Pikette Squared: Rules for Renaissance & Late Medieval Wargames

With the kind consent of Piquet, Inc., here are the rules themselves:

Pikette Squared

(Version 2.0)

An Introduction to Late Medieval/Renaissance Warfare and Piquet
By Ken Baggaley, as modified for a gridded board by Peter Anderson

These rules are very, very simple. They use few figures.


They introduce new players to Late Medieval/Renaissance wargaming and basic Piquet game concepts.


Enjoy them, and learn, and when you are ready you can move on to play full Piquet Band of Brothers II...
or whatever other rules of your own choosing!

1. Renaissance Warfare – How troop types developed

KNIGHTS - In the Middle Ages, knights ruled the battlefield. Covered in armor, mounted on strong horses, and charging with lances, these nobles rode right over their non-noble opponents on foot. This went on for hundreds of years. By the Renaissance, knights had full, beautiful and expensive suits of armor.


DISMOUNTED KNIGHTS – In the later Middle Ages, knights discovered that charging into battle on the back of a vulnerable horse was a bad idea against some enemies, especially longbowmen. Because a nobleman still had to lead from the front, some knights took to dismounting once they reached the battlefield, and plodding into action on foot with swords and axes. Their heavy armour made them slow, but it also made them hard to defeat.


PIKES - Then soldiers on foot (infantry) started using pikes. Pikes are like spears, but are ten to sixteen feet long. Infantry soldiers figured out that if they got a lot of pikes, and packed themselves together in a thick, tight group, all those pikes sticking out in front of them protected them like spikes on a porcupine or hedgehog. As long as they stayed together and moved as a group, the knights couldn’t charge over them, or dismount and batter them down. Some of these formations grew very large, like the PHALANX .


ARQUEBUSIERS - About this time, lots of gunpowder weapons came into use. The Arquebus is an early form of musket/rifle. The arquebus was a crude but effective infantry weapon. It made most armor useless. As time went on, a heavier version, with better armour-piercing capability, was gradually introduced. It was known by its Spanish name of “mosquete”, and the men who carried were MUSKETEERS.


Some large pike groups added arquebuses for protection, creating a huge group of pike and arquebus called a TERCIO.


CANNON - Old fashioned cannons had been around since the late Middle Ages. But now cannons added wheels, and got more mobile and more effective.


Pikes and gunpowder weapons changed how wars were fought.


Pikes stopped cavalry charges and could roll over other infantry. But they had to stay in tight groups. Arquebuses and cannon found these tight groups to be excellent targets.


CARABINS - Some cavalry carried arquebuses, but it required two hands to fire (an awkward weapon on horseback). They often dismounted to shoot. This type of cavalry abandoned their armor and became skirmishers (spread-out troops who are sniping at the enemy, rather than trying to destroy them). They had many different names, one being Carabins.


REITERS - Some cavalry started carrying a few pistols. They would trot right up to a group of pikes, fire several pistols into them at close range, and trot away to regroup and do it again. Eventually, the pike group suffered casualties and fell apart; the cavalry could then charge in on them. This tactic was called the Carocole.
The pistol cavalry were called Reiters. They wore armor and had to stay in tight formations themselves to perform the carocole.


LANCERS – Armor got less useful and more expensive. Armies got bigger. Some armies used more Lancers. These were cavalry who still charged with a lance. However, they were less armored, and not noblemen like the original knights. LANCERS also includes any Eastern feudal armored cavalry.


Some troop types stayed around from the Middle Ages.


SKIRMISHERS were armed with bows, crossbows or arquebuses (later some even had muskets).


LONGBOWMEN were highly-trained and disciplined archers who used the six-foot Welsh or English longbow to fire devastating volleys of arrows into an attacking army. Although improvements in armour reduced their effectiveness as time went on, they really only disappeared because it was much easier to get arquebusiers (who could be trained up in a few weeks) than longbowmen (whose training took a lifetime).


CROSSBOWS were still used by some armies for a while. They were slower to load and not as effective as arquebuses.


MILITIA were citizens or mobs armed with weapons for hand to hand combat. Citizen groups often used halberds, a pole topped by a blade that looked like a can opener! In England, the halberd was replaced by a variant called the bill, and billmen were combined with longbowmen during the Wars of the Roses. Other militia carried spears or other outdated weapons.


LIGHT CAVALRY were wild troops with little or no armor on fast horses. They rode around the flanks of an army, skirmishing or looking for weak spots to attack. They might have bows or javelins, but they did not fight in an organized manner. They had no chance against knights or pikes, but their speed made them useful. Most armies had some light cavalry.


WAR WAGONS were specially modified and strengthened wagons, used to make a moveable Fortress or Wagenburg to allow foot soldiers to defend themselves from opposing Knights. Used most extensively and successfully by the Bohemian Hussites. War Wagons have no Flank or Rear.

2. Units

A stand is a group of 25-28mm miniature model soldiers glued to a rectangular base. This represents a body of troops fighting as a unit. Most units have two stands (the exceptions are the PHALANX, TERCIO, WAR WAGONS and CANNON covered later).


Infantry bases are 60mm x 20 - 30mm. Cavalry stands are 60mm x 40mm. CANNON and WAR WAGONS are 60mm at the front. Unit types for each army are in the lists in the back.


Every unit has a Shoot and Fight value, shown as a type of dice. Units check their morale based on their Fight value die type.


Units can be okay, disordered or routed. Disordered means they are a little shaken up. Routed means they are running away!
Units can be destroyed in battle and removed from the table.


