WSS #3

Feb./Mar.2004 • #3

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE DISCERNING WARGAMER 

• £3.55

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EL CID SPECIAL FEATURE

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INTERVIEW WITH CALPE MINIATURES

  THE

TROJAN WAR

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  THE

LANDSKNECHT 

  THE

LATEST IN THE HOBBY

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AND MUCH MORE…

47, Dalkeith Rd. Harpenden, Herts.  AL5 5PP

Tel.- 01582-761369 Mob.- 07968-277380 e-mail.- [email protected]

CALPE MINIATURES Meticulously researched finely sculpted 25mm wargames figures New Prussian Landwehr. March-Attack FiguresUntil the end of this year (2004) please stipulate whether you want  the new or the old landwehr landwehr.. The FiguresThis is the second set of the new Landwehr figures. They are all in march-attack poses. To add to the realism of these figures, I have ensured that they are all ‘in step’ as you would expect from a battalion  marching in this fashion. PL15 PL15b PL16 PL16b PL17 PL18 PL19 PL20 PL21 PL22 PL23 PLpk2 PL24 PL25 PL26

Marching, looking forwards  As above looking right. Marching, taking long step, looking forwards.  As above, head turned left. Marching, leaning forwards slightly. Marching, holds musket with both hands. N.C.O. carries musket on right as you would expect from an N.C.O. armed with short infantry sabre. Standard bearer. Drummer, drumming. Falling casualty. Enthusiastic figure, urging others on. Bareheaded versions of PL16 (bandaged head) PL17 (bareheaded), and PL18 (balding). Mounted officer, shouldered sword, fits new horses. Foot officer, wearing Litewka, sword shouldered. Foot officer, wears the Litewka, holding sword down by his side.

Trail Arms figuresSome of my customers dislike this pose so sales are erratic. However, it is the classic rapid movement pose for Prussian infantry and no range should be without them. They are also good for livening up units in trail march and firing line poses. For these reasons, the set is small but I find the figures useful. PL27 PL28 PL29 PL30

Right leg forward, looking right. Long trousers. Right leg bent at the knee, left leg straight, looking looking forwards. Long trousers. Left leg forwards, looking left. Wears gaiters. Left leg forwards, looking forwards. Rolled trousers.

New HorsesThese replace the seven original horses. These horses have the same proportions as the artillery horses and  are shorter and stockier than the original horses. The officer above only fits these horses. They are all in  walking and trotting poses. A set of galloping horses will come out shortly. H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6

 Walking horse, front left leg forward.  Walking  Walking  W alking horse, front right leg raised. Trotting horse, front right leg forward.  Walking  W alking horse, head lowered. Trotting horse, front left leg forward.  Walking,  W alking, front left leg raised, head down.

These horses are designed to work as a ‘Walking Set’ for the new  cavalry figures I am working on at present. Forthcoming releases(1) Galloping horses. (2) Landwehr cavalry.

New prices –  Foot figures 70p Horses 80p

Leader PUBLISHING COMPANY: Revistas Profesionales, S.L.

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his issue of the magazine is dedicated to El Cid. This myth from medieval Spain is now present in the world of wargames, especially especially after the publication of the spectacular extension extension for Warhammer Ancient Battles, which allows gamers to accurately recreate the ups and downs of an epic period of peninsular history that, despite its unquestionable interest, is generally quite unknown in Britain. This will not be the last time we cover this character. In future issues, we will be adding more articles on his heroic deeds as well as on the Reconquest, the generic name for the period of fighting over eight centuries that was the clash between the Muslim and the Christian kingdoms and that ended with the taking of the city of Granada. Until now, the magazine has mainly concentrated on European and American conflicts in which Spanish troops did not participate. It is difficult to find figures of soldiers and rules specifically designed for any key period of Spanish history, except for those dealing with the Napoleonic period, the Conquest of America and some things from the Spanish Civil War. So, we welcome Games Workshop’s initiative and we hope that it is not the only one. That is why we are going to promote and fight for this interesting history. We will include articles about the exploits of the soldiers of the crown of Aragon in Asia Minor, the Spanish Tercios in Italy, Germany and Flanders, the civil wars of the XIX century between Carlists and Elizabethans, the colonial battles in Africa and America America and much more. All in all, we are going to strive to convince manufacturers and publishing companies to make figures and to release rules that allow gamers to evoke the terrains from the fundamental pages of the history of a nation that has notably influenced Europe and the rest of the world. We hope we can count on the support and collaboration from all of our readers.

Contents News, Letter to the Editor................................................................................ 4 Interview with Peter Fitgerald Calpe Miniaturas Modeller  ..............................................................................................

The Trojan War

Between myth and reality  ................................................................................................

The Landsknechts

.................................................................................................... .............. By Eduardo de Mesa ......................................................................................

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16

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DISTRIBUTION IN SPAIN:

SPECIAL FEATURE: EL CID El Cid and his times

War in Medieval Spain ............................................................................................

Bibliography on El Cid

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91 347 01 54

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Retail price: £3.55 This magazine does not espouse the opinions, judgements and ideas published in the articles herein. The writers thereof are solely liable for these.  All righ rightsts res reserve erved. d. Neit Neither her all nor part of this his publication can be reproduced, recorded in or  transmitted by any information recovery system by any  means, whether they be mechanical, photochemical, magnetic, electronic, photocopies or any other method,  without hout prio priorr writt written en permi permission ssion from from the he publ publisher isher. Ecological paper – low bleach content

Printed in Spain - March/2004

Asociación Española de Editoriales de Publicaciones Periódicas

By Jesú Jesús Jimé Jiménez Zaera............................................................................................

Illustrations

........................................................................................................ .............. By Javier Briz ..........................................................................................

Pluribus bellum

Rules for Antiquity and Middle Age Miniatures  ..........................................................

Dust, sweat and iron: The Battle of Alcocer (Summer of 1081)

Scenario for Warhammer Historical Battles ................................................................

Mio Cid defends Valencia

Scenario for DBM .................................................................................... .................................................................................................. ..............

Painting Moors

By El Mercenario ....................................................................................................

Miniature Figures – The Reconquest

By Rafael Gó Gómez  ..................................................................................................

Model-making: The Gate of a XI Century Al-Casaba

By Adolfo Ramos  ........................................................................................................

The Latest in Miniature Soldiers

New section with the latest wargame miniature releases ....................................................

Publications

........................................................................................................ .............. By Rafael Gó Gómez ..........................................................................................

Boardgames

By Joaquí  Joaquí n Mejí  Mejí a  ........................................................................................................

24 32 34 38 42 48 50 54 56 60 62 64

News The third “In the Name of Glory” Championship 2003. Organised by the Club Alpha Ares, Barcelona.

Last December, the third “In the Name of  Glory” Championship was held in Barcelona. The number of this year’s participants broke the existing record. This shows the importance of the Napoleonic wargame sector and the increasing recognition of these rules, one of the few that are available in Spanish. Their author, Dave Marks, came from England to act as arbitrator. The guys from El Último Tercio also  Finalists shake hands at the end of the final with  Dermot Quigley teaches participants how to participated in the tournament; they brought winner Juame Ribé (left) next to Gonzalo Campos.  play "In the Name of Glory". period flags to add even more colour to the event. There was also a 15mm WWII demonstration using the Battleground rules by José Antonio Zafra and a painting and diorama contest that displayed the talent of the participants. The fantastic prizes of the tournament were provided by the sponsors: Fantassin, ALEA, Librería Atlántica, Simtac, Campaign Game Miniatures and Figurat. As in other occasions, there was a wonderful atmosphere of camaraderie among participants and friends and the event ended with an association lunch. The next “In the Name of Glory” Championship will be held in Madrid next May and will be organised by El Último Tercio Club. For pictures and more information on the tournament, the rules and the clubs please visit our web page: http://www.terra.es/personal5/tressaco Dermot Quigley, Club Alpha Ares.

 A winged hussar and a Pancerny during the equestrian demonstration.

Spectacular view of the scene prepared for  Operation Market-Garden.

General view of the sales area at Fall-In 2003.

FALL-IN 2003

In Timonium, near Baltimore, U.S.A., what is probably the biggest of the wargame events organised around the world was held from the 14th to the 16th of November. We travelled to the States so that we could witness the huge force our hobby has there and we were very pleased with what we saw. The show was organised on a level that we are not used to seeing in Europe. When we registered, they gave us a 92-page event guide that gave us detailed day-by-day information on the demonstration battles that would take place, the battle periods, the rules being used in each one, the scale of the figures and the anticipated maximum number of players. They also provided us with information on the exhibitors, including several explanatory maps of the different exhibition sites. The show did not disappoint us at all; there were massive battles, among which the most remarkable one was the Market-Garden Operation. It had thousands of 20mm fi- Our magazine was also present at Fall-In 2003. gures and vehicles and a spectacular 19-metre scenario. They also recreated scenes from  Julius Caesar’s Conquest of the Gauls with a great battle between 1200 Roman legionaries and more than 3000 Gauls. In Dealer Hall, we were able to enjoy a large number of displays from the main English and American manufacturers; the interesting new releases presented by Sash and Saber and Old Glory made them the most outstanding exhibitors of the event. Outside of the exhibition site, we attended a magnificent performance of mounted archers and swift hussars. At the same time, the Sienkiewicz Society, which is dedicated to studying the history and culture of XVII-century Eastern Europe, was giving classes on the use of muskets and pikes.

