Outremer Warband: Abdul Hameed el-Farah

Sand. Nothing but baking hot sand. Of all places, why did they have to abandon him here? Munjid cursed his luck. He scoured his surroundings. To the North and West dunes, but to the East, in the distance, mountains. He started walking, grimacing with each step. They’d really done a number on him. A man steals some bread, sure, take his hand; a man defends his family? Beat him and throw him into the desert to die… Well, he wasn’t dead yet, but he knew he wouldn’t last long.

As the sun set, his pace had slowed to a crawl. Walking through the desert was suicide. At least he was a lot closer to his goal. If he could only make it to the mountains. There had to be water there. On a whim he took a glance behind. His heart sank. Five men, one leading a horse were broaching the summit of a dune he had passed not an hour earlier. Bandits? They had to be tracking him. He mustered all his strength and started to run.

The men were on him before he could make it to the first of the big rocks. Munjid could discern their shouts now, imploring him to stop. Their screams sent a chill down his spine. Then, the unmistakable thunder of hooves. He dropped to his knees and prayed.

“Allah won’t save you now my friend,” the rider chortled.

Munjid opened an eye, “Please don’t behead me.”

“I may still,” the rider cautioned sternly. “I am Abdul Hameed el-Farah. Now, what’s a man with no supplies doing in this place?”

“I’m a criminal,” Munjid spoke frankly after some hesitation, “a neighbour assaulted my wife so I broke his leg… Oh how stupid I’ve been. How will Meena fare now I am banished?”

“A fighter who doesn’t think of the consequences of his actions eh?” Abdul paused a moment. “I’ll level with you, I should kill you on the spot. It would be a kinder fate than dying of thirst out here.”

Munjid looked towards the mountains.

“There’s no rain this time of year. Believe me, you will die.”

Munjid rose to his feet. “Then do it. If you’re going to kill me just get it over with.”

“Shut up you fool, I will not. Join me and my men. We could use another hand in the task we’ve set out to achieve.”

The others had arrived now, rallying round Abdul. Two bowmen, a swordsman and a priest… It was like the start to a joke.

“Your only chance is with us. Stay and die here if you prefer,” Abdul surmised, turning his back.

“No, wait! I’ll join you, I can still fight!”

“Good. You better not let me down.”

Warband Leader: Abdul Hameed el-Farah

Traits:

Slippery
Faithful
Solid Defence

Peasant: Munjid al-Zaher

Traits:

None

Imam: Jareer al-Beshara

Traits:

Resilient
Sage Council

Askari: Aaish el-Sylla 

Traits:

Hard to kill
Trained Shot
Main arm wound (now crippled, left the warband)

Askari: Annees al-Hammoud

Traits:

Huge Build
Corrective Shooting

Mamluk Recruit: Arshad el-Sader

Traits:

Take Cover
Knife/Dagger Fighter

Outremer Warband: Sir Egbert the Careless

Warband Leader: Sir Egbert the Careless

Sir Egbert has come to the Holy Lands in search of atonement for several unfortunate incidents in his past. He earned his unfortunate moniker when, at the celebration of his 16th birthday, he joined the entertainers in breathing fire. Unfortunately, his inexperience in the technique and enthusiasm lead to him accidentally igniting a tapestry in the hall where the feast was taking place. The ensuing inferno killed Egbert’s sister and several guests. In penance, he set out on his pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, dogged by misfortune along his path, including a shipwreck, accidentally alerting the sentries at a bandit camp while assisting the local magistrate in eliminating their group, making what could have been a simple fight much harder. 

Despite these difficulties, he did eventually arrive in the Holy Land, and his natural charms and affable nature allowed him to attract several warriors to accompany him. When he isn’t seeking atonement, his main pride and joy is his horse, Charger, who he lavishes constant attention and care on. The lands he has been granted in the Kingdom of Jerusalem are not the largest, but provide a steady income that allows him to maintain his warband and horse, while he lives in a relatively frugal style as part of his search for atonement.

