Out of the Desert

[Karvon]

The first in a series of semi-historical battles of the Arab Conquest.

1. Battle at the Oasis.

The prophet directed us to bring the desert tribes into the fold, so our army marched out to secure a key oasis. The Bedouins rallied to oppose our advance. A large plateau lay in the center and most of the right sectors, surrounding the oasis, which lay in the right center, and a large farm in about the center of our deployment area. A long patch of rough ran along the plateau on our right, looking down on the oasis.

We deployed our foot in the large farm with our light and mounted on our right on the plateau. The Bedouins deployed opposite us, with mixed mounted on both wings and their foot in the center.

We left a few of our spears to hold the farm and shifted the rest to our right, marching up along the plateau toward the oasis. Our mounted swung wide around the oasis, supported by a few of our foot and lights.

The Bedouins swarmed toward the farm and along the plateau to oppose our advance. On our left, our spears grimly held out in the fields surrounding the village, though they took a lot of losses from skirmishers and from repeated attack by enemy horse. On the plateau, our spears ground forward, slowly driving back the opposing horse, but taking a fair number of losses from enemy bow fire in the process. On our right, our mounted supported by our lights and a few foot, slowly drove off or destroyed the opposing horse as they swept around the oasis, and then enveloped the Bedouin center, leading to the final collapse of the enemy.

Final Score: Arab Conquest 64 - Arab Bedouin 44.

[Karvon]

The 2nd in a series of semi-historical battles of the Arab Conquest.

2. Battle of the Farm

Following our victory over the desert tribes, we marched on a nearby town to bring more people under the banner of the faithful. The townsmen met our army near a central farm overlooked by some hills, several of them rather steep.

We deployed our spears, supported by bow in the center with some mediums on our right screened by our lights and camels. A small division of lancers covered our left initially.

The city folk deployed a massive block of spearmen on their right along a ridge overlooking the central farm. A fair number of bows and mediums screened by light foot deployed along the slopes of a couple of steep hills securing their left. A large division of lancers supported by a few light horse covered their right and a smaller mixed division of camels and lancers screened by a few light horse covered their left.

We pushed forward our lights and camels backed up by our infantry on the right and the city folks mounted fell back around the steep hills covering their left. Their spears advanced across the ridge to the slopes overlooking the central farm and their right wing mounted swept wide to move in on the flank of the farm.

Lacking the troops to effectively assault the steep hills, our infantry wheeled left and moved into the central farm, while our lights and horse reversed and shifted to cover the rear and left flank of the farm. The city folk descended from the steep hills and advanced after our shifting infantry and horse, supported by some light horse and camels.

The city folk stormed down the hill and assaulted out spears in the farm and that did not go well for them with several units disrupted or fragmented fairly quickly. Our bow and camels rained arrows on the lancers facing us on our left, disrupting and fragmenting several of them as well. We unleashed our own lancers and swept these away. Demoralized by these losses, the city folk leaders surrendered.

Final adjusted score: Arab Conquest 44 Arab City 19

[Karvon]

The 3rd in a series of semi-historical battles of the Arab Conquest.

3. Invasion of Sassanid Lands

With the Arab tribes united under the banners of the prophet, our attention turned to our northern neighbor, the decrepit Sassanid empire. Our army marched across the border and found their forces mustered to oppose us on a plain fringed with date palms and several farming communities, one in our center, one in the enemy center and another off to our left flank.

We massed our foot behind the embankments screened by our lights and placed our horse in reserve on our right, supported by camels and screened by our light horse.

The Sassanids fielded an all horse army, several ranks of their armored horse archers screened by a few light horse.

We steadily advanced on the right from our farm towards the opposing one with our horse covering our right alongside the palm groves. The Sassanids galloped up and began pouring arrows on us along the line. Our lights managed to absorb a lot of the early fire before finally retiring or breaking. Our own foot bows and lights inflicted a bit of damage though in return.

