Villeroy reinforced the garrison of Landau with six infantry battalions and some engineers and artillery officers—about 2,000 men—and provided it with provisions and munitions.

The garrison, which had about 5,000 men before reinforcement, was commanded by Lieutenant General Yrieix Masgontier de Laubanie.

[5] The Imperial Army—including Austrian and Prussian contingents and Kreistruppen—under Margrave Louis of Baden numbered some 40,000 at the start of the campaign in June.

[6] While the forces of the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Savoy pursued Villeroy south and took up covering positions on the river Lauter, preventing any chance of relief for the fortress, Baden began the investment of Landau by digging trenches on 9 September.

By November, the locks by which the defenders could control the flooding of certain ditches by the river Queich were destroyed and Marlborough had moved from his covering position to attack certain fortresses on the Moselle.