FOG 300 Playtest - Early Crusaders vs Arab Cities

Trotted out the Arab Cities Ally List vs the Early Crusaders this morning.

The Arab List and Host (Initiative should be a 2)

The Crusader list and Host.

The Arabs won the initiative and opted for Agriculture as the terrain type.

The Crusaders took the compulsory open field, the open and the gully.  The Arabs took a gentle hill and the road.  The table looked like this with the camps deployed.  Note the Arab camp is fortified.

The Crusader army deployed with a crossbow unit on the far left behind the gully, the spearmen across the gentle hill, the green knights, the blue knights and another crossbow deployed in column on the far right end of the line.

The Arab army deployed with the Bedouin Lancers on the left in the field.  The light foot archers deployed in column between the lancers and the Adhath militia.  The militia is deployed across the road in front of the camp from the field with the two Arab Lancers finishing out the Arab line.

After the first Crusader move the spearmen and right wing crossbow did a double move with the knights moving 5 inches each to keep on the left of the spear.  The left wing crossbow extended into a  battle line.  There was no shooting so the turn ended.

The Arabs advanced the Bedouins a full move forward while the militia moved a full move with the inside Arab lancers covering their right (in the picture) flank.  The Blue Arab Lancers (outside right in the picture) angled their advanced towards the crossbow on the right end of the Crusader line.  The light foot archers extended a base width and advanced to stay level with the militia.  Again there was no shooting so the turn ended.

In the Crusader 2nd, the Blue Knights pass a CMT and move to just outside of 5 inches from the Ahdath militia.  The Green Knights fail their CMT to move short so remain stationary.  The Crusader general moves the spearmen a full move and places them just outside of pinning of both Arab Lancers.  The right flank crossbow move up just enough (after passing a CMT) to be able to shoot at the Blue Arab Lancers.  The left flank crossbow move a full move straight ahead.  The left flank crossbow hit the Bedouin Lancers twice but to no effect.  The right flank crossbow miss.  In joint action the Arab Emir moves to the middle Arab Lancer unit and the turn ends.  (No picture for this turn).

In the Arab 2nd, both Arab lancers successfully hold and do not charge.  The Blue Lancers wheel to square up in front of the spear.  The Arab light foot move up to within 1" of the Blue Knights.  In the shooting phase the Arab light foot only manage 1 hit to no effect on the Blue Knights.  The left crossbow unit of the Crusaders scores two hist on the Bedouin Lancers who disrupt.  The right wing crossbow scores three hits on the Blue Arab Lancers who pass cohesion and the death roll.  The turn ends with the table looking like below:

The Crusader 3rd turn begins with the Blue Knights charging impetuously (failed their CMT) and roll short moving only 3 inches.  The Arab light foot being charged roll enough to evade through the Ahdath militia to their rear.  In the maneuver phase the Green Knights one a full move straight ahead to get in line with the Blue Knights but stop an 1/8 inch from being flush.  The left wing crossbow move a full 4" to be in the face of the Bedouin Lancers.  The Christian spear do a short move to get into the face of the two Arab Lancer units.  The right wing crossbow make a CMT to move short so they are just outside of step-forward range should the Blue Arab Lancers charge.  In the shooting phase, the two Crusader crossbows manage 1 hit between them so the turn ends after the Arab Emir joins the Ahdath militia in the Arab center.

To start the 3rd Arab turn, both Arab Lancers fail their CMT not to charge. The Green Knights intercept and the middle Arab Lancers hit both the Green Knights and the Crusader spearmen.  The Crusader leader joins the front rank of the spearmen. In Impact, the spear fail to score a hit on either  of the Arab Lancers while the middle lancer scores 0 hits total.  The Knights score 2 hits on the middle lancers and the Blue Arab Lancers score 2 on the spearmen.  The middle Arab Lancer disrupts.  The Spearmen pass their cohesion test and death roll.  In the maneuver phase, the Bedouin Lancers back up but remain facing the crossbow on the Arab right.  The Arab light foot move up to in front of the Adhath Militia and begin shooting at the Blue Knights.  The Blue Knights take 2 hits and disrupt.  The Bedouin Lancers take 2 hits from the left wing Crusader crossbow and fragment.  In the melee phase, the middle lancers score 1 hit on the spearmen but none on the Green Knights while the Green Knights give 3 and the spearmen give 2 in return.  The Spear also score 4 hits on the Blue Arab Lancers and take 3 hits in return.  The middle Arab Lancers lost, fragment and lose a base.  The Blue Lancers pass cohesion but lose a base from hits.  The Spearmen lose a base from the hits inflicted by the Blue Lancers.  The turn ends with the Ahdath militia bracing for the coming charge of the Blue Knights.