Letter to the Editor To the Director of Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy: Firstly, even though it is not the first time I write and surely will not be the last, I would like to congratulate you and the staff  at WS&E for the new stage of your magazine: I am very happy with the content and especially with the distribution. The last stage of "Soldados y Estrategia" was very difficult for enthusiasts from provinces to get a hold of at newsstands (the preferable 4

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way), given the normal problems that, in practice, can hold up delivery. Both the texts and the photos make WS&E an essential and very attractive publication for all enthusiasts since there is a lack of magazines in Spanish about wargames and other related subjects. Nevertheless, with regard to the intentions you stated in the leader of your last issue about making WS&E “for everybody”, I

would like to raise a few questions and to make some suggesAnswer: tions: Dear Francisco - Nowadays, plastic figures have become quite popular and  Javier: their use is on the rise; do you plan to include them in future isThank you for sues of WS&E? your glowing letter - With regard to the last question, would you accept ads on and suggestions. Beplastic figures in the new free ad section for readers? low you will find a - Do you plan to cover the subject of fantasy and sci-fi war- response to each one games and figures? of your questions - Why don’t you include a report on the development of bat- and suggestions. tle pictures that include interesting things, such as the terrain, - Of course we are the approach etc. as you did in the last stage? going to cover the - Lastly, an idea that could be interesting for enthusiasts subject of plastic figures. We believe that this can be the perfect way as well as original for publications in Spanish: The book to become familiar with this hobby and, in addition, the manufactu“Little Wars ”, which can be considered the origin of modern rers now carry varied catalogues that provide a lot of period choices. wargames, just like “Floor Games ”, is a brief work whose - We do accept ads on this type of figure in the free ad secauthor, H.G. Wells, was interested in carrying out battles tion; all you have to do is send it. with tin soldiers and playing games with figures and cons- I cannot tell you that we are not going to include these subjects tructions in his yard and in the living room of his house. in the future, but if we do, it will not be on a regular basis because Neither of these books is available in Spanish; WS&E could there are already magazines specialised on this subject and we bepublish them in series, cards, or any way you think is the lieve that our readers prefer our historical wargame specialisation. best. The readers would surely welcome it, and it would be - We are open to writing about a wargame battle, but we have another milestone in the originality and practical and histo- to find one that is of general interest since readers tend to be more rical interest that have characterised your magazine from interested in the information on real battles and how to adapt it to the beginning. specific rules than to read about how we fought the battle. Thank you very much for considering my letter. Best Re- We have made note of your suggestions on the books by gards, H.G. Wells and we are going to consider what we can do regarding this matter. Francisco Javier Ortega Best regards.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS - More info: 91 304 87 64 We are a group of wargame enthusiasts from Madrid and we play Napoleonic battles with simplified Empire rules. We are looking for enthusiasts interested in this period and in the same type of rules to make a club. If you are interested, contact us at empirerules5@ hotmail.com Wanted: 1/72-scale miniatures or similar. Price negotiable, ask for Alberto. Tel.: 0034 617 91 76 18

If you do complex transformations of your figures, including partial or total modelling, and you would like to collaborate with the magazine, send us an e-mail to [email protected]

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Interview with Peter Fitgerald  R

ecently, we had the opportunity to visit Peter Fitgerald, owner and modeller of the magnificent figures by Calpe Miniatures. This was an extremely interesting meeting that allowed us to get to know Peter better and to check out all his spectacular figures. He spoke to us about his experience and future planes and we share the highlights with you below. When did you begin modelling figures?

I started more seriously about eight years ago. Before that, I had collaborated with Chris Gilder, Peter Gilder’s son, at his brand Connoisseur, modelling figures to complete several ranges that he had started but that I wanted for my collection. After, I made some Napoleonic figures for another brand and then I decided that the time had come to found my own. Why did you choose the name Calpe?

Calpe is the Roman name for Gibraltar and, since I was born there, I thought it was perfectly appropriate to use it as my brand name. Where did you learn how to model?

No one taught me; I began by transforming the Connoisseur figures that, given their style, were easy to change and on which the errors were not very noticeable. Later, my good friend Bill Gaskin taught me how to use Milliput and the rest has been experience and perserverance.

 How many figures have you modelled over the years?

It is difficult to say; I think some 400 if I include the ones I have made for other brands. I have not marketed all the ones I have modelled for myself and some of the figures that I had included on my lists and that I have been removing as my style evolved because they were becoming obsolete.  Since you have mentioned it, how would you describe your style?

I think there are two great styles: the one defined by Gilder and the one created by the Perry brothers. Gilder's focuses more on the movement, looking for the figure that has a realistic pose and that gives you a feeling that it is alive, although it sacrifices a lot of details. Perry ’s style is much more detailoriented and focuses less on the movement; this makes their figures seem a little static; however, they are evolving towards a more dynamic style. My style is very much influenced by what I learned when I was transforming Peter Gilder’s figures, although I have tried to concentrate on the details that the figures of the Perry brothers have.  So, which figures would be the most compatible with  yours?

For their size and style, mine are most appropriate for 30mm figures that follow the line created by Gilder; they are not very compatible with the figures designed by the Perry brothers because of the size, among other things.

Why is it that your brand only has Napoleonic Prussians?

I began to play wargames with a group of friends, and when I started, the only army left was the Prussian army since the rest had already chosen. So, basically, I was stuck with it. I had to devote time to changing figures to complete the army and that is how I began to model and to become a Prussian enthusiast. Since then it has been my favourite army; besides, it is one of the armies that has the greatest variety of uniforms, especially the Reserve and Landwehr units. When I started my own brand and since I only made figures for me and some friends at the beginning, I decided to prepare a complete collection of the Prussian army, including most of the variants.  Have you thought about making other armies or figures for other   periods?

For some time, I seriously thought about preparing samurai figures and I even modelled some, but in the end I decided to concentrate on being the best specialist in the Prussian army for the period between 1813 and 1815. When I finish the Prussians, I will continue with my philosophy of thoroughly covering an army and I will begin with the French soldiers from the same period; I have already modelled some of  them as a test.

 Before, you said that you only made figures for you and   some friends?

Yes, at the beginning, my only objective was to develop my army by making the figures myself; I made some extra figures to cover the cost of the materials and the smelting equipment. Then I decided to make my hobby my profession and to devote my time to my figures. That is when I put my figures on the market; my aim is to position my brand among the top manufacturers.

 So, what are your next figures going to be?

I am in the advanced stages of the L ützow Freikorps and the cavalry of the Landwehr; after I finish these figures, I want to do the Hussars, the Cuirassiers, the Guard and, lastly, the Generals and the General Staff.  Are you planning on releasing more Landwehr or Re serve variants?

Yes, while I am working on the others, I will continue releasing variants; the next one will be a Landwehr with an English shako.

We finished the interview with Peter here. We thank him for having shown us some of the many new items he is working on -the French, among others- that are undoubtedly among the best figures that we have seen. When he decides to market them, they will be highly demanded by enthusiasts, given their detailed craftsmanship and their uniqueness that portrays the real way to wear a battle cape. We were also able to see some spectacular ashigaru figures. It is a shame that Peter decided not to produce them. They are absolutely beautiful. Wargames Editorial Staff 

THE TROJAN WAR Between myth and reality

An element that shaped a philosophy, the Iliad was considered testimonial dogma in Classical Greece. Ten years of heroic fighting or pillaging expeditions? What Homer documented is one thing and what really occurred is another. Myth… “Homer” spoke of a great war, a war of men and gods, of mortals with fateful destinies and of great heroes. He spoke of a war that involved the entire Greek world, that cost the “Achaens countless lives” and that would change everything forever. There was a time when men were at the will of the gods’ whims; they were no more than mere puppets in the hands of  the gods’ plans and lived or died because the gods so wished. However, the gods, when it comes down to it, have the same defects, weaknesses and passions as the mortals. And it was one of these weaknesses, jealousy, that was the mythical origin of this war: Paris had to decide which goddess was the most beautiful. It was after this decision that the events quickly began to unfold: the abduction of Helen, the gathering of 1186 Achaen ships in Aulis (Boeotia), the landing in Troy, the struggle and death of heroes and, finally, ten years later, the capture of the city.

…background… The Trojan War, a source of controversy for many centuries, shows us much more than we realise. It is the philosophy of an entire civilisation -their worries, their customs, their fears, and, in the end, their human condition. The aim of this article is to read between the lines, to go beyond what the myth tells us. However, what Homer documented is one thing and what really occurred is another. 8

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Troy is also known as Ilium, Ilion and Ilios. It is located in the region of Troad, present-day Turkey, near the strait connecting the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, which the Tro jans called Dardania (after the Trojan patriarch) and the Greeks Hellespont (after Helle, the daughter of Athanus I, the King of  Thebes, drowned in these waters, according to myth). It has mountains to the east and to the south and is situated on top of  a hill in the plain of the Scamander River. This is where the Greek armies supposedly disembarked. It is supposed that the fighting was carried out in a closed formation consisting of several lines, with the shields at the front to provide better defence. These soldiers’ duties were to make sure that breaches were immediately filled and to evacuate the wounded. They used stones and throwing weapons in the initial clash. Even though these weapons usually did not kill the enemy, they did represent a considerable hindrance if they were to get stuck in shields. The front line was made up of the pro-  machoi, the vanguard, who began the hand-to-hand combat with swords and spears. The weight of the weapons quickly tired the men, so good organisation was required for replacing the exhausted troops. Extraordinary duels fill the Iliad and provide a good description of the weapons and armour that were used. One of the most important duels was the one which occurred between the Trojan prince Hector and the Greek Ajax. During this fight, Ajax was equipped with a Mycenaean shield (sakos ) in a figure-of-eight shape and the typical boar-tusk helmet and Hector

 A Mycenaean army deployed for combat. The two main tactics used by these armies were compact infantry formations and chariots as shock  elements.

with hoplite armour. Several centuries separate the two types of armour, which has fuelled some debates on whether the Tro jan War really took place. In theory, hoplite armour as well as the phalanx formation appeared in the VII century BC, even though it is questioned due to the lack of images (except for the Olpe Chigi ). When Greeks became adults, they formed part of the army. At this age, they became citizens and, therefore, had the obligation of defending their city. The civilised warriors were heavily armed and wore a characteristic uniform: helmet, metal cuirass, sword, greaves or leg guards, spear and hoplon, a round shield held by two handles -the porpax or central armband that fits around the forearm near the elbow and the antilabe  or grip that is held in the hand. The hoplites, the front-line infantry army, received its name from this shield. These infantrymen were far different than the common citizen-militia, which was poorly armed with spears and slings. All of  these arms were made of wood, usually ash, and bronze. In general, the use of iron was quite uncommon. It appeared only as a precious material used for prizes or in trade and was not used to make arms. The Greek warrior defended the land of the polis of which he was an active member. All of the patriotic feelings that appear in the Iliad and, in general, Greek philosophy are proof of  this. The different armies led by the kings or basileus that were wooing Helen were aggressive brotherhoods united by family ties (phratria) or ritual friendship (hetairia). It is logical to think that Homeric society knew their ancestors and that it established ties of philia between their members who could be counted on for help if necessary. According to Homer, the territory of the Greeks or Achaens was dismembered and was made up of blood-related groups without their own organs: the king (basileus), the council of elders (gerontes)  and a popular assembly. For example, Agamemnon, the commander of the Achaen army, did not have The infantry units usually had little body armour, and their basic armament was normally a large tower-shaped or figure-of-eight shield and a long   spear or pike.

