No Prisoners! - The Victories of The Swiss

[Paisley]

Herein, as the title suggests, I intend to record the glorious and unbroken stream of success my hardy Swiss pikemen will doubtless enjoy in SoA. Naturally, my accounts are strictly unbiased and portray as accurate an account of events as any future historian could wish to find.

vs SoA armies: Played - 26. Won - 22. Drawn - 0. Lost - 3. Ongoing - 4.
vs Swiss army: Played - 1. Won - 1. Drawn - 0. Lost - 0. Ongoing - 1. (I haven't included these below)
vs RoR armies: Played - 3. Won - 3. Drawn - 0. Lost - 0. Ongoing - 1. (I haven't included these below)

26) 4/5 versus French (600pts).

25) 2/5 versus Scots Isles (600pts).

24) 1/5 versus Danish (600pts).

23) 1/5 versus Free Company (600pts).

22) 1/5 versus French (600pts). The French deployed erstatz Swiss pikemen in their centre and a mix of longbow and crossbowmen on either side where there was confused terrain of woods, marsh and boulder-strewn ground. While the Swiss main body pressed on, the van and rearguard entered the difficult ground on either flank. The erstatz Swiss steadily withdrew as the true Swiss advanced, hoping to expose the flanks of the manin body to charges from mounted men at arms. But the Swiss pike column was too deep for the knights to risk pressing home and as they faltered, several hundreds of Swiss detached from the main formation and drove them relentlessly back. When the retiring erstatz Swiss were almost at their camp, they at last turned to fight and were swiftly overwhelmed. The rearguard, meanwhile, had driven the French missile troops from the left flank while on the right the men of the vanguard were engaged in a confused fight where every hundred fought its own battle against penny packets of enemy men at arms and foot. But the destruction of the French centre brought an end to all resistance and the enemy fled. 15 000 enemy dead. No prisoners!

21) 1/5 versus English (600pts). The English under the command of the nefarious condottiero Panterjunge were encountered on a battlefield restriced by hills and light woodland. The Swiss attacked boldly and drove the dismounted English men-at-arms from the field in utter disarray - this despite considerable fire from archers on either flank and the natural strength of the English position atop a small hill. Having crushed the English heavy foot and finding the recreant archers too cowardly to come to grips on the open field, the Swiss turned about and cut their way through various bands of the enemy who had infiltrated their rear, regaining their camp towards the end of the afternoon. Swarms of enemy archers still roamed the woods and hills but these seemed mainly concerned with looting the bodies of their own fallen men at arms.

20) 30/4 versus Burgundians (600pts). The Burgundian men at arms had dismounted and took position on a hill that dominated the battlefield, cannon and archers high on the slopes behind them, more archers and crossbowmen in orchards on either flank that hugged the foot of the slopes. Some of these missile troops crept forward as theSwiss advanced and harried the flanks of the rearguard and vanguard throughout the battle making it impossible for them to bring their full might to bear on the foe. The greater part of the burden, then, fell on the shoulders of the men of the main body, whose relentless advance through heavy fire from the hillside eventually saw them at grips with the heavily armoured Burgundian knights. With the advantage of higher ground, and the constant barrage of missiles hampering Swiss attempts to reinforce the attack, the issue hung in the balance until the first hundred pikes had fought their way up to level ground. From then on, the Burgundian fate was sealed. More and more pikes poured uphill, forcing a bloody path through the close backed Burgundian ranks until at last the whole of their centre was in flight. The recreant archers, seeing their betters in panicked retreat promptly dropped their bows and fled also. 18 000 enemy dead. No prisoners!

19) 30/4 versus Low Countries (600pts). The armies met on a narrow front, the borders of the battlefield delineated by lakes and marsh. The Flemish centre disintegrated when the Swiss pikes hit home and their commander was killed in their precipitate rout. The Flemish wings on fought bravely but their fate was sealed. 22 000 enemy dead. No prisoners!

