The Wars of Religion - Claiming the Land
Deployment: In this scenario the two armies are contesting for control of the central battlefield features, consisting of the field and two woods. The French protestants have most of their infantry right of the central wood. Their cavalry, the Swiss regiment and a company of shot are stationed on its left. The Spanish Catholics mass their whole force opposite the French cavalry, and additionally have a strong concentration of artillery occupying the field.
Turn 1: Huguenot dragoons race ahead to secure the windmill as a strong defensible position across the enemies likely avenue of advance.
The French cavalry extend out in a thin screen whilst the Swiss retire to join up with the rest of the infantry as they march at the double to join the battle. The Spanish cavalry boldly swing around to envelope the flank, while their infantry move methodically into the centre.
Turn 2: The artillery find their mark, badly disorganizing the dragoons as an arm of the windmill crashes down amongst them.
The Catholic infantry continue to advance cautiously. Their cavalry ready themselves to fight, but the French horsemen canter backwards out of range.
Turn 3: The Italian tercio surge forwards into melee, rooting out the dragoons from their hiding place and dispersing the survivors.
The French cavalry about face and give the pursuing mounted arquebusier's a bloody nose with a volley of pistol fire.
The French infantry begin to arrive, securing the central wood and threatening the Spanish rear.
Turn 4: A detached Manga bravely charges into the wood, catching a badly deployed unit of Huguenot shot in the flank.
The massed artillery slows the French infantry, causing havoc and mayhem amongst the Picardy regiment.
The English regiment completes its redeployment, lining up along the edge of the woods. The Swiss charge the Italian tercio, causing heavy casualties and pushing them back.
Courage wavering, the men of Picardy about face and retreat from the Spanish tercio, which has countermarched to secure the armies flank.
The stunned Herguletiers fire their volley prematurely and are bowled over by the charging cuirassiers before they have a chance to flee.
With unshakeable confidence and Elan the Catholic gendarmes lower their lances and charge headlong into the Swiss pikes! In a near miraculous reversal the Swiss find themselves overmatched and suffer terrible casualties, holding together but forced to retreat by these daring anachronistic horsemen.
Elsewhere a unit of reiters has redeployed behind the Catholic lines to help secure the flank. In the woods the landsknechts have made steady progress, and catch sight of the elite Spanish tercio facing off against them.
Turn 5: The Spanish charge, but both sides are badly disorganised. In the rough ground the landsknechts with their fearsome halberds get the better of the initial fighting.
As the bloodied Swiss look on, Gendarmes and Cuirassiers clash in a deadly cavalry melee. Once again the obsolescent lancers triumph, putting the heretics to flight.
The remaining cuirassiers even the score by circling round to charge down the retreating mounted arquebusiers
But the tide of the cavalry battle turns to the Catholics once more as the Argoulets are routed by the the ponderous and heavily armored Reiters.
Back in the woods the landsknechts push forwards to cut down a detached Spanish Manga, but in doing so expose their flank to the tercio.
After a deadly turn both sides have had their cavalry forces whittled down, but the Spanish still have the edge. The central forest remains in Protestant hands and the Picardy regiment have recovered their courage and turned round once more to threaten the Spanish Tercio. The Italian Tercio stays put and reorganises, reluctant to face the strong line of English and Swiss regiments underprepared.
Turn 6: The Spanish tercio hurl themselves forwards into the landsknechts flank. These brave Germans are hemmed in with nowhere to retreat, but manage to keep their formation and hold the Spanish off rather than melt away into the trees.
The Picardy regiment come to their aid, impaling themselves on the pikes of the deadly tercio and taking terrible casualties, but also wearying and delaying the enemy.
The final unit of cuirassiers, surge forwards to take on the gendarmes. At last overthrowing them and trampling their banners into the mud, but at the cost of many dead Hugeunots.
Watching their own horsemen gallop away in flight, the Spanish guns fire down into the melee. Soon the remnant of the cuirassiers lose their stomach for the fight and also retire from the field.
