A Brief Diversion into the Italian Wars

 For our regular weekly game it was my turn to be the host. Thinking about all the lovely games I had seen at The Other Partizan last Sunday I found indecisive was my middle name when I had to choose a game. In the end I plumped for the Italian Wars as it had not had a run out of late. An encounter battle between the forces of the Papal States and those of Florence using our combined collections. The rules would be Hail Caesar in their second iteration. As ever, an annotated photomontage to give a sense hopefully of how the action developed over the course of the game ~

All roads lead to Rome, or so the old saying goes. Baldini's Florentines are encamped alongside the old Roman road preventing Pope Alexander VI, Borgia from returning to the Vatican from one of his summer retreats. Cesaré Borgia leads a relief column to dive off the encroaching Florentines.

The Heavily armoured Conditerri slowly advance on Cesaré's right flank.

The main body of the force advances decisively in the centre while the Florentines hesitate - three consecutive turns of inaction drive by Phil's dice 'luck' 🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲

On Cesaré's left the light gun and crew deter the Florentine right from pressing forward and threatening the centre 

Baldini's Conditerri are massed on his left but are holding back alongside his dithering centre division, handing the initiative to Cesaré's bolder knights!

It seems Baldini's right division is more intent on defending their encampment than they are on engaging Cesaré's weak left division.

Cesaré's left division is composed only of lightly armoured cavalry deployed to defend the Light Artillery piece.

At last Baldini's men begin to advance, but find the going far from easy - 🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲🎲

Cesaré's strong centre division soon dominate the battlefield while the massed Conditerri of his right division are also steadily closing on Baldini's hesitant knights.

Finally the two forces clash as Cesaré's leading elements crash into their Florentine foes.

Disaster! First blood to Florence as Cesaré's knights are overwhelmed in combat!

Normal service is resumed in the next period with Baldini's Conditerri being first driven back and then routed. His left Division is destroyed and the remnants must retire.

Cesaré's Conditerri, having destroyed their opponents, are free to play havoc in the rear of Baldini's army. The writing is on the wall and Baldini quits the field avoiding total disaster for his followers. Game over in Turn 7 thanks to complete destruction of Baldini's Conditerri by their opposite number. A little like games with Phil's Spanish Civil War collection I always get the itch to paint some figures for this collection, but I must resist the siren call for more Crimean War figures are clamouring for their moment under the brush...