The resolution of the battle

Conscious of the fast approaching loyalist reinforcements, Hummel hurriedly marshalled his men to attack. The battle was fierce and frenetic, with terrible losses on both sides.

At last the battle seemed to be swinging in favour of the rebels. Although small, their army was well equipped with pike and shot, driving back the more "primitive" loyalist force of cavalry and fanatics. Hummel had a dreaded reputation with his enemies, but inspired high morale in his men and through many past victories had accumulated a high skill in command. The leaderless loyalists fought doggedly, but unintelligently - alternately, throwing away fine troops in futile charges and being passively slaughtered by veteran rebel arbalests and fearful firearms.

Along side their small numbers, a key rebel weakness was their shortage of cavalry. Hummel had to be everywhere, using his escort as a fire brigade, moving left and right to respond to threats. As the loyalists began to lose heart and whole regiments rout, Hummel launched his veteran retinue into charge after charge. These fearsome attacks sparked a mass rout amongst the loyalists, but provided no respite for Hummel, whose small escort had to harry and pursue the mass of fleeing loyalists to prevent them rallying.

Quite what happened at the end of the battle remains shrouded in uncertainty. Some say it was a lucky loyalist arrow. Others, that Hummel made the mistake of blocking the retreat of a body of loyalists who had not yet thrown down their weapons and were willing to fight for their escape with a ferocity they had not shown when fighting to win. What is known is that - in the moment of his triumph - Hummel fell. His men wept and prayed that their scarred and battered leader would rally and pull through. But his wounds were too severe and Wolfgang Hummel, self-styled Prinz of Swabia, died outside the gates of the capital of the land he aspired to rule.

Duke Athalwolf and Ehrhart Ruppel arrived on the battlefield before the victorious rebels had time to retire to the Citadel. The forces of the two loyalist generals combined constituted a strong army - at least the equal to that which the rebels had just struggled to defeat. Vastly outnumbered, exhausted, out of ammunition, leaderless and caught out in the open, the surviving rebel captains quickly hoisted the white flag.

Duke Athalwolf rode among the battered ranks of the remaining rebels. He chivalrously agreed to spare the lives of the rebel captains and released the common soldiers on condition that they would never again fight against the rightful Duke of Swabia. Fast riders were sent to Ludwig von Bohmen, the last surviving rebel Swabian leader. Perhaps now Swabians had shed enough of each others blood to put an end to their Civil War?