2nd Italian Wars Campaign - Seige of Florence

 Dear reader when we last left Italy Bologna had just defeated Florence in battle and had forced the Florentines back to Florence and were laying seige. The armies of Genoa were advancing to the Bolognese borders to the south albeit somewhat slowly and the Florentine allies, Venice, were advancing into Florentine territory to to come the aid of Florence.

So basically I had a camera meltdown and am mssing some pictures. The battle started with the Bologna besieging Florence. A smal portion of the Bolognese army was behind earthworks , mainly missle and cannon troops. The rest of the Bolognese army was drawn up behind facing the relieving Florentine army which was coming in on the flank. The beseiged forces also ventured out to join the fray. The Florentine armies have a large number of cannon but the Bolognese only 1. However the Bolognese army is bigger than the 2 Florentine armies combined. Can the Florentines bring enough forces to bear.

The battle field have Florence at one end and a village in the centre. The earthworks were between the village and Florence

A partially randomised deployment sees the Florentine infantry (top) attack the Bolognese beseigers in the flank while the other Florentine army emerges from the city

Florentine pike block clash with Bolognese halberders. There was only going to be one winner here but the halberders made the pikemen pay dearly. Meanwhile Florentine foot knights advance throught the village

Over on the left the Florentine cavaly are facing 3 Bolognese pike blocks. Can they keep them engaged long enough for the 2 florentine armies to combine

Knights and pikes clash

Knights die

Meanwhile the Florentine infanty continues, but slowly and painfully. Foot knights clash with bowmen and the fight is brutal witht he bowmen putting up brave resistence. The knights struggle but win eventually The pike block is staggered by a devastating volley from a troop of aquebusiers and wavers

On the left all Florentine resistence as ended and the Bolognese pike blocks and cavalry wheel right to engage the rest of the army

Foot knights and aquebusiers take up position int the village to hold them

As the rest of the Florentines arrive

But they are too late. The Florentine army is reduced to 2 very battered pike blocks, a single unit of knights and a unit of crossbowmen. They are out manned and out horsed and the city of Florence is no more.

Bolognese troops occupy the city. Only Venice, who are one turn away can restore Florence, ore will they just pick over the bones of the state

 

The 2nd Italian Wars Campaign

 As autumn draws in it is time to pick up the wargaming baton again. I've played a few battles of the last month or so, including 2 epic 10mm 7 Years War battles against Matt. These have been the highlight of wargaming and exactly how I imagined wargaming to be. Massive armies with sweeping attacks and valiant defence.

The bug is back, although still not painting manically. I have decided to play another solo Italian Wars campaign. I made a few tweaks, extension to the wargaming table (you may spot it) gives me a 6 by 3 table, more points for the terrrain and therfore bigger armies. I have added a campaign set of rules on the blog pages (see top a page).

The new map. 4 of the 4 states can field 2 or 3 armies and Bologna can only field 1 so is vulnerable.

The campaign starts slowly with peace between all the nations and an alliance between Milan and Bologna. The the Pope dies and all hell breaks loose. There is war between Bologna and the states of Venice, Genoa and Florence. Milan sits it out as it currently has good relations with all states but the war will change that quickly.

Bologna needs to attack quickly and attacks it nearest neighbour Florence while Venice and Genoa start to probe the Bolognese borders. The 2 armies meet outside Florence. Bologna can only field 1 army but it is 1/3 bigger than Florence can field. A decisive victory here could knock Florence out of the war quickly.

The battle field. both flanks are cavalry heavy

The Bolognese centre has massed pike blocks

Whereas the Florentine centre is very weak with lots of cannons. Hopefully they can thin out the pike blocks sufficiently to make a difference. So the flanks will control the battle. if Florence can win then the blocks will be very vulnerable, but if Bologna wins the flanks then the battle is over

Both sides advance

On the Bolognese left knights clash

Epic dice rolls from the Florentines rout one unit  and waver another. This side looks doomed for the Bolognese

On the right Florence has done similar. I unit of Bolognese demi lancers is very battered and 1 unit of stradiots has been routed. This is going to be an epic victory for Florence

On the right the stradiots and demi lancers have seen off the knights, my nerve rolls were terrible all game and if you said boo to a unit I would rout then

As we left it on the left the Florentines were about to rout the Bolognese knights and they charged in, causing huge wounds. The Bolognese knights have 18 wounds and can only survive if they roll a double 1

Which they do, unbelievably. They smash back into the Florentine knghts rout and Bologna holds both flanks

The same knights then despatch a unit of wounded halberders

The pike blocks advance and the Florentine army decides enough is enough and leaves with undue haste

I do think the pike blocks look cool.

This was a decisive victory for Bologna and the Florentine army is chased back to it's capital. The Bolognese follow up, capture a town, giving them an extra army, and besiege Florence. Florence has another army but can it beat the larger Bolognese army and lift the seige. Can Bologna capture Florence and knock them out of the game before Genoa and Venice pounce.