Any number of figures can be glued to a base – it makes no difference in the rules. To look good on the table, Pikette recommends the following number of figures glued to each base for these troop types:


KNIGHTS, LANCERS – two to three figures; Three "hits" per stand.
REITERS – three figures; Three "hits" per stand.
CARABINS, LIGHT CAVALRY – one to two figure; Two "hits" per stand.
LEADER – one figure, usually on horseback. 


DISMOUNTED KNIGHTS, PIKE – four figures; Four "hits" per stand.
ARQUEBUS, LONGBOWMEN, CROSSBOW, MILITIA – two to three figures; Three "hits" per stand.
SKIRMISHERS – one to two figures; Two "hits" per stand.


CANNON – One gun; Three "hits". 
WAR WAGONS – One wagon with crew; Four "hits" per stand


Use either all the lower numbers (which is more or less the DBR standard and cheaper) or all the higher numbers (in which case the number of figures per stand will equal the number of hits the stand can take; this is more or less the older WRG standard).

Every army has twelve units plus a cannon.

3. What you need to play

• Two armies, each with 12 units plus a cannon and a leader.

• A table, or playing area. We use roughly 120 x 120 cm (4’x 4’) gridded into 80mm” squares for 28 mm figures,.or 80 cm by 80 cm (3’ by 3’), gridded into 50 – 60 mm squares for 15mm and smaller. The battlefield will be 14 to 15 squares wide by 14 to 15 squares deep. All units are positioned entirely within one square, regardless of the number of stands. The unit must face one of the eight possible directions, either towards a square edge or along the diagonal. The square to the front of the unit and the ones to either side of that are referred to as “Frontal”, the squares to either side of the unit are referred to as “Flank:, and the three squares behind the unit are referred to as “Rear”. A unit will count as Firing on the Flank/Rear of an enemy unity if the square it is firing from is to the Flank or rear of the target. Similarly, a unit will count as attacking an enemy from the Flank or Rear if it entered the square from a square to the Flank or Rear of the enemy. A unit shooting at a target in the square in front of it does so at a range of one square.

Front	Front	Front	Front	Front
Front	Front	Front	Front	Front
Flank	Flank	UNIT	Flank	Flank
Rear	Rear	Rear	Rear	Rear
Rear	Rear	Rear	Rear	Rear

The shaded squares indicate a 45 degree field of fire.

• Forty Pikette cards (20 each army)

• Dice with 4,6,8, 10 and 12 sides (we’ll call them D4, D6, D8, D10 and D12)

NOTE: when the rules say Up1 or Down1, that means the die type used goes up (from D6 to D8) or down (D12 to D10). A die type can never go above D12 or below D4.

• Up to 36 Morale chips (use poker chips or similar)

• 6 Opportunity Chips (3 each player – you can use different colored poker chips or coins)

• Various markers for Fired, Hits, Disordered or Routed (you can use counters with F, D and R on them, or a puff of cotton for Fired, casualty figures for Disordered and Routed, and a rock or other piece of debris for Hits)

• Any scenery for the table, such as a hill, wood, building, or stream.

4. How to set up playing


Choose an army. Do any rolls to determine troop types.


Each side gets three Opportunity chips.


Each side gets twenty cards. The cards are marked as follows:


Infantry move – 3 cards
Cavalry move – 3 cards
Reload – 2 cards
Melee – 3 cards
Leader Check - 2 cards
Milling Around – 5 cards
Courage – 1 card
One extra card (determined by army type)


Shuffle the cards well and place one deck near each player.


Each side rolls a D10. Add 8. This is your number of morale chips (from 9 to 18). Take this number of poker chips.


Place any terrain on the battlefield. (See adding terrain below)


Line up the armies on each end of the table about 6 squares apart. Mostly put infantry in the center and cavalry on the wings.


Roll a D6 plus 4. This is the number of turns (card shuffles) before nightfall.

5. Terrain – setting up

Up to 4 pieces of terrain can be placed on the table. Both sides roll a D4. The higher roll places 3 pieces, the lower roll 1. If tied, both place 2 pieces. Terrain (except a stream) must be placed within 4 squares of the side table edges.


Once all terrain placed, a player can choose one opponent’s piece to ‘remove’ it, or choose one of his own pieces and move to the middle of the table. A roll of 6 on a D6 is required. Otherwise terrain stays as placed.   


A terrain piece can be a building, a wood, or a hill, each between one and two squares long and one square wide. A stream can be placed on table replacing 2 terrain choices. A stream must run across the board between the two armies. Streams can’t be moved or removed.

5. How to battle – cards and pips

Players in Pikette do not take alternate turns – like I go, then you go. Instead, players roll dice to see who gets the ‘Initiative’ to act. The other player can react to this by using his Opportunity chips.


At the start of each turn, both players roll a D12. The player with the higher roll then chooses to either go FIRST, with the SMALLER D12 roll as their number of ‘pips’, or SECOND with the LARGER D12 roll as their number of pips. The player going first is said to have the ‘Initiative’. Pips are used by that player to turn cards over from the deck. It costs one pip to turn each card. It then takes (usually) one pip per unit (not per stand) to act on that card. Players can often choose whether or not to act on that card, or just turn another card instead. When all the pips for the player going first are used up, the second player then has the initiative and uses the larger roll as their number of pips. When the second player’s pips are used up, both players roll again to see who gets the next initiative.


