Deutschmeister Regiment Command stand completed.

 I finished painting the two converted Austrian figures today.

Now based and completed.

Command stand for Deutschmeister Regiment

 These two fellows will make up the command stand for my Austrian Deutschmeister regiment, the mounted officer being the colonel of the regiment. The two figures are converted from my basic Austrian foot officer, (in the middle). The horse is from my spares box, I am unsure of the make. Tomorrow I will paint up these figures.

Prussia Infantry Regiment IR10 von Knobloch

Below are images of Prussian IR10 von Knobloch in the field and ready for action.

The pictures show two full battalions, each of 30 men, and 12 grenadiers ready to be converged with the grenadiers of IR9. The regiment also has a battalion gun, manned by two regimental figures and two mounted officers, with the colonel to the front.

Prussian IR10 von Knobloch command figures

 Today I have been basing my second Prussian Regiment, IR10 von Knobloch. Hopefully tomorrow I can share photos of the completed regiment. Below are two conversions I have made, the colonel of the regiment, and another officer with riding crop in hand. The second figure was very much influenced by the famous artwork of von Seydlitz. The horses are spares that I found in my "lead mountain". Not sure of the maker, but I was keen to use horses that were not too big, as many mounted figures can look as though they are on prize race horses. I have read in the past, that Prussian horses were not up to the quality of British or Irish bred  animals, and I am sure as the war progressed, the quality of mounts would have reduced. I think that the two horses chosen fit quite well. IR10 has a very attractive uniform with the yellow facings and the lace on the jacket, although quite demanding to paint.

Next up on the paint desk will be Austrian regiment IR4 Deutschmeister with its blue facings.

Prussian Infantry Regiment IR10 Colour Party

 I painted a batch of Prussian flags over the winter, in advance of my new figure range. Today I finished the colour bearers for IR10. I attach my flags with superglue when the figure is completely painted and then just touch up the pole and hands. I don't trust myself  to paint a figure from scratch with a painted flag. I am pleased with the result, although my photos always seem to make the figures look slightly glossy, probably due to the lighting. Next, the drummers and officer to complete the command base.

Hors de Combat

 I am still officially "out of action" and banned from any lifting duties or walks. I am now in a bit of a race against time, because Claymore is less than three weeks away, and myself and three friends planned to put on a large 40mm Seven years war game, featuring a raid on the French coast. This will be similar to the display we put on at Partizan a few years ago, and it is to remember our good friend Stuart Insch, who recently sadly passed away.

The game involves lifting about 10 heavy base boards and a few hundred weight of lead, so we need to decide this weekend if we go to Claymore or not. Edinburgh is a three hour drive, it involves an overnight stay, and I need to hire a van for the kit. The following week, I have booked a short trip to visit the famous bi-yearly flat figure show  at Kulmbach. We also plan a couple of days in Wurzburg, although I have failed to find any information on a potential museum for the Rot and Blau regiments which were raised for the Empire. I visited Kulmbach two years ago, and I really enjoyed the show with the variety of traders who attend, and the fantastic range of flats which are available. I always think that flats give so much inspiration to 3d figure converters, as there are so many different styles of positions. So it really is a race against time to get myself combat ready again.

Meanwhile, we had the first sunny days in months in the north of Scotland. (Moray is called "the Riviera of the north", as it has a micro climate and is largely sheltered by the Cairngorms), but there has been little "Riviera" of late. As I am excused from heavy gardening duties, I spent the afternoon assembling some figures in the garden, while Mrs H cut the grass. (I could get used to this !).

Meanwhile I am progressing well with Prussian Infantry Regiment 10, and I have finished the first three Grenadiers. I hope to have this regiment finished by the end of July if all goes well.

No Pain, No Gain.

 Recently, I have injured the femoral nerve in my right leg. I find it manageable during daylight hours, but at night it is simply torture. The only solution is to sit up through the night, and try and grab some sleep during the day, which can be something of a drag. But on the plus side, I have not wasted the twilight hours, and it has certainly helped King Fred's recruitment campaign. I have now completed the first 20 figures for IR10 von Knobloch which are shown below.

Still some way to go, but it is a striking uniform, particularly the yellow waistcoat and breeches. I am targeting to finish this unit by the end of July, but even with my night time grafting, I am only averaging about four figures per day. I have nothing but respect for our professional painters who can churn out large units which are consistently of a very high standard.

 Austria - Regiment IR3 Carl Lothringen,

Today I managed to complete Austrian IR3, with Btn. gun and mounted officers. The 1st Btn. are in the front row, followed by the 2nd Btn, with grenadiers on the right.

July 4th might be independence day, and even UK voting day, but for me, the most significant event is that I can now start painting a new regiment. Its back to the Prussians and IR10 von Knobloch with those lovely yellow breeches and facings.