Contents. Sample file. Photographs

Transcription

1 Contents Introduction Later Italian Wars Army Lists The Battle of Ceresole The Later Italian Wars 3 The French Wars of Religion 3 French Army 4 Italian Army 4 Spanish Army 5 Swiss Army 5 Background 6 French Army 7 Imperial Army 8 Ceresole Map 9 French Wars of Religion Army Lists French Catholic Army 10 French Huguenot Army 10 The Battle of Dreux The Battle of Coutras Infantry Formations Catholic Army 12 Huguenot Army 13 Dreux Map 14 Huguenot Army 15 Catholic Army 16 Coutras Map 17 Infantry Pike Square 18 Combined Pike & Shot Units 18 War Tokens Unit Cards Capture Standard 19 Regroup 19 Treachery 19 Who Will Die With Their King 19 Unit Cards for Ceresole, Dreux & Coutras 20 Photographs The front cover of this booket incorporates a photograph of Landsknecht infantry from the Artizan Designs Renaissance range of 28mm figures. The photographs used inside this publication feature figures from The Assault Groups Renaissance range including their excellent Italian Wars Spanish and Italian infantry Copyright Stephen Danes 2010 All rights reserved. No part of this publication or abstraction from it may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or trasmission by or internet, without prior permission in writing from the copyright holder.

2 Introduction This supplement for the Bad War rule-set comes in two sections. The first section provides details of army lists, scenarios and orders of battle for European warfare in the mid sixteenth century and focuses on the later Italian Wars from the 1530s onwards. The second section deals European warfare in the second half of the sixteenth century, specifically the French Wars of Religion. The Later Italian Wars Following the battles of Bicocca, Sesia and Pavia, the importance of firearms was becoming increasingly obvious. No longer were these weapons restricted to use at sieges or defending earthworks, the arquebus had been used successfully in the open field of battle. Although the number of firearms employed by armies increased, it was recognised that troops armed in this way could still be vulnerable, especially to cavalry attack. A way had to be found to combine the destructive power of the arquebus with the solid defensive prospects of the pike. Increasingly, shot armed infantry accompanied pike squares into battle, often operating as a skirmishing screen - ready to dart back to the protective cover of the pike square when threatened by cavalry. Some commanders deployed groups of arquebusiers in more solid bodies on the flanks of the pike square, enabling the shot to fire to front, flank or rear and still benefit from the protection offered by the pike. Some arquebusiers were even organised to fire over the shoulders of their own front rank pikemen into an enemy only metres away! The later stages of the Italian Wars also saw the change in tactics and tempo of the once mighty Swiss infantry. Following the slaughter at Bicocca, the Swiss pike-square became a weapon used with much greater care. Gone were the reckless charges and victory at any cost. The ferocity was still there, as we can see a Ceresole but it was now more disciplined and controlled. In this supplement I have included army lists for the armies of the Italian Wars plus a Ceresole supplement, a nicely balanced and challenging game for either side and an excellent example of warfare in the mid sixteenth century. The French Wars of Religion From 1562 to 1598 a series of wars were fought across France between French Protestants and French Catholics. These wars also encompassed intense rivalry between some of the great aristocratic families of France such as the Bourbons and the Guise. This collection of battles, civil disturbances and religious conflicts is known as the French Wars of Religion. Much of the countries gentry rallied to the Huguenot cause and so their armies tended to have large bodies of chivalric cavalry. These dashing and enthusiastic cavalry still employed the devastating charge with lance as they would have done in the Italian Wars. However, if these noble horsemen considered the land and processions to be at risk from Catholic neighbours they were likely to quit a campaign and return home. German mercenary horse also featured in Huguenot armies, these may have lacked the dash of the noble cavalry but presented a formidable mass when, as they often where, deployed on the battlefield in large numbers. The Huguenot infantry was considered an altogether less reliable branch of the army relying too heavily on foreign mercenaries with doubtful commitment to the cause. In contrast, the strongest arm of the Catholic armies was their infantry. Most of the established old band infantry regiments arrayed themselves against the Huguenots. The Catholic commanders also benefited from an influx of Spanish troops fighting in the Netherlands as well as German auxiliaries from the Catholic German states. Both armies featured unusually high numbers of cavalry, especially on the Huguenot side, and the opening stages of battles where usually fiercely fought and decisive cavalry battles. The losing horsemen would usually flee the field leaving their comrades on foot to be surrounded and cut to pieces. By the 1590s the lance had almost completely disappeared from the battlefield. Most noble cavalry could be better described as cuirassier and were equipped with full armour and pistol and fought in deep formations in the manner of Reiters. The slender lines of cavalry deployed to fight en haye proved to be too thin to resist more muscular formations of cavalry deployed in six or more ranks, especially when these slowing moving cavalry formations were supported by small bands of arquebusiers ready to pour fire into the enemy just before the charge. Towards the end of the century, the infantry were still organised into awkward combinations of pike and shot. Mixed units of relative small size were becoming common, pike and shot regiments of a thousand men or less took to the field, although these small regiments could still be grouped together into great blocks of three to five thousand men.