While the player with the initiative is turning cards and acting on them (or not), the non-initiative player has three Opportunity chips to do something back during that initiative. Opportunity chips are automatic and cannot be carried over.


If the initiative roll is a tie, or if all cards in one deck have been played, it is the end of one Turn. Play is stopped, both decks are shuffled and players roll for initiative again with full decks. When enough turns are completed, nightfall ends the battle.


When you turn a card, you can usually choose to act on it (for a cost in pips) or ignore it and tun another card. The cards:


Infantry Move – any infantry units or leader can move or change its direction for one pip per unit. (But See Marching rule below). They may oblique or sideslip 45 degrees during their move. Movement (or shooting, etc.) along a diagonal counts as 1.5 squares. Any cannon or War Wagon can move or change direction for a cost of three pips, with the same restriction on oblique movement. Change of direction is limited to 45 degrees, except for Skirmishers, who may change direction up to 180 degrees.


Cavalry Move – any cavalry unit or leader can move or change its direction for one pip per unit. (But See Marching rule below). It may oblique or sideslip 45 degrees during its move. Change of direction is limited to 45 degrees for Knights, 180 degrees for Light Horse and Carabins, and 90 degrees for all other cavalry


Reload – any unit with an F marker can now reload its weapons. Crossbows, War Wagons and Cannon cost two pips, other units one pip per unit.


Melee – any unit in the same square as an enemy unit may fight them! You do not need a Melee card to fight if you are attacking the flank or rear of an enemy unit, or if the enemy unit is Disordered. It costs one pip per unit to fight.


Leader Check – YOU MUST DO THIS. If your leader was in combat, is in range of enemy weapons, or in the same square with the enemy, each player rolls a D6. If you lose, your leader was hit! He is removed from the table, and you roll a D6 again – you lose that number of morale chips. If he lives, you MAY try to rally any units in your army that are disordered or routed. (See Rally rule, section 11)


Milling Around – sorry, nothing happens.


Courage – YOU MUST DO THIS. Any unit of yours in the same square as the enemy checks morale (See Morale rule below). Any unit of yours within one enemy charge move of a FEARSOME unit also checks morale. If any unit fails it is disordered. Any already disordered unit that fails routs. See FEARSOME Units below.


Each time you win the initiative, you move your routed units one full move toward the rear away from attackers. This is an automatic move and costs you nothing. If they leave the table, they are lost for the battle.


Command Indecision - All impetus points remaining to the active side are lost and initiative is immediately rolled for.

5. How to battle – morale chips

Each army starts with 9-18 Morale chips.


Each time one of your stands is routed or destroyed, you lose one morale chip.


Each time you try to rally a disordered or routing unit, you spend one morale chip.


Each time you ‘chip’ an enemy unit, it costs you a morale chip.


You can ‘chip’ an enemy unit in certain cases to make him disordered, or if already disordered to make him rout. Right after his unit is hit or gets disordered, say “I’m chipping” and lose one Morale chip. Your opponent now rolls the Fight die type for that unit, DOWN 1 type if he is already disordered, UP 2 types if a leader is attached. You roll a D6. If you win, his unit is disordered (or if already disordered, routs).


If you run out of morale chips, you can’t ‘chip’ your opponent or rally your own units.
You never get morale chips back once spent.

5. How to battle – Moving

You move by winning the initiative, drawing the right cards and spending pips to move units.


Except for PIKEMEN, PHALANX and TERCIO, units can go through other units while moving. The unit moved through can’t move during this initiative.


When you win the initiative, your Routed units automatically move one full move toward the rear and away from attackers. This movement costs no impetus. When a unit is first routed from any cause, it also makes an immediate full move towards the rear and away from its attackers.


If you approach within the move distance of the other player’s KNIGHTS, LANCERS or LIGHT CAVALRY, he can declare an “Opportunity Charge”. He spends one Opportunity chip per unit, and must move his unit into the same square as your unit. This can happen anytime that you move into his charge range. NOTE: French KNIGHTS must charge any opponent within 3 squares, unless the opponent is behind/on terrain, or the player wins a roll-off of D6 dice. French KNIGHTS were quite headstrong!


If you move into the same square as the other player’s SKIRMISHERS, CARABINS or LIGHT CAVALRY, he can declare an “Evade”. At the cost of one Opportunity chip per unit, he must retreat a full move away from your unit. His unit continues to face the same direction as it started in. His evaded unit is now disordered.


Any unit leaving the table is lost for the battle. It does not cost any morale chips just for leaving.


A unit must stop when reaching a terrain square. It may then enter, or move through, the terrain piece on its next move.
PHALANX, TERCIO, WAR WAGONS and any CAVALRY cannot enter woods. PHALANX, TERCIO and WAR WAGONS cannot enter buildings.

8. How to battle -shooting

Players can shoot anytime, whether they have the initiative or not. But after shooting, that unit must reload to shoot again.


ARQUEBUSIERS, REITERS, CARABINS, CANNON, WAR WAGONS, SKIRMISHERS and some LIGHT CAVALRY can shoot. To shoot costs one pip per unit if you have the initiative.


If you don’t have the initiative, you can shoot, but it costs you one Opportunity chip per unit.


Units can shoot to their front and 45 degrees to either side. LIGHT CAVALRY and TERCIOS can fire in all directions.


Units that fired have a Fire marker placed next to them. They may not fire again until they reload on a reload card, at the cost of one pip per unit (two for CROSSBOWS, WAR WAGONS and CANNON).




