Soldier King parade- Estavian Empire

The cataloguing of the painted Soldier King armies continues with the first  non-game army. In the GDW game, the 12 provinces in the centre of the map are neutral, representing the "Estavian Empire" who's emperor has died without issue and are the target of the four SK  players who need to seize electoral cities to be elected emperor.

From playing the game and from participating in a "Sport of Kings" campaign (SYW), neutral provinces are conquered too easily and it becomes more of a "Monopoly" or "Risk" style game. I thus decided after some thought to expand the armies to include those of the neutral states from the game. Martin SC and I differed on how to allocate these and there is considerable latitude for how you want to arrange the states.

I decided that the provinces of "the Hereditary Lands", "Midlands" and "Bravancian March" would become the rump of the Imperial state of Estavia, ruler of the "Crimson Throne" comprising the other electoral and non-electoral states. These were all one province states apart from upper and lower Waldow which combined into the Grand Duchy of Waldow. Further development has resulted in the Hereditary Lands and Midlands being the main combined state with a border province or "March" (Mark in German) and led to the "Zweikreiss" or "Doppelkreis" Reich depending on your viewpoint....

Kaiser Augustus Emperor of the Crimson Throne

Heir presumptive Prinz Charles Xavier mounted on his horse Ajax with his dog Achilles

Note his physical scar - this sets up the possibility of his succession being challenged....

Army Commanders L to R: Markgraf von Brauneburg, Gebhard Bembel and Herzog von Weissen, Hartwig Weiss

Corps Commanders Grafs: Von Senheim, Von Burg-Layen, Von Valhingen, Von Neumarkand Von Maisach

Division / Column Commanders: Kasel, Bittbach, Zell, Wurzach, Ungestein and Steeg.

Guard Cavalry: Gens D'Armes & Garde zu Pferde

I & II Regiments Garde zu Fuss

Cuirassiers

Dragoons and O'Hara Chevauxleger (see previous post for story behind this unit)

Empress and Valhingen Hussars

Combined Grenadiers

Line Infantry "red" facings named for locations in Hereditary Lands

Line Infantry "green" facings named for locations in Midlands

Line Infantry "blue" facings named for locations in Bravancian March

Imperial Jager and Grenze

Wilhelm Pfiffig's "Zirkus" Artillerie (named after Stew's comments)

The army arrayed (a bird's eye view)