Renaissance Armies.....and rules

[Hertsblue]

George Gush's Renaissance Armies 1480-1650 is still probably the best general source around. The man pretty well invented Renaissance as a wargaming period back in the seventies. You could use a mix of armoured and half-armoured pistoliers (or even unarmoured) as reiters. Since each man was responsible for providing his own equipment there would be no uniformity. The "millers" wore a white casaque (long-sleeved surcoat) over their armour, which is why their opponents gave them the nickname.

Landsknechts fought for both sides in the Wars of Religion - as did the Swiss. The common soldier wore his ordinary clothes - the Spanish in particular took the view that "how can you expect a man to fight his best if you don't let him wear what he wants?". Pike and shot would be pretty well interchangeable at this period. Only the Swiss and Landsknechts would stand out.   

[FierceKitty]

It's useful, but what he leaves out is no longer acceptable. The hobby has moved beyond Featherstone and Airfix, hasn't it?

[DanJ]

I I started with Gush many moons ago, but like all WRG rules of the period they're "bottom up" looking at the minutae and extrapolating up to unit and army level.  My favourite was (I think) the Pancerni in the Polish list, this started off as a bloke on a horse wearing little more than a vest but he could be steadily upgraded with armour and weapons until he was a veritable arsenal. I always had a picture of a long line of servants loading more and more kit onto the hapless man.

One issue I have with the Renaissance is "period creep" and expecting a set of rules to cover a very fluid and period.  Personally I like playing Renaissance games set in Italy, basically the Italian wars from the original city states to the arrival of the French and Imperialists and the fall of the Papacy.

[Aart Brouwer]

Speaking of the Italian Wars, has anyone looked into Frank Chadwick's Condottiere, The Dogs of War (Wargames Foundry) yet?

I'm curious what it's like.

Cheers,
Aart

[Hertsblue]

It's useful, but what he leaves out is no longer acceptable. The hobby has moved beyond Featherstone and Airfix, hasn't it?

I I started with Gush many moons ago, but like all WRG rules of the period they're "bottom up" looking at the minutae and extrapolating up to unit and army level.  My favourite was (I think) the Pancerni in the Polish list, this started off as a bloke on a horse wearing little more than a vest but he could be steadily upgraded with armour and weapons until he was a veritable arsenal. I always had a picture of a long line of servants loading more and more kit onto the hapless man.

I wasn't referring to Gush's rules - I never liked them at all - but to the hardback book published in 1975 and updated later that covered all the main armies of the period. Most of the information contained in it is still valid although it may well be out of print now.

[Leman]

The Elizabethan range appears to have most of the figures needed. For Millers you could look at the demilancer EL8 or the 30 Years War cavalry with pistol in burgonet YW3. I would go with Impetus, although Warlord Games are bringing out a Pike and Shotte version of their rules soon. As for DBanything - aarghhh!. Although HOTT ain't too bad and does cater for weapons of the Renaissance period (and dragons and bears).
DP

[Nosher]

Ahhh - George Gush's rennaissance rules

Many an hour whiled away cutting out the sentences from the errata sheet and then pritt sticking these extracts over the erronous bits of text.  'Cut & paste' before the advent of the PC

Takes me back to my days on ROP's updating technical hardware manuals and vehicle logbooks whenever a new operating procedure came out... hence why I never received an LSGC

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hi Freddy

I'm assuming that the Landsknecht range are ok for the mercenary armies that were around at this time?.

thanks!

For the French Wars of Religion, the Landsknechts were in pluderhosen so the Pendraken range is for an earlier period. Not sure what to recommend to replace them, maybe the Elizabethan pike could be used.





People were talking about George Gush's reference work, most of it is available here - http://greatestbattles.iblogger.org/Renaissance/RenaissanceWarfare-AirfixMagazineArticles.htm

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[FierceKitty]

Personally I like playing Renaissance games set in Italy, basically the Italian wars from the original city states to the arrival of the French and Imperialists and the fall of the Papacy.

agree; best way to start the period. Lots of colour, all the armies have attractive qualities and strengths, and not too many outlanding heavy cavalry types to confuse new players. A bonus is that you can call it renaissance and for once be using the term accurately!
   Funny you should mention the renaissance; an easy way to make some good baggage elements is to print out some renaiiance paintings, stick 'em onto mounts, and stack 'em against each other as loot. A few Botticellis and Leonardos look really smart.

[Aart Brouwer]

A bonus is that you can call it renaissance and for once be using the term accurately!

Better call it Quattrocento. Or course you would call it Early Modern Period if you were in the American Historical Association. No offense, but the AHA are politically correct morons whose heads should be stuck on pikes and paraded through western capitals.

A few Botticellis and Leonardos look really smart.

"Is that a Donatello in your Plunderhose or are you happy to see me?"  

Cheers,
Aart

[FierceKitty]

Better call it Quattrocento.

Mi dispiace, but most of the fighting was in the cinquecento. Fornovo being the honourable exception.



"Is that a Donatello in your Plunderhose or are you happy to see me?"  

Cheers,
Aart

[Aart Brouwer]

Mi dispiace, but most of the fighting was in the cinquecento. Fornovo being the honourable exception.

Va bene, FierceKitty, but I thought DanJ was primarily interested in the Condottiere wars of the fourteen hundreds.

Freddy again likes his wars to be French and religious, for which Le Poulet Gauche is a nice site.

Cheers,
Aart

[FierceKitty]

Reminder: the Grey Company (as in the Three Musketeers) were in fact a cavalry regiment.

[Chad]

Aart

Not enough room in a Cinquecento to swing a cat let alone have a battle.



Chad



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[FierceKitty]

Anyone swinging me is going to lose a his cacciatorino.