Post by diades on Sept 6, 2020 15:43:13 GMT
Well, the Saxon has had some time on the playlist this weekend..."Crusader" and "Lionheart". I have recently finished Ben Kane's first novel in a series on Richard; I won't be reading any of the others...
Our opinion is that Later Crusaders vs Ayyubids is heavily in the Crusaders favour on a standard sized board, but what about with the room of 800x800?
Would this be Hattins or Arsuf?
I attacked with the Crusaders.
The Ayyubid general placed himself in the middle of a long line of ghulam cavalry, with a hamlet behind his right flank and his left secured by rocky ground. Beyond the rocky ground was a cluster of Bedouin and Turkoman light horse.
I deployed my infantry opposite the cavalry, with my right flank against dunes. Two units of crossbows were interspersed towards the right, with foot sergeants (spear) making up the left flank, with a unit of Turcopole light horse behind the left hand end. I deployed with the rest of my knights in reserve.
The infidels opened up by advancing the light horse down the board to the other side of the dunes on my right. My infantry advanced with two units holding back and angled out a little bit to refuse the left. The Turcopoles and a unit of Knights moved off to the right to offer options countering the enemy light horse.
The ghulams split up. Two units moved forward to their left in front of the rocky terrain, joined by one unit of light horse to face across the board between rocks and dunes to anchor my infantry right flank in place. The general and another unit opposite my centre backed off next to the rocky patch. The remainder went wide right to out flank my refused left flank.
My infantry right backed off the outer two units, sergeants and crossbows, and I advanced with the core of Knights to support the centre.
The enemy right crashed in against my left flank, destroying the outer unit, but fleeing from their comrades. I sent two units of Knights to cover the left flank and wheeled central crossbows to be able to shoot at ghulams left behind during the initial assault. Spurred into action, those ghulams charged in against the remainder of my left flank foot contributing to their destruction, whilst the enemy general and support advanced and the remaining enemy light horse progressed around the dunes.
2-0 down and time to strike back, my knights drove home on the left and I charged in nearby drawing foot support with me. I destroyed my ghulam opponents, whilst my other knights pushed their opponents back and pursued. The enemy general now attacked my centre en masse, given I had only one unit of crossbows and one unit of sergeants there. My sergeants proved robust, but my crossbows were destroyed. Meanwhile the enemy light horse in column rounded the dunes and in column engaged my turcopoles to no effect.
I seized the initiative, joining up with the remains of my centre whilst my left continued to push the enemy ghulams back. The enemy closed in the centre, but luck turned my way. On the left the Knights finally destroyed a unit of the enemy, leaving me 2-3 down with the central combats to resolve...the enemy general, who had had to take a risk attacking my crossbows found himself recoiled with his rear corner against a rear corner of my Spears and was judged destroyed giving me a 3G-3 victory. (Was that right? I think afterwards, perhaps not...the Spears were angled away, so only rear corners were touching otherwise the recoil was clear... what was the result of that recent thread?)
A close call and a fun game.
Our opinion is that Later Crusaders vs Ayyubids is heavily in the Crusaders favour on a standard sized board, but what about with the room of 800x800?
Would this be Hattins or Arsuf?
I attacked with the Crusaders.
The Ayyubid general placed himself in the middle of a long line of ghulam cavalry, with a hamlet behind his right flank and his left secured by rocky ground. Beyond the rocky ground was a cluster of Bedouin and Turkoman light horse.
I deployed my infantry opposite the cavalry, with my right flank against dunes. Two units of crossbows were interspersed towards the right, with foot sergeants (spear) making up the left flank, with a unit of Turcopole light horse behind the left hand end. I deployed with the rest of my knights in reserve.
The infidels opened up by advancing the light horse down the board to the other side of the dunes on my right. My infantry advanced with two units holding back and angled out a little bit to refuse the left. The Turcopoles and a unit of Knights moved off to the right to offer options countering the enemy light horse.
The ghulams split up. Two units moved forward to their left in front of the rocky terrain, joined by one unit of light horse to face across the board between rocks and dunes to anchor my infantry right flank in place. The general and another unit opposite my centre backed off next to the rocky patch. The remainder went wide right to out flank my refused left flank.
My infantry right backed off the outer two units, sergeants and crossbows, and I advanced with the core of Knights to support the centre.
The enemy right crashed in against my left flank, destroying the outer unit, but fleeing from their comrades. I sent two units of Knights to cover the left flank and wheeled central crossbows to be able to shoot at ghulams left behind during the initial assault. Spurred into action, those ghulams charged in against the remainder of my left flank foot contributing to their destruction, whilst the enemy general and support advanced and the remaining enemy light horse progressed around the dunes.
2-0 down and time to strike back, my knights drove home on the left and I charged in nearby drawing foot support with me. I destroyed my ghulam opponents, whilst my other knights pushed their opponents back and pursued. The enemy general now attacked my centre en masse, given I had only one unit of crossbows and one unit of sergeants there. My sergeants proved robust, but my crossbows were destroyed. Meanwhile the enemy light horse in column rounded the dunes and in column engaged my turcopoles to no effect.
I seized the initiative, joining up with the remains of my centre whilst my left continued to push the enemy ghulams back. The enemy closed in the centre, but luck turned my way. On the left the Knights finally destroyed a unit of the enemy, leaving me 2-3 down with the central combats to resolve...the enemy general, who had had to take a risk attacking my crossbows found himself recoiled with his rear corner against a rear corner of my Spears and was judged destroyed giving me a 3G-3 victory. (Was that right? I think afterwards, perhaps not...the Spears were angled away, so only rear corners were touching otherwise the recoil was clear... what was the result of that recent thread?)
A close call and a fun game.
