project" I was a little uncertain as to how to integrate the different units. I felt dreadful at the idea of pressing them into my service without honouring their already impressive heritage and so I've opted to repaint them in their original uniforms (OK, with some minor changes) and re-flag them with colours that acknowlege that which went before - the original colours will hang in the Alzheim and Imperial Armouries.

Thus it is that the Comardo Dragoons will retain their original red coats and green facings and their white lace. In the ongoing Alzheimer "tradition" they will get white small-clothes. Their saddle-cloths have changed from the original pale blue to green in harmony with their uniform distinctions.

One of the common troopers has had his sword cut away to allow him to grasp a flagstaff (see the coloured pics in the front papers of "The Wargame Companion" and you'll see what I mean) while the now flagless officer had been equipped with a deadly pin-sword.

Now I've said all this, I really feel like I ought to have done some before-and-after shots!

The Comorado Dragoons

The first ten troopers of Alzheims Dragoon Corps.

Four Regiments strong, this corps are all dressed in red coats. The Comorado Regiment sports green facings, the Marchmont Regiment yellow-buff, the Speyer Regiment canary yellow and a fourth - yet un-named - will wear bright blue.

In the ongoing "tradition" of Alzheim units, their small-clothes are white.

I've got more cavalry for sale on eBay as well:

http://tinyurl.com/5w4yn8m