The Battle of Froschbach, Part 2

General Ludwig, out on the right, sees his opportunity to flank the oncoming Aschenbach infantry with fire across the river. It'll be long-range, but it all helps!

On the other Luftberg flank, the generals execute a competent redeployment - wonders will never cease! The first battered cavalry brigade falls back behind a protective screen of Hussars to reform, while the fresh second brigade under Van Der Dijk comes trotting forward. Alarmingly close, in fact, to the unlimbering guns!

Things are looking bad, here - Aschnebach's right flank are pinned in place, unable to go forward.

The main Aschenbach effort is still advancing however, into the waiting muzzles of the cannons. The attack can't be stopped to wait for the right flank to catch up however, raising the prospect of the assault falling flat, like an attack-dog leaping forward and then realising it's leash is too short. At this rate, the army will rip it's own centre wide open as the two halves drift further apart!

Von Hartling orders the Dragoons to charge the oncoming new Luftberg troopers, hoping to take the edge off them.

They batter them but rebound, having failed to get a magic high dice-roll. Looks like those Luftberg cuirassiers will be coming on!

At close-range, the Aschenbach gunners add their fire and send cannonballs plunging through the startled men and horses.

As the fire continues, Van Der Dijk steels himself for action. "Charge!"

Thundering forward, his dragoons go all-out for the Aschenbach horse, while the battered cuirassiers try to rush uphill at the cannons. They get some point-blank fire for their trouble, but they are not to be denied.


The Dragoons recoil from the tired Aschenbach cavalry lines, but the real result is on the hilltop. Both artillery batteries are overrun and the crews slain, and although one regiment is shot to ribbons and reduced to a single strength point (SP), the famous Cuirassier Regiment Schrodinger sweeps through and is only just repelled by the frantic efforts of the supporting Aschenbach infantry. Had it broken throughm it would have been loose in the Aschenbach army's rear!

In the Luftberg centre, the Aschenbach infantry now draws close. A blast of musketry cuts down the artillery crews positioned in front of the white lines. Some guns still fire, but it's a devastating volley.

Sensing the Luftberg cavalry is battered, Von Hartling attacks again and this time the adjacent infantry moves up too, lending it's fire to the struggle. He rebounds, but the blooded Luftberg cavalry soon pull back also and try to reform.

In the centre, the infantry lines pull into range and the volleys crash out along the line, and the Aschenbach grenadiers rapidly show their quality with devastating volleys hammering the enemy line.

The fire takes on an L-shape, thanks to Ludwig's fire over the stream. It can only be at long range however, and so is muted in impact. This clearly irks Ludwig...

"Attack!" Egad! A sudden rush of blood to the head caught General Ludwig, who orders his men to advance into the marshy stream (in the rules, he rolled an auto-attack order.) They can now give close-range volleys, but are terribly exposed in turn. Is this madness, or genius?

The Aschenbach regiment in reserve smoothly turns to face the new threat, but casualties are mounting on each side and the Aschenbach main attack is now stretched to a single reserve unit. The front-line Musketeer Regiments are all battered, but the Grenadiers are still largely unaffected. If the breakthrough is to happen, it'll be down to them, but they're facing heavy odds!

A plan view of the field, with the front-line marked with a yellow dotted line. The enfiladed left, paper-thin centre, and exhausted right of the Aschenbach line are all visible. It's do-or-die time!