Reflections on Soldier King project

With work crazy busy, some "relaxation" has been gained by painting at the weekends.

This weekend saw me make a start on the Imperial Estavian artillery. Gunners in red faced light purple (that colour again!) with guns in white with red metal work and spokes, based on a historical scheme. This was found on the excellent "My Seven Years War" blog:

http://crogges7ywarmies.blogspot.com/

The inspiration being Hesse Cassel:

http://crogges7ywarmies.blogspot.com/2012/04/7yw-artillery-part-4-hesse-cassel.html

Christian's blog has been a source of much inspiration, his flat figures being used in VnB first edition games.

I managed to finish three guns and nine gunners with considerable effort. I confess my enthusiasm is flagging. A small bit of reflection lead to the thought I was getting close to finishing the army. This produced some motivation and had me planning the staff and personalities. 

Then the realisation of the other armies planned; I even wondered if I should drop the other armies and just complete five? Can I face more Spencer Smiths?

Today I was idly googling "Estavia" and it took me to David's "Ragged Soldier" blog:

https://russetcoatcpt.blogspot.com/

I found his post about using Soldier King and my post in response. A quick search of the blog shows I tackled the basing, labelling and flags for the first army, Bravance. The date was November 2020. Roughly a month short of two years.

Now 12 units of this army (as well as 12 of Hrvatska) had been painted many years previously (late 1990s?) but the additions to make up to 24 units were completed from around then, as well as the other two armies subsequently with them moving from painting, varnishing to basing and labelling. So roughly 3x VnB armies of 24 units (four armies but 2 being half completed).

Each army has 8 cavalry, 16 infantry and 4 artillery units. Very roughly, 28 cavalry, 120 infantry, 4 guns and 12 gunners. A quick calculation gives 84 mounted, 396 foot and 12 guns with maybe 36-40 staff figures, all mounted. That's not a bad total for two years.

Estavia adds 60 cavalry, 152 infantry, 3 guns and 12 gunners so far......

Perhaps I need to focus on how far I've come, not how far I have to go....

Estavian progress

A spot of leave has resulted in further painting progress on the "Imperial " army.

In addition to a regiment of combined grenadiers, the following have been added:

Garde zu Fuss and Garde zu Pferde

Empress and Valhingen Hussars, Jagers

The colour purple....

No not the book or film, the actual colour.

A friend visited fairly recently and on showing him the completed Soldier King armies, he remarked "you like the colour purple in your armies, don't you?"

My response was that if you couldn't make use of it in Imagi-Nation armies, when could you?

His observation was based on Hrvatska; the main colour is red and I made use of an old Citadel / GW paint - "Worm purple" for facings and on general staff ( influenced by a throwaway remark in Knotel that in the Saxon - Polish army the Poles substituted purple for red for generals). The colour itself is a paler lighter purple shade.

At the time of his visit, I had not started the Estavian guard some of whom are resplendent in Vallejo "Violet" (with a touch of Oxford blue) a much deeper shade; one line regiment has worm purple facings, so this may have influenced his remark. As I have been painting the aforementioned guard, his remark has been close to my thoughts.

I used it predominantly as it complements red nicely; as Hrvatska are the "red" game army and Estavia is the "Crimson Throne" , it follows from that. In the real world it was a rare colour, especially in military use.

The preserve of Roman emperors and Persian King of Kings due to the expense of manufacture (decomposing Murax sea snails does not make for an abundant dye) one would not expect to see wide use in the age of pre-industrial dyes (although the Osprey book on ancient Persians suggests otherwise, coupled with Saffron produced yellow for an eye-watering colour combination). 

That said, ancient Spaniards produced purple from a mix of indigo and madder; Republican Romans dyed feathers purple and even the ECW had "purple coat" regiments (who may not have actually worn purple, certainly not with yellow breeches as in the first ECW Osprey - there's that combo again). Of course, when referring to "purple" we could be referring to a wide spectrum of colours - I'm thinking here of shades such as Murat's " Polish Crimson " which is rendered in a variety of pinks, crimson and "Amaranth" another odd and elusive shade. I have a nearly expired jar of "Minature Paints - Ruby" for which I have never found a substitute, for that sort of colour (works well with purple as well!)

Aside from Imagi-Nations, I've used purple on Romans; 15mm Late Roman decoration and my Pompaian late Republican legionaries (to distinguish them from Caesarians in red) coupled with the aforementioned Ruby for their shields (which colour also features on the Late Romans), in this case the washed out worm purple. Aside from that, ancient Spaniards.

So while I do like it, it's been the SK Imagi-Nations which have seen most use.

Plod, plod, plod.....

Towards a conclusion...

At least that has how it has felt. Painting has felt more like a chore at times, but I keep plodding along. While not ready for a parade, decided to make a post to document progress.

Box 1, line, cuirassiers and Gendarmen hiding at the back (temporary hiatus as spider ejected having scampered in from outside of box when trying to rescue, resulting in removing ALL figures before putting back in).

Box 2 Line, cuirassiers, chevaux leger, dragoons and first Garde zu fuss