Fornovo 1495

[Rekila]

Well that’s the version for FoGR of the Fornovo scenario for FoG A/M that we played this summer with great success. The new Renaissance rules give the perfect excuse to play it again! The scenario is inspired on the lists on the excellent Fornovo Osprey Book by David Nicolle and Richard Hook. Not having yet “Trade and Treachery” I retain basically the same armies used on the FoG A/M version, making only some minor changes, especially on the French army, in some aspects that were controversial when we make the lists on the first time (like the number of Italian lances, the baggage, etc) or to adapt better the armies to the new rules. That’s specially the case of the Swiss, who suffer a mayor change. Also classing Charles VIII as a Great commander seems too much so I classed him as a troop commander but to compensate for this, put all the generals of the French army on the same line of command. For this battle, more than the new artillery rules, the difference in FoGR between heavy and light lances should be the mayor issue.
First the Armies:
FRENCH
VANGUARD.
De Gié. (Field commander)
Trivulzio. (Troop commander)
Antoine de Bessey (Troop commander)
1x 6b Gendarmes d’Ordonnance (Superior, fully armoured gendarmes, heavy lancers, swordsmen).
1x8b Dismounted Archers (Average, Medium foot, armoured, Bow, swordsmen)
1 x 2b Heavy guns (Average)
1x 2b Medium guns (Averge,)
1x 2b light guns (Average)
3 x Swiss Keil: 8b Pikemen +2b halberdiers. (Determined foot, superior, armoured, Pike/ Heavy weapon)
2 x4b German mercenary harquebusiers (Average, light foot, arquebus, unarmored)
1x 2b Condotta lancers. (Gendarmes, Average, Fully armoured, light lance, swordsmen)
1 x4b Mounted crossbowmen (Light horse, Crossbow, swordsmen, armoured, average)
1x 8b Italian crossbowmen (Average, Medium foot, crossbow, armoured)

Charles VIII (Troop commander)
La Trémoille (Field commander)
1x 6b Gendarmes d’Ordonnance
1x 6b Mounted Archers (Average, cavalry, heavily armoured, light lance, swordsmen)
1x 8b Gaston crossbowmen (Poor, Medium foot, armoured, crossbow)
1x8b Franc archers (Poor, Medium foot, Bow, unprotected)

REARGUARD
Jean de Foix (Field commander)
1x 6b Gendarmes d’Ordonnance
1x 8b Franc Archers (Poor)
1x 8b Gaston Crossbowmen (Poor)
2x 6b French infantry (Heavy weapon, Poor, heavy foot, heavily armoured)

BAGGAGE Unfortified camp (convoy)
TOTAL: 1499pts 22BG



LIGA

RIGHT (Milan, Bologna)
Count Gaiazzo (Allied field commander)
Bentevoglio (Allied troop commander)
1x 6b Milanese Lancers (Fully armored gendarmes, average, Lance, swordsmen)
1x 6b Bologna Lancers (Fully armored gendarmes, average, Light lance, swordsmen)
1 x4b Mounted crossbowmen (Light horse, average, crossbow, armored, swordsmen)
1x 8b German Pikemen (Heavy foot, average, armored, pike)
1 x 8b Milanese Heavy Infantry (Average, heavy foot, armored, heavy weapon)
1x 8b Milanese militia. (Arquebus, medium foot, average, unarmored)
1x 2b light guns (average)

CAMP
1 fortified camp
1x 8b Crossbowmen (Medium foot, armored, crossbow, average)
1x 8b Heavy Infantry (Average, heavy foot, armored, Pike)
1 x 6b Condotta lancers (Fully armored gendarmes, average, light lance, swordsmen)

THE HEAVY GUNS
4b. Field fortifications
1 x6b Heavy foot (Heavy foot, average, armored, heavy weapon)
1 x 8b Crossbowmen
1 x2b Bombards (Heavy guns, average)