absolute power and could not take any decisions without first not being an archer; it entails staying in their position and keconsulting the “curly-haired Achaen sons”. Even so, the meaeping their eyes fixed on an entire field of spears that appear ning of the word basileus is still debatable since there were sebefore them…”. The archer is unmanly and is never a hero: veral kings in some of the mentioned territories. With regard he fights in the distance. The Greeks value this matter so much to data, specialists tend to use that which appeared in Pylos, that in many occasions the Greek/non-Greek opposition is regoverned by the Wanax (king) and the lawagetas (military compresented by the hoplite/non-hoplite. mander), for their studies of the society at those times. Apart Apart from the contingent with more or less normal characfrom these figures, there was a hierarchy teristics, there was the exemplary figure of  within each contingent that seemed to be “for a warrior, the test of  the heroes. The indisputable model recogbased on the recognition of the superiority nised by Greeks and Trojans was Achilles. their braveness is not of a relative or friend over another. This is The motives of the heroes’  actions were the case with Achilles and Agamemnon being an archer; it entails honour and glory. A perfect example of  whose superiority was recognised over this concept is when Achilles flew into a staying in their position rage after Agamemnon had taken Briseida Patroclus and Menelaus, respectively. Honour and social position are the elements away from him. He was abducting not and keeping their eyes that created the hierarchy. only his slave, but also the geras (honorary The nobles did not go to the battlefield  fixed on an entire field of  booty) that belonged to him. The geras  on foot like the rest of the contingents, but was a privilege granted in recognition of  spears that appear were taken by their charioteers in chariots any type of superiority, whether it be bebefore them…” drawn by two or more horses. When they cause of the position (as in the case of  reached the battle site, the aristocrat Agamemnon) or because of the bravery of  would choose an honourable adversary; once he beat this adthe heroic deeds (as in the case of Achilles). That is, the foot versary, he would choose another. This process was repeated soldiers received a part of the booty, but the elite, both kings as many times as necessary. Meanwhile, the charioteer stayed and heroes, received the geras. Stealing Achilles’ geras was alin the chariot and waited for the nobleman to return after commost like denying his grandeur in combat; this is even truer if  bat. That is, the chariots were not elements of combat, but methe person that steals the geras is, as the hero Agamemnon rere means of transport that represented a social position or rank. proached, king of kings (basileutatus) and remains in the proIn the Archaic or Classical ages, they were not used in war; hotection of the encampment. wever, they were vehicles used for parading of for transportaIn Homer’s poems, dying in combat guaranteed glory; and tion that marked the warrior’s status. it is this heroic death and eternal youth that Achilles picked The hoplites were brave soldiers because they fought handwhen he was given two choices the day he was born: he could to-hand and put their lives at risk. In comparison, there are the either enjoy everlasting glory after dying as a youth, or live a soldiers that fought in the distance: Paris, the archer, for examlong life without glory. The glorious death (kalos thanatos)  ple. Heracles by Euripides stated in an illustrative and signifigranted the warrior that died in battle the status of “courageous cant sentence that “for a warrior, the test of their braveness is man”, establishing his arete , excellence or act of striving to re A basileus leads the charge of his war chariots.

 Heavy infantry armed for hand-to -hand combat with smaller shields and swords, like the Achilles’ Mirmidons.

ach the highest potential, and, in turn, doing away with the nefreed the heroes of their psike, but the change of state occurred ed of constant social approval. thanks to funeral rituals that took them to the shores of the HaHerein lay the importance of social recognition, the praise des, which was connected to the divine world. A divine world of the public opinion or the common time. The other time, the created, as in all cultures, according to the peoples’ needs, ineverlasting glory conferred for heroic deeds, is even more imterests, worries and lifestyle. portant. After all, being forgotten is the real death. In Greek mythology, the gods constantly appear in the all Dying on the battlefield saved the warrior from being forman’s acts and are a reflection of them: their appearance regotten with the passing of time. For the men of future generasembles that of humans and their family structure is similar to tions, the memory of the hero was fixed to such an extent that ours, but they do not grow old or die. On the battlefield, they the youth were defined by their aptitude for taking up arms; the appear in many different ways: in the middle of a mist, as a huyouths with this talent were called hoploteroi. Perhaps to us the man, etc. They are fearful beings that must not be angered. Hedescription of the death of Hector seems like a macabre specsiod provides us with the formula: be attentive to the dike (justacle: wounds, blood and dust covering his entire body. Hotice) and do not let your pride (hybris) grow, if so, you will be wever, all of these marks are signs of his majesty and, therefopunished, just as Ulysses was. re, increase his manly beauty. So, that is why the Greek mentality attaches so much importance to dying beautiful. …or reality However, it is not only dying beautiful, but also being a beMuch has been written about this subject. Antiquity considered autiful warrior. When Patroclus died, all of his companions (inthe Trojan War as something that was obviously historical. cluding Achilles) cut their hair over his corpse before handing Troy even became a pilgrimage centre where, for example, him over to the fire. That is, they decorated him with what was Alexander the Great stopped in 334 BC on his journey around representative of their warrior status -their Asia. However, from the end of antiquity hair (unlike the women, who offered the until around 1870, when Schliemann disbest dresses they had knitted). This was no covered the remains of a city that he idenordinary act. The law of Lycurgus institutified as Troy in the colony of Hissarlik, it “Troy even became a  ted for Macedonian soldiers said that they was considered to be a myth. pilgrimage centre” must leave their hair long and take good “Homer” describes the taking of Troy care of it, especially before combat, beas a war with men and gods; this war is cause it was a symbol of vitality and part of Mycenae’s distant and practiyouth. cally forgotten past that has survived as legendary tales pasIt was necessary for them to shock the enemy with a horrised on from generation to generation and enormous walls fic and tough appearance. Herein lay the importance of the inbuilt by Cyclopes. This history has little to do with what the sult and the mutilation of the dead body, known as oikia. AchiTrojan War or warfare could have been (if it, in deed, exislles was so angry at Hector for the death of his friend Patroclus ted). What we do know is not based on these legendary acthat it was not enough to just kill him. He could do something counts, but on the translations of Linear B tablets and on the even worse: He dishonoured his corpse until his father Priam, archaeological site findings. The latter, not Homer, will prothe King of Troy, came to beg him for it. Heroes needed their vide answers to all the unsolved mysteries on how the Myexploits to be sung, but they also needed their bodies to be cenaean army was organised and what weapons and arpaid a tribute of honours (geras thenonton ). The mortal blow mour were used. y SE

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The first defining characteristic of these armies is the exiscarry out in the Hellenic world due to the rough terrain that tence of standardised equipment that is gathered in the invenwas full of rivers and vegetation. tories of the Mycenaean palaces. These lists include large numThe armament is not the only proof of an organised army. bers of body armour, swords, helmets, etc. The tablets that were discovered in Pylos show armed forces The shields used were built in different shapes, such as fithat had a clear objective: to protect Western Peloponnese gure-of-eight, tower and rectangular. They were made out of  from a threat that apparently came from the sea. To provide the a convex-wood shell that was covered with cow skin. This best defence for these attacks, the coastal regions were divided construction provided a very strong surface. Even though into ten sections commanded by an officer that had three to they were very effective forms of defence, the body was proeight subordinates that led contingents with 30 to 110 men ditected with a helmet and a cuirass. Research has found sevided into groups of ten. In all, there were 800 men grouped at veral types of helmet, but the boar-tusk various patrol posts. helmet was apparently the most widely As is well known, the authorship of  “dying in combat used. It was made out of a leather cap the Iliad (which is only a fragment of the guaranteed glory; it is over which rows of boar tusks were tenth and last year of the war) and even sewn. The body armour, however, was the existence of the war are debated tothis heroic death and hard and made with movable bronze day. Those that question its existence eternal youth that plates: two for the chest, two for the base their arguments on certain eleshoulders, a round piece for the neck ments, such as the out-of-phase armaAchilles picked” and a skirt for the lower body that was ment mentioned above. This is logical if  longer in the back than in the front and we think that the poem, which dates that consisted of three doubled rows of semicircular pieces. back to 700 BC, was recited and improvised by the poets If we add the heavy spears and swords they normally carried, without the help of the written version; there were no stanwe reach the conclusion that the use of this type of armour dardised texts until quite some time later (one was found in is only conceivable with the help of a chariot. Athens circa 520 BC), so the original poem could have unChariots are very light vehicles with two four-spoked dergone substantial changes. wheels, a wooden chassis with a fireguard and sometimes However, what interests us is to see how the existence of  an opening and a whippletree to which the traces of the harthis war is defended by authors who base their arguments on nessed horses are fixed. In Archaic or Classical Greece, they the fact that the Mycenaean Greeks were closely linked to the were used as taxis and that is why their use in Mycenaean military and political circumstances of Western Anatolia. They times is seriously doubted. To look at an example from reargue that the vassal state of Wilusa (in the Troad region) was latively the same period, we know that in the Battle of Qaattacked on countless occasions and that the Mycenaeans desh (1286-1285 BC) the Egyptians launched attacks in chacould have been involved. In addition, Wilusa can be an equiriots driven by three Hittites (at least one of them carried a valent of (W)Ilios, at least philologically speaking. Even so, the Trojan War would not have occurred as believed. It would haspear) while an archer shot. However tempting this analogy may be, this type of battle would have been very difficult to ve been a series of continual attacks that were combined by the  Both armies’ elite on their chariots launch a devastating attack that will decide the outcome of the battle.

 Infantry advance towards an enemy under the arrows and stones from skirmish soldiers.

rhapsodies. But, there is more. Investigations have found rees provide us with certain information on the material culture. ferences to a vassal king called Alaksandus of Wilusa in anIn the end, it is the story of a glorious past, an epic event that chient documents about the Hittite world from Bogazkoy’s armaintains a vague memory of what really happened. The unity chives. Alexandros is the official name of Paris, and Troy is of an idyllic people and the armour and warfare techniques are known as Ilios or Ilion. The similarity of the names has made disfigured and appear completely out of context. We see it in some writers believe that Paris was a historical figure, a kinglet the battles fought with weapons from different periods; howein that part of Asia. The names of Hector and Achilles also apver, the weapons and military tactics match archaeological finpear in Mycenaean archives, but not as names of princes, but dings that were, indeed, known of in the Homeric period, but as slaves, which could reveal their popularity. that only correlate to the Mycenaean period. The helmet that But, there is even more. In 1971-1972, Ullyses borrows from Merino for his nightsome frescoes showing scenes of daily litime departure, the swords studded with “the ten years of war fe circa 1500 BC were uncovered in Thesilver nails, the “tower-shaped” shield and ra; the scenes depict threats from the sea Nestor’s goblet are elements that have becould have been ten of attackers that have boar-tusk helmets en discovered during excavations. years of pillaging until and tower-shaped shields, that is, MyceThe remains, along with the legendary naean armour, and that are coming for memories, could have been hidden with the final conquest, supplies of cattle and women. This has what was left of the Mycenaean populaand not ten years of  posed the question of whether the Mycetion in Athens, city that acted as the “refunaean conquest of Crete in the XV cengee centre” during the Submycenaean peheroic fighting” tury BC was preceded by these pillaging riod. Indeed, the migrations of seaside expeditions, which could lead us to think populations from the eastern Mediterranethat the same was also true in the case of Troy. In other an region since the XIII century might have caused the end of  words, the ten years of war could have been ten years of pithe Mycenaean world. This Mycenaean world ended almost as llaging until the final conquest, and not ten years of heroic Homer depicts in his story - a epic poem that spoke of Mycefighting as Greek tradition says. naean splendour and glory, that created heroes and important In reality, we have remains in Hissarlik whose historical figures who would keep the Greek tradition alive with nostalcentre expanded over a long period. The Trojan War took plagia for a past that was better. ce at around 1200 BC, that is, in the middle of the Bronze Age “After dumping the burial mound, they left again. Later, they in an area under Mycenaean control. There were also two progathered and took part in the distinguished funeral banquet at ven catastrophic events that help situate the war: an earthquathe abode of Priam, the king raised by Zeus. ke circa 1250 BC and a fire circa 1180 BC. What is more, the That is how they celebrated the funeral of Hector, the horarchaeological site of Troy portrays a city full of buildings used sebreaker.” for storing provisions (as if they feared something), damaged by fire and laden with corpses.  Author: Ana Valtierra Myth, background or reality, who knows the truth? What  Fotography: Anastasio Jiménez  we do know is that the Trojan War is an epic account that do Paintings: Redoubt and Wargames Foundry figures from the es not intend to portray the historical period, even though it docollections of  Ángel Villena and Carlos V á zquez  y SE

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Y|zâÜ|Çxá  WARS of the ROSES HUNDRED YEARS WAR 

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NAPOLEONIC WARS

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THE LANDSKNECHTS

 The arquebusier García de Cerezeda wiped the sweet off his brow while he began to reload the arm he had just fired several times. He looked to the left and saw an enormous German armed with an enormous sword who was wearing a strange combination of multi-coloured, slashed garments and who had just wiped out three Swiss with one swipe of his sword.

