Renaissance Impetus gets Brutal: Heavy Infantry Clash

The Byzantine's left was in deadly peril. Just a matter of time before the plate-clad good men of standing from Florence (all lovers of the arts), scythed forwards in a blood-letting frenzy into the rear of the Byzantine heavy infantry huddle (see below). Once there was four units of heavy infantry, suddenly there was only three (heavy infantry losing combat to a rear attack is removed from play, not so much impetus but the arrival of the four horsemen of the apocalypse)!

The Byzantine right was looking likewise rather unsavoury as it was stalled with a melee of heavies, the balance of which slowly sliding against the Byzantine. The Byzantine "light horse" had gotten caught between an advancing Florentine pike block and more heavily plate armoured Florentine "artists" who painted in vivid red (see below) and 'evaporated'.

Desperate times dictate desperate measures. The Byzantine infantry must take it to the Florentine (and Swiss) Pike blocks before they were withered by the enfilading fire from Florentine hand-gunners marching up their flanks. One unit of heavy Byzantine infantry levelled, then tipped the cavalry battle on the Byzantine right wing (see below) in their favour. Was there now a golden ray of hope for the cunning and wily Persian (see below)? Looking promising!

The remaining two Byzantine heavy infantry attempted to charge in at the Florentine pike (and at the same time avoid the Swiss mercenary pike block - who wouldn't given the choice) to try and force the issue. Dice were rolled, one unit got in, one unit fell just short. Numbers would not be an issue, it would be push of pike versus long spear with a bit of "impetus". A grinding match ensued (see below) reducing by "the addition of casualty markers" but not killing both units (see below).

So the battle hangs in the balance. Note: the sinister mass of the Swiss pike block to the right middle (see above), the deadliest unit on the field of battle. All now depended on which side gained the initiative in the next round.