DOMINION OF PIKE AND SHOT

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Contents

Introduction and Introduction to Renaissance Warfare ​ 3

The Individual Units​ 4
The Armies​ 6
Rules for Deployment ​ 7
Rules for Combat 8
Optional Alternative Activation Rule, Terrain 12
Example Battle 13
Army Lists​ 18
The Italian Wars (1494 - 1559 AD)​ 18
The Ottoman Turk Wars​ 19
Northern and Eastern Europe​ 21
England, Scotland and Ireland​ 22
The Eighty Years War - the Dutch Revolt (1568 - 1648 AD)​ 22
French Wars of Religion (1562 - 1598 AD) 23
The Thirty Years War (1618 - 1648 AD) 23
English Civil Wars (1642 - 1651 AD) 25
Wars of the Polish Deluge (1648 - 1667 AD) 25
Around the World 26
Big Battle Version 27
Designer Notes 28​
​
​

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Introduction
Dominion of Pike and Shot is a very simple solo game played with
paper and pencil (or miniature figures) and two six sided dice in
which you choose two armies from the Renaissance period (1490
AD to 1670 AD) and fight a battle between them in just 10 minutes
or so. There are 95 army lists, and a points system with each army
consisting of 3-6 units. Historical battles can also be refought.
These rules are written to enable one to fight solo a Renaissance
battle and generate from it a narrative that is both feasible for the
period but also with some imagination highly amusing at times.
An Introduction to Renaissance Warfare
The Renaissance period, in terms of warfare, is generally considered
to have begun with the Italian Wars (1494 - 1559 AD) and to end
with the introduction of the bayonet towards the end of the 17th
century - an invention that meant that troops armed with firearms
no longer needed pikemen to defend them against cavalry.
These rules cover the three big wars in Western Europe: the Italian
Wars, the Thirty Years War and the English Civil Wars (War of the
Three Kingdoms) along with many of the smaller wars. Meanwhile
in the north and east there were numerous wars between Denmark,
Sweden, Poland, Poland-Lithuania, Moscow, the Tartars and
Cossacks. And hanging over all of this was the ongoing threat and
attacks of the Ottoman Turks. These rules and army lists end
around 1670 AD when armies started to no longer consist of
numerous mercenaries or nobles and levies but became more
professional national armies - with more colourful uniforms!
This period saw the introduction and eventual wide-spread use of
firearms (the arquebus and musket in particular), and the slow
progression of artillery from a noisy but ineffective weapon, to a
devastating weapon in the right circumstances. The period started
with infantry either armed with melee weapons such as spears,
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pikes, halberds or swords, or missile weapons such as bows,
longbows, crossbows, or early arquebuses. However, infantry armed
just with missile weapons proved very vulnerable to cavalry so
units often started to mix pikemen and arquebusiers in the same
unit, with the number of arquebusiers (or later musketeers) to the
number of pikemen increasing over time.
Cavalry, meanwhile went from the early cavalry predominantly
armed with the lance (e.g. Gendarmes) to cavalry armed with
pistols. Two main types emerged, Reiters who preferred to stand off
and fire their pistols (using a caracole formation), and Cuirassiers
(and Swedish Horse) who preferred to charge into contact, firing
their pistols just before contact. Meanwhile in Central and Eastern
Europe there were still horse archers, while in the West skirmishing
cavalry were quicker to use firearms - carbines, and arquebuses
(harquebuses).
The Individual Units
A Renaissance army normally consisted of different types of
soldiers formed up in units mainly of the same type of soldiers,
although as said above pike and firearms came to be mixed in the
same unit in various proportions. The most basic division of the
different types of soldiers is:
Infantry or Mounted?
Melee weapons or missile weapons?
So this gives four different troops types plus artillery:
1)​ Melee Infantry with melee weapons - Spearmen, Billmen,
Pikemen, Landsknechts, Swordsmen, Axemen, Halberdiers.
2)​ Missile Infantry with long range missile weapons - Archers,
Crossbowmen, Longbowmen, Slingers, Arquebusiers,
Musketeers, Dragoons (mounted infantry who dismount to
fire), Tercios (see below).

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 3)​ Melee Mounted with melee weapons - Cavalry, Cavalry
(melee pistols), Cavalry (Border Horse), Cavalry (Jinetes),
Gendarmes, Cuirassiers (and demi- Cuirassiers), Lancers,
Cavaliers, Swedish Horse, Elephants, Cattle
4)​ Missile Mounted with missile weapons - Horse Archers,
Cavalry (shooting pistols), Mounted Crossbowmen, Mounted
Arquebusiers, Carbineers, Reiters.
5)​ Artillery.
Note that Cuirassiers had pistols which they fired at short range
before contact, so are classed as Melee Mounted, as are cavalry such
as later Swedish cavalry - Cavalry (melee pistols) or Swedish Horse.
Reiters had pistols but preferred to shoot as opposed to engaging in
hand to hand combat so are classed as Missile Mounted, Cavalry
(shooting pistols). They often used a caracole formation.
These are the basic troop types with units within each different
troop type regarded as the same in these rules. Any of these units,
including Artillery, costs 2 points each. An army is 12 points total.
Now in addition to the basic troop types we can ask two further
questions:
Do they have a defence advantage such as heavy armour or long
pikes? Count as “armoured”. Costs +1 point.
Do they have an attack advantage such as veteran or elite troops or
Musketeers trained to fire in volleys? Count as “elite”. Costs +1
point.
For units combining pike and firearms, if there are more pikemen
than arquebusiers or musketeers, or if they prefer HTH combat,
they are classed as Melee Infantry and written in the army lists as
1x Pikemen (with arquebusiers). If there are more arquebusiers
than pikemen then they are generally classed as Missile Infantry
and written in the army lists as 1x Arquebusiers (with pikemen).
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Spanish Tercios were massive units of up to 3,000 men with a
centre of pikemen with arquebusiers at each corner. In these rules
we model them as elite armoured Arquebusiers costing 4 points.
(See the designer notes for more discussion on them).
Example units are:
Italian or French Crossbowmen - Crossbowmen (cost 2 points)
Landsknechts (pikemen and halberdiers)- armoured Landsknechts
(cost 3 points)
Swedish musketeers firing volleys - elite Musketeers (cost 3 points)
Swiss Pikemen - elite armoured Pikemen (cost 4 points)
French noble heavy cavalry - elite armoured Gendarmes (cost 4
points)
Note with the four basic troop types (plus artillery) and then in
addition the attributes elite and/or armoured there are actually 16
possible different troop types. Hopefully any particular troops can
be fitted into one of these possibilities, although views on which is
the best classification may differ!
The Armies
Historically armies formed up in three or four large groups or
commands of soldiers, a left wing, centre, right wing formation,
with often a reserve behind this main battleline. On the march an
army had a van, the centre, and the rear - still three main blocks.
Thus armies in these rules consist of 3-6 units where each unit
represents the predominant troop type in the left wing, centre, right
wing, or reserve (which can have more than one unit).
The battlefield they fight on is therefore divided into a left sector,
centre sector, right sector and a separate reserve area for each army
(see diagram). Units cost 2, 3 or 4 points each and each army has a
total of 12 points worth of units.
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Rules for Deployment
Pick any two armies from the army lists and then roll to see who the
attacker is. For each side roll one six-sided dice and the higher total
is the attacker and the lower total the defender. If the totals are
equal, roll again.
For the defender, write down 3 units as their battle line, one unit
per sector (left, centre, right). Any remaining units go below in the
reserve. Then for the attacker write down a unit above and opposite
each of the defender's three, with any extra going in their reserve
above their battleline. Once deployed in a sector units do not move.
The only possible movement is from a reserve to their battleline
(except for Infantry forced back by the pre-battle bombardment).