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uring the first half of the XVI century, there was a revolution in the art of war employed in the battles between the Spanish and French monarchs in Italy; it evolved from a purely medieval form to a modern form which implemented innovative tactics and techniques. The clashing armies began to use the arquebus for combat, and the medieval armies of  heavy cavalry gradually became less important; these and other improvements greatly changed the tactics of combat. The role of the infantry once again became important, now that large masses of foot soldiers were being used on the battlefield; their role had not been this important since the antiquity age. Among these infantrymen, the German landsknechts , the quintessential mercenary soldiers of the XVI century, were the ones that stood out the most. They reached the culminating point of their renown during the Italian Wars in which they competed with their Swiss adversaries. In German landsknecht  means “servant of the country”. Its origin dates back to the last decades of the XV century, when Maximilian of Austria, the Holy Roman Emperor and German King, realised that it was necessary to maintain a personal corps of  soldiers so that he did not have to rely on the German nobles to form his armies, as had occurred to other German emperors in the Middle Ages. 16

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In the beginning, these troops had been recruited in the Austrian Tyrol, Alsace, Württemberg and Baden, and they first became active in 1490 when Maximilian administered an oath of loyalty to his troops; he also gave them what we would call nowadays an “esprit de corps” when he decided to provide these units with training and weaponry taken from the Helvetian model. The Swiss were the infantry par excellence in the XIV century; however, it was not until after their victories over the Duke of Burgundy, Charles “The Bold”, in Grandson, Morat and Nancy between 1476 and 1477 that they had truly become the most famous infantrymen in Europe. This fame was well won, given they had been able to defeat the heavy cavalry, which had been, up to that moment, the most important weapon. But, Maximilian not only copied the Swiss model, but also exceeded it. With the help of Georg von Frundsberg and other German nobles, such as the Counts of Cleven and Lodron, he trained his soldiers to use t he pike, the halberd, the sword, the crossbow and the arquebus, the main weaponry of the German landsknecht;  (however, the crossbow stopped being used in the second decade of the XVI century.) This training considerably improved the quality of the corps; despite being an exceptional idea, the outcome of the first battles was not good. But, once they

achieved their first victories, the landsknechts  gradually began to be recognised as a lethal and dangerous force by their enemies. Their fame was such that young nobles enlisted in their ranks, following the example set by Maximilian, who had marched alongside his men, without armour and with a pike on his shoulder, as if he were one of the landsknechts.

did not have enough equipment (remember, the soldiers had to provide their own defensive and offensive weaponry). During the Italian Wars, this type of recruitment practice gathered landsknechts that belonged to the upper and middle social class. The reliability of these troops increased considerably because they were better disciplined and were not as greedy with the booty as the light cavalrymen, the stradiots (save exceptions, such as the Landsknecht  Recruitment Sacco di Rome). and Organisation If the volunteers were accepted, they Recruitment was based on a contract; had to sign a contract that united them the Emperor used this contract to pay with the regiment. Once the selection  The landsknechts  for the services rendered by a lord or process was over, they carried out the  fought in large pike nobleman, who was given the rank of  ceremony, in which the recruits were colonel (Obrist), and to lay down a list squares, that is, in units looked over and were given final apof stipulations, such as the length, the proval by the officers; the regiment was of 3,000 to 4,000 financing and the number of men neethen divided into 10 f ä hnlein, with 400 ded for the campaign. He also stipulasoldiers in each one, 100 of which wesoldiers, which could ted the terms under which the soldiers re veteran soldiers called doppels ö ldner  adopt various geometric (“doublepay”) that received a double would participate in the campaign, their pay and the bonuses they would salary because of their experience and shapes, depending on receive; for example, if the troops embecause they had a riskier position in the number of pikemen barked, they would be supplied with focombat. The recruits were paid a month od during the journey, and, if they had and on the strategy they in advance; they formed a circle around to attack a fortified point, they earned a the colonel, who, mounted on his horplanned to use. bonus. se, read them their rights and obligaThe colonel named his second-intions as landsknechts . These rights and command and the captains that were obligations were from a letter that clegoing to command the f ä h nlein  (comarly explained their conduct and the panies) of the regiment. The officers, in turn, began the repunishments they would receive if they infringed these rucruitment process by calling the possible candidates with les. Then the soldiers swore an oath of allegiance to the the sound of his drummers playing in the squares of the Emperor, to their officers and to the cause for which they towns and cities. He then went through the volunteers were to fight; the future standard-bearers also had to swear and rejected the ones that were not fit for service or that never to abandon the standard in combat and to die for it. The pike (defensive arm) and the arquebus (offensive arm) were the landsknecht’s main weapons.

The nobility, still steeped in the tradition of the medieval cavalry, feed the ranks of their gendarme units. The new armament and infantry tactics was proof  that the heavy cavalry had their days numbered.

Once the companies were brought together, they were The oath of allegiance was very important during the subdivided into rotten (squads), made up of 10 soldiers or first part of the XVI century; these troops, despite being 6 doppels ö ldner , that were under the command of the rott-  mercenaries, recognised the supreme authority of the Emmeister (squad leader). However, all of these figures were peror, who was their monarch and to whom they, his subtheoretical because they depended on the final recruit jec ts, owe d the ir loyal ty. The y fea red Max imi lia n so ment of 4,000 soldiers (sometimes this recruitment objecmuch that when he banned them from fighting under the tive was not always reached and other times it was exceeFrench flag, most of them acceded to his wishes; only ded). Frundsberg, Götz von Berlichingen, Charles of  about 800 men known as the “Black Band”  stayed and Bourbon and other warlords were fought for Francis I, who was defeated known for being able to recruit thou-  Their fame was such that in Pavia in 1525. This rule was still sands of soldiers in only 20 days. being applied during the reign of Charyoung nobles enlisted The regiment had a very efficient orles V and the Empire’s enemies could ganisation system. They had officers count on small groups of deserted in their ranks, following only who were in charge of supervising the landsknecht . the example set by food and other products the merchants During the religious wars of the sesold to the troops; there was also a type cond half of the century, they became Maximilian, who had of military police that maintained order true soldiers of fortune; they no longer marched alongside his on the provisioning train that followed fought for their Emperor, but for rivals the soldiers -keeping the women, chil- men, without armour and that paid only for their services and did dren, lovers and prostitutes that accomnot impose the same laws. with a pike on his panied them under control was essential Weaponry and Training for the discipline of the troops. Other ofshoulder, as if he were ficers applied the law, which was unforDespite being a force that was brought one of the landsknechts . together for each campaign, the landsk-  giving in cases of desertion: if a soldier left their post, they were killed by the pinechts  were trained to use all sorts of  kes of the other troops they had be en put weapons during the journey from the in danger. This system of order also had a hangman, who recruitment site to the area of operations and even during was armed with an enormous sword and a rope for hanging. their days of rest. The general staff also had cunsellor officers, chaplains, The pike, a 6-metre-long spear, was not easy to handle guards of the colonel, doctors, interpreters, etc. The interand even less when walking; the up and down movement preters were very useful during the Italian Wars, since the of such long staves must have made them quite awkward army of Charles V was made up of many nations: Spaand required great strength to them steady. Their training niards, Germans, Flemish, French, Swiss, Greeks, Italians, taught them how to hold the pike as well as the different etc. They were needed so that the officers could understand positions they had to use when attacking, defending and all of the languages and efficiently organise the actions tafighting against cavalries and infantries. The most difficult ken during the ups and downs of the campaign. step they had to learn was to charge at a relatively high 18

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 Landsknecht fife and rottmeister (squad leader).

speed while holding the pike at the end without breaking the formation. The landsknechts fought in large pike squares, that is, in units of 3,000 to 4,000 soldiers, which could adopt various geometric shapes, depending on the number of pikemen and on the strategy they planned to use. The typical square had the arquebusiers covering the flanks and the doppels ö l dners  at the front armed with two-handed swords and halberds. The latter sometimes carried maces, which could have either a square or a circular shape. To counter cavalry attacks, the pikemen took positions at the front and were backed up by the doppels ö ldners  and the arquebusiers. The verlone Haufe, units of convicts clearing their guilt or of volunteers, were positioned in front of the squares; the duty of this guerrilla group was to break the enemy’s formation by shooting and provoking them with insults- in short, they acted as bait. These troops were also trained for hand-to-hand combat. This skill was essential for them to be able to act quickly when the two infantry squares clashed; whether alone or in groups, these soldiers improvised their own attack and defence tactics on the battlefield. The clash of  the two pikemen units must have been a terrifying sight men trapped between their own pikes and the enemy ’s, the doppels ö ldners  rushing in from behind with arms that were easier to use in small spaces, the pushing of fellow comrades in the back ranks, the screaming, the corpses pierced on the long spears. These encounters must have unleashed total chaos that only the strongest, better armed and best trained soldiers could survive. Recently recruited soldiers were also trained to use the katzbalger  (“cat gutter ”), a short sword with an s-shaped guard, which was easy to handle in reduced spaces. This weapon greatly helped the soldiers in the clashes of pikemen. The arquebusiers belonged to the same category as the doppels ö ldners, however, they received different training. These soldiers quickly learned how to use the arquebus, but it was more difficult for them to obtain good results.

They learned how to load, aim and shoot rapidly, which was not easy considering the weight of this arm and the difficulty of handling the gunpowder while holding the lit cord with the right hand. The number of arquebusiers in the regiments was greater than those used by the Swiss, but less than those used by the Spanish, the true experts of  this weapon. The doppels ö ldners were the most experienced soldiers in the f ä h nlein. Some of them were armed with pikes and arquebuses, but the weapons of choice for these veterans were the zweih ä n der (a double-edged sword), the halberd and the short sword. The large swords were used to carry out their main mission: after the initial clash between the two squares, they cleared a way through the sea of pikes and entered the enemy formation through the gaps left by the dead. By doing so, they were able to break up the enemy’s front lines as well as the cohesion of their square. This action was extremely dangerous –another reason for them to be paid twice as much as the recruits. They were also scattered throughout the square so that it would better withstand attacks coming from the flanks and so that they could push the rest of the soldiers during the charge. These veterans were considered true heroes by their comrades and, in many cases, were promoted to the rank of officer because of their exemplary service. The landsknechts had one of the greatest artillery trains of their time. It was created by Maximilian and improved by Charles V. The types of cannon used varied greatly –from light to heavy cannons that were used to knock down walls and that could fire cannon balls weighing several kilos. The gun carriages were painted black and the metal parts red; the cannon was left unpainted and was made out of copper, which was the most convenient alloy to use. Great skill and care went into the manufacturing of  these pieces.

