CYPRUS? CYPRUS HAD A MEDIEVAL KINGDOM? NEVER!

WELL, ACTUALLY, YES. RICHARD I OF ENGLAND ESTABLISHED THE FRANKISH KINGDOM OF CYPRUS ON HIS WAY TO THE SIEGE OF ACRE. INITIALLY THE ENTIRE KINGDOM WAS GRANTED TO THE TEMPLARS, BUT THEY MADE A COMPLETE MESS OF THE PLACE IN THREE YEARS, AND IT WAS SOLD, AS A SORT OF CONSOLATION PRIZE, TO THE LUSIGNAN HEIR TO JERUSALEM, GUY (THE BIG LOSER AT HATTIN). ALTHOUGH GUY HAD TO BORROW HEAVILY TO GET THE ISLAND, HE MADE AN EXCELLENT DEAL; BECAUSE OF ITS SUGAR INDUSTRY AND ITS POSITION ASTRIDE THE LEVANT SEA TRADE, CYPRUS WAS THE RICHEST LATIN KINGDOM EAST OF SICILY. IN FACT, IT WAS SO RICH AND HAD SUCH AN ENORMOUS TAX BASE THAT LEGEND CLAIMS THAT RICHARD FLIRTED WITH THE IDEA CF GIVING THE THRONE OF ENGLAND TO JOHN LACKLAND, AND RULING CYPRUS. ONE CAN ONLY DREAM OF THE DIFFERENT COURSE OF THE CRUSADES HAD RICHARD BECOME RULER OF THE RICHEST INVASION PLATFORM IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.

AFTER THE INITIAL BUY-OUT, CYPRUS HAD A VERY COLORFUL MILITARY HISTORY. IN THE 13TH CENTURY, GENOA PURCHASED THE FINEST PORT ON THE ISLAND, FAMAGUSTA, WHICH THEY HELD AGAINST ALL COMERS UNTIL JAMES II (THE BASTARD), CYPRUS' LAST MILITARY KING, TOOK IT FROM THEM IN 1472. VENICE AND THE KNIGHTS OF ST JOHN WERE THE OTHER MAJOR POWERS ON THE ISLAND. IN THE MID-FOURTEENTH CENTURY, PETER I OF CYPRUS BROUGHT THE KINGDOM TO ITS GREATEST MILITARY POWER, BUILDING A POWERFUL FLEET, HIRING MERCENARIES FROM ALL OVER EUROPE (AND ASIA) INCLUDING THAT MEDIEVAL WORTHY, CHAUCER'S KNIGHT, AND RAIDING THE MAINLAND FREQUENTLY. IN FACT, HAD PETER RECEIVED ANY SUPPORT FROM THE WEST (BUSY WITH THE 100 YEARS WAR) THE RECOVERY OF THE HOLY LAND WAS NOT BEYOND HIM; HE SEIZED SEVERAL CITIES ALONG THE ASIAN COAST AND HELD THEM DURING HIS LIFETIME, AND HIS FLEET WAS A PERMANENT CHECK ON OTTOMAN EXPANSION (OR MAMALUK, FOR THAT MATTER). THROUGHOUT HIS CAMPAIGNS HE WAS ABLY SUPPORTED BY HIS ALLIES, THE KNIGHTS OF ST. JOHN AND THE BYZANTINE DESPOTS OF VARIOUS-AEGEAN ISLANDS. HIS ARMIES WOULD HAVE NUMBERED 6-12,000 MEN IN AN ACTUAL FIELD ARMY, WITH MORE AVAILABLE IN THE FORM OF MILITIA. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF KNIGHT SERVICE, THE ENTIRE CYPRIOT FIELD ARMY WOULD HAVE BEEN MERCENARIES. PETER I'S GREATEST MILITARY SUCCESS WAS HIS RAID ON ALEXANDRIA IN 1365, AND THE CONSEQUENT DEFEAT OF THE MAMALUK RELIEF FORCE.

AFTER PETERS DEATH THE KINGDOM DECLINED UNTIL 1426, WHEN KING JANUS WAS DECISIVELY DEFEATED BY A MAMALUK INVASION FORCE AT KHIROKITIA, A FATE HE RICHLY DESERVED FOR ALLOWING THE FLEET TO DECAY, AND TURNING OFF THE MAJORITY OF THE MERCENARIES, ALTHOUGH HE STILL MANAGED TO FIELD OVER SIX THOUSAND MEN, INCLUDING CYPRIOTS, TURKS, CATALANS, AND ARMENIANS. BOTH PETER I AND JAMES II HIRED CONTINGENTS OF TARTARS, AND JAMES HIRED SEVERAL STRADIOT CONDATTA'S. AFTER KHIROKITIA, THE MAMALUKS USED THE ISLAND AS A BASE, AND WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING JAMES RESTORE HIS KINGDOM IN 1460-64, FOR WHICH HE REWARDED THEM BY KILLING THEM TO THE LAST MAN. JAMES ALSO USED A GREAT MANY VENETIAN TROOPS, AS GENOA SUPPORTED HIS HALF SISTER (AND ENEMY) QUEEN CHARLOTTE. THIS ARMY SHOULD BE EXTREMELY COLORFUL, WITH AN INCREDIBLE LIST OF TROOP TYPES; AT THE SAME TIME, IT IS ANOTHER MEDIEVAL "ALL STAR TEAM," WITH GREAT KNIGHTS FROM ALL OVER EUROPE COMING TO FIGHT FOR PETER, AND WITH SEVERAL GREAT CONDOT.TIERI, AND A HEFTY CONTINGENT OF BURGUNDIANS FIGHTING FOR JAMES II. 

