The Crusading Era at Athens 2024
Richard The Lionheart Later Crusader vs Komnenan Byzantine
Game 1 Richard The Lionheart Later Crusader vs Feudal Spanish
Game 2 Richard The Lionheart Later Crusader vs Feudal English
Game 3 Richard The Lionheart Later Crusader vs Komnenan Byzantine
Game 4 Richard The Lionheart Later Crusader vs Teutonic
Game 5 Richard The Lionheart Later Crusader vs Feudal Anglo-Irish
Greek Museum Tourism (on YouTube)
A rather surprising 2 wins from two with the Dawsonesque Armoured Spearmen army! That outcome was a cue for much celebration, Retsina Rapture and even more pitta and souvlaki-eating as the lunchtime bell rang out across the marble-clad streets of suburban Athens
This unexpected outcome dropped Richard CdL remarkably close to the top of the table after two rounds, and that inevitably meant a matchup against Dr Linardos and his Komnenan Byzantines
The Komnenan Byzantines are pretty much at that stage of Byzantine history in which all of the textbook Byzantine troops are long gone and they are left with a fairly standard but nicely put together Feudal army.
The lone survivors are the Varangians, a unique but by now not utterly top notch set of heavy infantry axeman, with the standard Byzantine cavalry being reduced to charging at lance-point as Impact Medium & Heavy cavalry
What it does have of course is good command and control, allowing the punch of Knights to be delivered at pace and with accuracy, whilst the rest of the mostly-mounted force can still dance out of danger if required.
The lists for the Richard The Lionheart Later Crusader and Komnenan Byzantine from this game, as well as all the other lists from the games at Athens can be seen here in the L'Art de la Guerre Wiki.
With a definite chill descending over Athens, a thick carpet of snow had covered the gaming area in the Hoplon clubhouse... or perhaps I'd just moved table to one with a snowy mat on it.
Either way, the field of play was yet again narrowed by terrain cluttering both flanks, despite the failure of Richard CdL's mapmakers and cartographers to manage to find a place next to a coast or river or village in which to bring the Komnenans to battle and give them some proper Greek Loukoumades Love.
Richard in Context
With not too much subtlety embedded in the Crusaders genes, a bowling alley of a battlefield, and an opponent who surely would want to dance around this game seemed like an ideal opportunity for Richard CdL's men to get onto the front foot and march forward to try and do the almost impossible task of pushing a mounted enemy off the back of the table at spearpoint
This would of course create a bit of a problem on the right, where the Varangians and Byzantine Skoutatoi spearmen were arranged, but a liberal application of crossbow fire backed up with a Knightly charge would simply have to do to deal with that problem, on the basis that my army offered little else in the way of possibilities with which to engage almost any enemy
Unfortunately the Byzantines also clearly thought their Varangians were the secret sauce with which to unhinge the Crusader linear approach, and raced their men forward on the Crusader right to try and chase down the mixed spear formation before sufficient numbers of crossbow bolts could land on them to put them off their jogging. The air was alive with the whirr of bolts in flight, each one a harbinger of doom for those unfortunate souls who found themselves in their path.
The Crusading Knights were lurking in the wrong places, but quickly started to redeploy to thicken up the line of spearmen - especially against the Varangians
In the middle the linear approach of the crossbow and spear armed Crusaders had just about inched into range of the Komnenan strike force, which stood befuddled at the lack of opportunity to do anything especially clever in this highly constricted terrain setup.
With a step to the left, and a slide to the right, a right Taramasalata Thrill was occurring as the faceoff against the Varangians and Byzantine spearmen was transformed at a stroke or two of clever goings-on, as the Crusader army managed somehow to insert that couple of knights into the front line.
Something would have to give here sooner or later as both sides looked for a narrow advantage before committing themselves to the fray
With width on their side, crossbows cocked and loaded and the wintry terrain chilling their middle eastern toes the Crusaders carried on pressing forward in the middle of the table to close the distance on the Byzantine charging horsemen and put pressure on their flanks.
Like a rain of steel, the bolts descended upon the battlefield, their deadly embrace claiming friend and foe alike in a macabre dance of death.
Fear! Cowardice! Blatant running away!
Yes, a Meze Marvel as the Byzantines were utterly shameless and instead of fighting manly against the imposing wall of onrushing spears, or waiting to be shot to death by fast moving bolts, turned tail instead and legged it back towards their own camp
A shameful strategic retreat!
With their cavalry running away like cowardly street dogs, the Byzantine infantry decided that they would try and take matters into their own hands.
Or the Crusaders smelled opportunity and decided to take matters into their own hands - who knows, who can remember?!