To shoot, take the Shoot die type from the list. Change it as follows:


UP1 type if firing on an opponent’s flank, rear, or at his PHALANX or TERCIO.
UP 1 type if LONGBOWMEN shooting at mounted troops.
DOWN 1 type if the firing unit is disordered.
DOWN 1 type if firing from more than half range.
DOWN 1 type if ordinary bows (not longbows) firing at KNIGHTS, PIKE, PHALANX or TERCIO.
DOWN 1 type if target is in woods or building, or in or behind WAR WAGONS.




Roll that die type as your opponent rolls a D6:

If you tie your opponents roll or roll less, no effect. Otherwise, count the difference in pips.
1-2 you can chip right now to try to Disorder the target unit.
3-5 the target unit takes one hit; if you also score double or more the target’s D6 roll the target is also Disordered. You can chip right now to try to Disorder this unit (Rout if already Disordered)
6-8 the target unit takes two hits; if you also score double or more the target’s D6 roll the target is disordered; quadruple or more and the target is Routed. You can chip right now to try to Disorder this unit (Rout if already Disordered)
9 or more the target unit takes three hits and is Routed.


Mark any hits on the target unit as soon as they are scored. All the hits must go on one stand until it reaches its maximum, after which that stand is destroyed and any additional hits are placed on the next stand of the unit, if any.


Several units can shoot at one target and add their pip differences together to determine the number of hits scored.  But the pips scored only count this initiative. They are not carried over for the next initiative.


NOTE: PHALANX and TERCIO units are affected differently by shooting. See those rules below.

9. How to battle – fighting

Units must be in the same square to fight hand to hand. A unit needs a Melee card to fight, unless the opposing unit is disordered or is attacked on the flank or rear. In those cases, you can fight without a melee card. It costs one pip per unit to fight.




Take the Fight die type from the list. Change it as follows:


UP1 type if charging.
UP1 type if attacking flank or rear.
UP1 type if the unit has more stands than its opponent.
UP 2 types if leader attached to the unit.
DOWN 1 type if attacked in flank or rear.
DOWN 1 type if opponent is in better terrain (uphill, in woods, behind stream, in building) or a WAR WAGON.
DOWN 1 type if disordered.




Both sides now roll their final die type.


If tied, it is a tie. Stay in the same square. If a leader is attached, however, he just got killed!
If you win by 1-2 pips the loser falls back one square; you can chip right now to try to Disorder the losing unit.
3-5 the target unit takes one hit and falls back 2 squares; if you also score double or more the target’s D6 roll the target is also Disordered. You can chip right now to try to Disorder this unit (Rout if already Disordered)
6-8 the target unit takes two hits and falls back 3 squares; if you also score double or more the target’s D6 roll the target is disordered; quadruple or more and the target is Routed instead. You can chip right now to try to Disorder this unit (Rout if already Disordered)
9 or more the target unit takes three hits, falls back 4 squares, and is Routed.


If the loser just falls back, and the winner was cavalry, he must follow. If the winner was infantry, he can choose to stay.
A routed unit moves its full move away from the attacker. If your opponent routs against MILITIA or any cavalry type, you must roll a D6 against his D6 to not pursue. If you win, your unit can stay in place. If you lose, you must move a full move in pursuit of the routed unit. You can fight that routed unit if in the same square, on the next initiative.
If you spend a pip to fight against a routed unit, it is destroyed. Routed units don’t fight back.


Special rules:


See PHALANX and TERCIO rules below.


If KNIGHTS or LANCERS win X2 or better against any infantry except PIKES, PHALANX or TERCIO, that infantry is routed.
If Infantry are fighting cavalry, cavalry always count the UP 1 type for charging, not the infantry.
Neither of the above apply to WAR WAGONS.
REITERS and CARABINS never get a charging advantage against other cavalry - only against each other!

9. Markers

Place an F, D or R marker next to a unit to indicate it has Fired, or is Disordered or Routed.
Routed units turn their backs to the enemy, as they are running away!


(For more visual interest, small models can be used as markers. For example, a puff or smoke, or a small stand with arrows stuck in the ground can be used as Fired markers, a small rock(s) on a base for hits, a casualty figure can be used as Disordered markers, and discarded weapons can be used as Routed markers.)

9. Rally

If a leader is not attached to a unit, he can try to rally his other disordered or routed units. The unit(s) must be within 5 squares of the leader. When a Leader Check card is turned up, and the leader survives, he can choose to pay one morale chip per unit he attempts to rally. Roll the Fight Die value of the unit he wishes to rally, changed as follows:


DOWN 1 type for Disordered
DOWN 2 types for Routed


Your opponent rolls a D6. If you win, the disordered unit is now OK, or the Routed unit is now Disordered (and you can face it toward the enemy). If you fail, the unit stays disordered or routed.

9. Leaders

Leaders can move on either or both the infantry or cavalry move card for one pip each move. They also move on the Leader Check card for one pip.


On the Leader Check card, a leader can join a unit and add to its attack and morale checks. While attached, a leader can’t rally any units. If fighting attached when a tie is rolled, the leader is killed in combat.


Attached leaders can be placed anywhere next to the unit . Actual placement doesn’t matter.


Losing your leader loses a D6 worth of morale chips. (See How to Battle – Cards and Chips, Leader Check card).


If an enemy unit enters the same square as your leader alone (i.e., not with a friendly unit), both roll a D6. If you win, the leader can make one move to safety. If you lose, the leader is killed or captured.


There is no shooting at leaders.

