Memory Lane: Landsknecht Fun from back in 2012

It is always nice to get comments on posts but I was pleasantly surprised at getting one from 2012 when I was playing about with the Renaissance period and 28mm Maximillian Italian Wars armies. I also struggled to find everything on one place as it spanned over two months. So as much for my benefit as anyone else here are the Blog postings in one place:   

• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2012/03/renaissance-impetus.html
• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2012/03/clatter-of-dice-opening-rounds.html
• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2012/03/meat-of-affair-all-forces-engaged.html
• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2012/04/swiss-bleed-maximilians-men.html
• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2012/04/from-fires-of-hell-dragons-teeth-are.html
• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2012/03/gun-for-all-seasons.html
• https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2012/03/web-link-landsknecht-painting-guide.html

This has of course caught the attention of the wargaming butterfly in me. So who knows what "winter project" might emerge from this unexpected comment in 2020 on something I played with in 2012 (thank you Mike B). 

More Foot Sergeants - 28mm FireForge

Seeing as I was down a few crossbowmen for my Renaissance Army I made up 24 FireForge Foot Sergeants as crossbowmen (see below):

The remaining 24 were a combination of Spear, Battle Axe, Sword and Mace. Excellent figures (see below, another gamer noted their potential usefulness for Frostgrave):

Need another box of these ;)

Dreaming Big - Maximilian Renaissance Army List 1499-1518

Dream Big: Laid out in "card bases" (suitable for 28/25mm figures) as per the Impetus Rules. I give you "The Maximilian Imperial Renaissance Army List 1499-1518" (see below, note that's not a small carpet it's on!):

And (sadly) this is the (small) portion I have managed to paint over the last decade, but on the upside I have had fun (see below):

Compare the above to when the ensemble includes the lead mountain (see below, approximately 50% of the potential full army):

You will know what I'll be doing for the next twenty years (if given the chance)!

Mounted Sergeants-At-Arms (FireForge Games) aka Mounted Crossbowmen for my Impetus Renaissance Army.

After all this work on micro (1/3000) scale stuff I had the urge to put together some 28mm plastics (aka the "big stuff" that I can see better - 15mm scare me these days) together and chose the FireForge Games Sergeant-At-Arms (mounted) as it was on top of the "stack" (a "last-in" but "first-out" of data structure). Nice kit and I have been waiting to do these for some time. The box is a direct copy of the Mounted Sergeants but it has a 'sprue' of six crossbowmen which was the deal breaker as it will be ideal to give me an extra Impetus stand (or two, if I hide a sword armed chappie in the midst of the block of four and get eight from six .. a cunning plan) for my Maximilian 'Italian Wars' Renaissance Army (see below, notice how there are only two sprues of bodie parts to make up eight men, strange at first I thought I was going mad as I thought I had counted twelve, I then thought it must have been a packing error. I then found out I was the victim of a childish prank by my eldest for pulling him out of PS4-land making him see natural sunlight - silly as he obviously forgot his birthday is coming up soon .. looks like the Physics or French text book it is then! So all is well I have twelve to play with):

So the horses went together sweetly, very reminiscent (in a good way) of Games Workshop standard troop types that will lend themselves well to good brush stroke painting, The mounted crossbowmen were cool to put together although I cannot vouch for the poses I chose given the horses were all going at the gallop. The boys might in reality "fall off" in real life (see below, there are eight here but now that I have been reunited with the missing 'body sprue' I have another four axe, sword, spear and mace ones to make):

They are a good but and together with the Mounted Sergeants (FireForge Games .. still to assemble), the Men-At-Arms (Perry's Miniatures .. still to assemble) and the Teutonic Knights (FireForge Games .. assembled but still to paint) I have more horse than I can shake a stick at (or should that be 'pike at'). I do still have the mad urge to get the Perry, Light Renaissance Horse too, but that is because I am getting a little "28mm mad" seeing everything that comes as plastic in a box circa £20 as a bargain!

Impetus: Renaissance Man (of Pike) "Wish List"

My Italian Wars (and maybe Charles V HRE versus Imperial Swiss) Renaissance Army for Impetus "needs" the following:

Four little Harquebusiers (Sk unit) [needed for Charles V versus Swiss] which are almost finished, just a few facial details and their 'jackets' [figure mid-section] to address (see below):

Four crossbowmen (Sk unit) [for the earlier Italian Wars period], thus allowing for various Order of Battle permutations (see below, not really started yet).

