THE VENETIANS

During the period covered by this list, Venice undertook territorial expansion in Italy, successfully conquering Brescia and in 1420 the Friulli regions. In 1487, Venice fought the War of Ferrara, which resulted in further territorial acquisitions and was notable as the first mainland use of her Albanian and Greek Stradiotti troops. The Venetians also lured away the Turkish light cavalry troops recruited by the Neapolitans, and recruited a number of troops from the Balkans, some of whom were Bosnian, others Turkish and others Croatian. The practise of hiring Muslims, was seen as scandalous by the other Italian states, and such troops could expect to receive little mercy.

Venice remained neutral during Charles VIII’s initial invasion, but was galvanised into action amidst concerns that Italy would become a province of France. Following Fornovo, the Venetians aided the Milanese at the siege of Novara, which succeeded in expelling the French from Lombardia. An amphibious assault captured the ports of Otranto and Brindisi on the Apulian coast. However, the Venetians eventually deserted their Milanese allies and allied with France against Milan in 1499.

Despite their poor performance at Fornovo, the Venetians maintained large, well-organised armies, which included forces drawn from throughout Italy and Venice’s possessions in the Balkans and the Greek Islands. Venetian armies, included large numbers of trained citizen militias recruited from the Terra Firma.

At Agnadello in 1509, the Venetian army included 27,000 professional troops and 10,000 militia. Venetian armies could also count upon the rugged militia forces of the frontier region of Friulli, which produced tough and fierce swordsman and hand gunners

In 1509, the League of Cambrai was formed to sever Venice’s mainland possessions. Despite the defeat at Agnadello and the capture of Brescia the League collapsed the following year and Venice was able to resist the joint Imperial-French siege of Padua. In 1514, Venice concluded the Treaty of Blois with France and the following year d’Alviano led a Venetian army whose arrival forced the Swiss to retreat at Marignano. In the resulting

negotiations Venice recovered the territories she had lost.

In the wake of the defeat at Agnadello, the Venetian senate revised her army and renewed efforts to establish a permanent trained militia. The effectiveness of light cavalry was also recognised and condotta granted to condottieri began to specify that light cavalry were required.

Whilst, Venice had concerns over the French and Imperial intervention in the Italian peninsula, her energies were devoted to the long struggle with the Ottomans to maintain control over Cyprus, Crete, Corfu and Venice’s holdings in the Morea and Pelloponese.

Early List 1450-1508

Characters: Up to 25%Cavalry: 35% - 75%. May take up to 2 units of Stradiotti, may chose Armigeri, Utili, and mounted crossbow. You must take at least one unit of either Armigeri or Utili. Cavalleiri Legeira may be taken, but if taken, they form the rear ranks of a combined formation with either Armigeri or Utili. Armigeri or Utili may still count a rank bonus of up to +1.Infantry: Up to 50%. Militia crossbow and Provisionati may exchange their crossbows for a composite bow at –2 points. Allies /Mercenaries: Up to 25%. May take 0-1 units of Turkish Akincis and/or 0-1 units of Sipahis chosen from the Ottoman list in Vlad the Impaler. May have allies from either the French or Milanese list but not both. May take 0-1 units of landsknechts

Late list 1508-1534

Characters: Up to 25%Cavalry: At least 25% and up to 50%, all cavalry choices. You must take at least one unit of: mounted crossbow, Stradiotti, or Cavelleiri LegeiraInfantry: At least 35%. Allies /Mercenaries: Up to 50%. May have Papal Allies and 0-1 Swiss pikemen. May take French allies.

CHARACTERS:General

M W BS S T I W A L Pts

S dCaptain-Generale

8 6 3 4 4 6 3 2 9 154

Proveditori 4 4 3 3 3 5 2 2 9 120

The Condottierii general rides a warhorse and wears full plate armour, he carries a lance. He may take barding (+4) or plate barding (+6).