9. Marching

At the start of the battle, if you draw an Infantry or Cavalry move card, you may move ALL your units (except CANNON) toward the enemy for the cost of 2 pips. Twelve units can move for only 2 pips total!


You can continue to do this on each Move card as long as ALL units move and none enters a same square containing an enemy unit.


Once a single unit doesn’t move, or one enters a square with an enemy unit, the Marching option disappears. Each movement after that costs pips as usual.

9. Move distance

See army listings - all leaders move 4 squares.
CANNON move 1.5 squares, but require three pips to move.

9. Firing distance

See the individual troop listings in each army list. Stands in the same square as the enemy may continue to fire and reload as usual.

9. FEARSOME Units

Some units struck fear in the hearts of opponents. These units are rated as FEARSOME. A FEARSOME unit will cause any opponent within the FEARSOME unit's move distance (and able to be charged by them) to check morale on a Courage card. This check is not required if the FEARSOME unit is disordered or routed, or if the opposing unit is FEARSOME itself.

9. PHALANX

The PHALANX is represented as four stands of pike, positioned one behind the other (four deep).
A PHALANX cannot be beaten by cavalry from the front. Any negative fighting result is treated as no effect.
If a routed result occurs, one stand is removed instead, and the PHALANX becomes disordered.
Special Rule – Swiss: The Swiss were incredible pikemen. A Swiss PHALANX can never route. It treats rout as disorder only.

9. TERCIO

A TERCIO is a large Spanish formation of pikes and arquebuses. It is like a walking fort made of men.
A TERCIO is represented as four stands of pike with 2 stands of arquebusiers attached.
A TERCIO cannot be beaten in a fight by cavalry. Any negative fighting result from cavalry is treated as no effect. A TERCIO has no flank or rear.
A TERCIO may fire in all directions, as long as it does not lose a stand. Once it loses a stand it may only fire to the front.
If a Routed result occurs, or one stand must be removed from shooting, an arquebus stand is removed first. The TERCIO c is not disordered.
If a TERCIO is routed, one stand is removed instead, and the remaining stands hold their ground, Disordered..






A Note about Victory and Defeat:


In most cases, the victor and loser will be obvious to both players at the end of the game. For those battles where this is not the case, the following formula can be used to judge the outcome if the players so choose:


2 points if your C-in-C survives the battle
1 point for each disordered stand left at the end of the battle
2 points for each stand in good order left at the end of the battle.
No points for any units that were destroyed, left the table, or are in rout at the end of the battle.

19. Army lists (1): The Italian Wars 1494-1560

FRENCH

Type	Move	Shoot	Fight	Units	Notes
KNIGHTS (Gendarmes)	3	X	D12	2	French Gendarmes were the best of the best. See Moving -Opportunity Charge rules. FEARSOME!
LANCERS (“Archers”)	4	X	D10	1
LIGHT HORSE (Stradiots)	5	X	D6	1
CARABINS	5	D6 - 2 sq	D4	0-1	See Extra Unit rule below
PIKE (no PHALANX)	2.5	X	D8	2	Roll a D6: 1-3 = nothing, 4-6 = replace these PIKE with a Swiss PHALANX (D10). Swiss are FEARSOME!
ARQUEBUS	2.5	D8 - 3 sq	D6	2
CROSSBOWS	2.5	D6 - 3 sq	D4	1
SKIRMISHERS (Arquebus)	2.5	D6 - 3 sq	D4	1
MILITIA (rabble)	2.5	X	D4	1
CANNON	1.5	D8 - 6 sq	D4	1
Plus one extra unit (roll a D6): 1-2 = MILITIA, 3-4 = SKIRMISHERS, 5 = ARQUEBUS, 6 = LIGHT HORSE/CARABINS
Extra card = 1 Melee

ITALIAN

Type	Move	Shoot	Fight	Units	Notes
KNIGHTS (Condottieri)	3	x	D10	2	Roll a D6: 1-5 = no change, 6=Upgrade one KNIGHT unit as “Familia” lances (Fight =D12)
CARABINS	5	D6 - 2 sq	D4	1
LIGHT HORSE (Stradiots)	5	x	D6	1
PIKE	2.5	x	D8	1
ARQUEBUS	2.5	D8 - 3 sq	D6	2
CROSSBOWS	2.5	D6 - 3 sq	D4	2	Roll a D6: 1-3 = no change, 4-6 = upgrade CROSSBOWS as citizens (Fight = D6)
SKIRMISHERS (Arquebus)	2.5	D6 - 3 sq	D4	1
MILITIA (citizens)	2.5	x	D6	1
CANNON	1.5	D8 - 6 sq	D4	1
Plus one extra unit (roll a D6): 1-3 = MILITIA, 4-5 = SKIRMISHERS, 6 = ARQUEBUS
Extra Card = Milling Around

SPANISH

Type	Move	Shoot	Fight	Units	Notes
LANCERS	4	-	D10	1
CARABINS	5	D6 - 2 sq	D4	1
LIGHT HORSE (Genitors)	5	-	D4	1	Roll a D6: 1-5 nothing, 6=upgrade Fight to D6
TERCIO: PIKE ARQUEBUS	1.5 1.5	- D8 - 3 sq	D10 -	2 1	See TERCIO rules - A Tercio is a large, slow formation
ARQUEBUS	2.5	D8 - 3 sq	D6	2
PIKE	2.5	-	D10	1	No PHALANX or TERCIO
SKIRMISHERS (some Muskets)	2.5	D8 - 3 sq	D4	2	Spanish Musketeers are famous- FEARSOME!
CANNON	1.5	D8 - 6 sq	D4	1
Plus one extra unit (roll a D6): 1 = SKIRMISHERS, 2-4 = PIKE, 5 –6= ARQUEBUS
Extra card = 1 Infantry Move

