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Monday, March 25, 2024

The Quick and the Dead

On the 21st, Mark (Mud Blood and Steel) reconvened for a rematch of our earlier Sanguetta battle (see Battle of Sanguetta).  In that earlier fight, Mark led the Papal Army to victory in a close battle.  In this match-up, we would swap sides with Mark taking command of the Orsini Army under Vitelli.

Let's see how the rematch unfolded.

Before we arrived at the table, Mark and I both drew up battle plans for the opening battle deployments.  Vitelli (Mark) positioned his army across the hill with his pike blocks anchoring the ends of the line.  Borgia (Jon) positioned the Papal Army such that the left of the line was weighted with the heavy pike blocks.  Two very different deployments.
Initial deployments
Borgia heavily weights his Left.
As the battle gets underway, Borgia advances his battle line to bring the enemy within range.  Vitelli counters by charging into the Papal Center straightaway.  Targeting the Papal artillery, Vitelli leads his Men-at-Arms forward.  With crossbowmen in support of the guns, Borgia's crossbowmen attempt to get off a volley as the horsemen bear down upon them.  They fail.  In the clash, the guns are overriden and the crossbowmen break and run.  In pursuit, the crossbowmen are caught from behind and scattered.  Borgia's MAA watch on as the Papal Center is hollowed out. 
Vitelli charges forward into the guns!
In pursuit, the crossbowmen are ridden down. 
Despite the sudden and terrible collapse of his center, Borgia presses on with his plan to attack the enemy right.  First Borgia's Landsknechts are sent uphill against the enemy pikes.  In a protracted push of pike with casualties mounting to both, the Landsknechts tumble back down the hill in defeat.  Undaunted by this repulse, Borgia sends the Italian pike block up the slope.  This time, the already weakened enemy is sent packing to the rear.  The Italians gain the high ground and turn to face enemy crossbow.  
Having seen the Landsknechts stopped, the Italians attack.
Vitelli's pike block is driven off as the Italians crest the hill.
With thoughts of ripping apart the enemy right and center, Borgia's MAA moves forward to engage the crossbowmen on the hill.  Borgia's MAA are disordered as they close from enemy missile fire but press on.  The crossbowmen stubbornly hold their ground for a while before finally being forced into retreat.  With both enemy pikemen and crossbowmen in flight, the Papal MAA pursue.  Catching the enemy from behind, the MAA choose to overrun the pikemen.  That they do.  As the pikemen stream away, the MAA continue in pursuit. 
Borgia's MAA attack enemy crossbow on the hill.
The fighting continues...
until the enemy finally breaks.
Borgia's MAA pursue.
Vitelli's pike scatters as the MAA continue to pursue.
With a gaping hole where his right once was and his MAA pursuing deep into the woods, Vitelli turns his attention to his left.  First, Vitelli's mounted crossbowmen attack Borgia's isolated skirmishers. Surprisingly, the skirmishers repulse the horsemen.  Hooray!  Vitelli's pikemen begin their advance down from the hill.
With his right gone and center out of position,
Vitelli looks to his left.
Vitelli's pike block is put into motion.
Gaining the initiative, Vitelli moves his pike block forward to catch enemy horsemen from behind.  Unable to evade, the mounted crossbowmen scatter.  The only Papal unit left in the center and right is the isolated skirmishers.  If they can be destroyed, the Papal Army will break.  Wheeling about his MAA, Vitelli sets his sight on these isolated skirmishers.  The enemy really stands no chance.  They are overrun quickly and the battle is won.
Caught from behind...
Borgia's horsemen are destroyed.
Borgia's skimishers are in a tight spot!
When Borgia's Army breaks, Vitelli's Army is not in much better condition.  Vitelli's Army teeters upon the breaking point as well but he is able to outlast Borgia.
Situation at end of battle.
Congratulations to Mark and his handling of the Orsini Army.  Again, we see battle come down to the wire with Mark edging me out for a close victory.  While Borgia was able to destroy Vitelli's Right, Vitelli destroyed the Papal Right.  

