July 1640 - April 1641Kassel falls to the heretics in October 1640. Wallenstein and his army retreated safely to Gottingen and are now at full strength and heavily entrenched. After a long, harsh winter the 1641 campaign season opens with the situation as follows:
Wallenstein faces Gustavus at Gottingen. Tilly waits at Frankfurt with additional forces. Bucquoy remains at Prague. The Spanish continue to keep an eye on the French. Obviously, the Swedes will attack at Gottingen and if that city falls the invasion of the Rhineland and the Palatinate will quickly follow.
From the heretic side, Gustavus' army was out of supplies when they took Kassel and his starving soldiers thoroughly looted the city. This led to supply problems over the winter and some losses to attrition. Saxe-Weimar's army made it through the winter with no losses, but his soldiers are looking a little thin right now. Supply is definitely the main constraint on the Protestant advance. As for the ravenous French? They passed a merry winter at Metz, fullied supplied by large depots at that city and at Nancy. Whether they will leave the dinner table to conduct offensive operations remains to be seen.
The Catholics have 136 gold (the 'requisitions' and 'contributions' RDCs were used whenever possible), 215 WS, 747 EP, morale is at 101 and the CP is now at 106%! For the first time in years the heretics outnumber the Catholics!
The Protestants are now receiving income from France (but no more huge subsidies), Sweden, the Hanseatic Cities, Berlin and Kassel. They have 309 gold, 255 WS, 115 EP, and morale is 108. Still no sign of Saxony and Brandenburg entering the war (although they are both at 100% Protestant support).
I expect the heretics to be at Frankfurt before the end of the year. The wreck of the Catholic cause approaches on swift wings...
(Game notes: the heretic dimensional portal at Verden continues to spew out a new militia unit most every turn. Either that or these Protestant folk are taking the whole 'be fruitful and multiply' thing very seriously! That and the mysterious 'PRO-swedishreplacemnts"' event fires several times a year.)