Still Fornovocating

We return to the Battle of Fornovo and Game #4 in these refights.  In tabletop action on the 16th, five players join into a remote game to try their hand at command.  Mark, the seasoned veteran of my version of Basic Impetvs (BI) on a grid and of Fornovo in particular, was joined by Brian and Stephen (both veterans of BI and Italian Wars from a pair of Sanguetta battles), and Doug and Alan.  Doug and Alan were both new to BI and possibly even remote gaming. 

Armies ready to battle.

As a refresher, the armies are deployed as shown in the photo below with player assignments given.

Initial deployments and player commands

With three games in the logbook, the score stands at two wins for the Italians against one win for the French.  Let's see how Game #4 played out.  On to battle!

The Italians are allowed to place one unit from each command at each of the three fords across the Taro River.  In this battle, all three commanders place heavy, close order infantry at the fords.  Knowing that the Italians hold the initiative for the first activation on Turn 1 and that Caiazzo has light cavalry blocking the French path to the north, the French Left Wing under de Gie (Mark) readies for the attack he expects will fall upon him.  When Gonzaga's signal is given, Caiazzo (Brian) snaps into action.  De Gie is not surprised.   

de Gie's massive Swiss pike blocks prepares for battle.

Caiazzo wastes no time.  His German pike block emerges from the ford and prepares to march against the French.  Caiazzo's light cavalry on the French side of the Taro attack.  One attack goes in against the skirmishers and suffers heavily. The other launches a harassing attack against the Swiss.  Both attacks are driven off.  

Caiazzo sends his light cavalry into de Gie.

Two attacks are driven back with heavy casualties.

Now it is de Gie's turn to retaliate.

De Gie is not interested in dealing with Caiazzo just yet.  Rather, he is intent on stopping Gonzaga from making a bridgehead on the French side of the Taro.  After a preparatory bombardment from his guns, de Gie sets off at the head of his Gendarmes toward the enemy infantry still crossing the Taro.

The French heavy cavalry smack into the enemy infantry at river's edge and drive them back.  De Gie barrels on into the Taro in hot pursuit.  Emerging from the ford on the Italian side of the river, de Gie is met by both Gonzaga's MAA and the Italian infantry.  In a protracted melee, de Gie bucks the odds and sends the enemy reeling back toward the foothills.  De Gie presses on!  Again, the two bodies fight in desperation.  Again, de Gie overcomes the odds and the enemy is driven back into the foothills.  There are not as many Italians on the field as before.  Exhausted, de Gie and his Gendarmes stop.  Where the Italian Center filled the battle line moments before, a gaping hole in the Italian line remains.  

De Gie crashes into the Taro and the enemy!

With the enemy recoiling, de Gie pursues. 

De Gie cuts a massive hole deep into the Italian battle line.

Well, that attack was a wake up call to all!

De Gie's mad romp across the Taro does not last long and neither does he.  With his back pushed up against the foothills, Gonzaga counterattacks to push de Gie back.  De Gie and his Gendarmes are not pushed back, however.  Instead, de Gie and his men are cut down where they stand.  Gonzaga advances to the Taro to retake his positions.  

Seeing de Gie's unexpected and quick success in the center, the King (Doug) redeploys his wing to face de Montone's (Alan's) Italians as they begin to cross the Taro.  As de Montone's infantry emerge from the Taro, we stop for a quick rules' discussion on the options of launching cavalry attacks either in sequence or in unison.  Doug decides that going in together makes the most sense so in go two bodies of French Gendarmes with the King leading the way.

French Gendarmes wait
while the enemy emerges from the Taro.

Shaking more dice than can be comfortably held in one hand, the King and his Gendarmes crash into the Italians.  With heavy losses, the Italians are driven back into the river.  One body of Gendarmes pursue while the King holds his bodyguard back in reserve.  Still shaken from the initial clash, the Italian foot continue to retreat.  Not wanting to enter the Taro in pursuit, the French pull up.      

The French attack!
The Italians are driven back into the Taro.

With the ford clear and the French holding the opposite bank, de Montone launches a counterattack with his MAA. In they splash into the river.  Coming up the other bank, the Italian MAA target the mounted crossbow.  Even with the Gendarmes in support, the French are driven back from the Taro's banks.  Victorious and enemy cavalry falling back, de Montone's heavy cavalry climbs up the other side and sets off in pursuit.

Italian MAA counterattack, push the French back,...

and pursue.

Disordered after their efforts, de Monotone's MAA find themselves facing the King and his Gendarmes.  Still unblemished from their earlier supporting effort, the French Gendarmes see off the wavering Italians.  The King pursues and the Italians retreat back across the Taro.  The Gendarmes pull up at the banks of the Taro.  To cover the MAA's retreat, de Montone pushes his infantry back into the Taro.

The King counterattacks!
The Italian heavy cavalry falls back.

Italian infantry block the ford.

With the battle seemingly settled on the Italian Left Wing and Center, we skip back to the action on the Italian Right Wing.  Seeing Caiazzo and his MAA holding a bridgehead on the French side of the Taro, the Swiss move up to contest the crossing.  Alone and unsupported on the French side of the river, Caiazzo falls back from the weight and determination of the Swiss massive pike block.   

Swiss attack Caiazzo...

and push the Italians back into the river.

Even with the Italians holding two of the three fords, the Taro is rising quickly.  The Italians will have great difficulty crossing the Taro.  With the French controlling their side of the river, attacking from these positions at great disadvantage looks pointless. 

The French control the Taro River.

Gonzaga chooses to disengage.

Seeing his army badly mauled and the Taro River rising quickly, Gonzaga concedes the field to the French.  The King is free to continue his march toward Parma. 

While the new players (Doug and Alan) gained their footing in this battle and the dice were, at times, uneven, this was a fascinating battle to watch unfold.  After witnessing this action, I am reminded of an almost identical outcome in the historical battle.  Tuesday's game could be used as a proxy narrative to the actual battle.

Great game and well-played by all!

Congratulations to all but especially to Doug and Mark for their impressive victory.  I must give the Italians (Stephen, Brian, and Alan) kudos for their determination in fighting back from the surprising and complete collapse of the Italian Center on Turn 1.  Mark should frame those dice!

Thanks again everyone.  Great game and great company!

At Fornovo, the score is now tied at two games apiece for each army.