So, here are the results of Turn 4 of the battle. I was sure this would be the decisive turn. It may have been that, but it was not the last turn! We will see at least one more turn.
Overall, this turn was remarkable for playing to type (or stereotype). The Prussians were wizards of command and of musketry; the Austrians were feeble at command but doughty fighters.
Both sides spent the first impulse resting and trying to rally their cavalry. Schwerin pulled in double his opponent's CDs (10 to 5) so he could do almost anything he wanted that could be accomplished with command dice. He kept moving his reserve of musketeers forward and to his left, while volleys of Prussian musketry devastated the Austrian dragoons that last turn had wiped out a brigade of Prussia's finest cuirassiers. It was a good thing they had targets, as Manteuffel uncharacteristically stalled. Also stalling most inopportunely was Sincere, the Austrian light division commander, who left his dragoons out on a limb that proceeded to fall out from under them. Prussia unlimbered their second brigade of field artillery, the better to bombard the grenzers that had blocked them from advancing.
Pulse 2 the initiative was won by the Austrians, but all three generals proceeded to fail to activate. More volleys of fire smashed the Austrian dragoons into nothingness, and the Prussian infantry advanced, preparing to bring the Austrian infantry in their sights at last. The small brigade of Prussian fusiliers was detailed to guard the flank of the advance against the grenzers.
The revived Prussian cuirassier brigade charged forward against their Austrian foes but, failing to break them, had to fall back and collided with an advancing brigade of musketeers, who were thrown into disorder (loss of 1 SP for involuntary passage of lines).
On Pulse 3, Schwerin reclaimed the initiative, and Prussian grenadiers poured thousands of bullets into the Austrian fortifications (which protected their defenders well this turn, saving them three of the five Prussian hits). The combined forces of the Prussian batteries and the fusiliers at last dispersed the pesky Croats. The latter had, however, done their work, as the Prussian guns were now situated at extreme range from the enemy defences.
After the previous impulse's reverse, the Prussian cuirassiers rallied again. The grenadiers ahead of them, having emptied their barrels, fixed bayonets and assaulted the Austrian works.
Here was where one of the most unexpected events of the battle so far occurred. One brigade of grenadiers gave better than they got but were not able to break through and so retired. The other brigade, apparently encountering some unexpected Austrian minefield or simply bested by the muttonheaded imperturbability of some Swabian musketeers, was broken! (Schwerin's combat die rolled a 1; he spent a CD to reroll it and got another 1! The Austrians rolled a 6, and while the grenadiers were 6SP to the Austrians' 5, the fortifications' -3 was the decisive factor.)
With the loss of the hussars and one brigade of cuirassiers, this brought the Prussians to 1 shy of their army morale level, at which point they would need to roll to avoid retreat. The Austrians had lost two brigades, but since the grenzers were irregulars, their loss only counted a half point, so they were still at 1.5 out of 3.
Would the turn end? No! Fate determined that Pulse 4 would be played. Moreover, both generals rolled 2,2 for initiative! Schwerin used his last CD to reroll one of his 2s and got...another 2!!! Since Schwerin had held initiative last turn, Hadik had the initiative marker at +1 and won the tie. Since both had rolled double 2s, both got two more CDs.
Prussian musketeers shot down 2 SPs of Austrian cuirassiers. More musketeers and the remaining grenadiers poured shot into the Austrian infantry. The Prussian fusiliers tried and failed to pick off any Austrian gunners, and both sides' artillery produced no hits.
Stampach threw his better cuirassier unit into the face of the Prussian musketeers, while pulling back the ones who had been shot up in hopes they could retrieve some losses. His cavalry made a doughty attempt, scything down many bluecoats (both sides used rerolls), but had to retire.
Bosfort finally brought his third and fourth brigades across their trenches and readied to hit the Prussian right. He knew his own right was wavering, and only a severe blow (striking down the fusiliers, perhaps) could save his force from destruction.
And saving they would need! Fresh Prussian musketeers finally broke his rightmost brigade of infantry and stormed into his works, while the Prussian grenadiers took yet more losses and fell back a second time (melee was tied, and defenders win ties; Schwerin had used his last CD to reroll the attack that broke the Austrian right).
End of Turn 4. Prussia is one point from its Army Break Point. With the loss of Austrian Musketeer Brigade #1, the Austrians are ONE HALF A POINT from their break test. Neither army tests this turn.
On to Turn 5!
(I hope to conclude this epic battle tomorrow...)
