Hi
Six German players including two beginners just refought the battle of Ain Jalut, where the Mameluks beat the Mongols.
Using Wickipedia and google maps I found the battlefield and could estimate distances and troop densities.
See attachments. (sorry, cannot get attachments to work!), Standard 120 x 180 cm board. River on Mameluk left, hills on right. Road next to river, small village next to road about 40cm in).
The Mameluks seem to have chosen the narrow valley instead of the much wider and open Jazreel Valley further west. Why could that be?
I assumed the river secured the left flank and the hills to the north the Mameluk right flank.
I created two army lists each with three generals and about 550 points, using DBMM army lists.
The Mameluks had an ambush behind the hills and held the small village with a few infantry.
The rest of the armies were all mounted.
Historically the Mameluks lured the Mongols forward with feigned flight, then hit them in the flank/rear with the ambush.
To make the Mongols historically overconfident, I told them they were fighting Abbasids near Bagdad.
Historically Bagdad fell and there was the usual massacre.
The "Abbasids" have Cv(O).
Once the Mongols got stuck in, they found themselves fighting Cv(S), not Cv(O) as expected ("disguised troops" strategem) and I told them they were fighting Mameluks, not Abbasids.
The battle was close fought with one Mameluk command broken before they finally beat the Mongols.
It?s a pretty simple battle.
Both sides could win.
I suspect the cunning use of feigned flight by either side and mastering which elements can interpenetrate one another could be decisive.
neil fox
