Endless Fornovocating

For those keeping score at home, four Battles of Fornovo are in the books with the French and Italians knotted at two wins apiece.  Game #5 took place last Tuesday with a full complement of five players.  Chris and Tony commanded the French Army.  Mark, Dave, and Stephen took the reins of the Italian League.

Armies arrayed for battle

Initial army dispositions and commands.

With the ground and situation likely familiar to regular readers, I dive straight into the battle chronicle. 

Gonzaga's Italian League begins the battle by occupying the three fords.  Caiazzo pushes his skirmishers into the Taro River with plans to establish a bridgehead while Gonzaga orders a body of Men-at-Arms (MAA) forward into the river.  De Montone sends his mixed infantry retinue splashing into the ford.

Having the initiative as the battle begins, Gonzaga orders Caiazzo to engage the enemy.  Caiazzo's light cavalry harass the enemy while the Italian Right Wing works to bring Caiazzo's command across the river.  While Caiazzo is bringing his wing to the French side of the Taro, de Gie comes forward leading his Gendarmes toward the river.  De Gie's skirmishers try to counter Caiazzo's demonstrations against his left.  Both French artillery and archers harass Gonzaga's MAA as they negotiate the ford.  

King Charles strikes!

Seeing the Italian MAA struggling to cross the Taro, the French King Charles, leading his Gendarmes, strikes.  Crashing into the Taro, the King hits the Italians midstream.  Unfortunately, both bodies of horsemen are hampered by the river and the slippery rocks on the river bottom.  After a protracted melee, the King is forced back to dry ground to regroup alongside de Gie's MAA.  Both bodies of horse have suffered from the exertion but the Italians gain the upper hand and emerge from the river somewhat worse for the wear.

To expand the limited bridgehead so that more of Gonzaga's command can cross, the Italian MAA debouch from the river and jump from the frying pan and into the fire.  As the Italians move toward the French battle line, they are stopped by the seemingly immovable object of de Gie's Gendarmes.  In the ensuing clash, the already wavering Italians are driven off and plunge back into the river with de Gie in hot pursuit.  These Italians are done for the day.  To replace his lead body of now dispersed MAA, Gonzaga moves up to the Taro at the head of his Famila Ducale.

Italian MAA emerge from the Taro...

only to find themselves face to face with the enemy.

Already wavering, the Italians are quickly dispatched.

Now, time for de Montone to attempt to force the Taro.  His mixed infantry cross without incident followed up quickly by his MAA.  With both horse and foot on the French bank of the Taro, de Gie orders a body of crossbowmen into the river.   

de Montone begins the crossing...

to establish a bridgehead across the Taro River.

Despite the difficulties of fighting his way across the Taro, Gonzaga repulses de Gie's MAA.  With heavy losses, de Gie retreats back through his own artillery line.  Skirmishing continues to dominate the French Left as the Stradiots swarm among the enemy. 

Gonzaga attacks from the river!

de Gie and his Gendarmes are driven off.

With de Montone forming a bridgehead on the French held side of the Taro, the King sends de Foix' Gendarmes (the second body of Gendarmes in the King’s command) in against the enemy while he buys time to bring up his infantry.  Initially, de Foix' Gendarmes see success as de Montone's MAA are pushed back into the river.  Undaunted by this setback, de Montone's MAA fight on as the melee seems to turn against the French Gendarmes.  Finally, the elastic snaps and the Gendarmes race for the rear.  De Montone and his MAA pick up the chase.  Caught from behind, the French Gendarmes are scattered.  We hear Chris decrying, Oh, the humanity! as his Gendarmes are lost.  The Italians now have a strong foothold on the French side of the river.

Chris' Gendarmes (de Foix) crashes into enemy MAA. 

de Foix wins the initial clash...

driving de Montone and his MAA back into the river.

With tenacious spirit, de Montone fights on...

and the French are eventually forced back. 

De Montone pursues and
 de Foix' Gendarmes are cut down.

De Montone gains a foothold
upon the French side of the Taro.

The Italian foothold gained under de Montone's leadership is short-lived.  

Bringing up his infantry, the King orders his crossbow and spearmen forward.  Assailed by volleys of crossbow bolts, the Italian MAA waver before dissolving back toward the ford.  Unfortunately, the river has risen even more and the horsemen drown in their attempt to escape. 

De Montone's MAA destroyed!

Even with a French advance on his right, the King is not happy with his situation in the center.  Not wanting to get caught out, he leads his Gendarmes to the rear.  Now, both de Gie and the King, himself, are falling back behind the safety of the guns.  Caiazzo brings his German pikemen across the Taro as the waters rise. 

The King retires!

Situation for the King is dicey. 

Watching the French Center fall back, Gonzaga seizes the moment.  At the head of his Famila Ducale, he charges the guns.  The French guns are overrun.  Gonzaga's pursuit carries him into the rear of de Gie's Gendarmes.  Not surprisingly, the French cavalry are scattered.  With a gaping hole cut through the French Center, Gonzaga charges on.  His luck has run its course, however.  Stymied by light cavalry to his front, he is attacked from the rear.  His Famila Ducale are destroyed.  Gonzaga narrowly escapes capture.      

Gonzaga overruns French guns...

scatters de Gie's Gendarmes...

but is finally stopped before
he could deliver the coup de grace.

Having sent off de Montone's MAA, the King's infantry advances to finish off the Italian infantry who now find themselves isolated on the wrong side of the rapidly rising river.  With preparatory volleys from crossbow, the French close with the enemy.  In a hard clash, the Italians suffer greatly.  Reduced to half strength, the Italians are compelled to retreat.  The Taro, however, has risen too high and the Italians either drown in vain attempts to cross or lay down their arms to the enemy.  

Italians fight with their backs to the Taro.

The Italians will not be crossing here!

With his army now split by the rising Taro and his remaining infantry trapped on the wrong side of the river, Gonzaga is lucky to make his way back across the swollen river.  Facing a massive Swiss pike block and French infantry marching toward the center, the remaining Italian infantry's prospects are dim.  For the Italian League, the battle is over.  

Italian infantry trapped on the wrong side of the Taro River.

Fornovo delivered, once again, another exciting battle.  The battle witnessed its share of ebb and flow as the two armies clashed, retired, pursued, and clashed again.  Watching this battle unfold with every twist and turn of fate and fortune was a pleasure.  The battle saw hard-fought action throughout with a decision up for grabs until the end.  The outcome really could have tipped the other way although weighing heavily on the Italian loss was the destruction of three or their four MAA.  Game completed in under three hours.

Congratulations to Tony and Chris for coming away with victory, no matter how narrow.  In post-game discussion the French noted that they figured all was lost more than once.  They persevered!

My condolences to the Italian commanders of Mark, Stephen, and Dave.  They also fought hard and we even were treated by some good dice throwing by Dave!  

In the end, a rising river does not float all boats but takes heavily armored men to the bottom.

Great fun, fellas, thank you!

Fornovo Game #6 is on deck for a final Tuesday performance.  After that, I clear the table and consider what to bring to the table next.