IMPERIALIST

Type	Move	Shoot	Fight	Units	Notes
LANCERS	4	x	D10	1
REITERS	4	D6 -1 sq	D6	2
LIGHT HORSE (Hungarians)	5	D4 - 2 sq	D4	0-1	See Extra Unit below
CARABINS	5	D6 - 2 sq	D4	0-1	See Extra Unit below
PHALANX (Landsknechts)	2.5	x	D10	(2) 4	Two units of two stands each. See PHALANX    rules.
ARQUEBUS	2.5	D8 - 3 sq	D6	1	See Extra Unit below
SKIRMISHERS (Arquebus)	2.5	D6 - 3 sq	D4	2
MILITIA (Citizens)	2.5	X	D6	1
CANNON	1.5	D8 - 6 sq	D4	1
Plus one extra unit (roll a D6): 1-2 = LIGHT HORSE, 3-4 = CARABINS, 5-6 = ARQUEBUS
Extra card = 1 Reload

OTTOMANS

Type	Move	Shoot	Fight	Units	Notes
LANCERS (Spahis)	4	X	D8	2	Roll a D6: 1-4 no change, 5-6= upgrade one unit to Sultans Guard Spahis (Fight D10). The leader is now the Sultan. See below.
LIGHT HORSE (Akinjis)	5	D4 - 2 sq	D4	4	Bow armed
ARQUEBUS (Janissaries)	2.5	D8 - 3 sq	D8	2	Superb Regular infantry – FEARSOME!
SKIRMISHERS (mostly bow)	2.5	D4 - 3 sq	D4	2
MILITIA (Azabs)	2.5	X	D4	2	Roll a D6: 1-5 no change, 6= Fight upgrade to D6
CANNON	1.5	D6 - 6 sq	D4	1
If the leader is the Sultan, add 3 Morale chips to the army. All MILITIA are upgraded to D6. Any Rally attempt is UP 1 – the Sultan is watching! If the leader is lost, all Morale chips are removed from the game.
Extra card = 1 Cavalry move

MOORISH

Type	Move	Shoot	Fight	Units	Notes
LANCERS (household cavalry)	4	x	D8	1
LIGHT HORSE	5	x	D4	3
CARABINS	5	D6 - 2 sq	D4	1
ARQUEBUS (renegades/fanatics)	2.5	D8 - 3 sq	D6	2
CROSSBOWS	2.5	D6 - 3 sq	D6	2	Infantry fight better
SKIRMISHERS (Arquebus)	2.5	D6 - 3 sq	D6	1	Infantry fight better
MILITIA (Tribesmen)	2.5	X	D6	2
CANNON	1.5	D4 - 6 sq	D4	1	Light guns only
Extra card = choice of 1 Infantry Move or 1 Cavalry Move

NOTES:


The Renaissance is where Medieval weapons and tactics meet the true gunpowder age. It is a great transition period, and the range of armies and weapons available are staggering. The above is just a small sample.


The French had great noble knightly cavalry (Gendarmes) and used it and their new cannon to invade Italy at the dawn of the 16^th century. Old walled cities fell easily. But the long supply lines, treacherous allies, and unending years of war took its toll on the French forces. The French had a deal with the Swiss, often hiring out the mountain-dwelling pikemen to reinforce their infantry. Swiss pikemen were fearless attackers, never breaking before any enemy, and feared by all who faced them.


The Italians had a mostly mercenary late medieval army, but adapted as the wars continued. Their cavalry was overmatched, and they were usually very short of pikes (Florence was the exception). They often called up citizen militia from their city-states with varied arms, enthusiasm and success. Italians hired Albanian and Balkan light cavalry called stradiots, who fought with spears and other mixed weapons, and had notoriously wild reputations. All the city-states except Venice were finished as first rate powers by mid-century.


The Imperialists made their mark by supplying and defining the two great mercenary types of the 16^th century, the Reiter and the Landsknecht. As noted previously, the Reiter carried pistols on horseback and performed a complex shooting maneuver called the carocole. He was often armored in black and fought in tight formations. Landsknechts were the ultimate mercenary infantry. Dressed in bright multi-colored and flamboyantly slashed costumes, they were mostly pikemen, but include some arquebusiers. Landsknechts and Reiters were found in all armies across Europe and beyond.


Imperialists called up Hungarian Hussar light cavalry, which fought with wild abandon and uneven commitment. Balkan border provinces of the empire provided skirmishing firearm infantry called Grenzers.

Spain had just ousted the Moors from the Iberian Peninsula, and was filled with fanatic Catholic zeal. They developed a tough and proud infantry tradition. The Spanish tercio was the last of several experimental formations, and served as an embodiment of Spain’s resolute military forces. The Spanish had the closest thing to a ‘regular’ European army during the century. Though a military success, Spain paid the price of being the first modernized military force, as finances and bad political decisions overcame its energy, resources and prowess.


