Perhaps it really is true that too much wargaming for too long brings on a certain dementia that warps the imagination in odd and unexpected ways. I offer the following narrative of a campaign played out through the depths of the difficult winter of 1996 for both the amusement of and as a warning to those of my fellow wargamers whose sense of place and time may be, in their own ways, at risk.

What happened next after the fall of the city of Nicaea? Outside the walls were encamped the four great pilgrim armies under the leadership of the noblest of the Franks: Godfrey of Bouillon, Bohemond of Taranto, Raymond of Toulouse, and Robert of Normandy. These four came together to settle their future path through the wasteland that the cruel Turks had made of Romania.

But here the disease of jealousy that very nearly ruined this Holy expedition first manifested itself. As one would suggest a path, another would find its weaknesses, and none would listen to the treacherous advice of artful Alexis, Emperor of the East. And so tiring of delay and further talk Bohemond led his great host away from Nicaea toward Dorylaeum to show the others the route to Antioch. From Dorylaeum Bohemond and his followers went on to Amorium where they encountered an army of Turks from Khorosan drawn up in battle array.

When Bohemond gathered his knights and led them against the enemy the Turks split their host into two bodies. One held to the front to meet the Christian army while the other tried in vain to pass to the rear of the pilgrims' solid phalanx. Seeing this, Bohemond turned his knights toward the second body of Turks and struck them with such fury that those that were not killed in the first rush fled. But here the first body of Turks did great harm to the Christian foot-soldiers and many bowmen were slain outright until Bohemond turned his knights to attack these rash Turks. Then the slayers became the slain and those whose blood did not flow over the land turned and fled.

The survivors of this Khorosan horde at first took refuge within the walls of Amorium, but when Bohemond summoned them to open the city gates they once more gave themselves over to ignoble flight. And thus did Bohemond and his army enter the city.

Only after Bohemond had cleared a path did Godfrey and Raymond take heart and turn their backs to Nicaea. These noble pilgrims went first to Dorylaeum. From there Godfrey went on to Polybotus and Lesser Antioch also known as Pisidian Antioch. Both of these places rejoiced to open their gates to the soldiers of God. Raymond followed Bohemond's lead and turned his army toward Amorium and joined Bohemond's army at that place. But from here the two pilgrim armies followed divergent paths toward Antioch.

Bohemond led his army across the barren waste of an infertile desert where many of his knights and foot- soldiers perished from hunger and thirst. Many more were reduced to living corpses unable to support the weight of their own lances, swords and bows. After suffering for many weeks in this wasteland Bohemond's army once more was attacked by a countless host Turks. Bohemond called together those of his knights and foot-soldiers who as yet retained a part of their strength and ordered their phalanxes for battle; all were determined to conquer their enemies or gain the glories that await the most Christian martyrs.

And so Bohemond's followers attacked the Turks who blocked their path through the desert. Here the Turks had divided their multitude into two wings, hoping thereby to surround the pilgrims and attack them from all sides. But Bohemond's followers saw this and with furious speed struck an overwhelming blow straight at the Turks' proud and pompous leaders. Each leader was violently impaled on a Christian lance and done to death with such sudden horror that their followers turned their backs and fled to save their lives. Though much weakened by their journey through the desert Bohemond and his followers fed themselves on the spoils found abandoned in their enemy's camp After this Bohemond's army went on to the city of Tyana, which had already opened its gates to Raymond's army, where they refreshed themselves and prepared to ascend the mountains that separate Romania from Cilicia.

While Bohemond's followers suffered countless tribulations, Raymond's marched through the citied region of Romania. Coming in their turn to Philomelium, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Heraclea, and Tyana, all of these places rejoiced to open their gates to Raymond's army. For here it seemed as though the Turks themselves were afraid to meet Raymond's pilgrims in open combat and could not be forced by their haughty leaders to block his path. Nowhere did they show themselves.

And so Raymond went on to Augustopolis, Caesarea, Mazacha, and Comana before ascending to the mountain passes that would lead them to Antioch. But once within the enclosed spaces of the mountains the Turks gathered their courage to block Raymond's entrance into Syria. On a certain morning the Turks appeared before Raymond's army in solid array for battle. The multitude of their host was such that the Turks separated their army into three wings that could enfold the Christian pilgrims and attack them from all sides. But wise Raymond ordered his own knights for battle and attacked first one wing and then another and put all three to flight in their turn before the others could either surround the pilgrims or come to their butchered brothers' aid. The gore of a hundred-thousand slain Turks stained the Christian pilgrims' lances and swords; the mountain valleys ran red with the commingled blood of as many Turks who stood to fight the soldiers of God. Raymond's knights plundered their destroyed enemy's camps. As soon as the pilgrim's had sated themselves on their enemy's food and wealth they marched on through the mountain passes into Syria and finally arrived before the high walls of the city of Antioch.

