The Grand Duchy of Bad Schnitzelhausen-Dunkelwald
is an “Imagi-Nation” intended for games -both wargames and semi-RPG- set in the 18th Century. This page will chart its' history and development as it grows. You will notice from some of the names that I'm not taking this project seriously -all games should have a sense of fun about them.
One of the best things about “Imagi-Nations” is that absolutely anything goes. The only limit lies in one's imagination and the constraints of the time period in which it exists. The Grand Duchy, in my mind, is the sort of state that would, if it was in warmer climes, be a banana republic. As it is, it is a not so enlightened monarchy and a venal, self serving aristocracy.
Initially this will be an intellectual exercise, building up scenes, characters and events that only time and imagination can flesh out. Later on will come rules, uniforms and finally figures, buildings and wars. Of course, as games are most likely to be played solo, I'll actually need to create at least two nations. Oh, there will also have to be maps too. I studied cartography whilst at University as part of my degree. Well, I actually just sat in on the course as it is something close to my heart. It didn't count towards my results but I really enjoyed it and it saved me having to go into uni on Wednesdays for one drama lecture. Maps are an instant way for me to "get into the zone" and are an important part of any game.
First, imagine the countryside -low, sandy beaches backed by dunes and salt-marsh, giving way in places to low, rocky cliffs and reefs, the graveyards of many an unwary mariner. Rolling hills covered by lust deciduous forests rising to more rugged hills clothed in dark forests of pine. Imagine cascading springs, well tended fields and picturesque villages and castles, walled towns and bustling ports filled with ships from all over the known world, and, of course, with intrigue.
The Duchy has a walled capital city -Bad Schnitzelhausen and two other towns -Dunkelwald and Rotenase-Rudolfstadt and a seaport, Kleiner Seehafen. There are also a number of villages and castles. Of great importance to the nation is the small town Bootsbauplatz.
Bad Schnitzelhausen is situated mainly on the largest island of The Fünfhügel Archiapeligo ,“somewhere off the coast of Northern Europe.”The problem is that I keep thinking up new things I'd like to include. Reading about the War of 1812 in Upper Canada has made me want to add some Woods Indians somewhere whilst Mark Bevis's book on the Napoleonic armies of North Africa and the Middle East has made me want to have at least Barbary Pirates on the loose under their dreaded leader Sheik Jabootie or some such!
The nation is currently ruled by Grand Duke Ernst Heinrich von Schnitzelhausen the 5th and his wife the Duchess Belladonna-Maria who are now both well into their 6th decade. Most of Bad-Schnitzelhausen's nobility are related to the Grand Duke either directly or through more distant relations, though the CinC of the armed forces, the Margrave Gustavus Adolfus von Zitzendorf-Schimmelpfennig (Adi to his friends) owes his position to the fact that he was a drinking companion of the Duke's whilst they were both failing their education at Munich University and then later as subalterns in the 5th von Strudel Hussars.
Commanded by Oberst Roland Schnauzer von Mastschwein, the von Snauzer Terriertorials are a militia battalion recruited in the Dunkelwald kreis (circle)
The Eichengratwald is an oak forest behind Bootsbauplatz which is of great importance to the state due to the quality of its' oak trees which are used in ship building, its' acorns which are fed to the region's famous black pigs which are salted as rations for the country's navy, air-dried to make the reknowned “Eichelgefüttert Schinken” (“acorn fed ham”) or stuffed into casings and smoked over the oak chippings left from ship-building as the popular local staple “Eichelwienerwurst.”
Near the Southern border in the Rotenase-Rudolfstadt kreis are another of the states steadiest sources of income. The hock type wine produced here, though not of a particularly high quality is known as “Fraulein Schneider” and is exported to Britain as “Miss Taylor” for use in the Grand Duke's distant cousin Georg's Navy.
The Royal Standard of The Grand Duchy of Bad Schnitzelhausen-Dunkelwald shows the Ducal arms on the obverse and an image of "Unsere Madonna von Schmuk in a crowned wreath on the reverse. The motto reads "In Carniche Fidelis."In Poodles we trust", which was adopted after a would-be assassin of Grand Duke Ernst Heinrich von Schnitzelhausen the 5th and his mistress Natalia Popyatopov was foiled when he trod on the tail's of his beloved "Schitzi" und “Schnatchi” and thus alerted the guard!