The Ottoman Empire arose in Turkey, and the Turks feudal cavalry was at the core of its forces. However, like any empire, Ottoman armies included peoples from all corners of its influence. Its armies were centered around feudal landholders called spahis and timerots, who rode into battle with bright coats, lances, bows and chainmail. Supporting the army were clouds of horse archers called akinjis. The infantry was comprised of polyglot hordes and looters called Azabs, occasionally stiffened by fanatics. The best soldiers were the Janissaries. Recruited from captive Balkan children at a young age, the Janissaries knew no home except the barracks, no father except the Sultan. An elite corps, they were arguably the best fighting regular infantry of the century. They fought with bow and arquebus, but wore no armor and had no pikes. Thus Ottoman armies had a great mix of the feudal and the modern.


The Moors were Muslims chased from Spain and others already settled along the North African coast. These were famous pirates and raiders. Their forces had a mix of irregular cavalry with light striking power. The infantry had Moors and renegade Christians armed with arquebus and crossbow. Lacking armor and pikes, they liked to shoot. Tribal infantry supplied some attack troops, but the Moors depended on mobile cavalry and firepower in their forces.


The armies listed here are just to get you started, to give you a taste of the period. It’s easy to start. A French force, for instance, consists of a leader, 7-9 cavalry, 24-36 infantry and a cannon. The Moors need 19 infantry, 6 cavalry, a gun and a leader. You can’t get started in miniatures any cheaper than that!


The Renaissance offers so many armies and styles, you’re certain to find one to your taste. After playing a few games of Pikette, you can easily transit into the full flavor and enjoyment of Band of Brothers II. The armies and rule concepts carry over. And of course, when its time to introduce a friend (or child) to this colorful period for the first time, you now have the tools to do so. As always, enjoy yourself.




Here are the rest of the armies covered in Pikette - the actual stats for these armies are in the Band of Brothers 2nd edition rulebook.


20. Army lists (2): the later Middle Ages


The army lists in this period all contain units of KNIGHTS. Unless the individual army list states otherwise, any or all units of KNIGHTS can be replaced by units of DISMOUNTED KNIGHTS before deploying for the battle. Knights cannot dismount or remount once the game starts.

The English relied heavily on their longbowmen, whose devastating arrow-storm could shoot any attack to ribbons in the right circumstances. The right circumstances involved setting up behind field defences (at first potholes dug in the ground, later a barrier of sharpened stakes), after which the enemy obligingly battered himself to pieces against it. In this period the French and Scots usually obliged. The English could lose if caught out of position, or if their archery failed against heavy armour.


The Scots continued to rely on the tactics which had won the day at Bannockburn but lost almost everywhere else. They formed up in big blocks of spearmen, with a few other troops in support. Scottish knights often dismounted to join the spearmen. This worked very well on the defensive. Unhappily for the Scots, their spear-blocks made an ideal target for the English longbowmen, forcing the Scots to stand still and be shot down, or attack (and be shot down).


The French were the finest knights in Europe, and they knew it. No infantry could stand up to their thunderous mounted charge – except, as it turned out, for English longbowmen and Flemish pikes. This gradually forced the French to adopt dismounted tactics. As heavier armour became available, the French sometimes reverted to a mounted charge, but the end results did not usually change. Eventually they resorted to improved artillery and infantry, and managed to win.


The Flemish came from the rich cities of modern Belgium and the Netherlands. Their methods resembled those of the Scots, but were successful more often. This was largely because their main enemies were the French rather than the English.


The Italians were much the same at this period as they were later in the Italian Wars, except for the firearms.


The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil wars fought for the crown of England. The armies were based on mixed units of infantry, some of whom carried the longbow and some the bill (a ferocious English variant on the halberd). Some of these were in the paid retinues of the contending noblemen; others, of lesser quality, were effectively conscripts. Longbowmen were less effective now, due to the dilution of their numbers, the increasing use of heavy armour, and the decline in their traditional skills. Most battles were settled by slogging it out in bloody hand-to-hand combat.

Army lists (3): The Burgundian Wars 1474-1477

NOTES:


Led by the its final Duke, Charles the Bold, the Burgundians formed one of the first renaissance armies, an eclectic collection of the best troops from across Europe - French cavalry, English longbows, German handgunners and the like - and combined them with the most impressive collection of field artillery in Western Europe. However, they were no match for the Swiss, who soundly defeated them in every battle they fought. Much of the blame must rest with Charles himself, whose poor performance as a general left his army outnumbered and out-maneuvered in every contest.


The Swiss would deploy into three groups and immediately attack. Despite their shortage of cavalry, the Swiss were time and again able to steamroll the traditional mounted knights and men-at-arms who tried to stop them. However, their goose was cooked when they finally had to face entrenched forces using firearms. But this was not until long after the Burgundian Wars were a distant memory.

23. Army lists (4): The Hussite Wars 1419-1436

The Hussites were a loosely organized group of political and religious rebels against the Catholic Church and the Hol;y Roman Empire. The rebellion was triggered off by the treacherous trial and execution of the religious reformer, Jan Huss. Under their most famous leader, Jan Ziska, they perfected the use of the War Wagon to enable an army that was composed mostly of drilled peasants to consistently defeat their Knightly opponents, the Germans (who included many Hungarians and other´”crusaders”).

24. Army lists (5): The Wars of the Reformation 1550-1600

NOTES:

By 1550 most Western European armies had converged on a common system and organization, being based mainly on pikemen and arquebusiers with a (usually small) proportion of cavalry. Even the costumes looked similar, with baggy breeches and morion helmets being very popular (and making it easy to expand your collection of armies!).