Left sector Centre sector Right Sector

Attacker reserve unit(s)

Attacker Unit Attacker Unit Attacker Unit
Defender Unit Defender Unit Defender Unit
Defender reserve unit(s)

Write down the unit type and mark them (E) for elite, and (A) for
armoured, and (EA) if both (see the example battle). Choose which
unit goes where doing your best for each army with normally
infantry in the centre, and mounted on the wings.
Try to get advantageous matchups for the Attacker: Missile
Mounted against Melee Infantry, Melee Infantry against Melee
Mounted, Melee Mounted against Missile Infantry, and Missile
Infantry against Missile Mounted.

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Rules for Combat
Now the battle commences! The battle starts with a pre-battle
exchange of artillery fire followed by a number of rounds of combat.
Pre-battle Bombardment: by both sides, Attacker first, then
Defender. Each chooses a sector in turn (can be the same one) and
rolls one dice needing a 6 to hit. If Infantry are hit, the Infantry are
not defeated but retreat back to the reserve (and replace them with
another unit). If Mounted are hit, the Mounted unit charges and
combat is fought in that sector like normal before the main battle
begins. The cavalry has been provoked into a premature charge
without orders to do so. This pre-battle bombardment is separate
from any artillery units in the army lists and on the battlefield, and
any artillery on the table cannot be targeted in this bombardment.
Battle Commences:
1)​ For the Attacker choose which sector to begin the battle in
and fight one round of combat in that sector.
2)​ For the Defender choose a sector and fight one round of
combat in that sector.
3)​ Rallying phase (see below)
4)​ Check to see if one army has won (see below), if not repeat
for the next round.
(Choosing a sector can prove to be an interesting decision, as one
looks for an advantageous matchup, but also taking into account
which reserves might move forward if one wins or loses in that
sector, and then later in the game there is outflanking to take into
account as well.)

Combat in a sector: during a round of combat in a sector the two

opposing units in that sector try to defeat each other. First if one
unit is Artillery, it attacks first needing a 5 or 6 to defeat armoured
infantry, otherwise a 6 (with +1 to the dice roll if the artillery is
elite, and +1 if outflanking). Then Missile units can attack:
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1) If one of the units is a Missile unit against a Melee unit then
they attack first. If they succeed then the Melee unit is defeated
before it has a chance to attack the Missile unit. Roll one dice to
attempt to hit. If both units are Missile units roll for both attacks at
the same time. (It is helpful to use different coloured dice for the
Attacker and the Defender).
Roll one dice and roll a 5 or 6 to defeat the enemy unit with the dice
roll modified by any of the below applicable bonuses:
Elite unit shooting +1 to dice roll
Target is armoured -1 to dice roll
Missile Infantry v Missile Mounted +1 to dice roll
Missile Mounted v Melee Infantry +1 to dice roll
Example: a unit of Swedish elite Musketeers shoots at a unit of
German armoured Cuirassiers. The Swedish musketeers have +1 for
elite but -1 for shooting at an armoured unit so the two bonuses
cancel out and they need to roll a 5 or 6. If however they were
shooting at German Reiters, they would have +1 for being elite and
+1 for Missile Infantry v Missile Mounted giving a total of +2 to the
dice roll so a roll of 3, 4, 5 or 6 would then be a hit. The German
Reiters, being a Missile unit themselves, would fire back
simultaneously, needing a 5 or 6 with no modifiers.
A defeated unit is rubbed or crossed out and always immediately
replaced if possible with any one of the units from the reserve of the
same side but fighting in this sector has now finished until the next
round. Any unit moved there from the reserve cannot attack until
the next round.
A defeated unit is no longer taking part in the battle whether from
too many casualties, poor morale, bribery, their commander has
been killed, they are too busy pursuing a defeated enemy unit, or
looting a baggage camp etc. It is amusing to think up imaginative
reasons as to why the unit is no longer part of the battle!

