The Battle of Ten Thousand Men and the Fall of Jerusalem | English AAR
((I use the term regiment to describe one of the twenty units you can have in your army. Also, i've added some narrative embellishments to make a better read. I played this game on huge unit size, with medium-high settings, so lag wasn't bad at all. Also, I played it with a few... personal modifications, i.e: Billmen now have minor bonus against cavalry, balancing things like that. ))
The March of the Crusaders
Summer, the Holy Land. The Year of our Lord is 1196, and the army of English general Henry the Crusader marches towards Jerusalem. He is the young rising star of England's armies, a brilliant attacker and a stalwart defender. He leads a battle-hardened force of professionals. Veterans of his previous Crusade, in which Henry besieged and took Antioch, which became the basis of English power in the Holy Lands. Acting from Antioch, he expanded his holdings to include Acre and Edessa. And now, a new Crusade has been called, and Henry marches for Jerusalem, held in the hands of the Islamic realm of Egypt. Three armies, commanded by experienced Captains of the Egyptian Army, stand between him.
The Warhosts
Henry's army is cut from the same cloth as the professional armies of King Richard of England, who lays siege to Paris even as Henry marches. Hardened, heavily armoured and professionally trained. Every able-bodied soldier in the English Crusader-state has been mobilized to take Jerusalem, the heart of Christianity on Earth. If Henry the Crusader fails here, all he has built will fall before the Muslim armies. Six regiments of armoured spearmen form the core of his army, three regiments of Crusader Sergeants and three of Armoured Sergeants. Supporting the spearmen are four regiments of swordsmen, two of Unhorsed Crusaders and two of Armoured Swordsmen. Accompanying these soldiers are eight regiments of distinctly English troops, four regiments of Heavy Billmen and four of Yeoman archers. Fufilling the cavalry role is Henry's bodyguard and a regiment of Templar Knights.
To oppose the English army were four Egyptian armies of twenty regiments each. The vast majority of each army is composed of Saracen Militia, with regiments of Dismounted Arab Cavalry and Halberb Militia in support. Sudanese spearmen and tribesmen formed a light infantry contingent. Battalions of Naffatun and Hashashim filled out the assault role. Finally, squadrons of dreaded Mamluks Archers and Royal Mamluks led each army. The three armies moved together north towards Henry's English force. They met some miles north of Jerusalem.
The Battlefield and Henry's Hill
The battlefield was a mostly flat plain with a few foothills, the mountains to the east and nothing until thge sea to the west. The landscape was dominated by a large hill, with sparse trees around it's base and a bald crest. It was here that Henry decided to make his stand against the four armies that surrounded him. His army numbered 2,460 Catholic soldiers. 8,840 murderous Egyptians closed in around them as Henry drew his men up on the crest of the hill. The battle commenced at 8:25 in the morning of June 22n, 1196 AD.
First Contact
Before the battle began, Henry drew up his men in a rough circle on all sides of the hill. He had his Longbowmen plant sharpened stakes in front of his infantry formations before the Egyptians began their approach, and then ordered them to withdraw to the center of the circle. On the outside of the circle were the regiments of Billmen and Spearmen, in rectangular formations each about five ranks in depth, and facing in every direction. In reserves behind them were the regiments of swordsmen, along with the precious heavy cavalry, the Knights, the once force they had that could match Mamluks. At the very top of the hill were the longbowmen, flaming arrows nocked as the Egyptians reached the base of the hill.
Each enemy army was in fairly typical formation as they approached the hill. Royal Mamluks lead, with columns of infantry behind, each formation of Saracen and Arab infantry spearheaded by a battalion of Hashashin and Naffatun. Mamluk Horse Archers were on either flank. But as they progressed through the wooded lower slopes of Henry's hill, the formations began to break up.
As soon as the Egyptians came within range, the four regiments of Longbowmen drew their bows, and loosed a tremendous volley of flaming arrows in unison. To the Muslim soldier, staggering up a steep hill, it must've felt like a rain of fire. Within moments, a second volley descended on the Egyptians, and then a third. Then they began to use regular arrows, reloading even faster than before, and so began the continous hail of missiles that would plague the Muslims for the entire battle.
The Charge of the Mamluks
The Royal Mamluks of each drew themselves up in tight, knee-to-knee ranks and charged wildly uphill, as the English spear and billmen braced themselves to receive heavy cavalry, the ground itself shaking with the pounding of hooves. Those horsemen that were not impaled upon stakes continued their head-long assault, the English arrows falling thick as rain. The Royal Mamluks smashed themselves to pieces against the solid blocks of spearmen regiments, who wielded their long lances with precision to fell horse and rider. For the first time in their history, the Royal Mamluks were repelled, and fled, leaving hundreds of their dead to the mercy of the English
The Infantry Clash
Not soon after this, came the columns of Egyptian infantry, Hashashim screaming at the top of their lungs as they brandished scimitar and charged up the slope. The Naffatun loosed volleys of naptha pots, and Englishmen went screaming down as the burning oil seeped through armour. On every side, the Egyptian army beset Henry's men with halberb, spear and sword, while Mamluk Horse Archers circled the hill firing high into the rear of the English ranks. The Longbowmen returned fire, and the screams of wounded horses filled the air. Again and again, it seemed as if the Hashashim had broken gaps in the Christian line, only to be repelled by counter-charges of Armoured Swordsmen or Unhorsed Crusaders. The battle raged, and bodies covered the ground like grass, blood stained every swordblade and speartip in either army, the ground itself was stained red. Egyptian casualties began to pile up increasing numbers as the lightly armoured Saracen militia that made up the majority of the Fatamid army could not penetrate the heavy mail and plate of the English crusaders. It was then, that the Royal Mamluks returned.
Rallied out of their rout, and egged on by the desire to redeem their honour after the shame of a repelled charge for the first time, the Royal Mamluks charged uphill once more. They trampled their own men, and punched a hole through one, weakened group of Armoured Sergeants. But as they turned and fought the infantry on either side of them, they exposed the gap their charge at formed by trampling their own men. Seeing his chance, Henry charged at the head of his bodyguard and the Templars through the gap. The Egyptians fell in droves and fled in even greater numbers as the heavy cavalry, so long frustrated by Henry's holding them back, were finally unleashed, and they smote the Egyptians like the Holy Wrath of God. The Muslims broke before them, and the Englishmen gave one great cry of "FOR ENGLAND, GOD AND SAINT GEORGE!" as they charged from their positions in every direction.
England Triumphant
The Englishmen killed and killed and killed until their arms felt like lead, and still killed more. The great Egyptian host, so mighty just the previous day, were scattered in every which direction, like dust to the wind. After the battle, Henry tallied the casualties. 7,924 Egyptians had died on Henry's Hill, their bodies covering the slopes from the base to the crest, compared to 400 fallen Englishmen. Thus Henry the Crusader did win the Battle of the Ten Thousand, the greatest victory in the his life, and indeed the greatest Crusader triumph in history. Three weeks later, his battle-weary army marched victorious into Jerusalem, and were cleansed of the sins of their bloodshed in the Church of Holy Sepulchre.
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