18) 29/4 versus Low Countries (600pts). The Flems buttressed their pike line with dismounted knights in an effort to stiffen the resolve of their lesser infantry and mimiced the three division formation of the Swiss. Their right wing met with some success and the Swiss rearguard were hard pressed indeed but the main body and van crushed the Flemish resistance, though many of their knights died hard, little knots of armoured men surrounded by pikes but refusing to give up. 24 000 enemy dead. No prisoners! It was with sadness that the Swiss learned that their great foe, Duke Deeter of Zinfandel was abandoning his Burgundian and Low Country posessions and returning to his ancient estates.

17) 29/4 versus Free Company (600pts). The Swiss, initially confined by orchards and irrigation ditchs on their flanks deployes in a single wide wedge. The enemy advanced in three bodies, those on the flanks advanced somewhat of their centre, each body having a solid core of dismounted men-at-arms. The Swiss advanced and as soon as possible began to fan out to engage the enemy wings, while the centre of the wedge pressed dorward to strike the mercenary centre. All along the line, the fighting was fierce but the Swiss gained the upper hand and the appearance of fresh enemy troops behind either flank was too late to affect the outcome. 24 000 enemy dead. No prisoners!

16) 28/4 versus Burgundians (600pts). Fought over the same ground as the previous encounter with the Duke of Burgundy's army, but this time the Swiss attacked the steep south slopes of the hill head on with the rearguard and main body while the vanguard manoeuvred around the right. The initial assault was bloodily repulsed by heavy arrow fire. the Swiss gallantly struggling up the steep slopes of the hill, often forced to scabble on hands and knees up rocky outcrops and always under a rain of arrows from above. But a second assault by the rearguard, coupled by the vanguard attacking the southeastern slope where the angle was easier in places gained them a footing and whe n the halberds came into play, the enemy had no answer. A force of enemy cavalry tried to sweep around the flank of the vanguard, but they were chassed off by furious pike charges form a small reserve detached for the purpose. The fighting on the hill was bitter but valour once more carried the day. 20 000 enemy dead. No prisoners!

15) 28/4 versus English (600pts). The English drew up in classic formation with archers on their flanks, angling forward, and a strong body of dismounted men at arms and knights holding the centre of their line. The Swiss attacked in their usual three divisions. Despite a plucky attempt by some English mounted knights to turn the Swiss left flank, easily held off by some pikemen from the rearguard, the English were unable to withstand the pike onslaught. The dismounted knights and men at arms fought heroically but were simply overwhelmed, unable to match the disciplined ferocity of the Swiss attack. The archers on the English left were caught mainly in open ground and butchered, Those on the English right were too far from the main fighting to have much impact (they at least escaped wth their lives). 18000 enemy dead. No prisoners!

14) 27/4 versus Venetians (600pts). The Swiss were initially disconcerted to see what appeared to be a large number of their fellow countrymen in the Venetian ranks. The commanders immediately ordered that the attack be pressed home against these troops as that would undoubtedly be where the hard fighting would be done, the other mercenaries hired by the Venetians being largely German trash. The attack was pressed home. Venetian cavalry exhausted themselves in futile charges against the solid flanks of the Swiss formation, then fled in despair as their infantry were shattered by the main Swiss attack that rolled up their line from left to right as the wave sweeps clean the shore. The erstatz Swiss (for they were no true sons of Switzerland as their precipitate flight showed - likely German or Italian peasants in disguise), fled as readily as the German mercenaries. the rout was complete. 20 000 enemy dead. No prisoners!

13) 27/4 versus Danish (600pts). The Swiss advanced. The Danish infantry held their grounds and plied their crossbows while their knights and light horse rode round the Swiss flanks. The Swiss vanguard detached half its men to ward against the threat from the cavalry on the right, whilst the rearguard bore leftward and thinned their ranks so as to engage both knights and foot. The main body pressed forward and fell on the Danish left wing and began to roll it up, the German mercenary pikemen proving no match for their Swiss counterparts. Whilst Danish knight hurled themselves in futile frontal charges against the vanguard, the rearguard found itself hard pressed between two large bodies of Danish foot, and the threat of the Danish chivalry turning their flank. The rearguard held its own - and more, scarcely needing the arrival of the main body, who had by then utterly routed their own opponents, to finally break Danish resolve. 20 000 enemy dead. No prisoners!