Clothing One of the most striking characteristics of the landsknechts  was their clothing. Their garments were full of slashes,  Pikeman with heavy armour and doppelsöldner (2-handed   sword).

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backstitches and hems and were usually made of different tions could vary a lot. The garments were made out of  colours. The origin of the slashed garments is not clear and wool or other durable materials that could resist the the different arguments given are not satisfactory: tearing rough use given by the soldiers during the campaign. The clothing taken from the enemy to make it bigger or to matroops covered their heads with several types of hat or ke it easier to move in had some logic behind it, but it is beret that were made of felt or leather and that were deknown that the nobility in Northern Italy were already corated with peacock feathers or feathers that had been using the slashed apparel. Thus, the origin of this fashion dyed red (the colour used by the Imperial and Spanish aris difficult to pinpoint. mies). Under these hats, they wore a triangular shawl maTheir main garments were breeches and the doublet. de of different coloured fabrics, which was adopted from The former tended to be close-fitting, a similar garment worn by women at but with the passing of the century that time. In addition, the soldiers of  they were loosened and made bigger. Charles V and his successors used the During the battle, the They were slashed and the typical “Cross of Burgundy”, a small red cross soldiers practiced “dirty sewn on their clothing in a visible plafolds were sewn. At around 1550, these alterations led to the creation of  ce, to distinguish themselves on the warfare”, that is, they trousers called pluderhosen , which battlefield.  fought till death and had vertical slashes through which a The front-line pikemen and the dop-  silk lining could be seen hanging pels ö ldners  usually wore “Maximilian” they did not accept down. The evolution of the doublet armour, which was decorated with versurrendering the was similar -the number of slashes and tical grooves, although they also used folds increased during the period. The older versions of armour. Normally, prisoners, which were use of a long tunic spread among offithey just wore the breastplate; they ultimately killed. This cers and veteran soldiers. The tunic fit bragged that they never needed to use close to the upper body and had a long the back plate because they never shooccurred every time the loose-fitting skirt; the sleeves could be wed their back to the enemy; however, Swiss and the Germans either short or long. Underneath these there is a more logical explanation: garments, they wore a baggy white mass-produced armour usually did not met on the battlefield. short that fit tightly around the neck. stop a shot fired from an arquebus, and Lastly, they wore square-toed shoes once the shot entered their body, it and ,in warmer climates, sandals. could exit, bounce off the back piece and re-enter their The landsknechts  were allowed to choose the design body, causing even more damage. They also wore leather and colour of their clothing. They normally used two or  jerkin s that cou ld resist the stabbings receiv ed in han d-tothree colours, but if the spoils were good, the combinahand combat. The types of helmet varied: burgonets, casUntil the middle of the XV century, the halberd was the main weapon of the infantry; it would be gradually substituted for the pike and would be  practically p hased out.

ques, scaled casques. They were designed to give infantrymen a clear field of vision. Although the clothing worn by the German landsk-  nechts was similar to that worn by the Swiss mercenaries, there were certain details that helped differentiate between them. The insignias of the cross of Saint Andrew, the red feathers, the short sword and the leather jerkin were used by the Germans. The Swiss, however, preferred not to wear any leather garments and to use a large knife or a short sword. A cap decorated with what appeared to be ears was typically Swiss, and midway through the century, the Germans began to use a cap that looked like a small top hat. Even though there were differences in the clothing worn by both armies, these were rather subtle.

The Campaigns The landsknechts  participated in many wars since the beginning of the XVI century. The battles fought for the control of the Italian peninsula (1495-1544) were the acid test of the German mercenaries. They began these campaigns with a reputation of  being a mere copy of the Swiss mercenaries. During the first 20 years this was just the case. Only in the Battles of  Cerinola and Garellano under the command of the “Great Captain” were they able to conquer their enemies. However, once Charles V ascended to the Imperial throne, the panorama changed radically. During the second decade of  the century, the emperor’s power grew at an amazing rate, and after the victories of La Bicocca in 1522, Pavia in 1525 and the Sacco di Rome in 1527, the landsknecht ’ s  luck changed. In the Battle of Pavia, the Germans were able to defeat the Swiss units and the “Black Band” paid by France. The battle ended with the massacre of the French gendarmerie, their heavy cavalry, carried out by the emperor’s troops and Spanish arquebusiers. The French were virtually annihilated in Pavia and their king, Francis I, was taken prisoner. During the battle, the soldiers practiced “dirty warfare”, that is, they fought till death and they did not accept surrendering the prisoners, which were ultimately killed. This occurred every time the Swiss and the Germans met on the battlefield. In comparison, there was also “clean warfare” they fought with no intention of killing the enemy, but to wound them and to then ask for a ransom. In 1544, after a long war with France, an agreement on Italy was reached with the Peace of Crepy, which established control by Spain and her monarchs for nearly 200 years. However, this did not mean that the landsknechts stopped being some of the best soldiers of the period; they continued fighting throughout Europe. They were involved on both sides: in the battle of the peasants in Germany between 1524 and 1526, in the siege of Tunisia in 1535 and in the attempt to take Algiers in 1541 they accompanied Charles V and in the fight against the Turk on the eastern front of the Empire. When the war broke out between the Lutherans and the Catholics in Germany, the landsknechts  were found fighting for both factions. Religious affiliations were important during these battles, however, this did not stop the Lutheran landsknechts  from supporting their Emperor. In 1547, a group of Lutheran landsknechts , on the Catholic side, fought hard for the Emperor in M ühlberg, honouring their oath of allegiance. When the religious wars between the Calvinists and the Catholics began in France, the landsknechts  were recruited by both sides, and since the Emperor was at peace with this nation, the volunteers had his approval, provided that they did not fight against Germany’s interests. They fought in all the battles of the bloody Gallic wars: Dreux, Saint Denis, Jarnac, Moncontour, Arques, Ivry. The French ne-

Throughout the XVI century, the artillery became one of the main arms of  the European armies, and both cannons and artillery trains developed  quickly. (this caption can be used for both of them).

ver had a good infantry until the middle of the XVII century; however, it was during these wars that the cry of  “there is no money, there are no landsknechts ”  began to be heard, since the landsknechts  fought strictly for monetary motives. In the wars of Flanders, the landsknechts also fought on both sides; however, the Spanish only recruited Catholic soldiers. They were no longer known as landsknechts , but as German regiments. They were hired by Spain to fight in all of the wars waged by Phillip II and his successors. German units appeared in the Battle of Lepanto, in the British undertaking, in the Italian Wars and the 30Years ’ War during the XVII century. The reputation of the German mercenaries gradually declined, just like the Swiss; the recruitment areas were spent and the quality of the new recruits got worse and worse. The landsknechts finally disappeared during the XVII century. The flame of one of the best military groups of all time was extinguished, but their memory lives on.  Author: Eduardo de Mesa Gallego  Fotography: Anastasio Jiménez   Figures from Wargames Foundry Painted by Luis Morchón,  property of Eduardo de Mesa

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EL CID- WARFARE IN THE SPANISH RECONQUISTA: 900-1250 AD is a source book for Warhammer Ancient Battles. Rodrigo Diaz, better known as ‘El Cid’, is one of the most famous warriors of the Middle Ages. His deeds are legendary and his adventures in a world of Moors and Christians, castillos and caballeros, provide ideal territory for games of Warhammer Ancient Battles. This source book contains an historical overview and detailed chronologies outlining the important events and battles of the time. Included as well are eight detailed lists featuring: Armies of Christian Spain- The early Christian Kingdoms, the Age of El Cid and the Reconquista. Armies of Al-Andalus- The Caliphate of Cordoba, the Taifa Kings and the Later Taifas. Armies of the African Invaders- The Almoravids and the Almohads. Aliados y Mercenarios- Allies and Mercenaries available for hire to complement your armies. Accompanying each of the army lists are detailed notes on wargaming tactics, and collecting and painting the various armies that fought in Medieval Spain. EL CID- WARFARE IN THE SPANISH RECONQUISTA: 900-1250 AD also contains two new scenarios for games of Warhammer Ancient Battles as well as a campaign system allowing you to hire El Cid himself!

£13  You will need a copy of  Warhammer Ancient Battles to use El Cid.

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Special Feature El Cid

TABLE OF CONTENTS -El Cid and his times. War in Medieval Spain. -El Cid bibliography. -Illustrations. -Pluribus bellum. Rules for Antiquity and Middle Age Miniatures. -Dust, sweat and iron: the Battle of Alcocer (summer of 1081). Scenario Scenario for WARHAMMER WARHAMMER ANCIENT ANCIENT BATTLES. BATTLES. -Mio Cid defends Valencia: Scenario for DBM. -Step-by-step: Painting Moors. -Miniature Figures - The Reconquest.

El Cid and his times. War in Medieval Spain.

The figure of El Cid in the Reconquest was extremely significant. The life of Rodrigo de  Vivar considers a way of understanding the art of war, obscures the heroic deeds of his distinguished contemporaries and sums up one of the most bellicose periods of medieval Spain.

