From left to right: Officer, Fifer, 2 Grenadiers |
Thoughts, ideas, and discussion of painting and gaming with plastic 54mm toy soldiers.
Saturday, March 30, 2024
The Grenadiers of Burgundy
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
Some Things I Should Have Learned By Now
In my last post, you met two wildcards in the ongoing War of Franconian Succession, the Duchies of Burgundy, and doughty little Grand Fenwick. If truth be told, both started as after thoughts. Burgundy started out as the Irish Regiments in Spanish Service, circa 1756. But I needed another player and since all of their standards contain Burgundian Crosses, why not make them, say, Burgundian?
Grand Fenwick started many years ago. I was either in high school or college at the time, so probably the late 60's (that's 1960's for our younger readers), and I picked up a book at my local library by Leonard Wibberley titled The Mouse That Roared. It was a satire on post-war diplomacy so absurd in concept that I not only loved it, but sought out its 2 or 3 sequels.
Now as for the Grand Fenwickian Army, I turned their longbows in for muskets and their chain mail for Massachusetts Provincial uniforms for the French and Indian War. The figures are made by LOD as part of their Barszo line of resin figures. Originally representing British infantry at the time, I just painted them up as Provincials (seen below). The flag was found online, downloaded, and resized.
Doughty Defenders of the Realm |
My mistake having a few figures left over. "I'll just paint up one', I said to myself, 'just to see how they look as British regulars." In truth, I have just painted the one below. "No more...just the one"
"Yup, no more..."The order went out this morning. So much for things I should have learned by now!
Until next time...
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
The Spring Campaign Begins!
With the melting of the winter snows, the armies of the Ducal War of Franconian Succession began their moves. The Burgundian Army advanced with the intent of taking a short cut through the Duchy of Grand Fenwick, obscure and small, but with a strong sense of their independence. If the Burgundian host was fool enough to trespass, they would pay a heavy price!
The Burgundian Force, six battalions strong (one is off to the right of the photo) advance in Grand Fenwick! |
The doughty defenders of the Realm! Would they be able to hold on long enough until the Duchy's Militia Reserve could reinforce them? |
Until next time!
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
The War of Franconian Succession, or, The Ducal War?
Both the armies and your intrepid reporter, having entered into winter quarters, a relative calm had descended over the lands of Franconia and its neighbors. Securing a foothold in the disputed lands, the Hessian forces of its "fraternal assistance", set up housekeeping. In keeping with their assumed role, the troops behavior was remarkably good. Merchants were paid, taverns remained intact, and the farmers received real money for their supplies. The Yule Revelries maintained good cheer (for the most part) throughout.
But beneath the supposed calm, the sinews of war (such as they were) were about. Franconia had mobilized! The Franconian capital, Nurnberg, saw the small army of the duchy mobilize. Volunteers were eagerly sought, and the local militias were called up. A day of reckoning was coming soon.
On the diplomatic front, frantic efforts were made to enlist the help of the major imperial powers: the Empress was getting a bit tetchy about all the pleas for intervention; the King in Prussia was unimpressed, at least for now, (the prospect of picking up a province or two, at small cost, however, interested him greatly). Saxony's king was non-committal. France was still smarting over the recent loss of her American colonies. And George of England, after muttering something in his odd Germanic dialect, shook his head, and promptly went back to his vegetable garden.
But other powers were very much interested.
The ambitious Duke of Burgundy saw an opportunity to increase his lands in the east. He offered his aid with both gold and supplies. "We can work out the details later..." was his reply to Franconia's envoy who thought the vague terms offered seemed just a bit too good. But, hey, not his job... Within days of the agreement, a strong Burgundian force began to move toward Suabia and Franconia.
Tensions began to rise, however, as the line of march would take them a little too close to yet another Duchy that had hoped to stay neutral. Founded in the middle ages by an English Baron fighting with his mercenary band in some war long forgotten, Sir Hugo Bascombe seized a valley no one seemed to want. The Duchy of Grand Fenwick entered the European stage.
They had kept their independence for hundreds of years. Aggressors would trespass at their peril. To that end, the army was expanded and mobilized: long bows were turned in for muskets (France had a really good deal on surplus firearms that had been intended for New France). New uniforms, originally intended for the British Provincials in North America, and practically brand new, were purchased and issued. Another duchy had joined the fray!