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2) After Missile units have fired, Melee units attack (again
simultaneously if both are Melee units).
Roll one dice and roll a 4, 5 or 6 to defeat the enemy unit, with the
dice roll modified by any of the below applicable bonuses:
Elite unit attacking +1 to dice roll.
Target is armoured -1 to dice roll
Melee Infantry v Melee Mounted +1 to dice roll
Melee Mounted v Missile Infantry +1 to dice roll
Example: let’s say the Swedish elite Musketeers above fail to roll 5
or 6 so now the German armoured Cuirassiers can attack back. They
are Melee Mounted v Missile Infantry so get +1 to the dice roll and
therefore hit on a 3, 4, 5, or 6.
Note that each round represents an extended time period, perhaps
an hour or two, so after a round of combat the combatants regroup
and if still there have another go at each other.
Outflanking attack: when it is a unit’s turn to attack (its sector has
been chosen) but there is no enemy unit opposite it then it may
attack the nearest enemy unit in an outflanking attack even if it is in
a different sector (choose one if two possible targets). The unit
attacks as normal and if Mounted attacking from the left or right
sector or Infantry attacking from the centre sector, or Artillery from
any sector, there is an extra +1 bonus to the attack dice roll. The unit
being attacked is unable to attack back until its sector’s turn and
can do so then only if it has no enemy directly opposite it. The
attacking unit makes the outflanking attack but physically stays in
its own sector.
Rallying Phase: there are many examples in Renaissance battles of
a leader rallying retiring troops and them re-entering the fray. Once
in a battle each army may attempt to rally a defeated unit. This
attempt may be made at the end of the round just before

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determining if one side has won (with the Attacker trying first). Any
one already defeated unit can attempt to rally. Roll one dice:
A normal unit with no attributes needs a 4, 5 or 6.
A unit with one attribute (E or A) needs a 5 or 6.
A unit with two attributes (EA) needs a 6.
If a unit rallies it is placed in its army’s reserve or in the frontline if
there is a gap. Each army can make one attempt only in the battle.
Winning the battle: an army loses if it has 1 or 0 units left at the
end of a round and less than the opposing army. If both armies have
1 unit left then continue fighting. If both armies have been defeated
at the end of a round then the game is a draw.
Types of Battles: one can fight one off battles by choosing any two
of the armies from the army lists and fighting a battle between
them. One can also set up a little campaign, with a number of armies
fighting each other. These rules do not include campaign rules.
Historical battles can be refought. Either use these army lists or to
be more accurate one can research the battle looking to see what
was the predominant troop type in the left wing, centre and right
wing of each army and choose and place those units accordingly
with extra units going in the reserve.
Armies on a particular day may vary so adjust the written armies as
necessary (still keeping to 12 points total per army). Unit
characteristics can also be adjusted if appropriate historically, or to
account for terrain. Apart from looking at the initial deployments,
reading accounts of what happened in the battle helps to identify
the important and impactful units in the battle that should be
included in the army lists for the battle.
The expansion to these rules contains 36 historical battles ready to
play.

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Optional Alternative Activation Rule
Instead of in each round choosing a sector for the Attacker and then
choosing a sector for the Defender, resolve combat in each sector
from left to right, so resolve combat in the left sector, then the
centre sector, and then the right sector, and then check to see if one
side has won. This is one round. Note that this combat is not
simultaneous, the left sector happens first etc. If using this optional
rule then rallying attempts may be made at the end of a round as
normal, just before it is determined if one side has won, perhaps in
a desperate attempt to stave off defeat!
Terrain
In the basic game terrain could be said to be already factored in,
thus giving every unit a chance to defeat any other unit, perhaps
taking advantage of a dip in the ground or a hedgeline. Note that at
this scale where a unit represents a whole wing or centre of an
army, a small hill or wood is insignificant!
For refighting a historical battle where terrain or fortifications
played a significant role, I use the existing system of elite (bonus to
attack) and armoured (bonus to defence) to give one of these
attributes to a unit that seemed historically to benefit from terrain.
A common example is Musketeers in a wood on one of the flanks
and giving them the armoured attribute. A simple solution that
works. Attributes can also be taken away from units, so armoured
Pikemen attempting to cross and attack over a muddy river, can lose
their armoured attribute.
Note that applying a bonus twice such as when an elite unit is
attacking out of a wood in ambush, or in the case of an already
armoured unit positioned behind fortifications, is very much not
recommended as in my experience it unbalances the game and
renders it boring, especially when the double bonus is a defence
one.

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Example Battle
I choose to fight a battle in the latter part of the Italian Wars
between a French army and an Imperial Spanish army. Taking the
two army lists from the lists gives:
French (1535 - 1559 AD): 1x armoured Gendarmes, 1x Lancers, 1x
armoured Pikemen (Swiss), 1x Pikemen (with arquebusiers), 1x
Artillery
Imperial Spanish (1534 - 1558 AD): 1x Lancers, 1x Cavalry
(Jinetes light Cavalry) OR 1x Mounted Arquebusiers, 2x elite
armoured Arquebusiers (with pikemen in Tercio)
Seeing the number of pikemen in the French army I choose the
Mounted Arquebusiers instead of the light cavalry for the Spanish
army. This battle looks to be an interesting matchup between the
French with their slightly better cavalry, lots of pikemen (are they
now outdated?) and artillery, against the Spanish Tercios.
Now I draw the battlefield and roll one six sided dice for each side
to see who the attacker is. The French roll a 5 but then the Spanish
roll a 6! The French were hoping to win the scouting roll so they
could site their artillery opposite a Spanish Tercio but they found
themselves as the Defenders and having to deploy first. I go for a
conventional deployment with the French cavalry on either flank
and the artillery in the centre, with the Swiss and French pikemen
behind. Then for the Spanish attackers I place the mounted
Arquebusiers in the centre hoping they will defeat the French
artillery and then shoot with advantage against the pikemen. One
Tercio goes on the Spanish right with the other in reserve. The
Spanish lancers go on the Spanish left facing the more heavily
armoured French Gendarmes.
The battle commences with the initial artillery bombardments.

