byzarmyextension15.rtf

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THE BYZANTINE ARMY IN “CROISADES” / “OUTREMER” – Variant and scenariVersion 1.5: 12/02

This extension for “Croisades” was published in Vae Victis issue #7 (Mar/Apr 1!" includin$

so%e s%all %odifications (notabl& on %orale" fro% an earlier 'ersion b& the sa%e author published

in Cla&%ore # (1") *t pro'ides a set of rules for +&,antine ar%ies plus a scenario usin$ those

rules) The translation b& +ob -in$ell also includes su$$estions for the Ar%enian ar%& and tables of

purchase points 'alues) .ther scenarios in'ol'in$ +&,antines are listed at the end) .ccasionaltranslators notes are identifiable b& bein$ placed in s0uare bracets 23)

Cntents

1 4ules5 The ar%& of the +asileus (b& Christian 6elabos"

2 u%%ar& of points 'alues (b& +ob -in$ell"

3 upple%entar& rule5 The two8handed axe (fro% “Viin$s”"

4 The Ar%enian ar%& (b& +ob -in$ell"

5 cenario5 The +attle of Man,iert (b& 9abrice 4enier"

6:ist of other supple%entar& scenarios in'ol'in$ +&,antines

!" THE ARMY O# THE BASI$EUS %$&ARM'E DU BASI$EUS(-a%e aid for ;Croisades; b& Christian 6elabos)

2This article is a re'ised 'ersion of an article on the +&,antine Ar%& b& the sa%e author in Cla&%ore

#) o%e additional ele%ents fro% that earlier 'ersion are included below in italics)3

trate$ic cenarios a'oc” “ie$e”3) >ere then are the different ele%ents

of the +&,antine ar%& durin$ the Crusades)

T)e B*+antine Ar,*

The +asileus5 The +asileus is the e%peror of +&,antiu%) 6urin$ the period of the first strate$ic

scenario for “Croisades” 2the Course of the


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for%ation rule)

>uscarls 8 Aelfwine Aethel%und Aethelred +eorhtulf Ceolred =c$br&ht =d$ar =dward >&$eberht

Dola .s%ed Tosti$ Eulf$ar >ird%en 8 A$nar *'ar Ma$nar ule Torber$ Tor$ils Torstein)

Dlibanophoroi5 These extra8hea'& ca'alr&%en had both a coat of %ail and scale ar%our and their

horses were protected b& leather and scale ar%our) This troop t&pe were last used in the Man,iert

ca%pai$n (1B71" the& are onl& shown here for use in tactical scenarios and cannot be used in forcesfor strate$ic ca%pai$ns set durin$ the Crusades)

The 4o&al Ma%lus fro% “Croisades” fit this $roup well 8 Aba$a Al8Da%il =l8Arish >ai% Maarat)

Dataphratoi (hea'& ca'alr&"5 9or%ed fro% the +&,antine aristocrac& the Dataphratoi also wore

scale asr%our and a %ail coat) Eesterners were conte%ptuous of these ca'alr&%en esti%atin$ their

%ilitar& 'alue as bein$ closer to ser$eants than ni$hts)

Their e0uip%ent was si%ilar to that of their &rian e0ui'alents so use &rian hea'& ca'alr& fro%

“Croisades” 8 Asho Duburi Moha%%ed Moon$a


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S-ecia. r.es

1) Co%%and5 The +asileus is 'er& often found at the head of the +&,antine ar%ies % alternatively the

&ran! 'omestic $ill be in comman! ) >e is assisted b& 6ues (6ux" who lead contin$ents fro% the

different ;the%es; (pro'inces" of the e%pire) To represent these 6ux use the ataphratoi Asho and

Moha%%ed) -he &uar! )omman!er 6+kolouthos 7 +colyte8 can be represente! by 3!mun! (from

“Vikings,. -he navy $as un!er the comman! of a gran! a!miral (9egas 'u,.

) Morale5 .ne of the %ain characteristics of the +&,antine ar%& durin$ the Crusades was the poor

%orale of the nati'e contin$ents) .n the other hand the %ercenar& troops (Varan$ian -uard 9rans

horse archers" had a relati'el& hi$h %orale) >owe'er as a disad'anta$e these troops could pro'e 'er&

unreliable when in co%bat a$ainst their own co%patriots or if their wa$es had not been paid) The

details of %orale and co%%and factors are shown on the table below)

C)aracter

COMMAND MORA$EC)aracter c.ass %C( Ran0e 12er $e3e.

