The Kingdom of Heaven - Second Crusade The Second Time

This time I was the Seljuk player and Richard the Crusaders.

I tried something different and Zengi blockaded Jocelyn in the castle at Bira.  Zengi struggled to make progress, but after building a siege tower an assault was made.  It failed.  Then he tried filling in the moat, but a second assault also failed.  Zengi goes home.

At the start of Turn two Zengi is assassinated and Nur ad-Din takes over.  He decides to ignore the county of Edessa and goes to Antioch. The Crusaders reinforce the city and a siege begins.  Sappers and miners significantly reduce the fortifications, but the attackers are weakened by "blockade" runner (as it is a port there is no actual blockade).  Battering rams are employed further damaging Antioch's defences.  However, the garrison makes a sortie and inflict a major defeat on the Seljuk besiegers who flee through Manbij angering the Assassins who join the Crusaders (as do the Damascenes around this time).

Turn 3 sees Nur ad-Din gather his forces and head to Edessa and blockade it.  A lengthy siege ensues with siege towers and battering rams being employed.  Trying to distract the Seljuks, Duke Leopold starts a siege of Aleppo, but his supplies run low.  In contrast rats in the garrison of Edessa's food weaken them and an assault is made.  It fails.  Desperate (and down to the last card) another assault is made, it too fails, almost, if there had been anyone left standing in the city's garrison.  The Seljuks capture the city and the necessary VPs to avoid sudden defeat.

The situation around the end of Turn three.

Turn four sees heretics cause unrest in Jerusalem and bad weather delay the arrival of more Crusaders.  They still manage to start a siege of Aleppo, but an epidemic breaks out in their camp and winter ends the turn.

Turn five and disagreements over loot split the Crusaders as they restart their siege of Aleppo. They construct a siege tower, but their supplies are running low. They try an assault and while casualties are caused to both sides, the city holds firm.  Meanwhile the Seljuks try some diplomacy with the Fatimids, but without success.

Turn six and Baldwin leads the Crusaders back to try and capture Aleppo. They suffer losses when the garrison sorties and again find their supplies running low.  They are unable to take the city and the game ends in a draw.

The Crusaders besieging Aleppo.

This game plays well (mostly) and the siege system works well.  However, it is really frustrating if you are dealt a bad hand of cards, and a few things can really turn on lucky die rolls.  But it plays quick once the rules are mastered.