Notorious Captains™: Presenting the Center Lances

Notorious Captains™

Company Center Lances

A Condottiere’s Company would be divided into several 50 or 100 lance squadrons. Their bands were largely of cavalry, and their principal soldier was the relatively unassailable man-at-arms or gendarme.

The Center Mercenary Lances of a Notorious Captain™

Condottierii bands could include infantry of various sorts sometimes being half the strength of most Italian states’ field armies in the late 15th Century. Most of these infantry were missile-men, armed with early handguns or later with arquebus, or with crossbows, even longbows.

Hired troops are expensive troops and the Company was careful to preserve those soldiers. The Patron and the Company Captain realized the Company needed to be kept on campaign, in the field; preferably some other one’s  field for plunder and pillage was the order of the day. Loyalty sometimes turned on the choicest gold or good chances of rich plunder, where greener pastures were likely as not to be over on the other side at any moment, then as now, money talks.

Personal Banner of  Notorious Captain™ Gerhard von Reichart

Light cavalry in the form of Stradiotti, artillery, and pikes, round out the other troop types. It was a tumultuous time involving the interests of the French, the Spanish, the Pope, Italian city-states and on-going military innovation. The next big thing that might prove the tipping point to secure the Italian peninsula for Bourbon, Hapsburg, or the Holy See, all others played the Great Game for a place at the table, whether minor instigator or Imperial potentate.

Free-Companies, contract soldiers, Condottierii, Grand Companies lead by Captains from a variety of countries flourished, which seems an oxymoron, to flourish amid war, but nonetheless it was so. This is the inspiration for building armies of this era and likewise representing these Notorious Captains™ on the gaming table.

Gerhard von Reichart’s personal banner was crafted using MS Paint program, so it was not so ‘involved’ a process.

Notorious Captains™

Miniatures in a Wargame

“There is a rich world to explore in your imagination.” Bayou Jean

The Playing of Roles

As purchasers of minis we have our role to play. Miniatures hang sealed in packages and at ease in boxes some small, some quite large. They have been spun out or molded in their multitudes. When a person picks one of these sweet bundles of pewter, plastic, or resin, the clatter or rattle makes a kind of music. So the allure begins.

One has seen the sculptor’s art; detailed or plain in an instant a paint scheme comes to mind followed by myriad changes. The mini is still in the blister package it has not left the shop yet and it is considered in the imagination. That is true power of an un-purchased mini; the beginning of connexion; the puppy in the window, the “next new thing”. The challenge is to walk the gauntlet of a twenty-four foot display calmly, the five-year-old in a candy shop is lurking somewhere just below the surface of the thirty-something gamer. The same grin is still in evidence albeit the only difference is the face needs a shave.

Producers make their efforts to advertise their wares. I love understatement. Gamers play their role too. I describe conventions as an ice-cream sundae:  one part carnival, one part safari (big-game hunt), seven parts gaming session, one part advertising write-off, covered in a sauce of mini lust, and there is a line around the building paying to get a glimpse of the old, the true, the rare and the new. We really should avoid being defined by what we collect.

We all play our bit parts. Mentioning bits and parts even these tiny nuggets come packaged for our imaginative conversions. When will it ever stop?

No, wait, I did not mean that.

Last, the producers make the minis and the rules gurus churn out the step by step process by which the gamer gets to deploy those precious chunks of painted goodness. Then the game is over and the minis go into their padded lockers on wheels to await the trumpet and the ole hack and hew, wot!

In my area few admit to morphing their minis to other games unless it is one historical set of rules to another. The reluctance there is the pain of ‘re-basing’ their minis.

In a few short months one of Ridiculous Diversions here at Dice Lords Central will be Notorious Captains™, a free-wheeling skirmish game of the Italian Renaissance ilk. This game project is easy to follow.

First have an army. Do not have an army, then get one. Starting small, warlords and their loyal followers extend their influence and control. Next, develop your heraldry. Perhaps, write the history of your clan. Create the livery for your troops. Extend your boundaries and meddle in your neighbors’ affairs. Make alliances. Make your soldiers feared or dashing.  Sell your services.

Notorious Captains™ will be all about fictitious nobles, ersatz Condottierii leaders, Sell-Swords, Cutthroats, Warrior Bands, and self-created city-states, from around the Mediterranean and perhaps to include interlopers from the northern hinterlands thirsty for fame and power. The Coasts of the Med have many Potentates that will test the resolve of the European Upstarts egged on by the eastern Sultan of the Sublime Porte.

Think of Notorious Captains™ as more return on investment. More gaming with our historical armies re-purposed. Why? Because humans get bored easily, that is why we look for the “next new game” or mini set or rules. Second, a game will run its course and something new is sought and usually that is whatever the producers have made to sell.

In the third place I am just that independent that I play the role of creating the “next new game”. It is part of my game and I call it Notorious Captains™. It should be infamous fun.  The rules will be announced later once the group has made their decision.