A Portable Breitenfeld

This is a very belated posting, my version of the Battle of Breitenfeld having been fought in December, last year (2025). I'm pretty sure I won't be able to find the notes I took of the battle. So this was intended to be less a post-action narrative as some comments on the organisation and play. As it transpired, I changed my plan...

Imperialist Army

Three Armies drawn up. Imperialists to the left
Swedish and, closer to the camera, the Saxons

For one thing Breitenfeld was a battle rather larger than - about twice the numbers of - the Battle of Lutzen that I played through a couple of years back. This required certain adjustments to scaling and unit organisation. Even then it was to run into a problem. But first, we'll start with the armies.

Imperialist centre

Imperialist: Count Johann Tserclaes von Tilly 

Right Wing: Furstenberg and Isolani (1 command stand)
3 Cuirassier Horse @ 4SP = 12SP
1 Croat Light Horse = 2SP
1 Dragoon = 2SP

Centre: Otto von Schoenburg
2 field gun batteries @ 2SP = 4SP
8 Tercios @ 4SP * = 32SP
1 unit of harquebusier horse = 3SP

Left Wing: Graf Gottfried Heinrich zu Pappenheim
6 Cuirassier Horse @ 4SP = 24SP

Totals: 
4 commands and 22 units: 7 activation dice.
79 Strength Points: Exhaustion point = 27SP lost; Rout point = 40SP lost

Swedish Army of Gustavus Adolphus

Allied: King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden

Swedish Right Wing: Sir Johan Baner
6 Charging Cavalry @ 3SP = 18SP
2 Commanded Musketeer @ 1SP = 2SP
1 Battalion Gun = 1SP

Swedish Centre: Maximilien Teuffel
8 Battalia/Brigades @ 3SP = 24SP
1 Field Gun = 2SP
1 Battalion Gun = 1SP

Swedish Left Wing: Gustav Horn
5 Charging Cavalry @ 3SP = 15SP
1 Commanded Shot = 1SP
1 Battalion Gun = 1SP

Total Swedish: 
4 commands and 26 units: 8 activation dice
65 Strength Points: Exhaustion Point = 22SP lost; Rout Point = 33SP lost

The Saxons: small army, and not a lot of room to deploy

Saxon Allies: Prince John-George, Elector of Saxony
1 elite Cuirassier Horse = 4SP
2 other Cuirassier Horse @ 3SP = 6SP
3 Tercio @ 3SP = 9SP
1 Field Gun = 2SP

Total Saxons:
1 command and 7 units = 2 activation dice
21 Strength Points: Exhaustion Point = 7SP lost; Rout point = 11SP lost

Some points to note, here:
1. I made the infantry formations smaller: 2 shot and 2 pike for the tercio; 1 pike and 2 shot for the Swedish infantry units 
2. The tercio were arranged 4 stands deep: shot/pike/pike/shot. Their default strength points were 4SP, but the inexperienced Saxons were rated at 3SP only. Here I might have done better to have given the Saxons the standard 4SP, but rated all but the sole elite unit 'Poor'.
3. The Swedish infantry were arranged with a pike stand in front of two 'shot' stands in line. These units were rated at 3SP. 
4. The tercio received 1 die for shooting; the Swedish, 2 dice.
5. In close quarter fighting, 1 D6 each; the tercio adding 1 to their roll for their heavier weight.
6. Swedish charging cavalry added 1 to their close combat score against Imperialist horse.
7. The Swedish and Saxon contingents rolled separately for activation - Red die for Imperialists; White for Swedish; Green for Saxon.
8. The three armies' exhaustion and rout points were assessed separately.

Opening moves. Imperialists went first, but now 
the Swedes scored 34 on their 8 dice- great roll! -
 halved to 17 units to move.

The Battle:

Right from the start, the limitations of my battle surface became apparent: the enveloping manoeuvre Graf Pappenheim tried against the Swedish right simply could not be done. There wasn't enough room on the table. Methinks the thing would work a deal better on my 6'x4' game board - were it divvied up into a hex grid.

Having said that, the action descended rapidly into the historical long drawn out, indecisive struggle when I called the action.

Initiative and activation rolls for the first turn...

