THE VENETIANS

During the period covered by this list, Venice

undertook territorial expansion in Italy,
successfully conquering Brescia and in
1420 the Friulli regions. In 1487, Venice
fought the War of Ferrara, which resulted
in further territorial acquisitions and was
notable as the first mainland use of her
Albanian and Greek Stradiotti troops. The
Venetians also lured away the Turkish
light cavalry troops recruited by the
Neapolitans, and recruited a number of
troops from the Balkans, some of whom
were Bosnian, others Turkish and others
Croatian. The practise of hiring Muslims,
was seen as scandalous by the other
Italian states, and such troops could
expect to receive little mercy.
Venice remained neutral during Charles VIIIs
initial invasion, but was galvanised into
action amidst concerns that Italy would
become a province of France. Following
Fornovo, the Venetians aided the
Milanese at the siege of Novara, which
succeeded in expelling the French from
Lombardia. An amphibious assault
captured the ports of Otranto and Brindisi
on the Apulian coast. However, the
Venetians eventually deserted their
Milanese allies and allied with France
against Milan in 1499.
Despite their poor performance at Fornovo, the
Venetians maintained large, wellorganised armies, which included forces
drawn from throughout Italy and Venices
possessions in the Balkans and the Greek
Islands. Venetian armies, included large
numbers of trained citizen militias
recruited from the Terra Firma.
At Agnadello in 1509, the Venetian army
included 27,000 professional troops and
10,000 militia. Venetian armies could also
count upon the rugged militia forces of the
frontier region of Friulli, which produced
tough and fierce swordsman and hand gunners
In 1509, the League of Cambrai was formed to
sever Venices mainland possessions. Despite
the defeat at Agnadello and the capture of
Brescia the League collapsed the following
year and Venice was able to resist the joint
Imperial-French siege of Padua. In 1514,

Venice concluded the Treaty of Blois with

France and the following year dAlviano led a
Venetian army whose arrival forced the Swiss
to retreat at Marignano. In the resulting
negotiations Venice recovered the territories
she had lost.
In the wake of the defeat at Agnadello, the
Venetian senate revised her army and renewed
efforts to establish a permanent trained militia.
The effectiveness of light cavalry was also
recognised and condotta granted to condottieri
began to specify that light cavalry were
required.
Whilst, Venice had concerns over the French
and Imperial intervention in the Italian
peninsula, her energies were devoted to the
long struggle with the Ottomans to maintain
control over Cyprus, Crete, Corfu and Venices
holdings in the Morea and Pelloponese.
Early List 1450-1508
Characters: Up to 25%
Cavalry: 35% - 75%. May take up to 2 units
of Stradiotti, may chose Armigeri, Utili, and
mounted crossbow. You must take at least one
unit of either Armigeri or Utili. Cavalleiri
Legeira may be taken, but if taken, they form
the rear ranks of a combined formation with
either Armigeri or Utili. Armigeri or Utili may
still count a rank bonus of up to +1.
Infantry: Up to 50%. Militia crossbow and
Provisionati may exchange their crossbows for
a composite bow at 2 points.
Allies /Mercenaries: Up to 25%. May take 0-1
units of Turkish Akincis and/or 0-1 units of
Sipahis chosen from the Ottoman list in Vlad
the Impaler. May have allies from either the
French or Milanese list but not both. May take
0-1 units of landsknechts
Late list 1508-1534
Characters: Up to 25%
Cavalry: At least 25% and up to 50%, all
cavalry choices. You must take at least one unit
of: mounted crossbow, Stradiotti, or Cavelleiri
Legeira
Infantry: At least 35%.
Allies /Mercenaries: Up to 50%. May have
Papal Allies and 0-1 Swiss pikemen. May take
French allies.

