FOG 300: Crusader vs Fatimid 1101 AD

Another adventure in Outremer this week with a detachment of the forces of the Holy City meeting a force of the Fatimid Caliph somewhere on the road to Acsalon.

Crusader List and Host:

Fatimid List and Host:

The Crusaders won the initiative and opted to fight in agricultural.  The Fatimid took the compulsory open field, a gentle hill and a gully.  The Crusaders took the open.  The open ended up being picked up with the gentle hill landing in the bottom right corner of the Fatimid deployment zone and the open field ending up on the side edge of the left side of the Fatimid zone and then shifted to the middle of the table.  The gully ended up 4" in and just off center of the Crusader side of the table.

The Fatimids deployed with the Ghilman deployed in line with the lancers to their right followed by the Red flagged Abid al-Shira and then the Green flagged Abid al-Shira slightly echeloned back towards the table edge in front of the Fatimid camp.

The Crusaders deployed with the Superior Green knights on their right followed by the Average Red knights in line in front of the camp and then the armoured spearmen anchored on the gully,  The Average Blue knights were deployed to the left of the gully.

Both armies deployed with a full view of the battlefield.

The Crusaders moved first with the Blue knights moving a full 5" forward and shifting 1 base towards the top of the board.  The spearmen moved 4" forward and shifted 1 base towards the Blue knights.  The Red knights and Green knights moved 5" forward and shifted 1 base towards the spearmen in their first move and then moved another 3.5" forward stopping just outside of 5" from the Fatimid line.  The Crusader general moved to the spearmen in Joint Action.  (Unfortunately, the Buzzard cam was shot out of the sky by roaming Bedouin so no picture survives of the Crusaders opening moves).

The Fatimid first turn opened with the Ghilman and Lancers moving as a group to 3" of the line of knights.  Both Fatimid foot BGs moved 3" straight ahead.  In the shooting phase, the Ghilman were only able to score 1 hit on the Red knights who shrugged it off.  With no melees to resolve, the turn proceeded to joint action to end the turn.

To open the Crusader 2nd turn the Green knights declared a charge forward and the Red knights rolled not to charge.  The Red knights failed the CMT not to charge and plowed straight ahead.  The Ghilman evaded 5" back and the Green knights charged forward 5" afterward.  The Red knights charged forward into the Fatimid lancers.  The Red knights scored 4 hits on impact to 3 from the Fatimid lancers (who were fighting as superior).  The Red knights survived their death roll but the Fatimid lancers suffered a base loss yet passed their cohesion test.  In the maneuver phase, the Red knights conformed to the Fatimid lancers and the Crusader spearmen moved 3" forward.  The Blue knights failed a CMT to expand while stationary and opted to hold in place.  In the melee phase, the Red knights scored 3 hits to 0 from the Fatimid lancers and 0 from the Abid al-Shira in overlap.  The Fatimid lancers survived their death roll but dropped to disrupted on their cohesion test.  There was nothing to do in joint action so the Crusader 2nd turn ended.

For the Fatimid 2nd turn, there were no charges to begin the turn.  In the manuever phase, the Ghilman BG turned around so they could fire at the knights bearing down on them.  The Green flagged Fatimid Foot advanced 3" straight towards the Blue knights.  In the shooting phase, the Ghilman managed 2 hits on the Green knights who disrupted on their cohesion test.  In the melee phase, the Red knights managed 3 hits on the Fatimid Lancers who scored none in return as did the foot in overlap.  The Fatimid lancers survived the death roll but fragmented on their cohesion test.  In the joint action phase, the Fatimid general could sense the end was near for the lancers and opted to move to the Ghilman.

The Crusader 3rd turn began with the Blue knights charging the Green flagged Fatimid foot.  The Green knights tried to hold but failed their CMT and charged into the Ghilman.  The Green knights should have listened to their commander as they managed only 1 hit to 4 on impact.  On the subsequent death roll, the Green knights lost a base and fragmented.  The Blue knights, however, beat the Green flagged Fatimid foot 2 hits to 1 who suffered a base loss to the death roll and disrupted.  In the maneuver phase, the Green knights expanded a base and the Ghilman matched by shifting a base to cover an existing overlap.  The Blue knights also expanded a base to get more dice on the Green flagged Fatimid foot.  There was no shooting to be had so into the melee phase the turn quickly moved.  The Blue knights scored 3 hits to 1 against the Green flagged Fatimid foot.  The Fatimid foot survived the death roll but then fragmented.  In the center, the Red knights scored 4 hits on the Fatimid lancers and took 2 back from the lancers and 0 from the Fatimid foot in overlap.  The Fatimid lancers survived their death roll but broke on their cohesion test.  The Green knights scored 1 hit to 2 from the Ghilman who had decided to fight with their general.  The Green knights lost a base to the death roll and then broke on their cohesion test.  The Red knights were too far away to care about the broken Green knights.  The Red flagged Fatimid foot in the center did not care about the breaking Fatimid lancers.  The Fatimid lancers routed 3" and were caught by the Red knights losing another base.  The Green knights routed 4" back.  The Ghilman chased after the Green knights and plowed into the Red knights.  In the joint action phase, the Green knights routed 5" and were then picked up as they were at 50% and broken.  The Fatimid lancers routed off the table.

The Fatimid had no charges to declare to begin their 3rd turn.  The Ghilman pursuit into the Red knights was the only impact to be resolved.  The Red knights scored 1 hit and took 2 from the Ghilman whose general was still fighting in the front rank.  The Fatimid general survived.  The Red knights went on to lose a base to the death roll and then disrupted.  In the maneuver phase, the Red knights shifted a base to cover an existing overlap and the Fatimid foot in the center advanced into the face of the armoured Crusader spearmen.   As there was no shooting, in the melee phase, the Ghilman and the Red knights scored 2 hits apiece.  The Fatimid leader survived the drawn combat.  However, the Fatimid foot facing the Blue knights managed only 2 hits to 4.  They suffered yet another base loss and then broke on their cohesion test.  The Fatimid foot in the center were within 3" but just like with the Fatimid lancers they did not care.  With the second Fatimid BG broken, the Fatimid army broke and the battle ended.

All told the game lasted approximately 55 minutes with a Crusader 4-2 victory.