These are required to screen my army's infantry frontage as they advance like all good pike armies do. More of the same Harquebusier are needed to make another full Shot unit (see below):

I also need to build a third rank of Pike [for the Charles V Spanish Coruna using old GW Empire Spearmen] (see below, note the interested" hand of a small child in the background):

This formation needs to be festooned with a unit of nasty (for the other side) skirmish "Dopplesoldners" (Sk with Impact) (see below):

Finally there is the the HRE himself with courtier (see below):

Longer term I'll need more pike, a third at least. I have one from the Perry's excellent plastic range to make a full pike block (see below):

I think these will be much quicker to paint than pike block number four, made from Wargames Foundry metals (again another full pike block, but will be a labour of love so to speak) whcih I have in a box in the loft. In anticipation of this I am in the process of creating another "front pike unit" with lowered pike and leader/swordsman types. Here they are in the first stages after undercoating is to give them a rough base colour (see below):

Once I have 'bulked out' the infantry the plan is to return back to the cavalry wings ;)

Four Mounted Men of Renaissance

Four Renaissance "mounted harquebusiers" finally are completed (see below):

These are from the Redoubt Enterprise Renaissance range and are lovely little things. In Charles V's Impetus Holy Roman Emperor's army list they are Skirmish capable but for some reason in the Italian Wars they are Medium. They are much more useful in the former role as they can shield the heavies (Burgundian or Men-At-Arms) from unwanted harassing attention

Nice to finally get them done :)

Painting Tray

A variety of toys on table (see below):

• Fairey Battle (mostly made and with it's base coat of paint)
• Renaissance Crossbowmen (Painted and Based)
• Mounted Renaissance Harquebusiers (slight bit of basing work to be done)
• Chaos Space Marines (Primes, Washed and in the throes of an experimental Gold and Red colour scheme)
• Five Mini Plaster Cast Lego Star Wars Figures (say no more)

They are cluttering up the bathroom shelf at the moment so I need to get a move on ;)

28mm Renaissance Mounted Harquebusiers (Impetus Troops)

This posting has been over a year in the making.

Ever since my Burgundian Knights and Germanic Men-At-Arms were added to my Renaissance army I felt the need for lighter mounted troops to cover them to create a sense of balance (speaking of which the infantry needs more Pike). My Mounted Crossbows (CL) were only one half of the equation, these Mounted Harquebusiers (CM in Impetus terms) are the other (see below, in their current most advanced state, with the basing 'half' complete):

"Impetus" has fast become my favourite wargaming rule set for linear pre-musket era (stretching back to the ancients, but I still am active in the DBMM camp). It certainly ranks alongside "Chain of Command"  for enjoyment an non-deterministic "shock" value. My only problem is that I have kit but seemingly not the time to paint them! The painting started over a year ago (see below, a basic undercoat black):

Though technically not Light Horse (so it is harder for them to get out of the way) these are destined to be an important screening force to 'shove in front' of some decent impact cavalry to avoid them getting cheaply spent. Wanting them to do "them proud" I searched the Internet and pulled this useful  "crib painting sheet" in the below  photograph from:

http://rctlittlesoldiers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/detail-on-knights-and-light-cavalry.html (see below):

I tried to give the horses a three-tone treatment, but always feel I chicken out of washing the legs dark enough. My lack real horse experience shows here methinks, I paint almost a typical cartoon representation, but at least try and vary the shades of colour. I decided to make these rider's jackets a bit more brighter (see below):

Then the riders were 'browned-up' in the legging department (see below):

The good news is that the 'boys' have already made it to the tabletop for an Impetus wargame in a "basic paint form" (see below):

They did well enough, shooting at some offending infantry at close range, but true my earlier comment "got in the way" of the very troops they were supposed to be screening. CM cavalry seems to have been more useful in earlier ancient times, when armoured four-legged tanks were less common. I might even 'pretend' they are Mounted Crossbow if the need comes in the next game ;)  

At the moment they just need to be finished off with the basing painted, highlighted and flocked. Watch this space for a final photo later.

