Normal Service has been resumed at Rossbach.....almost

Rossbach, Take II. A victory for Prussia, but not overwhelming. This time it played out differently to yesterday. The Prussians won, but not by a big margin. Certainly not the historical cataclysm endured by the real French and Imperialists.

Break points for the 3 armies were:

French - 10

Imperialists - 5

Prussian  - 8

This game finished after 29 turns with the following losses:

French - 10 

Imperialists - 4

Prussians - 3

So this one finished much better for the Prussians, but not a crushing victory. It appears close to a total victory on paper, but there was no prospect of the Prussians getting that final victory point over the Imperialists in the last turn. That was because once the Imperialists had lost all they cavalry (3 points down) they stayed well out of the action. The only unit left in real danger were Loudon's Grenzers. They eventually were routed, but the Reichsarmee had one VP left in the bank at close of play (notionally when night fell).

The reasons for the victory were that the Prussians got a shift on sooner - I started dicing for this rather than waiting for the Allies to reach Pettstädt. Accordingly, they were able to cross the T and form in two lines ahead of the Imperialists, and successfully charge them.

The French were a bit delayed at Zeuchfeld -  not for long, but long enough. [You have to dice for a change of direction in TOTSK]. So the Allied cavalry were beaten piecemeal. Whilst the Prussian hussars repeated their trick of appearing to threaten the Allied infantry columns, they did not stray too close to the French cavalry.

However, once the Imperialist cavalry had been defeated, the Allied infantry, guns and remaining horse began to deploy across the valley from east of Pettstädt to Rossbach. There was quite a traffic jam as the space was limited and, without the Improved Movement facility of the Prussians, forming line from column is a laborious process. Whilst this was going on the Prussian cavalry, infantry and guns, who had reached the vicinity of the Janus Hill, began to head back (west) to face the French. Eventually the Prussians prevailed, but it took until the completion of turn 29. By then it was too late to deliver the coup de grace to Hildeburghausen and his Kaiserlicks.

This just reinforced in my mind how timing was paramount, and everything had to go correctly for the Prussians to win as convincingly as they did in real life. 

Imperial cavalry start to pull away from the rest as they race for the objectives. The Prussians have got moving slightly earlier than the last game.

The Imperialist cavalry attempt to deploy from column into line, under fire from Möller's guns on the Janus. The Prussian Garde du Corps and Gendarmes approach from the bottom right.

The Prussian elite heavies smash into a brigade of Austrians who have just managed to deploy in line, but crucially their second line has not yet deployed. The Prussian cuirassiers are seconded by dragoons, bottom right.

Swirling cavalry action. The Imperialists are totally disrupted. Prussian hussars (right) led by Fritz himself have just smashed one Allied unit .

Turn 15 and the cavalry action is almost over. For now.

The French form lines (right) as the Prussian infantry begin to head back their way. On the  right just next to Rossbach village, Prussian grenadiers try to seal off this flank.

Looking from the right of the newly formed (or forming) French lines back towards Rossbach and beyond. The opposing infantry have begun a long fire fight. French to the left, Prussians to the right. The Swiss infantry in the middle (red coats) proved invincible, surviving turn after turn without loss until very late on. They were worthy of their historical forebears.

By turn 25 it was getting close to a result. The Imperialists (top left) on 4 losses, with 1 to go, and the French on 8 losses with 10 being their break point. The Prussians have only lost two complete units - the aforementioned hussars and grenadiers - and one general. Frederick himself sustained an injury.

Four turns later, the French had been nudged on to 10 losses, with no further Prussian or Imperialist units lost, although several of Frederick's units were getting close to breaking.

final positions. Prussians to the left and below the red line. Allies above left. The village of Rossbach is in the centre. Here rival brigades of French and Prussians slogged it out in inconclusive house to house combat. By the end the Prussians has a slight advantage here, but there are no guarantees where the Dice Gods are concerned.

A close up at the end. You can see 3 brigades of Prussians have suffered 2 losses. Two brigades of Swiss (in the angle of the red line) only have one loss each. As well as the 3 infantry brigades on two losses (1 short of routing), there were two cavalry brigades in a similar predicament. But there was no prospect of all 5 routing even if things had gone badly in the next turn. Close, but no cigar M le Prince de Soubise.

In this alternative history, the Reichsarmee live to fight another day, even if that day is a long way off, and the French had taken a battering with all their cavalry scattered. The bonfires will be lit in England but everyone will be slightly more reserved in their celebrations than they were in the real world. Frederick, of course, will still have to face the Austrians once more. It's always the Austrians.

UPDATE: ADDED

The Prussian Regiment Garde and Grenadier Garde Regiment in the front line, line regiments behind.

The Red Brick Wall of the Swiss regiments in the French army. These units, like their historical forebears, were steadfast in the face of Prussian rapid fire.*

The Reichsarmee infantry and French heavy guns at the end of the battle.

General view of the end of battle positions. The village of Rossbach with the ‘Herrenhaus’ in the middle.