Italian Wars Unit Characterisation for Pike and Shotte

I have recently tweaked my master table for characterising units for Pike and Shotte games set in the earlier part of Italian Wars - between Charles VIII's 1494 invasion of Italy and the Sack of Rome in 1527. It only provides a rule of thumb list for my games and is by no means exhaustive. It has several similarities with the classifications in the master rules but, I have added and changed several definitions and statistics, and I have even altered one or two master rules. This will be especially noticeable in the following: my creation of the colunela as a single combined unit - mine being two stands of pike (12 figs), two stands of Sword and Bucklermen (6 - 8 figs) and four stands of shot (16 figs).  the downgrading of light horse melee factors. the increase of movement rates and ranges. the change in the master rule for crossbows and javelins - they get closing fire in my games but do not get the close range to hit bonus. artillery is far less mobile than in the master rules. I'm posting it here because I think it might be of use, especially for newcomers to the period. Though it only reflects my personal opinion about unit ability I think I can argue the case for the entries.  If anyone would like a MS Word doc. version of these tables, so they can tinker for themselves, or to lose the dropped letters (due to blog post compression of the table width), drop me an email at the address in the side bar. Pike and Shotte unit characterisation table for: The Great Italian Wars CAVALRY UNITS Unit Unit Type [move] Melee Dice # Shooting Dice # Morale save Stamina Special French Gendarmes Heavy Horse [12”] 10 - 3+ 4 Elite: 4+ to rally disorder. Heavy Cavalry Charge: add D3 melee result bonus. French Argulets Light Horse [16”] 3 1 [16”] 5+ 3 Cautious: may use free move to retire. Crossbow: no close range Evade: can evade Spanish Knights Heavy Horse [12”] 9 - 3+ 4 Elite: 5+ to rally disorder. Heavy Cavalry Charge: add D3 melee result bonus. Spanish Genitors Light Horse [12”] 5 1 [8”] 5+ 3 Javelin: no close range. Marauders: Do not count command distance. Skirmish: Freely change formation; shoot at full effect. Fire & Evade: can evade, or give closing fire & evade. Italian Casa / Famiglia Heavy Horse [12”] 9 - 3+ 4 Elite: 5+ to rally disorder. Heavy Cavalry Charge: add 1 melee result bonus. Imperial Men-at-arms Heavy Horse [12”] 9 - 3+ 4 Elite: 5+ to rally disorder. Heavy Cavalry Charge: add 1 melee result bonus. Wedge: large unit only; free move to charge; re-roll misses when charging; cannot fight to flank. Condottiere Heavy Horse [12”] 9 - 4+ 4 Brittle: quit if rally failed when shaken. Lance Spezzate Heavy Horse [12”] 9 - 4+ 4 Heavy Cavalry Charge: add 1 melee result bonus. Mounted Crossbows Light Horse [16”] 3 1 [16”] 5+ 3 Cautious: may use free move to retire. Crossbow: no close range. Evade: can evade Mounted Arquebus Light Horse [16”] 3 1 [16”] 5+ 3 Cautious: may use free move to retire. Evade: can evade Stradiots Light Horse [16”] 5 1 [8”] 5+ 3 Brittle: quit if rally failed when shaken. Javelin: no close range. Marauders: Do not count command distance. Skirmish: Freely change formation; shoot at full effect. Fire & Evade: can evade, or give closing fire & evade. ARTILLERY UNITS Unit Unit Type [move] Melee Dice # Shooting Dice # Morale save Stamina Special Light Artillery Artillery [4”, 8” limbered] 1 1 - 2 - 3 [32” - 16” – 6”] 6+ 2 Medium Artillery Artillery [0”, 8” limbered] 1 1 - 2 - 3 [48” - 24” – 6”] 6+ 2 May be ordered to turn on the spot. Heavy