Bedouin Cavalry

 

Here are some Bedouin Cavalry that I've just finished painting for my Seljuk/Fatimid/Ayyubid armies. Figures are by Perry Miniatures with a LBM Islamic banner. I should have checked the banner on the LBM website as I don't read Arabic and may have it upside down or the wrong way around!

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

Saladin and More Horse Archers

 

Here is a Gripping Beast Saladin figure and some more Perry Seljuk and Turcoman horse archers that I've finally finished painting. I'm currently reading Jonathan Phillips' book The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin which is very interesting.

Lion Rampant Crusader States Game - Bloodbath in the Vines - Crusaders and Byzantines versus Syrians and Seljuks.

 

Crusaders and Byzantines deployed in the foreground

Syrians and Seljuks deployed

Crusaders and Byzantines attackers advance

Syrians and Seljuks advance

Byzantine horse archers cop a hammering

Azerbaijani warrior infantry charge
the Byzantine horse archers

Battered units retreat in the centre

Last Friday afternoon Craig and Robert came over and we played a Lion Rampant Crusader States game out in the shed. Craig commanded the Syrians and Seljuks with two 24 point warbands, one an all cavalry force and the other an all infantry force. Robert commanded a 24 point Crusader force and I commanded a 24 point Byzantine force. The scenario was the usual Bloodbath, the game proved to be fast and frenetic and very bloody indeed for both sides. 

The Seljuk horse archers quickly found their mark and almost destroyed the Byzantine horse archers in the first couple of turns. It was only a matter of time before both Byzantine units routed. The Crusaders did most of the fighting and only the Byzantine klibanophoroi (elite cavalry) really contributed. Casualties for both sides were very high, the entire Syrian and Seljuk cavalry force was eventually wiped out and both Crusader and Byzantine leaders were killed. In the end the Syrians and Seljuks just managed to hold on for a very brutal and bloody draw.

Most of the fighting is on the Crusaders' flank

Byzantine klibanophoroi line up a wild charge

Heavy cavalry casualties for both sides

Crusader knights charge again

Only Syrian and Seljuk foot remain

Game ends in a brutal and bloody draw

Arab Heavy Cavalry

 

Here are some Arab heavy cavalry from the Gripping Beast plastic set that I've just finished painting for my Islamic armies. I have a box of the plastic GB light cavalry to paint as well but have more Perry horse archers and infantry to finish before them. I find an initial aim of a 24 point Lion Rampant force works well as motivation for completing units for a game and is very achievable as you usually only need five or so units a side. I will use these as Seljuks and Syrians against my Crusaders and Byzantines.

Seljuk and Turcoman Horse Archers

 

Here are some Seljuk and Turcoman horse archers that I've just finished painting. Figures are by Perry Miniatures with two LBM shield transfers. These are for my Seljuk/Syrian/Fatimid/Ayyubid army. I'm working on some Gripping Beast plastic Arab heavy cavalry at the moment, amongst other things, so they will probably be next.

Lion Rampant 2nd Edition - Seljuks versus Byzantines

 

Byzantine attackers deployed

Seljuk defenders

Most of the Byzantines advance

Seljuks advance

Byzantine Klibanophoroi catch up

Last Saturday afternoon Craig came over and we played a Seljuks versus Nikephorian Byzantines Lion Rampant game out in the shed. We both had 24 point warbands, using the usual Bloodbath scenario. The Byzantines were the attackers and the Seljuks the defenders. Craig’s Seljuks consisted of two units of heavy cavalry with bows, a unit of light infantry with javelins, a warrior Azerbaijani unit, and a unit of archers and a unit of skirmishers. My Nikephorian Byzantines consisted of a unit of Klibanophoroi (elite cavalry), two units of heavy cavalry with bows, a unit of skutatoi (heavy infantry) and a unit of archers.


This was a practice game as there is a Lion Rampant event on the 8th of July as part of BelCon II (8th and 9th July 2023) at the Raiders’ Club in Kippax. This event has three games with 24 point warbands and the scenarios of Bloodbath, the Convoy and Hold on Tight. If anyone is interested in playing I can bring along a 24 point warband of Early Crusaders or Normans. Some of the other events at BelCon include 15mm Mortem et Gloriam, 28mm Billhooks Italia and 28mm ACW with Pickett’s Charge. Tickets for all these events can still be purchased on the Olympian Games website.


Most of the Byzantines advanced but it took a few turns for the Klibanophoroi to catch up and launch a wild charge into the Azerbaijani who retreated battered. Repeated charges by the Klibanophoroi, drove the Seljuk heavy cavalry back, before they sucumbed to the Seljuk shooting. The Byzantine heavy infantry forced a unit of Seljuk heavy cavalry to retreat battered but then both units of Byzantine heavy cavalry failed their courage tests and routed. In the end it was a bloodbath indeed and only a unit of Byzantine archers and the Seljuk leader with a single cavalryman remained

Byzantine archers and Seljuk heavy cavalry remain