Either way, Knights and armoured spearmen bravely took on the Varangians, with entirely predictable results
The supposedly armoured spearmen collapsed immediately into a pile of sandy shredded cloth as the Varangians cut them to pieces far faster than I had really hoped, but about as fast as I had expected
Suddenly this side of the table looked in serious trouble - the Crusaders were glad that Ricjhard CdL had invested in a fortified camp and that their baggage would be safe from cheeky Komnenan light horsemen !
The whole flank was falling apart at a rate of knots as the Crusaders realised that the Halva Hype of their first few games did not mean they were no longer a bit rubbish against proper decent quality infantrymen - which is what the Byzantines had in spades in this part of the table.
By now things were getting quite exciting, a real Pastitsio Pandemonium, as the line of spearmen and archers were closing in on the Komnenans as the back of the table hampered their ability to escape any further.
Forced to stand and fight, they stood in true Saganaki Splendour - only for the Crusader army to realise it had very little to force a fight and bring it to the enemy.
This impasse saw the Templar sub general press-ganged into charging anything he could, just to try and engage the shot-up Komnenans and draw them into combat
Academia on Richard CDL
But, with the Crusader foot closing in on the enemy camp, with a flurry of crossbow volleys, any one of which could have tipped the Komnenans into defeat, and a smattering of reckless combats, suddenly the Byzantines emerged from the final round having avoided defeat by the narrowest of margins
The home team had snatched a hard fought Bougatsa Bonanza of a victory over the hard-shootin' wall of European Mediterranean tourists !
The Result is a 29-81 loss for the Crusaders!
Click here for the report of the next game in this competition, or read on for the post match summaries from the Generals involved, as well as another episode of legendary expert analysis from Hannibal
Post Match Summary from the Richard The Lionheart Later Crusader Commander
Hearken, noble comrades, and heed my words as I recount the tale of our recent encounter with the Byzantine forces at the gates of Constantinople! Though the outcome may seem a mere hiccup in our grand design, fear not, for Richard the Lionheart shall rise again, like the phoenix from the ashes of defeat!
'Twas a day fraught with unforeseen challenges, as the Byzantine foe didst prove to be a thorn in our side, a vexation upon our noble quest! But let it be known that our setback was but a mere trifle, a mere blip upon the canvas of destiny!
Oh, how the Byzantines didst vex us with their cunning stratagems, their tactics as labyrinthine as the corridors of their ancient palaces! But fear not, dear comrades, for Richard the Lionheart shall not be deterred by such petty obstacles!
And though some may seek to cast blame upon the wind or the stars themselves, let us not dwell upon such trivialities! Nay, let us instead look to the future with hope and determination, for our journey to the Holy Land shall resume anon!
For mark my words, my valiant companions, this defeat shall not define us, but rather serve as a mere footnote in the annals of our grand adventure! So let us rally our spirits and set forth once more, for the glory of Jerusalem beckons us ever onward!
And so I say unto thee, my brave crusaders, fear not the shadow of defeat, for it is but a fleeting specter upon the road to victory! Let us march forth with heads held high, for our destiny awaits us on the horizon, like a shimmering oasis in the desert of adversity!
Hannibal's Post Match Analysis
Ah, Richard the Lionheart, the master of monotony in warfare. Here we find him once again, employing his trademark strategy of standing like statues while the enemy dances circles around him. It's like watching a tortoise race against a hare, except the tortoise forgot to bring its shell
Oh, bravo, Richard! Your ability to remain steadfastly predictable is truly awe-inspiring. I half expect your battle plans to come with a snooze button. 'Charge here, stand there, yawn everywhere,' the Crusaders must chant as they march into battle.
And there they go, like lambs to the slaughter, following their shepherd straight into the jaws of defeat. It's like watching a chicken try to outfox a fox. Spoiler alert: the fox wins.
Oh, Richard, you're a real trailblazer, aren't you? If only your creativity matched your arrogance. But no, we're left with the same tired tactics, like a moth-eaten tapestry in a castle dungeon. And even against a different opponent on a more open field, you still cling to your dull and dreary ways. It's enough to make a bard weep
Well, there you have it, folks! Another thrilling display of medieval mediocrity brought to you by Sir Richard the Recycler. Tune in next time, when we watch grass grow faster than a Norman conquest
Until the next game I'll be here, dreaming of battles that don't put me to sleep faster than a minstrel's lullaby
Click here for the report of the next game in this competition
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Game 1 Richard The Lionheart Later Crusader vs Feudal Spanish
Game 2 Richard The Lionheart Later Crusader vs Feudal English
Game 3 Richard The Lionheart Later Crusader vs Komnenan Byzantine
Game 4 Richard The Lionheart Later Crusader vs Teutonic
Game 5 Richard The Lionheart Later Crusader vs Feudal Anglo-Irish
Greek Museum Tourism (on YouTube)
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