Venitius
Count
The First Lion-Throne Swadian Wars
Etrosq and the Northern Ellisian Mountains
The Northern Swadian Armies, lead by Field Marshal Harhengothus, invaded Northern Ellis in the Winter, 1495. Supported by Ellisian irregulars, the Northern Swadian Armies easy cut their way through the path of the Ellisian militias in their way. Surprised at this, a division of Lion Throne troops marched out of Abdera to fight them, lead by General Rezerphorlos of Gunther-Piedmont, a former aide to Mathias of Gunther-Piedmont.
In this division was Falketus' Regiment, a group of Swadians who had converted to the Filaharn Faith and found sanctuary in the Lion Throne's army. Wearing white uniforms, and wielding the newly-invented matchlock musket, the Whitecoats of Falketus' Regiment never retreated. The division was made solely out of musketeers and gunners, as the Kingpriest of Ellis believed that the Swadian force consisted entirely of armoured men.
The Field Marshal, however, had brought a force consisting mainly of men armed with firelocks, due to the belief that the Lion Throne would send the heavily-armoured element of the Brigade of the Radiant Cross. However, the heavy infantry of the Brigade of the Radiant Cross was attacking Lord Otto's Army which was besieging Grunwalder Castle. The Field Marshal had brought musketeers, arquebusiers and dragoons. These were the hardened men who had fought the Laurians, the Imperial State, the Ellisian Empire and the Dual Monarchy. Now they would bear their guns upon the Lion Throne.
Outside the castle of Etrosq, the two armies met. The garrison of that castle, however, did not help their Lion Throne allies and flank the Swadians, because the entire garrison had the plague. When the heralds of each faction, sent by the armies' leaders to announce a challenge of arms, found themselves in their enemy's camp, they were highly surprised to see that their foe's army consisted entirely of men armed with guns, as did their own army. Both commanders sent for cavalry reinforcements. Rezerphorlos' messenger reached Abdera first and some newly-conscripted Ellisian Cavalry rode to Etrosq. Realizing that the Lion Throne Messenger would reach his destination faster than his own, the Swadian Field Marshal ordered his artillery train to open fire. Culverins, Bombards and Serpentines opened fire upon the Lion Throne ranks. The Lion Throne artillery batteries opened fire soon after.
Skirmishers of both sides, consisting of Ellisian irregulars for the Swadians, and Gunther-Piedmont light companies for the Lion Throne, engaged in the nearby Etrosq forest. Swadian dragoons soon came to the aid of their comrades in the forest. This meant that the Swadians no longer had any cavalry. The forest was vital, as who controlled the forest could easily march troops through it, and with cover from the trees, flank their foe.
The main armies of both sides clashed, with very few men in reserve. The first to engage battle were the Landsknechts armed with arquebuses. These men were the Forlorn Hope, sent to weaken the enemy pike formation before the two pike blocks clashed. They were armed with the Zwëihanders as a sidearm. Harhengothus only had his retinue and bodyguard, as well as some arquebusiers. Rezerphorlos also had his bodyguard in reserve, but also kept the whole of Falketus' Regiment.
The Ellisian cavalry finally arrived at a quarter past noon that day. Seeing a chance for glory, the Lion Throne commander lead his bodyguard and the cavalry, consisting of about 6,000 men, charged the Swadian position from the flank. However, two squares of Swadian Landsknechts armed with pikes and their Forlorn Hope of arquebusiers had just moved into position there. The arquebusiers took down many of the Lion Throne's cavalry, killing both the Ellisian Cavalry's standard bearer and Rezerphorlos' personal standard bearer. The arquebusiers then withdrew to aid their main troops in the centre. The pikemen, with firmly braced for the cavalry charge, caused havoc with their pikes. Hundreds of cavalrymen died, and all of them were dismounted. The Lion Throne general died when he was surrounded, and killed by the Swadian Field Marshal's standard bearer, whom, along with the rest of the Field Marshal's bodyguard, had supported the beleaguered pikemen by flanking the Ellisians.
