Monday, December 31, 2007

The Regent of Hesse-Homburg presents Her Greetings and Compliments

The Regent has spent the early winter months closeted with her advisors and with emissaries of Her Imperial Highness and His Most Gallian Majesty. The problem of the secessionist Landgraf of Hesse-Fedora has, of course, been the most common subject of these discussions. Neither of those monarchs, although eager to help in Homburg’s righteous cause, is able to provide additional armaments to support it.

To that end, the Regent of Hesse-Homburg hereby lets it be known that She is issuing warrants and regulations for the raising of Her own military force to better protect and secure Her son’s domains.

The Regent invites officers of noble family and upright character to submit their resumes to the Hesse-Homburg Kriegsrat for consideration. The Regent needs large numbers of qualified officers for the new army, the details of which are listed below. In particular, please note that Regimental Inhaber positions are available for most of the new units, those which are depicted with numbers instead of titles.

As the duties of Inhaber can only be carried out by the most responsible of individuals, the Regent offers immediate promotion to the rank of Generalfeldwachtmeister to those whom She entrusts the care of Her son’s soldiers. Further, Her Imperial Highness’ military has promised to respect those so promoted as having the same rank when operating alongside their forces.

It is only right that prospective candidates understand that their units will be composed of only the finest recruits available. The Regent envisions that the army will be recruited almost exclusively from the upstanding and well-proportioned inhabitants of the Kingdom of Leder-Hosen. Since that district is still sculpting its inhabitants, there will probably be some delay in fielding the army.

Please address your resume to:
The Office of Personnel, Casualty Notification, and Remains Disposition
Select Corps of Army Personnel Entering General Officer Acceptance Testing (SCAPEGOAT)
Hofkriegsrat
Hesse-Homburg

Or via Imperialmail to the officer in charge of SCAPEGOATs: ed_youngstrom at yahoo dot com

Proposed Army of Hesse-Homburg

Infantry
Leib Regiment, 1 bn and 1 grenadier bn (Leib-Grenadier-Battalion)
1st Regiment, 1 bn and 1 grenadier co (red)
2nd Regiment, 1 bn and 1 grenadier co (dark blue)
3rd Regiment, 1 bn and 1 grenadier co (dark green)
4th Regiment, 1 bn and 1 grenadier co (rose)
5th Regiment, 1 bn and 1 grenadier co (black)
6th Regiment, 1 bn and 1 grenadier co (light blue)
7th Regiment, 1 bn and 1 grenadier co (light green)
8th Regiment, 1 bn and 1 grenadier co (purple)

Each infantry battalion has 4 companies of 12 figures, plus a Stabs-Standarten-Garde of 6 figures. Total 54 figures.
Each grenadier company has 9 figures. Regimental total 63 figures.

1st-4th Regiments’ grenadiers and 5th-8th Regiments’ grenadiers are formed into 2nd and 3rd Grenadier-Battalions, respectively, each of 36 figures.

Leib-Grenadier-Battalion has 4 grenadier companies plus a Stabs-Standarten-Garde of 6 figures. Total 42 figures.

Total force = 12 battalions, 600 figures.

Heavy Cavalry
Leib-Kurassiers, 2 squadrons and 1 carabineer squadron (Leib-Karabiniers)
1st Cuirassiers, 2 squadrons and 1 carabinier company
2nd Cuirassiers, 2 squadrons and 1 carabinier company

Each squadron has 12 figures.
Each carabinier company has 6 figures. Regiment total 30 figures. (Leib-Kuirassiers 36)

The two carabinier companies are formed into a single squadron and then combined with the Leib-Karabiniers to form another, 2-squadron regiment.

Total force = 96 figures

Dragoons
Leib-Dragoons, 2 squadrons and 1 horse grenadier squadron (Leib-Grenadiers zu Pferde)
1st Dragoons, 2 squadrons and 1 horse grenadier company.
2nd Dragoons, 2 squadrons and 1 horse grenadier company.

Each squadron has 12 figures.
Each horse grenadier company has 6 figures. Regiment total 30 figures (Leib-Dragoons 36).

The two horse grenadier companies are formed into a single squadron and then combined with the Leib-Grenadiers zu Pferde to form another, 2-squadron regiment.

Total force = 96 figures

Artillery
Leib Artillery Company
1st Artillery Company
2nd Artillery Company

Each artillery company has 10 figures and 4 guns
Each artillery company supports an infantry brigade with three 4pdr battalion guns (2 figures each) and one 6pdr brigade battery (4 figures)

Total force = 12 guns and 30 figures

Light Forces
Jägerkorps, 1 battalion Jäger zu Fuss and 1 squadron Jäger zu Pferde
Freikorps, 1 battalion infantry and 1 squadron Hussars

Each battalion has 4 companies of 9 figures, no colors. Total 36 figures
Each squadron has 12 figures

Total force = 96 figures


Regiment Inhaber
Leib Regiment His Excellency the Furst of Hesse-Homburg
1st Regiment vacant
2nd Regiment vacant
3rd Regiment vacant
4th Regiment vacant
5th Regiment vacant
6th Regiment vacant
7th Regiment vacant
8th Regiment vacant
Leib-Kurassiers His Excellency the Furst of Hesse-Homburg
1st Cuirassiers vacant
2nd Cuirassiers vacant
Leib-Dragoons His Excellency the Furst of Hesse-Homburg
1st Dragoons vacant
2nd Dragoons vacant
Regiment of Artillery vacant
Jägerkorps vacant
Freikorps vacant

Sunday, December 30, 2007

2007 in review, with a look forward to 2008.

