An Imperialist gun supported by two units of Landscknect pikes.

Our 25mm Rennaissance Game

The Imperialist Defence!

Using our Pikes and Gendarmes rules derived from the old Brom Standard rules - as are so many of our rules sets

Played at Hobbytown in North Jackson, October 2, 2004

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.

We liked this game so much, we played it twice on the same day. On the first go-round, Jay Stribling, Jim Pitts and Robert Whitfield played the French, and their mercenary Swiss pikemen. Ed Sansing and Phil Young were the Imperialists, defending the roads to their rear. This game ended quickly because the French Gendarnes and three Swiss Pike units got around the Imperialist left flank and exited units off the road there, causing the Imperialists to exit units "one-for-one".

In the second game, we kept the scenario, reset everything and just switched sides. This time Jay, Jim and Whit were on the Imperialist side while Ed and Phil were the French. This game took 4 hours to play. As one of the Imperialist defenders, I felt like a copper pot. We had been hammered on!

We contracted our front as much as possible and still covered the three roads behind us. When we found that the French were concentrating on our center and left, Robert Whitfield, with two shot units and two pike units, Launched an attack from our right onto the French center. This took some of the pressure on our center, and occupied the attention of some of the Swiss Pikemen. On our Right, Jim Pitts fought manfully whittling down the French cavalry superiority, till, at the end of the game, they had NO cavalry and se still had two partial units..

Landscknect pikemen and artillerists await the French attack in game #2

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 (successors 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.

Landscknect pikemen receive an attack by Swiss.

The Imperialists have a flag with Yellow, White and Green fields, and red "X" crosses. The Green ring that one figure wears shows that this unit has a morale point of "2" - not exactly an elite unit! The Swiss units are moving to the left, one attacking the Landscknects and one to it's rear moving deep into the Imperialist rear!

The Scenario

The French are attacking the Imperialists, attempting to push them back and away from their line of communications to the rear.

French forces on the attack in game #2

This hill contained most of the French artillery. The French attack moved forward on both sides of the hill. Robert Whitfield, commanding all the imperialist shot and three units of Landsknect pikes attacked this area from the East (right side of photograph).

Jim Pitts adjusts Swiss pikemen in game #1

Two Swiss pike units move forward in game #1

This shows our mounting. All of our forces are individually mounted, for an earlier rules set called "The Sword and the Pike". For this rules set, which uses 5-man infantry "Companies" and 3-man cavalry stands, we have used magnetic bases.

Jim's Reiters get a bit too close in game #2

Swiss pikemen standing in reserve.

Go to the second battle in this series of 4 games.

Go to the third battle in this series of 4 games.

Go to the fourth battle in this series of 4 games.

Go to the rules Pikes and Gendarmes that we used in this game.

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