Being a smart commander, he successfully combined advanced military arts with a strategy of manipulation and turning the enemies of the Teutonic Order against each other.
As The Chronicle of Prussia by Nikolaus von Jeroschin reads, Brother Ludwig was from a branch of a noble family, had learned the arts of war from an early age and performed many miraculous, valiant deeds in battle, which this book will describe later.
[2]In 1280, Ludwig was taken prisoner by Skomantas of Sudovia during the campaign launched by Landmeister of Prussia Mangold von Sternberg against the Yotvingians in the region of Crasima in Yotvingia.
He [Skomantas] saw him [Ludwig] an exceptional warrior and brave man like himself and for this reason he looked after him himself and enjoyed his company.... One of Skumantas's servants freed him from the bonds which kept him captive, took him away and brought him back to the brothers.
[11] Right after his appointment, Ludwig led and fulfilled a number of successful offensive operations and devastating raids against the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, masterly setting local tribes against the then Grand Duke of Lithuania: With his brothers at Ragnit he [Ludwig von Liebenzell] now threw himself fearlessly and with great cleverness and boldness into an unrelenting war against the heathens and took part in many laudable battles in many campaigns at sea and on land.
He was also able to use amazing cunning to foment trouble among the provinces, to the point that in his day the king of Lithuania could not persuade the people of Samogitia by threats or pleas to fight on his side against the brothers.