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t the turn of the XI century, the Iberian Peninsula was valries in the interests of the dynasties were also significant. witness to an intense escalation of violence in which The same instability was present in the fragmented al- Andalus. new factors, or other well-known but intensified facThe division between the two realities was relative or, at least, tors, appeared. The complexity of the diplomatic acpassable. In any case, the times when the Christian monarchies tivity, the scope of the operations, the size of the arwere at the mercy of the Cordovan raids had long passed. The mies and the international involvement in the continual tension between the Taifa kingdoms that emerged conflict are some that stand out. Individual protagonists, espefrom the crisis of the Caliphate along with the demographic excially the outstanding figure of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, El Cid, plosion of the Christian kingdoms and their opening to the heare just as important in the unfolding of history: El Cid was a fiart of Christianity (which brought political, economic and culgure that was turned into a legend and national hero of Castile tural development) must also be taken into account. owing to his characteristic heroic deeds. This imbalance was turned into a situaHowever, we are more interested in the “The Reconquest should tion of dependence that was based on a historical figure, the controversial man-atsystem of parias . The Christian kingdoms not be viewed as a  arms: a nobleman whose description ranused their advantage of superiority to imges between an undefeated warrior and a pose hereditary vassal relations of submiscontinual and coherent mediocre politician, a self-sacrificing vassion and protection in exchange for such conflict against the sal and a cold mercenary. Over and abolarge amounts of money that they became ve the controversy, the objective fact that Moors on the Peninsula.” the main financing source for the different history has rarely put a warlord in such a Crown territories. This influenced the wecentral position cannot be ignored. El Cid akening and division of the Muslim kingwas directly or indirectly involved in every single event that todoms, but also created friction among the Christians who disok place during his lifetime. puted over the enormous revenue collected. In the high medieval societies, this formula was more feasible and, at tiInheritance and parias mes, more desirable than conquering the territory. Launching The decade of 1070 is our approximate starting point. At this an occupation campaign called for the mobilisation of large time, the Reconquest gained speed thanks to the growing forcontingents in demographically weak kingdoms. In addition, ces of the Christian kingdoms. This process should not be viethe need to occupy cities and fortresses to guarantee the conwed as a continual and coherent conflict against the Moors on trol of the territory required continual siege campaigns that tothe Peninsula. Even though the areas of natural expansion for ok too much time and wasted too many resources. In fact, the these nations were the Muslim territories, the tensions and rimost efficient and definite way of conquering was to populate 24

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the territory. This allowed for the mobilisation of a large detional approach was primarily defensive. The recruiting source fence contingent when the need arose. This process was obwas mainly from urban areas and focused on the organisation viously slower and less beneficial in the short term than that of  of garrisons that would defend cities against brawls and sieges. collecting tributes. The garrisons of the most active cities, that is, the border forThe last guarantor of the paria system was to apply military tresses, were in the hands of troops who, by rendering their serpressure. The characteristics of the wars during these times wevices in this manner, could fulfil their feudal duties. re very limited because of the definition of their objectives and  A complicated political panorama the feudal social structure. Since there was no real state administration, this meant “Even though the areas of  Among the numerous Taifas, those at that there was no permanent army either. Badajoz, Seville, Granada, Zaragoza natural expansion for the The contingents were temporarily mobiliand Toledo stood out because of their sed on account of the noble ties; the joi- Christian kingdoms were importance and unifying power. Most ning of specific troops depended on the of them were spread out in the southern the Muslim territories, social status and the economic means of  region and were mainly located to the the troops themselves since they generally the tensions and rivalries south of the Tajo River; nevertheless, had to pay for their own military equipthere were some towns to the north of  in the interests of the ment. The types of army that normally the river. All together, they formed a operated on the Peninsula were armed retight group in the heart of al-Andalus. dynasties were also tinues, or noble militias, and urban garriBadajoz occupied the north-west region significant.” sons. The most common types of military and its main cities included Badajoz, action were brawls, or razzias in its MusMérida and Lisbon. The Taifa of Seville lim equivalent, and sieges. The defence of the kingdoms’ bounwas situated to the south. Its expansion aspirations towards daries or the small-scale harassment of the enemy territory was Málaga and Córdoba were shared by Toledo, who also wisentrusted to the garrisons of the cities or the border fortresses. hed to take control of these areas. Toledo was in the midst Only in the most exceptional cases of open confrontation of its greatest splendour. It exerted its influence over Valenwould the mobilisation of contingents of greater magnitude be cia and Córdoba, while it maintained friendly relations with necessary. When necessary, the Crown, using its feudal links, Castile and León. The Taifa of Granada was to the south of  gathered the abovementioned mixture of forces and added Toledo. The eastern region, however, had a more complex them to their mercenaries. configuration. The Kingdom of Zaragoza was of special straFor their part, the Taifas had lost the brilliant military orgategic importance; it was the ambition of all the Christian nisation and professionalism of the Caliphate. As in the Chriskingdoms on the Peninsula since it was the key of the entitian kingdoms, these qualities were marked by the quasi -feudal re Ebro Valley and the door to the Mediterranean. The features and tribal dependencies. The division had an effect on Kimgdom of Lérida-Tortosa-Denia seperated from it in the weakening of al-Andalus; some Taifas were barely capable 1082. Its territory was split up and dominions were located of mobilising a few hundred troops for war and their organizato the north and south of Valencia. In the end, Valencia  Heavy al-Andalus cavalry was normally equipped with coats of mail and padded armour.

The light cavalry, usually Berber, was one of the main arms of the  Muslim armies. They were armed with both javelins and bows.

well as the protector of the King of Granada, in the city of Cabra. This event and the raid on the north-eastern territories of  the Taifa of Toledo, a fief which belonged to Alfonso VI, caused the break-up and forced the Campeador to abandon the kingdom and to render his services to the King of Zaragoza as a mercenary. This would not detract from his importance in future events, but would give him the perfect opportunity to excel as an independent entity in the battles that were to come.

The Almoravides and the clash of powers The seriousness of El Cid’s incursion in Toledo stemmed from the break that it implied in the friendly relations of dependence between Toledo and Castile-León. Nevertheless, it is likely that Alfonso VI had been thinking for a while about the idea of  taking control of Toledo and all that it represented, even symbolically, as an old court of the Visigothic Kingdom. The death of its king, al-Mamun, gave Alfonso VI the perfect opportunity. He quite effortlessly laid siege on the city by conquering its surrounding bastions. Toledo was forced to surrender without a fight. CastileLeón’s advance was remarkable; they even obtained positions in territories south of the Tajo. To a modern observer, this expansion may seem insignificant, but, considering the characteristics of that period, it was spectacular.

would play an important role in the conflicts of that time, even though it was not independent. The configuration of the Christian kingdoms was just as complex. The territorial configuration process according to the dynastic inheritances was still in its embryonic stage and the stable formations of the future only now began to be noted. The Pyreneean states had hardly been able to expand beyond their founding centres. A long process of dynastic battles began in 1035 after Sancho el Mayor de Navarre’s death and controversial inheritance. These events affected all the Christian kingdoms on  Alfonso VI Imperator totius hispaniae the Peninsula. Consequentially, Navarre and Aragón were joined under the same crown in 1076. Of all the counties in CataThe political and military repercussions of the conquest of Tolonia, Barcelona was the most notable. It spent the entire period ledo in 1085 were decisive. It became the focal point of the endeavouring to find a stability formula that would prevent the events. On the one hand, it gave Alfonso the title of Imperator, dynastic partitions and that would give the Roman-Visigothic inheritance that put them hegemony over the rest of the Catalohim, at least on paper, over the rest of the nian counties. It still had not achieved theChristian kingdoms. On the other hand, “It is in this panorama  se objectives and had to compete with prothe moral impact on the Muslim kingdoms of multiple centres of  minence of the county of Urgell. was devastating; it seemed as though the The kingdom that began to excel over battle rules had been changed; accepting power and of certain the rest was that of Castile-León. Its terridependence through the parias no lonnoble autonomy that the the tory was vaster than that of the rest owing ger seemed to be enough to brake the voto their progressive occupation of the independent figure of El racious Castile-León, who threatened the lands to the south of the Duero, the river of al-Andalus and indirectly dominaCid gained importance.” heart that separated this area from the Muslim ted the city of Valencia. territory. However, they had to leave To counteract the pressure from Alfonso behind a violent past to achieve this suVI, the kings of the Taifas decided to play premacy. Their last monarch, Ferdinand I, established the their trump card and went to ask the Almoravides of Yusuf Ibn Tapartition of the inheritance among his sons and daughter in his sufin for help. The Berbers were originally a nomadic tribe until will: the firstborn child, Sancho, received Castile; Alfonso, inthey carried out a feverish campaign and took control of the west herited the Kingdom of León; Garcia became the King of Galiof North Africa. They arrived in the south up to Senegal, making cia and Urraca, his daughter, received the Fortress of Toro. A contact with sub-Saharan Africa. The cries of help from al-Andadynastic battle began immediately. Alfonso was triumphant lus allowed them to also reach the Peninsula and to unify the fragand crowned himself King AlfonsoVI. Now that the kingdom mented Spanish Islam. Their arrival was also going to provide the was unified, he began to repopulate the regions of the Duero conflict with completely new connotations. The Castile-Leonese and to reconquer the Basque and Rioja territories that were oriadvance was going to face an adversary that would be able to ginally the centre of Castile, but were in the hands of Navarre. compete on the same level. The Almoravide expansion was on a By law, the parias of Badajoz and Seville belonged to Alfonso, par and their military was efficient and practically unlimited with the King of Galicia, Toledo and León. From Castile, he also inregard to the manpower that arrived from the other side of the herited the need to orient himself towards the Kingdom of Zastrait. ragoza. The kingdoms of the Pyrenees were also heading in the The first encounter in Sagrajas same direction, but Alfonso had an initial advantage. In 1086, Yusuf entered Tarifa for the first time. He led a chao A Castilian infanzón at the service of a Leonese monarch tic and slow advance towards Badajoz with an alliance army It is in this panorama of multiple centres of power and of certain noble autonomy that the independent figure of El Cid gained importance. Rodrigo Dí az de Vivar, the right-hand man of  Sancho II of Castile in the dynastic conflict, was now serving Alfonso of León. He had already stood out as a man-at-arms in the internal battles of the kingdom and achieved victory for Sancho in the battles against his brothers in Llantada (1069) and Golpejera (1072). Now he played an important role as a tribute collector and took part in brawls in al-Andalus. It is precisely in the context of the parias in which the frictions between King and vassal emerged that would give El Cid his legendary dimension. El Cid’s famous exile occurred in 1079 when he, while serving as protector of the King of Seville, defeated Garcí a Ordoñez, the leader of the Kingdom of Castile-León as 26

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The Arab camels were an excellent weapon against the Christian knights because the camels' odour scared the Castilians' horses.

of Almoravide and al-Andalus troops. Alfonso mobilised his army and set off for Badajoz as well with the intention of distancing the clash from Toledo. The Muslims outnumbered Alfonso’s army and had the advantage of receiving the Castile-Leonese troops in the south where they were most effective. The confrontation took place on the plains of Sagrajas, or Zalaca. It was the first of several field battles that occurred between the adversaries throughout the following decades of clashes and that also allows us to confirm the intensification of the fighting in Spain during those times. The magnitude of the clashes was generally greater than those that had taken place on the Peninsula. In addition, there were two different military concepts being used and it was necessary to learn how to orchestrate them. The Almoravides implemented several new innovations in the practice of 

war that were the consequence of their empire’s diversity. With regard to the tactics of the nomadic Berber tribes, they tended to be always on the move and to avoid head-on encounters. These tactics were greatly improved a fter a notable development of the infantry: once they dismounted their horses or camels, they got into a close-packed formation, or a phalanx, and combined rows of pikes with rows of throwing weapons –mainly javelins- to face the cavalry charges. They had many unknown troops on the Peninsula which caused confusion and, even, panic. This is the case of the Africans recruited in Senegal and in other southern boundaries of the empire. Nonetheless, Yusuf was able to organise quite a diverse army. It was initially a coalition of tribes, but he succeeded in unifying them under his command. He also created a large and well-trained mounted guard that was may SE

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“Therefore, the result of  the combat largely depended on the success of the Christians’ initial charges.”

“The Castilians suffered a catastrophic defeat in Uclés: the army was decimated and the heir to the throne, Sancho, died in battle, along with several counts of  Castile.”

