Later Crusaders versus Seljuk Turks Again

Still on a Crusade, Mark B took the Seljuks this time in what was to prove a very exciting game. Played at home this time though and using a different camera angle.

Out scouted and on a very bare field of battle.

There was a patch of difficult ground on the Crusader's right flank,

but it didn't feature in the game and has been trimmed out of the images.

The Crusaders advance while the Seljuks send the Turcoman light cavalry

to sweep round the Crusader's left flank.

And sweep they did, but not without suffering some casualties.

The Ghulums have held back, 

but the Syrian cavalry is heading for the exposed flank.

In one of many "I just need to throw a six" moments,

the Crusaders hit the Syrian cavalry.  

It was a stick which was good for the Crusaders 

as it meant they were safe from Seljuk bow fire. 

In the centre the Crusader advance is proving irresistible.

The Ghulums are now in the fight.

The Turcoman are lining up for some potentially game winning charges

right into the rear of the Crusaders!

One unit of sergeants has been routed,

and the Ghulums are getting the better of the knights.

At least the threat to the rear has been partially countered.

Another unit of sergeants lost.

Both sides are approaching their break points.

However a fresh unit of knights faces off the remaining Turcoman cavalry.

Only Seljuk cavalry remain, all badly degraded.

One is locked in combat with knights and sergeants

and that will decide the battle.

After what must have been at least eight rounds of combat,

the knights finally prevail.

Later Crusaders versus Seljuk Turks

After playing Kingdom of Heaven I was interested to see how the armies would fare in Basic Impetus 2.0.  Dave gracefully agreed to participate in the experiment.  He went Seljuk which gave me an advantage as he is not familiar with handling light cavalry armies.

Not surprisingly the Seljuks won the scouting.

The Crusaders deployed with a wood on their right.

The Seljuks have a low hill 

and what became a graveyard on their right.

The Crusaders advance.

The Crusaders keep coming

and the Seljuks start a skirmish on the Crusader's left flank.

while the Dailami sneak through the wood.

The skirmish didn't go to plan and has become a full-on melee.

The graveyard starts to fill.

Battle has been joined all along the line.

More Seljuks deploy to the graveyard,

however the Crusaders are losing units as well.

The Dailami took out a unit of Crusader sergeants in one mighty blow,

uncovering the Crusader's right flank.

The Crusader knights are very exposed,

but otherwise their army has done well.

A count of the Seljuk dead puts them one short of breaking.

The Crusaders lose one unit of knights, but the other unit comes to the rescue.

At this stage the Crusaders were one unit short of breaking,

but a thundering good charge gave them victory.

Relifed French Infantry Unit

They needed some TLC and one figure needed lower legs and feet, but I think they have come up a treat.  Thanks Carlo!  I only wish I knew the provenance and manufacturer.  I have also used a much smaller casualty cube.

The marching guy needed new body parts,

I probably overdid the tufts.

A few random Austrians,

now deployed as casualty bases.

I'm pretty sure these guys are Essex.

Napoleon's Chicken Marengo

Not really a cookery book or a detailed consideration of the campaign and battle, but an insight into myth making, misinformation, maintenance (and destruction) of power as well as the life of Napoleon.

A fine review can be found here:

https://avonnapoleonicfellowship.blogspot.com/2012/03/fine-dish-but-watch-for-bones.html

I found this book particularly interesting given what we now experience as alternative facts, real facts, mis and dis information and the lies of those seeking power (or trying to retrain it).

A passage in the book I thought was an excellent observation started with myths are useful.  "They can assuage the bitterness of a defeat, or deny it altogether, and foster a sense of solidarity. Yet myths tend to outlive their usefulness, and in the long run, through their mindless repetition, they breed complacency, and deaden rather than inspire the mind."  (Page 213)

How apt for our times.

Turning Point Stalingrad

An old but I consider quite innovative game, proving to be a challenge to know what to do, but that is the essence of a good game at times.

The main challenge is that in committing troops, they are then vulnerable for a number of turns, making them ripe for counterattacks.  Add to that area movement and it can be hard to establish front lines.

The end of the first turn.

End of the second turn, daylight.

Counters have been spread out 

as we had to move the game

and needed a record of what was where.

Pyrrhic Campaign - Turn Three Part One

For the previous Turns and background information please see these posts for Turn One and Two:

https://onesidedminiaturewargamingdiscourse.blogspot.com/2024/04/pyrrhic-campaign-turn-one.html

https://onesidedminiaturewargamingdiscourse.blogspot.com/2024/07/pyrrhic-campaign-turn-two.html

Turn Three sees the Romans reach funding parity with Pyrrhus.  This allowed them to field two standard armies using a Basic Impetus 2.0 adaption.  

The Romans moved first and Consol Uno took his army down the cost and struck at the Greeks at Paistos.  They gave battle.

It was a tricky affair.  The Greeks had won the scouting and had a plan.  The Romans just struck for the Greek centre hoping to destroy it before the Greeks could close on their flanks.  It worked.

The Greek army retreated to Heraclea while the Romans attempted some diplomacy with Paistos becoming neutral.

Pyrrhus and the main Greek army started to move, coming down to Heraclea.

The Carthaginian army moved to besiege Syracuse.

Then Pyrrhus struck at the Romans at Paistos.  The confident Romans gave battle.

To some extent it was a repeat of the first battle, but this time the Greek cavalry deployed on their left wing and wiped out the Roman cavalry.  The Romans took out the centre, but their wings collapsed resulting in a Pyrrhic victory for Pyrrhus who has now lost all his Greek pikemen.

That was as much as we had time for in that session.

GIFs constructed using https://imgflip.com/

A wargamers' guide to the Crusades

This was a book I purchased in April 1984 for $7.95 from Mary Martins in Adelaide.  I have now finished reading it.  I hasten to add I really only started to read it when Richard and I started playing Kingdom of Heaven.

I also have the WRG book Armies and Enemies of the Crusades 1096-1291 which is also by Ian Heath.  Both are more reference books than narratives, although both do a good job of covering the events and conditions of the Crusades.  They certainly hit the wargaming mark and my next job is the have a game of Basic Impetus 2.0 using my figures.  It will be Later Crusaders versus Seljuk Turks.

A future project maybe to do something using the Pyrrhic Campaign mechanics.  Hopefully sooner than in 40 years time!

Only other observation is I wish I still had the SPI Strategy and Tactics magazine game on the Crusades.