Traits:

Fast Learner

Shocking Blow

Melee Militia: Gareth of Ascalon

Gareth of Ascalon was born in the port city, the son of a local Christian woman and a merchant captain who vanished at sea. His mother and he lived a poor life, nearly starving on several occasions. On one occasion, the pair only survived due to the timely intervention of the local preacher, an act that cemented Gareth’s faith and devotion to the Church. He often talked to the various pilgrims, knights and warriors passing through the city on their way to the heartlands of the Kingdom, learning much of the world beyond and developing a strong desire to follow the warrior’s path. One knight who resided in the city took a shine to him, and taught him to use a sword.

When he was old enough he joined the city watch, earning enough to keep him and his mother in a level of comfort they haven’t experienced since his father vanished. He rapidly proved one of the most capable of their number, catching the eye of Sir Egbert as he passed through the city on his pilgrimage. The two struck up a friendship, and Gareth chose to join Sir Egbert. He still regularly sends home most of his earnings to ensure his mother lives a good life, and visits whenever their warband passes nearby.

 

Traits:

Faithful

Swordsman

Melee Militia: Matthew the Merry

Matthew the Merry was born into the service of Sir Egbert’s family and accompanied the knight from their estates to the Holy Lands. He is a positively boisterous fellow, always to be found in the centre of the largest party, down in the tavern or out carousing. He is also frequently found in the middle of a fist fight, often one he starts. Despite the occasional incident he causes, Matthew’s fighting prowess makes him an invaluable member of the warband.

Traits:

Amongst Friends

Aggressive Fighter

Ranged Militia: Stephen Longdeath

Stephen Longdeath is a man who talks very little of his past. He recently joined up with Sir Egbert’s group after running into them while he was working as a caravan guard and Sir Egbert’s men joined them to fend off a determined bandit assault. Impressed by his clear skill with the bow, Sir Egbert persuaded Stephen to join up with him. Longdeath has proved his usefulness since, quick on his feet and utterly lethal, he can be relied upon to take out hard to reach targets, even if his tendency to take first pickings of the loot gains him some resentment from the others.

Traits:

Expert Bowman

Fast

Outremer Warband: Beowulf the Powerful

Warband Backstory

Beowulf, Bedwyr, Turi and Llewelyn were thieves in a previous life, Bedwyr was the lookout, Beowulf was the force, Llewelyn made the heist and Turi was the brains behind the operation.

They were once ambushed by those they once stole from. Inches from death, Thomas forced the enemy to redo their previously-successful attacks, causing them to fail the second time round and flee
the group did not know Thomas but were inspired by his willingness to even protect criminals, and soon became fast friends.

Now they travel together, using their powers for good and helping the helpless.

Warband Leader: Beowulf the Powerful

Traits:

Sneaky

Aggressive Fighter

Melee Militia: Llewelyn

Traits:

Sneaky

Focused Thrust

Ranged Militia: Bedwyr

Traits:

Sneaky

All-around awareness

Levy: Turi

Traits:

Sneaky

Loner

Monk: Thomas

Traits:

Dodge

...shall die by the sword

Outremer: Faith and Blood Campaign

Outremer Campaign

So we've decided to kick off a campaign of the new Outremer: Faith and Blood rules from Osprey, so far we've got about 9 warbands assembling (which will be listed below once their backstories etc are complete). 

We're aiming to maintain a rate of about 1 game a week (excluding when the umpire is away from work). 

Warbands:

Sir James the Second - Templars

Beowulf the Powerful - Crusaders

Sir William the Carpenter - Crusaders

Sir Egbert the Careless - Crusaders

Brother Karl the Flagellist - Templars

Hasan ibn Quasim - Saracens
Abdul Hameed el-Farah - Saracens
Rashid al-Harith - Saracens
Usamah ibn-Munqidh - Saracens

Games:

Game 1: Camp Assault, Sir James the Second vs Beowulf the Powerful
Game 2: Capture the Flag, Abdul Hameed el-Farah vs Rashid al-Harith
Game 3: Camp Assault: Usamah ibn-Munqidh vs Sir William the Carpenter

Outremer Warband: Sir James the Second

Warband Leader: Sir James the Second

As the eldest son of Sir James the Calm, the hero of Al Qosimah, Sir James II seeks to follow in his father's footsteps and earn glory on the battlefield. Like most noble sons, he has been trained in the art of warfare, but Sir James II had the additional benefit of a war hero father experienced in fighting the Saracens. Thanks to his father's teachings, Sir James II is well-prepared to deal with the archer-heavy Saracen forces.

