Morat 1476 (aka Murten)

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timmy1
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Morat 1476 (aka Murten)

Post by timmy1 »

FoG:R 1000 point scenario for Morat/Murten 22nd June 1476

This scenario has been designed to see if FoG:R works for the Swiss-Burgundian Wars. I looked at 4 battles from the Swiss –Burgundian Wars. I settled on Morat because I could not find out enough about Neuss, Nancy looks like being too one-sided, and Grandson seemed too difficult to simulate. I would welcome any comments. I plan to finalise this on January 20th.

The size of the Swiss force was relatively easy to determine (25,000 to 28,000 of whom more than 20,000 seem to have fought) although the composition was not so easy to find agreement on in the various sources I looked at. However the Burgundians presented more of a challenge. Sources have figures for the army ranging between 11,000 (Heath) and nearly 300,000! (a Swiss account referred to by Delbrück). The sources I used were:
AncMed/ Yahoo Group who were a real help with sources http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/ancmed/
Anon./ Panorama of the battle of Murten – The battle of Murten 1476. http://www.murtenpanorama.ch/en/schlacht/221.php
Arquebusier/ Arquebusier Compendia 1975 Volume III: The Swiss-Burgundian War 1474-1477 by Dave Milward, and The Armies of Charles the Bold by Duncan Head. Pike and Shot Society.
Axworthy/ “Je l’Ay Emprins” – The Burgundian Armies of 1476 (3 parts) by Michael Axworthy. Slingshot issues 104-106, No ISBN. Society of Ancients 1982/3. (I have the DVD but don’t believe that there are any material differences against the original.)
Contamine/ War in the Middle Ages by Philippe Contamine, trans Michael Jones. ISBN 0-631-13142-0. Basil Blackwell Inc 1984.
Delbrück/ History of the Art of War: Volume III Medieval by Hans Delbrück, Translated by Walter J Renfroe, Jr. ISBN 0-8032-6585-9. University of Nebraska Press 1990.
Heath/ Armies of the Middle Ages, volume 1: The Hundred Years’ War, the Wars of the Roses and the Burgundian Wars, 1300-1487 by Ian Heath. No ISBN. Wargames Research Group 1982.
Oman/ A History of the Art of War in the Middle Ages: Volume Two: 1278-1485 AD by Sir Charles Oman. ISBN 1-85367-105-3. Greenhill Books 1991.
Vaughan/ The Dukes of Burgundy: Charles the Bold by Richard Vaughan. ISBN 978-0-85115-918-8. The Boydell Press 1973/2002. (A book I have wanted for years so this proved a great excuse to get it.)
Vaughan paper/ http://s008.domeinbalie.nl/~knhgnl/bmgn ... Vaughan__R\
._-_500_Years_after_te_great_battles.pdf


Based upon these accounts, and limited by the figures available to me, I settled on just under 24,000 Swiss and about 12,000 Burgundian troops engaged, at a figure scale of 1:75. (FoG:R seems to work best at 1:50 but I don’t quite have 500 Swiss figures painted up!) The armies come to approximately 1,000 points per side.

Swiss Vorhut deploys first no more than 12 MU from the Swiss table edge.
Rene, Duc de Lorraine, TC, Sub
4 x Knights and men-at arms, Gendarmes, Fully-armoured, Heavy Lance, Sword
4 x Mounted crossbowmen, LH, Unarmoured, Average, Crossbow
Hans von Hallwyl of the Aargau, TC, Sub
Pike keil of 8 DF, Armoured, Elite, Pike, Pike and 2 DF, Armoured, Elite, HW, HW
6 x Arquebusiers, LF, Unarmoured, Average, Arquebus
6 x Crossbow, LF, Unarmoured, Average, crossbow
6150 men for a total of 300 points.

Swiss Gewalthut flank marching.
Hans Waldman of Zürich, TC, sub
Pike keil of 14 DF, Unarmoured, Superior, Pike, Pike and 2 DF, Unarmoured, Superior, HW, HW
Pike keil of 14 DF, Unarmoured, Superior, Pike, Pike and 2 DF, Unarmoured, Superior, HW, HW
6 x Arquebusiers, LF, Unarmoured, Average Arquebus
10200 men for a total of 359 points

Swiss Nachhut arrive by flank march but on the Swiss table edge.
Willhelm Herter, TC, CinC
Casper von Hertenstein of Luzern, TC, sub
Pike keil of 14 DF, Armoured, Superior, Pike, Pike and 2 DF, Armoured, Superior, HW, HW
8 x Halberdiers, DF, Unarmoured, Superior, HW, HW
7050 men for a total of 310 points.

The Swiss army totals 999 points and represents 23,400 men.

