Musketeers and the like (2 of 2)

The musketeer figures are now finished and based.  They were made using a selction of my castings (foot officer, ensign and man walking), with heads from Sash & Sabre.

In non-action mode...

 Ready for action ...

Musketeers and the like (1 of 2)

over the last couple of months have been casting, accumulating and painting up suitable figures for musketeers skirmish style games ...

I've used my man in tabard castings to make up the Cardinals' guard, there are four with halberds ....

and ten with swords ....

A few sundry figures, these are Redoubt 28mm, they are a 'larger' size 28's and useable - some have had head swaps

 one of my ensign castings modified with a sword and the Redoubt 28mm Rochefort figure

I now have three cardinals,  looks like this monk is in luck - there are no comfy chairs in the immediate vicinity.

'table for three please'

The armies go into Winter Quarters ....

With their army in tatters the Monrovians have been unable to do much;  what troops are able to take the field are camped at Vertdorf about 10miles west of Rumsdorf. Recruiting parties are out signing up men for the army, but there are only a trickle of volunteers

---oXo---

Meanwhile the Wittenberg army has strengthened its hold on Rumsdorf - building new defences on the western gate and repairing the east gate and adding defences there. A regiment of foot, a regiment of dragoons and a regiment of horse now provide the garrison.

The King has prevaricated and no incursions into Monrovian territory have been made, he seems happy enough to have gained Rumsdorf. The King has been staying at Poswitz - he has decided to leave the army in the care of his generals, he will travel back to the capital for the Christmas festivities.

---oXo---

The weather is changing, the first snow has fallen; both sides decide to move their armies into winter quarters - troops are dispersed accordingly - it is the end of the campaign season.

The Croats are paid off ...

To further reduce the threat from Monrovia, after a some negotation Wittenberg has come to an agreement with the Croats - they have accepted a sum of money for them to return home - they have also agreed to provide men to join the Wittenberg army in the future (with suitable payment of course ...)

The Croats receive their payment ....

the King meets with the Cardinal ....

After capturing Rumsdorf, the bulk of the Wittenberg army camped to the west of the city.  A regiment of foot was posted to defend the east gate on the other side of the river Oudear.

King Leopold travelled to Faustenberg to meet with Cardinal Lazunarund to discuss what military action to take next before  the weather worsened and the campaign season ended.

The Cardinal arrives and is greeted by the King...

they have much to discuss ....

At Rumsdorf (3) ...

continued from the previous post .....

The commander of the Monrovian garrison of Rumsdorf decides to defend the town,  in disregard of the wishes of the town council who would prefer to open the gates and surrender the town - in protest the guild militia companies do not muster .....

..... day 3 .....

With no response to the surrender ultimatum, the King issues the order to start the bombardment - guns and mortars start their work in the morning... a mortar shell falls short of the town wall...

 the gun battery is in action ....

meanwhile two more regiments of foot have been bought up and stand ready if needed...

the guns seem to be having no effect on the walls; the mortar fire is hitting the town setting some buildings afire.

Another method of attack has been prepared - at midday the King orders an assault; men move forward with mobile protective wooden screens.....

once they are in position a group of men come out from the farm and run up towards the town - a petard assault team ...

as troops provide covering fire the petard team reaches the moat bridge ...

they loose a couple of men as they reach the gate ...

the petard is set against the door and the fuse lit ....

the gates are blown open and a storming party charges in ....

they are soon into the town and holding off the defenders ....

more troops surge over the bridge and into the town .....

Wittenberg troops are in the town and the defenders are in disarray, some make it out of the east gate over the river Oudear while others surrender -  Rumsdorf has fallen !

At Rumsdorf (2) .. ordnance in place

continued from the previous post .....

..... day 2 .....

a few soldiers linger in the camp setup in the Abbey grounds

the King has arrived to check on progress of the initial fieldworks ...

a the gabions are in place for the main battery

the dragoons have made up a forward post from things found around the nearby farm

 ---oXo---

later on in the day, the ordnance has arrived and is in place; a large mortar and some heavy guns...

if no response on surrending the burgh town is received this day then offensive action will start on the morrow.

At Rumsdorf (1) ..

back to the campaign ....

After the delaying rearguard action at Buckdorf the remnants of the Monrovian army head for Rumsdorf, followed by the Wittenberg forces...

---oXo---

the last few Monrovian stragglers reach Rumsdorf ...

Pursuing Wittenberg cavalry are moving up towards Rumsdorf ....

nearby some dragoons pass by St Wulfred's Abbey

by the time they are in sight of the town walls the gates are closed, they retire and take up position by the abbey; they will wait for the rest of the Wittenberg army to arrive....

The dragoons have moved forward and take control of a farm ...

 a small work party is clearing ground and making gabions ...

 as troops arrive ....

 a parley has been arranged - a Wittenberg officer presents terms for the surrender of Rumsdorf ...

More options for coaches

I needed a bit more variety for my 17C coaches - I only have the blue one; so I tweaked my Dinky slipper and the rose coach I use for 18C by removing the body and constructing some basic 17C coach bodies out of cardboard to swap as appropriate.

 Each coach body was finished off with some trim pieces and a roof. One was painted up rather drably to represent a run of the mill coach...

 The other as a posh one (could be used by the Cardinal..)

Rearguard at Buckdorf ....

The vanguard of the Wittenberg army has reformed after being scattered by the Monrovian croats,  the next day they are back en route for Buckdorf...

As what's left of rest of the Monrovian army with its ordnance are moving back to Rumsdorf.  Some of the Monrovian army prepare to defend the town of Buckdorf ....

a regiment of cavalry is in position by the town, in front of the town some dragoons hold a small enclosure

to their right is an infantry regiment in another enclosure, with a forlorn hope defending the line of a small river...

 The Wittenberg advance guard deploys .....

After an initial exchange between the forlorn hope and the Wittenberg dragoons both sides re-group; a Wittenberg horse regiment crosses the small river and disperses the forlorn hope to their front...

the sound of musket fire in the distance is heard by the lead elements of the main body - the King brings up two regiments of foot to re-inforce the vanguard ....

the dragoons move forward again start to clear away the forlorn hope by the bridge ....

The reinforcements for the vanguard arrive ....

The Monrovian horse regiment moves up ....

and takes position between the enclosures as the Wittenberg troops cross the river ...

The Wittenberg horse clear the Monrovian dragoons out of the enclosure they were defending and set off in pursuit....

the Monrovian horse charges the Wittenberg horse regiment nearest them ....

after a fierce melee they break and are pursued ....

the Monrovian foot regiment in the other enclosure falls back in the face of growing opposition ...

meanwhile some Wittenberg horse break into Buckdorf ....

With the Wittenberg horse in Buckdorf the remaining Monrovian defenders withdraw as best they can...

A victory for Wittenberg, but the Monrovian rearguard has delayed their advance for long enough so that the remaining elements of their army and ordnance managed to get back to Rumsdorf.