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 Left sector Centre sector Right Sector

Spanish Arquebusiers (EA)

Arquebus (EA) Mtd. Arquebus Lancers
Lancers Artillery Gendarmes (A)
French Pikemen (A) Swiss, Pikemen

The Spanish artillery fire first in the left sector, hoping to provoke
the French lancers to charge the Tercio. I roll a 4 - no result as I
need to roll a 6. The French then fire at the Spanish mounted
Arquebusiers, hoping to force them to retire behind the reserve
Tercios. I roll a 6 and the French artillery forces the Spanish
mounted Arquebusiers to move back - I move them back to the
reserve and move forward the reserve Tercio into the centre. As the
battle commences in earnest, the battlefield now looks like:

Left sector Centre sector Right Sector

Spanish Mtd. Arquebusiers

Arquebus (EA) Arquebus (EA) Lancers
Lancers Artillery Gendarmes (A)
French Pikemen (A) Swiss, Pikemen

Round One: The Spanish, as the Attacker, attack first and their
rightmost Tercio trundles forward opening fire on the opposing
French lancers. I need to roll a 4, 5 or 6 (base 5 or 6, with +1 for
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elite attacking). As a Missile unit they attack first, before the French
lancers have a chance to attack. I roll a 5 and the French Lancers are
defeated. I remove them, and immediately replace them with the
Swiss Pikemen from the French reserve.
Now it is the French turn in this round. Although it is tempting to
fire the artillery at the Tercio in the centre, I choose to charge the
French armoured Gendarmes into the Spanish Lancers. Combat is
simultaneous with the French Gendarmes needing a 4, 5 or 6 while
the Spanish Lancers will need 5 or 6 (-1 for target armoured). I roll
a 4 (a success) for the French and a 2 (a failure) for the Spanish. The
French armoured Gendarmes rout the Spanish lancers, and unlike
their more impetuous ancestors, don’t pursue them off the
battlefield. The Mounted Arquebusiers immediately are moved from
the Italian reserve to fill the gap on the Spanish left.
Both sides have chosen a sector so now each side has the option of
trying to rally their respective Lancers. For the Spanish I decide to
wait and retain the option for later use. For the French I decide to
try to rally their defeated Lancers, although this will use up the one
chance the French have to rally a unit. Seeing that the Lancers as
Melee Mounted have +1 against Missile Infantry I decide it is worth
it to try to rally them. I need a 4, 5 or 6 and roll a 5 (a success) and
the French commander manages to rally the defeated Lancers, and I
return them to the French reserve.

Left sector Centre sector Right Sector

Spanish
Arquebus (EA) Arquebus (EA) Mtd. Arquebus
Pikemen (A) Artillery Gendarmes (A)
French Pikemen, Lancers
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Round 2. The Spanish order the rightmost Tercio to continue its
advance, this time against Swiss Pikemen. The Tercio attacks first
(being a Missile unit) needing a 5 or 6 (+1 for elite, -1 for target
armoured). I roll a 2 (a fail), and the Swiss Pikemen charge into the
Spanish Tercio, who were perhaps still reorganising their formation
after seeing off the French Lancers. The Swiss need a 5 or 6 (base 4,
5 or 6 but -1 for target armoured) and I roll a 4 (a fail). Combat is
inconclusive here, and both units remain.
Now it is the French turn, and their Gendarmes, flush with victory
against the Spanish Lancers, charge the Spanish mounted
Arquebusiers. The mounted Arquebusiers fire first needing a 6
(base 5 or 6 but -1 against armoured target) and I roll a 2 (a fail).
Now the French Gendarmes need a 4, 5 or 6 but I roll a 1 (a fail).
Both units remain on the battlefield, with presumably the mounted
Arquebusiers, having fired a quick volley, being chased by the
Gendarmes. The Spanish continue to wait on rallying a unit so after
the second round the battlefield remains unchanged.
Round 3. The Spanish Tercio attempts again to defeat the Swiss.
They attack first still needing a 5 or 6, as their various subunits of
arquebusiers continue to hammer the Swiss. I roll a 2 (a fail) while
the Swiss needing a 5 or 6 get a 2 (a fail) so the herculean struggle
in this sector continues.
Now the French artillery in the centre opens up against the centre
Tercio, needing a 5 or 6 against armoured infantry. I roll a 6 - a
success (finally, when I was beginning to think I needed to buy new
dice!). The Spanish centre collapses, and I realise the Spanish had
better try to rally a unit, as they are one unit away from losing the
battle. The centre Tercio, having endured artillery fire while the
battle raged on the flanks, obviously had had enough.
The Spanish commander, with a choice of trying to rally the Tercio
needing a 6 or to rally the Lancers needing a 4, 5 or 6, and knowing
that if the rally is successful the unit will be going straight back into
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the centre against the French artillery, chose to attempt to rally the
Lancers. I roll a 3 (a fail).
After round 3 the battlefield looks like:

Left sector Centre sector Right Sector

Spanish
Arquebus (EA) Mtd. Arquebus
Pikemen (A) Artillery Gendarmes (A)
French Pikemen, Lancers

