The Road to Milan (2016 ITC DBMM tournament)

Army selection

I was tasked by my team to play Pool 4 (Medieval) in ITC 2016 after returning from ITC 2015, so I started to look for a suitable army. Even though I played 3 previous times in Medieval pool, but I still want to play with a new army because I like to keep chance to win the Best Painted price, beside I like to have new army which can simulate some new ideas.

After some games, I was happy to use the Burgundian Ordonnance list after 1478, which is a Pike version with a lots of Artillery support, plus some Knight and Mtd Bowmen, IMHO it is already a  Renaissance army comes with well combined arms, so testing games begun.

The list was good in testing until I found it was difficult to face those strong frontal assault armies such as Navarrese or Later Swiss, especially the Swiss Pikeman, my PkI/O with KnO got hopeless when they met Swiss PkS. So a Change need in half way of testing. Since my time of training was limited, I adapted the Inert version of 1477 Charles the Bold directly, because only this year the Burgundian KnO can dismounted as BdS, which was important when face Swiss PkS, and the army of Inert usually had bigger ME, which is an advantage if frontal grinding is necessary in the game.

However the Inert has follow disadvantages:

1. Loss 4 PIPs in 3 Command structure every bound

2. Always moves second

3. No stratagems can be used and difficult in Outflanking

So I have setup my list to counter measure the problem of Inertness:

1. All elements are Regular to reduce the demand for PIPs, beside, I set my army strong in shooting to minimize the need of movement.

2. Burgundian has 4 in aggression factor, therefore highly possible in deploy second and move second, very important for an Inert army to get a correct matching straight away.

3.Develop a army tactic which does not need stratagems and outflank

The army list finally tuned as follow: 1477 Charles the Bold

1. RKnS (CinC inert), 6RKnO, 14MtdRBwS, 6RPkO, 2RArtO. 40ME

2. RKnO (Sub), 3RKnO, 3RBwS, 4RPsS, 12RPkI, 2RArtO, 2RArtI, RLHI. 34ME

3. RKnO (Sub), 2RLHI, 2RPsS, RBwO, RArtS, RArtI. 12ME

4. 6IBgeI. 6ME

Army Doctrine

After some test games, I have developed my army with follow tactics:

1. If the Burgundian is in attack, I will pick a sea to cover 1 flank and deploy the Command A (with all Mtd Bowmen) in another flank, setup Command B and C in between as anchor and absorb enemy’s hammer strike, counterattack with Command A from flank if possible or react to any enemy flank movement..

2. If the Burgundian is in defend, I will try to setup DG in 2 flanks and channel the enemy’s approach from centre, hopefully my shooting fire will wear down the enemy before my knight and Pike will charge home.

3. I spread my 8 artillery elements all among 3 commands in order try to cover the whole front with artillery fire. Beside artillery elements are expected to be killed after enemy contact, so it is better to spread them among 3 commands therefore to avoid too much casualties in one command.

4. Since Mtd BwS can be deployed in 2nd 20cm during deployment, they are expected to deal with enemy LH if facing steppe army such as Mongols. Or if possible they will close in from flank if facing less mobile Western European armies who has less troops can be deployed in 2nd 20cm. So Command A will always allocated with largest PIPs.

5. PkI in Command B and PkO in Command A will tasked in counter attack with KnO/BdS whatever the situation, they will deployed behind the Artillery line.

6. Command C is a dump PIP command with lowest PIP allocation, they will setup in the most possible enemy approach direction. And expect no need to move.

(To be continued)