Marignano solo - Turn 1

TURN ONE

The Swiss rush forward under the stern direction of Cardinal Schinner. The French cavalry screen scatters in an attempt to take up better positions to engage the Swiss and to try and clear firing lanes for the guns to their rear.

Light horse is no match for pike men but, even so, they do remarkably well with their shooting against the Swiss arquebus before the pike squares engage. 

The echeloned Swiss advance steadily forward brushing aside everything in their path

The French horse looks helplessly outmatched next to the hedgehogs of pike.

The French infantry behind the entrenchments brace themselves for impact. 

The Swiss vanguard of arquebus and halberdiers (including a unit of shielded Italian foot standing in for a yet unpainted unit of halberdiers - sorry about that) are at the ditch. Flouranges' cavalry is almost spent.

The French infantry shoot as the Swiss rush the entrenchments but their volleys have little impact. Yet again. the unworthiness of French infantry to hold a position is proved. D class infantry!

The crash of the artillery fairs a little better, but little will not be enough. Schinner can see the French - he hates the French -and he is urging the Swiss on to do their bloodthirsty worst.

 As the turn ends, the Swiss (those pesky shielded Italian stand ins again) cross the earthworks and over run the first French gun. A second is about to be removed after fighting hard in hand to hand.

The first turn is over. The Swiss have done much better than they did a couple of weeks ago. This time their March cards fell more in their favour and the addition of the Ciao Bella card kept them to their purpose. 

The next turn should be very interesting. Much will depend on how quickly Bourbon can get his reserves into the fray.