Traits:

Fast

Knife Fighter

Take Cover

Knight: Ulrich the Mad

Even amongst the knights of the Holy Order, Ulrich is particularly pious. This is likely because he quite literally hears the voice of the Lord in his head. The Lord's voice, however, is sometimes drowned out by the chattering voices of demons seeking to turn Ulrich away from the righteous path. To combat this and expel the demons from his mind, Ulrich practices self-flaggellation and constantly recites verses from the Holy Bible. To those around him, Ulrich's mutterings and the wounds from his flaggellation have earned him the nickname "Ulrich the Mad", although none would dare say this in his presence. Those who have seen Ulrich in battle find the name even more appropriate, as the tolerance to pain he has built up allow him to fight on even with the most grievous of wounds.

Traits:

Hard to Kill (twice)

Unstoppable Force

Templar Sergeant: Lorencio

On the journey to the holy land, Sir James' party stops at Lisbon to rest and resupply. There he meets Lorencio, a local hunter/trapper making his living off the wildlife in the surrounding hills and forests. To pass the time waiting for his ship to be readied, Sir James accompanies Lorencio on a hunting trip and is so impressed by the man's skills that he asks Lorencio to accompany him on his crusade to the holy land. Lorencio initially declines, as he has a family to take care of and no interest in fighting the wars of others. He is, however, later "persuaded" to join the group by Geoffrey and Ulrich who remind him that God's wrath may befall any who reject His holy mission.

Traits:

Sure footed

Climber

Chaplain: Geoffrey

Geoffrey was an ordinary priest, contentedly spreading the word of the Lord to the local townsfolk. Unfortunately, his imposing stature and at times overzealous speeches often had the opposite of the desired effect, scaring people away rather than bringing them into the church. Hearing of this, the local bishop decides that Geoffrey's talents could perhaps be better used elsewhere and encourages him to join Sir James II.

Traits:

Large Build

The Lord's Light

Healer

Game Report: Hunting Brothers

It wasn't far now to the camp of his brother Qasim, Ibrahim idn Hasan realised, and wouldn't be long before he could not back out of his plan. He could still ride into the camp to join the hunt in celebration of his nephew's upcoming third birthday, compete with his older brother in gathering the best meat and pelts.

But he would not turn back now. The lands he had inherited when their father passed away were the poorer and smaller holdings, short of water and subject to frequent bandit raids. The only thing it turned out in any real quantity was soldiers, and today he would use those to his benefit. 

He crested a rise and saw three men some distance ahead, sentries of his brother's, waiting to announce his arrival. Something he would not allow today...


This game pitted my newly completed Saracen miniatures (from Gripping Beast's plastic range) in a good old fashioned family dispute, given the Frankish forces are still mostly unassembled on the painting table. 

Using the Outremer: Faith and Blood rules, we pitted the forces of Qasim ibn Hasan, with 10 figures (one heavy cavalryman, two horse archers, three foot archers and four infantrymen, variously armed with swords and spears), against Ibrahim ibn Hasan, with 8 figures (three heavy cavalrymen, two horse archers, one foot archer and two infantrymen), in the area around Qasim's camp. 

The area of Qasim's camp before the storm breaks

Ibrahim's forces deployed around the house, with Ibrahim himself leading the cavalry forward, and their foot archer Hasan ibn Nasir deployed on the roof of the building with his compound bow to cover the advance. Qasim's forces were mostly arrayed around the tent in a loose skirmish line, with two of their number, Hasan and Mansour ibn Ibrahim, both with the Sneaky trait, deployed out of sight behind the enemy.

While the attacker's position is strong, they failed to notice two of their foe arriving to their rear.

The opening moves saw the outflanking men advance on the attackers, Hasan moving to a position with line of sight on Hasan ibn Nasir, loosing an arrow at him, but missing, while Mansour moved up to the building, reaching the rear corner. 

