Italian Wars Mini Campaign -- Rico vs Cargol

@Cargol and I have decided to follow our Crusades mini-campaign with another one -- set this time around 1500 -- loosely based on the French King Charles VIII's invasion that resulted in the first Italian War -- all within the context of a wider France vs Habsburg conflict.

The French aim is to take over Genoa and the Kingdom of Naples and keep Milan under their sway as well. The Venetians and the Pope rally the Italian states into a Holy League to try and stop the French. There is also a once-off involvement by forces of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian.

I will play the French/Milanese... and @cargol the Holy League.

Rules are similar to the Crusades mini campaign with limited Fleet actions possible and French siege trains.

RULES

Each turn there are TWO Initiative Points (IP) available -- 

These allow you to launch attacks, one per IP.

The French side always goes FIRST, unless both IP's are held by the Holy League. 

Starting Setup

French start with France and Turin under control, with Milan & Pavia under control of their allies the Milanese.

France, Naples and Venice each have one Fleet available (see: Fleets)

The French have the initiative at the start and start with TWO IP's -- and one guaranteed IP for Turns 2 & 3.

In turn two NAPLES gets one once-off bonus IP for Turn 2 -- this can be used for Seaborne attack to relieve GENOA if under French Siege or attempt to recapture it from the French. (See: Fleets)

This would result in a once-off THIRD battle in Turn 2 -- all other Turns will only have two battles.

ARMIES

King of France

French (1484-1500)

Milanese (1440-1500)

Holy League

Venetian (1440-1500)

Papal (1440-1500)

Neapolitan (1443-1500)

Florentine (1440-1500)

German (Imperial) (1488-1500)

Holy League Allies

From TURN 2, in any battle the Holy League  is allowed to use any available allies (as long as that faction is not under French control.

Holy Roman Empire

From TURN 3, The Holy League player can launch a once-off attack by a Holy Roman Empire army from the Holy Roman Empire province or any northern Italian Venetian provinces. The Holy Roman Empire army can fight a Relieve a Siege battle if a Siege results from their attack.

It cannot be used in any defensive battles and becomes unavailable after that. (Emperor Maximillian was notoriously short of cash and struggled to maintain any army in the field in Italy for any length of time)

French Army Restrictions

Once the French suffer their first MAJOR DEFEAT in a battle using a French Army, they are limited to ONE attack/defence battle using the French forces.

MILANESE armies can only be used in defence of or attack from Milanese-controlled provinces.

ATTACKS

Each faction gets ONE attack per IP.

FRENCH always go first in declaring attacks.

A faction can attack an enemy province that is adjacent to a friendly-controlled province.

You may not attack from a province that is already under attack. 

You may attack into a province from which an attack into a different province has been launched.

Note: The Holy Roman Empire province is off-limits and cannot be attacked by either side.

FIELD BATTLES

Field Battles are medium size Open Battle on either Pot Luck or Medtterranean Agricultural maps.

Battle Results

Attacker Major Victory (40%) -- Province is captured 

Attacker Minor Victory (60%)  -- Province if placed under SIEGE (see Sieges)

Draw - Battle continues next Turn

Defender Minor Victory (60%) -- Attacker is repulsed (but retains the IP)

Defender Major Victory (40%) -- Attacker repulsed (forfeits the IP to the other faction)

SIEGES

Sieges are resolved at the end of the Turn after they were begun using an 8-sided die roll on the Siege Table:

Roll of 1 to 5: Siege successful and the province is captured

Roll: 6 to 8: Siege is broken off

FRANCE and VENICE get a +1 die roll modifier.

If the besieging army's home province is lost during the battle phase of that turn, then the siege is automatically lifted. 

SIEGE TRAINS

The French player can assign a Siege Train of cannon and siege guns to one French attack per Turn -- this will be used in a Siege resulting from a Attacker Minor Victory in the next turn.

The Siege Train cannot be added to an existing siege after it has begun.

The Siege Train cannot be added to a Milanese attack.

If the attack that the Siege Train is attached to suffers a Major Defeat in a Field Battle or a Relieve a Siege battle, the Siege Train is removed from play for the rest of the campaign.

Siege Trains add a -2 die roll modifier to a siege roll.

Relieving A Siege

A faction can launch an attack to attempt to relieve a siege. 

These battles are played in FOG Medieval as Relieve The Siege battles.

Siege Battle Results:

Attacker Major Victory - Siege is lifted - Besieger's IP forfeited to the other faction

Attacker Minor Victory - Siege is lifted -  Besieger retains IP

Draw - Battle continues next Turn

Besieger Minor Victory - Siege continues -- attacker repulsed, retains IP - siege roll at end of turn

Besieger Major Victory - Province Surrenders - (attacker's IP forfeited)

Victory Level Definitions

A Major Victory is when you win by routing the enemy with between 40% to 59% casualties and a minimum +25% margin.

A Minor Victory is when you win by routing the enemy with 60%+ casualties, with any % margin.

However, if you adjust the winning above score down to 59% and the difference is still +25%, it's upgraded to a Major Victory.

Draw is when the battle times out inconclusively without one of the above results.

FLEETS

A side can spend 1 IP to use a fleet to launch a seaborne attacks on any enemy province with a coastline.

After the battle is concluded, the Fleet returns to its home base or can be based in the newly captured province if it has a port.

(only France, Genoa, Naples and Venice have ports)

If a Fleet's home base is captured and it cannot immediately rebase to another friendly port, it is destroyed.

The French and Neapolitan fleets can only operate in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Venetian fleet operates only in the Adriatic Sea and operates there unopposed.

Naval Battles

If a side launches a seaborne attack against an enemy province with a based fleet, a Naval Battle is fought using dice on the Naval Battles Table before the land battles are set up.

If the Attacking Fleet is destroyed, the land attack is cancelled and the attacker forfeits the IP.

If the Attacking Fleet "returns to port", the land attack is cancelled and the attacker retains the IP.

If the the Defending Fleet is destroyed, the fleet is removed from play and the land attack proceeds.

If the Defending Fleet "returns to port", the fleet has to either return to its original base or another friendly base (if available) 

The land attack then proceeds, and if the province is captured, the fleet is destroyed.

Fleet Intercepts

A player may also spend 1 IP to launch a friendly fleet to attack an enemy fleet launching a seaborne attack on a friendly province.

This results in a Naval Battle resolved in the usual way and results are applied before any land battles are set up. 

Destroyed Fleets

Destroyed Fleets are removed from the campaign permanently and cannot be rebuilt.

Campaign Victory Conditions:

Major French Victory: control Genoa, Naples, Teramo, Benevento, Milan & Pavia

Minor Victory: control Genoa, Naples, Milan & Pavia

Draw: control Genoa, Milan & Pavia

Minor French Defeat: control only Milan & Pavia

Major French Defeat: lose control of Milan & Pavia and fail to capture any of Genoa or Naples

LOSS of France province results in an instant Major Defeat for French side.

TURN 1

The French have the initiative and attack Neapolitan GENOA (with the Siege Train) and Florentine PISA.

@Cargol -- I have set up the first two battle challenges.