Good, hard, sharp and vicious fight that we managed to conclude in about one hour.  One hour!  That is a lot of combat to complete in an hour.  Of course, with only two players, movement and combat is quickly resolved with only seven BMUs per side.  Could we have continued the battle even with Borgia breaking first to fight to the bitter end?  Sure, but both armies were out of position.  Re-engaging would have taken several turns and Borgia's two pike blocks were in much worse shape than Vitelli's single, remaining pike block.  Borgia would have lost more points first.   

Great fun and my many thanks to Mark for another, enjoyable beating at the gaming table.

Next up on the table, we stay in the Italian Wars with an examination of the Battle of Fornovo.

58 comments:

  1. Dynamic game, with early loss of guns and xbow being notable. I thought it strange that pike could successfully catch horse in the rear! Seems a bit chess-like as an outcome.

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    1. A bit chess-like? Had the cavalry been facing the enemy foot, they could have evaded. Being in disorder, with their backs to the enemy, I don't see why foot could not drive off a group of horse, do you? The foot may have never actually caught the cavalry but continued driving the disordered horse before them.

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    2. Ordered pike - I see them as being very robust defensively against pike, but not offensively - at least not to the point of cavalry destruction, but as you say, I suppose they can be imagined to have got the best of the horse, who have fled.

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    3. Norm, if the pikes are robust defensively against pike, would the other pike block not be acting offensively?

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    4. Sorry, that first line is wrong, it was meant to be ‘ordered pike are very robust defensively against CAVALRY, but not offensively.

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  2. Another great game there Jon, going down to the wire again, despite poor old Borgia (you) taking a battering in the centre at the start. Interesting deployment by Mark too, with the pike blocks anchoring either flank. These smaller actions do allow for nice, quick games and some different tactics too compared to big battles and 3 echelon Swiss pike blocks etc.

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    1. Thanks, Steve! Yep, down to the wire (again) and a loss for me (again). I see a pattern...

      Fornovo will see bigger armies with multiple commands per side.

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    2. Perfect timing re: Fornovo as I'm about to read Oman's account of the battle:).

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  3. That was a great writeup Jon. I was on the edge of my seat as to who was going emerge victorious as the fortunes kept shifting. You also have me looking at gridded Basic Impetus for a possible ancients rules set to adopt.

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    1. Thanks, Steve, and very good to see you back among the commentators!

      To me, playing Basic Impetvs on hexes makes for a very good game. Easy to adjudicate too and with quick play. We have played over a number of periods and they all provide dynamic and exciting contests. The fellas are always willing to play too! That must count for something.

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  4. Another great looking game and a good report. A close run thing again and it seemed like it could have gone either way at times.

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    1. Thanks, Donnie! The game could have gone either way, many times. Had Borgia won initiative on the last turn, perhaps Vitelli could have been broken first?

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  5. A see-saw set to and no mistake, most enjoyable to see the ups and downs.

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    1. Lots of swings in fate and fortune in this one. The best general came out on top, again...

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  6. Another very close game Jon and a very enjoyable read too.

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  7. Gripping report, great action. Another belter, Jon! The photos are a delight.

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    1. Thank you, Tony! You will get a chance to try your hand at wielding pike blocks soon.

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  8. Another close game. As I mentioned earlier it seems to me hard work going up the hill against the pikes, and a much better chance for the Papal army if they can entice them down as early as possible.

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    1. You may be on to a useful strategy for the Papal Army. How to tempt the Orsinis down from the heights is the question. I was able to successfully one-two punch the Orsini pike block on the hill and see it off but that left my entire right hanging.

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  9. Aggressive move by Mark that seems to have paid off. fast paced action all around, but good thing you found the time to take some great pics of the miniatures. I DO like your pike bases. 😁

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    1. Mark is an aggressive player who firmly lands in the "Strike First, Strike Often" camp! Perhaps this is a N.B. Forrest corollary?