 Arab camel command group.

de up of a diverse group of Senegalese slaves and Europeans. tect it from the Kings of Zaragoza and Lérida. It seemed imThis guard was brought together to act as a reliable elite forpossible that Alfonso VI could benefit from the exiled infan-  ce and to manage the tribal differences. z ó n  in this situation. The status quo  in the Levant also perAll of these innovations were put to the test in Sagrajas. The mitted him to get back to conquering the Taifas in the south. tactics used during the battles were as follows: the Christian arTo do this, he based his operation at the enclave of Aledo, a mies relied on the head-on charges of their heavy cavalry and fortress built after the conquest of Toledo on the eastern the Muslims on the ability of their phalanxes to stop and encirboundary of the Kingdom of Seville, so that he could put cle them with their light cavalry. Therefore, the result of the constant pressure on the south. combat largely depended on the success of the Christians ’ iniThe situation caused the return of the Almoravides in 1089. tial charges. In this case, the cavalry of Alfonso VI attacked A new al-Andalus-Almoravide coalition besieged the fortress. the rival positions that had been previously equipped with paThe siege continued for several months, just enough time for lisades. Their objective was the Al-Andalus troops because the disagreements between the Muslim allies to appear. The arthey were considered to be the weakest. In spite of the relatimies of the King of León and El Cid headed towards Aledo. vely successful operation, the Almoravide They did even not have to fight to lift the wings counterattacked the Castilian camp siege; however, without any clear reason, and forced them to fall back. The encirthe situation once again led to the clash “History has always cling movement was about to become a between the King and El Cid. wanted to weigh up the net from which the wounded king could The unification of al-Andalus barely escape. The defeat greatly affected  victories of the Castilian the troops’ moral. In addition, the breakThe lessons learned in Aledo were going nobleman and the up of parias  in several kingdoms meant to substantially change the approach of  that the financing sources disappeared. All Yusuf Ibn Tasufin in the conflict. H e sendefeats of the King this threatened the stability of the region. sed that the Taifas were weakening and of León.” that his alliances were fragile. So, his ob jectiv e was to use the important sectors The prestige of the Campeador  To face this threat, Castile-León was forfrom the al-Andalus society that he had ced to neglect their Mediterranean interests for the moment. At in his favour to unify al-Andalus and to put constant pressuthe time of El Cid’s arrival, Alfonso VI was laying siege to Zare on Toledo. He had a permanent army on the peninsula ragoza; however, he had to abandon the siege as well as the under the command of Abu Beker, and in 1094 all of the support of the governor of Valencia. southern Taifas were under his control. He only had to conOddly enough, El Cid’s presence in this theatre of operaquer Zaragoza, Valencia and Lérida-Tortosa-Denia to recontions guaranteed a certain balance that, otherwise, would hafigure the old Caliphate. ve surely been split. While serving the King of Zaragoza, he In that area, the events had evolved considerably over the last had kept Navarre, Aragón, the Catalonian counties and the five years. El Cid was the protector of Valencia and his support to Taifa of Lérida-Tortosa-Denia under control. In fact, in 1082 Zaragoza was now subject to the payment of tributes. Arag ón had he had conquered them all at the same time in the Battle of  begun an ambitious expansion towards Zaragoza. They conqueAlmenar. Now, the vacuum that Castile-León left in Valencia red Monzón and built the Fortress of Castellar only twenty kilowould allow him to act as the arbitrator of the city and to prometres from Zaragoza. After losing both the south and his resour30

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ces -except the tributes from Badajoz, before 1094-, Alfonso VI decided to take control of matters in the Levant himself. The most accessible objective was Valencia. For this, Alfonso VI immediately sought support from abroad. Using the interesting repercussions victory would have on Meditteranean trade, he was able to get Genoa and Pisa to carry out a naval operation. This time, El Cid’s reaction ressembled more an independent man-at-arms than a loyal vassal. He decided not to support the King and moved towards Zaragoza. From there, he began to plunder the lands of  Garcí a Ordóñez of Ná jera –his terrible enemy in the Castile-Leonese court-, which was also an operation against the King’s dominions. This surprising action and the failure of the King ’s operation against Valencia stopped Alfonso for the moment and took El Cid to the height of his power in the east of the Peninsula. Nevertheless, the Almoravide threat would bring them back together. When Rodrigo de Valencia left, the city’s pro-Almoravide faction was able to take control. El Cid immediately headed towards the city, occupied its poor quarters and prepared for the arrival of  Yusuf from Algeciras. Near the end of 1093, Yusuf reached the city. Although the Almoravide army seemed weak, its sheer numbers filled onlookers with terror. It was made up of North African troops and armies from the Almoravide governors on the Peninsula. This led the Campeador to ask Castile-León for help, even though it was not necessary in the end. Rodrigo decided to risk it all in the operation. He launched a surprise attack with his cavalrymen on the enemy positions and forced them to give way and withdraw. This was the victory of Cuarte, the greatest triumph that El Cid would obtain in his life. Once El Cid entered the city, he decided to hand over control to the King of Le ón and to act as the de facto ruler. He most likely did this because, at that moment, he was pushing the limits of his forces. The balance of powers

Thanks to this battle and to El Cid ’s presence, the city fell within the Christian sphere of influence just before the breCommand group of the al-Andalus heavy cavalry.

aches in the defence on the southern borders began to appear. In 1094, they were defeated in Almod óvar, and in 1097, in Consuegra and Cuenca. Toledo was out of danger, but the strongholds to the south of the Tajo began to fall. This explains why Alfonso VI took the strategically reasonable decision of abandoning the city when El Cid died -in 1099 or 1102. Rodrigo was the real owner and lord of the Levant. In his absence, the Almoravides would reach the peak of their power. Their raids on the Catalonian counties recalled the campaigns of Almanzor. In 1108, with Yusuf Ibn Tasufin dead, the Castilians suffered a catastrophic defeat in Uclés: the army was decimated and the heir to the throne, Sancho, died in battle, along with several counts of Castile. Two years later, with the King of Zaragoza dead, they took control of the Taifa and completed the long-awaited unification of al-Andalus. Now that the main figures of the conflict were dead, it seemed as though the fight would end in a draw. Even though Alfonso VI ended his reign with several notorious defeats, it was undeniable that he had obviously expanded his kingdom and had consolidated it by establishing stable borders. The Almoravide power would soon dwindle and fade away because of internal crisis, such as the recovery of Castile-León, and the growing expansion of the Kingdom of Aragón. El Cid’s role in this outcome remains to be assessed. To compare him with the main rulers of the period is in itself an act of distinction. History has always wanted to weigh up the victories of the Castilian nobleman and the defeats of the King of León. The judgement may seem unfair; however, we believe that this article has at least explained why El Cid Campeador was so important.  Author: Jesús Jiménez Zaera  Fotography: Anastasio Jiménez   Black Tree Design figures painted by El Mercenario

El Cid bibliography When looking for information on this period we come across two fundamental problems: on the one hand, there are few books t hat focus on the subject from a military history viewpoint; on the other hand, save exceptions, most works cover a longer time period, which means we lose some det ails. Therefore, we are forced to select specific sections and discard others according to their relation to our subject. The objective of this bibliography is to help readers with their research. We have divided it into three sections: the first contains general works, the second studies on military history and the third covers books specifically on the figure of El Cid. General Works

MENÉNDEZ PIDAL, Ramón: La Espa-  ña del Cid . Madrid, Espasa-Calpe, 1969 This is the basic reference book for obtaining more in-depth and comprehensive information on the period of  the Reconquest. The reader will not miss the slightest detail of the military and political development during this period. The title is not a simple lure. This is the work that has most praised the historical figure of this Castilian warrior. This is an essential read for those that wish to thoroughly research the subject and especially for convinced cidophiles. ESSENTIAL MÍNGUEZ, José María: Alfonso VI: po-  der, expansión y reorganización inte-  rior . Hondarribia, Nerea, 2000.

This interesting work is dedicated to all the aspects of the reign of Alfonso XI. The chapters devoted to political history can be used perfectly as a general summary of the conflicts during the period. I say it is interesting because readers will find one of the most critical accounts of the figure of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar and, on the contrary, the most praiseworthy work of the monarch of Leon. Nor does the importance of the Almoravid presence escape the author. Large-calibre ammunition for the controversy. RECOMMENDED

MARTÍNEZ DÍEZ, Gonzalo: Alfonso  VI: señor del Cid, conquistador de To-  ledo. Madrid, Temas de Hoy, 2003. Another work that covers the period through the Castilian-Leon monarch, halfway between the biography and the history of the kingdom. The author is an expert on El Cid, so those interested will find it constructive to compare it with the viewpoint given in the previous book. RECOMMENDED

BOSCH VILA, Jacinto: Los almorávi-  des . Granada, Universidad de Granada, 1998. This is a facsimile of the original printed in 1956 and the most compre32

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hensive study that we have found on the political history of the Almoravides: the formation of their empire, the intervention in al-Ándalus and its fall. Bearing in mind that most works presented here tend to focus more on the Christian kingdoms, this book provides a detailed account of how the conflict in the Muslim world developed. RECOMMENDED LOMAX, Derek W.: The Reconquest of  Spain . London, Longman Group, 1978. This book is also available in Spanish under the title La Reconquista, published in 1984 by Crítica. If the dossier of our issue of Wargames, Soldiers  and Strategy has aroused a reader’s interest of the whole process of the Reconquest, then this work is very interesting. The virtue of this book is that is summarizes the entire period in approximately two hundred pages without leaving anything out: the clash between the Caliphate and the kingdom of Asturias, the Almoravide invasions, Almohade and Benimerin, the War of Granada, etc. INTERESTING Military History NICOLLE, David: El Cid and the Re-  conquista, 1050-1492. Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 1988. The popular British publishing company, essential for enthusiasts of  our hobby, includes this book on the Reconquest in their Men-At-Arms collection. It covers quite a long time period, but in the chapters dedicated to the Christian kingdoms between the XI and XII centuries, the Taifas and the Almoravides the author succinctly and rigorously describes the military key points of the period: concerning both events and characteristics of the art of war at the time. Angus McBride is responsible for the illustrations that we are used to seeing from Osprey Publishing. In spite of its high quality, we have unfortunately come across certain gaps that have been the result of trying to cover such a long period. RECOMMENDED