CENTRE
Francesco Gonzaga. (Troop commander)
Ridolfo Gonzaga (Field commander)
2x 6b Condotta lancers (Light lance, fully armored gendarmes, swordsmen, average)
2 x4b Condotta lancers (idem)
1 x4b Mounted crossbowmen (Light horse, average,crossbow,swordsmen)

INFANTRY BETWEEN CENTRE AND LEFT (Venice and Mantua)
1 x8b Crossbowmen (Medium foot, etc)
1x6b Venetian colonial archers (average, light foot, bow, unarmored)
1x 6b Swordsmen (Average, medium foot, armored, swordsmen)
2 x8b Handgunners (light foot, arquebus, unarmored, average)
2 x6b Heavy Infantry (heavy weapon etc)
1x 8b pikemen (Average, heavy foot, armoured, pike)

LEFT (Venice) Fortebraccio Di Montone (Troop commander)
2 x6b Condotta Lancers.
1x 4b Mounted handgunners (cavalry, armoured, carbine, swordsmen, average)

FLANK FORCE Rannuncio Farnese (field commander)
2 x6b Stradiots (average, cavalry, armoured, light spear, swordsmen)
2 x6b Mounted crossbowmen (light horse)
1 x4b Mounted handgunners (cavalry)
TOTAL 2203 pts 34 BG


Note. The right or Milanese/Bologna contingent under Gaiazzo is an allied contingent, not in line of command with the rest of the army. The flank force under Rannuncio is a flank march!!

BATTLEFIELD & DEPLOYMENT. The same that in the previous version, as the French decided to deploy the heavy and medium artillery unlimbered. The most important feature is the river. It must be placed on the Italian area of deployment, and given a bent so that it follows the table edge on one long and one short side. The Italians were to be deployed there, between the river and the two table edges, more or less in their historical positions. The river can be forded only in three points. One in the short right side, in front of the Milanese contingent, 10 bases long. Other, 5 bases long in the centre of the long Italian side; in front of the centre division. In both the river around 4 MU wide. And the third on the Italian left, 10 bases long but here wider: 12 MU. The Italian Camp must be placed in the corner between the long and short Italian sides with the heavy artillery near, on the riverbank with the FF. An independent dice should be rolled for each of the three fords to define the type of terrain, with a +1 to avoid the impassable result.
Apart of that, on the “French” side a few low hills on the left: the area were the Italian Flank force is supposed to appears. The French were to be deployed on the centre of the board in a long column facing the ford in front of the short table edge with the three divisions clearly separated by gaps; the heavy guns on the right side of the vanguard in front of their Italians counterparts and the baggage on the centre away from the river.
No especial rules are to be used. The Italians have the first move.

And now the photos:

General vision:
The French vanguard:
The French centre and Charles VIII:
The French baggage with the captured Niccoló Orsini!
The French rearguard.
The guns:
The Milanese contingent:
The Gonzagas central division:
The Italian left:
The Italian infantry:
And at the beginning of the second Italian turn the arrival of the outflanking force:

[pylum2]

What a great looking game. I cant wait to start in earnest on my Italian Wars stuff,although it wont be till next summer sometime.

[Rekila]

What a great looking game. I cant wait to start in earnest on my Italian Wars stuff,although it wont be till next summer sometime.

Thanks. I intended to do Seminara next. Let’s hope Trade and Treachery will arrive one of this days!

[Rekila]

Having finished, I must say that both games develop in very similar lines. In fact in a very historic way: The Italians were soundly defeated again! Contrary with what I suppose previous to the game, even if the Renaissance rules benefits the French, making their best troops more effective (Gendarmes, Swiss), that was less relevant that the fact that having already played the battle once, the French commander learned more from her previous victory that I from my defeat! But that sad history is not the point. Where we found a clear difference between the two games was in rules like Breaking off, Interpenetration of friendly troops, The Movement rules in general etc. In a game like this with the French attacked from various directions the maneuvering of the troops was essential, and with a CMT of 8, the commanders, especially the French, were very busy all the battle. The FoGR rules make the game better and more realistic. It was now clearly a Cavalry affair with the infantry (on both sides) playing a more secondary and historic role that in the first game.