      The game was face-paced and resolved quickly. With two-players and little hesitation, a small game can be decided quickly especially in a very bloody affair such as this.

      Glad you like both pics and pike bases!

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  10. That was another rip roaring game Jon, and again going down to the wire, with the possibility that either of you could have won...and an hour to play...fantastic!

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    1. It was a rip-roaring game, no doubt. Victory could have easily gone the other way but I would say that, wouldn't I?

      Yes, all finished in one hour. I considered resetting and playing it again.

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  11. Coo; these can be brutal encounters. I'd put money on your double pike blocks on the left until the centre disappeared until, until... I'm looking forward to Fornovo. I love the varying quality and types of troops, oddball circumstances (rising river for starters), interesting initial deployment and differing targets for the two commanders.

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    1. Thanks, Andrew! I put all of my money on my plan to turn the enemy's right with my two pike blocks and then rolling up the line. Having my Landsknechts repulsed in the first attack was a bit of bad luck. Mark would claim otherwise!

      I am looking forward to Fornovo as well. I am firmly in the research, design, and development stage of the scenario process now. The situation is quite interesting with challenges to overcome for both armies. First trial is planned for next week in a four or five player contest.

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  12. Lovely armies and another interesting era to play! I've wanted to collect and play the era since watching "The Borgias" years ago.

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    1. Thank you, Tony! Act upon your temptation and don’t look back.

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  13. Italian Wars fascinate me, though I know precious little about them. You and that Yarkshire Gamer fellow make them look very attractive. I may content myself with my recently arrived GMT Infeno game, though I think that is set in the 1300s and your game is ca 1500?

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    1. Hi Michael, yes your Inferno game is set during an earlier period when Florence and Siena were wrestling for control. Your period is set in the 1200s while this battle was in 1497.

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  14. Another great looking battle Jonathan!

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  15. Great gaming with lovely figures again!

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  16. Wow, a close run encounter and a bloodbath. Great that the game went down to the wire

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    1. The game was great fun and I could not ask for more in an opponent than what Mark brings to the table. Well, perhaps, I could ask for a little less luck.

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  17. Once more Mr Borgia can't get a break.

    With the rules for Impetus there is a clear advantage to being the attacker. I am not clear how far units can move but it seems they go further if charging - perhaps twice or three times as far. For the papal troops to get near enough to charge up the hill they bring themselves in range for the Orsini to charge down the hill [and for missile troops to fire seems to bring them into a vulnerable position too]. So unless Borgia can get two initiatives in a row so he can move up on one and charge on the other, he is always going to be on the back foot. It seems a lot of risk because Vitelli can just sit on the hill like a jumping spider until the enemy come close. In addition Borgia's men may begin disordered by the woods and may be further disordered by Vitelli's shot as they come into range.
    What advice, generals, would you give Mr Borgia?

    Cavalry do seem to have a problem getting away. In my first game my MAA couldn't move fast enough to avoid being attacked from behind and in this one the mounted crossbows suffer a similar plight. The tactical tip about turning to face and so fighting or running better may help one of us sometime. Is this also an effect of chargers moving much faster than others? [Again I may have this wrong]
    Stephen

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    1. Well, Mr. Borgia gets very close in most of the battles but just cannot quite see his way to victory unless I play Vitelli.

      The attacker holds an advantage due to being able to use the Impetvs Bonus. That benefit is fleeting and only applicable to the first round of melee. For heavy cavalry, they receive one extra hex of movement when charging plus the possibility of an additional hex with a successful die roll.

      Holding the high ground as Vitelli does is an advantage, for sure, but an attacker has the flexibility to choose where and when to attack.

      With retreats and pursuits all variable based upon a die roll, sometimes the pursuer catches the retreating unit sometimes not. There is a built-in bias in the Retreat/Pursuit Table that allows the retreating unit a better chance to slip away from its pursuer.

      Seeing most of the battles coming down to the very end in a closer-contested fight, I reckon Mr. Borgia is doing OK.