This was a great little battle with massive ebbs and flows. This is going to be a good campaign and the outcome could all have swung on a double 1.

Saturday I recieved very sad news that Noel Williams had died suddenly. Noel was a professional poet and a participant in the Analogue Painting Challenge and will be remembered for his great flights of fancy, tremendous wit and enormous painting output. He will be sadly missed.

The End of the 1st Italian War?

 As you left us last time Milan had stormed Bologna but the Milanese army was trapped in the city by the Bolognese relief army that arrived just too late.

Meanwhile the Genoese had advanced to the outskirts of Milan and faced a much smaller Milanese army. If Milan lose to Genoa their armies will be trapped in 2 cities and doomed to lose the war. But if they can beat Genoa decisively then they can relieve the trapped army in Bologna and win the war. They need to be quick the Pope is from Bologna and war with his home city will get Milan excommunicated.

All is set for a decisive battle.

The Milanese are on the left, blue command stands, and the Genoese on the right with green command stands

2 regiments on knights on the Milanese right

2 pike blocks form the Milanese centre

The Milanese left is missile troops and a unit of knights

The Genoese left, 2 regiments of knights and regiment of stradiots

THe Genoese centre only has 1 pike block with 2 units of heavy infantry and 4 cannon

The Genoese right, missile troops and knights

THe Genoese left advances

On the Genoese right both armies advance

The opening salvos do little damage

THe overly confident stradiots charge the Milanese crossbowmen in woods but fail to rout them

One of the Milanese knight regiments skirts the woods and smashes into the flank of the stradiots. They are doomed

The regiments of knights face upto each other

The Milanese victory is decisive

and they sweep the Genoese right flank from the field

The same happens on the Genoese left.

As the Genoese centre advances there are 2 regiments of undamaged Milanese knights on the flanks threatening the whole army

They strike on the left 

and the right

The Genoese have been enveloped and worse is to come. The infantry clash and once again Milan is victorious. It is a crushing victory by Milan who were outnumbered 3-2.

It is time to take the spoils of war. Milan sues for peace to prevent being excommunicated. Genoa loses 3 terrain tiles to Milan, not very valuable but securing the Milanese flank. They get peace with Milan and Venice. The city of Bologna is returned back to the Bolognese but they lose 4 terrain tiles. Milan has increased its size by 25%. Bologna still exists but can no longer field a army strong enough to take on anyone. They will have to seek protection from stronger allies in future campaigns

The closing map.

THis is the end of the 1st Italian War and I've really enjoyed it. Most things worked very well and only some minor tweaks are needed, such as making it easier slightly easier to change diplomatic status, and the ability to dismount cavalry in besieged cities to give a better mix of defenders, and make cannon slightly easier to fire - they were very weak. I plan to use random events more so in future wars and have ordered peasant troops for revolts etc.

Italian Wars The Battle of Bologna

 This will be the 1st of 2 posts on the pivotal turn of my 1st Italian Wars campaign. When you left us last time Milan was besieging Bologna whilst trying to keep Genoa away from Milan. To be successful Milan must storm Bologna this turn and fight Genoa, so they must split their available mercenary pool.

THe 1st battle is the attempted storming of Bologna. Bologna is defended by its home army of a pike block, 2 aquebusier troops, 2 regiments of knights and a cannon. Milan needed cannons to blow the walls down. Mercenary selection is randomised by troop class - Cavalry, infantry and missle troops. Cannon are readily available so they started with missile troops and 1 troop of crosbowmen, 2 troops of aquebusiers and an organ gun later they finally got a cannon, giving them 2. But now over 1/2 the army was missile troops, not great for storming a town.

The walls of Bologna. The aim is for cannon fire to bring down the walls and charge through

As a diversionary attack there are 2 units of forlorn hope with ladders

The cannon open up and start to damage the walls (walls can take 30 hits and have a defense value of 8). However Bologna has a cannon on the walls and wipes out the Milanese cannon with the walls intact. Milan will have to use the ladders

The forlorn hopes advance and aquebusiers open up on them

They are whittled down but the Milanese have loads of missile troops and sweep the walls clear of defenders

A forlorn hope races across the ramparts to open the gates

Defending aquebusiers open fire

But the Forlorn hope opens the gates

A unit a halberders charges through but is annihilated. Then I forgot to take photos but the forlorn hope in the gatehouse attack and dent the defending pike block. A forlorn hope charges through the gate and inflicts more damage 

Then the Milanese pike block smashes home and the defenders are routed.

All is lost. The Milanese flood the ramparts with missile troops and the Bolognese have no response. 

Milan have captured Bologna but are immediately beseiged by the remaining Bolognese army. Milan needs to win a decisive victory against Genoa. It they do they will win the war. If they lose to Genoa they are doomed. 

Stay tuned