In the 4th Crusader turn, the Blue Knights fail a CMT not to charge and plow into the Adhath Militia.  The Arab Emir joins the militia in an effort to stem the Christian tide.  The militia score 2 hits on the Blue Knights who give 0 in return.  They fragment on their cohesion test.  In the maneuver, the left wing crossbow move into the face of the Bedouin Lancers.  The right wing crossbow pass a CMT and wheel in such a way to provide rear support to the spearmen.  In the shooting phase, the left wing crossbow score two hits on the Bedouin Lancers who fail their cohesion test and rout off the table.  The Arab light foot do not care and easily pass their cohesion test.  In melee, the Ahdath scores two hits on the Blue Knights who only score one in return.  The knights pass both their cohesion test and death roll.  The middle Arab Lancer scores 1 hit on the Green Knights and 1 on the spearmen.  The Blue Arab Lancers score 2 hits on the spearmen.  The Green Knights score 4 hits on the middle Arab Lancers while the spearmen score 2 hits on both Arab Lancer BGs.  The middle Arab Lancer breaks cohesion and loses a base.  The Spearmen pass their cohesion test.  Neither the Ahdath militia nor the Arab light foot care about the Arab Lancers breaking to their left.  The Green Knights pursue into the Ahdath militia.  The turn ends with the Arabs down 4 attrition points and the Crusaders down 1.

 The Arab 4th turn opens with no charges but an impact to resolve from the previous turn.  The Ahdath militia score 1 hit on the Green Knights who do none in return.  The knights pass.  The Arab light foot back towards their camp in maneuver.  The Spearmen expand to cover the existing overlap against the Blue Lancers.  There is no shooting so off to melee we go.  The Ahdath score 2 hits on the Green Knights and 3 on the Blue Knights.  Both knights manage 2 hits each.  The Ahdath militia pass their death roll but the Blue Knights fail cohesion and break.  The left wing crossbow and the Green Knights don't care and the Blue Knights rout away.  The spearmen only score 1 hit on the Blue Lancers but take 2 in return.  They pass both their cohesion and death rolls.  At the end of the Arab 4th, the Blue Knights are set to rout off the table in the next JAP and the score is 4 Arab attrition points to 2 for the Crusaders.

To start the Crusader 5th turn and with no charges in the offing, the left flank crossbow fail a CMT to wheel onto the flank of the Ahdath militia so opt to move a full 4" straight ahead. The Green Knights expanded a base in front of the militia while the spearmen expanded another base to get 4 base widths in the fight against the Blue Lancers.  Again there was no shooting.  In melee, the Ahdath score 2 hits on the Green Knights and take 4 in return.  They pass cohesion but lose a base.  The Blue Lancers score 1 hit on the spearmen but take 3 in return.  They pass both cohesion and death rolls.

The Arab 5th turn rolls around and with no charges the Arab light foot maneuver so they can shoot at the left wing Crusader crossbow.    The Green Knights expand a base to cover the overlapping Ahdath militia file and now have all 4 stands of knights fighting in the front rank.  The Arab light foot manage 0 hits in the shooting phase so into melee we go.  The Ahdath militia score 4 hits on the Green Knights and take 4 in return. Both the Green Knights and the Ahdath pass their death rolls so the phase was inconclusive.  The Blue Lancers score 1 hit on the spearmen who score 4 in return.  The Blue Arab Lancers disrupt and lose a base.

I forgot to take a picture at the end of the game but at the start of the Crusader 6th turn, the left wing Crusader crossbow charged the Arab light foot.  While they possible could have stood as they were partially in the field, I opted for them to evade as it seemed more realistic.  They ended up evading off table thus ending the game at 5 Arab attrition points to 2.

I forgot to break off both the Knights and the Arab Lancers which in hindsight would have prolonged the game but I do not think it would have changed the outcome.  The Ahdath militia with the Arab Emir proved to be very resilient to the Knights.  Moslem armies with solid foot have a chance if they can get the knights fighting them.  However, in the campaign I am working on, solid Moslem foot is a rarity.

Next playtest will be Fatimid Egyptian vs Early Crusader.  As it will be sometime before I have the Cilician Armenians ready to trot out, I will most likely try some off the Moslem armies against each other.  Not too far fetched in this era...