The Guildford
Wargamers played Ironbow again on Monday night. In a scenario ‘inspired’ by the
battle of La Forbie in 1244, an Ayyubid Egyptian army led by Baibars (Andrew
D), consisting mostly of Kwarismian mercenaries, took on an alliance between
the Ayyubids of Syria (Dave) and the Kingdom of Jerusalem (Daniel). I (Andrew
F) umpired and generally criticised. Although the Christians provided the
majority of the troops on the allied side, it was Dave, as al-Mansur of Homs,
who was C-in-C.
The allies deployed
with the village of La Forbie and some scattered olive groves on their right.
Into these constricted areas they packed all their Frankish foot – 8 elements
each of sergeants and crossbows. Two commands of knights, one secular one
Order, (with a few Turcopoles) filled the centre, then a command of
less-than-useful Syrian foot, al-Mansur with a single unit of 4 Ghulams under
his own command. On the far right wing a command of irregular Turcomen was under
an Nasir Dawud of Kerak.