The Army of The Grand Duchy of Bad Schnitzelhausen-Dunkelwald
The armed forces of the Grand Duchy of Bad Schnitzelhausen-Dunkelwald
consist of a Guards Division of 2 Grenadier and 1 light Battalion, 1 regiment of “battle” cavalry and 1 of light cavalry. Attached are 1 heavy and 1 light artillery batteries.
The “line” Division consist of 3 Brigades of 6 Line Battalions except for the First Brigade (von Pritschticz's) which has 2 battalions of Jagers, 1 of Grenadiers and 3 of line infantry.
Each Brigade has a light foot artillery battery attached.
There is a cavalry division of 1 heavy (dragoon) regiments and 3 of light in 2 Brigades with a battery of light (horse) artillery attached to each.
In addition to these there are 6 landwehr infantry battalions, and 1 of volunteer cavalry who are only required to serve within Grand Duchy of Bad Schnitzelhausen-Dunkelwald's borders.
Each of the nations towns also has a militia battalion and a number of static artillery batteries.
CinC Feldmarshal Margrave Gustavus Adolfus von Zitzendorf-Schimmelpfennig
Guards Div. General von Strudel
Inf. Brigd. General von Schwarzenhugeln
1st Grand Duke Von Schnitzelhausen Grenadiers
2nd the Duchess Belladonna-Maria Grenadiers
3rd The von Zitzendorf Fusileers
Cav. Brigd. Klaus von Zitzendorf-Schimmelpfennig
1st Guard du Corps
2nd Rotenase-Rudolfstadt Hussars (the “Red” Hussars)
Artillery.
1st Guard heavy battery von Ballfutter
2nd Guard Light battery von Schplutter
Line Division.
1st Infantry brigade General von Pritschticz
Schutz Grenadiers von Pritschticz
Schutz Grenadiers von Schmuk
Jager regt. von Kleinmann
Musketeer regt Herzog
Musketeer regt Thronfolger
Musketeer regt. Graf Inclement
Artillery Heavy Fuss Batterie Ritter von Schtomp
2nd Infantry Brigd. General Von Schmalzberg
Musketeer Regt von Schmalzberg
Musketeer Regt Mumm
Musketeer Regt. Fünf Hügel
Musketeer Regt. Von Krautsuppe
Musketeer Regt. Von Spielmann
Musketeer Regt. Von Dunkelpferd
Artillery Leichtes Fuss Batterie Oberst von O'Shaughnessy
3rd Infantry Brigd General von Eisenzähler
Musketeer Regt. von Eisenzähler
Musketeer Regt. von Schlepper
Musketeer Regt. von Pelz-Pantoffel
Musketeer Regt. Von Schmuttig
Musketeer Regt. Von Bratwurst
Musketeer Regt. Von Grossenklutz
Artillery Leichtes Fuss Batterie Oberst von Klomp
Cavalry Division von Pferdemann
Cav Brigd. von Schreck
3rd Dragoner Regt. von Schmeller.
4th Leichtes Dragoner Regt. von O'Reilly
Artillery Leichtes Artillerie zu Pferde Batterie Oberst von Reich
Cav Brigd Julius von Zitzendorf-Schimmelpfennig
5th Hussar Regt Orsini (The Yellow Hussars.)
6th Jager zu Pferde Regt Flugelhorn
Artillery Leichtes Artillerie zu Pferde Batterie Ritter Angus McTavish von Glasgae.
Landwehr Battalions
1st Unter den Eichengratwald Landwehr. Ritter Johannes Eichorn
2nd Unter den Eichengratwald Landwehr. Ritter Gustavus Eichorn
1st Uber den Eichengratwald Landwehr. Graf Georg von Bootsbauplatz
2nd Uber den Eichengratwald Landwehr. Heinrich von Wassinhimmel
1st Trans-Dunkelwald Volunteer Jagers( von Snauzer Terriertorials) Oberst Roland Schnauzer von Mastschwein
2nd Trans-Dunkelwald Landwehr. Klaus von Rudolfstadt
1st Uber den Eichengratwald Volunteer Hussars. Count Fritz-Patricius von Kleinhausen.
