Happy anniversary of Lützen. Hyvää Ruotsalaisuuden päivää.

To commemorate hero king Gustaphus Adolphus we had a game between all mounted Swedish force against all mounted and armored Imperial cavalry force.  We used By Fire and Sword figures and rules so some anachronisms were present, but got a furiously fast paced game simulating fleeting moment on the deadly ground of Lützen.

Keisarilliset eskadroonat aamusumussa

Unfortunately my camera failed to work during the evening, so only one pic, before or unless  Olofeus gets his online. The troops were practically same with both forces fielding 4 squadrons of cavalry, 4 bases strong each. Only one Squadron of Swedes had armor and another was armed with arquebuses. All imperials had armor and one squadron was arquebus armed. Swedes were all veterans - of imperials only half. Cost of armor made imperials nominally stronger and in the first round they were hit by march losses, loosing one base.

Gustaphus was leading from the front - so we agreed that he had to be permanently attached to one of the squadrons and could not command outside his own squadron. He could galvanize the Swedes into action by contributing to initiation tests. His head would be worth 2 victory points. His presence in the unit would be revealed only after some imperial troops would spot his actions. And for good measurre if he should find enemies in charge range he would lead a glorious charge against the enemy himself. As secondary targets Swedes had heavy guns placed on windmill hill and imperials could by exiting the Swedish end of the table threaten their camp and score same amount of points as Swedes by taking the hill.

The action was violent and saw imperials first failing to reach the Swedes in their charge, but then having all but one units in furious melee by round three. The melee saw both sides winning part, but imperials losing their commander and two units to total panic, while the beaten Swedes retreated in relatively good order - taking losses, but slowing the Imperiald dash to their camp.

In the end imperials were annihilated and Gustaphus rode into the mists detached from all other troops but one he was attached to - no doubt to meet his historical doom. Guns were undefended, but the Swedes had not yet taken control of them.

Fun game - allthough getting the result of the game in round three was a bit anticlimactic.