Burgundian advance guard deploys second (including the fortifications– this represents that Swiss were not able to fully reconnoitre the Burgundian position) anywhere at least 24 MU from the Swiss map edge.
(I was not able to be certain about who commanded the English but I know one of the Somerset nobles was with the Burgundian court in 1476) Somerset, TC, sub
6 x English Longbowmen, MF, Armoured, Superior, Bow, HW
6 x English Longbowmen, MF, Armoured, Superior, Bow, HW
2 x Organ Guns, Light Artillery, Average, Light Artillery
2 x Organ Guns, Light Artillery, Average, Light Artillery
2 x Field Guns, Medium Artillery, Average, Medium Artillery
4 x Field Fortifications
4 x Field Fortifications
4 x Field Fortifications
Approximately 3000 men for a total of 279 points.

Main body arrives by forced march on the Burgundian table edge.
Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, TC, CinC
4 x Ordonnance Gendarmes, Gendarmes, Fully-armoured, Superior, Heavy Lance, Sword
4 x Ordonnance Gendarmes, Gendarmes, Fully-armoured, Superior, Heavy Lance, Sword
4 x Ordonnance Gendarmes, Gendarmes, Fully-armoured, Superior, Heavy Lance, Sword
2700 men for a total of 287 points.

3 Other Bodies, each arrive by forced march on the Burgundian table edge, rolling commences once the Swiss flank march arrives or once a Swiss battle group comes with 48 MU of the Burgundian table edge (representing Panigarola riding back to point out that this is not just a Swiss feint and say to Charles ‘told you so’).

Johanne Petro Panigarola (technically the Milanese ambassador), TC, sub
6 x English Longbowmen, MF, Armoured, Superior, Bow, HW
2 x Household men-at-arms, Gendarmes, Fully Armoured, Elite, Heavy Lance, Sword
4 x Archers, LF, Unarmoured, Average, crossbow
2550 men for a total of 161 points.

Prince of Orange, TC, sub
Mixed Foot BG of 4 HF, Armoured, Average, Pike, Pike, and 4 MF, Unarmoured, Average, Crossbow
8 x Arquebusier, LF, Unarmoured, Average, Arquebus
4 x Mounted Crossbow, LH, Armoured, Average, crossbow
4200 men for a total of 151 points.

Jehan de Luxembourg, count of Marle, TC, sub
8 x Feudal foot, HF, armoured, Average, Pike, Pike
2400 men for a total of 83 points.

The Burgundian army totals 961 points and represents approximately 11,850 men.

The table will be 4’ wide by 6’ deep (i.e. rotated 90 degrees from normal). In the middle of the Swiss baseline there will be a minimum sized forest. The Grünhag will be represented by two Obstacles, on a steep hill with about 1 MU of slope, 24 MU from the Swiss map edge. One will be in contact with the Burgundian right table edge, the other one will be 160mm from the first, parallel to the Swiss table edge. 24 MU from the Swiss table edge there will be a gully extending about 6 MU in from the Burgundian left table edge (in reality it extends off the table). The Burgundian camp will be in the middle of the Burgundian table edge. The rest of the table will be open ground. There will be no Swiss camp but the Swiss AP will not be adjusted. I am aware that there are lots of Commanders but it was done to try to get the feel of the game right.

Special Scenario rule. The Swiss mounted troops do not seem to have crossed the Grünhag until after the Pike. To represent that, the Swiss mounted cannot move more than 22 MU from their table edge as long as there is a Burgundian controlled Artillery unit within 26 MU of the Swiss table edge. Once freed from this restriction, the rule ends and cannot be re-applied should control of the artillery change.
Some of this might change if Amazon.co.uk ever delivers my copy of T&T!
Rekila
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Post by Rekila »

Congratulations. Great work! We are going to play it as soon as we finish painting two more Swiss BG!
Delbruck
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Post by Delbruck »

Interesting OB and scenario, but Field of Glory doesn't rate any English longbowwen as superior in any of their lists.
timmy1
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Post by timmy1 »

Delbruck, thank you.

That may be correct as I have not seen the T&T lists so can't comment. All I can go on is the sources. In FoG:R Longbow and Bow are the same but the sources all seem to agree that the English Longbowmen were the best troops in the Burgundian army, they are battle hardened veterans and they do hold off at least twice their number of Swiss for some time. Superior seemed appropriate for this battle if for none other. If we play it and it proves too one-sided I can drop them to Average. If anyone is recreating the battle they are free to drop them to Average on the basis of Delbruck's information.
timmy1
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Post by timmy1 »

Rekila, thank you. Let me know how you get on or if you find any flaws.
timmy1
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Post by timmy1 »

Re-reading the sources, I don't think that the hill should be steep, rather it shold be gentle - the Swiss are recorded as advancing DOWNHILL towards the Gruenhag so even if it rises up I doubt it should not be steep. It also works better with the FoG:R rules in giving the right effect.
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