3 French Army Later Italian Wars Army Lists French Knights Gendarmes 3-4 Ex Heavy Lance, sword Galloper Open 4 French Archers Heavy Lance, sword Galloper Open 4 Mounted Crossbowmen Armoured Crossbow, sword Shot Open/Skirmish 1 Stradiots Raiders 4-5 Armoured Javelin, sword Skirmish Skirmish 1 Argoulets Armoured Arquebus, sword Skirmish Skirmish 1 Arrière Ban Levy 3-5 Armoured Lance, sword Galloper Open 2 Old Band Infantry - 4 Armoured Pike Mêlée Close 10 Italian Shot Armoured Aquebus, sword Shot Open 2 Landsknecht Infantry Armoured Pike Mêlée Close 8 Landsknecht Infantry Armoured Halberd Mêlée Open/Close 2 Landsknecht Skirmish Armoured Arquebus, sword Skirmish Skirmish 2 Double-Pay Men Doppelsöldner 3-4 Armoured Two handed weapon Mêlée Open/Close 1 Gascon/Breton Foot Aventuriers 4-5 Armoured Arquebus or crossbow Shot Open 10 Swiss Infantry Armoured Pike Mêlée Close 6 Swiss Skirmishers Crossbow, sword Skirmish Skirmish 2 Legion Pikemen Levy 5-6 Armoured Pike Mêlée Close 5 Legion Shot Levy 5-6 Armoured Aquebus, sword Shot Open 2 Legion Halberdiers Levy 5-6 Armoured Halberd Mêlée Open 1 Artillery Any Shot Skirmish 2 Italian Army Men at Arms Condottiere 4-5 Ex Heavy Lance, sword Galloper Open 2 Lanze Spezzate Ex Heavy Lance, sword Galloper Open 4 Mounted Crossbowmen Armoured Crossbow, sword Shot/Skir Open/Skirmish 1 Mounted Arquebusiers Armoured Arquebus, sword Shot/Skir Open/Skirmish 2 Stradiots Raiders 4-5 Armoured Javelin, sword Skirmish Skirmish 1 Bande Nere Black Band 4-5 Armoured Arquebus, sword Shot Open/Skirmish 1 Crossbowmen Condotta/Levy* 5-6 Armoured Crossbow, sword Shot/Skir Open/Skirmish 2 Shot Condotta/Levy 5-6 Armoured Aquebus, sword Shot/Skir Open/Skirmish 5 Pikemen Condotta/Levy 5-6 Armoured Pike Mêlée Open/Close 10 Halberdier Condotta/Levy 4-5 Armoured Halberd Mêlée Open/Skirmish 1 Sword & Buckler Condotta/Levy 4-5 Armoured Sword Shot/Skir Open/Skirmish 1

4 Later Italian Wars Army Lists Italian Army (continued) Bande Nere Black Band 3-4 Armoured Arquebus, sword Shot Open 3 Landsknecht* Artillery Any Shot Skirmish 1 * See French army list for details of Landsknecht. Spanish Army Spanish Knights Heavy Lance, sword Galloper Open 2 Burgundian Men at Arms Ex Heavy Lance, sword Galloper Open 2 Italian Men at Arms Condottiere 4-5 Ex Heavy Lance, sword Galloper Open 2 Mounted Crossbowmen Armoured Crossbow, sword Shot/Skir Open/Skirm 1 Mounted Arquebusiers Armoured Arquebus, sword Shot/Skir Open/Skirm 3 Ginetes Raiders 4-5 Armoured Javelin, sword Skirmish Skirmish 10 Spanish Crossbowmen Regular 4-5 Armoured Crossbow, sword Shot/Skir Open/Skirm 2 Spanish Shot Regular 4-5 Armoured Aquebus, sword Shot/Skir Open/Skirm 7 Spanish Pikemen Armoured Pike Mêlée Close 10 Spanish Halberdier Armoured Halberd Mêlée Open/Skirm 1 Sword & Buckler Swd & Buckler 3-4 Armoured Sword Mêlée Open/Skirm 1 Landsknecht Infantry Armoured Pike Mêlée Close 4 Landsknecht Infantry Armoured Halberd Mêlée Open/Skirm 2 Landsknecht Skirmish Armoured Arquebus, sword Skirmish Skirmish 1 Double-Pay Men Doppelsöldner 3-4 Armoured Two handed wpn Mêlée Open/Close 1 Italian Mercenaries Armoured Aquebus, sword Shot/Skir Open/Skirm 3 Artillery Any Shot Skirmish 1 Swiss Army Mounted Crossbowmen Armoured Crossbow, sword Shot Open/Skirmish 1 Mounted Arquebusiers Armoured Arquebus, sword Shot Open/Skirmish 1 Swiss Infantry Armoured Pike Mêlée Close 10 Swiss Skirmishers Crossbow, sword Skirmish Skirmish 2 Swiss Skirmishers Arquebus, sword Skirmish Skirmish 2