12) 26/4 versus Burgundians (600pts). The battle proper did not commence until mid afternoon as much time was spent manoeuvering against an extremely strong Burgundian position atop a low hill in front of which were muddy fields. As the Swiss struggled through the thick mud, pushing through hedges and scrambling over drystone walls, the murderous arrow fire began. The main body retired, hoping to draw the Burgundians in pursuit but the wily enemy commander had his men well in hand and they maintained their position, some archers advancing to fire into the rereating Swiss but withdrawing as soon as the Swiss about-faced. The Swiss commanders conferred briefly and it was decided to launch the vanguard against the enemy left where the obstacles were fewer. The stalwart fellows of the van pressed forward with zeal but were confined by the geography of the battlefield and, unable to deploy effectively, their assault wavered. Seeing this, a veteran of many campaigns called out from the ranks of the main body, exhorting his comrades to remember the glorious Crossing of the Saone. Were the Swiss to be deterred by cabbage patches? The men of the main body and rearguard answered with a thunderous 'No!', which sent enemy hearts quailing, and they surged forward once more. Heartened by the mighty cheer, the vanguard redoubled their efforts and forced their way through the Burgundian pikes on the right, the main body and rearguard set about the archers and men at arms of the Burgundian left wing. Dismayed, the enemy fought on but despair was in their hearts and fear in their eyes. Pike and halberds laid them low by the hundreds. As their menfolk broke and fled, the Burgundian women exposed their breasts and threw themselves before the pikes, pleading that their men might be spared. 20 000 enemy dead. No (male) prisoners!

11) 26/4 versus Germans (600pts). Despite mounting cannon on stout wagons and fielding a strong force of men-at arms on foot, pikemen and crossbowmen, the Germans were routed in short order. The crisis came when, in desparation, the German commander ordered his wagoneers to charge the Swiss formations, like chariots of old. The stolid wagoneers blenched and refused - but the pikes were on them soon enough and few escaped. A chicken bone was found clutched in the enemy general's dead hand. 15000 enemy dead. No prisoners!

10) 26/4 versus Milanese (500pts). The enemy were swept away by an irresistable Swiss charge. 10 000 Milanese dead. No prisoners!

09) 25/4 versus Germans (600pts). The battlefield was defined by two 'corridors' of dry ground between treacherous bogs (some capable of swallowing a man, never to be seen again). The vanguard and main body advanced up the right corridor, the rearguard took the left. The enemy had mounted guns on carts, and had packed more carts full of crossbowmen in the vain hope of intimidating the dauntless Swiss; to no avail. The onslaught was sudden and furious. The enemy broke and fled, their general left begging on his knees for his miserable life. A halberd stroke put an end to his shame. The Swiss loss was negligible but over 40 000 Germans died, most in the rout. No prisoners!

08) 25/4 versus Danish (600pts). The enemy anchored their left flank on a long lake and echeloned their line backward, doubtless hoping to fire into the flanks of the advancing Swiss and then fall upon their rear. The Swiss advanced in their customary formation, vanguard and main body merging into a single great wedge as they closed on the Danish line. The Danish crossbows did fearful execution and their militia fought gallantly when brought to close quarters. Indeed the Swiss vanguard was on the verge of collapse, and the centre hard pressed, though when the flight of the enemy general, whose troops had been swept away by the Swiss rearguard, signalled the battle's end. Over 20 000 enemy dead. No prisoners!

07) 24/4 versus the Pope (400pts). Kann, sah, siegte. 15 000 enemy dead. No prisoners!