Round 4. Now the Spanish attack and their remaining Tercio again
fights the Swiss Pikemen, still needing a 5 or 6. I roll a 6 (a success),
and the Spanish are back in the battle although now heavily
outnumbered. The brave Swiss leave the battlefield to be replaced
by the French pikemen on the French left. No doubt complaints of
“if the Swiss cannot beat them, what makes you think we can” can
be heard!
The French artillery with no enemy to their front slowly adjusts and
opens fire on the remaining Spanish Tercio, needing a 4, 5 or 6 to
defeat it (5 or 6 against armoured Infantry, +1 for outflanking). I roll
a 6 and the Spanish Tercio, under heavy artillery fire, and having
defeated two French units and its only friends being some mounted
Arquebusiers being chased around the battlefield, decides to retire,
leaving the battlefield and victory to the French. It is the end of the
round, all possible rallying attempts have been used up, and the
Spanish have one unit left to the French four.
A stunning victory for the French and their artillery, and on this day
and in this battle the Spanish Tercios did not prevail.
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Army Lists (in roughly chronological order)
Any words in brackets in an army list are purely descriptive and
have no game effect.
Please feel free to amend the army lists while keeping to 12 points.
The Italian Wars (1494 - 1559 AD)
1) French (1494 - 1535 AD): 1x elite armoured Gendarmes, 1x
elite armoured Pikemen (Swiss) OR 1x elite armoured Gendarmes,
1x Crossbowmen (Gascon), 1x Pikemen (French)
2) French (1535 - 1559 AD): 1x armoured Gendarmes, 1x Lancers,
1x armoured Pikemen (Swiss), 1x Pikemen (with arquebusiers), 1x
Artillery
3) Imperial Spanish (pre 1534 AD): 1x armoured Gendarmes
(Spanish, Italian, Burgundian), 1x Lancers (German men-at-arms),
1x Cavalry (Jinetes light cavalry), 1x elite Pikemen (Spanish
veterans including sword and buckler men), 1x Arquebusiers (or
Crossbowmen)
4) Imperial Spanish (1534 - 1558 AD): 1x Lancers, 1x Cavalry
(Jinetes light Cavalry) OR 1x Mounted Arquebusiers, 2x elite
armoured Arquebusiers (with pikemen in Tercio)
5) Holy Roman Empire Imperial German (Maximillian): 1x
Lancers (German men-at-arms), 1x Mounted Crossbowmen, 2x
armoured Landsknechts, 1x Arquebusiers
6) Combined Italian States: 1x armoured Gendarmes, 1x Cavalry
(Sradiot light cavalry), 1x armoured Landsknechts, 1x
Arquebusiers, 1x Crossbowmen
7) Papal States: 1x armoured Gendarmes, 1x Mounted
Crossbowmen, 1x armoured Pikemen, 2x Arquebusiers

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8) Venetian: 1x armoured Gendarmes (Elmeti), 1x Cavalry
(Stradiot light cavalry), 1x armoured Landsknechts, 2x
Arquebusiers
9) Milanese (Duchy of Milan): 1x armoured Gendarmes, 1x
Lancers, 1x Mounted Crossbowmen, 1x armoured Landsknechts, 1x
Arquebusiers
10) Florence: 1x armoured Gendarmes, 1x armoured
Landsknechts, 2x Spearmen (militia), 1x Arquebusiers
11) Neapolitan (Kingdom of Naples): 1x elite armoured
Gendarmes, 2x Cavalry (Jinetes light cavalry), 2x Arquebusiers
12) Swiss: 2x elite armoured Pikemen, 1x Arquebusiers
(skirmishers), 1x Halberdiers OR 1x Arquebusiers (skirmishers)
13) German City States, Schmalkaldic League, Swabian League:
1x armoured Cavalry (Gendarmes, men-at-arms with lance, or later
Reiters with pistols), 1x Cavalry (men-at-arms with lance, or later
Reiters with pistols), 1x armoured Landsknechts, 1x Arquebusiers,
1x Crossbowmen (city militia)
14) German Peasant Revolt (1524 - 1526 AD): 5x Spearmen
(peasants with miscellaneous weapons), 1x Arquebusiers
The Ottoman Turk Wars
15) Ottoman Turks (1500 -1598 AD) Suleiman the Magnificent:
1x elite Horse Archers (Sipahis), 2x Horse Archers (Akinjis), 1x elite
Arquebusiers (Janissaries, earlier with bow), 1x Archers (Azabs)
16) Ottoman Turks (1598 -1700 AD): 3x Horse Archers (Sipahis,
carbines later), 1x Arquebusiers (Janissaries, muskets later), 1x
Arquebusiers (Azabs), 1x Artillery
17) Hungarian (1494 - 1526 AD): 1x Lancers (lesser nobles), 1x
elite Horse Archers (Szekelers), 1x Horse Archers (Hussars), 1x

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armoured Landsknechts (German mercenaries), 1x Archers
(militia)
18) Transylvanian: 1x Lancers, 3x Horse Archers (Hussars), 2x
Archers (militia or peasants, Arquebusiers later)
19) Wallachian and Moldovan: 1x Lancers (household), 2x Horse
Archers (Hussars), 1x Spearmen (household or peasants), 2x
Archers (or Arquebusiers later)
20) Austrian Habsburg (1520 - 1558 AD): 1x armoured
Gendarmes (German men-at-arms), 1x Horse Archers (Székely
Hussars), 1x Mounted Arquebusiers, 1x armoured Landsknechts, 1x
Arquebusiers
21) Austrian Habsburg (1558 - 1619 AD): 1x elite armoured
Gendarmes, 1x armoured Reiters, 1x Horse Archers (Székely
Hussars), 1x armoured Arquebusiers (with pikemen in later Tercio)
22) Venetian Colonies (1494 - 1559 AD): 1x elite armoured
Lancers (Elmeti), 1x Cavalry (Stradiot light cavalry), 1x Mounted
Crossbowmen, 2x Arquebusiers
23) Venetian Colonies (1559 - 1606 AD): 1x Reiters, 2x Cavalry
(Stradiot light cavalry), 2x armoured Landsknechts
24) Venetian Colonies (1615 - 1618 AD): 1x armoured Lancers,
1x Cavalry (Stradiots light cavalry), 1x armoured Landsknechts, 2x
Arquebusiers (militia)
25) Mamluks: 2x armoured Horse Archers (Mamluks), 1x Lancers
(Syrian), 1x Horse Archers (Turkoman), 1x Lancers (Bedouin light
lancers)
26) Safavid Persians: 4x Horse Archers, 1x Spearmen (levy), 1x
Archers (or later musketeers)
27) White Sheep Turkoman (1494 - 1508 AD): 2x elite Horse
Archers, 1x Horse Archers, 1x Archers, 1x Arquebusiers
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Northern and Eastern Europe
28) Polish Jagiellonian (1494 - 1525 AD): 1x armoured
Gendarmes (nobles), 3x Horse Archers (Strzelcy with crossbows),
1x armoured Arquebusiers (with spearmen in front)
29) Polish Jagiellonian (1525 - 1576 AD): 1x Lancers, 3x
Carbineers (heavy cavalry with carbines), 2x Arquebusiers (with
spearmen)
30) Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1576 - 1631 AD): 2x
elite armoured Lancers (Polish Winged Hussars), 1x Horse Archers
(Cossacks or Tartars), 1x Arquebusiers
31) Principality of Moscow (1494 - 1550 AD): 3x Horse Archers
(nobles and retainers), 1x Horse Archers (Tartars and Cossacks), 1x
Spearmen (militia), 1x Arquebusiers (militia)
32) Tsardom of Russia (1550 - 1629 AD) Ivan the Terrible: 1x
elite Horse Archers (nobles), 2x Horse Archers (retainers), 1x elite
Arquebusiers (Moscow regiment), 1x Arquebusiers (Streltsy)
33) Cossacks: 4x Horse Archers, 1x Arquebusiers, 1x Spearmen
34) Kalmar Union (Denmark, Norway and Sweden until 1523
AD then just Denmark (1494 - 1587 AD): 2x armoured
Gendarmes (later Cuirassiers), 2x armoured Landsknechts
35) Sweden (1523 - 1560 AD) Gustav Vasa: 1x elite armoured
Lancers (nobles), 3x Crossbowmen and Arquebusiers, 1x Spearmen
(peasants)
36) Sweden (1560 - 1598 AD): 3x Reiters (caracole), 3x
Arquebusiers (with pikemen)
37) Swedish (1600 - 1617 AD): 1x Cuirassiers, 2x Carbineers, 3x
Arquebusiers

