IV/61 Italian Condotta

15mm DBA 2.2ver  Miniatures by Essex

This amazing Army consists of 20 elements with so many options.
1 x 3Kn General, 4 x 3Kn, 1 x 2Lh, 2 x 8Cb or 2Ps, 2 x 4Sp or 4Pk, 1 x 4Cb or 4Ax or 3Bd or 2Lh, 1 x 2Ps, 1 x Art.

Historical Enemies: Sicilians, Germans, Lusignan Cypriot, Navarrese, Early/Later Swiss, Later Hungarians, Anatolian Turkomans, Ottomans, Catalan Company, Medieval French, Albanians, Armagnac Free Company, French Ordonnance and other Italian Condotta Companies.

Brief Historical Notes: The Italian Condotta (Condottieri) were professional free companies "mercenaries" soldiers who were available for service during the Middle Ages and Renaissance Italy. most of these guys came from or were hired from the Balkans, Germany, Hungary and the most popular to hire during 1300's -1350's were the Catalans, these guys helped form the "Grand Company" and along with their "Band of Brothers" the Germans and Hungarians manage to take over military control of Romagna, Tuscany and Umbria. 

The Italian Condotta (Condottieri) were hired by the Papacy and the Nobility from powerful Italian City States i.e. Venice, Genoa and Florence. The Condotta fought many years for their masters, i.e. 1282 - 1302 AD War of the Sicilian Vespers and during the 1330's the minor Perugia War in Umbria, central Italy.

During the later part of the 14th Century French and English mercenaries were also hired. The most popular and famous English "Condottieri" Captain was Sir John Hawkwood who formed the White Company in Northern Italy, Sir Hawkwood's company served for about 30 years. Hawkwood had a reputation of butchery, sacking Italian villages and slaughtering it's citizens.

During the periods of 1494 - 1559 AD Italy struggled with back stabbing betrayals, formed and broken treaties, alliances and counter alliances causing the beginning of The Great Italian Wars and/or Hapsburg Valois Wars. The Wars were generally disputes over power and territorial gains over the Duchy of Milan and the Kingdoms of Lombardy and Naples.

The majority of the Condotta companies were trained, discipline and drilled to perfection by Muzio Attendolo Sforza of Naples and also by Sforza rival Braccio da Montone of Perugia. Condottieri Muzio Sforze, son of Francesco Sforza, was considered the best, with charismatic leadership, great military organizer and tactician manage to win control of Milan in 1450. 

Interesting to note that during the late 15th Century "Italian Citizens" began forming their own Free Companies to earn pay/ pocket money to help support their families to survive the continuous bloodbath Wars during the power struggles of Renaissance Italy......

.........anyway on to the figures :o)

I think Essex Miniatures, bless their hearts :o) made wrong figure choices with this army pack i.e. There should be also dismounted knights MER36a miniatures included in the Army pack. The 4 figure Ax should have mix weapons and dressed with more Armour like the Pike men, the 3Bd element should be dressed like the Pike men as well, armed with double handed swords or as Billmen MER29 The Ps should be armed as hand gunners MER26 The 8Cb (8 figure Cross bowmen element) should have 4 figures armed with crossbows and 4 Pavise, A large convex shields used to protect the entire body of footmen armed with missile weapons i.e. Archers and Crossbows. The Pavise was develop in Pavia, medieval Italy, I think, around 1340's AD? 

Painting these guys was sort of ok, I painted the artillery element gun carriage red. I had a difficult time painting the Knights caparisons and I don't think I painted them historically..oh well :o) The flocking of the bases are mediocre.

General 3Kn

Knights 3Kn

Light Horse (one element armed with crossbows)

Pikemen 4Pk

Spearmen 4Sp

Crossbow 8Cb

Spanish? 3Bd

4Ax

Mercenary Crossbow 4Cb

Skirmishers Crossbow 2Ps

Artillery

Battles of the Condottieri

Battle of Forlì (1282) - a French army, for the Pope, against Guido I da Montefeltro, for Forlì

Battle of Montecatini (1314)

Battle of Parabiago (1339 - Lodrisio Visconti's "Company of St. George", for Verona, against Luchino Visconti and Ettore da Panigo for Milan.

War of the Eight Saints (1375–1378)

Cesena Bloodbath (1377) - Papal and Breton mercenaries under John Hawkwood slaughtered more than 2,000 citizens of Cesena.

