Slitherine

So, here’s an account of my first “proper” game with my own 800 point armies. Henry VIII had somehow marched from Calais, recruiting landsknechts and Burgundian cavalry on the way, and invaded Lombardy, to be met by the full chivalry of Milan. The English fielded two chunky BGs of men-at-arms on foot (8 bases each), two Landsknecht keils (12 bases each), one BG of billmen (8 bases), two of longbowmen (6 each) and two artillery BGs (2 medium guns, 2 light guns). The mounted arm was less impressive: two BGs of demi-lances (4 bases each), one of Burgundian horse (4) and one of light staves (6). The Milanese cavalry were intimidating with no fewer than five BGs of fully armoured gendarmes (2 of 6 bases and 3 of 4 bases), two of them Superior, supported by three of mounted crossbowmen and one of mounted arquebusiers. Their infantry was so-so; two arquebusier BGs (6 bases each), one of militia crossbowmen (6 bases, Poor morale) and one of sword and buckler men (4). Their artillery consisted of two heavy guns.

The English won the initiative and the terrain favoured them, with enclosed fields protecting one flank and an area of uneven ground on the other. Their (my!) plan was to use artillery to force the Milanese to attack the keils and men-at-arms in the centre, hoping that the weak mounted wing on the left would hold up for long enough.



The English centre: billmen, keils, light guns and men-at-arms



The Milanese centre and left at the start. The elmeti are facing the keils and Superior men-at-arms; the plan is to switch them leftwards to face the billmen supporting the English medium artillery

The Milanese trotted forward. Early artillery fire damaged an English men-at-arms BG and a Famiglia di Casa BG (Superior gendarmes), while some mounted crossbowmen foolishly exchanged shots with longbowmen in enclosed fields and retired discomfited and fragmented.



On the Milanese right their elmeti confidently went for two BGs of demi-lances, with mounted crossbowmen in support on one flank and mounted arquebusiers, unaffected by the uneven ground, on the other.



After a long struggle in which the staves charged although disrupted by crossbow shooting, a mounted crossbow BG broke and the demi-lances finally beat the elmeti, thanks to the Earl of Northumberland valiantly fighting in the front rank. The mounted arquebusiers exchanged shots with the longbowmen until both BGs were one base from auto-breaking, then prudently retired leaving the heavy guns to try finishing off the longbows.



In the centre the cream of Milanese knighthood charged home; one BG crunched through the Average billmen and captured the medium artillery, but another was rapidly destroyed by the landsknechts, who then took on and defeated the victorious elmeti BG.

Meanwhile the English men-at-arms, led by King Hal himself, advanced to attack the arquebusiers. Despite losing two bases to shooting, they charged and made short work of their opponents; seeing this, the militia crossbowmen lost heart.



The battle ended when the victorious demi-lances attacked and broke another unit of mounted crossbowmen, who couldn’t evade. This broke the Milanese army for a 21-4 win to the English.



The centre at the end. King Hal and his men-at-arms are approaching the quaking militia crossbowmen, while the landsknechts are grinding down the remaining elmeti.



The Milanese right flank in ruins – defeated by inferior but more numerous English cavalry.

No doubt we got lots of rules wrong and didn’t use sensible tactics… but it was a good learning game. Given the terrain, it was difficult to see what the Milanese could do to avoid the keils; charging them never looked like a good idea but it was either that or be gradually whittled down by artillery.

Does Mrs. GL worry about you opting to be Henry VIII ?

Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived....

Nice report, and a solid win for what looks like something of a scrub army. The cavalry battle sounds like something of an upset, or gendarmes really are a points sink.

Thanks for writing this up, and happy to read about a Tudor win.

Skullzgrinda wrote:Nice report, and a solid win for what looks like something of a scrub army. The cavalry battle sounds like something of an upset, or gendarmes really are a points sink.

Thanks for writing this up, and happy to read about a Tudor win.

In period the Tudors are OK, if the can get some diverse terrain they are fine as the Longbow are also swordsmen, unless they foolishly pick enclosed fields in which case they loose the sword advantage to the guys toting matches and 15lb tube thingeys.

Thanks, chaps. The Milanese Average elmeti lost because the demi-lances outnumbered them and the lighter cavalry supporting their flanks were outclassed. The dismounted men-at-arms managed to avoid the gendarmes, who would probably have beaten them - one elmeti unit went straight through a billmen BG. The Milanese problem was not enough infantry, so they had to face the landsknechts with gendarmes who didn't have much chance. Bear in mind that both players were very new to the rules!

Unfortunately the 1544 version of Bluff King Hal's army lost heavily to Ottomans in my next outing - the Janissaries beat the landsknecht keils by disrupting them with arquebus fire, and although the demi-lances and staves did well the hired reiters and mounted arquebusiers were useless. Back to the 1513 army next time, I think.

johngl wrote: Unfortunately the 1544 version of Bluff King Hal's army lost heavily to Ottomans in my next outing - the Janissaries beat the landsknecht keils by disrupting them with arquebus fire, and although the demi-lances and staves did well the hired reiters and mounted arquebusiers were useless. Back to the 1513 army next time, I think.

The main difference between the armies is the foot. The early army has no light foot and the only medium foot is avg Bow swordsmen or poor bow, they do however have some superior billmen. The later army can have more Landsknects, a unit of arquebus to hold rough ground, some Irish to hide in ambush, but the avg bowmen are now non swordsmen.

If you played against an Italian wars French, Italians, German states or other European state, would you want the early foot or the variety offered by the later.

Btw, besides Old Glory, Redoubt, and Foundry, who is there anyone else who makes Early Tudors?

Update: we tried this matchup again, with me as the Milanese, with a much closer result. The massed gendarmes beat up the English and mercenary cavalry without much trouble on one flank; on the other the (fewer) Milanese cavalry were faced by longbowmen who fixed stakes and looked menacing... In the centre the landsknecht keils and dismounted men-at-arms crashed into the Italian infantry and one gendarme unit. Henry's men-at-arms efficiently despatched an arquebusier unit while one keil destroyed some gendarmes, but the other keil surprisingly failed against half their numbers of arquebusiers. The rest of the Italian infantry looked doomed, but meanwhile the rampaging gendarmes rode down the Average billmen and overran both artillery batteries to break the English army.

The key combats were: (1) two units of mounted crossbowmen (8 bases total) defeated 6 bases of staves, despite the staves' having lances. Bit of luck for the Milanese. (2) Average arquebusiers, 6 bases, with no swordsmen capability, repulsed 12 landsknecht bases. They were helped by sword-and-buckler men giving a ++ overlap and shot two pike bases before contact, but still needed excellent dice. Lot of luck for the Milanese.

I've revised my opinion of gendarmes - they're excellent against any cavalry without pistols.