Renaissance Reconnaissance, Part 9 - Box #13 Elmeti, Lancers, and Gendarmes

 

More Italian Wars cavalry... Heavy, Extra Heavy, and Really, Really Heavy!  :-)

"He's not heavy... he's mein Brüder!"

Mix of Essex, Redoubt, Hinchliffe, Old Glory, and Foundry.

All told, there are 24 HC lancers, 12 EHC lancers, and 30 Gendarmes... and another stray commander. 

Renaissance Reconnaissance, Part 8 - Box #12 "Odds and Sods"

Not much theme to this box - lots of LI Arquebusiers, 

left over Artillery and Organ Guns, 

and some Eureka Gendarmes painted earlier this year. $$ LI Arquebusiers/Musketeers, 8 crew, 5 Organ guns, 3 Bombards, 12 Gendarmes total. 

Renaissance Reconnaissance, Part 7 - Box #11; Putting the Italians in the Italian Wars!

In this box are Pikes and Arquebusiers from Florence/Milan/Venice, Papal Guards EHI Halberdiers, a unit of anachronistically Red, white, and green EHC, and a gaggle of peasants!

Some repairs needed!

There is also a nattily attired Italian Noble/Condottieri to lead them. 

Renaissance Reconnaissance, Part 5 - Box #9: Reiters and Elmeti, at the ready!

During the Great Italian Wars, Elmeti generally referred to heavily armored  cavalry, but not quite of the quality of Gendarmes, Knights, Household troops, Famiglia, etc. In my case I view them as Extra Heavy cavalry, but generally on horses without barding, especially metal barding. 

Reiters, on the other hand, arose late in the Italian Wars era  and extended well past that into the Wars of Religion. Initially, they were relatively lightly protected (mail shirts - as seen in the top 2 rows), and some carried short spears. Later they tended to 3/4 armor, but never barding (next 2 rows). They were specialist pistoliers, carrying 2-3 or more pistols, and, at least initially, using the Caracole. This could be effective against infantry with few or no missile weapons, but was generally hazardous when employed against aggressive enemy cavalry!

I make that 24 HC Reiters, 24 EHC Reiters, and 36 Elmeti. Quite a heavy box!

Renaissance Reconnaissance, Part 4 - Box #8 "Big Bang, Cheery!"

The Renaissance era saw the artillery become an essential part of the army for battles in the field, as well as vital for the conduct of sieges, which were numerous throughout the era.  To quote (totally out of context), my friend, Gavin Shanks, 

"Nothing says 'I don't love you" quite as well as a big explosion. Says it all, really!"

This box has about 70% of my Renaissance Artillery park. Guns at this time were anything but standardized in caliber, carriages, or anything else!

The ordonnance itself is an eclectic mix of Hinchliffe, Old Glory, Redoubt, and others! During the Great Italian Wars, the Marquis of Ferarra was especially well known for his fascination with cannon, and his substantial artillery arm contributed to the defeat of the Spanish at the Battle of Ravenna in 1512.

I count 16 guns and 51 crew; as you can see, I could use  more crew figures. Many manufacturers make few or no crew for this era. The crew figures are also Old Glory, Redoubt, and Hinchliffe... for the most part!