Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Minden Austrians Update


Minden Austrians painted as regiment Andlau. GMB Designs flags. Click each picture to enlarge the view.

I have now finished 32 of the 60 figures that I will need for the Austrian regiment Andlau for our convention game at Little Wars on Saturday February 7, 2009. I think that I have a better feel for how to paint these figures now, so the second batch of 15 figures (+2 flag bearers) went a little bit faster than the first 15 figures. By the way, I think that the Minden flag bearers are superb. You have to drill a hole through the hands with a pin vise tool, but then you will never ever have to worry about the flag pole breaking off of the figure. This is a good thing.

The next 18 figures are coming along nicely and they ought to be completed by the end of the week. That will give me 50 figures in the battalion. I ought to be able to finish the final 10 figures in time for Little Wars, but it will be a near run thing, especially since I will have to terrain the bases and make movement trays.


Two grand divisions in column of divisions.



Frontal view of the column with an RSM mounted officer to show the relative similarity in size.

I received my shipment of Minden Prussian infantry and artillery plus some Austrian artillery and mounted officers in the mail today. The Prussians will be painted in the new Hesse Seewald uniforms; however, I have to finish the Austrians first. I am also eager to paint the Austrian mounted colonel as it is a nice figure (well duh, aren't they all nice) and I want to try painting the exquisite horses that Richard Ansell has sculpted. Based on the mounted officers that I have seen with my own eyes, I know that I will be absolutely blown away when I see the cavalry. The anticipation is exciting.

I noticed that the Austrian infantry does not have a pom pon on its tricorn. That is actually OK since a large number of regiments did not have the pom pon. I have counted as many as 22 of the "German" musketeer regiments sans pom pon (and 20 "German" regiments had pom pons in case you were wondering). Here is a list of the units that do not have pom pons:

Red Facings
IR8 Hildburghausen
IR10 Jung Wolfenbuttel
IR11 Wallis
IR18 Marschal
IR25 Thurheim
IR26 Puebla (also has red turnbacks)
IR35 Waldeck
IR49 Angern
IR50 Harsch (red turnbacks and white button lace on lapels)
IR57 Andlau

Blue Facings
IR4 Deutschmeister
IR13 Moltke
IR20 Alt-Colloredo
IR23 Baden-Baden
IR24 Starhemberg
IR27 Baden Durlach
IR29 Loudan

Green Facings
IR9 Los Rios
IR49 Luzan

Other Colors Facings
IR14 Salm-Salm (Black)
IR16 Konigsegg (Violet
IR38 de Ligne (Rose or pink)


My plan is to have up to six Minden Austrian infantry regiments in my army and each battalion will be in a different facing color so that I can tell them apart (because otherwise, not much else distinguishes one regiment from another in the Austrian army and 6 battalions all in one facing color would get confusing). I will then paint a company of 6 to 9 grenadiers for each of my Minden regiments and then converge the Minden grenadiers into one battalion of 36 to 54 figures. I am sure that I will be tempted to paint a couple of Hungarian battalions as well. My goodness, this project could really grow.

17 comments:

  1. The Hungarian units are more colorful . . . yes, that's right . . . you know you want them . . . you know it . . . you do.


    -- Jeff

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  2. Yes Jeff, the Hungarians are lovely, but they are also harder to paint. It's like painting 60 hussars.

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  3. One can never have too many Austrians! I know you have given the size of your stands before, but I can't remember if each soldiers in mounted on 3/4" by 3/4" or 1" by 1". The Austrians seem to have the right amount of room. Thanks again...Bill

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  4. I use 1" metal stands for all infantry.

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  5. Thanks der Alte, that's interesting about the pompoms, something I'd read but never absorbed.

    The Grant-style Lobositz sounds exciting and something to look forward to.

    Steve Gill

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  6. great work mate, especially making it easier for us who are contemplating Austrians in the future!

    cheers
    matt

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  7. Lovely work as usual Jim, you are doing me proud with these. It's always a real treat and a sight for sore eyes to visit your blog.

    Frank

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  8. Excellent minis and very well-painted, as usual!

    (the verification way is fitting - it's "elite"!)

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  9. Herr Alte,

    Reading your blog has been one of the few gaming activities I've got in lately, but it certainly is worth it! The figures are lovely and the plans intriguing.

    The pile o'lead is being targeted for 2009. No additions, only reducing it via painting or selling. But I must admit to having an almost identical plan for the Austrians/Homburgers...

    Ed v. H-F

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  10. Mein lieber Friederich,

    your blog inspired me to start 28mm SYW gaming in 28mm and is an ongoing fountain of "food for thought"! Here it is your basing that I am curious about. What is the purpose of these circular bases between the figure and the (metal?) square base?

    Cheers from Berlin
    Olaf

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  11. Hello Olaf: I use a mix of 30mm Stadden and Suren figures, plus many of the large 28mm figures such as Crusader and Front Rank and some Foundry. The Minden figures are a little bit taller than some of these, but more slender. I find that by gluing the Minden figure onto an American penny coin (or something similar in Euroland), that the extra couple of millimeters in height helps to fool the eye into thinking that the Minden figures are a little bit taller, thereby offsetting the chunkiness of the 28mm figures. It seems to help the figures match up better on the table top.

    I then glue the figure with the penny onto a metal base before priming the figures. If I prime the metal base at the same time as I prime the figure, then I don't have to go back and paint the bare metal base brown or black in order to hide the metal on the base.

    I use metal bases for all figures, mounted individually, and then place the figures on magnetic movement trays. With movement trays, you can always change the size of the unit or use a 2-rank instead of 3-rank basing system, if that is what you prefer. It provides more flexibility in the basing.

    I am glad to hear that you are interested in SYW gaming with 28mm figures. There are so many good ranges of figures to choose from these days.

    regards,

    Fritz

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  12. Thanks Fritz. I knew there was something clever behind this.

    I've just finished 20 Fusiliers of IR 41 (Foundry). I use the basing system suggested by Bill and you in the BAR rules.

    Another hint to thank you for, is your mentioning of the Berliner Zinnfiguren guns. I've been in the shop (!) but didn't knew the guns. Mentionened that to my wife and, hey presto, received a Brummer and another 12pdr for Christmas (lucky me)!

    It's a long way to go to field BIG batallions. Your blog helps a lot to keep me on track. Thanks again.

    Cheers
    Olaf

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  13. Olaf: for limber horses, Front Rank makes a nice set that should work with the Berlin Zinfiguren limbers that come with the cannon.

    I also use RSM95 limber teams and driver with these cannons.

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  14. Good to know. Dazzled by the bright light of the unpainted lead of the guns, I haven't looked so far into the future yet :-). Thanks.

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  15. Jim,

    Hungarians are much simpler than Hussars . . . and they don't have the horses!

    Surely you need to have at least one unit . . . you can do just one, can't you?

    You know that you want it . . . just think of how nice a Hungarian unit will look.


    -- Jeff

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  16. I already have Joseph Esterhazy infanry regiment (Crusader figures) and have the evil Nik Esterhazy in primer (also Crusader). I am sure that I will add a battalion of Minden Hungarians in the future, but I have a lot of inventory to paint first.

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  17. Lots of lovely Austrians! Yum yum...

    Very late thought it is (5.45am here; must get to bed) seeing these has really livened me up. Now those beastly Prussians have something to worry about! :-)

    I do hope they prove as good on the battlefield as they look on the blog...

    David.

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