Battle of Seminara, 28 June 1495

I just fancied a solo game with my Italian Wars collection.  So, after a quick look through Renaissance Battles Vol 1 by Peter Sides, I decided that I could easily adapt his scenario for Seminara.

Basically, the French have overwhelmed much of Italy and conquered Naples.  Concerned by this, the Spanish sent Gonsalvo de Cordova with c.5000 troops to support the Neopolitan King Ferrante II.  Despite facing a numerically stronger French army led by the Duke of Aubigny, Cordova decided to attack at Seminara.

The Armies

French
2 units of Gendarmes
Swiss Pike
2 units of Gascon Crossbow
Gascon Pike (mistaken marked as Italian on the image below)
1 medium gun

Spanish/Neapolitan
2 units of men at arms
1 unit Italian Crossbow
Spanish Pike
Spanish Rodeleros
Spanish Arquebusiers
1 medium gun

The Deployment

The French

The Spanish/Neapolitan Army

The Battle

Early artillery exchanges favoured the Spanish as their guns tore through the Swiss pike, impacting on their cohesion.

The French command made a general advance.  Meanwhile, Cordova was hoping for a quick win on the cavalry flank before being overwhelmed.

The Spanish intention was clear.

But Aubigny was not going to just let the Spanish men at arms catch him standing.  Both mounted armour charged.

With quality and a little luck on their side, the gendarmes put the Spaniards to flight.  All that remained was for Aubigny to pursue, crash into their rear and cut them down.

All that was needed was to roll 6 or more on 2d6... and this is what was rolled!

With French horses and men unable to deliver the coup de grace this was an early opportunity missed.

As more artillery fire struck the Swiss, the French gunners found their mark on the Spanish pike.  Not willing to stand and take such fire, they advanced towards their foes.
Taking advantage of the Spanish pike unit's isolation, the Swiss and Gascon pike moved to within charge distance.
Meanwhile, the remaining Spanish men at arms moved onto the flank.

As Swiss and Gascon pike position themselves, Gascon crossbowmen shoot to disrupt the Spaniards' cohesion.

Cordova chooses not to wait for the French charge but boldly launched his pike unit forward.

Despite being outnumbered, the Spanish pike performed surprisingly well in the push of pike and inflicted harm on the French.  However, the Spanish spirits faltered and turned turned tail with their morale now undermined.

With both Swiss and Gascons now contemplating attacking a unit that is running away...

... the Swiss are hesitating.  With their cohesion in a very poor state (blue dice - cohesion starts at 5) and their morale now undermined, they could do with an opportunity to rally.

As the bulk of the infantry fought it out in the centre, the gendarmes are preparing to charge.

Plus, Cordova's Italian crossbowmen have positioned themselves on the Swiss flank.

Spanish artillery and crossbow shoot at the Swiss...

The Swiss, with their cohesion shot to pieces and their morale undermined, can take no more and disperse.

Likewise, the Gascon crossbowmen make the most of their position relative to the Spanish pikemen...

... and with their morale undermined they are unable and unwilling to take any more and run to the rear of their army as quickly as possible.

With the infantry battle seemingly done and dusted, all eyes turned to the cavalry.

Aubigny's gendarmes crashed into the rear of the previously defeated unit.  Meanwhile, the remaining men at arms and gendarmes hurl themselves at each other.

Aubigny's knights annihilated the men at arms.

However the second combat went the way of the Spanish.  With the French falling back - bloodied but not killed.

The Spaniards pursued and continued to take the fight to their 
Gallic enemy.

Having dealt out more death and destruction, the French are thrown further back.  However, the Spanish horses are now blown and in need of recovery.

With the Spanish Pike and half the men at arms destroyed, the Spanish/Neapolitan army clock counted down to zero.  A French victory was claimed with Cordova retiring from the field with as much cohesion and good order as possible.

Afterthoughts
That was a fun and interesting game.

The real battle in 1495 resulted in a French victory.  The gendarmes overwhelming the Spanish men at arms and the Swiss bulldozing through the centre.

On this occasion the French infantry and cavalry did their job.  The French were also helped by the Spanish suffering from some command and control issues that hampered its left flank (arquebusiers and rodeleros), leaving them unable to move all game.  However, the Spanish artillery and crossbowmen were surprising effective against the Swiss.

I was very pleased with having my figures out and with how the rules, my own, worked.

Happy days!