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  18. Great fast paced game - it really flowed well. The hidden deployment is great fun and as you can tell from the write up I’d deployed in order to fight a different battle to the one Jon presented me with. Lol. I got very lucky with the last initiative test. Both players get an option to force a re roll and when I rolled 11 Jon had little to lose and everything to gain on the last turn. Unfortunately my re roll was an even better 12. Sorry Jon. Lady Luck will have taken note of my outrageous good fortune and will undoubtedly punish me accordingly in the near future. A very close outcome overall - which made it even more fun to play.

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    1. Mark, the pace at which we played helped to make the game very fluid and quite exciting. Could Borgia and the remnants of his Papal Army have turned over the result with initiative on the last turn? We will never know.

      Great fun as always. Thank you!

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  19. Look forward to Fornovo. Not a straightforward battle so a bit of a challenge . However you made a good fist of Trasimene (also tricky) so keen to see what you deliver by the banks of the Taro.

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    1. Anthony, you are correct. Fornovo is a tricky battle to bring to the table as was Trasimene. I hope I can introduce the essence of the battle onto the tabletop and provide a challenging contest to all players.

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  20. Late to to the party, can not add new ideas but can make the thanks for your posts on your games. Personally I always read through once and revisit a few days later. Looking forward to Fornovo on your table.

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    1. Never too late, Joe, especially when you provide such good encouragement!

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  21. Excellent series Jonathan. It's been fascinating to watch the different deployments and how they have fared.
    Looking forward to Fornovo.

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    1. Thank you, Richard! I look forward to tackling Fornovo too.

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  22. Great report Jonathan and of course lovely looking game!

    Christopher

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  23. Another Dramatic game! I thought Orsini was onto a win once the pikes won and the MAA charged so successfully. I was surprised the foot crossbows lasted as long as they did against Orsini's MAA but it was bound to end as it did. Re: comments above, I'd regard the mtd crossbows taken in the rear as just scattering, it's not their business to fight hand to hand. Fornovo is a tough battle in my opinion, the stream bed is quite an obstacle either way. It'll be interesting to see the Swiss and Stradiots on the table. Looking forward to the games.

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    1. Brian, this edition of the battle was a good one. The outcome came down to victory for whichever army scored the next point. Unfortunately for me, the scales tipped in favor of Mark but it sure was a fun game. I thought I had turned Vitelli's flank with my pike and then ripped out his center with my MAA. What I forgot is that Vitelli was in position to do the same on my other flank. Sigh.

      Thanks for confirming my thoughts on the abstraction of pike vs horse. Much appreciated.

      Fornovo, while quite an unusual situation, should be able to be modeled on the gaming table. We will see soon how success I am in this pursuit. Armies are about three times the size as seen at Sanguetta. Should be a good challenge for everyone.

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  24. I am jealous of all this Italian Wars gaming while my boys languish in boxes waiting for the grand opening.

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  25. Another great game and report! It was always going to be interesting given those deployments - you both tried something quite 'different'. At first glance I thought Mark might be in trouble with all his pikes on the flanks, but his Men-At-Arms certainly dominated the centre!
    Very much looking forward to Fornovo, of course..

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    1. Thanks, David! I thought Mark might be in trouble on his right too!

      Seeing how players choose to deploy their army without knowledge of the enemy's dispositions provides an interesting twist and uncertainty. While the results ended up with five games to one in flavor of Vitelli most of the games came right down to the wire.

      Fornovo gives players a much different battle to fight. Hopefully, the games will be entertaining to all.

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  26. Another excellent battle, a close run one is always a good one in my book, unfortunately we had to cancel the Italian wars game I had planned due to illness I will just have to enjoy yours for a while longer! Good luck with Fornova, my game of it wasn't entirely satisfactory but I'm sure yours will be!
    Best Iain caveadsum1471

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    1. Thanks, Iain! Fornovo is a complicated battle to refight and Gonzaga really has his work cut out for him. We will see how satisfactory my version turns out to be. Sorry to see that your Italian War game was cancelled. Fornovo scheduled for next week for the first game.

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