Our spears charged, scattering his lines, and our own horse followed up, catching and destroying a number of his mounted. The Sassanids regrouped and came at us again, with our spears stoically absorbing the fire and then driving them off, with our mounted chasing some of them down.

While we lost a few units eventually to fire, we managed to grind the enemy down in the end, and they surrendered.

Final Score: Arabs 57 Sassanids 39.

[Karvon]

The 4th in a series of semi-historical battles of the Arab Conquest.

4. Battle of the Date Palms.

Pressing our invasion of the Sassanid lands, we met the next enemy army in another farming district. A large farm lay in our center with a large date palm grove along the right side of it covering a large part of our right sector. A stream wandered across the center of the field. Medium-sized patches of rough ground stretched beyond the farm on the left to the stream, and another similar patch lay beyond the stream a little to the right. A couple of rough patches were on our side of the stream near the right edge. Another smaller farm sat along our far left flank. A couple of farms were visible in the distance on the far left and center of the Sassanid side of the field. A number of small patches of rough were scattered across the plains.

Given the likely Sassanid number of horse with possible elephants, our plan was to initially defend the farm and neighboring palm grove and counterattack where feasible. To that end, we deployed most of our spearmen in the farm complex screened by a few lights and supported by a couple of our bowmen. We hid a small division of Bedouin lancers and camels in the palm grove, screened by the rest of our lights, some Bedouin foot, and bowmen. We place our Bedouin light lancers in a loose picket line close to the stream.

The Sassanids surprised us by bringing a predominantly infantry army. A long line of their heavy foot formed their center, with a second line of levy spear backing them up as a reserve. A couple of elephants formed up to the left, supported by a veteran Dailami foot, and a small horse archer division covered their left flank. A few lights screened their front.

We decided to stick to the original plan and hold the farm complex, letting their foot come to us. We shifted our lights to our right in an attempt to draw this horse archers away and ahead of his foot.

The Sassanids obliged, and their infantry slowly advanced towards the farm, while their horse archers galloped across the stream, scattering our opposing lights ahead of them.

We shifted our spearmen around in the farm to maximize the embankments as our lights continued to skirmish with the opposing horse archers. We saw off one with our shooting and disrupted another, losing one of our lights in the process. We then sprang our Bedouin horse out of the palms and swept away his remaining horse in a series of flanking attacks.

The Sassanids assaulted the farm and that did not go so well for them either, given our better morale and defensive position; a couple of units disrupted or fragmented fairly quickly. We shot up one elephant and the other slammed into our spears for a grinding combat. His Dailami proved more troublesome, and we sacrificed a bow unit to keep it occupied while swinging some of our Bedouin foot and reserve spear around the engaged enemy left and punched through his reserve line of levy spears pretty quickly. Our horse swept along right, taking away some fragmented units and pursuing his routers. For several hours, the Sassanids verged on breaking, but each time managed to hold together somehow.

One of our spear holding the corner of the farm was finally ground down and broke, but the rest of the line held. We managed to recall some of our horse, and they began to envelop the Sassanid foot embroiled against our foot behind the embankments of the farm. More of their foot disrupted and then broke as we counterattacked out of the farm with our spears. This proved the final straw, and the Sassanids finally collapsed.

Final Score: Arabs - 59 Sassanids - 28.

[Karvon]

The 5th in a series of semi-historical battles of the Arab Conquest.

5. In the Hills Beside the Sea.

With the defeat of the Sassanids, our attention shifted to the west and the lands of the Byzantine empire. Our army invaded Palestine and met an imperial army in some hills along the coast. The sea lay along our right. A series of hills ran across the middle. A few scattered woods were on our left.

We initially interspersed our bow and spears in a long line from the sea to the woods on our left. We hid our lights and a few mediums in the woods. We placed one small division of lancers and camels behind our food on our left and hid another behind the woods. A few light lancers screened our far left.

The Byzantine army was all horse, a lot of lancers supported by a few horse archers and a couple of light horse. They were deployed in roughly three equal divisions with the light horse out on their right flank.

