Giving this a subtle bump to keep the spirits up!
This is the start of my new Lower Lotheringia Campaign on VH / VH settings. The year is 1081 when the Saxons are already concentrating their forces west of Bremen, close to my border.
Battle seems inevitable and in the winter two Saxon armies march past Köln to set up a siege.
In the meantime I march a force from Antwerp to the east, to reinforce Köln, hiring a force of Brabancones on the road.
It's in the summer of 1082 when I manage to pincer the Saxon armies west of Köln, between my garrison force and the force from Antwerpen. Battle commences. 4080 of my Knights, Retainers and Mercenaries face 3682 Saxons. I'm in control of the Antwerp force. Led by the Count of Brabant. The enemy is led by the Saxon Counter King, Rudolf. My goal in this battle is to break the Saxon military power, but to let Rudolf escape. If I slay the Counter King, the Civil War will be over. Instead, I aim to push east to take Bremen when the Saxon army is in disarray.
I arrange my forces on an east-facing slope. Rudolf's force approaches to my north-east. Both the army from Köln and the Saxon army under Kuno von Northeim appear in the east.
They barely have time to form ranks when their mercenaries and retainers clash in a bloody melee.
In the meantime Rudolf sends his right wing into my battle line, where they're easily held off by my Brabancones' pikes.
Rudolf then moves to counter attack the Knights I'm sending around to his left flank, but he is quickly overwhelmed by numbers and turns away.
With the rout of their King and the destruction of most of Kuno von Northeim's army by Köln, the Saxons flee the field of battle and we're quick to mop up the remainder of their armies.
We lose 842 men (21%). The Saxons lose 3409 (93%) of which 1453 are captured alive.
Not all is well though. Both the Bishop of Köln and the Bishop of Bremen perish in the battle against Kuno von Northeim.
But when the Saxons refuse to pay the ransom of 14,999 florins, Kuno and 1452 Saxons die by the sword!
The way to Bremen is open...