Swiss

Historical Overview Section

The original Swiss Confederacy was formed as an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps to facilitate free trade and ensure peace on the important mountain trade routes. The Federal Charter of 1291 agreed between the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden is considered the confederacy's founding document; even though similar alliances are likely to have existed decades earlier. By 1353 the three original cantons had joined with the cantons of Glarus and Zug and the Lucerne, Zürich and Berne city states to form the "Old Confederacy" of eight states that existed until the end of the fifteenth century. By 1460, the confederates controlled most of the territory south and west of the Rhine to the Alps and the Jura mountains having beaten the Later Medieval German Habsburgs (Battle of Sempach, Battle of Näfels), the Ordonnance Burgundian army of Charles the Bold of Burgundy and pretty much anyone else who dared come into the mountains. The Swiss also enjoyed an unrivalled reputation as the mercenary infantry of choice for the noble houses of Europe.

Using the army in ADLG

• Yeah, its the pike. Throw them at anything, they'll be OK
• There's not much for generals to do, and they will often want to be included in a pike block so are at risk of beng lost, but even so... if using all 4 command points and 6 LF to get to a +3 initiative score means you win the initiative, that can easily go a long way to winning you the game, so it;s worth it
• Picking too much closed terrain can be a mistake - a waterway or river is ideal. In v4 impassable terrain has to go in a flank sector, making that a good choice also
• The new v4 option for Average pike allows the phalanx to be much wider
• The MF halberdiers in v4 have become anti-cavalry specialist polearm men in a pike-led army which is hardly short on anti-mounted technology, so the rationale for using all that many of them is reduced.
• Elite LF Handgunners may be a better bad terrain option than MF polearm troops at almost twice the price
• If your LF screen is being badly shot up, let them stand there and die rather than drawing them back and exposing the pike to enemy archery. They were called "Enfants Perdu's" for a reason after all.
• Shooty CV are why you want as many LI in front of your pike as possible. You can charge through your own LI then the LI moves back through again to cover them
• Include All generals, I doubt that you will lose a game because your Pikemen elite General is in melee. You could also choose to have a Hi polearm (General included) behind your frontline of pikemen
• Always place the maximum pieces of terrain - Coastline, River, Woods and steep hill (perhaps even covered with wood) - perhaps a village with a road?
• You can deploy pike corps with 1-2 UD gap as they can close that before anyone can close with them.
• You can now have cheaper, less good pike. Probably mass them in the center unless your opponent may have lots of really good foot like foot knights or armored 2HW.

Useful Links

• Early Swiss DBA Figure Gallery for this army - from Fanaticus
• Later Swiss DBA Figure Gallery for this army - from Fanaticus
• Swiss Flags from Alex Flags - download and print
• Swiss Flags from War Flag - download and print simple confederation flags
• Swiss Flags from Kreigspeil.dk to download and print
• The Dublin Zurich Affair An ALDG Battle report,Anglo-Irish vs Early Swiss.
• The Highland Games An ALDG Battle report, Scots vs Early Swiss.
• Armenia vs Swiss The Cilician Armenians have been on a rampage, heading west looking for conquest and loot. Seeing a chance to solve two problems, an invading army and a province in revolt, the Hapsburgs provided a few guides, had a few road signs changed, and directed the horde to the Swiss Alps.
• name of link description of link

as an example

Army Lists

Sample army lists for this army
This list has 22 units and a +3 on initiative. So size is right, you have a reasonable chance of attacking and 15 fighting widths

+0 included general

2 Hkn
1 LH
1-2 LI
This corps deploys first and should be set about 4 UD away from the end of where the Pike line will set up. Its job is either to tuck close to pike or stall an enemy drive to the flank. Either way this should be on the most open flank
==
two nearly identical corps

+2

6 PK, (two of each)
2 or 3 LI
the MI goes with the Corps with more LI.
The Corps with MI and possibly more LI is on the side with more terrain. The job is to just hold briefly while the Pike move past. Or failing that behind the pike to step out and protect the Pike flank by delaying a turn.

