Tipplebruder, the crisis!

The Crisis:.

After pressing forward and falling back a few times, the artillery under Brig Oppenkopf combined with the occasional volley of musketry, finally depletes the Misthaufen Freikorps.
IB V. Gruber, which is the current leading inside battalion has also managed to drive the Alliance Jaegers back to the causeway. Alas, v. Gruber’s enthusiastic advance to flank the barricades at the inn and to pursue the Jaegers brings into a position in which Schweeky can obliterate his battalion by massed fire in enfilade.

The Alliance line is pierced! Drednoz orders a new general advance. Duffy’s battalion continues to press the forces near the inn to pin them into position while his jaegers follow up the retreating Alliance light forces in the hills. The battalions St. Cyr and du Lepps drive into the gap, while V. Hirshbock returns his battered grenadiers to the assault of the Hesse Engleburg battalion which is not covered by barricades

Seeing the approaching Stagonians across the causeway, the Saxe-Urquhart 86th Highlanders push forward, carrying the whimpering McLaurel at their head. The Prinzessin Garde push foward on side of the battery v. Shweeky to confront du Lepps, while the Saxe-Bearstein grenadiers attempt to stop St. Cyr. Count v. Trunkenbold anxiously tries to get the IR v. Urquell to move onto the causeway between the inn and the fleche. As this would mean that they would be separated from their own line, the colonel hesitates until loudly ordered by v. Bruin to comply!

Meanwhile, the Stagonian guns under v, Kroll have managed to disrupt the battery v. Schweeky, and since the battery had not fired on their advancing line, the whole brigade charges forward!
For a moment, as IR-6 De Marmier swarms into the fleche among Schweeky’s guns and IR-2 du Breiz pushes into the gap between V. Kroll and Offenbach’s brigades, it seems that G. Drednoz’s plan has been victorious! Though battered by the punishing Alliance artillery during their advance, these battalions still outnumber their foes. Eagerly, the Stagonian cavalry begins to move forward!

The Wounded Bear Rises:

Even as the Stagonian leaders excitedly press forward into the smoke, they are suddenly shocked to see bands of disorganized Stagonian infantry reeling back towards them!

V. Hirschbock, who had high hopes of overrunning the amalgam of militia and plain Fenwickian line has encountered a corps which had spent the last month under the tutelage of a master marksman ... the battalion recieves such intense musketry that its men fall in line like unplanted fence posts! The Highlanders deliver their own volley and crash into de Marmier who is already weakened by twice advancing into v. Schweeky’s guns. Swarming over the first Stagonians, they then crash into the flank of du Lepps, who has failed to force the outnumbered Garde back from their stand. Further east, while St. Cyr has managed to drive the also outnumbered Saxe - Bearsteon grenadiers back into the inn, they are rallied there by v. Bruin. Meanwhile, the small Tipplebruder artillery and Alliance Jaegers behind a barricade have stalled du Breiz.
Even as the Stagonian v. Kroll brigade crumbles, I.R. Urquell finally deploys along the causeway, clearly present in strength enough to hold the now exhausted Stagonians in I.B. St. Cyr.

Offenbach tries to bring his last battalion forward to support St. Cyr, but delays on hearing loud shouts, cheering, and fanfares from the Allied line. The Wojskowo Piechota leading files have been spotted rushing towards the smoke and thunder of battle.

At the same moment, runners from the hills reach Count Trunkenbold and Gen. Drednoz ... yes, there are cavalry working their way down off the mountain massif to the east ... flying Frankzonian colors!!

(Yes, fellow players, Stagonian Jeff was warned that Frankszonia could attempt to force march a cavalry unit to the battle, the distance is not impossible from southern Frankszonia ... and the snow etc. delays provided a decent chance ... but notice that neither force appeared till after turn six ... which is the longest Koenig Krieg game I’ve played to date! Also, given the premature exhaustion of the Stagonian infantry, I really don’t think they made all that much difference! Edie’s rolls usually get me on initiative rolls, this time her artillery and musketry were absolutely lethal! But I had enough initiative rolls to keep rearranging and sustaining the advance. )

Angrily, Gen Drednoz orders his musicians to sound “rally” and “retreat.” The artillery is sent off the field first, then the remnants of the infantry columns are painfully gathered together and sent trudging after. As the Frankszonian cavalry is still in the hills, and clearly disordered by its ordeal in crossing snow sludge and mud in the mountains, Count Trunkenbold does not attempt to challenge the still superior numbers of Stagonian Cavalry, which under the gallant Yves d'Amours and an angry Drednoz could still be a formidable threat. After his narrow escape, Trunkenbold is content to watch the Stagonian forces fade into the drizzle and sleet of another January storm.