Thursday 4 March 2010

Isle of Fob - the Battle of Ghazzan


Orders of Battle:

Franks: C-in-C King Chernobyl with 12 units:
1 small unit of knights, 1 small unit of Hospitaller knights, 1 unit of foot sergeants, 1 unit of English sailors, 1 armed mob, 2 units of turcopoles, 1 unit of Armenian cavalry, 2 units of Armenian foot, 1 unit of Arab cavalry, 1 unit of Bedouin.

Hashishmendid Seljuks:
C-in-C Mustapha Camel Emir of Chiossus with 24 units:
3 small units of Ghulam cavalry, 4 units of Seljuk horse archers, 6 units of Turcoman horse archers, 2 units of Arab cavalry, 1 unit of Bedouin cavalry, 2 units of Ghazi infantry, 1 unit of Muttatawia infantry, 1 unit of Turkish infantry, 2 units of Arab foot archers, 2 units of civilians.

From the Chronicles of Kermit the Hermit:

...and Chernobyl saw on the horizon the dust raised by the powerful host of the Seljuk Emir. Fearful of being caught in the open he set his foot to climb the steep slopes of a pine covered hill nearby where they might better withstand the coming onslaught, whilst he, with his cavalry, and right manfully, set himself in the plain.......

.....Mustapha led his troops up to a large abandoned village and there deployed them skillfully. To his left he set his Arabs and ordered they should envelop Chernobyl's line whilst he fixed it with his Turcomans and infantry. He himself, set himself on the right beyond a stream with a powerful reserve.......


.......No sooner had his Arabs begun to take up their position than his Turcomans, whipped into a fever by the rantings of their mullahs, did case their bows and, with wild frenzied cries, charge the Franks with spear and sword. They were punished for their arrogance but their charges did not abate. Time and time again they charged doing great harm but seconded none the less until the last were surrounded, destroyed and scattered. [Out of the 6 units which started, in two command groups, only 2 units were left recovering in the rear. Both commanders were abysmal D8 leaders who managed to roll three consecutive natural 1s on their movement dice, forcing uncontrolled charges).......

......On Mustapha's left, his Arabs deployed out onto the plain. With countless thousands of the enemy still in the field, King Chernobyl, still saw his doom. With a cry of anguish he launched himself and his knights into the fray. Here the battle raged with new intensity, like hammers on the anvil, both, like the metal between, diminishing in equal measure.....


........with his forces growing less, his centre crumbling, and his assured victory now hanging like an Autumn leaf in the wind, Mustapha committed his reserve across the narrow stream.......
.......to be continued.
[This battle is a belter. I had remarked to Peter, before the start, that it would be funny if his fanatic Turcomans rolled any movement die 1s, but three in a row; a 1 in 512 chance of that happening. What seemed like a very sticky wicket had become one to bat on. The attack of the Turcomans had cost Peter 20 morale chips! We will fight this battle to conclusion next week and then continue, if there is time, with the campaign moves. This battle is going to be close run thing.]

3 comments:

Caliban said...

Brilliant stuff, James. I noticed the storage units under your tables in one of the photos. I may have to steal that idea if and when I eventually get a proper games room.

Good luck with the next part of the battle.

Paul

JAMES ROACH said...

Hi Paul, they are cheap kitchen base cabinets (without the work surface). They are quite cheap if you shop around - or better - if you know anyone who is having a new kitchen fitted; it is the doors that are the expensive bit, they usually cost more than the cabinets, so grab the doors if the cabinets are past it / broken up in removal.

BigRedBat said...

That is a great looking game! I really like the terrain.