Artillery Artillery [0”, 8” limbered] 1 1 - 2 - 3 [64” - 32” – 6”] 6+ 2 May not move at all once unlimbered. Pike and Shotte unit characterisation table for: The Great Italian Wars INFANTRY UNITS Unit Unit Type [move] Melee Dice # Shooting Dice # Morale save Stamina Special French Pike Pike Block [8”] 5 - 6+ 5 Brittle: quit if rally failed when shaken. Hedgehog: no flanks / rear; shelter shot; static only. French Crossbows Battle Line [8”] 3 2 [16”] 6+ 3 Brittle: quit if rally failed when shaken. Crossbow: no close range. Swiss Pike Pike Block [8”] 7 - 4+ 5 Elite: 4+ (5+ post 1522) to rally disorder. Ferocious: re-roll misses when charging. Bad War: melee break test +1 Vs Land’s / Swiss. Hedgehog: no flanks / rear; shelter 1 shot; static only. Swiss Halberdiers Battle Line [8”] 6 - 4+ 3 Elite: 4+ (5+ post 1522) to rally disorder. 2 Handed Weapons: -1 to enemy saves. Ferocious: re-roll misses when charging. Bad War: melee break test +1 Vs Land’s / Swiss. Swiss Arquebus Battle Line [8”] 3 2 [16”] 4+ 3 Elite: 4+ (5+ post 1522) to rally disorder. Hedgehog: shelter with associated pike; static only. Pre-Bicocca Swiss - - - - - Add: Pre-Bicocca: Ignore shaken battalia rules until all Swiss pike & halberdiers are shaken or destroyed. Spanish Colunela Battle Line [8”] 5 3 [16”] 5+ 5 Pike company: cavalry count as pike armed. Colunela: add 1 melee result bonus Vs infantry. Volley Fire: add 1 dice to ‘closing fire’ shooting value. Hedgehog: no flanks / rear; shelter integral shot; static. Spanish Pike Pike Block [8”] 7 - 5+ 5 Hedgehog: no flanks / rear; shelter 1 shot; static only. Spanish Arquebus Battle Line [8”] 3 3 [16”] 5+ 3 Volley Fire: Add 1 dice to closing fire shooting value. Hedgehog: shelter with associated pike; static only. Spanish Sword & Bucklermen Battle Line [8”] 5 - 5+ 3 S&B: +D3 melee res’ bonus Vs pike, +1 Vs other infantry. Close fighters: re-roll melee misses in town fighting. Elite Spanish v v v v v Add: Elite: 5+ to rally disorder. Landsknecht Pike Pike Block [8”] 7 - 4+ 5 Bad War: melee break test +1 Vs Land’s / Swiss. Hedgehog: no flanks / rear; shelter 1 shot; static only. Landsknecht Halberdiers Battle Line [8”] 6 - 4+ 3 2 Handed Weapons: -1 to enemy saves. Bad War: melee break test +1 Vs Land’s / Swiss. Landsknecht Arquebus Battle Line [8”] 3 2 [16”] 4+ 3 Hedgehog: shelter with associated pike; static only. Elite Landsknecht v v v v v Add: Elite: 5+ to rally disorder. Italian Pike Pike Block [8”] 6 - 6+ 5 Brittle: quit if rally failed when shaken. Hedgehog: no flanks / rear; shelter 1 shot; static only. Italian Arquebus Battle Line [8”] 3 2 [16”] 6+ 3 Hedgehog: shelter with associated pike; static only. Veteran Italian Arquebus Battle Line [8”] 3 2 [16”] 5+ 3 Skirmish: freely change formation; shoot at full effect. Volley Fire: add 1 dice to ‘closing fire’ shooting value. Italian Crossbows Battle Line [8”] 3 2 [16”] 6+ 3 Crossbow: no close range. Hedgehog: shelter with pike; static only. Italian Sword & Bucklermen Battle Line [8”] 4 - 6+ 3 S&B: +D3 melee res’ bonus Vs pike, +1 Vs other infantry. Close fighters: re-roll melee misses in town fighting. Venetian Schiavonni Battle Line [8”] 4 1 [16”] Arquebus 6+ 3 S&B: +D3 melee res’ bonus Vs pike, +1 Vs other infantry. Close fighters: re-roll melee misses in town fighting. Marauders: do not count command distance. Skirmish: freely change formation; shoot at full effect. Italian Infantry Battle Line [8”] 4 - 6+ 3 2 Handed Weapons: -1 to enemy saves. Italian City Militia Battle Line [8”] 4 - 6+ 3 Brittle: quit if rally failed when shaken.