Impetus: Renaissance versus Medieval

My 350 points Italian Wars Renaissance army deployed in a compact formation. My newest unit (of Mounted Arquebusiers) had reached the 'minimum painting' threshold to be allowed in my eyes to take to the field (see below):

I was facing a Burgundian Ordinance (packed with Wars of the Roses English Long-bowmen) medieval army, the nearest historical opponent I could find on the Impetus battle club night. It was a long, long, long line of Men-At-Arms/Spears backed by a rear rank of Longbows for the most part, with no cavalry (see below):

The battlefield was constrained by impassable and rough terrain, leaving a Central Valley for my invading Pike Blocks to concentrate on. As my army (quite unusually) was devoid of artillery and I was facing an army of massed bows, there was no point waiting so I advanced. The only subtle thing I did was to swing my left wing of cavalry to the left to get them out of arc from the dreaded English Longbowmen (see below):

Onwards came the colourful Italians, engaging the Burgundian skirmish line and having the better of the affair. Through a hail of arrows the Pike advanced into contact. After an initial in stately Italian recoil the momentum of the huge mass of infantry was the deciding factor and the Burgundian line stated to buckle (see below):

The embarrassing buckle turned into dangerous bulb and although losing the supporting smaller Italian Pike Block, the main (three layers thick and with the C-in-C General in it) Italian Pike Block swept the Burgundian/English infantry away. On the flanks both Burgundian Knights and Germanic Mounted  Men-At-Arms were waiting their chance to test the mettle of the remaining Burgundian/English infantry. However they were not needed as the Burgundian/English had to their dismay also lost both of their leaders to the sharp "pointy points" of the victorious Italian Pikemen. The contest was therefore effectively over (see below):

I sat dazed an befuddled at the result. I had not played Impetus in such a long while and had forgotten how literally bursting with surprises it can be. The combat is quite brutal and the fact that the Pike Blocks could rasp their way through the English infantry came as a complete shock to me. Equally stunned was the Burgundian/English commander's disbelief in his longbow backed infantry had failed to stop the Pike, the multi-armed phalanx being less successful that perhaps "blocks" of pure bow would have been. Still it (Impetus) had something which will bring me back to the well again and again!

My goal is to raise a 600 Italian Renaissance point army, which means at least another Pike Block is needed. The bigger the armies the more the 'feel' of the battle changes. The test to me will be two wings (mounted) and a center (infantry) command. First up I must finish off the painting on my Mounted Harquebusiers before I move onto more Pike!

Wild (Armoured) Horses Running Across my Desk (Perry Miniatures) Part 2

The armoured horse become mounted Men-At-Arms "without weapons", bar the one at the back (see below):

Now fully armed, they are grouped as either two formations of six men to a base for (poor) "Knights" or one deep formation twelve of "MAA" - which is my preference (see below):

The assembly may have caused me to 'curse all the saints profanely' and it really needed to take several nights of uncharacteristic patience, but I love them as they are beautifully detailed (see below):

I like them, especially the upright lance pose (see below):

Assembled is one thing, but getting them painted is quite another, see you next Xmas for that ;)

Wild (Armoured) Horses Running Across my Desk (Perry Miniatures) Part 1

In a valiant effort (inspired by some brilliant paint jobs on other blogs I may add) I started assembling the Perry mounted MAA. Not as easy as you may first think as there are many pieces to fiddle together (see below):

The 'intelligent half' of the rider-horse combination done I can now move onto assembling the two legged participants. The Perry's models are beautiful and definitely worth the effort in assembling :)

The acquisition of the above is my attempt to balance out my Impetus Renaissance army with two wings of horse comprising of a Knight Unit, A "deep" mounted MAA formation and a Light Skirmish unit (mounted crossbows and mounted harquebusier). If truth be told I may need another unit of Light Horse for each wing.

But that is a far away 2014 purchase ;)

Renaissance Battle: Hussites versus Maximilian (Part 4)

The Game Builds to a Crescendo ...

With the battle at a its crisis point careful choices have to be made. The great Maximilian cannon now concentrated on the killer Hussite Knights and spoke well bringing disorder to them. With their foe now vulnerable in so such disorder the call went out to "Send in the heavy Burgndian Knights (with attached General)" ...and for the first time in my Impetus wargaming career, my gloriously painted Burgundian Knights (from Redoubt Miniatures) were in the right place at the right time with the potential do a great deal of damage. The Burgundians got in without disorder, endowed with a good combat factor of eight and an impressive additional Impetus of six bringing the total number of dice to fourteen, in response the "Hussite King" threw back a mere five (see below):

The Hussite King went down fighting, but down he went.

(Hussite break points 6, Maximilian break points 9)

The fleeing routing Hussite Knights caused great devastation to their immediate friends,disordering a Wagonburg and causing a casualty, but destroying the Hussite heavy cannon.
 