Clearly unperturbed, or perhaps unaware, of the threat to the rear, Ibrahim ibn Hasan rode forward to face the enemy, finding himself facing down Malik of Thebes over the open ground, the foot soldier wielding a mighty two-handed sword in one hand, apparently effortlessly. To further unsettle Ibrahim, arrows began to fall around him from the skirmish line, to no lasting effect. 

Not phased by the mounted warrior coming his way, Malik of Thebes raises his sword and bellows a challenge.

To counter the flanking threat, Muhammad ibn Ishmail, a horse archer, swung around the building, loosing a single arrow at Mansour ibn Ibrahim, which slammed into the man, putting him out the fight, giving first blood to the attackers.

Blood stains the sand as the first warrior falls

Moments later, Khalil of Cairo, having moved forward to take a shot at Ibrahim ibn Hasan, lost his mount to an arrow loosed by Hasan ibn Nasir from the rooftop, leaving him to continue the fight on foot. The attacking forces continued to press forward, with the foot warriors moving up to support Ibrahim, while a heavy cavalryman and a horse archer moved to outflank the defenders, the final cavalryman riding his mount down into the wadi, which let out right next to Qasim ibn Hasan.

The defenders concentrate on loosing arrows at Ibrahim, while the attackers surge around and forward

The defenders continued to concentrate all their shooting on Ibrahim ibn Hasan, and finally their persistence was rewarded as, after shrugging off seven hits, an eighth arrow brought down his mount.

Ibrahim scrabbles to his feet after his horse succumbs to repeated arrow strikes.

Behind the developing main fight, Muhammad ibn Ishmail took aim at the remaining sneaky outflanker, Hasan, and taking out a second opponent, ending the flanking threat.

The second outflanker falls, ending the threat to the attackers.

The tide continued to flow against the defenders, with Malik of Thebes drawing particular attention, mostly in the form of arrows, which soon led to his demise.

Another defender falls

Eager to capitalise on their advantage, the attacker's cavalry swept in, Husayn of Damascus riding down the wadi towards Qasim ibn Hasan, ignoring the arrows loosed in his direction, while Mansur al Nadhil closed in upon the defending infantry and the horse archer Khalid al Muharib swept around the enemy line and into their camp.

The thunder of hooves echos across the field as the attackers close in on their foes

To counter the incoming horsemen, Ali of Al-Qasr, wielding a sword and dagger, charged down Mansur al Nadhil, surviving the a first round of combat. 

Ali defies the odds and attacks

Meanwhile Aybak took an arrow from the defenders, failing his faith check and fleeing back. Khalid al Muharib saw an opening and charged into the archers at the rear of the defenders formation, cutting down his first victim, Ishmael Mahzuz.

With a sudden clatter of hooves, death strikes Ishmael Mahzuz

Undaunted by his mounted opponent, Ali of Al-Qasr managed to inflict a crippling strike on Mansur's mount, bringing the warrior down to his own level, before dispatching him with a wicked knife thrust, giving the defenders a glimmer of hope.

Ali brings down the mount shortly before slaying the man, getting the first non-equine kill for the defenders.

While flurries of arrows arced towards Ibrahim from the now desperate defenders, Khalid cut down a second archer.

The lightly armed and unarmoured archers are easy prey for Khalid

One of the last defenders, a spearman named Khalid, attempted to rush towards Ibrahim, but was intercepted by Salah al Khalid, who inflicted a wound upon the steadfast defender. With the last bodyguard now engaged, Qasim lined himself up for a charge towards his dismounted brother, bravely ignoring the fact Husayn of Damascus had extracted himself from the wadi and was lining up to his rear. Fortunately for the proud father, Husayn failed to summon up the necessary courage to charge. 

Brother faces brother as their men slaughter each other around them

Before Qasim could charge, Ibrahim and Muhammad ibn Ishmail loosed arrows at him, striking down his mount.

Qasim scrambled to his feet, extracting himself from the thrashing form of his dying horse

Salah al Khalid managed to dispatch Khalid as Ali Al-Qasr charged towards Ibrahim in an attempt to snatch victory from the rapidly closing jaws of defeat, but Salah closed him down, effortlessly driving his spear through the hapless warrior. 

Salah takes down his first opponent

And then fells his second

Khalid attempted to continue his rampage through the defender's archery line, charging into Khalil of Cairo, the dismounted horse archer, who astonished all by not only surviving, but also cutting down Khalid's mount.

