Due to a flu bug that is going round at the moment the first game of 09 involved only two Ilkley Lads (Mark and Tim) plus myself. Both Mark and Tim are Ager Sanguinis (and Crusades in general for that matter) novices so I undertook the role of umpire / advisor. Even so, the Lads managed three full turns and initial 'command' die set ups in two and a half hours - not bad going considering that there were 50 or so units on the table.
Mark, in command of the Christians chose to open the battle with a all out advance across the central plain whilst maintaining his position on the hill and village (his left). It was not long before his troops, led by the Hospitaller's contingent, were coming to grips with the Muslims who contented themselves with launching barrage after barrage of arrows into their ranks and evading close contact- but to little effect. The Turcomans (Muslim far left), unruly as usual, chose to charge the Christian Turcopoles instead of shooting and a running melee ensued between them for the duration of the evenening with the Turcopoles coming out slightly ahead.
Then, with the Muslims running out of room to manoeuvre, came the clash of heavy cavalry. The Muslims came off worst, the commanders bodyguard Ghulams (left centre) was routed and their leader fled the field only to return after the initial clashes were over (on the last card of the Muslim deck and end of first nights play) But the Christians were not lucky either, in winning the fight they lost one of their leaders and this threw his division into some confusion.
In the centre, the King ordered his 'sailors' across the river, but as they paddled across the Muslims concentrated their cavalry to meet them. This move led to the Christian division on the sailors left to become a little seperated. A chance for the Muslims to punch a whole in the Christian centre was presenting itself.
Meanwhile, on the Christian far left, the Christian's Armenian and Maronite troops watched as thousands of Muslim foot soldiers issued from the hill on the far bank of the river and massed for an imment assault.