The “Königliche und Herzogliche Kriegsmarine” (Royal and Ducal Navy)
The navy of The Grand Duchy of Bad Schnitzelhausen-Dunkelwald consists of a small number of deep water vessels a squadron of inshore gunboats and a number of river craft. It is currently led by Hauptkapitän with a subordinate “Flottenkapitän” for each arm. The nations merchantmen are controlled by the “Marinebehörde” ( Marine Authority)
The Flagship of the Königliche und Herzogliche Kriegsmarine is the 20 gun ship sloop “Woden” -Kapitän des Schiffes Heinrich Wassermann
There are 2 x16 gun brig sloops
“Brunhilde” - Kommandant des Schiffes Arnold von Steuerbord
“Gudrun” - Kommandant des Schiffes Otto Jensen
1x 16 gun schooner, “Sleipnir” -Erster Marineleutnant Werner Fischer
2x 8 gun cutters “Gungnir” -Zweiter Marineleutnant Nils Jutebogen
“Sigrdrífa “ - Zweiter Marineleutnant Karl Schiffer
1x Bomb vessel “Mjolnir” - Erster Marineleutnant Helmut Mortelmann
The defence fleet consists of 12 lateen rigged gunboats armed with 1x 12 pdr cannon mounted in the bow and 6 swivel guns. The flag is a 12 gun cutter “Sigismund” - Kapitän des Schiffes Johann von Bootsbauplatz
Scales and Miniatures
Well that's the organisation of the armed forces along with a few of the characters who will inhabit my Imagi-Nation. The next problem is which scale and figures to use, bearing in mind that most Imagi-Nations seem to exist around the time of Frederick the Great when Europe was divided into many small states.
Though it would be very nice to use 28mm figures for the amount of detail available, the rest of my collections are in 15-18mm and all my scenery is worked out to that scale. On looking at various websites at miniatures, I found very little in the way of Seven Years War(ish) figures compared to Napoleonics and very few that would do as the civilian elements of the game.
I found that Eureka Miniatures from “Fighting 15s” do an excellent range of Seven Years War figures in a “large” 18mm scale that come in handy unit packs of 24 infantry and 12 cavalry which give nice battalion sizes along with a good few dismounted officers who will do nicely as noblemen etc. Old Glory 15s from “Timecast Miniatures” have a good range of figures of slightly smaller size (I've sent off for a pack of Jaegers/Horse Artillery to see what they are like) which includes Ottoman troops and their renaissance range has a lovely Sultan set ideal for Baron von Munchausen story-lines and Blue Moon from “Old Glory UK (nothing to do with “Old Glory 15s”) do a good range of Seven Years along with great sets of civilians in their Pirate and French and Indian Wars ranges which will provide characters such as the Grand Duke's Mistress (and enemy spy)the actress Natalia Popyatopov. So, they are a bit smaller than the others -the hoy-polloy of The Grand Duchy are never as well fed as the army!
“Peter Pig” and Blue Moon will provide ships crews from their pirate ranges.
Of course this isn't an exhaustive list of figures -just the best ones. Minifigs, Essex Miniatures and Lancashire Games all do suitable figures and Roundway do some wonderful “Age of Marlborough” figures.
The next thing will be painting the first of the troops -The Grand Duke Von Schnitzelhausen Grenadiers, Rotenase-Rudolfstadt Hussars (the “Red” Hussars), Jager regt. von Kleinmann and a battery of artillery. It will make a pleasant change to be designing my own uniforms á lá Murat rather than painting Napoleonics. I don't know yet whether to go for a unifying theme with different facings or to have each regiment in a different uniform. Time will tell!
The other Nations of the Funfhugel Archiapelago.
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| Political sketch map of the Funfhugel archiapelago |
The Principality of Bjorneborg-Vesthavn Ruler: Prince Carl Carlsonsonson
capital:- Færdig Vandrende (Dun Wanderin')
The Kingdom of Kitschstadt-Blingen Ruler: King Franz Heinrich von Blingen
capital:- Strasssteinestad
The Duchy of Petrovia Ruler: Duchess Tatiana Nokabolokov
capital:- Saint Hildasberg
The Margravate of Østlige Fem-Bakker Ruler: Jarl Sigismund IV
capital:- Bjornston
About 50 miles South of the Funfhugel Archiapelago lies the infidel state of Qaatan Island ruled by the ruthless Sultan Mustafa Tziggi the third and his corsair captain Sheik Jabootie.
Historic Events:
Krig af tre fyrster (The War of Three Princes)
Der vierwöchige Krieg (The Four Week War)
Der Aufstand des Barons (The Barons' revolt) -Grand Duchy only
The War of Jensen's Nose.
The Bjornston Coffee Morning.
Battle of Skinkeben øer Stræde (Hambone Islands Strait) Sea Battle
The Twelve Year War.
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