El Cid BattleRep - More Almohavids

Tonight I managed to get another wargame in, yes, that is three in three days!

In preparation for Hot Lead at Gripping Beast this weekend I wanted to get another game of WAB in with the Christian Spanish, so James Morris - author of the El Cid supplement - agreed to bring a force to the White Hart and give me a game.

Top fella that he is James also bought some lovely terrain with him, so my new Spanish fellas would be playing against some lovely troops featured in the book on the terrain featured in the book - bonus!

After a bite to eat in the bar, we set up the table, having decided to play the River Crossing scenario from the rules pack. We rolled off and I would be the defender, my force was:

Infante in a unit of 11 Caballeros Hildagos
9 Jinettes
21 Peones
9 Peones Light Infantry
9 Aqueros
6 Skirmishers with Slings

Spanish prepare to defend the fords and river banks

James had:
Almohavid General and Army Standard in with 10 Guard Cavalry
9 Andalusian Nobles
Imam in with 26 Berber Spears
27 Berber Spears and 9 Berber Bow
9 Skirmishers
8 Camel Riders

The Almohavid center

There were three fords on the river and the ground rose slightly towards the Spanish side. Each sides right flank rested on a wood.

The battle lines are drawn, behind the Berber Spears are the Guard Cavalry

James started the game by advancing his camel riders up to the ford on his right and the Andalusians to the ford on the left, the Berber Spears backed up by the Guard Cavalry went for the center ford. I countered by advancing the Peones up to defend the center ford, the Jinettes and Light Infantry countered the Camel Riders and the Caballeros Hildagos moved against the right ford.

I'm not going to give a blow by blow account of the entire proceedings, but the Camel Riders were broken on my left flank allowing my Jinettes and Peones lights to cross the river and harrass the Berber Spear and Bow bock. In the center it did not fare so well for me, the Berber Spear led by the Imam broke straight through my Peones and finished the game atop the hill allowing the Guard Cavalry to also cross the river. The Guard Cavalry were badly shot up but crossed without needing to stike a blow. On my right the Caballeros Hildagos got their blood up, crossed the ford and swept left destroying the Berber Spear/Bow block.

By the end of the game I had lost the Peones and the Skirmishers, James had lost the Berber Spear/Bow block, the Camel Riders and half of his Guard Cavalry, but had crossed the river with three expensive units and all his characters so adding up it was about 1050pts to James and 800pts to me.

Here are some pictures from the game:

Spanish Jinettes

Berber Camel Riders

Andalusian Nobles

The Spanish left flank

The Spanish center

Hold fast my brave Peons

Things go well for the Spanish

The Berbers prepare to cross the centre ford while my Caballeros Hildagos prepare to take the fight to the Almohavids

Things do not go well in the Spanish centre

Caballeros Hildagos on the Almohavid side of the table taking lots of javelins on board

Berbers break through the center

Things go less well on the Almohavid right flank

Spanish Jinettes try to clear the Berbers off my side of the river

Berbers are King of the Castle on my side of the river

Andalusian Nobles move to screen the Guard Cavalry from the Spanish Jinettes

Things about to go badly for the Berber spears

Quite a lot of Almohavids crossed the river.