Oasis Denial - A Lion Rampant Battle

Monday Nights Action Report from the Shed sees a second game of Lion Rampant in the time of the Crusades. This was a hastily put together scenario with the following background.

A strong force of Christians are pursuing a Saracen Warband in the deserts of Syria. Water is running out and their only hope of salvation is to capture the Oasis. The Sarcen commanders know of their foes predicament and will do their utmost to deny this valuable resource.

With four players attending (Mark, John and Stephen plus myself) we split the forces evenly, with both sides supporting 48 points of troops.

The Saracens would be predominantly lightly armoured, mounted and bow armed whereas the Crusaders would dominate on the infantry front and well armoured. This would be an interesting experience to see how two matched sides in points but vastly different force compositions performed.

The Forces

Saracens

Each Saracen force contained

1 x Mounted Sergeants with Bows
3 x Mounted Yeoman with Bows
1 x Spear Armed Yeoman infantry
1 x Archer Unit Infantry

Crusaders  

Each Crusader Force Contained
1 x Mounted Men at Arms
1 x Mounted Sergeants
1 x Archer or Crossbow unit
1 x Bidowers Unit
2 x Foot Sergeants

Each Side was formed along a long table edge, with the Oasis positioned on the Saracen table edge between the two forces

The Saracen horse mass outside the Oasis

Awaiting the advance of the armoured crusaders

The target Oasis to the centre left of the table

The Crusaders advance into a hail of Saracen arrows...

With the cavalry advancing rapidly the Saracen light horse fall back

On they push...

Crashing into the light cavalry

Mounted battles erupt across the field - the lightly armoured Saracens quaking in their boots, and cursing their poor luck to be here that day

The Saracens throw in their own mounted knights - just to be repulsed as quickly as they arrive

The Crusaders push up on their right flank - demolishing the Saracen forces

With the Oasis in site armoured foot march forward.

A final desperate charge from the Saracens comes to no avail..

The Christians have reached the edge of the Oasis...

All across the front they push forward

More cavalry action (over 100 horse figures on the table)

Finally the Crusaders force their way into the Oasis

So the end result - a crushing victory for the Crusaders. A combination of really poor Saracen dice rolls and the superior Crusader armour put the Christians in front.

A fun game and we will certainly return to the Holy Land in the new future

Until next time