Looking back at 2007, I see that I was all over the wargame map! Of course, why should 2007 be different than any other year, but this time it was a trifle better documented than before.

I kept a written games “diary” from 1998 until June of 2006 when the journal was full. During that year I started keeping loose pages in my appointment book, and also started my first blog (Huzzah!) as a resource for my friend Ray and I to plan and track our big Napoleonics game for MillenniumCon X.

Then in March of 2007 I started this blog, mainly for my rekindled interest in “big battalion” Seven Years War gaming. That first month, as in many new hobby activities, was a flurry of activity, which has dropped off over the year. My plan (let’s not call it a resolution) is to update weekly in 2008.

So what did I accomplish in the past year?

The main project for the year, and which was a complete success, was the Napoleonics project mentioned above and documented at Huzzah! Ray and I were joined by Paul Bishop, who contributed enthusiasm and a fresh view on the project and the rules. It is always a pleasure to find someone that so fits in with your outlook. Thanks Paul!

The “big game” involved collecting essentially an entire Napoleonic corps at 30:1 in 25mm. Many orders were made to various miniature companies and painting services. In no particular order:


Old Glory Miniatures
The Miniature Service Center (GMB Flags, Front Rank Figurines)
DJD Miniatures
Fernando Enterprises
Philgreg Painters
Big Battalions
Charles Van Norman
Reinforcements By Post
Flag Dude
Litko Aerosystems
Hinds Figures Ltd
Dragon Painting Service
Bicorne Miniatures

Ray and I live quite a distance apart (Warner-Robins, GA and San Antonio, TX), so we don’t get together often. But in 2007 we got in three practice games for the project, as well as a couple other games such as Wings of War and Victory at Sea.

Wings of War (“WoW”) was one of those side roads. Ray and I discovered the game while meeting Paul for the first time at the Houston game store, Little Wars over the Memorial Day weekend. Between charge and counter-charge, we did some shopping and found the WoW airplanes. Both Ray and I have played WWI air games in the past, and the beautiful little plans and the fun game mechanics launched a flurry of collecting frenzy. We each have the complete set now and look forward to the delayed release of the new sets.

I spent a lot of time preparing my Napoleonic armies for the convention, but nevertheless found time to catch the “Big Battalion” and “ImagiNation” bug for the Seven Years War. I have collected SYW figures for several years, and had even put together the beginnings of an ImagiNation plan before, but something really triggered me to start this fresh. And then I found all of the other people similarly engaged in the Emperor vs. Elector crowd. Thanks to everyone for almost a year of fun and frivolity.

My plans for the SYW Brunswick army, masquerading as the Landgraviate of Hesse-Fedora have been remarkably consistent. At one point I was thinking of representing every battalion at 10:1, but decided on just one battalion and two squadrons per historical regiment. But I did add the hypothetical Landgrafin’s Fusiliers.

Along those lines I picked up Bill Protz’s new rules: Batailles de l´Ancien Régime 1740-1763, as well as copies of the classics Charge! Or How to Play Wargames and The War Game. Reading about Bill and Jim Purkey’s (of Der Alte Fritz fame) big games has inspired me greatly, and together with Bill McHenry launched a plan for a Big Battalion game at MillenniumCon XI in November 2008.

Preparing for the next big game, and big battalions in general, has been fun. Like Hal Thinglum in his editorials in MWAN, I truly enjoy planning my wargames armies. Right now my projects include Minden Miniatures, RSM95 figures from Dayton Painting Consortium, Arquebusiers de Grassin from Eureka Miniatures (not to mention orders for literally hundreds of figures for the 100 Club Saxons, Dutch, British, and Spanish!) and Crusader Miniatures Austrians being painted for me by Old Army Painting Service. Oh, and I picked up a few extra figures from GAJO to fill out my units bought from them years ago.

I also plan to put on a BAR game at the local San Antonio convention, ChimaeraCon, in March, 2008. This is to get some experience with the system, but also to support the convention and to drum up enthusiasm for the project at MillenniumCon.

All of this lead bingeing has a price, though. I have considered a massive sell-off of my various miniatures, but in the end sold only my Flames of War and 15mm SYW collections.

Finally, I added bits and pieces to various projects, including figures and books for my Games Workshop Lord of the Rings collection.

Next year I plan to paint more SYW figures for the Big Battalions projects, and to expand my ImagiNations and their characters. Right now, the Hesse-Fedorans have received most of my attention, but the forces of Hesse-Homburg, Saxe-Jungbach, and Snibor-Renraw wait in the wings for their turn.

Thanks for visiting. I hope you have enjoyed it even a fraction as much as I have. I look forward to 2008, and wish you a prosperous New Year.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Plans are afoot

And horse and guns, too, for that matter.

First, apologies for lack of updates on the painted figures front because there isn't any.

Plotting and scheming has been my major wargame activity, since it can take place during such mundane activities as company Christmas parties and the 45 minute commute to work. Painting just doesn't work as well.

I was able to get the figures to flesh out my British battalions to 48 figures each, including 8 grenadiers per battalion. I have managed to rebase another couple cavalry units onto single bases, but none are terrained yet.

News has reached me of potential additions to the recruits from the Kingdom of Lederhosen. In a message to the UK Big Battalions group, Frank let slip the imminent release of Austrian infantry figures. So, the Prince of Hesse-Homburg has taken to updating his order of battle. This is purely wishful thinking at this point until I get the other projects cleared up.

I'm also looking forward to delivery of my copy of the new edition of "The Wargame" by Charles Grant, released by Ken Trotman Books. That will definitely fire up the motivation!

Look for a press release from the Homburgische Kriegsrat soon.