We slowly advanced our main infantry line and supporting horse, while keeping the rest hidden. The Byzantines began shifting their center and right divisions further right behind their screening light horse while their left cantered forward to delay our infantry line.

We pressed forward on our right to pin down the opposing horse with a token number of spears, while the rest of the line pivoted to our left to face the horse trying to outflank us. Our light lancers chased off some of the screening lights and engaged the others. The Byzantines sent in their lancers and horse archers in support and saw off one of ours. We, in turn, jumped on the pursuers with our hidden camels and lancers and our lights moved out of the woods to shoot up some of his horse. Another of our light lancers finally broke and fled off the field, taking a couple of the Byzantines along in hot pursuit. Fortunately, these never returned.

Our pivoting spear and bow line came into support the ongoing melees on the left. The bow, adding to the lights, shot up several more of his horse. The spears drove back, and then flanked several lancers tangled with our horse. We threw in more of our horse to flank or finish off fragmented units.

On our right, our two spear kept his four horse pinned down, but his focused shooting eventually shredded one, though it held out to the bitter end, despite being charged a time or two.

On the left, our spears and horse enveloped the surviving lancers, and most of them folded after a few hours of fighting. Our light horse harried routers to insure none of them rallied, and the Byzantines finally gave up.

Final Score: Arabs 56 - Byzantines 28.

[Karvon]

The 6th in a series of semi-historical battles of the Arab Conquest.

6. The Valley Fight

As our army pushed forward further into Byzantine territory, we found another force across our path. A river blocked off our right flank. A large bluff looked down on the river, filling most of the center-right section of the field. This high ground was broken up by scattered patches of rough and trees. A mountain spur rested at about the center of the left edge and extended as a narrow gentle slope towards the center. A small village lay in the shadow of the spur near the left edge. A medium-sized hill rose from about the center of our front. Thus, valleys were formed between the bluffs on the right, this hill and the ridge on our left. A small marsh lay in about the center of the field between our hill and the opposing ridge. A medium-sized woods masked the left flank of our central hill.

We deployed our spearmen on the right, supported by some bow and Bedouin foot. Our light foot screened our infantry line, supported by some of our light horse. A division of lancers and camels we held in reserve, covering our left flank.

The Byzantines formed up their heavy foot on the bluffs, screened by some lights and with a couple of divisions of of mixed horse covering each flank.

We advanced our infantry along the bluffs and shifted our mounted to a position on the central hill.

The Byzantines sortied out with their horse and lights to delay us and showered us with arrows. Their infantry advanced in support, with a couple of units detached to defend the ridge on our left with some supporting horse.

A tangled fight developed on the bluffs as our spearmen grimly tackled the opposing lancers, slowly driving them back on their foot. We managed to come to grips with his foot, but they fought hard, and progress was slow. Unfortunately, the Byzantines managed to break through a gap and overran some of our bow with their horse.

On our left, our mounted, supported by a few lights and detached spear, tried to clear the ridge, so we could turn the enemy right. Alas, the foot shrugged off our initial barrage of arrows for the most part, though we did break through their line with one unit in pursuit of lights. Alas, these victorious camels lopped off after the routers, rather than turning to help with the enemy foot.

Our lights with support of some Bedouins cleared the marsh but ran into opposition along the bluffs. Our detached spears with some lancer support swung round the marsh and pushed up onto the bluffs.

In the meantime, our spears on the bluffs were flanked by the returning horse and the line began to slowly unravel. One-by-one they got flanked. Some fought bravely, but it only delayed the inevitable collapse of the line.

At this point, both armies were on the verge of collapse. With a heroic last surge, our flanking horse finally finished off some stubborn foot, and in the ensuing pursuit, swept away several already tired neighbors. The Byzantines gave up and fled the field, and our survivors thanked Allah for the victory.

Final Score Arabs 60 Byzantines 58

[Karvon]

The 7th in a series of semi-historical battles of the Arab Conquest.

