Toy Soldiers 1 Real Life 0

You may recall that a couple of weeks ago our Italian Wars game using the new Hail Caesar rules was cut short by a health emergency in Phil's family. We determined we would replay the battle in this week's Tuesday game slot here in GHQ. Our joint collection is more than sufficient to set up both the Papal and Florentine armies with four Divisions of four or five units plus their commanders. We have moved largely to basing our Ancient and Early Medieval armies on large unit bases. We feel this gives an aesthetic which is pleasing to the eye in games and which eases storage and figure protection issues. You are of course free to disagree in the nature of things in our hobby. Here now the usual photomontage to convey a sense of the unfolding drama of the battle as Cesare Borgia's army took the field against Philippe Baldinni's Florentines ~

The Florentine's opening dispositions stretching away from the camp towards the walled farm on their right flank 

Cesare's Papal army deployed to face them. All of his Condietteri are on his right with the mercenary pike grouped into one block in his centre.

The mercenary pike are formed into one block. Cesare's plan is for them to dominate the centre leaving the Condietteri to destroy the Florentine left division and roll up the army from their flank.

The mercenary pike shielded by halbadiers and handgunners advance in a steady manner.

The battle plan unravels in Turn 3! Cesare's left and right divisions move slowly or not at all, while the Mercenary pike block Blunders forward for three moves! Fortunately the Florentines after early successful command dice fail to take advantage!

Casualties begin to mount on the Mercenary pike. The frame gun is forced to retire and the halberdiers' ranks are thinning.

Both flanks of the Mercenary pike are open to attack but the Florentines seem reluctant to close with them.

The Florentines have the advantage in handgunners and crossbowmen but are finding it difficult to coordinate their firepower, orders are just not getting through or are being misunderstood in the heat of battle.

Back in the Florentine camp, Baldinni poses for his portrait. Perhaps this explains the Florentines' reluctance to engage the enemy?

Finally one element of the Mercenary pike block is engaged by the Florentine pike. They prove unequal to the task and are defeated roundly.

At last Cesare is able to bring his massed Condietteri into battle and they drive off the inferior numbers of Florentine Condietteri facing them. Baldinni's left division is in disarray.

Despite the reluctance of his left division to advance briskly Cesare's line of battle is consolidating as the Florentine left breaks and centre falls back.

It is looking bleak for Baldinni with his left division Broken and his centre, pressed by the victorious Mercenary pike, falling back to prevent being flanked by the rampant Condietteri of the Papal army.

Viewed from the Papal army's right the Florentines of Baldinni's army are being pushed back and his camp is being looted already.

Some disorder is evident in the Florentine ranks as casualties start to tell and morale starts to unravel. Baldinni quits the field as his army are beaten.

A final shot of the defeated Florentines as Baldinni imitates the fictional Duke of Plasatorro!

A splendid run through for our collection with the new Hail Caesar rule set and it's Medieval additions which we felt worked well. I suspect we will return to them in due course, but time for some other periods now I think both in GHQ and over at Olaf'sHQ too.