Nevertheless most national armies retained some distinctive characteristics of their own. The English bolstered their rather amateurish infantry (some of whom still carried the longbow or the bill) with well-respected, lightly-armoured horsemen called Demilancers. The Scots, by contrast, still formed up in their traditional pike blocks, and were usually short of cavalry and firepower. Both armies made extensive use of light cavalry scouts and raiders from their mutual border. All these horsemen now carried pistols as well as the lance.

The Spanish were, with good reason, the most feared army of the period. The veteran infantry of the tercios now included a proportion of men armed with the musket, a super-heavy version of the arquebus which acted as a sort of anti-tank rifle for shooting down armoured troops. Their main opponents, the rebellious Dutch, found them very hard to beat in the open field, and survived mainly by taking cover in their waterlogged geography. Eventually the Dutch were forced to come up with a brand new military system of their own with which to take on the tercios, but to see that in action you will have to play the full Band of Brothers game.

The French spent most of this period fighting one another, Catholics against Huguenots (Protestants). The Catholics had the core of the old Royal army, based around noble gendarmes and Swiss pikemen. The Huguenots raised a tough and successful body of heavy cavalry, similar in character to Cromwell’s Ironsides, and known as “Millers” from the white smocks they wore over their armour. At first the Huguenot infantry was less effective, having too few pikemen, but eventually they learned to make the most of the firepower provided by their many arquebusiers. Although the Catholics won most of the early battles, in the end it was the Huguenot leader Henry of Navarre who triumphed – and promptly converted to Catholicism.

Finally, the Germans are distinguished chiefly by having no distinctions of their own. The army in this list represents a force of mercenaries, of the usual types (reiter and landsknechts) also found in most of the other armies, but here gathered into an all-German force like that which invaded France in 1587. Being essentially a commercial operation, such an army was usually run by a CEO and a sort of board of directors, which tended to prevent decisive action.

24. Army lists (6): Eastern Renaissance

VERY LATE BYZANTINES:

MEDIEVAL HUNGARIANS:

Pikette Squared Reference Sheet

SHOOTING: Modified SHOOT die type vs. opponent’s D6:
DOWN 1	UP 1
Ordinary bows (not longbows) firing at KNIGHTS, PIKE, PHALANX or TERCIO	Firing on an opponent’s flank, rear, or at his PHALANX or TERCIO
Firing unit is disordered	LONGBOWMEN shooting at mounted troops
Firing from more than half range
target is in woods or building, or in or behind WAR WAGONS

If you tie your opponents roll or roll less, no effect. Otherwise, count the difference in pips.
1-2 you can chip right now to try to Disorder the target unit.
3-5 the target unit takes one hit; if you also score double or more the target’s D6 roll the target is also Disordered. You can chip right now to try to Disorder this unit (Rout if already Disordered)
6-8 the target unit takes two hits; if you also score double or more the target’s D6 roll the target is disordered; quadruple or more and the target is Routed. You can chip right now to try to Disorder this unit (Rout if already Disordered)
9 or more the target unit takes three hits and is Routed.

FIGHTING: Modified FIGHT die vs. modified FIGHT die:
DOWN 1	UP 1	UP 2
Attacked in Flank/Rear	Charging	Attached Leader
Disordered	Attacking Flank/Rear
Enemy in better terrain or WAR WAGON	More Stands than enemy

If tied, it is a tie. Stay in the same square. If a leader is attached, however, he just got killed!
If you win by 1-2 pips the loser falls back one square; you can chip right now to try to Disorder the losing unit.
3-5 the target unit takes one hit and falls back 2 squares; if you also score double or more the target’s D6 roll the target is also Disordered. You can chip right now to try to Disorder this unit (Rout if already Disordered)
6-8 the target unit takes two hits and falls back 3 squares; if you also score double or more the target’s D6 roll the target is disordered; quadruple or more and the target is Routed instead. You can chip right now to try to Disorder this unit (Rout if already Disordered)
9 or more the target unit takes three hits, falls back 4 squares, and is Routed.


If the loser just falls back, and the winner was cavalry, he must follow. If the winner was infantry, he can choose to stay.
A routed unit moves its full move away from the attacker. If your opponent routs against MILITIA or any cavalry type, you must roll a D6 against his D6 to not pursue. If you win, your unit can stay in place. If you lose, you must move a full move in pursuit of the routed unit. You can fight that routed unit if in the same square, on the next initiative. If you spend a pip to fight against a routed unit, it is destroyed. Routed units don’t fight back.

Special rules: See PHALANX and TERCIO rules. If KNIGHTS or LANCERS win X2 or better against any infantry except PIKES, PHALANX or TERCIO, that infantry is routed. If Infantry are fighting cavalry, cavalry always count the UP 1 type for charging, not the infantry. Neither of the above apply to WAR WAGONS.
REITERS and CARABINS never get a charging advantage against other cavalry - only against each other!

MORALE: Roll Modified FIGHT die vs. D6:
DOWN 1	UP 2
Unit is already Disordered	Attached Leader

If the D6 roll wins, the unit is Disordered (or if already Disordered, it Routs).

RALLYING: Roll modified FIGHT die vs. D6:
DOWN 2	DOWN 1
Unit is Routed	Unit is Disordered

An unattached leader may try to rally his disordered or routed units. The unit(s) must be within 5 squares of the leader, and the attempt costs one Morale Chip. If you win, the Disordered unit is now OK, or the Routed unit is now Disordered (and you can face it toward the enemy). If you fail, the unit stays Disordered or Routed.

That's it!  Enjoy!

Peter