General brilliant included*
4 Pikemen
ordinary*
==
General brilliant included*
2 Heavy Knights impact*
4 Mediocre Pikemen
1 (or 2) Lc crossbow
==
"Forlorn Hope"
General ordinary unreliable included*
2 Medium Swordsmen polearm elite*
4 Li crossbow
==
0(or 1) fortified camp

General brilliant 6
2 Heavy Knight 26
2 Li crossbow 8
3 Mediocre Pikemen 24
1 LC crossbow 6
==
General ordinary included* -3
4 Pikemen elite 52
4 Heavy Swordmen polearm* 36
==
General ordinary included* -3
4 Pikemen ordinary* 44
1 Li crossbow 4

2022 CLWC Porter (4th)
Brilliant
3 Pikemen Pikemen Elite
2 Pikemen Pikemen ------
1 Crossbowmen Light Infantry Crossbow ------
1 Handgunner Light Infantry Firearm Elite
1 Halberdiers Medium Swordsmen Polearm ------
==
Competent Included
3 Pikemen Pikemen Elite
2 Pikemen Pikemen ------
1 Handgunners Light Infantry Firearm Elite
1 Crossbowmen Light Infantry Crossbow ------
==
Competent Included
2 Pikemen Pikemen ------
1 Handgunners Light Infantry Firearm Elite
1 Halberdiers Medium Swordsmen Polearm Elite
1 Crossbowmen Light Infantry Crossbow ------
1 Halberdiers Medium Swordsmen Polearm ------

Frith Swiss CLWC 2022
Brilliant
4 Swiss Pikemen Pikemen Elite
3 Swiss Halberdiers Medium swordsmen polearm Elite
2 Swiss Handgunners Light infantry firearm Elite
==
Brilliant
4 Swiss Pikemen Pikemen Elite
2 Swiss Halberdiers Medium swordsmen polearm Elite
2 Swiss Handgunners Light infantry firearm Elite
==
Ordinary Included Unreliable
2 Mounted Crossbow Light cavalry crossbow
1 Lorrainer Knight Heavy knight impact

200 Roll Call 25mm 2019 Paul Frith
2 LH Handgun
2 LH XBow
1 Impact Knight
1 Competent General
==
4 Swiss Pike
2 Swiss Halberdier
1 LH Handgunner
Brilliant General
==
4 Swiss Pike
2 Swiss Halberdier
1 LH Handgunner
Brilliant General

220 FNORD Swiss
Brilliant
4 Swiss Pikes Pikemen Elite 13 52
2 Swiss Halberds Medium swordsmen 2HW Ordinary 8 16
1 Handgunners Light infantry firearm Elite 5 5
1 Crossbowmen Light infantry crossbow Ordinary 4 4
==
Brilliant
4 Swiss Pike Pikemen Elite 13 52
2 Swiss Halberds Medium swordsmen 2HW Ordinary 8 16
2 Handgunners Light infantry firearm Ordinary 4 8
==
Ordinary Included
1 Lorrainer Knights (General) Heavy Knight impact Ordinary 13 13
1 Lorrainer knights Heavy Knight impact Ordinary 13 13
2 Mounted crossbowmen Light cavalry crossbow Ordinary 6 1

USTT 2018 200ap
220 Swiss
Competent
5 Pikemen
1 Handgunner LI
1 Crossbowman LI
==
Competent
4 Pikemen
1 Hangunner
==
Brilliant
6 Halberdiers
1 LI Crossbow

200AP list from Derby 2017
Brilliant
2 Halberdiers Medium swordsmen 2HW Elite
1 Crossbowmen Light infantry crossbow ------
3 Pikemen Pikemen Elite
2 Handgunners Light infantry firearm ------
==
Competent
4 Halberdiers Medium swordsmen 2HW Elite
2 Mounted Crossbow Light cavalry crossbow ------
==
Competent
5 Pikemen Pikemen Elite

• Competent
• 5 Elite Pikemen
• 2 Crossbow LI //
• Competent
• 5 Elite Pikemen
• 2 Handgunners Elite //
• Ally
• 5 Elite Halberdiers //

200AP