Khalid's mount is taken down in a savage struggle with Khalil

In the final moments of the game, Qasim ibn Hasan stared down his brother and his men, before succumbing to a hail of arrows, falling on the field surrounded by his slain soldiers. Only two defending models remained standing, Khalil of Cairo, unhorsed and trapped in combat would doubtless be overwhelmed and dealt with, while Ishma'il ibn Ishma'il was still mounted and might be able to escape into the desert. 


All around the field men lay, wounded, dying, some moaning or crying, others silent. His soldiers were already moving around to dispatch the wounded foes, looting anything of value, leaving only one of the bodies unmolested. 

Qasim was staring up at the sky, a broken arrow jutting out from his right thigh, a second arrow lodged near his collar bone, blood soaking into the fine fabrics of his outfit. As the shadow of his brother fell over him, his eyes ceased searching the sky, locking onto Ibrahim's eyes. For a moment, it looked like he might speak, but instead he merely sneered as Ibrahim drew his sabre. 

Ibrahim rested the blade at his brother's throat, memories of their childhood briefly dashing through his mind, not, as it usually was, memories of the taunts and rivalry, but instead of moments of compassion and happiness. For just a moment, he considered relenting, of letting his brother disappear into the wilderness to make whatever life he could for himself. But he knew he could not, Qasim would never allow his son to be taken away from him, and would know that the boy's life would never be safe while Ibrahim was his guardian. 

There was the briefest resistance to the blade as he increased the pressure before the skin parted and the finely honed blade sliced through blood vessels and flesh. There was a momentary spray of red mist, which subsided to a steady flow from the gash as Qasim's eyes rolled back into his head, the sand sticky and dark around him. 

Ibrahim couldn't tell how long it took for the blood flow to cease, nor was he aware how long he remained standing over his brother's corpse, the red blade held loosely, staring at the face of the man he had come to hate. 

Eventually he managed to tear his gaze away from the dreadful sight. His work was not done, his brother's retainers would need to be brought in line. His nephew would be useful there, he would claim to be caretaking the lands while he was guardian for the boy. Until Ibrahim could have his own son, the boy would be a better heir than none too. Once his usefulness was done, the boy would have to be disposed of, but that was some time off.

He turned to his men, now assembled after completing their task. "Let us leave this place." he said gruffly, before striding away from the bloodied ground. He looked once more at the sabre, the blood still dripping slowly from the blade, before tossing it away.

Game Report: A Desert Brawl

North-East of Al Qosimah, March 4th The Year of Our Lord 1168

Sir Egburt's great march to the south had sounded like such a good plan to him when he'd agreed to raise a force to support it. Now James, Son of Mathew, was becoming to undermine the moniker he had gained. "The Calm" was beginning to feel an increasing frustration at this march, their scouts had seen signs of enemy cavalry moving in the area, but there was no sign they were willing to offer battle. If they couldn't be forced to fight soon the army of Jerusalem would be forced to turn back, short of food and water, having accomplished nothing but expending vast quantities of money. 

A rider came bounding over to him. "My Lord, Sir Egburt begs you join him for a council, the enemy army has been sighted near the town." The Calm reasserted itself.

The Game

This game pitted a Crusader States army against a Fatimid Egyptian army in a straight up fight, using the excellent Soldiers of God rules. An additional complication for the game was the fact that the commanders were tasked with accumulating 'Honour Points', mostly at the arbitrary whim of the umpire, and had to roll on a dice listing the seven deadly sins and seven heavenly virtues, each of which could lead to different outcomes. 

The Frankish force consisted of two units of Knights, two units of Mounted Men at Arms (one of each in each flank battle), two units of archers and a unit of Foot Men at Arms in the centre battle. 

Jerusalemite forces deploy. The left battle will make an uncontrolled move forward under the urging of their commander who was driven by his rage.

The Fatimid forces consisted of two units of Mamelukes, two units of Arab Tribal Cavalry and two units of Horse Archers split evenly between the two flanks, two units of Archers and two units of Infantry forming their centre. 

