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Hell for Leather! 6mm French Wars of Religion

Writer's picture: Piotr Stolarski Piotr Stolarski

Updated: Jan 27



I staged a refight of the Battle of Coutras (1587) from the French Wars of Religion at the club last night. Using my 6mm figures and my 'True Religion' rules, Doug and Mark were Huguenots (Calvinist Protestants), while Mal and Patrick were Catholics.


Battlefield



The battle took place near the town of Coutras in south-west France. The table was largely open, with woods at either table edge, and a stream through the centre.


Deployment



The Huguenots (12 cavalry, 8 infantry, two artillery units) set up with their powerful cavalry on the left and centre (Doug) and their weaker infantry and the guns in a wood on the right (Mark).



The Catholics (8 cavalry, 12 infantry units, two artillery units) faced them: Patrick commanding the right and centre (7 infantry and 6 cavalry interspersed, two artillery units on the flank) and Mal on the left with 5 infantry 2 cavalry.


The Game



Patrick and Mal began their advance, as Mark held the wood on the Huguenot right.



By turn three, Patrick's artillery on the right opened up, and his infantry supported by cavalry fired on Doug's cavalry command.



However, the powerful Protestant gendarmes (knights) - known pejoratively as 'millers' by the Catholics owing to their white over-shirts - soon began a devastating close assault on the Catholic battle line.



Doug's first unit of gendarmes inflicted 4 hits on a Swiss infantry unit, which retreated 12 inches.



Doug's second unit of gendarmes charged the Catholic reiters, who lost by 3 in the melee and also retreated 12 inches.



The Catholics were reeling! In two more charges, the next gendarme unit defeated some Landsknechts.



However, one of Patrick's Swiss infantry units destroyed a unit of Huguenot Chevaulegers, and forced back another...


Doug resorted to Reiter pistol fire to check the Swiss in the centre.



As the Huguenots won the initiative on turn 4, Mark's artillery fired desultorily from the wood at Mal's command.



Doug's gendarmes charged on and destroyed one of Patrick's arquebusier cavalry units in a melee in the centre.



But the Huguenot knights were checked when Patrick's Swiss infantry retreated but managed to destroy some gendarmes in melee.



Even so, Doug's gendarmes next attacked some of Patrick's landsknechts, who were duly destroyed.



Another Protestant gendarme unit repulsed some Reiters, and then followed up, and destroyed them..


Mark played a card but failed to get a Swiss unit to change sides!



However, a unit of Swiss infantry broke up and destroyed a Chevauleger charge by Doug.



Patrick, dogged by poor rolls all game, redoubled his artillery fire on the right, to marginal effect.



Both Mal and Patrick played Jacks to get Huguenot units to change sides, but only Mal managed it - some Reiters at the back of the Huguenot line... the best choice of turncoats?



Patrick now charged some Catholic gendarmes against Doug's gendarmes but lost; the former had to retreat 12 inches...



A gap had opened up between the Huguenot gendarmes on the Protestant left and Mark's infantry, owing to Huguenot charges. After some delay and dithering both Mal and Patrick decided to advance on the weakened Protestant centre.


On turn five the Catholics won the initiative and managed to rally 3 of 4 units.



Mal fired on the Huguenot Swiss in the wood, then charged into them with his Landsknechts. But he lost and was driven back 12 inches despite inflicting 2 hits.



Mal's weaker Spanish infantry now charged Mark's adjacent Landsknechts in the wood, but also lost and were driven back.



The Huguenots began their phase by playing two Jokers - Mark assassinated Mal's commander, and Doug assassinated Patrick's! Neither unit they were attached to failed a morale test, however.



Mark continued his artillery and infantry fire on Patrick's Swiss and Mal's infantry respectively.



Doug effectively sealed the Huguenot victory when his Chevaulegers fought Patrick's Reiters - who were forced back 12 inches. Doug's gendarmes also hit a unit of Patrick's landsknechts, who were destroyed after incurring four hits.



Conclusion



Poor luck for the Catholics and strong Huguenot cavalry won the day for the Protestants. The Huguenots lost 1 gendarme and 2 chevauleger units, and 16 additional casualties. The Catholics lost 2 commanders, 2 landsknecht, 1 reiter and 1 arquebusier units, and 21 additional casualties. Although both sides had some randomly generated veteran units, the Huguenots had rolled in decidedly superior commanders. The real battle in 1587 ended in a decisive Huguenot victory for King Henri of Navarre, when his knights counterattacked the spent Catholic gendarmes.


This period is fascinating and absolutely vicious. Generally the Protestants had better cavalry, while the Catholics had better infantry. The game did not follow the exact numerical strengths of the battle, but I did give the appropriate weight of numbers and quality to each side. We had a good laugh and some entertaining banter. The Huguenot position was strong, given the preponderance of their cavalry and their secure right flank. The Catholics interspersed infantry and cavalry (as the Huguenots did in the real battle) but could have concentrated their best units together more. Overall, I was pleased that everyone enjoyed themselves. A clear result and only the second run-out for this period and rules since 2022. More to come...


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