Battle of Alstedt

The Battle of Alstedt was the climax and penultimate battle of the Six Years' War. It effectively brought an end to one of the bloodiest wars seen in decades and ended in a decisive Almeronian victory over the Stahlheimian Empire. The Empire was unable to recover from it's losses and had to retreat to the other side of the river Leben. It is considered a shocking victory for Almeron, for the technologically and numerically superior army of Stahlheim was expected to win handily and end the war on the Emperor's terms. The battle began with 48,000 Imperial troops and 38,000 Almeronian troops.

Background
A string of Imperial defeats in the war had seen the Empire's forces pushed back from the border in a hurry. Though the Almeronian King had not yet had his men do any real harm to the land, the threat to Stahlheimian pride was enough for the force to hastily prepare for another battle. The Imperial army occupied the city of Alstedt, located only a few miles from the river Leben. The Almeronian army did not attack them outright, giving the Stahlheimian force not only rest but a chance to garner reinforcements. This mistake ended up proving both a boon and a curse, for the Emperor himself arrived to lead the Imperial army with reinforcements in tow.

King Charles III wisely determined with his generals that though they were outnumbered, the Emperor was not well known for his strategic expertise. If they could either draw him out or ensure that he would oversee his army's strategy, then the Almeronian force could outmaneuver them and find victory. Thus King Charles' battle strategy was thus: taunt the Emperor into using his force to attack instead of defend, then use his vastly superior heavy cavalry to hit the flanks of the Emperr's army once battle was engaged. Simple, yes, but a tried and true strategy for Almeron that required only that the Emperor engaged them as they desired.

The Emperor's plan of attack, by contrast, was convoluted due to a combination of his own desires mixing with the advice of his generals. He was unsure of how best to use his limited cavalry and where along the battle lines the Steel Brigade should be positioned, as well as where the Knights of the Roost would be most useful. Upon being informed that the Almeronian forces were forming battle lines, however, the Emperor simply ordered that the troops be made ready to march forward and meet them. He and his generals were confident in their numerical superiority and the handgunners that their opponents lacked, and trusted them to carry the day if strategy could not.

Course of the Battle
The battle began with skirmishing forces from either side testing the battle lines, Almeronian crossbowmen and Stahlheimian handgunners exchanging volleys before retreating to their ranks. This lasted for approximately an hour before the Emperor grew impatient and ordered his forces to advance in swift order. This marked the true start of the battle, the artillery of both sides opening fire and causing mass confusion as the Imperial infantry marched up the slight incline Charles had deployed his forces upon.

The Imperial forces began their charge approximately thirty yards from Almeron's front ranks, and after a final volley from Charles' crossbowmen battle was met. The clash became hectic swiftly, casualties mounting and the flanks of the Almeronian army forced to re-maneuver as the longer Imperial lines began to wrap around them. The Steel Brigade inflicted heavy casualties upon the Almeronian right flank was but pushed back after fierce hand to hand combat. The Knights of the Roost found great success in disrupting enemy lines, picking up enemy soldiers from the skies before dropping them to terrify the Almeronian footmen. The Emperor's forces looked to b gaining the upper hand, but Charles held his cavalry from the battle until Stahlheim's infantry had been fully engaged.

When the trumpets sounded for the knights of Almeron to charge, there wasn't enough time for the Emperor to reform his battle lines to combat them. The heavy cavalry maneuvered about the flanks and charged into the rear of the Imperial army with force, causing mass confusion and fear among those now entrapped. The Stahlheimian reserves were rushed forward, but the Knights of the Dragon managed to repel them with fantastic maneuvering and excellent discipline. Though many brave knights and soldiers of Stahlheim refused to break, they were slowly cut down between the ranks of infantry and the heavy cavalry behind them.

When the Stahlheimian forces began to rout, the Emperor managed to rally them well enough to regroup. Given how many losses he had taken, however, he knew he would be unable to mount a suitable defense and was forced to retreat in swift order across the Leben to better positioning. Of 48,000 troops fielded by the Empire, 12,000 were captured and over 8,000 were wounded or killed, predominantly well trained and equipped infantry. Almeron, however, lost only 2,000 men of their inital 38,000 and were able to continue their march deeper into Stahlheim.

Aftermath
The battle proved to be the last great one of the war, and though minor skirmishes here and there followed they were mainly efforts of Almeron to increase their bargaining power before the inevitable treaty. The world was shocked by Stahlheim's defeat, it's reputation as unbeatable in pitched battle shattered and the faith of the Emperor's subjects in him greatly diminished. The victory lead to the Treaty of Havre, calling for concessions of both land and resources in return for Stahlheimian prisoners and peace. The battle also unintentionally lead to Highreach's secession from the Stahlheimian Empire, as the war's end proved disastrous for the province given their contributions.

Almeron's victory filled the country with a new level of national pride, discarding old grudges in favor of a sense of unity that has seen to a prosperous future. The government is more united and dedicated to passing new laws, and the Almeronian economy has thrived since the battle's outcome.