(Hussite break points 7, Maximilian break points 9)

As equal of importance to the "loss of break points" of the Hussite Knight unit (with attached General) was the effect on the Hussite Army's command and control status. The uninterrupted run of initiative wins came to an end and the Maximilian army gained a valuable "flip-flop". The Hussites did however decide to continue fighting for the sake of their honour and their general's memory. A close call for the Hussites but they live to fight on, no quick win then for the Maximilian Army.  

In the immediate aftermath of the charge the momentum of the Burgundian Knights carried them through onto the Wagonburg behind. Both sides became "locked in melee", a great result for the Burgundians as they did not have to endure the deadly "bricks and bottles" attack from the Wagonburgs.

The Maximilian "flip-flop":

The Germanic Men-At-Arms positioned themselves as further insurance against the last remaining Hussite Knight unit (though in a sad blown state with a casualty so without its Impetus rating). 

The Maximilian heavy ordnance speaks with devastating effect of the far left Wagonburg and without any remaining "dice of destiny" left to spend the Hussite is powerless to stop its demise.

(Hussite break points 11, Maximilian break points 9)

One more Hussite Wagonburg or Knight unit would seal the fate of the Hussite Army, "In with the pike". Here the previously mentioned "impassable terrain" caused me much suffering. Instead of going ahread to contact the Wagonburg, the Pike Block had to perform a turn before it could get in to assist in the continuing "Knight versus Wagonburg" melee, causing it to be disordered, but at least it made it to the party (see below): 

The dice are rolled and "bad boy" wagonburg goes down, a sigh of Maximilian relief is audible and believe me  have not had many of those in my wargaming history.

(Hussite break points 15 and the army is BROKEN, Maximilian break points 9,however the game must be played to the end of the whole turn)

I have been in this situation before, one side is broken, but the win is still yet to be sealed as the Hussite has one last chance to break the Maximilian army in its death spasm. My attached Maximilian general sustains a "bricks and bottles" attack, takes a casualty and to my horror sustains a very "bad" discipline test roll (see below0. The 'six' (and what a time to roll it) means the Maximilian general goes down, but does the army fight on or rout?

I roll my "fateful dice" they decide to fight on (another Maximilian sigh of relief).

As it stood a really fantastic game of Impetus and my only second Impetus "win" (but that is not why the game was deemed good, as a game it had everything). A brilliant way to start the year's campaigning, but hats off to the Hussite wargaming general and his sense of adventure in building up such a new "project army" (with so many War Wagons to paint). He played out the rules in complete fairness and was the perfect patient player encouraging this novice to expand my Renaissance army by painting more units (with the aim of getting my current 300 point army to 400+ points).

Renaissance Battle: Hussites versus Maximilian (Part 3)

The Maximilian General gives an audible sigh of relief as finally, after what seemed to be an age of disordered movement, the Maximilian Pike finally "gets in" (see below, top middle for the 'heroic' Maximilian pike):

The odds were calculated at (the attacking Maximilian at five dice versus the defending Hussites at six [slight advantage to the defenders] - however post match analysis revealed that should have been actually eight to six [slight advantage to the attackers], but in the heat of the battle 'some things get missed', "cest la guerre"). The result was a "locked in melee" situation. Meanwhile the "better" (as in upgraded) Maximilian Pike Block was zeroing in on the Hussite "heavy ordnance" (see below,top left). Note: The terrain to the right of the heavy cannon is actually "impassable" which will cause me much grief later on (see below, top middle) as I have inadvertently aligned to clip it and unlike "other terrain" impassable is what it "says on the tin".     

In the background the Maximilian General pulled the heavy cavalry in from the wings as a backstop to the infantry attack on the center. You never know when you will need a "counter-punch" to get you out of trouble. First the Germanic Men-At-Arms (see above, bottom right) negotiated some rough ground (Note: In Impetus if you base only clips by less than half a base width you ignore its terrain effects as the troops are deemed to 'flow round' the bad bits, it puts a stop to "geometric battlefield tinkering"). Secondly the Maximilian Burgundian Knights moved up behind the engaged "Pike v Wagonburg" melee (see below, bottom middle) as an "insurance" policy against the remaining Hussite cavalry (Knights). Also "missing" from below is the left Trained Band of Harqubusiers, who have succumbed to Wagonburg "ranged fire".

(Hussite and Maximilian break points now level at three points each)

Not caught on camera before the "disappeared" were my victorious mounted crossbowmen (who 'were placed' top right in the picture below). The mounted crossbowmen closed in to the Hussite war wagon on the extreme left of the Hussite line of battle, "drawing fire" away from the Maximilian Pike Block (seen from the Maximilian left point of view below) who were closing in to engage the Hussite heavy canon. Another "bricks and bottle attack" from the war wagon and a bad dice roll on my part, despite the somewhat desperate attempt to evade, nevertheless saw them "meet their maker".