The Proveditor may ride a horse (free), he may have light armour (+1), heavy armour (+2) or partial plate armour(+3), and he may ride a warhorse (+4)

Special: Army General.Your army may be lead by either a Condottieri or by a Provedittori.

Venetian armies could be either be lead by condottieri; professional mercenaries usually bound to the state by the granting of land or privileges, or by civilian administrators known as Provedittori. The Provedittori, were originally bureaucrats who acted as a link between the state and the condottieri, by the 1470’s, many Provedditori occupied commands, and many were killed in the long wars with the Turks.

Capi de Guerra:

Captains:M W

SBS S T I W A L

dPts

Condottieri 4 5 3 4 4 6 2 2 8 63Proveditor 4 4 3 3 3 5 2 2 8 45

The Condottierii Captain wears light armour and carries a hand weapon. He may have heavy armour (+2) or full plate armour (+3) he may ride a horse (free) or a warhorse (+4). If mounted he may carry a lance (+4). If mounted he may take cloth barding (+4) or plate barding (+6). If dismounted they may carry a halberd (+1), pike (+1) or two handed weapon(+2).

A Captain, either Condottieri or Proveddittori, may carry the Army standard at +25 points.

The Proveditori may ride a horse (free) and wears heavy armour, he may take partial plate armour (+4) and may ride a warhorse (+4)

One Proveditori may be upgraded to Proveditori of the Stradiotti at +20 points, he has Feigned Flight, Parthian Shot and is Open Order. One Captain may be upgraded to Vice –Govenatora at +20 points. The Vice-

Govenatora has LD9 and a command radius of 6”.

While on the whole, Condottieri captains preferred to lead cavalry, they were on occasion required to lead infantry. This entry can also be used to represent infantry Constables.

CAVALRYMen at arms:

M WS BS S T I W A Ld

Pts

Armigeri 8 4 3 3 3 4 1 1 8 34

Equipment: Full Plate armour, lance, First Charge, warhorses. May take plate barding (+6) or cloth barding (+4).May count a rank bonus of +1.

May upgrade one unit to Lanze Spezzata, (+2) who are veterans. One unit may be upgraded to Casa at +2 , Casa have WS5.

UtiliM WS BS S T I W A L

dPts

Utili 8 4 3 3 3 4 1 1 8 30

Equipment: Partial Plate armour, lance, warhorses. May upgrade one unit to Lanze Spezzata, (+2) who are veteransMay count a rank bonus of +1.

Lanze Spezzatta, which is commonly stranslated as “broken lance,” were the remnants of condotta lances, whose leaders had either dies or retired. They were commonly referred to by the title of their previous commander, such as the Colleoneschi and Braccioeschi named after Bartolomeo Colleoni and Bracci. In Venetian armies they had initially functioned as a permamnt cavalry force, in a manner comparable to the Compagnie d’Odonnance of France and Burgundy. But, by the end of the fifteenth century, comprised aged veterans; too old to be of any real military use. Mounted Crossbow

M WS

BS S T I W A Ld

Pts

Crossbow 8 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 7 16

Equipped with light crossbows. May have light armour, (+2) or heavy armour (+3), may have throwing spears (+1). Mounted crossbow are Skirmishers, they become open order if heavy armour is taken.

Every second unit may replace their crossbow with arquebus

During the preparations that led to the war of the League of Cambrai, Venice raised 30 companies of 100-130 light cavalry equipped with crossbows. Out of each company 30 men carried an arquebus.

Cavallieri Leggeira

M WS BS S T I W A Ld

Pts

Cavalleiri 8 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 7 20

Cavalleieri have heavy armour, and thrusting spears. May Take Partial Plate Armour (+2), they may exchange thrusting spear for lance (+4)

May Count a Rank Bonus of +1.

Cavallieri Leggeir were light cavalry used as a mobile strike force for raiding and fighting the Turks.