The outnumbered Swadian infantry in the centre had taken a heavy beating, and had engaged in melee combat. The skirmishers had been foolishly ordered to withdraw from the forest and join the main force by the Second-in-Command of the Lion Throne division. With the arrival of Swadian Knights and Ulm Mounted Arquebusiers under Lord Arnulf and the 50th Holy Swadian Dragoons under Colonel Heerfergurthen, the dragoons in the forest re-mounted and prepared for a cavalry charge. The time was four in the afternoon. The skirmishers in the forest now killed the enemy officers, and the Lion Throne troops began to waver. Then the Swadian cavalry charged, and destroyed the wavering Lion Throne infantry. Many tried to flee, but most were cut down. A lucky few succeeded in reaching the reserves, who had not been committed yet. The Whitecoats had formed square. Arnulf attempted to persuade the Regiment to surrender, but to no avail. The cavalry charged once, but then withdrew. After half an hour, the Swadian brought all the artillery on the battlefield to bear upon the square. Some dragoons and skirmishers fired at the square too. After a heavy bombardment, the square no-longer existed. Only its colours, torn by bullets and bits of shell, flew silently above the square, their standard bearers still clutching them. The Swadians had taken heavy casualties. It was a Pyrrhic Victory.
Lord Arnulf then took the colours, and rode for Ulm with his cavalry. Weeks later, he then presented them to the Emperor. The Emperor, as accounts describe him when he recieved the standards, was "thoroughly confused", and then he "started ranting about the evilness of librarians and physicians". The Northern Swadian armies retreated back to Ulm to rest and restock. However, Lion Throne cavalry continued to harass the column, until they were but a few miles away from Ulm.
Author's Note
Please state out any errors. I'll change/remove it if D'Sparil requests.
Changelog:
Changed it to a Pyrrhic victory. Added stuff about column getting attacked.
Etrosq and the Northern Ellisian Mountains
The Northern Swadian Armies, lead by Field Marshal Harhengothus, invaded Northern Ellis in the Winter, 1495. Supported by Ellisian irregulars, the Northern Swadian Armies easy cut their way through the path of the Ellisian militias in their way. Surprised at this, a division of Lion Throne troops marched out of Abdera to fight them, lead by General Rezerphorlos of Gunther-Piedmont, a former aide to Mathias of Gunther-Piedmont.
In this division was Falketus' Regiment, a group of Swadians who had converted to the Filaharn Faith and found sanctuary in the Lion Throne's army. Wearing white uniforms, and wielding the newly-invented matchlock musket, the Whitecoats of Falketus' Regiment never retreated. The division was made solely out of musketeers and gunners, as the Kingpriest of Ellis believed that the Swadian force consisted entirely of armoured men.
The Field Marshal, however, had brought a force consisting mainly of men armed with firelocks, due to the belief that the Lion Throne would send the heavily-armoured element of the Brigade of the Radiant Cross. However, the heavy infantry of the Brigade of the Radiant Cross was attacking Lord Otto's Army which was besieging Grunwalder Castle. The Field Marshal had brought musketeers, arquebusiers and dragoons. These were the hardened men who had fought the Laurians, the Imperial State, the Ellisian Empire and the Dual Monarchy. Now they would bear their guns upon the Lion Throne.
Outside the castle of Etrosq, the two armies met. The garrison of that castle, however, did not help their Lion Throne allies and flank the Swadians, because the entire garrison had the plague. When the heralds of each faction, sent by the armies' leaders to announce a challenge of arms, found themselves in their enemy's camp, they were highly surprised to see that their foe's army consisted entirely of men armed with guns, as did their own army. Both commanders sent for cavalry reinforcements. Rezerphorlos' messenger reached Abdera first and some newly-conscripted Ellisian Cavalry rode to Etrosq. Realizing that the Lion Throne Messenger would reach his destination faster than his own, the Swadian Field Marshal ordered his artillery train to open fire. Culverins, Bombards and Serpentines opened fire upon the Lion Throne ranks. The Lion Throne artillery batteries opened fire soon after.
