The Battle of Ghazzan - the conclusion

The Chronicles of Kermit the Hermit continue.....



.....the Emir, gallantly rousing what remained of his host, launched a most vigorous attack against the centre of the Franks. They came on with such speed that there was nought the Franks could do (note the 18" move of the Seljuk infantry - they rolled a triple move on their march card)........

Only the Hospitallers could match their audacity; and it was they who stemmed the flow by carving a way into the maddened throng until, surrounded and outmatched in numbers, they were killed to the last.......

.....Now the King [Chernobyl] was far from what remained of his army. He sought, with his sword in hand, to cut a way through. At first the impetus of his charge carried him onward, but then, woe worth the day, he fell, and his knights were scattered........

........As the sun dimmed and nightfall began to fall, only the Frankish pedites, which had been posted to the Mount of Pines, and until now had viewed the battle from its safety, watched the plain before them fill with soldiers of the Seljuks. Stubbornly, they elected to stay to see what the morrow would bring.........

This battle was, when the victory points had been worked out a very, very, close run thing. Using the campaign post battle victory system:

Franks starting morale: 19.

Seljuk starting morale: 31.

Sub total: Franks +12.

Franks finishing morale: 0.

Seljuk finishing morale: 2 (2 morale points, the Franks having none, were ceded to the Seljuks at the very end of the game).

Sub total: Seljuks +2

Final morale sub total: Franks +10

Franks objective points: 2

Seljuk objective points: 10.

Sub total: Seljuks +8.

Final total: Franks +2.

A very marginal win for the Franks!!!!

The Franks and Seljuks lost 2 army strength points each (army die Vs 4 rolls), both were vexed and the Seljuks fell back to their arsenal at Eschiva.

.........and in the morrow, Praise be to God, the Seljuks were gone...........

Next week it is back to the map campaign. The Seljuks, with their National Will Point total at a very low level, are in deep doo-doo.