StradiottiM W

SBS

S T I W A LD

Pts

Stradiotti 8 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 7 21

Feigned flight and Parthian Shot. They have shields and ride horses, they have swords or maces. They carry javelins and thrusting spears. They may take light armour (+2) in which case they become open order and may take composite bows (+2).Every second unit may be veteran (+1).

INFANTRYMilitia Spearmen

M WS BS S T I W A Ld

Pts

Militia 4 2 2 3 3 3 1 1 6 8

Equipped with spear, large shield and light armour. May exchange their spears and large shields for pikes (no cost). Militia with pike, are a medieval pike phalanx. Militia pike, may only count a rank bonus of +2 on the turn in which they charge.

Militia Crossbow

M WS BS S T I W A Ld

Pts

Militia 4 2 2 3 3 3 1 1 6 8

Equipped with crossbow and light armour. Militia equipped with crossbows may be in a combined formation with Militia Spearmen.

Militia Schioppetto

M WS BS S T I W A Ld

Pts

Militia 4 2 2 3 3 3 1 1 6 8

Equipped with handgun, light armour and hand weapons. May take Field Fortifications at +20 points per unit. One unit may be designated as Friullian Schioppeteri at (+4) these have WS 3, BS3, Ld 7 and are veterans.

0-1 Arsenolotti

M WS BS S T I W A Ld

Pts

Arsenolotti 4 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 7 11

Equipped with hand weapons and light armour, they are veterans.

May be equipped with pikes (+1), in which they become a medieval phalanx, or Arquebus(+1), in which case they may be open order (free).

The Arsenelotti were recruited from the workers at the Arsenale.

Provisionati

M WS BS S T I W A Ld

Pts

Provisionati 4 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 7 11

Provisionati are equipped with crossbows and wear heavy armour. A unit may replace its crossbows for Arquebuses. One unit may exchange crossbows for halbards.

One unit of Provisionati may be upgraded to Provisionati di San Marco, with Leadership 8 (+1 per model)

The Provsionati di San Marco was a selected militia raised from within Venice and the Terra Firma, through a system of quotas. In 1490, German handgunners were hired to train them in the use of the Arquebus. Condotta Spearmen

M WS BS S T I W A Ld

Pts

Condotta 4 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 7 10

Are equipped with spear, large shield and light armour. May exchange their spears and large shields for pikes in which case they become a medieval pike phalanx.

0-1 per 1,000 points Romagnol Pikemen

M WS BS S T I W A Ld

Pts

Romagnol 4 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 7 11

Romagnol pike have pikes, hand weapons, and wear light armour.

Special: Romagnol pike are stubborn and form a medieval Pike Phalanx.

The Romagna marches were renowned for producing the toughest infantry in Italy. The Romagnol pikemen were raised from these tough fighters in imitation of the Swiss pike squares. Dressed in their distinctive red and white slashed shirts, they fought bravely against the Swiss at the Battle of Agnadello. They certainly impressed the author of the life of the Chevalier Bayard, he wrote “…and from Romagna, particularly seven or eight thousand of them called Bresignels, who are the best foot solders in Italy, and very bold in war”.

SkirmishersM W

SBS

S T I W A LD

Pts

Skirmisher

5 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 6 6

Skirmishers may have light crossbows (+2) or handguns (+2).

0-1 per 1,000 points SwordsmanM WS BS S T I W A L

dPts

Sworsdman

5 3 3 3 3 3 1 1 7 8

Equipment: swords and bucklers.Open order. May have light armour at (+2) or heavy armour at (+3). They may take javelins at (+1).Special: Swordsmanship: the swordsman are adept at using their swords and shields to parry blows, in close combat their bucklers give a basic save of 5+, rather than the normal 6+. This can be combined with either light or heavy armour.

The use of soldiers equipped with swords and bucklers is attributed to the condottieri, Braccio, who developed these troops to be used for assaulting field fortifications. The

Friullians were noted for being particularly effective at this sort of work.