Italian Wars in the Bunker

[Westbury]

Managed to get what might be our last game for a while in on the big table, this time Italian Wars, French v Milanese.
Basic layout a fairly flat plain with a deep stream running through it overlooked by a Milanese citadel; French are the attackers so have to get over the stream and force the Milanese away from the citadel.
French army is the usual mix of really good cavalry - Gendarmes & Archers and rather poor infantry in the guise of Gascon crossbow and Picard pikemen.
The Milanese have large numbers of crossbow infantry lining the banks of the stream and a range of armoured cavalry - Famiglia, Lanze Spezzate & Condottierre.
Both sides have Swiss!!

[Westbury]

The opening moves saw a general advance by the French with the unrestrained Gendarmes galloping for the water and the infantry coming up behind.
The Milanese didn't have much to do at this stage other than wait although the Milanese commander started to shift the weight of his cavalry to his left hoping to fend off the initial French attack and then counter attack in force - never happened!
Some long range bombardment by both sides guns did very little and the Milanese at the water edge started to inflict minor casualties on the French cavalry.

[Westbury]

The Milanese started to inflict some serious casualties as the French got closer especially on the less well armoured Archers - one unit scattered after it lost it's Captain but the Gendarmes ignored the crossbow bolts.
Out on the Milanese right there was no cavalry action so infantry potted away at each other but the gates of the citadel did open to let out the Swiss garrison - 2 solid pike columns.
The Gendarmes started to cross the stream (slowly) in the centre and on their right.

[Westbury]

On the French right the Gendarmes and Archers got over the stream early and despite resistance pushed on seeing off most of the Milanese crossbow cavalry and Condottierrie but the cramped battle space made it difficult to exploit and their was a Swiss unit that got in the way and destroyed a Gendarme unit that obligingly charged onto its pikes  .
Later the Milanese would recue this flank with an aggressive attack by the Lanze Spezzate and more Swiss aggression which finally ended with the death of the Swiss general and one of the Milanese senior commanders.

[Westbury]

The battle for the Milanese right originally saw the Italians losing a couple of units and there was a danger of one of the French landsknecht units forcing the crossing but cannon fire and a smashing attack by one of the Swiss pike blocks from the citadel across the stream saw the landsknechts routed and order restored 

[Westbury]

The centre was the French success story.
The Gendarmes were across the stream seeing off any who tried to oppose them and their own Swiss finally caught up enough to utterly destroy the Milanese Famiglia who threw themselves at the pikemen to vainly try and save the centre.
By then evening was falling (literally) so we called it. The Milanese strongly held the right so the citadel was safe and the upper stream was secure but they were split by the French between them who still had Gendarmes capable of fighting and two untouched Swiss units. Essentially a draw (so hate draws!) but if it were reality the French would probably withdraw back over the stream, let the Milanese draw off and bring up the siege guns.

[SJWi]

Very nice! What rules were you using?

[Bloggard]

wonderful looking game 

[Mad Doc Morris]

Quite a spectacle, like early 16th century battles should be. 
Thanks for taking all these photos, saved for inspiration.

[has.been]

Nice to see the old guys in action, no I don't mean you & Dave.
I remember facing a lot of those, though it was a loooooong time ago,
when I had a Spanish army.

[olicana]

Love the set up. Love the Italian Wars. What's not to like.

[Westbury]

Thanks for the comments.
The rules are our own specifically for Italian Wars.
Pete; you've faced some of them but not all the nice new shiny ones! One day you'll be able to come over and play. One day

[OSHIROmodels]

Looks great 

[juergen c. olk]

Well done..very colorfull.lots of work involved.

[Sparrow]

Looking good!