Crusaders in the Desert

My spoils from Cancon included 3 boxes of Gripping Beast Arabs & some palm trees from the 2nd hand shop.  Both got their first run tonight.

Chris' Crusader column is coming on in the far corner - 2 infantry divisions of crossbows & sergeants & 2 cavalry divisions, one of knights & 1 of sergeants.  The Saracens are deployed waiting.  2 infantry divisions of spears & bows on the hills and 2 cavalry divisions of Marmalukes & Turcomen on the left. The Crusaders have to get to the Oasis or they will die of thirst.

The Saracens send foot and horse forward as skirmishers to harass the enemy deployment & advance.

The mounted sergeants have rushed forward scattering much of the light cavalry screen.  The knights are following up.  The Crusader foot is slow in deploying in the rear.

The sergeants gained initial success, but a counterattack has set them back.  The Saracen foot has began an advance.

The Saracen cavalry is being crushed by the Crusader horse, but the Saracen foot has attacked the disorganised Crusader foot and has it in trouble.

The Crusader horse has broken both Saracen cavalry divisions, but the Saracen foot have done the same to the Crusader foot.  The Crusader horse gallops on to the oasis and survives to fight another day, but their foot is lost.  Probably a Pyhric victory for the Crusaders.

We used Hail Richard II our Medieval adaption of Hail Caesar & finished the battle inside 1 1/2 hours.  The palm trees are actually 15mm scale, but they do the job (& I've only based a bit over half of them).