Battle Report: A Burning Question

Near Al-Khalasa, 1160

Sir James was a worried man, not only was his somewhat... challenging... companion Urlich with him, but now they had been joined by the current favourite of the Order's leaders, Brother Karl the Flaggelist, a man known for his unrestrained brutality in the face of his enemies, and an almost ghoulish relish for battle and blood. "Sir James" Brother Karl's voice intruded into his thoughts "the village lies not far ahead." Around them marched their raiding force, their orders simple. The village of Al-Khalasa had to burn. "We will form into line behind this ridge, then advance upon them." Sir James said. "God will bring us victory this day."

The village of Al-Khalasa before the storm descends upon it

The Templar raiders for this game consisted of:

1 unit of Mounted Men at Arms (Templar Knights)

1 unit of Mounted Sergeants (Templar Sergeants)

1 unit of Foot Sergeants with Expert upgrade (Templar Foot Sergeants)

1 unit of Foot Sergeants (Templar Foot Sergeants)

1 unit of Crossbowmen (Templar Crossbowmen)

The Saracen defenders fielded:

2 units of Mounted Sergeants with Mounted Missiles (Mamluks)

1 unit of Foot Yeomen with Expert upgrade (Swordsmen)

2 units of Foot Yeomen (Spearmen)

1 unit of Archers (Archers, deployed in the village at the start of the game)

We used the Lion Rampant rules for this game, with one House Rule modification, namely that when a unit fails it's order roll, rather than ending the turn for that side, the opposing side can instead choose another unit which then cannot be activated that turn. This came about after a couple of games where multiple 5+ roll failures effectively decided the game (see here for an example). As it turned out, the 5+ curse continued in this game. The scenario was Sausages with Mustard, with the four buildings of the village as the objectives.

The figures used were Fireforge Games for the Templars, Gripping Beast Plastics for the Saracens. 

The Game:

The Templars deployed with their knights on their left, the foot sergeants facing the village in the centre, with the Mounted Sergeants on their right, while the crossbowmen were deployed to move into olive grove for cover. In their first turn, the Templars boldly seized the initiative and failed three command rolls, all at 5+, and stood, staring at their target. The Saracen players were highly amused.

The Templars stall in their first turn.

The Saracen relief force meanwhile was motivated enough to move their entire force, while the archers in the town awaited a target. 

Help moves towards the threatened village

Templar fortunes improved in the second turn, although their mounted forces remained halted, the infantry began to advance. 

The infantry advance, the cavalry wait.

Whatever had affected the Templar horses was clearly widespread as the Mamluks were also left unable to move, while their infantry began to arrive at the town. 

Saracen infantry move into the town to defend it.

Clearly sloth was an issue in the Templar ranks, as the next turn saw only the hand-weapon armed Foot Sergeants moving. 

The Saracen bowmen ready themselves to shoot at the encroaching enemy

Not to be outdone, the Saracens then failed to move at all for a turn, before the next turn saw the Templar spearmen moving closer to their target.

The advance continues to be a crawl

While their reinforcements continued to move up, the archers in the village managed to take out one of the Templar foot sergeants, drawing first blood. 

The first Templar sergeant falls

Finally, after several turns of lethargy, the mounted Templar sergeants moved forward, while the crossbowmen entered the olive grove. The hand weapon armed foot sergeants moved around the north side of the village. The Knights and spearmen remained stuck where they were.

Finally the mounted arm of the Templars (partially) moves

The Saracens continued to rush into the village, while the archers targeted the mounted Sergeants, taking one down.

The relief force arrives

Arrows take down a mounted sergeant

The Templar spearmen and Mounted Sergeants pushed towards the village, not quite reaching the buildings that were their targets, but getting close enough to threaten the archers with a charge.

Templars arrive at the village

Facing the oncoming spearmen, the Saracen archers promptly failed to move back, leaving themselves dangerously exposed.

In a dangerous situation, the Saracen archers fail to make their escape

The relief force pushed forwards, getting into position to threaten the invaders.

The two forces close each other down.

The Templars once again excelled themselves in order rolls, while the hand weapon armed sergeants advanced, and, to the shock of all, the Knights moved, the Mounted sergeants failed to move to the buildings, the spearmen failed to charge the archers. 

