2023 Retrospective

On the last day of 2023, time for some introspection.

The main reason I started this blog was to monitor progress; it's useful to be able to look back at what has been achieved or hasn't made it off the slipway (or even drawing board).

Soldier King project

Has felt like slow going this year. Did manage to finish the Electoral army, but failed to make progress with the remainder. Stumbling block has been mostly work and lethargy and apathy when off, but also hit a block with Banst. They got converted, primed and started - two units of infantry - then nothing. There were plans to crack on with them last week, but after taking the box down, I put it away again! 

Started pulling together notes from various places into a gazeteer, so at least it's all in one place. This has however identified more characters that need personalities and made me wonder if another planned army needs expanding as it's likely to be the first flashpoint from the relationships I've diced for between states.

Also toyed with producing army standards for the main protagonists with Fimo standard bearers. Got as far as making up some Atlantic plastic horses.

One achievement (?) has been to corrupt my friend Eric into buying a copy of the game for his own Imagi-Nations campaign after seeing my armies. He has even started a blog:

https://brownspreadandyellowfruit.blogspot.com/

Arab-Israeli project

This has slowly ground along in the background. Have worked on various vehicle conversions off and on throughout the year. It doesn't help that everytime I look at pictures of the real vehicles I notice some small details I've missed. Lifting hooks on Sherman turrets for goodness sake! I think it's just an avoidance mechanism to put off painting them....

There have been developments on the Arab side with the acquisition of 1:87 scale BTR-152s. I had planned to use Roskopf models, but these are closer to 1:100. I had told myself they were OK, but had not really believed it.....

I've also got more Gaz jeeps and trucks....

Other butterfly distractions

Got very distracted by restarting FIW, which led into digging out the old 25-30mm armies (including SYW) and inevitably buying yet more second hand figures; in fact it was the discovery of some Rafm Flint & Feather range figures that started this! Then found some RSM with enough to finish off the French and cover the British.....

Got as far as priming some British and Indians for Contrast paints.....

Keep getting distracted by old or planned projects; SCW (old), Flodden and Italian wars (new), WotR (old) and it doesn't help when other bloggers tempt you! 

Martin Rapier has been producing 15mm WW2 Desert war stuff: (https://tgamesweplay.blogspot.com/search/label/Desert)

I have tons to paint in both this scale and 20mm (don't ask!)

And David in Suffolk played DBA ancients, which led to digging out some 15mm armies before sanity prevailed:

https://russetcoatcpt.blogspot.com/2023/12/dba-first-try-at-first-edition.html

I suspect I'm looking for some "quick wins" - stuff that can be painted quickly using Contrast paint and washes. The ECW experiments were not encouraging. Unfortunately, it means lots of cleaning up before further attempts.

I did go to two wargames shows this year and probably more significantly was persuaded by fellow SSM enthusiast Willz to join the Virtual Wargames Club (VWC). While I was initially hesitant, it has been hugely enjoyable to make new friends and finally "meet" old ones such as Eric (known many years on the Society of Daisy group) or other bloggers.

So, onwards to 2024 with the hope of achieving more by way of painting and perhaps, even gaming.

Soldier King parade - Electoral Army

A fellow wargamer who I have managed to inspire (infect?) with the Soldier King bug, recently asked after acquiring a copy of the GDW boardgame, "where's all the background information?"

I had to point him to the back box cover of the game as being the total sum of background.....the rest of the information from my take on the game as a campaign comes from my imagination.....with a little help from historical uniforms and forces.

The following is the last of the painted armies so far completed (there are four more to do and some bits and bobs). This army is formed from the various neutral states in the game, in this case those with an Electoral city that form part of the Estavian Empire. There is an additional "Electoral" state but the ruler's character and diplomatic outlook, means he is hostile to just about everyone! He will go his own way.

I saw these states as akin to the minor German princelings of the C18th who were part of the HRA and who could be called upon to form the Reichsarmee. With echoes of "Charge" I decided this would in my  Imagi-Nations become the Electoral Army.