The army of the Fatimids marches onto the field

The opening moves of the game saw the two armies advance upon each other, before first contact was made when, on the Crusader left, a unit of knights hammered into a unit of Horse Archers they caught in the open, and the Mounted Men at Arms, backed up by their general, smashed into the Mamelukes on the right flank of the Fatimid line. Despite the massive impact of the charges, the Fatimids held on, if barely.

Fighting erupts on one flank of the battle, while other elements close upon each other.

Not to be outdone, the Frankish right flank stormed into the Saracen forces, their knights smashing into the Mamelukes, who were backed up by a unit of Horse Archers, giving them a serious bloody nose in the process. Meanwhile, the Mounted Men at Arms charged into the infantry forming the front line of the Fatimid centre, nearly shattering the unit in a single turn of fighting.

With their cavalry wings fully committed, the Crusader infantry pushes forward.

On the Fatimid right, the Mameluke unit became disordered, breaking up from close order to open order, while, to the astonishment of all, the unit of Horse Archers managed to survived their ongoing melee with the knights.

The knights fail to break the plucky horse archers, while the Mamelukes begin to suffer in their ongoing fight.

The infantry lines continued to close upon each other, exchanging flurries of arrows in the process, meanwhile the cavalry fight reached a critical moment as the Mameluke unit on the Fatimid right collapsed into rout.

The Mameluke unit ends up in dire straits and breaks

On the far right of the Jerusalemite line meanwhile, the knights facing the Mameluke and Horse Archers took an absolute beating, becoming unformed in the course of the fighting.

The knights attempt to hold on after taking a savaging from their opponents

Meanwhile, the Mounted Men at Arms fighting the infantry mass found themselves on the receiving end of several Fear cards from the Fatimids, as well as some dire dice rolls, and broke and fled, leaving Sir James the Calm alone to face the horde alone.

Sir James the Calm puts his moniker to the test again as his cavalry force disintegrates around him. 

On the Jerusalemite left, the Mounted Men at Arms went out of control and charged into the Arab Tribal Cavalry, getting involved in a brutal melee. Both units were battered to breaking point in short order. In a single turn, the Mounted Men at Arms, the Arab Tribal Cavalry and the Christian knights on their right flank all broke and ran, leaving the Frankish right completely open.

Holes appear in both sides' lines as the armies bloody each other.

Going into the final turn, the situation could be best described as precarious, with the Fatimid Army morale at 2, the Franks at 1. In a scrabble for survival, the Horse Archers on the Fatimid right held out against the knights, their stubborn resistance impressing all. 

The final fight of the game took place in the centre, with the command group of Sir John the Calm taking on the infantry ahead of them, both sides inflicting one point of disorder. Both sides then spent their last cards to recover this point. Critically, this left the two Fatimid infantry units with as much disorder as they had bases, taking a point of morale off for each of them. The Fatimid army, at 0 morale to the Jerusalemite 1, collapsed into flight. 

A gallant stand by Sir John the Calm sees off the Fatimid army, much to the relief of the Franks

While it was technically a victory for the Crusaders, they were an utterly spent force, the losses to their cavalry arm undoubtedly rendering the army unable to continue their campaign. 

The final tally saw the commander of the Fatimid right, and the stubborn horse archers, squeaked to first in the Honour Points tally, winning a personal victory even as he and his men made their escape.

The figures used in the game were from Baccus 6mm.

March 6th, Dusk, Outside Al Qosimah

Sir John the Calm's arm ached, his head was pounding, sweat soaking into the lower layers of his armour. Around him lay the broken bodies of men and horses from both sides, the cries of the wounded and dying drifting over the carnage, the sounds cruelly juxtaposed with the silence and stillness of the dead. 

Dust clouds marked where the enemy forces were withdrawing, the remnants of the Christian army were too exhausted to pursue the foe and were staggering around, looting what could be stolen, some aiding the wounded, or disposing of the fallen enemies.

It was clear the campaign was over, so many brave knights lay slain, or with their horses lost. Without cavalry, the army could not advance. A return home was all that could be expected now, after so much blood and gold had been expended, for no real gain. No doubt a great fuss would be made about driving the infidel from the field. Sir John was sure it would be a great comfort to the men lying dead all around him.