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38) Swedish (1626 - 1629 AD) Gustavus Adolphus against
Poland and Lithuania: 1x Reiters, 2x elite armoured Musketeers
(with pikemen, firing salvos and using the terrain), 1x Musketeers
(commanded shot)
39) Norwegian and Danish (1561- 1570 AD): 2x armoured
Reiters (mercenaries using caracole), 2x armoured Landsknechts
(mercenaries)
40) Danish (1588 - 1625 AD): 2x armoured Cuirassiers, 2x
armoured Musketeers (with pikemen in large formation)
England, Scotland, and Ireland
41) Tudor English (1500 - 1558 AD): 1x armoured Gendarmes, 1x
Cavalry (Border horse), 1x armoured Billmen, 2x Longbowmen
42) Elizabethan English (1559 - 1603 AD): 1x Cavalry
(demi-lancers) OR later 1x Reiters, 1x Cavalry (Border Horse), 1x
Billmen, 1x Pikemen, 1x Arquebusiers, 1x Longbowmen (or
Arquebusiers later)
43) Scottish (1500 - 1602 AD): 1x Cavalry (Border horse), 4x
Pikemen (lowlanders), 1x Swordsmen (Highlanders)
44) Irish (1494 - 1601 AD): 1x Cavalry (light cavalry with
javelins), 2x Axemen and Spearmen (Galloglaich and Bonnachts), 3x
Archers (Kern skirmishers, later Arquebusiers)
The Eighty Years War - the Dutch Revolt (1568 - 1648 AD)
45) Dutch Rebellion (1568 - 1577 AD) early: 1x Lancers (nobles)
OR 1x Reiters (mercenaries), 2x armoured Landsknechts
(mercenaries), 1x Pikemen (levy), 1x Arquebusiers (levy)
46) Dutch Rebellion (1577 - 1592 AD): 1x armoured Reiters, 1x
Cavalry (Dutch, English, Scottish demi-lancers), 1x Carbineers (light
cavalry with carbines), 1x armoured Arquebusiers (with pikemen,
Dutch, English and Walloon, in late Tercio), 1x Arquebusiers
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47) Dutch Rebellion (1592 - 1648 AD) late, Maurice of Nassau:
1x elite armoured Cuirassiers, 1x Carbineers (light çcavalry with
carbines), 3x Musketeers (with pikemen)
48) Spanish in Low Countries (1558 - 1619 AD) Duke of Alba:
2x Lancers, 2x elite armoured Arquebusiers (with pikemen, Tercio)
49) Spanish in Low Countries (1619 - 1630 AD): 1x armoured
Cuirassiers, 1x elite armoured Musketeers (with pikemen, Tercio),
1x armoured Musketeers (with pikemen in Tercio, less
experienced), 1x Musketeers (skirmishers)
50) Spanish in Low Countries (1630 - 1649 AD): 1x Cuirassiers,
1x Reiters, 3x Musketeers (with pikemen), 1x Musketeers
French Wars of Religion (1562 - 1598 AD)
51) French Catholic and Catholic League (1562 - 1598 AD): 1x
armoured Gendarmes, 1x Lancers, 1x armoured Pikemen (Swiss),
1x Arquebusiers (with pikemen), 1x Pikemen (with Arquebusiers,
militia)
52) French Huguenots (1562 - 1589 AD) Henry de Navarre: 1x
elite armoured Gendarmes, 2x Reiters, 2x Arquebusiers
53) French Huguenots (1589 - 1598 AD) Henry de Navarre: 1x
elite Cuirassiers, 1x Reiters, 1x armoured Landsknechts OR 1x
armoured Pikemen (Swiss), 2x Arquebusiers
The Thirty Years War (1618 - 1648 AD)
54) Bohemian Confederation (1620 AD): 2x Reiters (using
Caracole), 2x Carbineers (Hussars), 2x Musketeers (with pikemen)
55) German Catholic League (1618 - 1632 AD) Tilly and
Wallenstein: 1x armoured Cuirassiers, 1x Reiters (using caracole),
1x Carbineers (Cossacks), 1x armoured Musketeers (with pikemen),
1x Musketeers (and pikemen)

