We wanted to have a new big battle with our Crusader collection.
So our forces was drawn up and distributed into two somewhat equal forces.
The back story was that with the arrival of new crusaders by ship the County of Tripoli would raise a mercenary army and together with these and its standing forces march southwards.
The spies of the Ayyubid dynasty picked up their movement and mustered its own forces and marched to meet this threat.
The rules used was Hail Caesar
Ayyubid left flank. Skirmishers, heavy cavalry and some light cav.
Opposing this was the right flank of the Westerners, closest we can see some hard veterans and further away the Danish Crusaders who had just arrived to serve the lord.
The crusaders battle line...
Muslim mercenaries in the sold of County of Tripoli.
Furthers away on the Westerners left flank was the heavy cavalry of Tripoli.
Opposing this I had deployed my Mamluk heavy cavalry, my overall commander, some Turcoman horsearchers and a unit of African tribal skirmishers.
The Saharan brigade was deployed behind this old ruin.
On my first round I closed in into archer range nothing mayor happen. In the Crusaders turn they ordered a all out charge... And they were in distance, ok didn´t think they could charge that soon.
So their I was... I had told my self not to engage my Mamluks to early this time and I had to decide a charge reaction for my Mamluks on the first turn... Darn it.
I went with the countercharge as I did not want to get totally owned in the melee that would follow.
Here you can see my flanking unit of heavy cavalry all in the wrong position because of the counter-charge I did...
Muslim mercenary medium and light cavalry joins in.
Atleast I had a unit of Turcoman in support
The result of the fight was that... I think we did wrong here and counted this as two separate fights rather then one big. I guess its time to reread that rulebook...
Anyhow the result as we played meant after some dicerolls that the Knights of Tripoli was pushed back, one of my Mamluk unit was wiped out and its supporting Turcomans was pushed back with severe casualties.
Next turn I charged in with my next cavalry unit and with some tribals in the rear.
On my left flank the Danes pushes forwards as my cavalry are pushed back from a lone crossbow bolt from the Tought Veteran Crusader unit.
The Danish Crusader contingent in all its glory.
Heavy arab cavalry charges the Veteran Crusaders in the flank as light cavalry manages to push into their rear with three successfully orders.
They are also joined in with some skirmishing support..
And why not push in a Commander while at it...
The veteran crusader unit got totally trashed.
And the steam rolling Heavy cavalry unit keeps going...
Things have cleared up on my right flank because of some extremely good diceroling, I mean I was an excellent commander here...
The Mercenaries moves out.
New battle lines are drawn up.
The supported Heavy Cavarly steamroll keeps going...
My central infantry brigade tries to form up.
The Danish crusader contingent got totally trashed by the flank charges of the Ayyubid left flank.
Here we decided to call it a day, a mighty victory for the Ayyubids.
On my right flank I got nothing left really but I had managed to stop the Crusaders push and they had mostly light troops left and not any real hitters to push further with, the center was still lining up for the big battle. I had no hurry to send my medium levy troops against their heavy infantry so I was totally fine with this.
On my left flank the Egyptian cavalry had totally dominated the battle.
Big thanks for all the players involved, it was another total chaotic and hilarious game of Hail Caesar.
