Second Battle of Carenton

The Second Battle of Carenton was a major battle of the Six Years' War and the first pitched battle since the Battle of Agenais. A rejuvenated army under King Charles III had been pursuing the forces of Grand Marshal Frederic Richter for several weeks, refusing to allow the latter to rest and pursuing them all the way to the Stahlheimian border where the war began. The two forces clashed at the outskirts of the village, and as Almeron began gaining the upper hand secessionists from the village attacked the Stahlheimian lines from the rear and forced another retreat, this time deeper into Imperial territory.

Background
After the Imperial defeat at the Battle of Agenais, a beleaguered and outnumbered Grand Marshal was forced to make a full retreat from Almeron. At several points he attempted to encamp and regroup, but the pursuing army under King Charles' command maintained a break-neck pace and allowed them very little rest. As the vengeful army continued to pursue Richter, scattered soldiers who had been captured and eager farmers joined the force. A host that was once 30,000 strong was nearly 36,000 strong by the time it reached the border at Carenton. Richter allowed his men a much needed rest by offering to parlay with his pursuers, delaying for time and (hopefully) reinforcements. Though Charles did not trust the Marshal's intent he would not turn away a man speaking on behalf of peace, and so false peace talks began.

The talks went on for a little over a day, giving both forces rest and frustrating the Almeronian nobility greatly. Richter actively politicked and gesticulated, buying as much time as possible before he was outright denied to speak further. The King demanded that he either retreat or make ready for battle, as the idea of peace talks with him was a farce. The Grand Marshal chose the latter, rallying his men, outnumbered though they were, for a stand at the border. The impetuous knights and men-at-arms of Almeron rallied around this decision, making their approval known even as they formed their battle lines with singing and taunts.

The Almeronian force of 36,000 was largely composed of professional soldiery and vengeful knights supported by nearly 6,000 recently acquired men, a mix of an angry mob and once imprisoned soldiers eager to reclaim their honor against their captors. The Stahlheimian force, by contrast, was made up of 18,000 trained soldiers. They were tired and demoralized from weeks of marching with the constant threat of death and several men collapsed from exhaustion. They were reinforced by 3,000 soldiers of the Stahlheimian border guards, armed and armored but not trained nearly to the caliber that regular soldiers were. The defenders' best hope was to hold the line until reinforcements from the Imperial Army or the Emperor arrived.

Course of the Battle
The set-up of the Grand Marshal's forces was a simple one. He established deep ranks of his best line infantry, positioned between two houses to protect their flanks, and kept the rest of his infantry in reserve behind them for reinforcements. He positioned his marksmen atop a slight slope to fire down at his assailants, and his cavalry was positioned upon the weaker right wing to discourage any heavy attacks on that flank. The positioning of his best infantry at the front also meant that if the battle were to go south quickly Richter would have a powerful rearguard to dissuade pursuers.

By contrast, Charles positioned his men in a way that would benefit his greater numbers. The center of his force was made up of dismounted knights, with long and deep ranks of men-at-arms on either flank to support them. They were supported by a numerically small yet efficient group of crossbowmen and heavy cavalry on either wing ready to push when the lines faltered. He kept the militia that had joined his force largely in reserve, keeping them busy with the gathering of lumber and other supplies for the army during the battle. His goal was to envelop the enemy force then punch through with his cavalry, overwhelming his demoralized foe and forcing another retreat that could be punished.

Blood was shed early in the morning at the battle's dawn, the Almeronian formation marching forward with righteous intent and both forces exchanging volleys to soften up the other's ranks. The two lines met in a crash of metal and a chorus of death throes, long Imperial halberds holding the line against determined Almeronian footmen for some time. Charles' cavalry prodded at the Grand Marshal's flanks repeatedly, testing for weaknesses and forcing the soldiers there to actively change formation and tire themselves. After only two hours it became clear that the lines would not be able to hold if things continued as they did. Richter reinforced his center with men he had held in reserve and gave his advisers the order to be ready for an organized retreat if reinforcements did not arrive soon. Volleys of arquebus fire from Imperial marksmen proved to be the only thing keeping Stahlheim capable of winning the battle, breaking the momentum of charges that would have pushed through their lines.

Though the Imperial forces fought valiantly and showed little fear against such a numerically superior army, the odds were turning against them. The pinnacle of the fighting came when organized secessionists from the village attacked the Imperial army from both flanks and the rear. Shouting praises to their mother country of Almeron, they attacked the outnumbered forces from all sides in assistance of their countrymen. Although they were poorly equipped and hardly the experienced fighters they were facing, such a rapid attack from all sides was enough to start a rout among the Imperial forces. The Grand Marshal was able to rally and maintain his front lines, pushing them to greater glory to allow the rest of his men to retreat without suffering any casualties. The King's forces and resistance fighters both pushed onward, and the day was won with a decisive victory and further destruction of the Grand Marshal's remaining forces.

Aftermath
The defeat marked a change in theater for the war, bringing an Almeronian army to the home front and 'liberating' the province of Carenton from Imperial control. The Grand Marshal's force numbered only 14,000 beleaguered men, and his continued retreat gave Charles' army opportunity to strike at Stahlheimian settlements with less resistance. Victory at Carenton not only kept a strong fighting spirit in the Kingdom alive, it allowed those who had been unable to work due to the presence of enemy armies a chance to rebuild and recover.