When Bohemond's followers were refreshed from their journey through the desert these noble pilgrims set out on their path toward Antioch once again. From Tyana they ascended the difficult mountain passes that in former times were called the Cilician Gates and went to Lampron, Tarsos, Adana, Mamistra, and Alexandretta, all Christian cities whose inhabitants rejoiced to open their gates to Bohemond's army. Hearing that Raymond had already reached Antioch and had that great city within his grasp, Bohemond and his followers refused to join their fellow pilgrims there and instead marched to attack the port city of St. Symeon which was some distance from Antioch. For this sin both Bohemond and Raymond were soon justly punished. For no sooner had Bohemond's followers cast off their baggage to camp outside the walls of St. Symeon than a multitude of Saracens, collected from all parts of their vast empire, appeared in battle array to attack courageous Bohemond's army.

Though much weakened by their long journey Bohemond's knights ordered their phalanxes and advanced against the impudent Saracens. But here the Saracens acted as the lighting stroke of divine justice, for as Bohemond's knights violently attacked one wing of the Saracen army, the other wing in its turn attacked the camp of those of Bohemond's followers whose hunger and weakness had lead them to cast away their armor and lances.

As Bohemond's knights butchered the Saracens who opposed them, the other body of Saracens cruelly butchered many unarmed pilgrims. After putting the one body of Saracens to flight the Christian knights turned in small groups to save their fellow pilgrim from the slaughter that was overtaking them, but here the knights were themselves surrounded and slaughtered by the Saracens. It so happened that Bohemond and some few of his followers escaped death by fleeing to Alexandretta.

At this same time Raymond's army too was punished. As his army lay outside the walls of Antioch yet another countless host of Saracens appeared to succor the besieged city. When their enemies showed themselves ordered and ready for battle Raymond led his knights and foot-soldiers against them in a tight phalanx. But here Raymond's followers were surrounded and attacked from all sides. Though many Saracens met their end at the hands of the pilgrims, many knights too died fighting tenfold their own number. This desperate fight went on from early morning to long after the sun had disappeared until the blood of ten-thousand noble pilgrims collected in pools under the feet of the survivors. At last the knights became exhausted and despaired for their lives. Many lost all hope of salvation and turned their backs to the enemy and fled. Finally even noble Raymond, his sword stained by the gore of a thousand Saracens, was driven from the battle to seek refuge within the walls of Alexandretta.

What happened to the other noble pilgrim armies that had not yet reached Syria when Bohemond and Raymond were punished for their sins? While enjoying the comfort of their camp at Pisidian Antioch Godfrey's army was set upon by a multitude of Turks. Godfrey's knights struck down the pompous Turks and pillaged their camp. But from Pisidian Antioch Godfrey refused to follow the paths chosen by Raymond and Bohemond and went instead to the city of Attalia on the sea. Some said that this noble pilgrim lost his courage, others said that he had chosen to await the arrival of a friendly fleet that was coming to aid the pilgrims. As the weeks and months passed, no fleet appeared and yet Godfrey did not bestir himself from his comfortable lodging until well after the city of Antioch in Syria had fallen.

What can be said of Robert of Normandy and his army? Some said that he followed the advice of the treacherous Alexis rather than the path cleared by Bohemond and Raymond to Antioch. From Dorylaeum Robert forgot his Holy purpose and turned his army toward the city of Ancyra. From that place his army marched to the distant city of Sebasteia. As his army marched it wasted away from hunger and thirst until at last all the knights were dismounted and most had thrown away their lances and swords. At the time when Raymond and Bohemond were renewing their strength and courage inside Alexandretta after their separate defeats, the last of Robert's knights perished from their suffering near the city of Augustopolis. And so ended the army of this favorite of Alexis, Emperor of the East.

When Raymond and Bohemond led their surviving pilgrims into Alexandretta and had no more than closed the gates of the city behind them a countless host of Saracens appeared outside the walls to starve the pilgrims and end their Holy expedition. Thus enclosed by the enemy the noble pilgrims repented their sins and joined their armies together as one great body of knights and foot-soldiers. When their strength had been renewed by rest they found the shame of their defeat and flight unbearable and resolved among themselves to leave the safety of the city walls to attack their enemies.

