Defending the DEFENSIBLE!

Two Condottieri clashed in my basement some evenings ago:  I led the Colleoni's retinue. Paolo led the Camposampiero's one. 

Camposampiero was a noble family from... Camposampiero, near Padua. They had a large fortune during XII century, controlling large territories, but eventually they supported the wrong sides and were virtually annihilated. In our game (set in the first half of XV century) one member of this family tries to defend the few possession still owned by the family. To reinforce his retinue he hired a mercenary force, composed by Swiss pikemens.

Having lost much of the past power Da Camposampiero was Sly (no morale bonus). Colleoni was lionhearted (re-roll up to two dice in combat). The Venetian Condottiere had to burn down the last Camposampiero tower.

The mission looked easy: Albanese Stradiotti hurried forward the tower, defended by one unit of foot sergeants and one of expert archers. However they managed to fail evasion and were caught by an unexpected assault from the men defending the tower. They were exterminated and the few survivors fled immediatly after.

The bold infantrymen then took a defensive position between two rough piece of terrains and effectively delayed further advances.

On Colleoni's left flank the skirmisher advance was repulsed by the prompt arrival of reinforcements (I never saw such a quick march from foot sergeants, probably my failed activation played a role).

On the right flank Camposampiero mounted men at arms launched repetead charges against the Venetian to gain time. They fought to the last men (comprising their commander), but by that time, a sturdy defensive line was formed in front of the tower, and the Venetian losses began to worry Colleoni. When his skirmisher were caught in the woods and routed he decided that the life of half of his man was a price to expensive to pay. The Camposampiero family was save once again.

Few years after they bended the knee and started fighting for Venice. But this is an other story, yet to be written.

In the nearby village no one expects a punitive raid

The stradiots are caught unprepared by Camposampiero's men advance.

The golden lion rampant in light blue field is the coat of arms of family Camposampiero. Two lions clashed here!

The Swiss mercenaries prevents further attacks

My harvest! - Lion Rampant AAR

In Venetian Negroponte, a merchant hires a Condotta to fend off Turkish hands over his harvest.

Yesterday we played a game of Lion Rampant in my basement, and, as I learnt to be happy for the small things, for the first time since I started wargaming (i.e. 6 years ago, more or less) I could host a complete 28mm game using only my strenght: every miniature, scenery dice and ruleset was mine. Surely a result I could have achieved a lot earlier if I hadn't split my attention into different projects and always refused doing scenery (of course hating scratch building doesn't help me). But people grow up and hey, here we are! Of course some miniatures (just 12 actually) are still unpainted, and bases need to be finished, but I see it as a positive step.

After this ramble, the proper after action record.

The game was played by Steno (Ottoman Turkish) and my twin Edoardo (Venetian Condotta), I was the game master (too happy to lay down my new scenery). I roll on the scenario generator a "Sausage with mustard" game, but the list were chosen by them, they agreed for 30 points per side.

Ottoman Turkish

Foot MAA* @6 points

Expert Archers Janissery@6 points

Foot Sergeants@4points + 1 point for Musician (+1 morale)

Expert Mounted Yeomen@6points

Mounted Sergeants+bows@5 points

Bidowers@2 points

Venetian Condotta

Drilled Mounted MAA @7 points

Expert Foot Sergeants @6 points +1 point for Merchant (+1 morale)

Foot Sergeants@4 points

Bidowers@2 points

Bidowers@2 points

Mounted Yeomen@4 points

Archers@4 points

 

Background

Negroponte (now Euboea) an island in front of Greece in Venetian possession for centuries, during the Ottoman-Venetian war lasting from 1463 and 1479 was raided several times and finally conquered by the Ottoman after a long siege. We are in the earlier years of the war and the Merchant Alvise Valmarana has hired a condotta led by a Colleoni family member to defend his extensive properties on the island, mainly farms. The Turkish commander Ajeje Brazorf (of Serbian descent, as most of the Janissaries who were former christians) is going to burn down the just harvested grain to prevent the Venetian to supply the besieged city of Chalcis."

The commanders are rash (Ajeje) and Vulnerable (Colleoni).

Stradiots defending the four targets markers

Alvise pondering his chance to save his harvest!

Battle

The battle proved inconclusive, the Venetian Stradiots tasked to form fend off the first assaults, broke after a brief shooting engage. The Venetian commander died in battle (or was taken prisoner, who knows?) and one haystacks was set to fire by Turkish Azab (bidowers). The Turkish General and his Armoured Janissiers (foot men at arms) were chasing down almost any enemy they met (and who they were obliged to charge), and just Ajeje and one bodyguard stand at the end of the battle, which was called by me (as gamemaster) due to an heavy rainstorm hitting the battlefield.

the last standing of Colleoni!

Eventually an haystack is on fire!

Lot of fun was had by both the players, I also learnt how to modify pictures to make them more visually appealing, so a positive verdict for my first autarchic game!