Stories from the Past

The result was a complete rout by the Ottoman Turks, they'd never again pose a serious threat to Western Europe

An impossible victory made possible by the Winged Hussars

If you're European and don't speak Turkish and Arabic.

Thank a Pole

Yeah... I'd run too

3,000 of these dudes in full armor charging directly at you with their wings flapping and lances at the ready.

Behind them another 15,000 fellow knights

September, 1683
The Ottoman empire has by far the strongest military in Europe, nobody before has been able to stop them until a siege of the Austrian city of Vienna.

11,000 defenders held the city against​ 150,000 Ottomans, food and water was scarce and the Turks were bombarding the walls of the city attempting to break them down, they planted charges under the walls which collapsed a section, leading to a desperate hand to hand battle over the narrow breach


It seemed hopeless for the defenders. A lost battle and outnumbered 15:1

But, after a prayer to God to bless their wings 18,000 Polish and German Knights led by the ridiculously overpowered Polish Winged Hussars charged down into the Ottoman flank. In the largest cavalry charge in history

Okay so it's been awhile

During the battle of Narva the Swedish army numbered 8,000 men (with another 2,500 garrisoned within Narva itself) against the Russian 34,000-40,000 men.

For most of the day a blizzard blew over both armies, forbidding attack on either side. But a change in the wind brought the full force of the storm, upon only the Russians.

Attacking in densely packed columns rather than the thin lines usually used, Charles XII directed an attack on the Russian line, the Caroleans, hidden by the storm were able to close the distance and bringing the full force of the Gå-På attack to bear routed the numerically superior Russian force.

Swedish deaths numbered only 600 with another 1,200 wounded.

Russian forces lost 9,000 dead and over 20,000 Russian soldiers were captured in the battle.

This was not the end of the Great Northern War but that's for later.

Caroleans

A change to a different Era.

December 19th 1700.
The Great Northern War.

Peter the Great ruled Russia and was seeking to take a warm water port in the Baltic holdings of the Swedish Empire, at the time Russia was less advanced than the rest of Europe and certainly less advanced than the Swedish Caroleans (more on them later)
Allying himself with Denmark-Norway and Poland-Lithuania the allies attacked Sweden on five different fronts.

Swedish Leader Charles XII assisted by the Dutch navy and British Royal Navy landed in Copenhagen Denmark. Forcing Denmark-Norway to leave the alliance.

Russian forces used the temporary absence of Charles XII to lay seige to the Estonian town of Narva.

Sweden at the time had the most advanced military in Europe, firearms at the time needed 1-2 minutes to reload and had an effective range of 50 meters. By using massed fire at close range Swedish Caroleans were able to bait their enemies into shooting early, vastly reducing their accuracy. This left the enemy vulnerable to melee attack while they reloaded. First they would walk calmly into enemy fire, yelling the characteristic Gå-På (go on) battlecry. An extremely religious group they would match side by side with priests into battle.

After the enemy discharged their weapons at an ineffective range the Caroleans would rush forward into melee combat, using swords, axes, pikes (using the pike as an offensive rather than defensive weapon is extremely unique for the time) and bayonets

Doing this they were able to use their superior hand to hand capabilities to overcome vastly superior enemy numbers

With losses numbering only 7,000 Scipio Africanus inflicted a devastating 48,500 loss to the Carthaginian force.

Iberia was saved

Carthage would never again challenge Roman power in Hispania

Hours you wait, for the enemies hunger to take effect.

Both sides' wings collide, your heavy legions slaughtering the Iberians, but the heavy Carthaginian center is powerless to reinforce as your main body of thousands of Iberian mercenaries is held... Just outside the fight.
Your cavalry causes the enemy elephants to trample their own soldiers, as the Carthaginian wings collapse you order your cavalry to circle around, and your Iberians forward.

The enemy is trapped.

Your force of 48,000 is slightly outnumbered by the Carthaginian 54,500 men. Along with their 32 war elephants.

Your two armies line up, day after day observing each other.

You notice the Carthaginian heavy troops are always located in their center with the less reliable Iberian skirmishers on the sides.

You have your key to Victory.


On the day of the battle you order your men dressed and fed before dawn. Changing your formation putting your legions on the wings with the lighter Iberians in the center, you attack at dawn

Storming over the Carthaginian outposts you leave them with no time to be fed, and more importantly, no time to change position.

After a few battles with Hannibal's brother Hasdrubal, the Carthaginians decide to flood Iberia with reinforcements in an attempt to control the province of Hispania.

You meet Hasdrubal on the plains of Illipa

You are a Roman General, in the Second Punic War with Carthage.
The situation is desperate for the Romans, Hispania (modern day Spain and Portugal) is being assaulted by the Carthaginian hordes. In Italy Hannibal has free reign over the land, although he is incapable of taking larger walled cities due to his lack of seige weapons.

You volunteer for the position of defending Hispania

Imagine the year 206BC.
You've lost your father at battle of Cannae, a disaster with your nation's grand legions annihilated at the point of your enemies' swords.
Hannibal is ravaging your homeland with impunity.

You are Scipio Africanus.