CHARACTERS:
General
CaptainGenerale
Proveditori

M W
S
8 6

BS

W A

Pts

L
d
9

120

154

The Condottierii general rides a warhorse and

wears full plate armour, he carries a lance. He
may take barding (+4) or plate barding (+6).
The Proveditor may ride a horse (free), he may
have light armour (+1), heavy armour (+2) or
partial plate armour(+3), and he may ride a
warhorse (+4)
Special: Army General.
Your army may be lead by either a Condottieri
or by a Provedittori.
Venetian armies could be either be lead by
condottieri; professional mercenaries usually
bound to the state by the granting of land or
privileges, or by civilian administrators known
as Provedittori. The Provedittori, were
originally bureaucrats who acted as a link
between the state and the condottieri, by the
1470s,
many
Provedditori
occupied
commands, and many were killed in the long
wars with the Turks.
Capi de Guerra:
Captains:
Condottieri
Proveditor

M W
S
4 5
4 4

BS

W A

3
3

4
3

4
3

6
5

2
2

2
2

L
d
8
8

Pts
63
45

The Condottierii Captain wears light armour

and carries a hand weapon. He may have
heavy armour (+2) or full plate armour (+3) he
may ride a horse (free) or a warhorse (+4). If
mounted he may carry a lance (+4). If mounted
he may take cloth barding (+4) or plate barding
(+6). If dismounted they may carry a halberd
(+1), pike (+1) or two handed weapon(+2).
A Captain, either Condottieri or Proveddittori,
may carry the Army standard at +25 points.
The Proveditori may ride a horse (free) and
wears heavy armour, he may take partial plate
armour (+4) and may ride a warhorse (+4)
One Proveditori may be upgraded to
Proveditori of the Stradiotti at +20 points, he

has Feigned Flight, Parthian Shot and is Open

Order.
One Captain may be upgraded to Vice
Govenatora at +20 points. The ViceGovenatora has LD9 and a command radius of
6.
While on the whole, Condottieri captains
preferred to lead cavalry, they were on
occasion required to lead infantry.
This entry can also be used to
represent infantry Constables.
CAVALRY

Men at arms:
Armigeri

M WS

BS

W A

L
d
8

Pts
34

Equipment: Full Plate armour, lance, First

Charge, warhorses. May take plate barding
(+6) or cloth barding (+4).
May count a rank bonus of +1.
May upgrade one unit to Lanze Spezzata, (+2)
who are veterans. One unit may be upgraded to
Casa at +2 , Casa have WS5.
Utili
Utili

M WS

BS

W A

L
d
8

Pts
30

Equipment: Partial Plate armour, lance,

warhorses.
May upgrade one unit to Lanze Spezzata, (+2)
who are veterans
May count a rank bonus of +1.
Lanze Spezzatta, which is commonly
stranslated as broken lance, were the
remnants of condotta lances, whose leaders
had either dies or retired. They were
commonly referred to by the title of their
previous commander, such as the Colleoneschi
and Braccioeschi named after Bartolomeo
Colleoni and Bracci. In Venetian armies they
had initially functioned as a permamnt cavalry
force, in a manner comparable to the
Compagnie dOdonnance of France and
Burgundy. But, by the end of the fifteenth
century, comprised aged veterans; too old to
be of any real military use.
Mounted Crossbow
Crossbow

M W
S
8 3

BS

W A

L
d
7

Pts
16

Equipped with light crossbows.

May have light armour, (+2) or heavy armour
(+3), may have throwing spears (+1). Mounted
crossbow are Skirmishers, they become open
order if heavy armour is taken.
Every second unit may replace their crossbow
with arquebus
During the preparations that led to the war of
the League of Cambrai, Venice raised 30
companies of 100-130 light cavalry equipped
with crossbows. Out of each company 30 men
carried an arquebus.

Cavallieri Leggeira

Cavalleiri

M WS

BS

W A

L
d
7

Pts
20

Militia Crossbow

Militia

M WS

BS

W A

L
d
6

Pts
8

Equipped with crossbow and light armour.

