Outremer Campaign: Battle Report: Game 3: Camp Assault

Game 3: Usamah ibn-Munqidh vs Sir William the Carpenter

Usamah was tired, the day had seen a long march to catch up with the small group of Franks that, according to Yakut al-Hamawi's contacts was carrying a chest full of papers from the local Duke to the King of Jerusalem. The opportunity to get hold of such valuable information, and some more money and supplies for their operation was far too good an opportunity to pass up.

This game pitted a camped Crusader forces against an attack from a Damascene band who had been sent to gather information.

The Frankish camp and it's defenders, oblivious to the approcah of Yakut al-Hamawi and the rest of the Damascene warband behind him.

In the opening moves, the Saracens snuck towards the Frankish camp, using the trees for cover, before Yakut al-Hamawi rose from his hiding spot and loosed an arrow at Guibert of Nagent, which missed him.

An arrow proves a rude, if not painful, awakening for the Franks.

 The sudden intrusion led to a flight to the the wadi walls for cover, and Robert of Salerno loosed an arrow.

A mad scramble for cover ensues.

Robert's arrow found it's mark, and Yakut fell.

Yakut falls, clutching the arrow that brought him down.

Both sides spent the remained of the turn rushing into cover, Usamah ibn-Munqidh's crossbow alarming the Crusaders, and Robert of Salerno's dead-eye shot causing consternation in the Damascene ranks.

Brave warriors all, everyone scambles to cover.

Robert loosed an arrow at Usamah, hitting, but failing to wound the Saracen. Clearly irritated by the attempt on his life, Usamah, after retaking his position behind cover, loosed a bolt at the insolent Frank, knocking him out of the fight.

The quick duel between Usamah and Robert ends with the Saracen victorious.

Karajuk stormed across the wadi to threaten the objectives.

With the archer threat eliminated, the Damascenes advance

Ali ibn al-Athir crossed the wadi on the other side of the Frankish camp, running into Ugo.

Steel meets steel.

The fight was brief, and Ugo emerged victorious.

Ugo stands triumphant

Not to be outdone, Sir William the Carpenter charged into Karajuk, wielding his fearsome double handed axe. The Mamluk tried to parry the terrible blow, but was cut down.

Sir William fells a foe

But in this moment of triumph, Sir William had left himself visible to Usamah ibn-Munqidh, who calmly aimed his crossbow and loosed the bolt, striking and felling the knight.

Usamah spies his target

Sir William falls alongside his victim

Rapidly running out of options, and time, Usamah ibn-Munqidh crossed the wadi and moved into contact with an objective. Guglielmo attempted to charge the Saracen, but quailed at the sight of his opponent.

Guglielmo fails to press the attack, while his brother moves towards the threat.

After his initial failure of nerve, Guglielmo recovered and charged home before Usamah could loot anything, eventually, after a brief pause to gather his courage, joined by his brother Ugo.

The brothers hammer away at Usamah

In a somewhat comical (from a neutral perspective at least) final two rounds, the three men were locked in combat, Usamah consistently failing, even with a dice level advantage in some clashes, to hit anything, while making all but one of at least eight 5+ saving throws (all with 5s somehow), causing the Crusader player to develop something of a complex.

And with that farcical combat, turn eight of the game ended, with the defenders having successfully driven off the attack with all objectives intact.

Usamah ibn-Munqidh's arm ached to put it mildly, bruises on his arm marking where the axe blows had fallen on his shield, which was now splintered and near useless. The Franks had fought a good fight, but at least he and his men had escaped relatively unscathed, if empty handed.