23
56) German Catholic (1632 - 1648 AD) Wallenstein: 2x
Cuirassiers, 1x Carbineers, 3x Musketeers (with pikemen)
57) German Protestant (1609 - 1633 AD): 1x armoured
Cuirassiers, 1x Reiters (caracole), 1x armoured Musketeers (with
pikemen in large formation, or behind fortifications), 2x Musketeers
(with pikemen)
58) Danish (1625 - 1629 AD): 2x armoured Cuirassiers, 1x
Carbineers (cavalry with carbines), 2x Musketeers (with pikemen)
59) Danish (1629 - 1648 AD): 2x Reiters, 1x Carbineers, 3x
Musketeers (with pikemen)
60) Swedish (1630 - 1634 AD) Gustavus Adolphus: 2x Swedish
Horse, 2x elite Musketeers (firing salvos and with regimental
artillery), 1x Musketeers (with pikemen, mercenaries)
61) Swedish and later German Protestants (1634 - 1648 AD):
3x “Swedish Horse”, 3x Musketeers (with pikemen)
62) French (1599 - 1623 AD): 1x armoured Cuirassiers, 1x
Cuirassiers, 1x Carbineers, 1x elite Arquebusiers (with pikemen,
Guard), 1x Pikemen (and arquebusiers, militia)
63) French (1623 - 1648 AD): 2x Cuirassiers, 1x Carbineers, 3x
Pikemen (with musketeers, preferred melee)
64) Spanish in France (1643 AD): 1x armoured Cuirassiers, 1x
Lancers, 1x elite armoured Musketeers (with pikemen, Tercio), 1x
armoured Musketeers (with pikemen in Tercio, less experienced)
65) Spanish in Spain (1635 - 1659): 2x elite Lancers, 2x
armoured Musketeers (with pikemen in regional Tercios)
66) Portuguese (1640 - 1668 AD): 1x Cavalry (melee), 2x
Musketeers (with pikemen), 2x Musketeers (skirmishers), 1x
Artillery

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English Civil Wars (1642 - 1651 AD)
67) Royalists (1642 - 1644 AD): 2x elite Cavaliers, 2x Pikemen
(with musketeers), 1x Musketeers (with pikemen)
68) Royalists (1644 - 1647 AD): 2x elite Cavaliers, 2x Musketeers
(with pikemen), 1x Pikemen (with musketeers)
69) Royalists Cornish (1642 - 1643 AD): 1x Cavaliers, 2x elite
Pikemen (with musketeers), 1x Pikemen (and Musketeers), 1x
Musketeers (skirmishers)
70) Parliamentarians (1642 - 1645 AD): 2x Cavalry (with melee
pistols), 3x Musketeers (with pikemen), 1x Artillery
71) New Model Army: 1x elite armoured Cavalry (with melee
pistols, Cromwell’s Ironsides), 1x Cavalry (melee pistols), 2x elite
Musketeers (with pikemen)
72) Scots Royalists (1644 - 1647 AD) Montrose: 1x Cavalry
(melee pistols), 2x armoured Pikemen (with musketeers, Irish), 1x
Swordsmen (Highlanders), 1x Musketeers (and pikemen)
73) Scots Covenants: 1x Lancers, 1x Cavalry (melee pistols), 2x
Swordsmen (Highlanders), 2x Pikemen (with musketeers)
74) Irish (1641 - 1652 AD): 1x Irish Horse (shooting pistols), 1x
Irish Horse (melee pistols), 1x Swordsmen (Redshanks), 2x
Pikemen (with musketeers, short of muskets), 1x Musketeers
Wars of the Polish Deluge (1648 - 1667 AD)
75) Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: 1x elite armoured
Lancers (Polish Winged Hussars), 1x Lancers (noble levy), 1x
Carbineers (Pancerni), 2x Musketeers (with pikemen)
76) Ukrainian Cossacks (Khmelnytsky Uprising 1648 - 1654
AD): 3x Horse Archers (bow or later carbines), 1x armoured

25
Spearmen (behind Tabor wagon forts), 1x armoured Musketeers
(behind Tabor wagon forts)
77) Tsardom of Russia: 1x armoured Lancers (nobles), 1x Horse
Archers (Cossacks), 1x elite Musketeers (Streltsy), 2x Musketeers
(conscripts)
78) Swedish Invasion (1655 - 1650 AD): 2x Swedish Horse
(melee pistols), 2x elite Musketeers, 1x Musketeers
79) Electorate of Brandenburg-Prussia: 2x Reiters, 1x Dragoons,
3x Musketeers (with pikemen)
80) Principality of Transylvania (1657 AD): 1x Lancers (nobles),
3x Horse Archers (Hussars and Székely), 2x Musketeers (militia)
81) Crimean Tatars: 4x Horse Archers, 1x Musketeers (from
Volga), 1x Spearmen (peasant levy)
82) Ottoman Turks: 3x Carbineers (Sipahis), 2x Musketeers
(Janissaries), 1x Arquebusiers (Azabs)
Around the world
83) Ming Chinese: 2x Horse Archers, 2x Spearmen, 1x
Crossbowmen, 1x Artillery
84) Mongolia: 6x Horse Archers
85) Korean Yi dynasty: 2x Lancers (nobles), 1x Horse Archers, 1x
Spearman, 2x Archers
86) Japanese: 1x elite armoured Spearmen (Samurai with yari), 2x
Spearmen (Ashigaru), 2x Arquebusiers (Ashigaru)
87) Manchu Chinese: 2x elite Horse Archers (Manchu
Bannermen), 1x Horse Archers, 1x Spearmen (Chinese), 1x Archers
(Chinese)

