THE HUSSITES

This is an extension for the Cry Havoc game system with a brief history of the Hussites, a set of
supplementary rules, and a scenario. The author is Philippe Gaillard, and it was published in 1995
in Claymore magazine, issue #8. This translation was completed by Bob Gingell in February 2000.

1.

THE HUSSITES: HISTORY

In the Middle ages, Bohemia was a strongly Germanised region, with only ordinary people and the
lower nobility claiming Czech nationality. There were many disputes between the German and
Czech communities. When Charles IV founded the University of Prague in 1348, the majority of
posts were given to Germans, raising the level of indignation among the Czechs. The conflict came
to a head when the Czech members of the University criticised the Germans for submitting
unconditionally to the Pope and his ally, The Emperor, when they had been hoping for Church
Reform. The German teachers, finding themselves in the minority, quitted Prague.
John Hus, then Rector of the University, became the spokesman of the Czech Reformists.
He found himself in opposition to the Pope as a reformer, and to the Emperor as a defender of
Czech nationality. Judged to be a heretic by the Council of Constance in 1415, John Hus was
condemned to death. By burning him, the Empire and the Church created a Czech national martyr
and prompted an uprising of both populace and nobility. For the next 16 years, the gates of Prague
were closed to the Emperor, and the Hussite army made all Europe tremble.
Hussite battles
Prague: Sigismund, King of hungary and Bohemia, and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire,
responding to the appeal for a crusade launched by Pope Martin V, sent his troops towards Prague.
The disciples of hus formed under the command of Jan Zizka, a tactician of genius and experienced
soldier (he had seen service with the Poles against the Teutonic Knights). The Hussites closed the
gates of Prague and fortified themselves outside the walls, on the Witkov hill. When Sigismonds
army attacked, on the 14th July 1420, Zizka forced them to retreat with just 9000 men.
Hutna Hora: after the defeat at Prague, Sigismond himself took over leadership of the crusade. At
the end of 1421 he arrived in Bohemia at the head of an impressive army, certain of victory thanks
to his numerical superiority. But, on the other side, Zizka with 25,000 men had formed a new
military organisation consisting of mobile artillery and the famous reinforced wagons. The armies
met at Hutna Hora (Kuttenberg) on 6th January 1422. The defensive system of a circle of wagons
halted the charge of Sigismonds army, which suffered terrible losses. A counter-charge by the
Hussite cavalry put the crusaders to rout, leaving many dead on the battlefield. Those who escaped
rallied some 25 kilometres South-East of Hutna Hora.
Nmecky Brod: Zizka and his very moblile army pursued Sigismund. The caught up with the
crusaders on 10th January at Nemesky Brod. Once again the Hussites won a crushing victory.
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Sigismond lost 50% of his 23,000 men and narrowly escaped capture himself. This battle ended the
First Crusade. The three years following had little success.
The Emperor withdrew, but the Hussite side fell prey to a civil war. Two factions fought: the
extremist Taborites and the moderate Utraquists. Zizka, leading the Taborites, inflicted many
reverses on the Utraquists: Horic and Strachov (1422), then Skolic and Malesov (1424). On 11th
October 1424, Zizka died. Pastor Andrew Procop the Great took over leadership of the Taborite
faction.
Usti nad Labern: After this war between the Hussites, Sigismond reassembled a new army of about
50,000 men and marched up to Usti nad Labern (Aussig, on the Elbe). The battle was a fresh
disaster for Sigismond. The Imperial army attacked the circle of wagons and succeeded in forcing a
way in. Procop then launched a counter-attack with his cavalry that smashed the crusaders who had
between 3000 and 4000 dead.
The Hussites then passed onto the offensive. They pillaged and burnt Hungary, Austria and
Germany (Saxony and Bavaria). No army could resist them (victories over the Empire at Tachau in
1427, then over the Papal troops at Domazlice in 1431. The terror did not end until a new war broke
out between the two Hussite factions.
Cesky-Brod: This battle between Hussites took place on 30th May 1434 at Cesky-Brod (Lipan).
Procop and the Taborites confronted the Utraquist army. The Utraquists attacked the circle of
wagons and were repulsed. The Taborites, over-confident of their victory, emerged and pursued the
enemy. The Utraquist cavalry counter-attacked, destroyed the Taborite cavalry and then the infantry.
Only a few hundred Taborites managed to regain the circle. This fratricidal combat cost 18,000
victims, Procop among them. The Taborites were completely defeated. Two years later, the blooddrenched country recognised the authority of Sigismond and the Roman Catholic church.
The Hussite army
The tactic of using fortified wagons or Wagenburg was inspired by the Russians who Zizka had
seen place their gulaigorod (mobile fortresses) in a circle during their wars against the Tartars. At
first Zizka used all the wagons that he could find, but later he had reinforced wagons built that
could carry a small cannon and were equipped with chains that allowed them to be joined together.
These wagons were drawn by four horses. Protected behind their wagons, the Bohemian peasants
were able to stop the cavalry charges of the Crusaders.
During the earlier battles, the wagenburg only allowed for defence. With training and
discipline, Zizka created an offensive army. A special troop of drivers was formed. At an order, they
would place their wagons in different formations (triangle, circle or column), detach their teams,
chain together their wagons in record time, all in the teeth of an enemy mortified by this new type
of warfare.
Thanks to their control of the arms manufacturers, Zizka developed the use of fire-arms. It
seems that a third of the men hidden in the wagons carried hand-guns. An impressive mobile
artillery also supported the shooters.
The Imperial army
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The German army from this period knew of the inexorable rise in power of infantry to the detriment
of cavalry. Infantry was less expensive than cavalry and the Swiss formations had built up a solid
reputation on the battlefield. The German armies consequently tended towards armies of
Landsknechts.
In 1422, after the Diet of Nuremberg, Emperor Sigismund and the German princes had two
standing armies to throw against the Hussites: one intended to wage the campaign and the other
instructed to blockade the fortress of Karlstein. The first consisted primarily of cavalry, while the
second was mainly foot soldiers: 1656 cavalry (from a target figure of 5910!) and 31,000 infantry
(from a target of 37,400).
Alongside the infantrymen was the artillery. In 1431, the German army could number 100
bombards. However, the Hussite artillery was always superior and obstructed bombardment of their
fortified camps.
Bibliography
P. Contamine: La guerre au moyen-ge, Nouvelle Clio, 1992
W. Koch: La guerre au moyen-ge, P.M.L. ditions.
J.V. Poliensky: History of Czechoslovakia in outline, Editions Bohemia International
2.
SUPPLEMENTARY RULES FOR HUSSITE ARMIES
1)
WARWAGONS
Each wagon can contain two men. Only shooting is possible from and against [the sides of] a
wagon. The occupants benefit from heavy cover. [The rules on shooting from carts also state that
other characters on foot next to the cart will not block the line of fire.]
Climbing into a warwagon costs 4 MPs, and climbing down costs 2 MPs. Entering and
exiting from a wagon uses the same rules as for carts (see Claymore #5). [The implication in the
light of the rules for carts is that climbing up and down costs +1 MP, and (given the rule below) is
only possible at either end; moving from one warwagon hex to the other would thus cost 3 MPs.]
The occupiers of a wagon can be attacked in hand-to-hand combat from the ends [see
diagram]; the occupants are in favourable terrain (+).
___________________
The wagons cannot be moved.
|__|_WAGON_|_ _|
2)

