Photo by Jim Pitts
Our 25mm Rennaissance Game
The Hated Swiss
Using our Pikes and Gendarmes rules derived from the old Brom Standard rules - as are so many of our rules sets
Played at Southwest Academy in South Jackson, May 31, 2008
We used some of the set-up ideas from Larry Brom's "Quick Play" rules sets. Each side rolled two dice. The higher total set up that many "Brigades" first. The Swiss/French side had 8 brigades including their baggage train. The imperialist side had 7 brigades including the baggage train.
The Swiss set up first and then the imperialists. The Swiss placed all of thier horse on their right, their arquebusiers supported by two units of pikes and a light gun in the center and then their pikes along with three heavy guns on their left.The imperialist massed their heaviest mounted troops on the left, facing the Swiss mounted unts, their shot and artillery in the center and their pikes, supported by a few ligher horse on the right.
Photo by Jim Pitts
On the Imperial right, Jim Pitts' commands (a cavalry brigade of one gens d'armes unit and one reiter unit and an infantry brigade of three Landsknecht pike units).
Photo by Jim Pitts
In the Imperial center, Jay Stribling's command (three German pike units) and part of Travis Melton's command (two German arquibusier units and two heavy guns). The army baggage train is in the rear.
Photo by Jim Pitts
A closer look at Jay's command, with the baggage train to his rear.
Photo by Jim Pitts
A closer look at part of Travis' command. He also had two light guns.
Photo by Jim Pitts
On the Imperial left, Bill Hamilton's command (a brigade of three gens d'armes units) and all of Travis' artillery.
Photo by Jim Pitts
On the Swiss left, part of Larry Reeves' command (a small brigade of two Swiss pike units).
Photo by Jim Pitts
In the Swiss center, Phil Young's command (a brigade of three Swiss pike units) and Larry's heavy artillery.
Photo by Jim Pitts
On the Swiss right center, Ed Sansing's command (a small brigade of two allied arquibusier units).
Photo by Jim Pitts
On the extreme Swiss right, Sean Pitts' command (a brigade of two allied reiter units and a unit of mounted Swiss crossbowmen).
Photo by Jim Pitts
The entire battlefield, with the Swiss of the left and the Imperials on the right.
Photo by Jim Pitts
Jim's gens d'armes, acting like the "ironheads" they represent, go to far as they overrun the Swiss heavy guns but then get piked from front and rear by the Swiss infantry. They did not survive this fight!
You can probably see some of our morale rating markers (Yellow, Blue, Green or Red rings) on various units. In our games, units dice to see what their initial morale is, when they first take a casualty. A morale rating of 1 point (red ring) indicates the poorest morale state. Two points (Green or white ring) is better, while a three point rating (blue ring) is above average. Four points (Yellow or Gold ring) is the best allowable.
Since six points are needed to pass any morale test, and the test is taken by adding the score of a D6 to the morale state of the unit, you can see that only a die roll of '1' on a D6 can cause a gold-ringed unit to fail. Conversely, only a die result of '5' or '6' on a D6 will allow a red-ringed unit to pass.
Photo by Jim Pitts
Sean's reiters and crossbowmen are attacked by Bill's gens d'armes in what looked like an easy victory for the "ironheads." Unfortunately Bill couldn't get his cavalry to close and the pistoleers shot him to pieces over the course of several turns.
Photo by Jim Pitts
In the Swiss center, Fred Diamond used a Swiss pike and allied pike unit, along with a light gun, to protect the Swiss baggage train.
Photo by Jim Pitts
Jim's landsknechts advance against their hated rivals - the Swiss!
Photo by Jim Pitts
And quickly begin to cross pikes with them. In the left background, Jay's German pike and Phil's Swiss pike also begin to dance. In the center background, Larry's heavy guns are remanned and seek other targets. This battle swayed back and forth between the Imperials and the Swiss for a number of turns before Jay and Jim finally ground the Swiss down, although all three of Jim's units were destroyed in the process.
Photo by Jim Pitts
More fighting between Jay's Imperials and Phil's Swiss. In the rear, Jim's reiters move to support Travis' arquibusiers and threaten the Swiss baggage.
All of our Renaissance figures are on single-figure steel bases. We mount these on magnetized stands which hold three mounted figures or five foot figures. Originally we used The Sword and the Pike rules which were more of a skirmish set and the figures were individually based for that.
From time to time, we have thought of remounting the figures on multiple-man bases, but as soon as we do that, we might need individual mounted figures again!
Photo by Jim Pitts
A closer look at the fight between Travis' arquibusiers and Fred's baggage guard, with Jim's reiters closing in. Travis eventually destroyed one of Fred's pike units and Jim's reiters looted part of the Swiss baggage before leaving in the face of Swiss pike.
Photo by Jim Pitts
Sean's reiters and crossbowmen slowly grind Bill's gens d'armes down and eventually eliminate them as a serious threat.
Photo by Jim Pitts
Sean thought about moving into the Imperial center, but a stout line of Travis' arquibusiers discouraged him.
Photo by Jim Pitts
he last of the fighting between Jay's and Jim's Imperials and Phil's and Larry's Swiss. Jay eventually captured the Swiss heavy guns, with the help of Jim's reiters, but Jim's infantry had finally taken too much from the Swiss and marched off the field.
These armies will see more fighting later in the year as we continue our "Pre-Bayonet Warfare" theme.
Travis Melton (Commander-in-Chief) Bill Hamilton, Jay Stribling, and Jim Pitts were the Imperial commanders. The Swiss and their allies were commanded by Fred Diamond (Commander-in-Chief) Sean Pitts, Larry Reeves, Ed Sansing and Phil Young.
The Forces Involved for each side:
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The French/Swiss forces: Two units (12 figures each) of Reiter Pistol-armed Cavalry
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The Imperialist forces: Three units (12 figures each) of Gendarme Heavy Cavalry
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Who were the victors in this game?
So who won? Why, the Imperials, of course. But not really overwhelmingly - it was a hard fought battle. Eventually the Imperials were able to kill enough of the Hated Swiss (and plunder one Swiss baggage wagon) to win, 53 victory points to 36 victory points.
These armies will see more fighting later in the year as we continue our "Pre-Bayonet Warfare" theme.
Go to the rules Pikes and Gendarmes that we used in this game.
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