At the end of Turn 6 the French solidly hold two of the three objectives. Although lapping at their flanks, the Spanish commander realizes he has no fresh reserves to push the enemy out of the forest. French Protestants win!
Turn 1: Huguenot dragoons race ahead to secure the windmill as a strong defensible position across the enemies likely avenue of advance.
The French cavalry extend out in a thin screen whilst the Swiss retire to join up with the rest of the infantry as they march at the double to join the battle. The Spanish cavalry boldly swing around to envelope the flank, while their infantry move methodically into the centre.
Turn 2: The artillery find their mark, badly disorganizing the dragoons as an arm of the windmill crashes down amongst them.
The Catholic infantry continue to advance cautiously. Their cavalry ready themselves to fight, but the French horsemen canter backwards out of range.
Turn 3: The Italian tercio surge forwards into melee, rooting out the dragoons from their hiding place and dispersing the survivors.
The French cavalry about face and give the pursuing mounted arquebusier's a bloody nose with a volley of pistol fire.
The French infantry begin to arrive, securing the central wood and threatening the Spanish rear.
The massed artillery slows the French infantry, causing havoc and mayhem amongst the Picardy regiment.
The English regiment completes its redeployment, lining up along the edge of the woods. The Swiss charge the Italian tercio, causing heavy casualties and pushing them back.
Courage wavering, the men of Picardy about face and retreat from the Spanish tercio, which has countermarched to secure the armies flank.
The stunned Herguletiers fire their volley prematurely and are bowled over by the charging cuirassiers before they have a chance to flee.
With unshakeable confidence and Elan the Catholic gendarmes lower their lances and charge headlong into the Swiss pikes! In a near miraculous reversal the Swiss find themselves overmatched and suffer terrible casualties, holding together but forced to retreat by these daring anachronistic horsemen.
Elsewhere a unit of reiters has redeployed behind the Catholic lines to help secure the flank. In the woods the landsknechts have made steady progress, and catch sight of the elite Spanish tercio facing off against them.
Turn 5: The Spanish charge, but both sides are badly disorganised. In the rough ground the landsknechts with their fearsome halberds get the better of the initial fighting.
As the bloodied Swiss look on, Gendarmes and Cuirassiers clash in a deadly cavalry melee. Once again the obsolescent lancers triumph, putting the heretics to flight.
The remaining cuirassiers even the score by circling round to charge down the retreating mounted arquebusiers
But the tide of the cavalry battle turns to the Catholics once more as the Argoulets are routed by the the ponderous and heavily armored Reiters.
Back in the woods the landsknechts push forwards to cut down a detached Spanish Manga, but in doing so expose their flank to the tercio.
After a deadly turn both sides have had their cavalry forces whittled down, but the Spanish still have the edge. The central forest remains in Protestant hands and the Picardy regiment have recovered their courage and turned round once more to threaten the Spanish Tercio. The Italian Tercio stays put and reorganises, reluctant to face the strong line of English and Swiss regiments underprepared.
Turn 6: The Spanish tercio hurl themselves forwards into the landsknechts flank. These brave Germans are hemmed in with nowhere to retreat, but manage to keep their formation and hold the Spanish off rather than melt away into the trees.
The Picardy regiment come to their aid, impaling themselves on the pikes of the deadly tercio and taking terrible casualties, but also wearying and delaying the enemy.
The final unit of cuirassiers, surge forwards to take on the gendarmes. At last overthrowing them and trampling their banners into the mud, but at the cost of many dead Hugeunots.
Watching their own horsemen gallop away in flight, the Spanish guns fire down into the melee. Soon the remnant of the cuirassiers lose their stomach for the fight and also retire from the field.
At the end of Turn 6 the French solidly hold two of the three objectives. Although lapping at their flanks, the Spanish commander realizes he has no fresh reserves to push the enemy out of the forest. French Protestants win!
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