Battle of Castagnaro (1387) - Giovanni Ordelaffi, for Verona, against John Hawkwood, for Padova

Battle of Casalecchio (1402) - Alberico da Barbiano, for Milan, against Muzio Attendolo and others for the Bolognese-Florentine league.

Battle of Sant'Egidio (1416) - Braccio da Montone, for himself, against Carlo I Malatesta, for Perugia

Battle of Maclodio (1427) - Count of Carmagnola, for Venice, against Carlo I Malatesta, for Milan

Battle of San Romano (1432) - Niccolò da Tolentino, for Florence, against Francesco Piccinino, for Siena

Battle of Anghiari (1440) - Niccolò Piccinino, for Milan, against Florence, Papal States and Venice, under Micheletto Attendolo

Battle of Fornovo (1495) - Italian League against Charles VIII of France

Battle of Agnadello (1509) - Bartolomeo d'Alviano, for Venice, against France and Italian League

Battle of Pavia (1525) - Spain against France

Battle of Marciano (1554) - Gian Giacomo Medici for Florence and the Holy Roman Empire against Piero Strozzi for Siena and France

Condotteri - Captains

Roger de Flor (c. 1268 - 1305)

Malatesta da Verucchio (1212 - 1312)

Castruccio Castracani, Lord of Lucca (1281 - 1328)

Walter VI of Brienne

Cangrande della Scala (1291 - 1329)

Sir John Hawkwood (Giovanni Acuto, c. 1320-1394)

Giovanni Ordelaffi from Forlì (1355 - 1399)

Facino Cane de Casale (c. 1360 - 1412)

Andrea Fortebracci, aka Braccio da Montone (1368 - 1424)

Alberico da Barbiano (1344 - 1409)

Muzio Attendolo, aka Sforza (Strong) (1369 - 1424)

Giovanni Vitelleschi (d. 1440)

Erasmo da Narni, aka Gattamelata (1370 - 1443)

Niccolò Piccinino (1380 - 1444)

Francesco Bussone da Carmagnola aka Count of Carmagnola (1390 - 1432)

Micheletto Attendolo (Muzio Attendolo’s cousin or nephew)

Francesco Sforza (1401 - 1466)

Sigismondo Malatesta (1417 - 1468)

Bartolomeo Colleoni (c. 1400 - 1475)

Federico III da Montefeltro (1422 - 1482)

Cesare Borgia (1475 - 1507) (died 1510)

Bartolomeo d'Alviano (1455 - 1515)

Gian Giacomo Trivulzio (c. 1441-1518)

Giovanni dalle Bande Nere (1498 - 1526)

Ferrante Gonzaga (1507 - 1557)

Astorre I Manfredi (1345 - 1405)

III/79 Cuman (Kipchak)

This 15mm DBA 2.2 Army consists of 15 elements: Miniatures by Essex

1 x (General) 3Cv,  9 x 2Lh, 1 x 2Lh or 3Cv, 1 x 2Lh or 7Hd or 2Ps

Historical Enemies: Byzantines, Early Russians, Seljuq Turks, Early Hungarians, Volga Bulgar's, Pecheneg and the feared Mongol's.

Brief Historical Notes: The Cumans and Kipchak were a Turkic nomadic people and during the early part of the 11th century the two Turkic nomadic people's formed Cumania a confederation state occupying most of the western region of the Eurasian steppes.

The Cumans raided, fought and allied anyone on their borders most common enemies were the Byzantines and Russian Principalities. The Cumans manage to chalk up a few victories against the Rus i.e. 1093 AD Battle of the Stugna River and in 1202 AD the Cumans sacked Kiev.

The Cumans-Kipchak allied with the Byzantines to defeat and wipe out the Turkic Pecheneg nation, at the battle of Levounion, which was really an ambush, near the Marista river. 40,000 Cumans took part during the battle or slaughter early Monday morning April, 28th 1091. Some sources indicate or suggest 20,000 Byzantine troops, 5,000 Vlachs and 800 Flemish Mercenaries slaughtered the women and children and the Cumans - Kipchak butchered the male population. The remnants of the Turkic Pechenegs, if any, fled to Hungary.

The Cumans allied with their former enemy, the Russians, to fight against the invading Mongols after suffering several defeats i.e. The Battle of Kalka River 1223 AD the Cumans were finally crushed in 1238 AD near the Prut River. The surviving Cuman - Kipchak population fled to present day Hungary and Bulgaria.

