062.Siege of Jerusalem_a - WDS Crusades Book II
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| Rating: | 0 (0) |
| Games Played: | 0 |
| SM: | 3 |
| Turns: | 30 |
| Type: | Stock |
| First Side: | Anti-Crusader Alliance (CB2) |
| Second Side: | Crusader Alliance (CB2) |
Date: September 24th, 1187 - Size: Large - Location: The Holy City of Jerusalem
Crusade: Period between 2nd and 3rd Crusades
Scenario Briefing: Historical - Following the catastrophic defeat by King Guy at the Battle of Hattin, almost the entire Crusader army was destroyed. Only Balien d'Ibelin and Raymond III of Tripoli managed to escape with a contingent of the army. After retreating from Hattin, Balien arrived in Tyre. There, he asked and was granted permission to travel to Jerusalem so that he could escort his wife, Maria Komnene, Queen of Jerusalem and his family out of the city and back to Tripoli. However, upon his arrival, he was asked, in the name of Christ, to stay and defend the city. With his decision to stay, he sent word to Saladin to explain his decision. Saladin not only accepted his apology but also sent an escort to take Maria and the family to Tripoli. There she would await the fate of Jerusalem.
While waiting for Saladin to lay siege to Jerusalem, Balien set about organizing the defense of the holy city. Among those that would defend the city were a handful of knights and the survivors of Hattin. Along with these, said to number about 3,000, Balien knighted as many as he could find that would contribute to the defense of Jerusalem. Perhaps as many as 60 squires were knighted and many more able-bodied men were trained to fight as part of the city militia. The total number of defenders is unknown, but it would have had to be in the low thousands to have held off the army of Saladin for over a week. An army that numbered close to 30,000. Almost 10 times that which Balien could call upon.
This scenario covers the first phase of Saladin's siege. The main focus of his attack was against the northern and upper western wall.
During the first phase, Saladin was not willing to accept any terms other than complete and unconditional surrender. Without this, he was determined to breach the walls and annihilate the entire population. Much the same way the victors of the 1st Crusade treated the civilians of Jerusalem in 1099. Then, many thousands were massacred. Although the total number of the slain has been disputed, it ranged from 3,000 to 30,000. Either way, the number was in the thousands. To represent this determination to kill the Christian inhabitants, you will find many civilian unit counters. As the Anti-Crusader player, you must not only eliminate as many of the military targets as you can, but also the civilians. This may seem cruel, but it was a basic part of medieval siege warfare.
Ladders have been allocated to select Muslim units.
As mentioned, there are Christian civilian units that occupy the city. If you take note of the overall army strength, be sure to subtract them from the army total as they do not have a military value.
Recommended Rules: [Default]
Intended to be played as the Anti-Crusader Alliance against the Crusader Alliance AI. It can also be played Head-to-Head.
Suggested Reading: Smail, R.C., Crusading Warfare, 1097-1193. And Runciman, Steven, A History of the Crusades, Volume II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East.
Crusade: Period between 2nd and 3rd Crusades
Scenario Briefing: Historical - Following the catastrophic defeat by King Guy at the Battle of Hattin, almost the entire Crusader army was destroyed. Only Balien d'Ibelin and Raymond III of Tripoli managed to escape with a contingent of the army. After retreating from Hattin, Balien arrived in Tyre. There, he asked and was granted permission to travel to Jerusalem so that he could escort his wife, Maria Komnene, Queen of Jerusalem and his family out of the city and back to Tripoli. However, upon his arrival, he was asked, in the name of Christ, to stay and defend the city. With his decision to stay, he sent word to Saladin to explain his decision. Saladin not only accepted his apology but also sent an escort to take Maria and the family to Tripoli. There she would await the fate of Jerusalem.
While waiting for Saladin to lay siege to Jerusalem, Balien set about organizing the defense of the holy city. Among those that would defend the city were a handful of knights and the survivors of Hattin. Along with these, said to number about 3,000, Balien knighted as many as he could find that would contribute to the defense of Jerusalem. Perhaps as many as 60 squires were knighted and many more able-bodied men were trained to fight as part of the city militia. The total number of defenders is unknown, but it would have had to be in the low thousands to have held off the army of Saladin for over a week. An army that numbered close to 30,000. Almost 10 times that which Balien could call upon.
This scenario covers the first phase of Saladin's siege. The main focus of his attack was against the northern and upper western wall.
During the first phase, Saladin was not willing to accept any terms other than complete and unconditional surrender. Without this, he was determined to breach the walls and annihilate the entire population. Much the same way the victors of the 1st Crusade treated the civilians of Jerusalem in 1099. Then, many thousands were massacred. Although the total number of the slain has been disputed, it ranged from 3,000 to 30,000. Either way, the number was in the thousands. To represent this determination to kill the Christian inhabitants, you will find many civilian unit counters. As the Anti-Crusader player, you must not only eliminate as many of the military targets as you can, but also the civilians. This may seem cruel, but it was a basic part of medieval siege warfare.
Ladders have been allocated to select Muslim units.
As mentioned, there are Christian civilian units that occupy the city. If you take note of the overall army strength, be sure to subtract them from the army total as they do not have a military value.
Recommended Rules: [Default]
Intended to be played as the Anti-Crusader Alliance against the Crusader Alliance AI. It can also be played Head-to-Head.
Suggested Reading: Smail, R.C., Crusading Warfare, 1097-1193. And Runciman, Steven, A History of the Crusades, Volume II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East.
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