Agnadello, Game #4

Game #4 in the series of 1509 Battle of Agnadello refights took place a week ago and saw a rematch with the players of Game #1 (see BatRep: Agnadello 1509).  In Game #4, players switch sides with Tony (Carpi) and David B. (Alviano) commanding the Venetian Army while Mark (King Louis XII) and Chris (Chamont) taking command of the French Army.  On Turn 5, David C. joins in to take over Tremoille's reinforcing column.    

Armies arrayed for battle.

Recall that in Game#1, the battle ended in Tony and David B. scoring a decisive French victory.  Would game #4 even the score?  Read on to find out!

As both armies advance toward one another, Carpi moves his light cavalry forward in a charge against the King's exposed guns.  As an aside, in my two games with Richard, this ploy worked for Richard when he led the Venetians but failed for me when I was at the Venetian helm.  For Tony, this day sees the Stradiots sweep away both guns without hardly breaking a sweat!  The Venetians are off to a solid start.  Carpi's two pike blocks hold their positions behind the irrigation ditch as Chamont brings his troops forward. Gascon crossbowmen take up positions in the vineyards and harass the Italian pikemen.

Stradiots attack!

Both of the King's guns are destroyed!

The French Right Wing advances against the Venetian Left.

Venetians come under fire.

Annoyed by losing his guns at the start of battle, King Louis orders his wing forward.  Having overrun the French guns, the Stradiots briefly tangle with the Swiss before retiring in search of a way out of the bind in which they find themselves.  These horsemen make a long ride behind enemy lines!

The King sets his wing into motion.

Stradiots' long ride behind enemy lines!

In an effort to counter the King's movements against the Venetian Right, Alviano begins the laborious process of bringing his cavalry across the ditch.  Having successfully brought his light cavalry over the obstacle and while making its way through the woods, Alviano's light cavalry come up against enemy cavalry.  Before clearing the woods, the Venetian horsemen are attacked by the King's mounted crossbow and driven back.  Sticking with them, the crossbowmen scatter the enemy when pursuit leads to rout.

Having dispatched the Venetian light cavalry, headlong pursuit brings the pursuers face to face with Alviano leading his MAA over the ditch.  Still disordered from their fight with the terrain, Alviano easily sees the light cavalry off.  The French light cavalry retreat after having suffered heavy casualties.  Alviano takes up pursuit of the pursuers and continues forward into more French light cavalry.  By now, Alviano's attacks have run out of momentum, and he orders his MAA back into the woods to recover. 

Light cavalry clash in the woods...

the French pursue...

but are thrown back when Alviano brings his MAA up.

Exhausted, Alviano retires back to the safety of the woods. 

Carpi's Italian pike blocks continue taking crossbow fire as the rightmost block turns to face a potential threat from the King's French pikemen.  Carpi keeps his heavy gun in action by pounding the Gascons in the vineyard.  Neither army is anxious to cross the ditch to bring the fight to the enemy.

Looks like a stand-off in the center.

Back on the French Left, the King takes advantage of Alviano's reluctance to emerge from the woods.  If the Italians will not come out, the King will go in!  Given the difficulty of the ground, the odds are about even as the French Gendarmes move into the woods.  In a brief clash, Alviano is sent backwards into the ditch.  At the head of his Gendarmes, King Louis sets off in pursuit, but the nature of the ground prevents him from catching the fleeing Italians.  In fact, the King completely misjudges the direction of retreat and completely bypasses the enemy in the woods! 

Alviano attacked...

and driven off by the King!

In the confusion, King Louis pursues past Alviano.

After peppering the central Italian pike block with missile fire, the French pikemen enter the ditch to take the fight to the Italians.  In a lengthy pike scrum, the Italians are pushed back.  Losses mount.  

Over the ditch...

and into the Italians!

Like the King's heavy cavalry attack against Alviano on the Venetian Right, on the French Right, Chamont leads his Gendarmes against the Venetian Left into an attack on Carpi and his MAA.  In the swirling melee, Carpi and his Italians are driven off with Chamont in pursuit.  Both bodies of Italian heavy cavalry are in retreat!  The security of Alviano's flanks is crumbling.  

Chamont vs Carpi

Carpi is defeated and retreats!

Back in the center, the French victory against Carpi's pike block is short-lived.  Having finally come down from the high ground and crossed the ditch, one of Alviano's own pike blocks smacks into the French pikemen.  While the French suffer heavy losses, they stubbornly maintain their ground.  Alviano's Italians are tossed back into the ditch!  

Italian pike block attacks...

and are repulsed!

French pikemen hold their ground, worse for the wear,

much worse for the wear.

As the rain begins to fall with more determination, and the ground is getting heavy, the third French Battle of Tremoille arrives onto the battlefield.  On the Venetian Left, Carpi is coming under increasing pressure as missile fire is concentrated upon his pike block that remains positioned defending the ditch.  With Italian MAA dispatched and Chamont leading his Gendarmes off to the Italian rear, these pikemen could be in serious jeopardy.      

Tremoille and the rain arrives.

The noose tightens.

To relieve pressure on Carpi, Alviano's Provisionati pike block crosses the ditch and crashes into the remnants of the French pike block.  The French are pushed back to the ditch with the Italians in hot pursuit.  Not only are the French dispatched but an adjacent body of Gascon crossbow are driven back as well.  Immediate results are promising but success is fleeting.  The King's Swiss erupt out of the ditch and drive the Italian pikemen off.

Into the French...

scattering them before they can escape.

Swiss drive off the Italians!

The Venetian Army is wavering from setbacks all across the battlefield.  In rapid succession, the French decisively turn the tide of battle.  First Tremoille's Gendarmes ride down the Venetian light cavalry marauding in the rear.  Then, the King dispatches Alviano's MAA before they can get out of harm's way.  Finally, Chamont's Swiss come up out of the ditch to push the Italians back.  These final acts are just enough to break the Venetian Army. 

Finishing off the renegade light cavalry.

Scattering Alviano's MAA.

Swiss attacking out from the ditch.

Venetian Army ready to break!

This battle is over and Alviano must extract what is left of his army from the battlefield.  

Victory to the French, Mark, Chris, David C.!

Butcher's Bill

A glance at the Dead Pile shows that in terms of stands lost, casualties were about even.  What really cost the Venetians was the loss of both units of MAA.  Without losing the Venetian heavy cavalry, the battle may have lasted a turn or two more.  Alviano may have actually been able to hold on long enough to run out the clock before Tremoille could get his Battle firmly into the fight.  With rain coming down, getting Tremoille into battle would be no easy task.

Great job guys in a battle well-fought.  Midgame, it looked like the Venetians had a solid chance to overturn the historical result, but it was just not to be.

Very exciting battle to watch unfold.  As the Italian Wars armies are cleared from the table, next time, something completely different will show up for a few games.