+asileus / &ran!

'omestic

C1 Co%%ander8in8chief 1 O x C8 11

6ux / +kolouthos C eath5 Ar%ies and ene%ies of the Crusades 17@

*an >eath5 +&,antine Ar%ies @@!8111@ .spre& Men8at8ar%s series :ondon 17

-eor$e .stro$ors&5 >istoire de lQtat b&,antin aot% Karis1@

+. &uillon: ;e civilisation by#antine% +rthau! 1

The author thans >er'Q Tard& for his ad'ice on rules for co%%and and %orale)

Christian 6elabos runs the club Cla&%ore8


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2. SUMMARY O# 1OINTS VA$UES #OR BYZANTINES4 5* B5 6in0e..

Na,e1V,t/7t

Na,e 1V,t/7t

Na,e 1V Na,e 1V

C,,andersMurdaAsho Moha%%ed=d%und

8.i5an-)riAl8Da%ilMaarat>ai%Aba$a=l8Arish

8ata-)ra9tiMoon$aueFac &$eberhtCeolredEulf$aruleAethelred

Varan0ian 6d

*'ar =d$ar A$nar Ma$nar +eorhtulf

Aethel%und Tosti$Torber$ TorsteinDola.s%ed Tor$ils=c$br&ht

S9tati %A(

+rendan

MordredArnold +r&n -areth>a&den tori Ai

7!1

1B

B11

11@17

1!

1O1

1111

1e.tasti:


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2


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" THE ARMENIAN ARMY4 5* B5 6in0e..“Croisades” treats the +&,antine ar%& re0uired for trate$ic cenario a'oc” and “ie$e”5 Aelfric Ael%aer Aethelbehrt =ardwulf Eeohstan 6o%ar -lu% Torlei

Ln$'e Mar +en +ertin Crispin >al .do Kerin Eat Ai Arnold +rendan +r&n -areth>a&den Mordred tori)

Nnar%oured shortbow%en can be represented b& the +ow%en fro% “Viin$s”5 Aelf$ar Aelle Aldred

Cenwulf .sric withulf Eulfroth -andal' -unnar >au >'sin$ :odin 4eidar Torfinn Ln$rar)

+edouin allies cannot co%%and other troops and are not subFect to out8of8co%%and restrictions) Nse

the ! +edouins fro% “Croisades”5 Al8Ashraf *s%ail Ditbu$a Meh%ut 4un Thatoul)

9ranish %ercenaries can be represented b& the Dni$hts the Ar%oured >albardiers fro% “ie$e”

and of the Ar%oured Crossbow%en fro% “Cr& >a'oc”5 ir 9it,waren ir Morti%er ir >u$hs

+ors ='ans 9ursa Arbalister 6en&s


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Keasants and ci'ilians can be represented b& an& fro% “Cr& >a'oc” “ie$e” or “Viin$s” wo%en

should nor%all& ha'e a %o'e%ent allowance of @ (? if wounded")

C,,and and ,ra.e

C)aracterCOMMAND MORA$EC)aracter c.ass %C( Ran0e 12er $e3e.

Din$C1 Co%%ander8in8chief 1 O x C8 1O

+aron C ea'& Ca'alr& C .fficer B@ 1B x C?P 1B

>ea'& Ca'alr& C? au

Ln$rar >'sin$Aelf$ar4eidar Aelle:odin

1

11111@17

1!1!1O1O1?1?

1

7


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A.ternati3e

)ea3* ca3a.r* 3!$in (baron,

3irik (baron,

O1OB

77

)oelmun! (noble,

vein (noble,

igur! (noble,

+ethel$ulf

??@?7??

!!OO

-or

3!mun!

?ulfric

?7?1?

