A Portable Breitenfeld - Concluded.

We left off the Breitenfeld narrative last time with the Swedes, minus, it would appear, King Gustavus Adolphus (or maybe it was not he, but Maximilien Teuffel who bit the dust), having seized the initiative. The loss of a commander combined with three Swedish units - 2 cavalry and a commanded musketeer units also having been routed or dispersed, left them with just 6 activation dice. Twenty-seven, halved, permitted 13 units to do something of interest. The central reserves moved forward in support of the front line brigades, pushing in the Imperialist centre.

For their part, the Imperialists still had 7 dice - no units destroyed yet, and all their commanders still issuing orders, but their roll of 22 halved to just 11 units moving. Still having to cope with the Saxons, and Baner's cavalry on the other wing, The Imperialists were finding the situation in the centre becoming critical. 

As the wings were closely engaged - the fighting close combats, once begun, continue until one side or both break off with a 'retreat' outcome - The Imperialist begin a counter-drive in the centre. One tercio becoming depleted - down to 1SP only - two others come in from their left flank. One Swedish brigade having involved itself in the fighting on Baner's front has left a gap the Imperialist foot can exploit.
 

In a surprisingly short time, the Imperialist foot have gone far to straighten out the line of battle, although their line is receding slightly on the Saxon front.

By now, Gottfried Pappenheim's wing is looking very tired: 15 strength points (SP) remaining from the original 24, though all units are still in action. But the opposing Swedish wing is looking even more threadbare: just four cavalry units and a commanded musketeer - 13SPs - still in the fight. A brigade caught up in the fight gets hit in flank by Imperialist heavy horse. 

Another brigade, in a deadly fight against an equally depleted tercio is attacked in flank also, and has become practically surrounded. Losses mounting on both sides.

Despite early losses, the Saxons are putting up a tremendous fight, refusing to go back for anyone. Going third this turn, their pitiful roll of 4 on 2D6 translates to the two units on the green die pictured. Not a lot of movement, but they don't need more. One close combat continuing, the other two front line units engage in a firefight with the Imperialist horse. The Imperialists are outnumbered but holding their own.

This time the Saxons go first! But their 2D6 roll is even worse, translating to just one unit doing much of anything. As the front lines have become separated, this does not redound to the Saxons' benefit!

Meanwhile. looking along the line, one sees that the Imperialists have almost restored their front. One gun battery is still in action. On the Allied side, the tide of brigades has receded somewhat; and Baner's wing is starting to crumble.

  

On foot, Otto von Schoenburg leads his troops into action against the Swedish foot. The latter's superior firepower is neutralised when the tercios close into a hand-to-hand fight. Perhaps the Imperialists are now in the ascendancy?

But a wisp remains, it seems, of Baner's wing: 12SP lost. Pappenheim's command is in little better shape: 10SP gone out of 24. The brigade sent to help Baner finds itself assailied in front and flank.

Suddenly, Imperialist success on the Saxon front! The lead Saxon tercio collapses, whereat Furstenburg leads a cavalry charge into the rather shaken (1SP remaining) Saxon left flank cavalry unit. This will be awkward for the Saxons, reduced to a single activation die.

Baner's wing is just about ready to collapse, just ragged remains of horse and foot still in the fight.

In this general view, the Imperialist resurgence becomes apparent. Baner just barely holding up his wing, the centre pushed back, and the Saxons in trouble. The Saxons going first activated one unit; the Swedes then activated 11 - still doing fairly well despite losses; and finally the Imperialists doing no more than matching the Swedish roll. But there is no denying, the Imperialists have now the upper hand.

Wiping out the two isolated brigades, the Imperialists reinforce Pappenheim's wing with a tercio. In the centre, they start encountering fresh Swedish reserve brigades. Baner is still on the field, but just 5SP remain of his 21SP command.

Absent my notes, I can't state for certain why I called the battle at this point. Before I began this write-up I could not recall the result. But in examining the pictures for this posting it becomes clear that in fact the battle went quite against history and resulted in an Imperialist success. The Saxons defied history and refused to collapse, and Pappenheim actually wore down Baner's command, though at a high cost. I think it pretty certain that the Swedish Army became exhausted, and were starting to go backwards. 

So Graf Tserclaes von Tilly proclaimed a great and glorious victory for the Catholic League. And King Gastaf Adolph? I have an idea that he did not leave the battlefield under his own power...

OK, then. Although it was a pretty gripping action to play out, the constraints of the battlefield compared with the size of the armies obviated the main early envelopment by Pappenheim's wing, and left Furstenburg's wing too narrow a front to deal with the inexperienced Saxons. So, as a refight, not an unqualified success.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of other 30YW battles to fight (Nordlingen!). I am also thinking of doing English Civil War battles, but under the guise of a conflict between the rival nations, the Kingdom of Severeia and the Empire of Austereia. A future 'project' perhaps...