An Italian Wars scenario for Pike and Shotte with The Four Arquebusiers

 Just before Covid Steve floated the idea of  Alasdair and Phil and I visiting him for a gaming weekend.  Well events conspired to delay that happening.  Happily, this year over the Bank Holiday weekend we managed to get together.  Steve had set up an Italian Wars game for the Saturday and we had a  Lion Rampant game on the Sunday.  For the Saturday game Alasdair and I commanded the French. Phil and Steve the Imperialists.

There was a great deal of back and forth during the day, so here are a few photographs of some of the action.

A view along the table, with the convent, scene of heavy fighting
nearest the camera

The Imperialist right prepare to advance

On the French left, Phil moves his cavalry to the 
left of the farm

The Imperialist cavalry move round the convent

The French skirmisher cavalry driven back by Imperialist Men at Arms

Phil's Imperial cavalry charge home on mine and engage in a 
struggle which would ebb and flow all day

Phil's pike units begin their advance

Alasdair's cavalry take on Steve's

Screened by arquebusiers Phil's pike advance on the hill
in my centre

The struggle for the hill

Alasdair takes control of the convent

My pike reassert control of the hill

In the centre, the landsknechts drive back Alasdair's Swiss

By the end of the gaming day, the Imperial forces clearly had the upper hand.  All my cavalry units were in a shaken or disordered state and the majority of my infantry had been routed from the field.  For his part, Alasdair had secured the convent, but it had been isolated.  The Imperial gendarmes had driven back their French counterparts and the Swiss had been bested by the landsknechts.  There would no doubt be some harsh words exchanged between the French and their Swiss mercenaries at French HQ in the aftermath of the battle.

Although Phil and Alasdair were unfamiliar with the version of Pike and Shotte Steve and I play they picked things up quickly and the game flowed.  There was also plenty of badinage, especially at some rather extreme die rolling by both sides.

On the Sunday, as time was limited,  we played a game of Lion Rampant, trying out a scenario which may well appear as the Lance & Longbow game at the Phalanx show next month.

The whole weekend was a most enjoyable experience, Steve and Gwen were excellent hosts and it was the general opinion that we should hold a similar event next year.

Vapnartak 2026

 A bit late with this report, though there were extenuating circumstances, of which more, later.  Surprisingly, given the lousy weather we have been having, the trip over the Pennines was not too bad this year.  We were travelling later than usual as this year Steve and I were not putting on a game for the Lance & Longbow society.  Arriving about 10.30, we found that there was still a queue of people waiting to get in, half an hour after the opening time.  However, the club were very efficient handling the queue and we gained entry without too long a delay.

The one game shown as being on the ground floor was not present and it seemed like the number of traders there had been thinned out a little, with some moving to the 1st floor.  This all meant that it was fairly easy to move around.

The games were all on the 2nd floor and 2nd Mezzanine and were all participation games.

The East Leeds Militaria Society had a naval game based on the war between the Imperial and Shogunate navies in 1869.  Steve and I had a go at this and it was very easy to pick up.  The ships seemed to all have different layouts and weights of guns which made for some rather confused fighting and seemingly reckless ramming!  The naval action in the bay was framed by some very nice terrain, forts and port facilities.

This year being the 250th anniversary of the AWI/Revolutionary War, the Brompton Bankers were presenting "An incident at Cartwright's Tavern".

The Crown forces

The Locals

The Revolutionary forces

The Harrogate Wargames Club had an Italian Wars game.

 

Ken Riley had his Germantown game there as well, but it has been extensively photographed on its various outings.   Harrogate also had a Cold War gone hot game,  York wargames Club had two games and there were two "Wings of Glory" games.

The emphasis seems to be more on the trade than on the games, especially larger games; though with the games being placed on the upper floors that is perhaps reasonable.

To return to the late appearance of this report.  Well, after 45 years we are moving house.  This has resulted in some disruption to normal routines, (no figure painting for a good three weeks, no games hosted for nearly a month and all my books being boxed up).  It has taken six months to get to the position that we will, hopefully, be moving soon, but how long it will take to organise things once we do move is anyone's guess.

Wars of the Roses with Hail Caesar

 Steve and I have been using the Billhooks, Ruckus and Lion Rampant rulesets for Wars of the Roses games.  However, for larger games c20 x 18 figure units per side, we needed something different and decided to try Hail Caesar, partly because we were both familiar with "Pike and Shotte" and  thought that some of the rule mechanisms may be common to both sets; but also because of the Wars of the Roses supplement which was published For Hail Caesar. 

Steve devised a scenario with Henry, Duke of Somerset leading a Lancastrian force and Edward, Earl of March leading a Yorkist force.  Both armies are trying to advance along a road.

Somerset's battle

To Somerset's right was Humphrey, Duke of Buckingham who had orders to advance onto the hill to his front and place the artillery to fire on the flank of any Yorkist advance along the road.  On Somerset's left was John, Lord Wenlock, he had the most numerous battle and had orders to advance and engage the enemy right.

Somerset's plan fell apart quickly.  Buckingham's advance was too slow and the Yorkist left, under Salisbury was in place waiting for the Lancastrians and the latter suffered heavy losses from the concentrated archery.  Wenlock did advance, but one of his archer units was a bit too enthusiastic and became isolated and the target for the archery of two of Hasting's units.  Wenlock's light cavalry attempted a charge to relieve the pressure, but casualties inflicted by Hasting's light artillery dissuaded them from charging home.

Buckingham's men advance

Salisbury waits for the Lancastrians to come into range

 In the centre, Somerset had some success.  Edward's artillery advanced too quickly and the crew were cut down by archery,  Edward also lost a unit of archers to the combined archery of Somerset's battle.  However, one of Somerset's household units drifted off towards the right and became involved in a fight with one of Salisbury's units.  Edward rallied his men and led a concerted attack on Somerset,  The Lancastrian's were pushed back, but heavy losses caused the Yorkists to falter and this gave Somerset just enough time to rally and reform.  A renewed attack was repelled and Edward, leading from the front, was wounded.

The fighting in the centre

On the Lancastrian flanks Buckingham and Wenlock were having mixed fortunes.  Buckingham's attack never really got going and he was forced onto the defensive.  Salisbury reinforced his line, attacked  and began to push Buckingham's units back.  It provided an insight into the effectiveness of two competing strategies; thin your lines to maximise the effectiveness of your archers, or, reinforce you line by shortening your frontage and then pushing forward to try and win the melee.

Wenlock was on the attack and was having some success.  Hastings had a unit of archers in a wood which were inflicting casualties on Wenlock's main attack and Wenlock decided to push the archers back.  An initial shower of arrows proved ineffective so a unit of household attacked.  Against the odds these were pushed back by the gallant archers.  Undeterred, Wenlock ordered a second attack, with the household supported by archers.  Once again Hastings archers prevailed and to make matters worse the recoiling household troops were charged by the Yorkist heavy cavalry and destroyed.  Only a sacrificial charge by Wenlock's light cavalry managed to halt the heavies.

The cavalry clash

Hasting's archers triumph again

 At this point we had to finish and decided to award a narrow victory to Edward.

A successful trial run and we will try another game while the rules are still fairly fresh in our minds.  There are of course a few things we could consider changing, eg the initiative range of 12" but other than that the rules provide a very enjoyable game.