When it comes to 'renaissance' what is the best sub period, and why?

[SteveBurt]

For spectacle and troop variety, definitely the Italian Wars.

For small battles and lots of easily accessible primary source material, English Civil War,

[Metternich]

I'll agree with Whiskey Priest and Duc de Limbourg, I particularly like mid-to-late 16th century - particularly the "Wars of Religion" in France and the Netherlands (with Reiver forays into the Anglo-Scottish borderlands), but am also partial to the clash between the Ottomans and the Hapsburgs.  I truly love the entire 16th - 17th century period - the very essence of swashbuckling.  (And no, I don't think that any era that has a tricorne as the principal headwear qualifies as "swashbuckling !").

[Leapsnbounds]

Decisions, Decisions, I really can't make up my mind.  I have wargame armies in the English Civil War and the Great Italian Wars.  What I like about the Great Italian Wars are the color, the cavalry, and my Renaissance Artillery collection.  The Duke of Mantua would be proud.  I enjoy adding Medieval/ Fantasy Figures for variety and give my battles an Eastern European Flair.  The only drawback and regret I have is that I just can't seem to paint up a Ottoman Turk Army to do battles on the Hungarian Frontier between Landsknechts and janissaries.
  I like the English Civil War as others have claimed because, you don't need large wargame armies, it has a variety of color as I enjoy having red coats regiments, blue coat regiments, yellow coat regiments, green coat regiments.  I am a big cavalry man and there are plenty of units.  I enjoy the characters and the ideas that came out of the conflict and the many books written on the subject. Keep the ideas coming.
  I am interested in seeing the outcome and the posts written have given me a lot of ideas for games. Keep 'em coming.

[Leapsnbounds]

Oh, I forgot, what enabled me to collect and game in both these periods was the old Fantasy Unlimited Miniature Rules"Down Styphon" and "Archworld" for the E.C.W. and a host of rules that let the Landsknechts in  "Emerald Tablet, the second edition of the Dungeons and Dragons Minaiture Rules.  I've been trying to find Leonardo Da Vinci 28mm war machines to use with "Leonardo Plus" to get me back into the Landsknect period. Thanks

[Totleben]

- Siege of Malta and other warefare in the mediterranean
- french wars of religion
 and this one, maybe:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Succession_of_Landshut