Hamadan Seljuqs vs Ayyubids Egyptians

Our club often organizes some team games, with two teams playing historical matched ups games against each other. The last one we played was based on the Seljuqs empire. Each player in the Seljuq team used a different option in the seljuq list, and I received the Hamadans.

Not willing to try the Kerbogha's inert army, I decided to use the list without sub generals. A weak list imho, but perfect to be tested in a friendly game. This is the army composition:

1) CiC RCvO, 6 RAxS, 6 IKnI, 6 ILhS, 4 IHdO - 32ME

2) AG RCvS, 2 RCvS, 10 ILhS, 8 IBwI - 24ME

3) AG RCvS, 2 RCvS, 10 ILhS, 8 IBwI - 24ME

4) 6 IBgI - 6ME

The CiC command was the central one, with IKnI screened by the ILhS. On both wings of these troops, ideally I would have put the archers, with CvS reserve and ILhS on the wings. Dailami could be a reserve or used as terrain would dictate. The doctrine was to attack along all the line to avoid enemy could benefit from pip dump corps. All the miniatures are from Outpost Wargame, excellent mix of quality and cost.

We picked the opponents by lot and I met Paolo Paglianti using Ayyubid Egyptian. Tough game.

I attacked and selected two large rocky flat features to help my infantry. Ayyubid wanted a bare battlefield, choosing a river. The Egyptians army was completely mounted, with a core of RCvS and ILhS. I used the RF as a pivot to protect my battle line. Thanks to the IBwI Seljuq army was wider. My main problem would have been to send in combat the IKnI against such a nimble foe.

The Ayyubid moved first and shifted all the army towards the left wing, to avoid the rocky flat on the right. My initial pips were 2,2 and 2. Lowish, but all the army was reliable so quite good.

The Ayyubid tried to press home the attack, focusing on my left wing with two corps against one. He decided to attack swiftly to deny me the time to manouver reserves and supports in position. I was forced to attack with my ILhS on the far left engaging enemy ghilman. A second CvS group aimed at the IBwI, so to protect them I advanced my center creating a salient. The enemy manouver opened a gap in the center that I tried to exploit, threatening front and side of the isolated CvO command.

The combat on the left wing was tough with many casualties for both the armies. Seljuq had one hot combat round, killing 3 RCvS. Both left wings seemed doomed

Ayyubid left wing was disheartened, but RCvS was still a very dangerous foe, killing 4 Hamadans elements and disheartening the foe as well. In the meantime the Egyptian CvO corps was under pressure, with the dailami advancing behind the enemy lines

The game was moving to a bloody conclusion. Both armies left wings broke, and a 6-1 by shooting killed an ayyubid general.

Turkoman charge finally broke the disheartened ayyubid right wing and the whole egyptian army: 19-6 for Hamadan

A tough game, with some hot combat dice for the Hamadan. I had the advantage of a larger army, but had some pip problems. I could not engage my IKnI (I made just one charge by a single element) and with hindsight the 16IBwI were a good choice, because could fight with a minimal pip expenditure. By the way the IKnI had an important impact on the battle, their presence dictated the manouver made by the Ayyubids, and the gap created in front of them helped the Seljuqs.

Paolo attack on the left was hasty, with two corps not well coordinated because he decided to go for a speedy combat, to not give me time to react. He wasn't aided by the resistance of my ILhS. Should he been able to pierce my left, the game would be different and more painful for me, so his plan to focus and gain number superiority in a limited sector was quite good. I have not understood the RCvO corps manouver, that headed back only to be surrounded.