Thirty Years War comes with 8 scenarios. Three are tutorials, four deal with key phases of the war and one is the Grand Campaign.

Turn one of the Grand Campaign starring General Bucquoy with a small force of some 6,500 men preparing to put down the Bohemian revolt. He needs more troops, but must act soon to squash the revolt before it gets out of hand.

The absence of any possibility of recruiting troops at the start of the campaign (notwithstanding my impoverished treasury balance, and tiny cache of war supplies) means I invest in replacements for my understrength forces. Not a great start, but you have to play the cards in your hand…

An early glance at the objectives shows that they are no easy task. It’s just as well it’s a Thirty Years War because Bucquoy’s modest force isn’t going to overrun those towns anytime soon.

I march to the relief for the glory of the Emperor (and for my troops to ‘save’ the breweries from the heretic host), but I’m too late! That Spawn of Satan, the heretical von Thurn has assaulted the place nearly a month’s march ahead of me. What will I find when I get there?

I push forward to Budweiss in the hope of pushing von Thurn out of it, then using it as a base of operations for the Bohemian campaign. I’m mindful that I’m a long way from Wien, my source of supplies, and will have to rely on the limited stock in my own supply train. Fortunately, a regiment of 1200 cuirassiers have been raised in Wien and are sent to reinforce Bucquoy.

I reach Budweiss with Bucquoy to find he has been reinforced by the heretic, von Mansfeld. Playing safe, as I did not know exactly what to expect I chose a defensive posture, which is just as well as von Mansfeld attacks. Fortunately the cuirassiers have nearly joined me, but I must fight without them this time. I choose a double infantry line deployment with a cautious attack. Fingers crossed!

Bucquoy has a “carpe diem” moment and takes the initiative to attack and defeat von Mansfeld in what turns out to be a minor skirmish in terms of losses. Von Mansfeld falls back abandoning Budweiss to me, for the Glory of God and the Emperor. My troops, disgusted at the absence of beer do not ransack the town as it is already pillaged. On the plus side, the La Motte Cuirassier regiment of some 1200 cuirassiers join my force.

I now have Budweiss back in Imperial control. Von Mansfeld has fallen back, pillaging an area as his forces retreat. It is a rainy December and the ground is very muddy, so it’s not exactly good campaigning weather. I look at the decisions available to me.With plenty of political capital, it looks like I can convert a lot of areas to the True faith. The other bonus is that I can recruit mercenaries. I’ll build a depot, gather mercenaries and resume operations in the Spring. What axis of advance though? Prague or Brunn? Prague is an objective city, but Brunn flanks my line of communications.

As I build my depot and secure the area surrounding Budweiss, von Mansfeld and von Thurn sweep south near my garrison at Linz.The weather is snowy and harsh, so I don’t really want to chase after him, but I don’t want him threatening Vienna – as von Thurn did historically.

Almost casting caution to the winds, I leave what remains of my supply train, the imperial artillery and my general, Dampierre, with three infantry regiments at Budweiss, while Bucquoy with the rest of the Imperial infantry and all the cavalry travel unencumbered to confront von Mansfeld and von Thurn in front of Wien. It should take a march of 23 days, so hopefully any siege won’t have progressed much.

Shortly after I start my march to Wien I bump into a Dutch cavalry regiment, killing about half of them. Von Mansfeld obviously has got the jitters and pulls back towards Budweiss, so I counter-march back to protect it. Wien is saved, although the Dutch cavalry unit frustrate my conversion efforts in Lower Austria. Von Mansfeld’s troops will have suffered a lot in their three month march in bad weather, so all in all, a satisfactory outcome. I’ll commence my offensive when the weather improves.