So this is just an insight to let You know have did the Swedes - villains in some of the virst installments of the series - generally look like.
As You will see, their style is completely different from the one favoured by the Poles.
They prefer large hats - "cavalier" style with a wide brim, or taller ones, like those worn by the "puritans".
Also, unlike the Poles, they have a completely different hair style - usually heeping them long, tho some of them - officers or richer people - use wigs. Wigs usually come in a color scheme that refers to their original hair color, thus brown-haired people will use a brown wig, blonde-haired a blonde wig, greying will use grey wigs, etc etc.
Some soldiers like to make braids out of their hair, tho most of them don't realy do anything about them. Poor privates don't really ever comb them or cut them, so they often look like a mess, feel dirty etc.
Also, Swedes prefer different types of moustaches then Poles, often styling them in a spanish or german fashion. Spanish type of beard is also very common.
Historically, a lot of soldiers fighting for Sweden came from different countries - there were many Germans and Finnish people. Tho, to keep things simple, I'd like to just call all of them "Swedes".
And of course, I'd like them to have this distinctive scandinavian look, arian, germanic blonde-haired warriors, descendants of the vikings. Blue eyes, etc. I'd give different looks to officers and commanders, since they would be born out of many international marriages, thus, they have more foreign blood in them.
But simple soldiers, being sons of simple people "stuck" in the same region for centuries, should look mostly scandinavian.
Also, please not that to many of these soldiers WAR IS EVERYTHING.
A lot of them became soldiers during when young, and never knew a different way of life. So their look may be a big barbaric - they don't make a lot of money, so they don't really spend much on their clothing or a barber etc. They march in these uniforms, sleep in them, fight in them, rape in them, etc etc.
Their faces may often be dirty, full of scars, and stress.
They usally carry of their possesions - if they have anything at all - with them trough all of Europe, so their uniforms might consist of many different weird features... You know... just like You see those american marines in Vietnam, with a lot of stuff being stuck in their helmets - toothbrushes, cigarettes, pipes, photographs, cards, etc.
Their hats may look completely worn out because of these - they might have bullets in them, or cuts from enemies swords clearly visible.
These words above refer mostly to simple soldiers, privates, those that are likely poor and without much of a chance to make a good living, and a good pay, or to become aristocrats.
Officers and commanders on the other hand, can afford a lot of things, like those wigs, new clean hats and lacy collars.
A sash is also pretty common, just like expensive decorations, feathers, diamons etc etc.
Swedish use western-european rapiers and broadswords as their personal weapon - rapiers being prefered by the infantry and navy, broadswords being prefered by the cavalry.
Please note that on the many pictures below, swedish soldiers are portrayed wearing blue&yellow uniforms.
This is not very accurate - soldiers at that time would wear all that they could afford - but to simply things, I'd like these blue & yellow to be frequently shown on their clothing.
Some can have more blue elements, some can have more yellow, some may weat those stripes on their sleeves, just like shown in the gallery, but generally I'd like to have these Swedes to be easily recognizable.
Of course, they will differ from the Poles by their different style, but some blue and yellow scheme here and there, would be a nice addition.
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