Slitherine

What is the reasoning behind arabs (specifically bedouins) in the swords and scimitars book being denied camel cavalry?

http://ageofempires.wikia.com/wiki/Camel

"The Camel was a useful mount for warriors in desert regions of the world because it could move quickly across sand and could go long periods without water. In addition, horses shied away from the presence of camels. The Saracens made good use of camels during the Crusades; camel riders appeared out of the desert to raid Crusader outposts and caravans and then escaped back into terrain that horses could not cross."

This may already have been answered, but I can't find it (I can't use the google search function, it keeps saying no results found), so if it has, could someone please direct me to the thread?

Cheers
Sam

Perhaps their number was so small that it doesn't justify a whole BG?
Raiders aren't necessarily part of an army.
I read that they used them more often in earlier times but switched to the horse early.

NZsam03 wrote:What is the reasoning behind arabs (specifically bedouins) in the swords and scimitars book being denied camel cavalry?

Because, outside of a bit of raiding, the camel was not used as a mount of war.

Or...FoG doesn't model "mounted infantry" fully, the mounts being assumed to have got the riders to the battlefield where they then dismount and fight as normal infantry.

Out of interest, are there many actual accounts of battles in which mobile camels cause problems for horse-mounted cavalry? I'm aware of the use of tethered camels as a form of fortification against Vandals and then Byzantines in North Africa, but that's not really the same thing!

nikgaukroger wrote:

NZsam03 wrote:What is the reasoning behind arabs (specifically bedouins) in the swords and scimitars book being denied camel cavalry?

Because, outside of a bit of raiding, the camel was not used as a mount of war.

Did'nt they get rid of camels as mounts, when the early(7th century) arabs took over the horse raising lands in Arabia.

Ahhh... yes, some reading in google books has confirmed that camels only saw large scale use as pack animals during the crusades. Fortunately I've got some for my baggage.
Thanks
Sam

Because the FoG Authors are anti-dromedarians!

Maybe a little too much so

nikgaukroger wrote: Because, outside of a bit of raiding, the camel was not used as a mount of war.

Not true, you just can't see them because they're well camelflaged.

peterrjohnston wrote:

nikgaukroger wrote: Because, outside of a bit of raiding, the camel was not used as a mount of war.

Not true, you just can't see them because they're well camelflaged.

Oh My God ... brit humor

MatteoPasi wrote:

Pete the Wop :wink: wrote:Not true, you just can't see them because they're well camelflaged.

Oh My God ... brit humor

we disown him, he's italian now

philqw78 wrote:

MatteoPasi wrote:

Pete the Wop :wink: wrote:Not true, you just can't see them because they're well camelflaged.

Oh My God ... brit humor

we disown him, he's italian now

Oh My God ... brit humor AGAIN !

MatteoPasi wrote:

philqw78 wrote:

MatteoPasi wrote: Oh My God ... brit humor

we disown him, he's italian now

Oh My God ... brit humor AGAIN !

the Fanatic Berber list has a unit of Protected, Average, Undrilled Lancer Swordsmen Camelry and the troop notes say the battle of Sagrajas was "the first battle in Spain in which camels were used-with great success against the Christian knights."

wildone wrote:the Fanatic Berber list has a unit of Protected, Average, Undrilled Lancer Swordsmen Camelry and the troop notes say the battle of Sagrajas was "the first battle in Spain in which camels were used-with great success against the Christian knights."

Not on the FOG Battlefield then..