Rematch at Agnadello, 1509 - AAR

After playing and losing with the Venetians in our first outing of the Battle of Agnadello (see the reports from me and Jonathan), Jonathan reran the game but with sides swapped.  Would Jonathan lead the Venetians to victory? or would I take the French to another win?

This was a busy game. So, you may want to get a cup of tea and sit back and relax into this.

Looking at the battlefield from my, French, point of view.  The King's command on the left, including the artillery.  Chamont leading the French right with Gascon crossbow units, Swiss pike and gendarmes on the far right.

It did not take long to realise that the Venetians were not going to sit on the defensive behind the irrigation ditches.  With both armies advancing, Carpi's pike blocks were quickly within striking distance of Chamont's troops with one pike block charging through a vineyard against a Gascon crossbow unit.

Carpi's pike quickly routed the Gascons...

... and carried by their success launched into Chamont's Swiss on the right.  At this point my money might have been with the Swiss.

However, the Venetian pike deal a hammer blow to the Swiss and send them reeling backwards.  Fortunately for the French, the struggle took the momentum out of the pikemen.

Sadly for Chamont and the French right wing, Carpi orders his other pike unit into another unit of Gascon crossbowmen.

The match is very uneven.  The Gascons are forced to retire.  However, the Venetians are relentless in the pursuit...

... and throw the crossbow back in disarray.  Luckily for the French, the pikemen have momentarily the need to catch breath.

This gives Chamont the opportunity to give the Swiss their head and assault the rightmost 

Venetian pike in the vineyard and successfully throw them back into the ditch.  However, the Swiss, seem unusually reluctant to follow through with their success.

Meanwhile, the centre sees the king's Stradiots tussle with the Venetian skirmishers and send them back towards their lines.  Plus, the French artillery prove their worth by dispatching Carpi's light cavalry.

Small wins for the French considering the damage that Carpi's pike units had caused.

The king's pike and gendarmes slowly advance on the French left wing.

Carpi, on the Venetian left is clearly an aggressive soul.  Grabbing the initiative, his leftmost pike (French right) is hurled at the hesitant Swiss.

The melee is bloody and protracted.  However, despite taking significant losses the Swiss manage to force the Venetian pike back into the ditch, but are too exhausted to pursue.

However, Carpi's most advanced pike charges and destroys the remaining units of Gascon crossbowmen.

It is at this point that Alviano charges out of the woods on the French left and...

... mauls the surprised Stradiots.

With Chamont's command decimated and Alviano's pike moving into striking distance in the centre, things are looking desperate for King Louis.  So, born out of this desperation Chamont with his gendarmes on the far right couch their lances and thunder into Carpi and his men at arms.

The gendarmes crash into the Venetian heavy cavalry and send them reeling and vulnerable to pursuit.  With their tails up Chamont leads his cavalry after Carpi.

What now occurs must go down in the annals of the Great Italian Wars as the longest, hardest and most bitterly fought clash of arms.  The epic struggle sees many brave men at arms fall.  The gendarmes appear to have Carpi within their grasp as the heap of Venetian dead climb.

But with a last titanic effort, Chamont's gendarmes are repulsed... but not mortally damaged!

With the same sense of desperation, Chamont's depleted Swiss do what the Swiss do.  They charged the Venetian pike again.

But now the boys from the mountains have found their vigour and martial spirit.  The Venetian pike is pushed back and the Swiss pursue.

Again, the Carpi's pikemen are forced to retire.  However, the thinning ranks of the Swiss are unable to capitalise on the situation.

Meanwhile, the king sends his leftmost pike into Alviano's men at arms.

But Alviano prevails and the pike are repulsed.  However, Alviano is unable to control his heavy cavalry who ride past the pike and into the French king's gendarmes.

Despite their impetus, the Venetian cavalry is unequal to the French gendarmes and are driven back in disorder.  With their rear to the pursuing enemy, the Venetians are...

Photo courtesy of Mr J Freitag

... destroyed to the man.  

Alviano makes good an escape to the nearby Stradiots.  However, the king and his gendarmes have their blood up and see an opportunity to decapitate the Venetian command.

... and do so mercilessly.

The Venetians now struggle to control the initiative as the battle swings towards the French.

Chamont leads his gendarmes into the handful of Carpi's remaining men at arms.

The view of Chamont versus Carpi from the Venetian point of view.  The clash is on the Venetian left.

The fighting is too one-sided and the result bloody and decisive.

 Carpi flees to the nearby pike unit.

Which has to now try and fend off another Swiss attack.

The combat is determined, but the Swiss are held.

However, the cost is high.  The Venetians have had enough.  With Alviano dead and French gendarmes controlling the flanks, the Venetians now decide to try and leave the field and avoid a massacre.

A French victory!

After Thoughts
This was a battle of two halves. Jonathan had clearly reflected on the Venetian situation and decided to come out and attack... and it nearly worked.  His left wing led by Carpi tore the French right apart.  I really thought that I and the French were heading towards a humiliating defeat.  Even the renowned Swiss seemed incapable of effective combat.  However, where the Venetian punch landed hardest and deepest the support was too distant to exploit the hole in the French line.  It finally came down to the most feared arm of the French Renaissance army to turn the tide, the heavily armoured gendarmes.

This was a tremendously exciting refight.  Everywhere one turned there were decisions to make and action to execute.  A fabulous game.  Jonathan handled the Venetians superbly and for a long while looked good for the victory.

This was such a great game to participate in, all I have left to say is... wow what a buzz!