Lusignan Cypriot (1197-1510): (Warm)
162A, warm E: 1197-1325 M: 1326-1427 L: 1428-1510

C-in-C with PA as heaviest knight @115 1
Subgeneral as heaviest knight @50 (E, M) 0-3
Subgeneral as heaviest knight @50 (L) 0-1
Hospitaller subgeneral as knight @50 0-1
Venetian subgeneral as knight @50 (L) .1
Mamaluke ally general as HC or EHC L, B, Sh @75 0-1
P to accompany allygenerals and subgenerals @511 irreg or 10 if reg all
Cypriot knight service Irreg B HK L, Sh @11 12-27
extra to upgrade to EHK @4 (E) any
extra to upgrade to EHK @4 (M) all
extra to upgrade EHK to SHK @3 (M) any
extra to upgrade EHK to SHK @3 (L) all
Mercenary knights Irreg B EHK L, Sh @15 (M) 6-18
Mercenary knights Irreg B EHK L, Sh @15 (L) 0-12
extra to upgrade Mercenaries to Reg C SHK @4 (M) all/0
extra to upgrade Mercenaries to Reg C SHK @4 (L) all
Hospitaller Brethren Reg A SHK L, Sh @21 (M, L) 5-11
Hospitaller Serving Brothers Reg B HC L, Sh @11 6-12
Mamalukes Reg B HC L, B, Sh @13 (L) 0-12
extra to upgrade Mamalukes to EHC @2 0-1/2
Cypriote Turcopoles Irreg C LC JLS, B, Sh @7 16-32
Tatars Reg D LC B @5 0-8
extra to give Tatars JLS, Sh @4 0-1/4
Karamanli Turks Reg C LC JLS, B, Sh @10 0-12
extra to upgrade Karamanli to Reg B @1
any Stradiotes Irreg B LC up to 1/4 B or CB, rest JLS, Sh @7 (L) '0-12
Bulgars Irreg D LC B @3 0-8
Cypriote Francomati Reg D MI up to 1/3 B, rest LTS. Sh @3 16-48
extra to upgrade Francomati to HI @2 any
extra to upgrade to Reg C @1 (M) any
option to exchange CB for B @0 (L) all
Cypriote marines Reg C LHI CB, Sh @6 (M, L) 0-32
Venetian marines Reg C LHI 1/2 CB, rest CB or B, Sh @6 (L) *16.32
extra to give Venetians 2HCT @2 0-1/2
Cypriote or Italian oarsmen Reg C LMI JLS, Sh @4 (M, L) 0-32
extra to upgrade JLS to 2HCT @1 any
extra to upgrade oarsmen to WI @2 any
Mercenary foot Reg C Mi LfS, Sh 4)4 0-32
extra to upgrade mercenary foot to HI @2 any
extra to convert mercenary LTS to P@0 or 2HCT@1 as Burgundians(L) all/0
Cretan archers Reg C U B, Sh @4 (E, M) 0-16
Greek arches Irreg D U B @1 (M) 0-48
Cilesian or Cypriote Armenians Irreg C U or LMI JLS, Sh @3 (E) 18-36
Cilesian or Cypriote Armenians Irreg C U or LMI JLS, Sh @3 (M) 18-96
Cilesian or Cypriote Armenians Irreg C U or LMI JLS, Sh @3 (L) 0-12

Catalan marines Irreg B LMI JLS, Sh @4 (M, L) 0-18
Cypriote parici Irreg D up to 1/2 U, rest LMI B or CB @1 0-48
Bombards with Irreg C crew of 4 @30 (L) 0-2
Organ guns with Irreg C crew of 3 @15 (L) 0-2
Pavises for any foot or dismounted cav except LI, LC or Armenians, converting LMI to MI and WI to HI @1 (L) any 
up to 21 regular command factors @10
up try 2 regular command factors @5 to give Hospitallers a detachment of Serving Brothers
up to to regular command factors @5 to give marines a detachment of oarsmen
up to 11 irregular command factors @25

The CinC (M) may command any troops. Otherwise, only the Hospitaller subgeneral may command Hospitaller troops, although he can also command any others, and only a Mamaluke can command Mamalukes, although he can command any non-Christian mercenaries.

Any item marked * is required if any troops so marked are taken. All mercenary K on the (M) period, and up to 6 on the (L) period, may fight in wedge. Organ guns and bombards may be in mixed units. Any troops may use boats.