The Imperialists' "forlorn hope"
In the late 1400s and early 1500s, the French Kings tried to conquer Italy. The Holy Roman Emperor and the King of Spain (often the same man) fought to prevent this. The flower of the young men of France and many, many hired mercenary soldiers perished in the attempt. France was never able to maintain the temporary conquests that they made, from time to time, in Italy.
This game represents a smaller action in those Italian Wars.
Our 25mm Rennaissance Game
The French King Returns!
Using The Sword and The Pike rules variant
Played at Hobbytown in North Jackson, November 16, 2002
German Reiters (pistol-packing cavalry) attack imperialist remnants
The pistol smoke precludes your seeing Imperialist cavalry blown apart by waves of German horsemen, trotting up and firing big horse pistols into their opponents' faces.
The French horsemen, Gendarmes (sucessors to the medieval knights) and the newer fire-armed cavalry, "reiters" made a big sweep to thier right and flanked the Imperialist forces. However, the imperialist forces' reinforcements (which had to be diced for, both timing and location) arrived in time and in the right location to block the sweep of the French mounted units.
The Scenario
This small Italian town has been under siege by the French (and their hired Swiss pikemen!) for some time. The besieging force has never completely cut the supply lines into the town. Today, they are going to try to close the last roads into the town. They must move to their right and exit units off the enemy table edge in the area marked in yellow on the map below. The units must be at least 50% strength (no shot up remnants) and the number of units that the French need to exit, in order to win the game, is unknown to them.
If the French fail to exit enough units, the Imperialists win.
The French Commanders
Left to right, Jay Stribling (master of horse), Mark Gilbert, Phil Young, and Jim Woodrick.
The Imperialists Commanders
Left to right, Jim Pitts, Mark Stevens, Fred Diamond (town garrison commander).
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Positions at start
Imperialist units are shown in Dark blue for foot, Lighter blue for Horse. French units are shown in red for foot, and pink for Horse. The area in which the French must exit units, to win the game, is shown in yellow.
The town is shown in the upper left of the map. The fortified lines of the Imperial army are shown in orange. The orange "Horse shoe" on the right is a fortified walled cemetary. The Imperial commanders placed artillery and infantry with fire-arms in this natural fort to embarass and delay the French attack. In the language of the period, it is known as a "forlorn hope".
Spanish infantry, lurking in the woods behind the "forlorn hope".
These "sword and bucker" men from Castille were the Imperialist reserve on their left flank. They eventually sortied from the woods to opposed the leading French infantry units.
Gascon arquebusiers skirmishing
These Frenchmen are firing against the "forlorn hope" to screen the passage of the entire French mounted force around the extreme left of the Imperialist line.
Gendarmes meet, lance to lance!
An aerial view, showing the Imperialist cavalry in a line at top, opposing two lines of the heavily armed French horsemen. Against all odds - the Imperialists prevailed and sent the Frenchmen recoiling back!
The fortified cemetary
Another view of the "forlorn hope" which anchored the Imperialist left, and jutted forward towards the French. garrisoned by three guns and 20 arquebusiers, this fortress was never assailed by the French, but rather, was bypassed.
Opposing commanders!
Fred Diamond, commander of the Imperialist garrison, snaps his fingers exhultantly as his men have thrown back the French assault. This picture was apparently taken after the game was over, and the picking-up had begun. Note the box of troops on the field.
Another view of the "Forlorn hope".
Fearing that French Arquebusiers would trickle into the rear of the cemetary, the Imperial gunners manhandle a light gun so that it can fire out throught the rear entrance to the fortified graveyard.
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Directions of the French Attacks and the Imperialist Reinforcements
French units attack directions are shown by red arrows. Imperialist reinforcements are shown with blue arrows.
The Iperialist reinforcements had a 50% chance of coming on in the town, or on the road that exited to their rear in about the center of their lines. Of the 6 reinforcing units, one came on in the town, and the other five entered on the road leading to the rear. This was the area that the French were aiming for, so these reinforcements were ideally placed from the Imperialist point of view.
Melee where the road pierces the fortified lines.
French attackers who have broken through the gap in the fortifications at the road, are crashed into by Imperialist Gendarmes and fired at from all sides by skirmishing hand gunners.
View towards the town showing cannons firing at the oncoming French.
French attacking pikemen move slowly (2xD6 per turn, and LOW dice rolls at that!) toward the fortified lines. There was no need to attack these lines, since the victory conditions called for the French to exit the field to the right (looking from the French side of the field) of the fortifications. The French commanders threw their pikemen at the lines for two reasons:
The Outcome
SO - who won? The Imperialists won - big. The French forces got NONE of their units off the table.
Victory Points were awarded for:
There was no need to even roll for victory points as the French failed to exit any units. Stribling had a chance to exit two units of Reiters (mounted pistoliers) but chose to fling them against the Imperialist flank, instead.
Go to the rules The Sword and The Pike" that we used in this game.
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