Arrival at Potzdorf

Finally, the glorious day has come! Field Marshal the Reich Duke Wilhelm of Beerstein has arrived in Potzdorf, the capitol of the Margraviate of Carpania. As usual, please click on the pictures for a larger image.

The officials and troops gather on the greensward in front of the eastern gate of Potzdorf. The courier gallops closer, bringing the word of the Reich Duke's imminent arrival.

The troops providing the honor guard are (from left): the converged grenadiers of Carpania, Campbell's Highlanders, the converged grenadiers of Sachsen-Wachsenstein, and the Grenadier Regiment Pavlovski of Courland.

The Reich Duke's party, led by Major General Seamus Campbell, OT, clatters into view, accompanied by its Courlandian Cossack escort.

The carriage halts to allow the Reich Ducal party to disembark.

The Reich Duke and Duchess and young Basil, King of the Romans, approach the welcoming dignitaries.

From the left they are: General Campbell on his rearing horse, the officers of the Carpanian army, Princess Buttercup of Carpania and her ladies, the Carpanian minister of war, Margrave and Margravine Hapnich and their attendants, the Duke and Duchess of Sachsen-Wachsenstein, and the Duke and Duchess and war minister of Courland.

Major General Campbell, OT, has now dismounted and joined the dignitaries for the official portrait of the visit. On the wall behind, the party is guarded by one of the fine Carpanian 12-lbrs meticulously forged by the Barony of Eisenmuhlen. The converged grenadiers of Sachsen-Wachsenstein and the Grenadier Regiment Pavlovski (Courland) form part of the honor guard. The rest of the honor guard (out of the picture to the left) are Campbell's Highlanders and the converged grenadiers of Carpania.

The Reich Duke's visit will continue tomorrow as the entertainment begins - fine food, dancing, and music to delight and please the senses.

As an aside, this is the first use of my "new" backdrop. I spray painted a large section of folded corrugated board a nice medium blue, then sprayed on some greenery at the bottom and some clouds along the top. I'll be using this inexpensively produced backdrop in future pictures.

Visit of F M Reich Duke Wilhelm of Beerstein - Part 1

With the arrival of Field Marshal the Reich Duke Wilhelm of Beerstein to the Margraviate of Carpania and the Duchies of Courland and Sachsen-Wachsenstein, preparations are in a fever pitch. Foodstuffs are being gathered from far and wide and the armies of the three statelets are polishing their brass and whitetening their belting.

A peasant family brings their goods towards Potzdorf.

At the Courland border post, a carriage approaches, escorted by Cossacks. Major General Seamus Campbel, OT, and the border post commander are waiting.

The carriage comes to a stop and the Reich Duke alights, followed by young King Basil of the Romans.

In the name of Margrave Hapnich of Carpania, Duke Pavlov of Courland, and Duke Siegfried of Sachsen-Wachsenstein, Major General Campbell welcomes Reich Duke Wilhelm and young King Basil.

With Campbell now mounted and a courier hurrying to Potzdorf, the royal visitors leave the border post.

Note: The figures are from a variety of sources. The Reich Duke is one of the Blue Moon duelling party line. Young Basil is a RAFM British officer. Campbell is a Front Rank Highland officer. The courier is an RSM figure. The Courland border guards are a Front Rank Russian artillery officer and some artillery fusiliers. I'm not sure what manufacturer produced the cossacks. The peasants are Foundry. And finally, the coach is one of the wedding favors from Michael's Craft Shop with Minifig limber horses and Minifig Prussian cuirassiers as out-riders.

Campbell's Highlanders

I finally finished painting the second grand division of my Campbell's Highlanders. These 12 figures seemed to take forever to finish, but I think it was just not wanting to face trying to replicate the plaid on the kilts. I got a smaller "spotter" brush and it made painting the stripes much easier. So at last they are complete!

Both grand divisions in all their satorial Highland glory!

They are all Front Rank Jacobite Rebellion figures, from their "Government Highlanders" line. The officer waving his hat is one of the special figures (John Campbell, Earl of Loudon) while the other officer (on the left of the image with the red sash) is the line officer.