06) 24/4 versus Low Countries (600pts). The Swiss advanced in a single dense column, a narrow front dictated by steep hills on their right and woods on their left. The enemy were quick to occupy both features in force, keeping a strong reserve just in front of their camp. Faced with enemy on three sides and an envelopment threatening, the Swiss attacked. In a magnificent display of drill, the Swiss deployed to right and left, hammering the enemy in the woods and advancing steadily toward the spearmen on the hills, hoping to lure them down, but with little success. A thin line of pikes detered the enemy reserve from advancing to split the Swiss army in two. The enemy knights displayed extreme courage but little good sense. Disoriented by the trees they frequently exposed themselves to pike charges in their rear, and persisted in attacking the pikes head on. Meanwhile their infantry got the worst of the combat, despite the trees impeding pike-play - the halberd played a vital part. On the right, the Swiss turned the enemy line and drove them back with great loss, prompting the enemy reserve to advance. When the enemy leader fled, abandoned alone in the woods by his knights, the battle was all but over. only mopping up remained. Over 25 000 enemy dead. No prisoners!

05) 24/4 versus Germans (600pts). The enemy was deployed from their right to left thus: archers supported by light lancers; war wagons and a bombard; a dense block of pikes; salberdiers and crossbowmen; mercenary men-at-arms; cavalry crossbows. The Swiss formed in their customary three divisions and advanced. The archers and cavalry that made up the enemy left wing pushed forward, necessitating the detachment of half the rearguard to cover their threat. The rest of the Swiss pressed forward, coming together in a giant wedge aimed straight at the weak point of the enemy line where the crossbowmen provided a link between pikes and men-at-arms. The Swiss light troops did admirable work in screening the left from enemy missile fire (particulary cannon). When the lines met, the enemy infantry held for less than a minute before taking to their heels, the mercenary men-at-arms, fearing the long pikes of the Swiss, did not even come to grips but rode off leaving their comrades to their grisly fate. 25 000 enemy dead. No prisoners!

04) 23/4 versus Burgundians (600pts). The enemy were in a very advantageous position on the far side of the River Saone, fordable only in its upper reaches, restricting the front so there was no choice but a direct assault. Struggling through marshy ground, fording the stream chest deep and then fighting their way up the steep bank beyond, all the time suffering a murderous hail of longbow and cannon fire, the Swiss performed heroically. Despite heavy casualties, elements of the main body and rearguard (left wing) established themselves on the far bank, to find themselves charged by armoured horse and men-at-arms on foot. The right wing took longer to reach the stream, and faced enfilading fire from longbowmen stationed on a small hill in a where the stream forked. Hampered though they were by marshy ground, seeing the first wave of their comrades in the main body beginning to recoil, the men of the vanguard plunged into the icy current and came to grips. Dismayed by their fierce resolution, the enemy fled. At the same time, the Swiss left wing was pushed back across the stream with almost unimaginable loss, their retreat being covered by two units of halberdiers who fell with such savagery upon the foe that the Burgundians were halted, and indeed many fled. But the main body, heartened by the success of the vanguard and inspired by the bravery of the rearguard, swept once more across the stream. The enemy resolve broke and they fled the field. Over 10 000 enemy slain. No prisoners!

03) 23/4 versus Lancastrians (600pts). The Lancastrians took position with lakes and swampy ground covering their right flank and their longbowmen angled forward on their left to fire into the flank of our advance. Various ill disciplined light horse skirted around the Swiss right and caused some trifling nuisance though they were driven off by a smart about face and charge by pikemen and halberdiers from the rear ranks of the Swiss vanguard, which was naturally fighting on the right of the Swiss army. The Swiss left wing was somewhat impeded by the watery terrain but eventually worked around the Lancastrian flank, after detaching some men to aid the main body which had engaged the Lancastrian men-at-arms. Steady pressure and continual charging pressed the foe back, though they had some short-lived success on their left wing where they had advantage of numbers. Stout resistance by a handful of Swiss against these overwhelming odds delayed the Lancastrians enough for the main body and rearguard to prevail, at which point all resistance collapsed and the foe took to their heels in a sauve qui peut leaving over 20 000 dead behind them. No prisoners!