Skirmishers of both sides, consisting of Ellisian irregulars for the Swadians, and Gunther-Piedmont light companies for the Lion Throne, engaged in the nearby Etrosq forest. Swadian dragoons soon came to the aid of their comrades in the forest. This meant that the Swadians no longer had any cavalry. The forest was vital, as who controlled the forest could easily march troops through it, and with cover from the trees, flank their foe.
The main armies of both sides clashed, with very few men in reserve. The first to engage battle were the Landsknechts armed with arquebuses. These men were the Forlorn Hope, sent to weaken the enemy pike formation before the two pike blocks clashed. They were armed with the Zwëihanders as a sidearm. Harhengothus only had his retinue and bodyguard, as well as some arquebusiers. Rezerphorlos also had his bodyguard in reserve, but also kept the whole of Falketus' Regiment.
The Ellisian cavalry finally arrived at a quarter past noon that day. Seeing a chance for glory, the Lion Throne commander lead his bodyguard and the cavalry, consisting of about 6,000 men, charged the Swadian position from the flank. However, two squares of Swadian Landsknechts armed with pikes and their Forlorn Hope of arquebusiers had just moved into position there. The arquebusiers took down many of the Lion Throne's cavalry, killing both the Ellisian Cavalry's standard bearer and Rezerphorlos' personal standard bearer. The arquebusiers then withdrew to aid their main troops in the centre. The pikemen, with firmly braced for the cavalry charge, caused havoc with their pikes. Hundreds of cavalrymen died, and all of them were dismounted. The Lion Throne general died when he was surrounded, and killed by the Swadian Field Marshal's standard bearer, whom, along with the rest of the Field Marshal's bodyguard, had supported the beleaguered pikemen by flanking the Ellisians.
The outnumbered Swadian infantry in the centre had taken a heavy beating, and had engaged in melee combat. The skirmishers had been foolishly ordered to withdraw from the forest and join the main force by the Second-in-Command of the Lion Throne division. With the arrival of Swadian Knights and Ulm Mounted Arquebusiers under Lord Arnulf and the 50th Holy Swadian Dragoons under Colonel Heerfergurthen, the dragoons in the forest re-mounted and prepared for a cavalry charge. The time was four in the afternoon. The skirmishers in the forest now killed the enemy officers, and the Lion Throne troops began to waver. Then the Swadian cavalry charged, and destroyed the wavering Lion Throne infantry. Many tried to flee, but most were cut down. A lucky few succeeded in reaching the reserves, who had not been committed yet. The Whitecoats had formed square. Arnulf attempted to persuade the Regiment to surrender, but to no avail. The cavalry charged once, but then withdrew. After half an hour, the Swadian brought all the artillery on the battlefield to bear upon the square. Some dragoons and skirmishers fired at the square too. After a heavy bombardment, the square no-longer existed. Only its colours, torn by bullets and bits of shell, flew silently above the square, their standard bearers still clutching them. The Swadians had taken heavy casualties. It was a Pyrrhic Victory.
Lord Arnulf then took the colours, and rode for Ulm with his cavalry. Weeks later, he then presented them to the Emperor. The Emperor, as accounts describe him when he recieved the standards, was "thoroughly confused", and then he "started ranting about the evilness of librarians and physicians". The Northern Swadian armies retreated back to Ulm to rest and restock. However, Lion Throne cavalry continued to harass the column, until they were but a few miles away from Ulm.
Author's Note
Please state out any errors. I'll change/remove it if D'Sparil requests.
Changelog:
Changed it to a Pyrrhic victory. Added stuff about column getting attacked.
