Battle of Pavia – A DBR Scenario

An Italian Wars scenario for DBR based on the Battle of Pavia.

Historical Situation or Mission

Setting: Pavia, Italy; 24 Feb 1525

Rules

DBR based on 400 men/element

Map/Terrain

Key features are:

Pre-game preparation

None.

French Player (Defending)

Objective

Defeat attacker in open battle.

Forces Available

Actual composition (??):

• 10,000 Swiss
• 5,000 other Pikemen, probably all Landsknecht under Richard de la Pole.
• 6,000 French and Italian arquebusiers
• 1,200 Men-at-Arms
• 2,000 light cavalry
• 53 guns

About 28,000 in total. Of these about 8,000 were lost before the battle, as the Bande Nere (2,500) retired when Giovanni de Medici, their leader, was wounded, and as the Swiss-Grison contingent (2,000, 5,000 or 6,000) were recalled to defend their lands. The final armies were about equal in size.

The order of battle given below is based on Jones (1994). I have merely divided his figure total by 3 to produce an element total. It is not clear which infantry are the Landsknechts, Italians and actual French.

Nationality	Troops	DBR Type	Num.	Fig	DBR AP
Swiss	Pikes and Halberds	Pk (S)	20	80	100
	Crossbowmen	Sk (O)	3	6	6
French	Gendarmerie	Ln (S)	6	18	72
	Pikemen and Halberds	Pk (I)	16	64	48
	Arquebusiers	Sh (I)	2	8	10
	Crossbowmen	Sk (O)	3	6	6
Bande Nere	Pikemen and Halberds	Pk (O)	16	64	64
	Arquebusiers	Sh (I)	3	12	15
Artillery	Guns	Art (S)	5		50
					371

Deployment

As per rules.

Reinforcements

None.

Imperialist Player (Attacking)

Begins scenario with initiative.

Objective

Defeat defender in open battle.

Forces Available

Giono (1965) says 28,000 men in total, while at Lodi on 19th January:

• 13,000 Landsknecht
• 6,000 Spanish
• 3,000 Italians
• 800 Lances (4,800 Men-at-Arms)
• 1,500 Light Cavalry
• At least 16 guns at the battle

Probably lost 3,000 before the battle, due to poor food, disorganised supplies, disease, weather, desertion.

Oman (1987) gives the Imperialist order of march/battle as:

• 2,000 pioneers with battering rams and picks
• Italo-Spanish under Marquis del Vasto, mostly arquebusiers, some other infantry and 300 light horse.
• Spanish under Pescara
• Half the Cavalry
• Main-battle under Viceroy Lannoy of German Landsknecht
• Half the Cavalry – ‘Burgundian’ and Austrian under Ferrante Castriot
• German Landsknechts under Charles de Bourbon
• Italio-Spanish

Commander	Troops	DBR Type	Num.	Fig	DBR AP
del Vasto	3,000 German and Spanish Handgunners	Sh (I)	8	32	40
	300 Light Horse	LH (O)	1
Pescara	5,000 Spanish	Pk (O)	12
	2,400 Men-at-Arms	Ln (S)	6
Lannoy	6,000 German Landsknecht	Pk (O)	16
	2,400 Men-at-Arms	Ln (S)	6
	16 guns	Art (S) and Art (O)	4
Bourbon	5,000 German Landsknechts	Pk (O)	12
Rearguard	3,000 Italians	Pk (I)	8

Deployment

As per rules.

Reinforcements

None.

Victory Conditions

As per rules.

Scenario Special Rules

None.

Notes

None.

References

Giono, J. (1965). The battle of Pavia: 24th February 1525 (A. E. Murch, Trans.). London: Peter Owen. (Original work published 1963).

Jones, M. N. (1994). “All is lost save honour”: The battle of Pavia, 24 February 1525. Wargames Illustrated, 81, pp. 21-24.

Oman, C. (1987). A History of the Art of War in the Sixteenth Century. Greenhill Books.

Phipps, J. (1994). The battle of Pavia: The Story of a demonstration game. Wargames Illustrated, 80, pp. 38-40.

Taylor, F. (1993). The art of war in Italy 1494-1529 (originally published 1921). Essex, UK: Partizan Press.