On the other wing, the Saxons were meant pretty much to get rolled. Their strength points for horse and foot had been reduced in the expectations that they would been soon overrun. Not a bit of it. At the end of the day, they had lost one tercio, but were otherwise well and truly still in the action. That rather spoiled the Imperialist programme.

The wings in action early

In the centre, the Swedish battalia rapidly advanced, their firepower putting a lot of pressure upon the Imperialist foot. However, once the latter closed with their enemy, the tide of battle began to turn. By the end of the day, several battalia had been eliminated, and the rest driven back almost to their start line.

Furstenburg versus John George of Saxony. I've had to use 
Swedish proxies for the Saxons. I ought to ask 'Jacko' if 
he still has his Saxons... Figures are Revell.

Imperialist versus Saxons. Furstenburg's Imperialist cuirassiers have taken 1SP loss, but have inflicted 1 each upon horse and foot.

Pappenheim versus Baner...

Other wing: Pappenheim vs Baner. Pistolery knocks over a Swedish strength point (SP). 

Swedish foot rushing to support Baner...

Imperialist left - Pappenheim's - wing. Reinforcements hurrying up top support the leading horse now engaged. 

Saxons not only go first, but score a brilliant activation roll. 
If only they had room to use it...!

This turn the Saxons got to move first. On top of John George rolled a double-six to activate his whole army. In their respective activations, Graf Tilly and King Gustaf Adolf activated 13 units apiece.

General view of the battle. Action has become general on the Saxon and upon Baner's wing in the distance. The centres are closing, two Swedish brigades engaging the Imperialist foot and artillery, and a horsed unit also shooting up the other Imperialist battery.

Pappenheim vs Baner: heavy losses on both sides already. Indications are that perhaps Pappenheim is getting the better of the fight.

Activation dice: Swedes went first, Saxons second, Imperialists third. Swedes got a massive roll to activate 16 units; Imperialist the miserable side of average to activate just 10. The Saxon roll was OK-ish, but restricted to their narrow front, and closely engaged, that doesn't really matter.  The Imperialists are being perceptibly driven back in the centre.

Furstenburg vs Saxons, inflicts 2SP loss for 1SP. This in scarcely rolling the Saxons off the battlefield, though. It transpires that the Saxons in this battle were disinclined to be hustled anywhere!

Action in the centre. The Swedes are pressing, but sustaining rather heavier losses than their adversaries.

Pappenheim vs Baner again. A real cavalry melee has developed. Two of the Swedish horse units have become seriously depleted. The Imperialists have also taken losses, but little concern so far of any imminent collapse.

Carnage in the centre. Costly Swedish cavalry attacks have reduced, but not destroyed the Imperialist batteries. But disaster for the Swedes: a mounted commander - he looks very like the King himself! - bites the dust. The Swedish activation dice is reduced by 1.

General view, looking up from the Saxon left. The Imperialist line is looking distinctively concave as effective Swedish firepower drive back the Imperialist tercios.

This turn, the Imperialists go first. The previous picture indicates that they activated 13 units. The raw Swedish roll here adds up to 24 - rather below expectation (28) - which translates to 12 units activated. It may take a while to get the Swedish reserves into the action!

The fight in the centre. The leading Swedish brigades have advanced rather ahead of the supports and risk becoming isolated. Rather careless addition to the battlefield of spectacles and hearing aids (the latter were new)...

Swedish get to move first in this turn...

... and the imperialist response

Imperialist foot counterattack in the centre halts the Swedish attack. Although the firepower of the three brigades equals that of the six tercios, the former are a deal less able to sustain or endure it. When the tercios close, the power differential will be so much greater.

Pappenheim's fight is wearing down his cuirassiers - 7SP lost so far - but Baner's cavalry is becoming even more depleted, 6SP down, not counting a commanded musketeer company and a cavalry unit destroyed.

The Saxons activate 2 units, but they are still hanging in there. Although the Saxons have lost 5SP to 2SP, they are not shifting. There are even indications that they are driving back Furstenburg's horse.

Next turn: the Swedes go first....

I'll break off the pictorial narrative at this point and resume with a second posting. I had intended just a brief account with a short selection of pictures, but going through them I recalled that I included the initiative and activation dice in most of the photos. It seemed to be worth it, then, to extend the story to feature those rolls, and to observe the ebb and flow of the action. So, it is...

... to be concluded.