Army Arrayed

General with Escort

IV/31 Nicaea Byzantine

This 15mm DBA 2.2 Army consists of 12 elements: All Miniatures by Essex
1 x 3Cv General, 1 x 3Cv, 2 x 3Kn, 4 x 2Lh, 1 x 4Sp, 1 x 4Bw, 2 x 2Ps

Historical Enemies: Seljuq Turk, Romanian Frank, Epirot Byzantines - Latin Empire.

Brief Historical Notes: Nikaian Empire was founded 1204 - 1261 by the Laskaris or Lascaris family, who were Greek Byzantine nobles...for more information visit the Laskaris web site.

Historically the Nikaian Byzantines were a crack fighting cavalry force and often defeated their opponents i.e. the Seljuq Turks at Antioch in 1211, the Latin Empire at Poimanenon in 1224 and the Achaean Franks at Pelagonia in 1259.

My Nikaian or Nicaea are another typical 13th Century Byzantine Army with lots of cavalry and a handful of foot elements. The player really needs to focus and protect his/her flanks with Light Horse (Lh) units while trying to hold his/her center with a hand full of infantry units supported with (Cv) Cavalry and (Kn) Knights. This is a good and playable army which will test the player tactical skills against his/her opponents during table top conflict's against the Turks and other Successor Byzantine States i.e. The Latins, Romanian Frank's and Epirot Byzantine Armies.

To the figures I wasn't to sure about the historical shield designs for the Spearmen I was just plain lazy on my part and painted simple "campaign shield design" another words, one plain sandy/dusty flat color.  ;o) Also..um.. I think in the future I will not take anymore close up photos of my painting, one can see the brush strokes which is a little embarrassing :o)

Army Arrayed

General 3Cv and 3Cv (Stratiotai/Lancers)

2 x 3Kn (Latinikon Knights)

Left of Photo 2 x 2Lh (Tourkopouloi)

2 x 2Lh (Cumans)

Kontaratoi 4Sp with 4Bw and 2Ps

 2 x 2Ps Anatolia Archers Left of Photo

IV/32 Romanian Frank

1204 AD - 1311 AD

This DBA 2.2 

Army consists of 12 elements: Miniatures by 15mm Essex

1 x (General) 3Kn,  4 x 3Kn, 1 x 3Cv, 1 x 3Cb, 1 x 4Sp, 4 x 2Ps

Historical Enemies: Seljuq Turks, Later Bulgar's, Nikaian, Epirot, Palaiologan and Morean Byzantines and the infamous Catalan Company.

This Army was fun, painting up the shields for the Knights and Infantry, painting the Caparisons (a cloth covering over a horse for minor protection and decoration) color schemes etc.

I used light shades of gray for the base flocking to show the painted miniatures pop out more and perhaps visual appealing on the table? :o) 

Historically the poor :o) Romanian Franks had a handful of tough fighting against the Nikaian Byzantines losing on most occasions. This DBA army would be ideal for any one who strongly believes he/she can change history and defeat the Nikaian Byzantines! :o)

IV/39a Navarrese

15mm Essex Miniatures DBA 2.2
This Army consists of 12 elements: 1 x General (3Kn)  6 x 3Ax, 1 x 3Cb, 1 x 3Sp, 3 x 2Ps

Historical Enemies: Feudal & Medieval Spanish, French, English, Morean Byzantines, Ottoman Turks, Catalan Company, Italian Condotta and Albanians.

Brief Historical Notes: Navarre and Gascony Mercenaries fought during early 1200's to early 1400's These guys were hired by any or every factional group within the Latin Empire of Greece which was divided into vassal states. the Kingdom of Thessaloniki, the Principality of Achaea, the Duchy of Athens, the Duchy of the Archipelago, the Duchy of Philippopolis (Thrace) and the Duchies of Nicaea and Philadelphia (Asia Minor)

The Navarrese Army is playable and not bad at all the bulk of the army consists of light infantry units, speed is the key factor to over run your opponent. The terrain placing i.e. rough going, woods, steep hills etc. is obvious and critical for the Navarrese player to use in his favor for any chance of a victory. 

I decided to paint the Navarrese figures using shades of brown/tan/red/orange/deep reddish pinks colors, I hand painted the shields, which was fun to do. I would have liked the 9 Essex Ax figures (wearing tan/brown shirts) as Heavy 3Ax (The guys wearing helmets kite shields etc)... oh well..  I will hand paint the Banners for the 2 Cavalry figures Escorting the General at a later stage and um..  maybe for the 3Sp?  :o)  to make this Army/Company look pretty on the table top battlefield.