13th century Crusader battle-line
This page last modified: April 18, 2000
13th century Crusader battle-line
My foot sergeants are here deployed with crossbowmen alternating with spearmen - Bw (X) in DBM terms. This mixed formation option is now (Army lists version 2) only allowed under Richard Coeur de Lion, so I shall have to rebase the infantry at some point to keep then 'legal'. On the wargaming table, the feudal knights typically deploy behind the foot as here, and sometimes burst through them in their haste to get to grips with the enemy. This is occasionally even effective...
The King of Jerusalem marshalls his feudal host
Titular king only of course, since by this stage, Jerusalem had fallen to the Muslims. The figures are mostly by Gladiator, with a few others (Museum, I think) thrown in.
A cog and two nefs.
The ships are scratch built - see Rhys Batchelor's ship-building page on how to do it. They fly pennons from the three main military orders: the Knights Hospitaller, the Knights Templar, and the Teutonic Knights. The pennons are detachable however, so I can use them for other forces' navies too.
The flotilla makes for harbour, protected by two moles.
The battle field, at two scale miles wide, is almost the entire width of the Kingdom of Acre during the 1280s before it fell to the Mamluks! It is felt, spray painted in patches for variety. The waterway has the beach sewn onto it from underneath, and breaking waves painted on.