7. Battle by the Sea

An Axumite raiding force was reported, and we gathered the faithful to repel them. The armies met along the seaside, the waters filling our left flank, and between two large farming complexes; one was along the enemy baseline, and the other lay on our side of the center sector. A medium-sized patch of rough lay about halfway between the two farms and a bit off to our right.

Our infantry, a mix of spears supported by bow, formed up in the center facing the first farm. A small division of Bedouin foot held the left flank, and our Bedouin horse held our right. A screen of lights was deployed to the right, opposite the rough patch, with our camels in support.

The Axumites deployed against the sea on our left. A mass of their foot, supported by a few bows, and screened by a few lights. A smaller body formed up to occupy the rough. Their lone elephant was held in reserve between the infantry masses. Their battle line rumbled straight forward to engage us.

Our light screen and camels quickly cleared away the opposing lights and began harassing the foot holding the rough. Our mounted swept up behind them and moved into flanking positions around the rough. Our infantry shifted to the far right to follow up behind them, dropping off a couple of Bedouin foot to hold the farm and delay the oncoming Axumite horde.

The Auxamites detached a number of foot to deal with our Bedouins, and the main body slowly wheeled left to chase down our shifting foot. On our right, they somewhat brazenly surged out of the rough, and we promptly flanked and dispatched them. Their elephant, rather foolishly, attempted to run down our skirmishers and found itself surrounded instead. It was quickly shot up and fled, hurried on by some of our light horse.

Our spears and bows turned to face the oncoming enemy foot, which was now a little broken up and no longer in a single solid line. Our bows got off a couple of volleys, weakening the leading elements, and our spears easily held against their less-than-resolute assault. The despirited quickly broke, and the enemy fled the field.

Final Score: Arabs 50 Axumites 13

[Karvon]

The 8th in a series of semi-historical battles of the Arab Conquest.

8. The Bejas Raiders.

A Bejas raiding force swept out of the desert and ransacked a few of our villages. We gathered an army to repel them and found them on a broad plain bordered by a number of farms near a large oasis. The oasis divided their center from their left sector. A large plateau ran along the left sector from the far side of the field to about the center. Groves and fields lay along the left edge. A couple of medium-sized rough patches lay near the center and the right center edge. A large farm was located in about the middle of our center sector, with a large rough patch screening the left side of it.

We opted to initially deploy our spears, supported by bow, behind the farm, with our Beduoins and Dailami foot holding the rough. Our light screened the front, with horse on each flank. Our lancers formed up in reserve behind the foot.

The Bejas placed a large mass of foot, supported by a few camels, on our left near the plateau. A large mass of camels deployed in the center and on our right.

We decided to focus on the camels, hoping to trap them between the oasis and edges, and either destroy or drive them off the field. We immediately began shifting our foot and lancers right through and behind the center farm. Our lights pressed forward to harass the camels and draw them onto our foot.

The Bejas pushed forward all along the front, his foot advancing over the plateau and his camels over the plains towards out foot. Our lights and bows shot up a few camels before being driven back. Our foot and lancers charged and drove the camels off in turn, trapping and killing a couple in the process. We refused our left flank as we advanced, turning a couple of spear to hold off the advancing horde of Bejas foot.

As the Bejas camels neared the oasis, they began to realize the danger of getting trapped and started shifting to avoid it. We surged our foot forward to close it, but, unfortunately, they fled in the optimal direction and escaped to the center, rather than to our right.

In the meantime, one of our spears holding the flank was overrun, and a couple of others were pretty badly shot up by Bejas archery, and unlikely to hold out very long against the massed foot approaching. With our chance of an easy victory disappearing in the dust of the retreating camels, we drew our depleted forces into the far right corner of the field, using the oasis to cover our left. We formed up a line of our foot supported by our lancers.

The Bejas hordes slowly wheeled and followed us, then launched a last-minute assault along the line. We traded losses till dusk fell and lived to fight another day.

Final score: Arabs - 33 Bejas - 42.