Arab Conquest

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Historical Overview Section

The Arab Conquests began after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He established a new unified political polity in the Arabian peninsula which under the subsequent Rashidun and Ummayad Arab Caliphates saw a century of rapid expansion of Arab power well beyond the Arabian peninsula in the form of a vast Muslim Arab Empire with an area of influence that stretched from northwest India, across Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, southern Italy, and the Iberian Peninsula, to the Pyrenees. Edward Gibbon writes in History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire:

"Under the last of the Ommiades, the Arabian empire extended two hundred days’ journey from east to west, from the confines of Tartary and India to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. And if we retrench the sleeve of the robe, as it is styled by their writers, the long and narrow province of march of a caravan. We should vainly seek the indissoluble union and easy obedience that pervaded the government of Augustus and the Antonines; but the progress of Islam diffused over this ample space a general resemblance of manners and opinions. The language and laws of the Qu'ran were studied with equal devotion at Samarcand and Seville: the Moor and the Indian embraced as countrymen and brothers in the pilgrimage of Mecca; and the Arabian language was adopted as the popular idiom in all the provinces to the westward of the Tigris."

The Arab conquests brought about the collapse of the Sassanian Empire and a great territorial loss for the Byzantine Empire. Though spectacular, the Arab successes are now being understood in hindsight, most notably in Hugh Kennedy's book The Great Arab Conquests: How The Spread Of Islam Changed The World We Live In. The Sassanid Persian and Byzantine empires were militarily exhausted from decades of fighting one another. This prevented them from dealing effectively with the mobile Arab raiders operating from the desert. Moreover, many of the peoples living under the rule of these empires, for example Jews and Christians in Persia and Monophysites in Syria, were disloyal and sometimes even welcomed the Arab invaders, largely because of religious conflict in both empires.

Useful Links

User-contributed links about this army:

• Arab Conquest From Fanaticus
• Arab Conquest From Fanaticus
• Arab Conquest Pictures From Fanaticus
• Generic Arab Flags from Fanaticus
• downloadable generic Arab flags to print out and add to your figures
• site mirror for warflag as above

Tips on using the army in FoG

• Dont bother with supporting archers for the warriors - they are 6 pts vs. 9 for the warriors, so not terribly cost effective saving. They are not really necessary since mounted would prefer not to charge the spears in any case. One BG of warriors costs 72 points whether it is 8 Spears or 6+3 LF, and all-spears gives flexibility and keeps "spear" ranks bonuses longer as well as if you loss a spear base the LF the moves into the 2nd rank doesn't help keep the +pOA for 2 ranks of spearmen.
• It is however worth adding a 3rd rank to the armoured Dailami as they are more than twice the cost of Ps foot and being swordsmen don't rely on a second rank for a POA anyway

15mm Manufacturers supplying figures for this army

You can see some of the figures in the Ancients Photo Gallery also on this site. This listing only covers "arabic" figures - Turk/Hunninc/Mongol figures are omitted as nearly everyone does some of them.

• Essex Miniatures - many generic Arabs, possibly too generic for todays tastes
• Donnington - 35+ arabs
• Museum Miniatures - several nice Arab/Persian/Turkish ranges, often using the same figures in each!
• Gladiator Miniatures by Fighting 15's (Previously Black Hat) 33-strong Crusades Moslems Range
• Old Glory 15's, several Arab Ranges
• Minifigs Venerable Crusader range with Arabs
• Irregular Miniatures 39 Arab & Turk figures from a generic range
• Lancashire Games - Several large "value" packs of Arab troops
• LKM Direct - Freikorps ranges have Medieval Turks
• Tin Soldier 16 Arabs in one range
• Outpost Wargame Services A specialist in this period/region, 30+ Crusade-period Islamics
• East Riding Miniatures Some berbers in a small El Cid Range may be suitable
• Khurasan Miniatures again a specialist period for Khurasan, with several Persian/eastern ranges
• Falcon Figures Ottoman range
• Battle Line Miniatures 27 Generic Arabs
• Eureka - Australian Site Grumpys Miniatures Persian & Afghan Ranges are quite fun
• 50 Paces.com their website shows an "Arab" range, but no figure codes listed
• Viking Forge - Arab Conquest Range
• Camelot Games Italian-based supplier with 10 Arabs
• Legio Heroica 22 Crusades-era Arabs

