• Blitz Shadow Player
  • Caius
  • redboot
  • Rules
  • Chain of Command
  • Members
  • Supported Ladders & Games
  • Downloads

064.Siege of Jerusalem_c - WDS Crusades Book II

064.Siege of Jerusalem_c Image
Black Powder Ladder

064.Siege of Jerusalem_c

By Richard Walker
Anti-Crusader Alliance (CB2) 0 - 0 - 0 Crusader Alliance (CB2)
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: What if - 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 assumes that the Crusader defeat at Hattin, though a terrible blow, was not as decisive as was the historical event. As a consequence, more survived the defeat and retreated to Jerusalem in an effort to defend the city against the numerically superior Muslim army commanded by Saladin.

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.