Uniform Solicitations

Inspired by a fellow blogger, Cavenderia, I've decided to call upon the readership to submit suggestions for a uniform to equip another battalion of the Bad Nachtschweiners. A uniform for a unit of dragoons would not be uncalled for either. Austrian as the base is desirable in both cases. In the usual effort to combat automated email address harvesters, take all dashes out of chasing-crickets-at-gmail-dot-com as the submission address.

While I am likely not going to paint them up anytime soon, since I'm currently focused (if you can call it that) on 10mm ACW, I need a new regiment to ponder upon for possible upcoming battle.

More painting

I finally made a little further progress on our grenadier, adding face and hands. It's interesting how much improvement just having skin on him makes.

Answer to Stokes

Stokes asked a couple of questions in his comments, about how I liked painting the SSMs and about the brush used.

They're a challenge, mostly to decide where the borders are between things. I've thought about the blacklining, but I think I need to get more comfortable with just the basic painting first. I don't yet have a clear grasp of where the dividing lines would be.

For brushes, assuming the number engraved on them is correct, as I think they're older than I am...I'm using a 5 brush to slop on gesso and other large areas, and a 1 brush to do the main painting. The 1 brush is unusual in that its bristles are cut off at only 3/16 of an inch long, which gives them a square and farely controllable tip. I'm finding it a good compromise of control and surface area from the little 3/0 I was using on the RSMs earlier.

First Bad Nachtschwein soldier in progress

A couple of you had asked for an in-progress shot, so below you can see three views of my plastic Spencer Smith grenadier being painted as a member of the Gebuhren Eber Grenadiers of Bad Nachtschwein. There's a fair bit of overlap among the different colors as I work to learn how much paint to put on the brush and try to judge where the different colors should go on the relatively undefined SSM figures. But it's at least looking vaguely like a grenadier in uniform now. As usual, click the thumbnail to bring up a larger view.

Bad Nachtschwein Threatened

Rumor out of the Landgraviate of Ober-Schweinsberg suggests that the squadron of Hesse-Engelburg ships last seen off the Shetlands has appeared suddenly on the river approaches near Bad Nachtschwein, and begun landing troops to threaten the capital of the Bad Nachtschwein League and its surrounding towns. It would appear the spring campaign season is opening....

News from Ober-Schweinsberg

Ober-Schweingau Herald (loyal to Asgar) - With mid-February snows still upon the ground, and armies retired to winter quarters as is common for the season, the town of Unter-Schweingau was chosen to be the meeting place for the great nobles loyal to our rightful Landgrave in a council to prepare for the coming spring. A peaceful town, Unter-Schweingau is well known as a favored in along the trade routes through the pass in which it lies, just across the river from our own fair city. However, that peace was shattered by invasion less than a fortnight ago, as the forces of Prince Arnold determined to disrupt and capture our honored Council, dispatching several brigades under the Polish immigrant Generalmajor Wlodzimierz Borowczyk, once a trusted officer of the Landgraviate.

We are pleased to report that Generalmajor Schweiger and his forces of Asgar were quick to respond and managed to extract the council members from the town to safety despite attack by a superior force. A valiant fighting withdrawal has brought the Council members to safety behind the firm wall of the Schweingau river, upon which our lines now rest. Though we celebrate this victory with joy, there yet remains a measure of sadness in our hearts, for the victory was not won except with great cost. A great many casualties and prisoners were left behind, particularly the loss of Brigadier Murnau and almost the entirety of his cavalry brigade, who are reported to have fallen in brave and furious charges to defend our noble Council. Shame, too, must fall upon some. The 8th Line regiment, having been shattered in two consecutive battles, has reportedly been taken out of the line in disgrace, having proven itself unworthy of the Prince it serves. More heinous than the failure of the 8th, however, is the defection of those blackguard foreigners of Shannon's regiment, who have deserted their rightful Prince and sullied the name of their once fine regiment. Let them return unto their original lands ere they meet us in battle, for we shall surely cut them down like the vile dogs they are for their treachery.

Vergoldeten Bulletin (loyal to Hesse-Engelburg) - Christmas passed quietly in Vergoldeten, a peaceful Christmas unmarred by war. After being so recently threatened with great bloodshed, we owe our thanks to the good rulers of Hesse-Engelburg for their kind dealings and the protection we enjoy with their troops wintering about our fair city. Trade continues to flow, and the new year looks bright with joy and increase. We of Vergoldeten extend our sincere condolences to those of our kindred who have lost loved ones in the recent fighting, and our hopes for a peaceful resolution to the civil war that has befallen the Landgraviate.

Yet More Notes

The motto on Arnold's banners, Maior Natu, is (supposed to be at least) the Latin for "First Born". This is a reference to Arnold being the firstborn twin by a small margin, which makes his primary claim to the throne as eldest son.

The Margarethe and Franka Dragoon regiments are named after Prince Asgar's daughters. Thus, our aggressive Brigadier Murnau could find his career adversely affected were he to get them destroyed ingloriously. Glorious destruction is, of course, an entirely different matter. The dividing line between glorious and inglorious is, naturally, at the whims of Prince Asgar. :>

Note the presence of a Kinski Hussars in Asgar's forces, and a Brigadier Kinski in Arnold's forces. These two commanders are likely related. This is a common happening in civil wars.

Shannon's Irish Guards and the Von Trotta Horse Grenadiers from Asgar's force and the Schwarze Eber Fusiliers from Arnold's are all former Guards regiments under the deceased Landgrave.