Carpanian Pioneers

These figures were started before MilleniumCon last month but I didn't get them finished in time. They have now been completed and have joined the artillery train of the Margraviate of Carpania.

This company consists of one Hinchliffe SYW officer, one Foundry Prussian grenadier sergeant (in rear rank with halbard), the special Grenadier Books figure (in front rank, consulting the latest tome on military engineering), and nine Crusader Prussian pioneers (from the grenadier command pack). The pioneers were part of an eBay purchase.

Each two figures are painted in the regimentals of one of the six regiments of the Carpanian army - Musketeer Regiments Zweibieren, Teutonica, Clausthaler, and Schweiger and Fusilier Regiments von Stuppe and Paulaner. They will probably be brigaded with the converged grenadier battalion and Campbell's Highland Battalion (still a work in progress) to form a special assault force.

They were actually finished in very late November and boosted my November painting total to 43 Olley points -- 12 pioneers, 15 jagers, 5 limbers (3 points each), and one artillery accessory.

Carpanian Reinforcements

This month has seen the Margraviate of Carpania add to its little army. First up is that very capable Scottish mercenary commander, Major General Seamus Campbell.

He and his dismounted alter ego are both Front Rank figures from their Jacobite line. They are painted in a stylized blue and green Campbell tartan. Seamus will eventually lead Campbell's Mercenary Legion in the service of the Markgraf of Carpania.

Last month I unveiled the 1st (Leib) Squadron of the Hapnich Dragoons. This month I added Colonel (Oberst) Ritter Jochen von Valkenhayn, the regimental commander.

Von Valkenhayn is a Front Rank Prussian dragoon officer and cuts a dashing figure in his regimentals that are patterned after the Prussian 10th Dragoon Regiment.

Joining Von Valkenhayn and the Leib Squadron is the 2nd Squadron of the Hapnich Dragoons.

As is the Leib Squadron, they are also Old Glory Prussian dragoons. Unlike the Leib Squadron which has all very dark colored horses, this squadron has a mix of browns and a gray for the squadron drummer.

And finally, we have the converged Teutonica/Paulaner Grenadier Battalion, composed of the grenadiers from the Teutonica Musketeer Battalion and the Paulaner Fusilier Battalion.

These fine examples of the elite grenadiers of the Carpanian army are Crusader figures and feature an officer and five grenadiers from the Teutonica musketeers and a sergeant, drummer, and four grenadiers from the Paulaner Fusiliers. They will be brigaded with the converged Grenadier Battalion Zweibieren/von Stuppe as the army reserve.

I'm still working on some more figures for this month as I prepare for the Big Battalions in Texas game at MilleniumCon in November. I'll be adding a battalion commander and sergeant to the Carpanian Staffeldunkel Jagers and a battalion commander, three company commanders, and three company sergeants to the Courlandian Tamnii Narod Pandurs, as well as additional gunners for the Courland position and battalion guns.

Next month I will be painting the 3rd Squadron of the Hapnich Dragoons, Campbell's Highland battalion (in all their kilted glory), and a second company for the Staffeldunkel Jagers, plus limbers for the Carpanian and Courland position artillery.

I hope you enjoyed these additions to my imagi-nation forces.

July 2008 Painting, Part 2

Well, here are the pictures of some of the figures I painted during the month of July.

First, we have the royal family of the Margraviate of Carpania. The Markgraf, Friedrich Hapnich, is seated in the center. It seems his gout is acting up and he can't stand for long periods. His faithful wife, the Margravine Ruth, and her African body servant stand to the Markgraf's left. To the Markgraf's right is his African body servant ready with a goblet of medicinal brandy for the Markgraf's gout. While on the far left of the picture is General Kuhster, the Markgraf's Minister for War. They stand in front of the Royal Pavillion ready to review the troops of the Margraviate. These figures are from the Old Glory pack - "Fat Governor and Creepy Assistants" in their Pirate range.

Then there is the ruling family of the Duchy of Courland. The Duke, Yakov Alexandrovitch Pavlov, stands in the middle, flanked by his wife, Duchess Jamie and her pet spaniel, and his Minister of War, General Count Pavel Ivanovitch Alexandrovski. The Duke and the General are Old Glory figures from the Governor pack while the Duchess is one of the Old Glory Army pirate figures.

Joining the Carpanian army is the first of two companies of the Jager Corps Staffeldünkel. These valiant hunters were recruited from the forest preserves of the Markgraf and will be excellent fighters in the kleine krieg portions of the Markgraf's battles. They are also Old Glory figures - Hessian jagers from the American Revolution line.

And finally, I applied the terrain effects to the bases of all the artillery pieces and gunners I currently have painted and mounted. Seven Carpanian guns with 31 crewmen and six Courland guns with 11 crewmen (more are needed) were prepared.

This example is the Carpanian 12-lbr with Crusader Prussian gunners.

The Courland artillery is also represented by a 12-lbr but with Front Rank artillery figures, including their gunnery officer wearing his cloak and two of their excellent artillery fusiliers.

Coming later will be a picture of the Courland Pandur Regiment Tamnii Narod.