5 The Battle of Ceresole Background In the hope of drawing the Spanish and Imperial forces into open battle, the young French prince Enghien laid siege to Carignano early in With permission from the king of France to risk an open battle, French forces including eager members of the gentry began to gather in Piedmont. The Imperial commander Del Vasto was keen to send a relief force to Carignano and gathered a large force of Landsknecht, Spanish and Italian infantry. Leaving a small force masking Carignano, Enghien moved to intercept the Imperial army at the village of Ceresole d Alba. On the 11th April both armies assembled in open ground, several miles from the village and prepared for battle. Start-Line & Battle Readiness Players have the option of using the Battle Readiness rules (see main Bad War rules) where each unit is tested to determine their readiness and starting position on the battlefield. However, if players wish they can start the game after the first few hours of preliminary moves had been made and both sides were fully deployed. In this case, all units will be deployed, artillery will be in position and skirmishers ready to engage. The start-line for both sides will be at least twelve inches from the tables centre-line with opposing units being at least twenty-four inches apart (in the case of 15mm figures, the units will deploy no closer than sixteen centimetres from the tables centre-line). Order of Battle The orders of battle shown on the following pages refer to the units involved in the Battle of Ceresole. The classification, grade, tactics and order are all terms used to describe the units profile (see Bad War rules). The strength of each unit refers to the number of figures that make up each unit (either 15mm or 25/28mm, which ever are being used). Players can obviously scale down the unit sizes if they have insufficient numbers for some of the larger units. Further Reading An excellent source of further reading for this battle is of course Sir Charles Omans The Art of War in the Sixteenth Century. Players can refer to this account for more details of the battle and can compare their playing of the scenario to the real event!

6 The Battle of Ceresole French Army Dampierre Rearward Command Classification Grade Armour Weapons Tactics Order Strength Gruyères Swiss Pike Mêlée Close 49 Italian Foot - 4 Armoured Pike Mêlée Close 30 Italian Foot - 4 Armoured Arquebus, sword Skirmish Skirmish 6 Light Horse - 4 Armoured Crossbow, sword Skirmish Skirmish 8 D Enghien (CinC) Battle Command Classification Grade Armour Weapons Tactics Order Strength French Knights Gendarmes 3 Ex Heavy Lance, sword Galloper Open 6 Mounted Crossbowmen - 5 Armoured Crossbow, sword Skirmish Skirmish 3 Swiss Infantry Pike Mêlée Close 81 Swiss Infantry Arquebus, sword Skirmish Skirmish 8 Infantry Skirmishers Arquebus, sword Skirmish Skirmish 16 Artillery Medium Shot Skirmish 5 de Boutières Vaward Command Classification Grade Armour Weapons Tactics Order Strength Old Band French Foot - 4 Armoured Pike Mêlée Close 36 Old Band French Foot - 4 Armoured Pike Mêlée Close 36 Old Band French Foot - 4 Armoured Arquebus, sword Shot Open 6 Old Band French Foot - 4 Armoured Arquebus, sword Shot Open 6 French Knights Gendarmes 3 Ex Heavy Lance, sword Galloper Open 2 Light Horse - 5 Armoured Crossbow, sword Shot/Skir Open/Skirmish 5 Light Horse - 5 Armoured Arquebus, sword Shot/Skir Open/Skirmish 5 French Deployment At the Battle of Ceresole, the vaward command was positioned on the French right flank, the battle formed-up in the centre and the rearward took the left flank. The Gruyères Swiss and Swiss pike infantry will be formed into squares, i.e. frontage is equal to depth. For example, D Enghien s Swiss will form a square nine ranks wide by nine files deep. This is based on a figure ration of one to fifty men. Obviously this is quite a lot of figures so players can reduce the numbers if they wish. The French pike should also be deployed in squares but here players have the option of placing a rank of arquebusiers behing the front rank of the pike, an innovation that was used by the French at the battle. During the early stages of the battle it is recorded that the Swiss infantry under the command of Enghien laid down to avoid artillery fire. If players use this option, the Swiss will count as benefiting from hard cover when fired on by artillery. Players should also note that the Swiss infantry will not be classed as impetuous (see main Bad War rules). The French artillery will consist of a mixture of medium guns such as Falcons, Minions and Sakers. These will be positioned in a central position to the front of deployed infantry and cavalry.