The foot sergeants close on their enemies

The Knights move finally

Finally able to get into the action, the Templar crossbowmen loosed a volley at the Saracen spearmen ahead of them, inflicting heavy losses, although the unit remained un-battered.

Templar crossbow bolts find their marks

The Templar foot sergeants faced a charge by the Saracen spearmen ahead of them, both sides losing a man in the fighting, but the Templars failing their courage test, leaving them vulnerable with the Mamluks moving up onto their flank. 

The sergeants find themselves in a difficult position

The archers meanwhile regained their senses and moved back into the village, out of charge range of the spearmen. 

The Templar sergeants rallied from their shock, while the Knights managed to creep a bit closer to their targets. The spearmen advanced into the alley vacated by the archers, contacting two of the target buildings, while the Mounted sergeants also advanced to a position where they could bring fire to their foes.

The Templars set themselves up to torch the nearest half of the village.

While the Saracen right flank was paralysed and unable to hit the Foot Sergeants, the rest of the relief force pushed into the village, and the archers took one of the Templars down. 

The spearmen find their advance blocked, and arrows take one of their number down.

In their next turn, the Templars managed to set both buildings they were in contact with on fire, and their crossbowmen killed two more Saracen spearmen, leaving the unit battered. The Knights also charged the Mamluk unit threatening the Templar left flank, driving them back and killing one of them in the process.

Templars bring fire to the village

The Mamluk unit attacked the Foot Sergeants in their turn, being driven back after both units lost a man. 

Mamluks fail to smash the outflanked sergeants, but do bring them down to half strength

Their first target ablaze, the mounted sergeants moved around the last surviving spearmen on the Templar right, while the spearmen in the centre charged and drove back the archers, killing two for the loss of one of their own. The remaining foot sergeants on the Templar left fell back to safety.

The Templar spearmen push further into the village.

The Mamluks, facing the prospect of a charge by the Knights in their next turn, stormed into them in an attempt to take some down with them, but were cut down to a man for no loss to the Templars. On the Saracen left, the last of the spearmen choose to flee rather than face another crossbow volley. 

The Mamluks are destroyed by the knights

Templar forces continued to close in on the village, with the Knights smashing into the spearman unit, the Mounted Sergeants charging the remaining Mamluk unit, but the spearman failed to act.

The Knights hammer the spearmen

The Mamluks are hit by the Mounted Sergeants

Both units drove back their opponents, inflicting some losses while suffering none in return. 

The Saracen swordsmen stormed into the Templar spearmen in the village, inflicting heavy losses and battering the unit, but taking some losses themselves, while the archers shot down another mounted sergeant before the Mamluks charged into them and pushed them back, killing another in the process.

The Templar mounted sergeants are hit in a charge and driven back

Shattered by the repeated charges and volleys, the last surviving Templar spearmen fled from the village, while the Templar Knights stormed into and destroyed the remaining Saracen spearmen.

The Knights charge

The spearmen die

The final Mounted Sergeant fled from the Mamluks, hugging the walls to stay out of sight of the Saracen archers.

In retaliation, the Saracen archers shot at the Templar Knights without effect while the Mamluks failed to catch the fleeing Mounted Sergeant. 

The remaining sergeant feels a sudden surge of motivation to ride quickly

In the final turns, the Templar crossbowmen took apart the Mamluks in a pair of volleys, while the Knights smashed apart the swordsmen, losing a man in the process, while the archers took to the hills, realising the day was lost. 

The Knights shatter the forces in the village itself.

The Saracen leader is struck down

The game ended in an emphatic Templar victory, although one paid for with the lives of fifteen of their Sergeants and a Knight. Both side's players had a good time, more importantly, and I expect we'll see more action in Outremer in the future. 

Sir James surveyed the burning village, the pillars of black smoke rising from it cutting across the red sky of twilight. "A heavy price paid." he said to no-one in particular. 

"But a good day's work." Ulrich said from his side, his words slow as he struggled with the unfamiliar tongue and tried to control his thick accent. 

Perhaps he was right, maybe the price was fair, but Sir James couldn't help but feel for the wounded and the dead. "Let us return home." he said, turning his horse away from the village.