SAGA Crescent and Cross: Playing with myself

SAGA: Cross and Crescent - 1st two armies at Siege: 

Spanish vs Muslims

I couldn't make it to the wargames club tonight (like many other Wednesday nights, unfortunately) as I had a meeting on endocrine surgery.

Very interesting stuff that, all about adrenal glands, thyroid glands and parathyroid glands, mammary glands... So I got home after 9, too late for club. I had to be content with playing with myself.

No, you dirty minded gamers, you! I have mostly finished my Muslim and Crusader forces, and contented myself by setting them up as a siege.  All wargamers will admit to playing with themselves at some point. I even took some photos:

Lets call it the Siege of Al Zabells.

El Cid's Spanish Crusaders/Reconquistadors taking on the fortified Moorish desert town of Al Zabells:

The trumpets sound, as the Reconquistadores of El Cid pour over the dunes. 

To arms, to arms!

Next to appear over the dunes are lightly armoured knights on foot and archers.

The Moorish archers take aim.

Heavy spearmen and archers prepare to defend the battlements of the mud-brick and sandstone fortified town of Al Zabells, as more and more Spanish bear down on the town.

Rachid Al' Din and his Berbers respond to the trumpets and call of the Muezzin

Every man to defend the Mosque!

Mighty siege engines roll forward

Mounted light archers pour out of the town gates to harass the advancing Spanish.

While Mutatawwi'a and Moors unite to repel the Infidels

As the Crusader cavalry draw close to the gate the Muslim cavalry come thundering around the corner of the Mosque

Victory will be ours! Who will prevail? 

SAGA: Crescent and Crosss: The Crusades Part 2

Not slacking on building and painting. Just not posting very much.I have purposely built and painted by Muslim forces so that they can be mixed and matched to form different factions from the Crescent and Cross book. The buildings are also starting to look middle-eastern (I think)Anyhow, here goes:

Mutatawwi'a and light horsemen emerging from the dunes

Generic Muslim Infantry with swords

Camel Riders and Warlord, Archers and Tuareg-styled infantry. 

I particularly like the look of the fez-wearing hadji figures

(Muslim warriors who have made the pilgrimage to Mecca) 

I painted the camel riders and command group, as well as some spearmen as Tuareg warriors

  

                                                                 from Crusader (Chris De Burg):

A messenger came, blood on his feet and a wound in his chest,

"The Christians are coming!" he said, "I have seen their cross in the west,"

In a rage Saladin struck him down with his knife,

And he said "I know that this man lies,

They quarrel too much, the Christians could never unite! 

I am invincible, I am the king,

I am invincible, and I will win..." 

Closer they came, the army of Richard the Lionheart,

Marching by day and night, with soldiers from every part,

And when the Crusaders came over the mountain and they saw Jerusalem,

They fell to their knees and prayed for her release

They started the battle at dawn, taking the city by storm,

With horsemen and bowmen and engines of war,

They broke through the city walls,

The Heathens were flying and screaming and dying,

And the Christian swords were strong,

And Saladin ran when he heard their victory song; 

"We are invincible, God is the king,

We are invincible, and we will win!" 

"What do I do now?" said the wise man to the fool,

"I have spent my whole life searching, to find the Golden Rule,

Though centuries have disappeared, the memory still remains,

Of those enemies together, could it be that way again?"

Then the fool said "Oh you wise men, you really make me laugh,

With your talk of vast persuasion and searching through the past,

There is only greed and evil in the men who fight today,

The song of the Crusader has long since gone away...

...Jerusalem is lost,Jerusalem is lost,Jerusalem is lost, 

Jerusalem...

SAGA: Crescent and Cross. And now for some buildings...

SAGA Crescent and Cross. Buildings taking shape

Been doing some scratch-building of  arab style buildings for Saga. Progressing slowly but getting there:

Quality Street octagonal chocolate box and a toddler's toy:

 on the way to becoming a mosque

Arab hut

City wall defenses having taken a hit from a rock lobber