02) 23/4 versus Castillians (600pts). Fought on a broad plain which by the day's end was littered by the corpses of the flower of Castillian chivalry. The Swiss onslaught was merciless; the Castilian crossbowmen were swept away and the rest of their army could only stand, paralysed by terror as the pikes advanced inexorably toward them, each division vying with the others to be first to engage the foe. The enemy commander fought to the bitter end, despite all hope being lost very early on. In courage at least, the men of Castile were not found wanting as their 25 000 dead bear witness. No prisoners!

01) 22/4 - versus Scots Isle and Highlands (600pts). The battle field was bisected by a stream, the banks of which were copiously wooded. Unperturbed by the disadvantageous terrain, the Swiss deployed in the customary three battles, each preceded by a screen of light troops. The enemy were in far superior numbers and their cries of alarm could be heard as the Swiss advanced. The enemy were encountered at the stream itself and the Swiss centre quickly came to grips, the right wing engaging shortly after, the left echeloned back as a reserve. On the right, the untrousered foe were crushed; the battle in the centre swung to and fro for some time, while the reserve on the left wing were almost overwhelmed when vast numbers of the enemy burst across the river. Naturally, the stalwart Swiss weathered the storm and despite heavy casualties put the entire army of Highlanders to rout when a doughty halberdier split the enemy commander's head in two. This victory proves emphatically that the idea held by some that the Swiss cannot operate effectively in difficult terrain is mere fancy. Even in Berne one can hear the wailing and lamentations of the Highland womenfolk. Nearly 30 000 of the foe were slain. No prisoners!

[RyanDG]

My Scots Isleman simply wanted to get home before supper. It wasn't so much as a defeat but a tactical repositioning.

[Paisley]

It was a terrific game fought over difficult terrain. Partisan accounts by the few Highland survivors suggest that victory was within their grasp at the moment the Lord of the Isles was slain.

[Paisley]

23/4 versus Castillians. Fought on a broad plain which by the day's end was littered by the corpses of the flower of Castillian chivalry. The Swiss onslaught was merciless; the Castilian crossbowmen were swept away and the rest of their army could only stand, paralysed by terror as the pikes advanced inexorably toward them, each division vying with the others to be first to engage the foe. The enemy commander fought to the bitter end, despite all hope being lost early on. In courage at least, the men of Cstile were not found wanting as their 25 000 dead bear witness. No prisoners!

[TheGrayMouser]

Paisley, you should really fight fair with those Swiss and make sure your opponet has trenches, breastworks and a lot of cannon for you to charge upon

[Paisley]

I'm fighting Deeter's Burgundians over a stream and Marsh with some of his men on hills to boot. It's quite fascinating how well the pikes are doing considering it's about as unfavorable for them as could be... except maybe the battle against the Islesmen (above) where the terrain was very wooded and again the battle took place along a stream. But the Islesmen didn't have longbows or cannon... unlike the Burgundians...

[devoncop]

As the Duke of Lancaster in the aforementioned scurrilous tale I would like history to note that the Swiss (with their usual flair for neutrality and fair play) abandoned the defence of their womenfolk to allow their camp to be plundered by some admittedly overexcited Light Horse.
In contrast, the heroic if ultimately doomed defence put up by the Lancastrian Men at Arms against huge numbers of Swiss Pikes allowed their own fair maidens time to escape and subsequently go on to produce a long line of actresses now to be seen in Coronation street.

[Paisley]

24/4 versus Germans (600pts). The enemy was deployed from their right to left thus: archers supported by light lancers; war wagons and a bombard; a dense block of pikes; salberdiers and crossbowmen; mercenary men-at-arms; cavalry crossbows. The Swiss formed in their customary three divisions and advanced. The archers and cavalry that made up the enemy left wing pushed forward, necessitating the detachment of half the rearguard to cover their threat. The rest of the Swiss pressed forward, coming together in a giant wedge aimed straight at the weak point of the enemy line where the crossbowmen provided a link between pikes and men-at-arms. The Swiss light troops admirable work in screening the left from enemy missile fire (particulary cannon). When the lines met, the enemy infantry held for less than a minute before taking to their heels, the mercenary men-at-arms, fearing the long pikes of the Swiss, did not even come to grips but rode off leaving their comrades to their grisly fate. 25 000 enemy dead. No prisoners!

