We met all for little Renaissance sparring game, Bill and Donald and Tim picked up the lances for the Kaiser (Maximillian, the last knight), while Campbell and Bart were fighting for the French Crown, eerm crowns and shillings - so I did the umpire.
Donald held the centre and the supreme command of the Germans, Tim got the right flank with the Men-at-arms, while Bill got the other flank with the German gendarmes and the light Cavalry.
Bart was the CinC of the French and Campbell got the right flank, each a block and some Horse.
First the German came and swung the heavy left in form of their Gendarmes, which pretty much annihilated Campbells Cavalry on the entire right flank. Then the two huge Landsknecht Pike block were storming forward and it looked bleak for the French Henry, indeed. Even the Swiss got beaten! What a shame! But then somehow the weakened German Pikes got shot away by the French Artillery train. Next the Doppelsöldner (in Swiss pay) were going in for the kill on the rest of the Landsknechts Pikes - Bad War!
After a final clash with the German Men-at-arms, which ended in a brutal but victorious melee, the French had turned the tide of the Battle. The Kaiser could go home.
I never came across such a terrific and bloody Renaissance battle! The casualties were mounting at such a neck breaking speed, I had trouble to keep up to pack away "fallen" into my suitcases!
We all agreed that this was a beautiful game, that we might shall repeat some time.
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| The initial set up |
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| The large Landsknechts block on the march |
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| The Empire strikes forward (unusual!!) |
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| The German Cavalry supporting their blocks |
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| The Imperial left comes nearer!! |
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| Die Kaiserlichen kommen! Panik! |
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| The Swiss got wiped away by the Landsknechts! Merde! |
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| In revenge the Landsknechts Doppelsöldner (in Swiss pay) finish the badly beaten block |
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| Finally the German Men-at-Arms crash with the French Gendarmes! |
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| ... and got annihilated. |
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| On the Left the German Cavalry flank waits for the killing strike |
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| meanwhile there is nothing between the French Gendarmes and the German center |
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| The French Gendarmes sweeping up the hinterland |
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| The Emperor retreating with his Spanish lifeguard |
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| The Imperial stats |
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| the French stats |
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| My Pike&Shotte usefuls rules |
Great report, however you have one mistake. It not Campbell lead our cavalry on our right, it was Hugh. That's was the reason later one of my jokes about how to deal with the enemy cavalry and my phrase: "watch and learn".
ReplyDeleteThat wasn't officially announced to me! And in any way the responsibility lies on your subordinate (Campbell) and therefore with yourself, you can't hide from it. ;)
DeleteI am not blaming you. The loss of the cavalry on our right wing was so quick, that possible, that most of the players even did not noticed that Hugh was involved into the game ;)
DeleteHugh's fault. It's just as well he was impaled on Bills lances or I'd have had him executed. I think that was move 2 so no wonder no one noticed it was him.
DeleteColorful and gorgeous armies...very impressive battlefield!
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil, I get the suspicious feeling, that there will be more of this ... The Swiss are coming!
DeleteGood news!
DeleteGlorious stuff but no photos of the stunning victory of the German cavalry on the left wing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bill! Apologises, I was so excited about the (I think the first ever) German Cavalry victory, that all my camera shots were blurred...
DeleteNo worries guys, I have a lot of photos of this glorious, spectacular and amazing charge ever! ;) Soon on my blog.
DeleteGreat looking battle , lovely looking figures and flags more please!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Thanks for the compliment, and yep agreed, more flags are already on the workbench.
Delete