BOMBARDS (Four 1-hex counters for cutting out are provided in the issue of Claymore.)
Movement: A bombard can be moved up to 2 hexes per turn by 4 men [but cannot be loaded
or fired in the same turn that it is moved. If a loaded bombard is moved it will need to be reloaded.
Note that the rules for ballistas, which should be used here, limit movement through scrub to 1 hex
per turn, so effectively the bombard will have a movement allowance of 2 MPs.].
Firing: These cannons can only fire in a straight line. The rules on restrictions on firing are
the same as for archers. A bombard is still able to fire if it is behind a screen. A bombard cannot fire
on a soldier who is at a range of 2 hexes or less.
In order for a bombard to fire, there must be a soldier on an adjacent hex throughout the
loading and firing turns. [Note that, unlike ballistas, no engineer is required to crew the bombard.]
To resolve the effect of firing and fall of shot, use the tables and rules for ballistas [e.g.
under the rules from Siege it would take 2 turns to load, and short range is 50 hexes]. If the shot
misses, roll 1D6 to determine upon which of the adjacent 6 hexes the cannonball lands.
3)

SCREENS
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One character (Hussite or Crusader) can move a Hussite screen at a reduction of 2 to the movement
allowance. In combat the defender is in favourable terrain (+) and benefits from heavy cover.