The game against deeter's Burgundians was without doubt the best I've played in FoG so far (and I have had some very memorable games).

On the whole, i think the Swiss pretty much just advance and rout the enemy... there's not much generalship required. They're to SoA as Late Republican Romans are to RoR.

[TheGrayMouser]

Hmm, I never found late republicans all that difficult to deal with, maybe because the opponents I fought using that army went too top heavy in legions and not enough support troops...
A mass of superior pikes just bearing down at you, yikes that could be a problem.. doh i just realized we are neighbors in the Isles campaign,,, Must remember to send immediate pledges of harmony and friendship

[Paisley]

Okay, they're like RoR Late Republicans on steroids... (actually not dissimilar to the old 'all elite legion' version).

I'm loathe to suggest this in a way, but as I'm hardly a stellar player of the game, I wonder if the Swiss pikes might need to be 16pts each rather than 15? Obviously an individual unit is just the same as any superior disciplined protected pike. It's the effect en masse.

[grumblefish]

The Pope and his merry men are about to get a mention on this page as fairing poorly against Paisley's Pikeladies, but you should all ignore the report. The Swiss aren't that impressive; I'm sure I would crush them with a nice RoR army. However, when leading the Italians my excellent generalship was betrayed by... something... the point is that my skill is untainted and I need to see the Swiss in a rematch against an army from a respectable time period (IF & RoR).

[Paisley]

I'm sure the Eidgenossenschaft will indulge your anachronistic desire as they have already crushed a Late Roman Republican army. Set up a challenge. Password = papalbull. The Swiss would prefer 600+ pts, but will field less if your pathetic and obsolete state cannot muster so many due to decadent and unmartial population.

[petergarnett]

Have your Swiss faced pantherboy's Illyrians yet? Now that's a test for real gamers

[Paisley]

No. I think pantherboy's too taken up with league and campaign matches to take up the gauntlet. But I'm quite certain he'd win without breaking sweat...

[neil123]

Rumours circulate that the "Invincible Swiss" Were left dying on the field today, as the instruments of God, the Danes, taught them what push of pike was all about. After several hours struggle the Danes deemed they had done enough and moved to the nearby town to celebrate, very kindly leaving the Swiss the field to clean up the mess. No doubt the Swiss will be claiming victory but who would you believe - the Excomunicate Swiss or the Godly Danes

[Paisley]

The true and factual account of the battle is in the title post. The Danish account hams things up considerably. In fact nothing saved their bacon once the pikes hit home.

[Blathergut]

I've only faced one Swiss army but they seem to have more LF than most. I would think this to be partly their strength. You can't shoot up those pikes before they get into you.

I'm trying letting them hit the longbows and hopefully that will at least chew them up some before the heavier stuff behind takes over.

[Paisley]

I'm playing the Lancastrians against Swiss in another battle. Lots of longbows in terrain do stand a chance if the Swiss can be hit hard enough and/or come piecemeal. I'm probably going to lose that battle too though... and as i say against deeter, the terrain was about as Swiss-unfriendly as you could get: swamps stream and hills for the archers to sit on immediately behind the stream.

The longbow as buffer strategy is possibly a good one - so long as the longbows are a hex advanced so they don't rout through their supports (and thereby undoing any good they may have done).

[Blathergut]

That's the set-up. Will let you know how it works!

I prefer the English bows + swords...but my Burgundians have very few of those.

[neil123]

The Pope (the true one, not the Angavin Blather one) has now purchased the services of a German force to bring the excomunicate Swiss back to heal. He has sent them a bone from Christ himself and a fragment of the true cross to ensure victory.