Italian Wars Campaign - the final part.

This final post should complete the campaign and give everyone the mechanics of how the game will play.  

Event Cards

These cards are only pulled at random if there is peace in Italy.  They represent the big events that effected the strategic  situation in Italy at this time.  The Pope (if he really needs to!) can pull an event card at any time.  However, Florence with its Machiavellian diplomacy can have the card discarded but another must be pulled in its place.

An Ace = France attacks Naples

A King = France attacks Milan

A Queen = The Empire Attacks Milan

A Jack = The Ottomans attack; The Venetians lose all their overseas revenue and one of their fleets as they defend their empire and the Holy Roman Empire cannot intervene in Italy.  The Pope may declare a crusade forcing all great powers to send their armies against the Turk but Venice cannot be attacked.  Other Italian states can do what they like to each other.  The umpire rolls in secret for how long the Ottoman menace continues.

A 10 = Revolution in Florence; the new government must change alliance to Spain or the Empire.

A 9 = The Pope dies; all players decide on whether the Papacy maintains its current alliance or whether an alliance with another great power will further their ambitions.  All players have one vote plus gold.

Any other card = Culture and the arts flourish; nothing happens!

Great Powers

The great powers that fought over Italy are France, The Holy Roman Empire and Spain.  As listed above each has an allied power in Italy except for Venice.  These can only change as a result of an event card.  The Italian power may use the great power to fight its wars but 1 out of every 2 regions conquered in a season must go to the great power.

The great power fields a full army from the list for that season.  It receives no reinforcements until the winter season begins and they are in winter quarters when losses are made up full from the previous season.

The great power stays in play until it has achieved its goal from an event card, it has been defeated twice in succession and a general peace is imposed or the Italian powers make a peace amongst themselves.

Raising Armies

All Italian powers begin the game with their C in C and main command units and two subordinate commanders.  In the winter season all losses are replaced if they still hold their capital region and they are in winter quarters.

The Swiss mercenaries cost 1.5 gold pieces per point.  They cost 1 gold piece per point to maintain in the winter season if they are in winter quarters and their losses are replaced at 50%.  Otherwise they will be disbanded.  They will not fight Swiss in other armies.  On the battlefield they will always attack Landsknechts once in line of sight irrespective of their orders.

All other troops are raised from the Italian or German mercenaries list at 1 gold piece for each point.  Existing units cost ½ a gold piece for each point to maintain in the winter season if they are in winter quarters and their losses are replaced at 50%.  Otherwise they will be disbanded.

An engineer costs one gold piece per year paid in the winter season.  He gives a +1 in all siege operations and his presence with an army in the field allows a holding army to construct one +2 defensive entrenchment for one unit or one +1 defensive entrenchment for an engaging unit, or negate one level of defensive terrain for an attacking unit he is attached to.  Da Vinci already begins the campaign as a +2 and any engineer that is successful in a siege will increase his effectiveness by +1 and become a personality.

A heavy artillery unit costs 1 gold piece.

Casualties from battle.

After a battle or siege losses are made up for each unit dependent on the outcome.  Routing unit of either side = 0, units on winning side = 50% of losses rounded up, units on losing side = 25% rounded down, units in a drawn result = 25% rounded up.

If the winning side has more light cavalry than the losing side then no casualties are recovered by the defeated side.

Lines of supply

Armies that cannot trace a line of supply through non- hostile open territory or non-hostile seas will suffer attrition.  1x D6 per unit losses for each season, 2x D6 in winter.

Intelligence, spying, bribery, poisoning, political marriages, ex-communications and assassinations.

Players may attempt to bribe any mercenary unit before a battle using the PoW rules.  The unit will suffer a -4 morale penalty for each gold piece spent.

This may also be used in sieges.

Anything plausible and is well argued is also allowed especially if gold is used. A continuous investment in spying or subtle diplomacy will eventually lead to success – please feel free to discuss with the umpire.

Taxation and rebellion

All states have a principle capital that generates the income for the main army formation and two garrison units (and fleets if they are relevant).  All other territories within the state generate one gold piece in the winter season if it has suffered no battles, sieges or movement of armies.  Principle cities and ports marked on the map generate 2 gold pieces.

Taxation may be doubled for each province or principle city or port but there is a risk of rebellion which will be rolled for by the umpire in each season of the following year.

Regions through which armies move, as well as generating no revenue, may rebel.  Any conquered or previously independent region which is not taxed may still rebel if an army marches through it.

Milan begins the game in occupation of Genoa (with its fleet) but cannot raise any revenue without risking rebellion.

Running the campaign

Players are free to contact each other and discuss the campaign and make informal agreements.  However, the umpire should be informed of any treaties or formal agreements that would influence the movement and reaction of armies and also rebellions through which armies march (friendly armies are not going to encourage rebellions in your recently conquered territory).  Emails should be copied to the umpire so I can write up the campaign.  Public announcements should be published on the blog which I will also use to keep everyone up to date with general information and events.  I will use email for private correspondence and the blog for public discourse.

As Umpire I am sure that I will need to add rules as we go along but also feel free to make some up yourself.  A well argued adjustment will be put to a D6 decision and the odds increased for each gold piece spent!