by Paul LaFontaine, 15 June 2026
Four players, Lewis++, Rebelsqurl, Seabass and NicktheNuker participated in this historical play of Bicocca, a battle in the Italian Wars of the early 1500’s. This battle ended the Swiss reputation on the battlefield and heralded the beginning of black powder ranged weapon domination of the battlefield.
Ed note: we’re a day late with this one – sorry!
All players and the umpires used Tabletop Simulator as this was a new map. Umpire reports were given verbally via Discord.
Seabass and Rebelsqurl created a strong defensive position that the French forces under Lewis++ and NicktheNuker did not unseat, and thus won the battle.
French (Blue) Briefing
Period Note: Pike and shot warfare dominated European battlefields from the early 16th to late 17th centuries, combining long pikes (12-18 foot spears) wielded by dense formations of pikemen with gunpowder weapons (arquebuses and later muskets) fired by musketeers or “shot.” The tactical system emerged because early firearms were slow to reload, inaccurate, and vulnerable in melee combat, requiring pikemen to protect shooters from cavalry charges and enemy infantry while the shot provided ranged firepower to disrupt enemy formations and counter opposing pikemen.
The infantry in column moves two counter widths per turn, cavalry four. When in formation for battle, the tercio can only adjust its facing and move minimally.
Terrain: Rivers are not fordable. The bridges north and west of Haddiesburg are destroyed and unavailable. The bridge east and at Granite Falls are available.
Your force of 12 tercios of pike infantry (1000 pikes each), 6000 arquebusiers (1500 per unit) and 2,500 cavalry (825 per unit) is marching northeast and has reached Hattiesburg. The enemy army is trying to protect its capital to the north, and has just been reported in Granite Falls crossing the river east. They have raised a significant force, but it is slightly smaller than yours.
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You must defeat the enemy sufficiently for you to move northward along the road network north of Granite Falls.
Spanish (Red) Briefing
Period Note: Pike and shot warfare dominated European battlefields from the early 16th to late 17th centuries, combining long pikes (12-18 foot spears) wielded by dense formations of pikemen with gunpowder weapons (arquebuses and later muskets) fired by musketeers or “shot.” The tactical system emerged because early firearms were slow to reload, inaccurate, and vulnerable in melee combat, requiring pikemen to protect shooters from cavalry charges and enemy infantry while the shot provided ranged firepower to disrupt enemy formations and counter opposing pikemen.
This is another of a series of Kriegsspiel AARs very similar to the events in our Wargame HQ at the Origins Game Fair. You can find the original article here.
The infantry in column moves two counter widths per turn, cavalry four. When in formation for battle, the tercio can only adjust its facing and move minimally.
Terrain: Rivers are not fordable. The bridges north and west of Haddiesburg are destroyed and unavailable. The bridge east and at Granite Falls are available.
Your army of 7 tercios of pike (1000 pikes each), 9 battalions of militia (1000 each), 6000 arquebusiers (1500 per unit) and 2,000 cavalry (825 per unit) has crossed the river east of Granite Falls and passed through the hills. To the southwest lie the wealthy countryside estates. You are in your home territory and local landowners will help you set up a defense with labor, which gives you an entrenching ability. The enemy is coming from the south, and has a force similar in size to your but of higher quality.
You must defeat the enemy sufficiently to deny them the ability to move northward along the road network north of Granite Falls.
Turn 1
At the opening of the maneuvers the Spanish Imperial command digs trenches between the two rivers (1) looking to defend the approach to the crossings at Granite Falls. Seabass takes the western trench line (2) and Rebelsqurl the east (3). The Spanish have mixed pike, militia and arquebusiers in each of the trench positions. Rebelsqurl controls the cavalry and sends it in several directions to determine the French approach.
The French cavalry under Lewis++ moves up the river on the west side (4) while his infantry crosses the bridge (5) to move up the east. NicktheNuker falls in at the end of the column headed east with a target of reaching Fort Mercer.
Turn 2
Seabass and Rebelsqurl command organizes its units along the trenchline, with a reserve in support (1). The cavalry comes into contact with the French cavalry (2), establishing the first look at the front line. Lewis++ continues to move up the east side of the river as NicktheNuker follows and reaches the bridge at the river (3).
Turn 3
Seabass and Rebelsqurl adjust their units to strengthen their defenses (1). Lewis++ is not able to catch the French cavalry, and his cavalry at the crossroads (2). The remainder of the French forces continue to gather east of the river.
Turn 4
Seabass and Rebelsqurl maintain position (1) while Lewis++ sends two cavalry squadrons northward to the road (2). The lead northern bound French column reaches the bridge (3). NicktheNuker is now marching east to Fort Mercer (4).