In order of painting I present:

The army of the Archduchy of Naervaron

Ulrich Fischreiher Archduke of Naervaron

Christian Fischreiher Erbprinz of Naervaron

Corps commander Hans Leonhard Grau Graf von Honnef

Divisional commander Von Neusatz (Klaus Fels) with Naervaron Dragoons and Hussars

The infantry L to R: Erbprinz Lebgarde Grenadiers, "Schwartz", "Weiss" and "Rot" regiments

Artillery

Naervaron army

The army of the Margravate of Cotlas

Reinhard Wulf Markgraf von Cotlas

Emil Gustav Wulf Reichsgraf von Cotlas

I Cotlas Horse (uniform inspiration from one of Andy McMaster's units)

II, III and IV Cotlas Foot

Cotlas artillery with Arndt Tobias Ziemlich Graf von Brand in background

Cotlas Army

The Army of the Duchy of Bern

Fabian Schiefer Herzog von Bern (ironically one of my Fimo creations which got over-cooked and close to being "von Burnt!")

His brother Martin Theodor Schiefer the dashing Erbfurst zu Bern

Bern Hussars led by Friedhelm Gustaf Knochen Graf von Ernst

Bern Infantry 1, 2 and 3 regiments

Bern artillery

Bern army

The army of the Prince-Bishopric of Cleve

Maximillian Greisenkrahe Prince Bishop of Cleve (vain introverted with a poor sense of direction, I tried to capture the latter in the sculpt; observers have noted the horse seems to know which way he should be going......completely unintended but so appropriate!)

His brother Kaspar Greisenkrahe Prince of Cleve

Corps commander Hugo Koks Count D'Alzey

Division commanders Emil Sebastien Silber Graf von Leuche and Albrecht Wilfried Durchslag Graf von Kiedrich

Cleve Cuirassiers

Cleve Horse Grenadiers (as skirmishers)

Cleve Standing Grenadier regiments V and VI

Clever Musketeer Regiments I to IV

Cleve artillery

Cleve army

Whether the army will ever fight as a unified whole is unknown - they all lie to the West  but face threats from Hrvatska, Bravance and Argozia. However, I did try to tie them together through the use of blue while maintaining their own character and personality. The army as a whole is weaker in cavalry, artillery and light troops compared to the armies of the Soldier Kings. Like the real life Reichsarmee, the shortfalls will have to be made up from Imperial (Estavian as oppose to Austrian) troops.

Soldier King parade -Hrvatska

 In my enthusiasm for cataloguing the Soldier King armies using photos from the iPhone (so better quality /detail) I omitted the first experimental photos I took  which were of Hrvatska. In a slightly  different format, I present the second painted army of the kingdom of Hrvatska.

Of course Frank Chadwick used the Croatians name for themselves; it's monarch is given as "Zog" who of course was king of Albania....I can only assume FC ran out of ideas!

The first thing was to decide this was a nickname; secondly the red and heraldry of a white (Polish style) eagle on red made me think of Saxony - Poland. Throw in Hannover and the Hanseatic cities for uniform inspiration and add in the experience of playing the game (Hrvatska usually raised lots of LC due to remote geography in order to capture cities). I didn't want a British clone or for it to be too Polish.

King Zigurd Otto Gottlieb ("ZOG")

His brother and next in line Prinz George Wolfgang Herman

When dicing for characters we have a monarch with enemies in high places and a jealous brother and it seems a scheming former princess regent.....

Army commanders L to R: King's Steward Franz Armin Lappentaurig, Gregor Ziegelrot Grossherzog von Vranogranz, Johann  Sebastien Knall Grossherzog von Taufers

Corps  Commanders L to R Von Kufina, Von Travnik, Von Fehring and division / column commanders 

Guard and Heavy cavalry

Guard to the front, line at rear

An example of the basing and labelling (each army is colour coded with print your own labels)

Light Cavalry Uhnlans / Lancers

Line Infantry Weiss Grenadiers, Koenigen Dorothea (Queen's Regt), Jaska and Konstanza Regiments

Line Infantry 1, 2 and 3 Strauch Regiments

Line Infantry 1, 2 and 3 Friest Regiments

Line Infantry  Combined Grenadier regiments 1 & 2

I & II Militia Regiments and I & II Pandours (LI)

Artillery