The Begovian army marches closer .....

The main body of Begovian army continues their march towards the Wittenberg province of Zinzendorf. They are currently crossing a river ....

Osram Pasha watches the army marching past....

Someone else watches the army marching past, a forward scout from the Wittenberg army

he makes notes on numbers of units and men, then works his way back through the forest and onwards as fast as he can to make his report....

Skirmish at Sartoli ...

A small raiding party of Begovian cavalry has cross the border and attacked the small town of Sartoli setting part of it alight....

 waiting for them on the outskirts of town are some of the local militia and a detachment of mounted Feldjagers...

 The militia pour close musket fire into the Begovians as they ride past ....

 The Begovians with wounded men are taken aback by the close fire from the militia turn tail and are chased out of the town and back across the border by the Feldjagers...

Militia Muster and increased border patrols...

On the outskirts of Topdan, the local militia have been mustered for inspection by Colonel Hofler (whose pandour unit is stationed in the town).

---oXo---

Some extra detachments of field jagers have arrived, some of them utilise llamas to patrol the hillier areas of the border with Begovia - being more nimble footed that horses.

28mm: March Attack Musketeer, Horse and Dragoon - First Castings

I completed the initial mould for the 28mm figures I had sculpted and did a trial casting session today ..

in general coming out nicely,  the dragoons sword doesn't cast quite right occasionally - but easily fixed with some green stuff. I'm planning to do one more 28mm mould - 3 march attack musketeers and a grenadier, so I can cast infantry units quickly. I'll use my castings for rank and file and buy in the command figures and musicians.
    The 'plan' is to use my home-casts to complete the Duchy of Fenwick army and in the long-term  re-furbish some of the Monrovian and Wittenberg army units.

On Watch ...

An eagle eyed observer on a watch tower near the Begovian border has spotted something and calls his officer.

The officer checks the area on out with his telescope...  he can see a small party of horsemen ...

the officer writes brief report and arranges for it to be sent to army HQ.

---oXo---

Over the next few days reports trickled back to the Wittenberg army HQ in Portoki of more sightings of small parties of Begovian troops near the border -

A trip to the treasury ...

The King had a private meeting with the Begovian ambassador in the library...

the meeting was a last attempt to avert war over Begovia's claim to eastern half of the Zinzendorf province.  The meeting achieved nothing,  the King had hoped to find some rapprochement - unfortunately the issue would now be settled on the battlefield.

 ---oXo---

After discussing the meeting with Count Muntser, the King took his son Prince Albrecht down to the undercroft of the palace (accompanied by one of the palace cats) .... along a corridor

across a small room past a couple of guards ...

 down the corridor, stopping to see the effigy of one of the medieval kings of Wittenberg

 then further along reaching a door, the King requested the guard to unlock and open the door ...

in they went, to see the first room of the treasury.....

Once they'd had a good look round, the King showed the young prince some of the other treasury rooms. Afterwards they went back up to the royal appartments for afternoon tea with the Queen and members of the court.

28mm: Sculpt - Horse and Dragoon

the last of my initial sculpts for 28mm, a horse and generic dragoon (rider separate)

my horse and rider with a Front Rank SYW figure to give a size comparison - I think I've edged toward 30mm 😊

the rider still sits a little high in the saddle and there are a few fluffs that need fixing which the photos have shown up.

Time to start working out the order in which all the accumulated masters (both 40mm & 28mm) will go into moulds