Turn 5
Seabass keeps position (1). Lewis++’s cavalry continues north without engaging the Spanish (2). Rebelsqurl moves his cavalry that had explored east back west to keep an eye on the progression of the enemy (3). Lewis++ orders his infantry northeast (4). NicktheNuker reaches the outskirts of Fort Mercer (5).
Turn 6
Rebelsqurl concentrates all the cavalry to screen the eastern end of the line (1). The French cavalry pulls south rather than fight the enemy (2). Lewis++ continues to march his infantry northeast (3). NicktheNuker moves his force north to the forest north of the town (4).
Turn 7
The action has moved forward several hours. Seabass and Rebelsqurl hold position (1). Lewis++ was planning to march off the map northeast and was told this would not achieve his objective. He has to exit north of Granite Falls. With this clarification, he steers to a position east of the Spanish position (2). NicktheNuker moves into the forest in a holding position (3). The French hope the Spanish will dislocate from their position.
Turn 9
After two turns of Lewis++ trying to lure the Spanish out of position and them not taking the bait, he sends in his cavalry and they are pushed back (2). The Spanish under Seabass and Rebelsqurl hold a strong position and have not been threatened. NicktheNuker remains too far south to attack before the close of day (1). The Spanish have defended Milan and the French have been unable to achieve their objective.
Seabass and Rebelsqurl are victorious.
Historical Outcome
The Battle of Bicocca, fought on April 27, 1522, was a decisive Imperial victory over a Franco-Swiss force attempting to retake Milan. The Spanish commander Colonna chose his position carefully, anchoring his defense on a manor park bordered by marshy ground and a sunken road, which he deepened into a fortified rampart. Behind it he placed ranks of Spanish arquebusiers under Fernando d’Ávalos, with pikemen and German landsknechts in support. The French plan called for Swiss infantry columns to assault the front while cavalry flanked south to seize a bridge behind the Imperial position.
The Swiss assault collapsed almost immediately. Ignoring orders to wait for French artillery to soften the defenses, the Swiss columns advanced rapidly and took devastating fire crossing open ground before reaching the sunken road. The road and rampart together exceeded the length of their pikes, neutralizing their primary weapon. D’Ávalos employed volley fire — arquebusiers firing in successive ranks while others reloaded — to devastating effect. The Swiss suffered over 3,000 dead including numerous captains, and withdrew after roughly half an hour of desperate and futile attempts to breach the line.
The game being used is Battle Decisions: Kriegsspiel from Catastrophe Games.
The aftermath was sweeping. The French position in northern Italy collapsed entirely, with Genoa falling shortly after and French forces eventually withdrawing across the Alps. The Swiss, badly shaken, never again displayed the aggressive headlong assault tactics that had made them feared at Novara and Marignano. More broadly, Bicocca demonstrated the arquebus as a battlefield-deciding weapon, accelerating the shift toward defensive doctrine and the combined pike-and-shot formations that would define European warfare for the next century and a half.
Conclusion
This was a battle where no one really fought, but the tension was real nonetheless. The French commanders thought they were able to move out anywhere on the northern edge of the board despite the briefing specifying they need to move north of Granite Falls. Lewis++ and NickthNuker reacted well once the situation was clarified.
Rebelsqurl and Seabass played a strong game. Their approach mirrored the historical, with the Spanish position established using strong terrain. They refused to weaken that despite movement to their south and east. If we had played out the scenario, Lewis++ and NicktheNuker would have had to coordinate their force to strike an entrenched enemy at 1:1 odds. Not a good position to be in.
This battle was the first where the ranged fire of the arquebusiers played a significant role and cemented the role of fire as a determiner of battlefield success. The danger of using the same pieces and maps to play different periods is to lose the differentiating tactical characteristics of the forces in those periods. To properly simulate Pike and Shotte warfare, the mix of pikemen and musketeers must somehow play a key role, and the limitations of pieces make that harder to do. We made some progress by having different units, but the players need more grounding to perfect this. Once we have this, we have opened a large number of engagements to simulate.
A delay at the map printer had me using Tabletop Simulator which was actually slower than a physical set. We were using a new map and I didn’t have one! We played nine turns in 76 minutes, with 8.6 minutes per turn. The difference between 8.6 minutes and 7 is not great, but there was no real combat so that should be considered. Umpiring from the physical map is faster than using electronic pieces and map.
Thanks to Lewis++, Rebelsqurl, Seabass and NicktheNuker for playing. A group who continues to play and I appreciate it. Come join us! We’ll see you out there.
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