Command and Colors Medieval Crusades Games - Lake Antioch and Dorylaeum

 

Crusaders play a Mounted Charge
card in the first turn

Seljuks evade and shoot

Battle takes place between the Orontes River
and Lake Antioch on 9 February 1098

Crusaders win 5-4 victory banners

Crusaders and Seljuks deployed for the third Dorylaeum
scenario, a flank attack led by Raymond IV of Toulouse 

Happy New Year for 2025! Last Monday afternoon Craig came over with his Muslims and we played two Command and Colors Medieval Crusades games out in the shed. The first scenario was Lake Antioch 9 February 1098 and the game was over fairly quickly. The Crusaders winning 5-4 victory banners, although the Seljuks finished strongly. The mat had four inch rather than five inch hexes we usually use, which meant some of our unit sizes were smaller than normal, not that it makes any difference in game terms. We decided to play a second game, the third Dorylaeum scenario, with a flank attack led by Raymond IV of Toulouse. I had been soundly thrashed playing the first two scenarios with just the blocks last month.

We hurriedly deployed for this scenario, see photo above, and failed to notice that the troops behind the hills on Seljuk left flank should be Crusaders not Seljuks! However the Seljuks were unable to use these troops at all in the entire game, due to a lack of cards for this section. It proved to be a much closer game and the Seljuks made good use of their cards and Inspired Action tokens to Darken the Sky and Fire and Close. The Crusader knights attacked but suffered heavy casualties. In the end multiple left section cards enabled the Cruader infantry to attack and drive the Seljuks back. The Seljuk light bow cavalry and light cavalry suffered retreat results near their base line which meant they were wiped out as they were unable to retreat. The Crusaders winning a hard fought game 7-5 victory banners.

Troops behind the hills on Seljuk left flank
should be Crusaders not Seljuks!

Crusader knights attack

Crusaders suffer heavy casualties

Seljuks are driven back

Side view of the game

Crusaders attack with infantry and
win 7-5 victory banners

Lion Rampant Crusader States Game Four

 

Seljuk Turks left, Crusaders right

Wild Turks

Skirmishing on the Seljuk right flank

Crusader Knights advance with infantry support

Here are some photos of the second game we played last Wednesday afternoon. This was a First Crusade, Lion Rampant Crusader States game, with Garry commanding the Crusaders and Craig and I commanding an all cavalry Seljuk Turk force. We just played the usual Bloodbath scenario but the game was much closer than our Early Mycenaean Chariots Rampant game (see previous post). For a while the Turks managed to contain the Crusaders but were eventually ground down by the Crusaders' superiority in combat. In the end it was a victory for the Crusaders but by a narrow margin.

Knights charge in the centre

Wild Turks evade

Casualties mount

Crusader foot serjeants prove handy

Crusaders win narrowly

Lion Rampant Crusader States Game Two

 

View from the Crusaders' side

View from the Muslim side

Wild Turks

Azerbaijani Fierce Foot

More Wild Turks

Muslim cavalry

Last Monday afternoon Craig came over to my place and we played a Lion Rampant Crusader States game with two warbands a side (50 points). I had a First Crusade force from the Western Crusaders list and Craig had a Muslim force from the Anatolia and Syria list. The Crusaders were the attackers with the usual Bloodbath scenario, and quickly wiped out some Wild Turks who failed to evade. Craig often seems to have bad luck with his dice in our games. Combined with lighter armour for the Muslim forces compared to the more heavily armoured Crusaders it was tough going and eventually the Muslims were worn down. Three of Craig's infantry units were armed with hand siphon Greek Fire (usually only used in sieges) but in our game this did not seem overly effective for the six points it cost.

Armies advance

Muslim infantry

Azerbaijanis charge Crusader medium cavalry

Cavalry fight it out

Muslim forces are worn down

Crusaders win the game