Pike & Shotte: Death & The Landsknecht

Bring the Italian Wars of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries to life on the Pike & Shotte tabletop! Fought between the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, France, and a whole host of Italian states, the Italian Wars would see a pivotal turning point in the history of warfare, marking the transition from the ‘bills and bows’ of medieval combat to the arquebus and pike. Packed with incredibly colourful characters, perhaps no forces better epitomise the period than the Landsknechts and Swiss. These legendary mercenaries waged war against each other across Italy and beyond, ushering in the new era of battlefield tactics. Death & the Landsknecht lets you bring these famous battles, and more, to the Pike & Shotte battlefield. Accompanying the book is the exclusive special figure, Richard de la Pole. A scion of English nobility following the Wars of the Roses, de la Pole would be central to the final Yorkist challenge to Henry VII's authority. Forced to leave England in the wake of many of his co-conspirators' and family members' executions, he would become an ally of King Francis I of France. He was in the process of arranging a French-backed invasion of England when peace broke out, but remained with Francis as the King went to fight in Italy. De la Pole would be killed at Pavia in 1525. Depicted in the thick of the fighting, sword and broken pike in hand, the special edition Richard de la Pole miniature is a fantastic opportunity for painters to show off their skills, and a great addition to any Italian Wars collection. Assemble the finest forces your paymasters can hire, and prepare for the Italian Wars! The era of the Condottieri and their great mercenary armies is upon us! —description from the publisher