Star Troopers

[Budgie]

It was November and I was sitting with two armies and one corps in Mecklenburg, drinking German beer and pondering what to do next. The last “protectorship” of the British Empire, was now safely under Spanish control and two turns before, Russia had on a dice roll surrendered to me. So I now had two nice new fat former Prussian provinces. Silesia and Breslau . I made ready to go into winter quarters.

During movement, out of the blue, of France a small Swedish Army had moved into Berg and laid a nasty siege, 5,000 Spanish casualties, but I figured it would hold till my relief force arrived.

Wrong.

Breslau fell next turn! The Swedes captured my new proudest possession!

Annoying.


That! Made my decision for me.

I ordered my battle fleet out of Gibralter to the Baltic. They sailed right though the English Channel while the British fleet sat sipping tea and discussing their teams performance at the World Cup.
A singleton army, dispatched to teach the mischievous Swedish Army a lesson was reinforced by a nearby corps.

My main force was ordered to start on the long trudge north though Denmark, former Sweden, (now French) towards Upland the capital of that non superpower, but super annoying, Sweden.

Cavalry recognizance of the capital area, revealed a Swedish army similar in size to mine but of course lacking in quality and inspired Generalship, but for safety, I called two other corps to me as support, just in case the fates ruled harshly against me. (Not a bad idea in the dead of winter right next to the arctic circle.)

My troops were winterized as only a fool would send a “Summer Army” into this part of the world. My supply lines were well protected by hordes of irregular cavalry ,Thank you Russia for that tip and I was confident of a fair chance of victory.

My confidence was proved correct. The battle in Upland, was fought in snow so thick that it stopped the cannonballs of my five batteries of artillery. Range for fire and supply was one hex and then the snow became as ice and no supply was possible. Still, the Swedish army was shaking in their boots from the first moment they saw my elite forces and heard the sound of my guard units marching cheerily towards them , bayonets gleaming. A few cavalry charges put flight to the rabble. Only three units of the enemy escaped. Ten of them, POW’s were marched south to a labor cap in Prussia while my Army sat down to wait out the siege.

To the west in Norway were three Swedish units, remnants of the battle. No worry there.

Stockholm fell in one turn.
I moved two units of infantry into the capital , they never have battle reinforce orders and waited for the surrender.


Looked around, all was well with the world and clicked end of turn.


During movement an army materialized , there is no other word for it in the Swedish capital region. Booted my garrison out and attacked me.

Holy crap, I thought, he’s got Air Mobile troops! 100,000 of em!

Luckily they weren’t very good troops mostly militia and reg infantry.
We fought , they lost, (lost! hell they routed before I even could get into line, my cavalry had a picnic.)

Ten more POW enemy units were dispatched south and I re-garrisoned Stockholm.

This time for safety I sent cavalry units into all adjoining areas and clicked end of turn.


Surprise , We’re back.

The new instant, Swedish army, just add water, stir and presto!
You too can have 100,000 troopers under your command!

Once again they just appeared in the area.

They attacked, we slaughtered them, my Guard were getting a little ticked off at them now, the charges were brutal. The enemy jump troops were soon all toe jam and once again I had to re-garrison the capital.

I moved another corps into the area to improve killing efficiency and ignoring the rest of my empire clicked turn end.

Sweden as a nation, Dematerialized. Dissolved I think?

A new country, Sveaborg, has appeared near the Russian border.

But I do have notification that the Swedes surrendered to me and their capital is still there with one area left.

But . . .

As they don’t seem to have hardly any territory left to cede to me.

I guess I’ll ask for two provinces on Mars.

That’s must be where they’re coming from.

[8|]

[Budgie]

What actually happened to cause these troops appearing was that Sweden after I marched in surrendered to Austria. The Austrian POW’s 100,000 of them came home to the only place they could Upland where my army had just fought and won possession.

The next turn Sweden surrendered to Russia and another Russian POW’s army appeared.

Austria demanded “liberate” so Finland appeared.

Weird timing but all explainable.

[8D]