Rich's Crusaders v. Jim's Saracens
The Crusaders deployed in a tight formation, infantry (spear & crossbow) & Sergents in the centre with some skirmisher bowmen in front, knights on the right, turcopoles on the left. The Sacarens put their heavy cavalry on a hill on their left supported by some light cavalry, their light sprearmen in the centre with a swarm of bow skirmishers in front & light cavalry on the right.
On their left & centre the Saracens sent their skirmishers forward holding back their formed troops. They soon swept the outnumbered Crusader skirmishers away & began picking away at the Crusaders as they lumbered forwards. On the right the Saracen light cavalry attacked the Turopoles - pinning them frontally, then outflanking & destroying them. On their left the Saracens waited for the Knights to get close 
then charged downhill at them while manouevring other light & heavy cavalry into their rear. This should have won the battle, but the knights did a good imitation of a Tiger platoon - their armour had saved them from the skirmisher's arrows in their aproach & both units just survived the flank/rear attacks & continued fighting surrounded. They still should have lost, but the Saracens just couldn't nail them & eventually the Saracen pinning units routed. The knights were all on wood by then & pursued off the table before a stray arrow could rout them, but the remaining Saracen cavalry pursued after them so all the Saracen cunning came to nought.
then charged downhill at them while manouevring other light & heavy cavalry into their rear. This should have won the battle, but the knights did a good imitation of a Tiger platoon - their armour had saved them from the skirmisher's arrows in their aproach & both units just survived the flank/rear attacks & continued fighting surrounded. They still should have lost, but the Saracens just couldn't nail them & eventually the Saracen pinning units routed. The knights were all on wood by then & pursued off the table before a stray arrow could rout them, but the remaining Saracen cavalry pursued after them so all the Saracen cunning came to nought.In the centre, the Crusaders lost a lot of casualties to the skirmishers, but not enough for the weak Saracen infantry to be able to hold them off when they finally got up to them.
By now both sides had lost nearly half their armies, but neither was able to clinch victory & a draw was agreed.
A draw is perhaps not a surprising result with 2 such different armie
s, but the more experienced Saracens generally outmanoeuvred the Crusaders but still couldn't win. I needed to consider if this was due to; bad luck, insufficient penalty for flank/rear attacks, rules misinterpretation, or light troops not being cheap enough points-wise. On reflection, I think I missed a -1 for the surrounded knights & the Saracens did throw awful dice in the critcal combats, so I have decided it isn't a problem with the rules.
Pic 1 is the start from behind the Saracen right.
Pic 2 shows how the battle developed.
Pic 3 shows the Tigers being surrounded.
s, but the more experienced Saracens generally outmanoeuvred the Crusaders but still couldn't win. I needed to consider if this was due to; bad luck, insufficient penalty for flank/rear attacks, rules misinterpretation, or light troops not being cheap enough points-wise. On reflection, I think I missed a -1 for the surrounded knights & the Saracens did throw awful dice in the critcal combats, so I have decided it isn't a problem with the rules.Pic 1 is the start from behind the Saracen right.
Pic 2 shows how the battle developed.
Pic 3 shows the Tigers being surrounded.
1 comment:
A draw ?! I thought you concluded that with no regular troops and just skirmishers meant victory leaned toward the righeous ;)
I love the arrows though on the photo, Jim.
Rich
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