Info on the battles in the demo ? [Archive]

doc_bean

09-27-2006, 12:56

I believe the battles that will be included in the demo have been announced to be Crecy and Agincourt. Now I'm not too familiar with medieval history (:shame:) so i was wondering what kind of units we could expect. With the Agincourt battle I suspect we'll see mostly longbowmen on the English side and a bunch of knights charging towards them on the French side, perhaps with some mercenary crossbowmen.

But what about Crecy ? I'm especially interested in spears/pikes, since handling them was imho THE major RTW battle AI shortcoming.

I believe some people here have already played an early demo version ? Perhaps they know the unit roster ?

Brutus

09-27-2006, 15:57

I plundered my Osprey collection and found this:

Agincourt (1415):
Taking place on a muddy field in Northern France, the English army led by king Henry V, consisting of dismounted men-at-arms and archers (longbowmen), about 6,000 men all told (of which 5,000 archers) defended against a much larger French army, led by Marshal Boucicault and Constable d'Albret consisting of archers, crossbowmen, footsoldiers and large numbers of mounted men-at-arms and other cavalry. Most cavalry stumbled in the muddy fields and against the archers and the French were soundly defeated.

Crécy (1346):
Also in Northern France, French knights charged headlong into a well set-up English defensive position (including potholes and such). The French, led by king Philip VI, had earlier in the battle lost their Genoese crossbowmen who were outshot (due to moist strings) by English Longbowmen. The French knights then charged into the English army, led by Edward III, without waiting for the infantry which hadn't arrived at the battlefield. They were defeated by the mass of English longbowmen waiting and the dismounted English men-at-arms. Seems the English also had some cannon at the battlefield. The several waves of French cavalry all perished.

Pavia (1525):
The French army, led by Francis I and a great lot of his favourites and seasoned commanders (including Admiral Bonnivet, Anne de Montmorency and Marshal de la Tremouille), laid siege to the town of Pavia, held by a 11,000 men-strong garrison led by Antonio de Leyva. The Imperial army, led by Viceroy of Naples Lannoy and the Duke of Bourbon (a Traitor to France), tried to relieve the city. Taking place in the large walled park north of Pavia, Imperial Landsknechts, Spanish infantry and Italian arquebusiers, as well as Spanish and Italian cavalry and some artillery, engaged the bulk of French forces, consisting of Swiss mercenaries, some Landsknechts, French and Italian Arquebusiers and a large force of French and Italian light cavalry and French Gendarmes and about as much artillery as the Imperials had. Although the French at the beginning of the battle captured some of the Imperial artillery entering the park, their light cavalry was defeated and fled. The French Swiss and Landsknechts engaged the Imperial Landsknechts but were defeated as well. The French knights (led by Francis himself), following their old tradition (and unaware of the rest of the battle as visibilty was very low), then charged into the Imperials, defeating Lannoy and his heavy cavalry. However, the were subsequently surrounded by the Imperial Landsknechts and arquebusiers and most of them were cut down. Francis was captured
Meanwhile, the Pavia garrison sallied and, aided by elements of the main army, defeated one the main siege position to the east. The French besiegers, to the west, learning of the defeat, retreated as quickly as possible back to France.

Well, it seems they are all French defeats, and all brought about by an impetuous cavalry charges...