And so on a certain day Bohemond and Raymond called their knights together, exited the city and ordered their phalanxes for battle. As though dumbstruck by the pilgrims' boldness the Saracens were much dismayed by the unexpected appearance of the pilgrim army. Here the knights burst in upon the Saracen hordes with such violence that none knew which way to turn to save their lives. Those that held fast to their places were impaled on the Christian knights' strong lances or lost their heads at the neck or had their limbs sliced from their quivering bodies. The few survivors of the mighty Saracen army turned their backs to the soldiers of God and fled.

Thus encouraged by their victory Bohemond and Raymond advanced together to the city of St. Symeon. The soldiers of God besieged this place for some weeks unhampered by the Saracens. When the defenders saw that no army came to relieve them they opened the city gates to the pilgrims and fled. Soon thereafter Bohemond and Raymond went on once more to Antioch and called on the garrison to open the city gates. This they refused to do in the knowledge that a multitudinous army of Saracens was nearby and ready to attack the Christian pilgrims. This army then showed its outside the city's walls.

Undismayed by this Bohemond and Raymond collected their knights and foot-soldiers in a body and went out to meet the Saracen host. Here the Saracens so far outnumbered the pilgrims that they formed their army into three mighty bodies; one took the right hand and one the left hand. The third stood between the other two. Seeing this and having gained much experience in fighting these Saracen hordes Bohemond and Raymond led their knights out to attack one wing of the enemy army and quickly put it to flight before the others could come to its aid. The violence of the knight's attack filled the other two bodies of the enemy army with such terror that they retreated to find a safe place to await the turn of their destruction. This was not long in coming. For the Christian knights turned their attack toward the other two Saracen wings and attacked them with such great fury that many were slain at the first rush and many more were hurled back on their haunches. Here the pilgrims' swords hewed their enemies to the right and left until those Saracens who survived despaired for their lives and fled as quickly as their horses could carry them.

All of this was visible to those of Antioch's defenders who lined the city's high walls. Seeing their succor cast down and the ground before the city running red with the blood and gore of those who had come to save them the inhabitants were inspired with an overwhelming dread for their own lives. As Bohemond and Raymond returned from their pursuit of the defeated Saracen army they were met by a delegation from the city who gave the place over to the pilgrim army in exchange for their lives, if not their property. And on this certain day the defenders of the city were allowed to leave in peace while the soldiers of God entered the place and gave great thanks for their conquest of a powerful army and capture of such a strong walled city.

Notes on the Conduct of the Campaign Game

Battles that occurred during the course of the campaign game were played out using DBA rules with Norman (#102c) and Feudal French (#137) armies portraying the four crusader armies. Seljuk Turk (#124) and Syrian (#139) armies were used to portray the Turkish and Saracen armies. In most battles single crusader armies faced two or three Turk or Saracen armies. Special playing area and set up rules were used to account for the use of multiple armies.

Both sides were only allowed a single unmodified tactical movement die roll each turn which meant that the Turks and Saracens experienced some difficulty in using their numerical superiority to advantage. Once the crusaders engaged one enemy army, the enemy's tactical movement die rolls tended to be consumed fighting that action while the enemy's other armies were only able to move sporadically until the first army engaged was defeated. Thus it was to the crusaders' advantage to attack one of two or three enemy armies as quickly as possible. The crusaders won seven out of nine battles and only lost when their armies had been reduced by attrition to about half their original twelve element strength which left them unable to cover a wide front or effectively anchor their flanks on bad going or impassable terrain. In the two losses the Saracen armies were able to surround crusader elements and turn recoils into kills.

Over the course of the campaign crusader armies were subject to attrition; elements could either be done to death outright or had to be exchanged for weaker element types. Attrition became an important factor whenever crusader armies moved onto a Transit Point (see map) or remained stationary on a Fortress Point too long. One unfortunate crusader army was completely destroyed by attrition. Movement was conducted on a random basis; die rolls had to be made for each crusader army to determine whether it would move and another die roll determined where they moved. This lent the crusaders' movements a pleasingly erratic and disjointed quality. Any army that deflected its march to Attalia or Seleucia had to remain stationary for a set number of turns waiting for a friendly fleet to show up to transport it to St. Symeon, but the chances of that actually happening were not very good.

Rules for Playing the DBA Crusades campaign

Back to MWAN #81 Table of Contents
© Copyright 1996 Hal Thinglum

This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com