KOH5 Ayyubids vs Byzantines

Game 5 in a 'Epic' mini series. This one featured General 'Amy' leading the Byzantines & yours truly leading the Ayyubids. Amy went for a strong centre, with her Light Horse on either flank. A lone Knight element also bolstered her right. For the Ayyubids I went for two big flanks of Cavalry & Light Horse, with the Foot sloggers holding a weak centre. My plan was to try & eliminate the Byzantine flanks.....

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The Initial Set up

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Plan of Attacks

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HA! Looking good, 4 versus 2 for the Ayyubids.

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The Ayyubid Foot would race for the high ground.

Amy senses the danger & diverts some Knights to her right flank.

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Good PiPs & good movement for the Ayyubids.

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MASS clash of Horse on the left!

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Advantage Amy & the Byzantines I think!

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On the other flank, the Ayyubids look good.

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Solid Arab Bowmen, hold the Ayyubid centre.

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CCCCHHHAARRRGGEEE!!!!!

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The Byzantine Emperor even joins the combat!

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THUD! BOSH! KAPOW! Down go two Ayyubid elements.....

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On my round the combats are draws, but on Amy's more success for the Byzantines!

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The Ayyubid Bowmen race to help out, but their arrows fall short.

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It's Death or Glory now, ALL pile in!!!

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One Ayyubid Cavalry element rushes to engage the Byzantine Light Horse.

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OH DOOOMM! Salah AL'Din takes on the Varengians.

Big Viking Choppers lash out, down falls the mighty Sultan & his Mamluks.

Victory to the Byzantines & so falls the Ayyubid Empire!!

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Final Positions.....

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Well MrF is the Xmas turkey, thrashed by the Mighty Amy.

I console myself with thought that it was a good plan, but the execution.... :o(

Bah Humbug!!!

Merry Xmas! From Julius '3Fangs' GreyKat,

Hardest Cat in Middlesbrough.

'GGGGrrr, Hiss, who put this bloody hat on me head!

Come any closer & I'll scratch yer eyes out!!!''

KOH4 Ayyubids vs Crusaders

Round 4 of our Kingdom of Heaven Campaign, the mighty Crusaders take on the Ayyubids. The set-up looks like a mini 'Hattin' with two Hills dominating the field. Could the Lionheart reverse the earlier Crusader disaster?

Jack played the Crusaders & set-up first, he went for a safe deployment with three forces divided evenly. I played the Ayyubids & gave Jack a tempting centre target, with just foot troops deployed. The Ayyubid horse would take my left. Would Jack take the bait???

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The Battlefield & direction of attacks.

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Good Pips & off go the Ayyubids, however have they advanced far too soon?

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Jack quickly adjusts & prepares to mass his Knights together.

Of course helped with essential campaign rations...... ;o)

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Mighty Ayyubid Horse cross the desert......

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Intricate patterns in the sand..... Jack takes it in his stride.

But wait, the LionHeart is on the end of the line....

My lord, I have a cunning plan...!!!

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Oh dear... This looks all too familiar!

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A mighty scrap of Horsemen is due, the Crusader Spears advance slowly.

I send the Ayyubid Light Horse to slow them down further.

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First contact, but in my haste I send in a lone Ayyubid Cavalry element...

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Gggggrrr.... Down goes one Ayyubid Cavalry. Daft man, just Daft...

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Aaaarr!!! The master plan is to sucker in the LionHeart....

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Come on... Come on... Right into the trap!

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As a side show, Ayyubid Light Horse harass the Crusader Spears.

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Do Whaarrtt!
In one combat I loose two more Cavalry & the third is pushed back.

The LionHeart stands firm!!!!

Jack just shakes in head in a rather mocking gesture :O(

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Jack mops up & takes out another Cavalry element. GAME OVER!!!

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Final Battle positions, the Crusaders fought the battle with half an army!!

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The picture says it all............

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Well done Jack, he pulverised me with that one. So much for cunning plans. Well, it's now up to the Seljuks to stop the Crusader Juggernaut.

Kingdom of Heaven Campaign scores after two Rounds

Crusaders - 18

Seljuks - 18

Ayyubids - 3

Byzantines - 1

How's it going MrF? December 2008

Just a quick update, as work & study are taking up far too much time!
Crimbo is coming, so we'll have a couple of weeks off. In between the festivities hopefully we'll get some games in.

Projects on the go, Boxer Rebellion, Zulu Wars, Afghan Wars. Well, I'm well & truly hooked on the Colonial period. After our Sudan Wars project, I've found the 19th Century to be very interesting.... (ponder, ponder, stroke chin).

Here's a few pics of some of the figures we've come up with so far. The DBA Extensions don't have any lists for the Rebellion so we'll have to make our own.

BOXERS!!!

Prince Tuan & some Kansu Braves..... US Marines, Sikhs & Royal Marines




BOXERS up close. Plus Royal Marines (Jaegers)



Hopefully we'll get some more posts in before Crimbo...
If not Merry Xmas & a Happy New Year to all!!

KOH3 Byzantines vs Seljuks

The Seljuk's are back in the action again, this time up against the Byzantines.

I played the Byzantines & opted for a strong centre comprised of Knights. Light Horse would form one flank while the other would be guarded by Bows & Blades. My camp would also be guarded, knowing how daring the horrors can be.

Jack would take the Seljuk's & went straight for a massive six elements of Light Horse on one flank. He would use Cavalry & Knights to form the central attack. However he did not opt for any troops for camp guard duty. He did not fear I'd threaten him... cheek!

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Game 3 Battlefield setup. The Seljuk Light Horse would

be on a 'Deep Strike' mission again.

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Seljuk Blitzkrieg!!!!

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Heroic Byzantine Allied Light Horse ride out.

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Again this game would feature major Light Horse action early on.

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While the main lines would take forever to meet.....

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HA! As I told Jack, the Byzantine left flank would never be taken..

(Because it had 'no one to fight' he replied)

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The Byzantine Psiloi can only look out from their camp...

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The Byzantines bring up some Knights to help out.

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Typical! First Combat, ALL the Byzantine Light Horse recoil

AND the Byzantine Knights are destroyed.......

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Positions at this point, I'm going to have to get the centre involved.

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The Seljuk's press their advantage.

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The entire Byzantine line advance, but it's at a snails pace.

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One casualty each at the battle of the 'Palm Tree'.

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But Seljuk numbers count & another Byzantine bites the dust.

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The Mighty Byzantine Emperor spurs on his troops!

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View from Jacks side of the table, I have to dispatch another Knight to stem the Seljuk tide. Somehow I believe this one is 'getting away' from me as well...

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Jack insults me by announcing his 'Auxilia will take the Byzantine camp'.

More shame for me.

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At last the main forces Engage.

'This would be the turning point!!!' I exclaim...

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'I don't think so Dad' retorts Jack & down goes the final Byzantine...

Another Seljuk Victory!!

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Final Battlefield positions.

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Well, at this point I must apologise most humbly to all lovers of Byzantine troops as my performances on the battlefield are truly woeful.

But well done to Jack, along with his sister, they are both mastering the Light Horseman of the Holy Land. The Seljuk's are turning out to be the 'Dark Horses' of the campaign.

I think for the next game I start by placing all 12 elements in a single line...