Magnus Stenbock has frantically tried to gather…

Magnus Stenbock has frantically tried to gather a new Swedish army and several new regiments have begun to assemble in Växjö, from where Stenbock had planned to march.

The raw recruits had been exercised daily on the ice of a frozen lake close to the city.

Stenbock had moved by by February 5 to Osby, where additional units had joined in.

About sixteen thousand men are by now a part of his host.

Helsingborg is the key to Scania and Stenbock intends on marching over Rönneå to Kävlingeån, in doing so cutting off the Danish supply lines.

The Danish commander, Reventlow, sees the threat and turns immediately to meet the Swedes, but when they reach Ringsjön in central Skåne, Reventlow is suddenly taken ill and has to yield command to lieutenant-general Jørgen Rantzau.

Rantzau fearful of being wedged between the Swedish army and the Swedish garrison in Malmö, therefore moves towards Helsingborg.

Once in the city, Rantzau could be reinforced and when he make camp, his force amounts to ten thousand foot soldiers and four thoudsand horsemen.

Stenbock receives the news of the Danish march too late and has to race to Helsingborg.

He camps northeast of the city on the night of February 28.

The Swedish army is at this time as large as the Danish army, with more cavalry and fewer infantry.