Militia equipped with crossbows may be in a
combined formation with Militia Spearmen.
Militia Schioppetto

Militia

M WS

BS

W A

L
d
6

Pts
8

Equipped with handgun, light armour and hand

weapons. May take Field Fortifications at +20
points per unit. One unit may be designated as
Friullian Schioppeteri at (+4) these have WS 3,
BS3, Ld 7 and are veterans.

Cavalleieri have heavy armour, and thrusting

spears. May Take Partial Plate Armour (+2),
they may exchange thrusting spear for lance
(+4)

0.1 Arsenolotti

May Count a Rank Bonus of +1.

Equipped with hand weapons and light armour,

they are veterans.

Cavallieri Leggeir were light cavalry used as a

mobile strike force for raiding and fighting the
Turks.
Stradiotti
M
Stradiotti

W
S
3

B
S
3

W A

L
D
7

Pts
21

Feigned flight and Parthian Shot. They have

shields and ride horses, they have swords or
maces. They carry javelins and thrusting
spears. They may take light armour (+2) in
which case they become open order and may
take composite bows (+2).
Every second unit may be veteran (+1).

INFANTRY
Militia Spearmen

Militia

M WS

BS

W A

L
d
6

Pts
8

Equipped with spear, large shield and light

armour. May exchange their spears and large
shields for pikes (no cost). Militia with pike,
are a medieval pike phalanx. Militia pike, may
only count a rank bonus of +2 on the turn in
which they charge.

Arsenolotti

M WS

BS

W A

L
d
7

Pts
11

May be equipped with pikes (+1), in which

they become a medieval phalanx, or
Arquebus(+1), in which case they may be open
order (free).
The Arsenelotti were recruited from the
workers at the Arsenale.
Provisionati

Provisionati

M WS

BS

W A

L
d

Pts

11

Provisionati are equipped with crossbows and

wear heavy armour. A unit may replace its
crossbows for Arquebuses. One unit may
exchange crossbows for halbards.
One unit of Provisionati may be upgraded to
Provisionati di San Marco, with Leadership 8
(+1 per model)
The Provsionati di San Marco was a selected
militia raised from within Venice and the Terra
Firma, through a system of quotas. In 1490,
German handgunners were hired to train them
in the use of the Arquebus.

Condotta Spearmen

Condotta

This can be combined with either light or

heavy armour.

M WS

BS

W A

L
d
7

Pts
10

Are equipped with spear, large shield and light

armour. May exchange their spears and large
shields for pikes in which case they become a
medieval pike phalanx.
0.1 per 1,000 points Romagnol Pikemen

Romagnol

M WS

BS

W A

L
d
7

Pts
11

Romagnol pike have pikes, hand weapons, and

wear light armour.
Special: Romagnol pike are stubborn and form
a medieval Pike Phalanx.
The Romagna marches were renowned for
producing the toughest infantry in Italy. The
Romagnol pikemen were raised from these
tough fighters in imitation of the Swiss pike
squares. Dressed in their distinctive red and
white slashed shirts, they fought bravely
against the Swiss at the Battle of Agnadello.
They certainly impressed the author of the life
of the Chevalier Bayard, he wrote and from
Romagna, particularly seven or eight
thousand of them called Bresignels, who are
the best foot solders in Italy, and very bold in
war.
Skirmishers
M
Skirmish

W
S
3

B
S
3

W A

L
D
6

Pts
6

Skirmishers may have light crossbows (+2) or

handguns (+2).
0-1 per 1,000 points Swordsman
Sworsdma
n

M WS

BS

W A

L
d

Pts

Equipment: swords and bucklers.

Open order. May have light armour at (+2) or
heavy armour at (+3). They may take javelins
at (+1).
Special: Swordsmanship: the swordsman are
adept at using their swords and shields to parry
blows, in close combat their bucklers give a
basic save of 5+, rather than the normal 6+.

The use of soldiers equipped with swords and

bucklers is attributed to the condottieri,
Braccio, who developed these troops to be
used for assaulting field fortifications. The
Friullians were noted for being particularly
effective at this sort of work.