Well, it was time. Burgundian Ordonnance (1477) versus Later Swiss (1477). What a match-up...
I was the invader, with weather and time of day playing no part in the game.
The terrain included a river which cut off the left end of John's deployment zone and a large wood on my left, roughly on the centreline. This provided a nice wide gap for the Swiss to deploy in, but meant their left flank would be uncovered if they advanced too far.
The Swiss deployed a large block of Pk (S) in the centre, with a couple of Bd (X) attached and some LH (I) in reserve. On each flank was a command with Bd (X) and Ps (S), with one particularly large block of Ps (S) ready to dive into the wood. It didn't look much, so I assumed there was a flank march of Lorrainer/Allied types, and deployed accordingly. The Ordonnance Kn once again mostly deployed dismounted, behind a screen of the Bw (X/S) mixed Ordonnance pike and bow. I kept small mounted reserves behind the two main commands, to block the expected flank of arrival of the flank march. Ps (S) handgunners deployed near the wood. On my right went the Low Countries Pk (I) with the artillery, sitting behind their (useless) FO.
The Swiss advanced steadily, the Bd leading the Pk, but the fourth dice quickly revealled the fact that there was no fourth command. Wow, that's a small army...
The Ordonnance Bw took an unexpectedly heavy toll of the Bd (X) on the Swiss left; the artillery were less successful. More archery knocked over a Bd (X) on the Swiss right as well, and then even nailed a Pk (S). This is by far their best shooting performance. Meanwhile I struggled against poor PIPs to deploy the Bd (S) into line behind the Bw. On my right, mounted Bw (S) moved out past the line of Pk to start shooting at Swiss Ps (S).
The Swiss Bd (X) of their left command hit the line of Bw, and yet another died! The Swiss left wing was now disheartened. Likewise, on my left the Bw survived the initial onslaught of the Bd (X) intact. The Ps (S) glowered at each other, neither game to make the first contact.
The fighting became more general as the Swiss Pk (S) finally made contact. Some of the combat dice began to favour John, but the Bw (X/S) still survived remarkably well. A Bw DBE on my left died from a Bd (X), and the best option for filling the gap seemed to be to commit the sub-general. With an overlap against the Bd (X), the odds were in my favour, but it still concentrates the mind to send a general into combat facing a QK...
John's left wing finally collapsed, although at the same time the Swiss Pk began to peck several holes in the Bw line. Time for the Bd (S), who managed to destroy a couple of elements. Meanwhile, my victorious left flank sub-general hit the flank of the Bd (X) general on John's right. The Swiss general survived, but more Bd (X) died, disheartening that command. Suddenly, bad PIPs limited John's options.
In the centre, the Swiss Pk started breaking through the Bd (S) and turning to hit flanks and rears. My centre command raced from intact to being on the edge of breaking in one round of combat. And my own poor PIPs made it hard to rally the victorious troops and swing them around.
The battle was decided on the left. John trusted to luck and sent his more numerous but disheartened Ps (S) into mine. The dice fell my way, and enough Swiss elements died that the Swiss right flank broke.
My losses were less than 20%, but included a disheartened command, so I think the score would have been 22-3 to me.
Thanks to John for an entertaining game. I think I may be groping my way towards some appropriate tactics for the army, although it's proving a lot harder than I imagined. I suspect I may be trading the FO in for some more troops, making the army on the whole a little more mobile.