(Maximilian break points 4, Hussite 3)

Then "it" happened, a huge turning point in the game. The Hussite "King" was committed. Fearing for the sake of the Wagonburg under attack the Royal Knights jumped through a Wagonburg (that's why those armoured wagons are so nasty they allow passage of lines to friendly forces to allow these types of counterattacks) turned to angle into the flank of the Maximilian Pike Block. The "flank" being the killing factor here as if the Pike loses the combat, er it dies (alas see below):

Again after a recount I was probably two or three dice down on what I should have thrown, but my rolls were poor and the Hussite rolled good.

(Maximilian break points 8, Hussite 3)

The "Hussite King" is now in control of the battlefield (see below).

Time to call in that Maximilian Heavy Cavalry"insurance" policy" methinkds

Renaissance Battle: Hussites versus Maximilian (Part 2)

The Infantry Attack:

In the center of the battlefield the opening rounds of the infantry confrontation began as the Maximilian skirmish Harquebusiers moved forwards, taking stock and careful aim at the "impossible to miss but improbably hard to hurt" mass of the Hussite Wagonburgs (see below):

Unfortunately the rash actions of these skirmishers above brought about their doom as a volley of 'opportunity fire' from said Wagonburgs came back with interest. Being within 'one measuring stick' of the enemy, the really bad news was that the Wagonburg attack constituted "various" anti-personnel weapon types (meaning I got to be on the receiving end of six dice in return to my paltry two in this simultaneous exchange).

The result was the "mysterious case of the disappearing skirmisher" (see below) as the locally dubbed "bricks and bottle" attack ripped them to pieces.

(1 break point against the Maximilian army)

These Wagonburgs are nasty beasts, the only thing in the Maximilian arsenal that looked like it stood a chance of "shifting them" was the much vaunted Maximilian Pike Block.

Next the Maximilien "Trained Harquebusier's" moved to a flanking position (see below, top left) and survived a ranged weapon exchange with another Wagonburg. Not caught on camera was a Hussite experimental tactic of  using a unit of Knights in an attempt to draw fire from the Maximilian heavy artillery piece away from the Wagonburgs (as heavy artillery love firing at Wagonburgs - rolling six dice even at long range). "Sad rolls" (for the Hussite, I tried my best to hide the Maximilian relief, nay glee) saw the Knights catch a casualty (therefore losing its Impetus and taking an edge off its offensive capability, the Hussite commander was gambling on just getting a disorder). Meanwhile the Maximilian Pike made slow headway under the ranged light artillery fire from the Wagonburgs. Push, push, push forward in disorder in the only way the Maximilian Pike know how to attack. Early days but the attack plan 'seems' to be holding together (ahem, famous last words).

Although technically still part of the Maximilian attack plan, my second unit of skirmishers (crossbowmen) die valiantly in the process of screening my 'upgraded' Pike Block from the attentions of the Hussite heavy ordnance.

(Therefore the slate is now 2 break points against the Maximilian Army). 

Both Pike Blocks are now looking somewhat "naked and exposed" to the elements (see below).

The Cavalry Battle is Concluded: 

Finishing off those Hussite Knights who were "pinned in a totally hopeless position" unexpectedly took quite some time. So much so that the Maximilian mounted crossbowmen, rather than dashing off to do harm elsewhere, were forced to lend a much needed helping hand

(Note to self: These "mounted crossbowmen" are very useful chaps to have on your side, classed as "lights" with that annoyingly fast "12 move", they can "evade", are "missile armed" and having that much sought after "Impetus combat value" to pitch in and help an ongoing melee or scare pure skirmishers away. Almost too good to be true, best check that their abilities have not been "overstated" by said Maximilian general) 

The mounted crossbowmen had to perform a "slide-slip" and thus ended up coming in disordered, but their extra dice probably tipped the balance as my combat dice rolling was not brilliant. 

However after another round of fierce combat the brave Hussites Knights passed away, in effect having been little more than a lengthy "diversion sign" (perhaps harsh) but failing to inflict nothing in return bar a couple of temporary disorders to mark a 'wake' of their passing (see below):

That made it 3 breaks points against the Hussite army, so overall: Hussite 3 (Break at 13) - Maximilian 2 (Break at 11) - still too close to call.

Meanwhile, elsewhere on the battlefield: The Pike Blocks wee closing in on "that line" of Wagonburghs.