Tag Archives: Medeival

July 25th 1467 Battle of Molinella Wargame Scenario

The 1467 Battle of Molinella was one of the most important battles in 15th-century Italy. It is also one of the first battles where firearms and artillery were extensively used. The battle resembled a pike and shot era battle more than a medieval one.

Republic of Venice
Bartolomeo Colleoni
14,000
9,000 Infantry (800 firearms)
5,000 Cavalry
6 Cannons

Republic of Florence
13,000
7,000 Infantry (1200 firearms)
6,000 Cavalry
10 Cannons

Wargame
Use whatever rules you want to. If you have a good late medieval or early Renaissance rule set that incorporates firearms well, that would be my recommendation.
2 Players
8×4 Table
For terrain, the battle was fought on the banks of the Idice River. Some minor hills, some shrubbery, and of course, the river on a short table edge.

Set-Up
The two armies should be relatively balanced; your rules set will have good army lists. The Italian Condotta Army from DBM Book 4 can make some nice lists.

Venice 399

C in C x3Reg Kn (S)105
Condottieri x14RegKn(O)168
Mounted Cross Bows x6RegLH(I)18
Mercenary Pikes x8RegPk (O)32
Militia Pikes x4RegPk(I)12
Handgunners x8RegPs(S)24
Stradiots x6IrrLH(O)30
BombardRegArt(S)10

Florence 400

C in C x3Reg Kn(S)105
Condottieri x14RegKn(O)168
Mounted Cross Bows x6RegLH(I)18
Stradiots x8IrrLH(O)40
Handgunners x11RegPs(S)33
Bombard x2RegArt(S)20
Mercenary Pike x4RegPK(O)16

June 24th 1340 Battle of Sluys Wargame Scenario

The Battle of Sluys in 1340 was a major naval battle during the Hundred Years’ War. It was also a tragic defeat for the French. The French outnumbered the English and had better warships. However, their tactics caused complete and utter defeat.

English
King Edward
150 Ships, mostly Cogs

French
Huges Quieret
230 Ships, mostly Galleys

A cog was a single-masted warship. The English did not have a purpose-built military navy at the time; instead, they would seize shipping cogs and retrofit them with wooden ‘castles’ for war. The French took their experience sailing the Mediterranean using agile shallow-drafted galleys and put them to work in the English Channel.

During the battle, the English could use their superior longbows to wreak havoc on the French Galley. Because the French chained their ships together, they were essentially immovable. The Cog’s height also prevented any significant boarding actions from the French.

Wargame

For Use with the Baron’s War or Other Medieval Skirmish Game
2 or 3 Players
Forces Needed: 20 or 30 English Archers and 15 Men at Arms, 40 French Crossbows and 60 Men at Arms

Terrain- A couple of large galleys capable of holding half the French forces, a cog capable of carrying the English. The cog should be higher than the galleys, and there should be some way for the French to assault the Cog.

Objective
French board and seize the Cog, English, destroy the French.

My Paint skills were on point for this one……..

Set-Up

One of the two galleys should be positioned attacking the English Cog and preparing to board, the other should be moving slowly to engage.

Special Rules
The English longbows should be able to shoot farther and faster than French Crossbows.

June 23rd 1280, the Slaughter of Moclin Wargame

This is a historical fact that goes unnoticed by most of the world. Spain, France, and Portugal spent many years under Muslim control. The final expulsion of Muslims from Spain didn’t occur until 1614. In 1280, as part of the centuries-long Reconquista, Christians had one of their worst losses in their many wars against the Muslim kingdoms.

Muhammad II was able to lure the Castilian forces into an ambush with a feigned retreat tactic near the City of Moclin.

Crown of Castile
Infante Sancho
3,000 knights and soldiers

Emirate of Granada
Muhammad II
8,000 Soldiers and Horsemen

Scenario
For DBMM, Hail Ceasar, any medieval style rules.

Number of Players 2
Forces Needed, Large lightly armed Muslim force, much smaller but heavily armed crusader style force including a contingent of heavy knights representing the Knights of Santiago
Terrain 6×4 table with some wooded edges

Objective
Christians, to save their Knights of Santiago, Muslims, destroy the Christian Force

Set-Up

The battle should be joined with roughly equal forces on one end of the narrow edge of the table. The game starts when the Muslim player puts his light cavalry and skirmishers on the flanks of the battle and attempts to surround the Christians.

June 18th 1429 Battle of Patay (Not Waterloo) Wargame Scenario

Today, I am choosing to create a scenario for the Battle of Patay, a crucial battle during the 100 Years’ War that shaped modern France and Europe. I know a far more famous and influential battle took place on June 18th. Here’s the deal: 10,000 people like me have written a slew of wargames regarding Waterloo. Most of them are far better than I could ever come up with. My biggest idea would be allowing the Prussians on the field and having the French try to hold off their assault while the rest of the French army attempted to defeat Wellington.

The Battle of Patay is a classic example of a small superior force taking on a larger, ill-trained, ill-equipped army. The English attempted a similar strategy as had worked in Crecy and Agincourt, relying on their longbows to decimate the heavily armed French Knights and infantry. The French identified the potential ambush and slaughtered the archers before approaching the main line.

Order of Battle
French
La Hire
180 Knights
1300 Men at Arms

English
John Fastolf
2000 Archers
3000 Infantry

Scenario
Baron’s War or other Medieval-style skirmish game
2 Players
50 or 60 models
Heavily wooded terrain
8×4 Table

Objective

After discovering the ambushers, French need to escape the board to French lines to report the position of the English longbows.
English, prevent the scouts from escaping.

Set-Up
10 French outriders should be set up on the furthest edge of the table. The English should randomly assign groups of five archers to different points on the board. I’d create a grid on the table, each section being 1′ by 1′. The English should have ten groups of 5 archers each assigned to a random grid part.

Game
When the French outriders enter a grid that contains English archers, they appear on the table and begin play.

Special Rules
Ambush, when the outriders enter a grid section containing the archers, they appear and get a surprise attack on the outriders.

Line of sight. Getting an open longshot in a dense forest is hard, the archers will need to work to contain the outriders.