4)

HAND GUNS

The Hussite crossbowmen (Jacopa, Francisco and Giles from Cry Havoc) are equipped with hand
guns. The rules, columns on the shooting tables, fall of shot and operation of these weapons are the
same as for crossbows. Only the results are different [they are more effective]. [Note, however, that
the table strangely makes handguns more effective than bombards against foot, though not against
mounted targets. It is proposed that +1 should be added to the foot die rolls to bring them into line
with mounted targets and to re-establish their proportionate effectiveness to other missile weapons.]
Mounted in cover
Foot in cover
Die roll None Light Medium None
Light
Medium Heavy
1
F
F
E
C
C
C
C
2
F
E
D
C
C
C
B
3
E
D
C
C
C
B
B
4
D
C
B
C
B
B
B
5
C
B
A
B
B
B
A
6
B
A
B
B
A
A
7
A
B
A
A
8
A
A
9
A
10
[Note: Purchase point values (PVs) are calculated in the scenario below as being the same as
armoured crossbowmen (3x attack strength + 2x defence strength). Since the guns are more
effective than crossbows, it is proposed that PVs be increased to 4x ATT, 2x DEF. This raises the
three PVs from 35/32/30 to 42/38/36. Claymore #12 provides alternative handgunner characters.]
3.
SCENARIO: WARWAGONS
This scenario uses Cry Havoc, Siege and Croisades, plus The Open Field map.

Background

After the first war between the Hussites, one of the five Taborite armies reached the Saxon border.
The Teutonic Knights and a force of German soldiers tried to stop the devastating advance of the
Czech convoy. Warned of the enemys presence by his scouts, the commander of the Hussite army
(Murda) placed his wagons in a circle and resolutely waited for the teuton and Teutonic charge.
2

Map layout

Germans >

Cros
sroad
The Hussite player chooses the layout with the long map-edges adjacent.
s
>

Ope
n>

The sides

The Hussites (31 characters 638 points [plus 352 points of equipment]):- Commander: Murda (C);
Heavy cavalry: Hakim, Kilij, Maarat (C); Light cavalry: Kamal, Mosul, Tamara, Reuben (C);
Handgunners (armoured): Francisco, Giles, Jacopa (CH); Archers: Aylward, Bowyer (CH);
Crossbowmen: Forester, Gaston (CH); Sergeants: Llewellyn, Morgen (S);
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Spearmen: Ben, Perkin (CH); Aki, Arnold, Brendan, Bryn, Gareth, Hayden, Mordred (S);
Peasants: Cedric, Gobin, Smith, Salter, Wulf (CH); Equipment: 10 wagons, 11 screens, 3 bombards.
[Notes:
(1)
Players will need to photocopy or make their own additional equipment counters.
(2)
The points above assume peasants are counted as unarmoured foot and that handgunners
have the same points values as crossbowmen. Using the PVs proposed above for handgunners and
normal peasant PVs, the total becomes 648 which gives an overall round total of 1000 points.]
The Germans (39 armoured characters 1354 points):- Heavy cavalry: The 8 Templars (C),
Sir Walter (C); Sir Conrad, Sir Gunter, Sir Peter, Sir Richard (CH); Sir Lacy, Sir Wulfric (S);
Mounted sergeant: Sgt Baldwin (C); Archers: Ansel, Fulk, Hugh, Peter, Renier, William (C);
Crossbowmen: Arnold, George, Henry, Jordan, Walter (C); Halbardiers: Ben, Frederick, Geoffrey,
Hubert, Naymes, Otto, Tom, Watkin, Wynken (CH); Bors, Evans, Fursa (S).

Starting positions and sequence of action

The Hussite wagons are placed in a circle on the Open Field map. Between each wagon is placed a
screen and/or a bombard. Two hexes must be left free and are occupied by two screens (which
represent the gates to the camp). The rules relating to screens (from Siege [as modified for
Hussite screens]) are applied. The Hussite army is in the centre of the circle and in the wagons.
Note: Draft horses are not represented.
The Germans enter on the first turn through the side indicated.
5

Special rules

See the rules above.

Victory conditions

As was the case in the Hussite wars: no quarter. The victor is the side that manages to exterminate
its adversaries.

RDG: HUSSITES Extension version 1.1, March 2000