26
88) Aztec: 1x elite Swordsmen (Jaguar and Eagle knights), 1x elite
Swordsmen (shock troops in ambush), 2x Swordsmen (city
warriors), 1x Slingers (skirmishers)
89) Inca: as Attacker 2x Spearmen (regulars), 2x Spearmen
(militia), 2x Slingers (skirmishers) as Defender 2x armoured
Slingers (regulars behind fortifications), 1x Spearmen (militia), 2x
Slingers (skirmishers)
90) Conquistadors: 1x elite armoured Pikemen (Conquistadors),
2x Spearmen (native allies), 2x Slingers (native allies)
91) Siamese, Burmese: 1x elite Elephants, 1x elite Spearmen
(troops in ambush), 2x Spearmen, 1x Archers
92) Songhai (West Sudanese)(1464 - 1591 AD): 2x Cavalry
(melee), 1x Cattle OR 1x Spearmen, 2x Spearmen, 1x Archers
93) Moroccan Saadi Dynasty: 2x Mounted Arquebusiers, 2x elite
Arquebusiers, 1x Spearmen
94) Mughal Empire: 2x elite Horse Archers, 1x elite armoured
Musketeers (behind defences backed by cannons), 1x Musketeers
95) Sultanate of Delhi: 1x armoured Lancers, 1x elite Elephants
(300 war elephants), 2x Spearmen, 1x Archers
Big Battle Version
One can expand the size of the two armies and the number of
sectors. The number of points for each army is always four times
the number of sectors. If one has six sectors across as the
battlefield, then one could just double the existing army lists
although which sectors count as the centre must be decided as
Infantry get the outflanking bonus when in the centre while
Mounted get it when in the left or right sectors. Other rules all stay
the same.

27
Designer Notes
These rules Dominion of Pike and Shot use the same basic rules as
the Dominion of the Spear Ancient and Medieval Solo wargames
rules, and the Designer Notes in them apply here also. Lessons
learnt and feedback obtained have been incorporated in these rules.
Obvious additions to these rules have been artillery and the
pre-battle bombardment, and also the possibility of rallying a unit
(that did not seem to happen very often in ancient and medieval
battles). Activation optional rule B has been made the default
activation system, with the original system given as an alternative.
A fundamental aspect of the rules is the interaction between the
four different troop types. The rules are written so that Missile
Infantry versus Melee Infantry, and Missile Mounted v Melee
Mounted have an equal chance of defeating the opposing unit. So
Arquebusiers (with pikemen) and Pikemen (with arquebusiers),
with one shooting first and needing a 5 or 6 and the other then
needing a 4, 5 or 6, have an equal chance of defeating the other.
Reiters fighting Cuirassiers have the same odds as above, so
although they fight differently, they have an equal chance of
defeating the other. Although over time the pendulum seemed to
move back and fore between such troop types, it appears to me
there was not much difference in the odds against each other.
In the Ancient and Medieval rules, Melee Infantry > Missile Infantry
> Melee Mounted > Missile Mounted > Melee Infantry, with a +1 dice
roll advantage if “>” against the other unit.
These Renaissance rules change this dynamic to Melee Infantry >
Melee Mounted > Missile Infantry > Missile Mounted > Melee
Infantry. This simulates pikemen fending off charging cavalry,
charging cavalry riding down infantry with slow firing guns,
infantry with guns firing further and harder than missile armed
cavalry, and missile armed cavalry being able to skirmish against
infantry armed with melee weapons.
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Spanish Tercios presented quite a dilemma. A most important
design feature is that any unit can defeat any other unit, with often
the most fun and memorable battles being when a unit defies the
odds and defeats a superior foe. I have chosen to portray Spanish
Tercios as elite armoured Arquebusiers (with pikemen) costing 4
points. This allows an army to have two, along with two supporting
units. I tried 5 point Tercios, with Tercios having a +2 elite (elite*)
or +2 armoured attribute (armoured*), but an army could only
really afford one, and in the end I found I preferred the 4 points
version. In the army lists I have often modelled the later Tercios
used by other countries as armoured Arquebusiers (with pikemen).
Impetuous cavalry such as French Gendarmes and English Royalist
Cavaliers also presented a dilemma as to the best way to model
them in this game. They were notoriously difficult to rally and
tended to pursue a defeated foe off the battlefield ignoring the rest
of the battle. This would mean that in terms of the game mechanics
if they defeated a foe they would also “be defeated” and removed as
well. Balanced against this though is the morale effect of seeing
one’s own cavalry defeated and relentlessly pursued. After trying
different solutions, and not wanting to add fiddly extra little
mechanics to the game, in the end I removed the impetuous
attribute from the game and the normal rules apply to such units
(with the possibility of mutual defeat anyway). In the most abstract
or narrative sense, any continuing success by them, could be seen as
the morale effect of their initial success.
Sources used have been the WRG DBR rules and army lists, the
Renatio et Gloriam army lists, the ADLG-R army lists, the Field of
Glory Renaissance army lists, and the Principles of War Renaissance
rules and army lists. Numerous battles reports were also read of
historical battles, and help sought on various websites such as TMP.
© 2025 Ork Publishing Version 1.0

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30
 Quick Reference Sheet
Pre-battle artillery fire: First Attacker, then Defender needing a 6
to hit with Infantry retreating and Mounted charging if hit
Each round: Attacker chooses a sector and combat is resolved
there, then Defender chooses a sector and combat is resolved there
Combat Resolution: First Artillery attacks needs a 5 or 6 to
defeat armoured Infantry, otherwise a 6, with +1 elite/outflanking
Then Missile Unit(s) attack:
Roll one dice needing 5 or 6 to defeat the enemy unit
Elite unit shooting +1 to dice roll.
Target is armoured -1 to dice roll
Missile Infantry v Missile Mounted +1 to dice roll
Missile Mounted v Melee Infantry +1 to dice roll
Outflanking attack +1 to dice roll if Mounted in left or right sector or
Infantry in centre sector
Then Melee Unit(s) attack:
Roll one dice needing 4, 5, or 6 to defeat the enemy unit
Elite unit attacking +1 to dice roll.
Target is armoured -1 to dice roll
Melee Infantry v Melee Mounted +1 to dice roll
Melee Mounted v Missile Infantry +1 to dice roll
Outflanking attack +1 to dice roll if Mounted in left or right sector or
Infantry in centre sector
Immediately replace a defeated unit with a unit from their
reserve if possible, but it cannot attack until the next round.
Attempt rallies and Winning the battle: Rally (EA) needs a 6, (E)
or (A) a 5 or 6, otherwise a 4, 5 or 6. One attempt. An army loses if it
has 1 or 0 units left at the end of a round and less than the opposing
army. If both armies have 1 unit left then continue fighting.

31