1

8


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" THE BATT$E O# MANZI8ERT A0st !! %$A BATAI$$E DE MANZI8ERT(“Croisades” (“.utre%er”" and “Viin$s” (“Viin$ 4aiders”" P Crossroads and .pen 9ield %aps5

scenario b& 9abrice 4enier)

ettin$ the scene

*n 1B71 tain$ ad'anta$e of an attac b& the elFus on the 9ati%id state of 6a%ascus and =$&pt the

=%peror 4o%anus *V 6io$enes launched an undertain$ to reco'er the territories of Ar%enia that had been lost to +&,antiu%) >e prepared an ar%& of BB8!BBBBB %en (different sources 'ar& as to the

nu%bers") Ehate'er the nu%bers these %en were poorl& trained and had little discipline) *n addition

%ost were non8co%batants (en$ineers ser'ants ad%inistrators") 6isco'erin$ the +&,antine ad'ance

the elFu ultan Alp Arslan force8%arched i%%ediatel& to intercept the +&,antine ar%&)

.n the da& of the battle the ar%& of 4o%anus *V a%ounted to a little o'er 1BBBBB %en and that of

Alp Arslan 1OBBB8?BBBB dependin$ on the sources) The +&,antine ar%& was or$anised in di'isions

with the =%peror in the centre and it %o'ed forward towards the elFu ca%p) The +&,antines

encountered little resistance and the =%peror beca%e afraid that the& would fall into a trap so he

ordered a retreat towards his own ca%p) Nnfortunatel& throu$h inco%petence or b& chance of fate his

order was %isinterpreted and the ru%our spread that 4o%anus had been illed) Kanic set in5 the twowin$s dissol'ed and the 4eser'e fled) The =%peror re%ained on his own in the centre with his

Varan$ian -uard which had to face the char$e of 1BBBB elFu ca'alr& led b& Alp Arslan hi%self)))

This scenario represents the final co%bat of the battle5 the =%peror and his $uard deter%ined to sell

their li'es dearl& but after a tou$h resistance 4o%anus *V was captured b& a Turish Ma%lu)

Man,iert was one of the worst defeats the +&,antine =%pire had nown) The conse0uences of that

re'erse were dra%atic5 a per%anent elFu state was fro% then on established in Anatolia the frontier

defence disinte$rated and the heirs of 4o%anus *V unleashed a terrible ci'il war in the heart of the

=%pire)

Map la&out5 T)e Crssrads and T)e O-en #ie.d with sides ! and to$ether) 6@nstea! of -he Apen Biel! supplementary map% any map coul! be use! $ith all hees ecept scrub treate! as flat terrain.8

The sides

T)e Se.9 Tr9s 8 Alp Arslan5 As8alih >ea'& Ca'alr&5 DiliF>orse archers5 Ar$hun A&ub +ar 9ar *%ad utu, Mon$a 4ashid 4u,,i Nsa%ah Lesu$ai

:i$ht Ma%lus5 +aha 9ai, 4ashid Tai Ve,ela& La$hi

+edouins5 Al8Ashraf *s%ail Ditbu0a Meh%et 4un Thatoul)

T)e B*+antines 8 4o%anus *V 6io$enes5 Murda Dlibanophoroi (extra8hea'& ca'alr&"5 >ai%

MaaratVaran$ian -uard (fro% Viin$ 4aiders/Viin$s" ar%oured5

8 >uscarls5 Aelfwine Aethel%und Aethelred +eorhtulf Ceolred =c$br&ht =d$ar =dward

>&$eberht Dola .s%ed Tosti$ Eulf$ar

8 >ird%en5 A$nar *'ar Ma$nar ule Torber$ Tor$ils Torstein

Ksiloi (archers"5 4eidar :odin)

tartin$ positions5 The +&,antines are placed first in the centre sections of the board (an&where within

the ri$ht side of Crossroads and left side of .pen 9ield") The =%peror and his ca'alr&%en %ust be

surrounded b& the Varan$ian -uard) The elFus start the $a%e b& enterin$ throu$h an& one or %ore

%ap ed$es)

Victor& conditions5 The Turish pla&er %ust capture the =%peror) *f 4o%anus *V is attaced b& !

a$ainst 1 the elFu pla&er will capture hi% auto%aticall&) The =%peror cannot lea'e the board)

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F" OTHER SCENARIOS INVO$VIN6 BYZANTINES

1" “The +lachernae Kalace” fro% Cla&%ore #11

" “The 4e'olt of 9ay 2000 a!!e! the +rmenian army4 version 1.5 a!!e! armoure! mounte!

characters from “Vikings as an alternative $ay to represent +rmenian heavy cavalry.

C'&: "DE+C9D 3tension version 1.5% 'ecember 2002

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