Army Lists

800AP List with 3 TCs

• 1 Separately Deployed Archers LF Unprotected Average Undrilled Bow - - 6
• 2 Separately Deployed Archers LF Unprotected Average Undrilled Bow - - 6
• 3 Slingers LF Unprotected Superior Undrilled Sling - - 4
• 4 Bedouin Cavalry LH Unprotected Superior Undrilled - Lancer Swordsmen - 4
• 5 Foot Warriors HF Protected Superior Undrilled - Offensive Spearmen - 8
• 6 Foot Warriors HF Protected Superior Undrilled - Offensive Spearmen - 8
• 7 Foot Warriors HF Protected Superior Undrilled - Offensive Spearmen - 8
• 8 Jund Cavalry CV Protected Superior Undrilled - Lancer Swordsmen - 4
• 9 Jund Cavalry CV Protected Superior Undrilled - Lancer Swordsmen - 4
• 10 Jund Cavalry CV Protected Superior Undrilled - Lancer Swordsmen - 4
• 11 City Cavalry CV Armoured Superior Undrilled - Lancer Swordsmen - 4
• 12 Persians CV Armoured Superior Undrilled Bow Swordsmen - 4
• 13 Dailami MF Armoured Superior Drilled - Impact Foot Swordsmen - 6

Arab Conquest used at Usk 2009, gaining 3rd place overall. Match report here of this army against Hamanid Bedouin Dynasties

• 4 Sling, LH, Superior
• 6 LF Bow, Superior
• 6 LF Bow, Superior
• 4 LH, Lancer, Sworsemen, Average
• 8 Offensive Spearmen, Superior, Protected
• 8 Offensive Spears, Superior, Protected
• 4 Cavalry, Average Protected Lancer Swordsmen
• 4 Cavalry, Average Protected Lancer Swordsmen
• 8 Offensive Spearmen, Superior, Protected
• 8 Offensive Spears, Superior, Protected
• 4 Cavalry, Average Protected Lancer Swordsmen
• 4 Cavalry, Average Protected Lancer Swordsmen
• 4 LH, Lancer, Sworsemen, Average
• 4 Unprotected Camels, Bow
• 4 Cavalry, Average Protected Lancer Swordsmen
• 4 Cavalry, Average Protected Lancer Swordsmen

An 800 Ap list
1 Archers LF Unprotected Superior Undrilled Bow - - - 6
2 Archers LF Unprotected Superior Undrilled Bow - - - 6
3 Slingers LF Unprotected Superior Undrilled Sling - - - 6
4 LH LH Unprotected Superior Undrilled - Lancers Swordmen - 4
5 LH LH Unprotected Superior Undrilled - Lancers Swordmen - 4
6 LH LH Unprotected Superior Undrilled - Lancers Swordmen - 4
7 Spearmen HF Protected Superior Undrilled - Offensive spearmen Spearmen - 6
7 Supporting Archers LF Unprotected Superior Undrilled Bow - - - 3
8 Spearmen HF Protected Superior Undrilled - Offensive spearmen Spearmen - 6
8 Supporting Archers LF Unprotected Superior Undrilled Bow - - - 3
9 Spearmen HF Protected Superior Undrilled - Offensive spearmen Spearmen - 8
10 Spearmen HF Protected Superior Undrilled - Offensive spearmen Spearmen - 8
11 Spearmen HF Protected Superior Undrilled - Offensive spearmen Spearmen - 6
11 Supporting Archers LF Unprotected Superior Undrilled Bow - - - 3
12 Spearmen HF Protected Superior Undrilled - Offensive spearmen Spearmen - 6
12 Supporting Archers LF Unprotected Superior Undrilled Bow - - - 3
A CinC TC - - - - - - CinC 1
B Sub Generals TC - - - - - - - 3

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