This unit will join the army of the Margraviate of Carpania and will be brigaded with the converged Carpanian grenadier corps.

Barry Minot Figures

I just scored two lots of Barry Minot 30mm tricorne era figures from my friend Robin, "fokibo" on eBay. I have purchased other figures in the past from Robin as well as helped in some figure identification.

The lots consist of 25 infantry figures and 10 casualty figures. With some command figures, the infantry will eventually form a 30 figure battalion, probably with the Barony of Eisenmuhlen, an ally of Carpania.

I'm presuming that since Barry was a sculptor of Spenser Smith figures that these will be more Old Schoolish than more modern figures. Now I'm wondering, besides Spenser Smith figures, what other lines might have compatible command figures - maybe RSMs since they will be easier to get this side of the pond? If anyone has any comments on this, please speak up.

Lot # 1 - nine standing firing and five casualty figures

Lot # 2 - ten reloading (?), nine advancing, and five casualty figures

A close-up of the Lot # 2 figures

Note: All pictures courtesy of Robin's eBay postings. I'll be taking some of my own when they arrive, hopefully by the end of next week!

Ducal Visit Announced!

We have just been informed by the Private Secretary of F.M. Reichduke Wilhelm von Beerstein that the Reichduke and his entourage will be visiting the Margraviate of Carpania and the Duchies of Courland and Sachsen-Wachsenstein after completely their tour of the Principality of Morea.

http://emperor-elector.blogspot.com/2009/03/reich-duke-wilhelm-enters-principality.html

F.M. Reich Duke Wilhelm of Beerstein

We understand that the Reichduke may be accompanied by young Basil of Morea, King of the Romans. Appropriate festivities will require planning - food and beverages to gather, entertainers to rehearse, military reviews to organize. The three statelets will be aflutter with activity over the coming days and weeks!

Some Old School Soldiers

Several days ago, Snickering Corpses, the owner of the Principality of Hesse-Engelburg blog posted some pictures of older 30mm figures that he had acquired to see if anyone could help him identify them. To my surprise, one of them was almost an exact match to an old Scruby 30mm Bavarian Napoleonic figure I had - except mine has a plume on the side of the casque and his didn't. (http://hesse-engelburg.blogspot.com/2009/03/figure-identification-further-photos.html)

Back in the early 1970s I got a sample of Jack's 30mm Napoleonic figures that include a mounted Napoleon, a Chasseur a Cheval of the Guard, and six infantrymen. I painted the six infantry but have never gotten around to the two mounted figures. The infantry grace my cubicle at work and I decided to show them off here.

They are mounted on circular 40mm Litko bases which have had terrain effects added.

Here are the three Coalition figures -- an unidentified light (?) infantryman that I painted in a green jacket and gray pants, a stalwart British center company infantryman, and an early Prussian (I think) musketeer.

And the French and allies -- a French grenadier in bearskin, a French line leger, and a Bavarian grenadier (this is the match to SC's figures).

I had to touch these up before I mounted them as their paint had become chipped over the years. Additionally the British figure had snapped off at the ankles and needed drilling and pinning in both legs. That was a chore, but turned out fine.

Dervishes Finally Finished!

After many weeks of procrastination, I finally finished the last unit of my small Victorian Colonial Dervish force - a unit of 12 mounted spearmen. Shown below with the unit leader (holding flag) and a senior mounted leader, they are venerable 25mm Ral Partha figures. As always, please click on the picture for a larger view.

My Dervish force now consists of three 20-figure infantry units, this 12-figure cavalry unit, two 4-figure gun crews (using whatever guns may be available), and two senior leaders (one mounted and one foot ), plus a prophet. Coupled with my small Beja force of two 20-figure infantry units and one 12-figure camelry unit, this will make a handy army to wreck havoc in the Soudan against the British and their Egyptian lackeys.

Of course I still have to finish with the Egyptians. And then there are the rest of the Bedouin/Berber style Arabs, and the Pathans, and more British, and an Indian lancer unit left to go. So I'm not finished with the Victorian Colonial "lead mountain" yet!