NICOLLE, David: The Moors. The Isla-  mic West 7 th -15 th  Centuries AD . Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 2001. The same comments can be made for another issue of Men-At-Arms produced by the previous authors. This time, not only does this work go beyond our scope of study, but it also does with regard to space. Despite this and for being solely dedicated to Muslims, we find quite an in-depth analysis of the makeup and the way of waging war in al- Ándalus, especially with regard to the Almoravides. McBride ’s illustrations maintain the quality previously mentioned and also offer somewhat more thorough information. RECOMMENDED HUICI MIRANDA, Ambrosio: Grandes  batallas de la Reconquista durante las  invasiones africanas . Granada, Universidad de Granada, 2000. This work from 1956, of which a facsimile has been recently released, is, as the title indicates, exclusively dedicated to the account of the main battles of the Reconquest from sources written closest to the events. This is not an easy task due to the obvious exaggeration and lack of rigour of  most of the medieval chronicles. Although the battles of medieval Spain are unfortunately not as well-known as we wish they were, this is the most comprehensive approximation and, therefore, essential. For the period that we are analyzing, it covers the battles of Sagrajas, the siege of  Aledo and Ucl és. Those interested in the general Reconquest period will also be able to find information on other battles, such as Alarcos and Navas de Tolosa. ESSENTIAL VERBRUGGEN, Jan F.: Art of Warfare  in Western Europe during the Middle  Ages. Woodbridge, Boydell Press, 1997. One of the greatest Works on medieval military history. Despite being a general work given its scope of space and time, the lessons we get out of it on the art of war help us understand the peninsular example: the link between the feudal society and the art of war, the organization, the tactics and the evolution of weapons. ESSENTIAL OMAN, Charles W.: Art of War in the  Middle Ages. London, Greenhill, 1991. Another classic on medieval military history whose first edition is around eighty years old and that has been reprinted and updated on several occasions. Perhaps in some aspects it is old-fashioned, but it is still a reference summary to keep in mind. Unfortunately, there is no epigraph dedicated to the peculiarities of the

war on the peninsula, so, as in other cases, we will have to accept the somewhat generic approximations to our subject. RECOMMENDED KEEN, Maurice H. (ed.): Medieval  Warfare: a History . Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1999. This is a compilation of several essays written by writers qualified in the subject. It has two parts: the first includes the articles ordered by period; the second is divided into specific subject matters of military science. This work is very interesting. However, we are only interested in very specific sections, such as those devoted to the period between 1020 and 1204 or to the aspects of weapons, siege wars and mercenaries. INTERESTING

El Cid, the figure In the bibliography dedicated to El Cid, we must mention the medieval works: El cantar del m í o Cid , Carmen  Campidoctoris  and the Historia Ro-  derici . This last work, despite being the least known, has contributed a more faithful historical account, avoiding the legendary events of the previous books. One curious thing; the known pseudonym of Campeador is derived from Campidoctoris. But this is a vulgar mistake. The term would be better translated as “expert on the battlefield ” or “experienced in combat ”. All of them can be found in current editions. With regard to recent bibliography, the following works deserve special mention: MARTÍ NEZ DÍ EZ, Gonzalo: El Cid his-  t ó rico. Barcelona, Planeta, 1999. This is an exhaustive biography of  El Cid whose aim is to present the historical figure without any of the features of the legend. The author knows the period very well and gives readers a detailed account of the hero ’s adventures and of less known minor weapons. Nevertheless, for better understanding, readers would appreciate having an introduction to the period that puts the character into context. RECOMMENDED FLETCHER, Richard A.: The Quest for  El Cid. London, Hutchinson, 1989. This book is also available in Spanish under the title El Cid , published by Nerea in 1999. It is a new biography on the figure written by an author who is perhaps less authoritative than the previous one. However, those readers that are beginning their study of this subject might find this book more useful. The first part is dedicated to giving an introduction of the period and putting the character into context. INTERESTING  Author: Jesús Jiménez Zaera

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ILLUSTRATION COMMENTS  1. This cavalryman displays two typically Spanish elements. On the one hand, we see the chain mail hood that is separated from the main piece; on the other hand, the leather shield. This shield, whose use was wide-spread throughout the Christian kingdoms, was normally made out of leather and in the shape of a kidney. Its influences came from North Africa. In general, until the XI century, the Islamic and Visigothic elements had greater impact on equipment than the innovations that arrived from Europe. Until that time, cavalry weapons were more similar to Islamic arms due to their lightness than to the heavy weapons that were being imposed in the rest of the continent. That is why there is an absence of mount protection.

2. This is an example of a combatant with heavier equipment. This dismounted knight displays many foreign influences that would end up becoming widespread. The Norman-style helmet with nose protection was one of the variations with additional facial protection that survived on the Peninsula and that evolved from more archaic models. It was also possible to see chinstraps, rear pieces that protected the nape of the neck and front pieces with openings for the eyes. The chain mail or hauberk  clearly has a European style. The hauberk  covers the arm down to the elbow, the body to the knees and the head with its hood. It was being introduced on the Peninsula at that time and had some variations, such as the chain-mail veil that served as facial protection. The pointed shield, which could already be seen in a smaller version among the Muslims, began to be introduced from the north through Catalonia. The native tassel decoration comes from North African influence.

3. This infantryman corresponds to a traditional peninsular model, without the innovations from France mentioned in the previous figure. His equipment is lighter, with little protection and no chain mail. Likewise, the shield is still round and is probably made of leather. Light equipment among the troops was a common feature in the peninsular armies, including the Muslims.

4. As in the case of the Christian cavalryman, the tendency of light equipment is reproduced in this figure. The slight differences between the Andalusí and Christian clothing are a result of the mixture of  both eastern and western influences. For instance, the small round shield of eastern influence was added to the chain mail, most likely imported from Europe. The round, one-piece metal helmet was fairly infrequent, but it was common in more prosperous regions. That is why it was easier to see among troops from Andalusí or Eastern Islam than among the Christian kingdoms (where leather pieces were still seen) or North African tribes. Given the numerous influences, there were many variations – helmets with added protection, pointed shapes, etc.

5. This Andalusí combatant is wearing unusually heavy clothing. The headdress on the helmet and around the face is reminiscent of a turban and probably was one of the few differences that characterised the Andalusí soldiers. It combines a long, hoodless coat of mail with a padded tunic. The use of  chain mail began to be widespread among the professional troops, who were usually Northern European Slaves, and ended up replacing the scale cuirass from previous times as the preferred metal protection. Lighter protection, such as this type of padded garment or those made of leather or felt, was more common among the Muslim armies and was mainly seen among the infantrymen. The influences of the leather shield clearly come from North Africa. The Almoravide armies tended to use shields made of leather or, sometimes, oryx, called lant, which covered most of the body and which allowed the infantrymen to assemble into tight formations.

6. This is a typical model of the Almoravide troops. These soldiers introduced huge numbers of drums into their units as psychological weapons to shock and confuse their Christian enemies, who initially underestimated them and considered them to be left over from the pagan past. This infantryman comes from the southern areas of his empire, where most troops for the Iberian Peninsula campaigns were recruited. His light attire, consisting of a tunic and a turban, clearly indicates that he belonged to the Almoravide troops. The veil, called litham, distinguishes these troops from others and was used to cover their mouths, which were considered to be impure organs.

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Pluribus bellum Rules for Antiquity and Middle Age Miniatures Imagine for a moment that we are beginners again. We have just discovered how fun it is to collect and paint miniatures and we want to create an army. The first step is to decide what period we would like to game in. In shop windows you can see some beautiful figures in their minute glory: medieval knights, Egyptian chariots, samurai warriors… It is love at first sight. So, you do not hesitate and you decide that the ghosts of Harald Hardrada and William the Conqueror are going to fight for the right to be the king of England on the game table at your club.

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ut… What rules will I use? Which is the best? How many figures will I need? Which scale? The aim of  this article is to provide a set of guidelines that you can use to answer these questions. Whether you are  just beginning in the wargames world or you are one of those “old dogs”, you can compare and contrast the different game systems mentioned here. Right now, the most popular rules on the market are De  Bellis Multitudinis  and Warhammer Ancient Battles, which are normally known more by their respective acronyms: DBM and WAB. Now then, these rules must share the small niche in the gamer community with dinosaurs like Ancient  Empires and with simple systems –that are astutely compatible with DBM- , such as Armati and Tactica (the latter is widely used in the US). New kid on the block Vis Bellica is a game system that has taken ideas from the 70s and 80s, such as orders and simultaneous movement, updated them and incorporated models developed in the 90s, such as the element system instead of the unit system. I will go into more detail on these systems below. I have not mentioned other rules that are used less often, that are more difficult to find and that are too period-specific, such as Revenge (created by Emperor Press Ltd.), which is dedicated to Middle Age Europe, Spear Song, Pig Wars (skirmish system for the VI to the X century Europe), Killer Katanas (feudal Japan), etc. Before I begin, I would like to highlight an innovative phenomenon: the free rules that are being distributed on the Internet. The truth is that there is a bit of everything. You can find anything from adaptations of proven systems (Warmaster ) to completely original systems. I highly recommend you take a look at The Perfect Captaine web page that you can access at www.freewargamesrules.com. Not only is this site brimming with free and wonderfully designed wargame rules for the Antiquity and Medieval Ages (Hoplomachia, Prin-  ces of the East ), but it also has a complete game system for the Renaissance (Spanish Fury! ) , American Wars and even the Russian Civil War. This is an amazing site and a fine example of professionalism that some designers of  commercial games ought to follow.

De Bellis Multitudinis (DBM) DBM  was published in 1994 by Phil Barker and Richard Boyle Scott for Wargames Research Group (WRG). It was a revolution in the world of wargames with miniatures. They had already given us a sneak peak a few years before with the original 38

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model De Bellis Antiquitatis (DBA), a very simple system to use for gaming battles with few miniatures in a limited area for matches that could be finished in 30 minutes. The advantages of DBA soon became clear. The time and money invested by gamers to collect an army was minimal. Space was no longer a problem either –a game of DBA could even be played on a small kitchen table. Its quick-play format also makes it a very practical system for tournaments and for gaming campaigns. The only problem was that players wanted “something more”  after playing a few games. DBM  was the response to this need. This new system developed combat, movement and command systems that were more elaborate than those used by DBA. It also used more figures than the original, giving gamers the feeling that they were fighting a real battle. DBM ’ s organisation of forces did away with the traditional unit idea and replaced it with the smaller group tactic element that could operate independently on the game table. An element consists of a variable number of miniatures placed on a standard-sized base and that share identical characteristics. For example, a typical element in a Swiss army from the XV century could be made up of four figures of pikemen –heavy infantrymen- on one 40x15-mm base. This element would more or less represent a block of 250 soldiers deployed in four ranks. The rules have not been designed for any scale in particular, so they can be used with miniatures ranging anywhere from 6mm to 25mm. The designers have employed steps as the unit of measure. Each step is equal to a specified number of millimetres on the game table which depends on the scale of figures being used. So, for 25mm figures, each 50 steps corresponds to 40 mm on the game table, while for 15 mm figures, each 50 steps equals 25 mm. Since we know that an element of  light cavalry moves 250 steps in each tactical movement, we will move it 20 cm if we are using 25 mm miniatures or 12.5 cm if we are using 15 mm figures. It may seem a little mind-boggling at first, but after you play a few times you catch on quickly. DBM is played alternating turns, that is, first one side carries out its actions, combats, etc. and then the other side repeats the same steps. The best thing about DBM  is its control and command system. At the beginning of each player’s own turn, the die is thrown for every subordinate general that is present on the game table or in a flanking action. Then the player assigns the points obtained by each throw to

each subordinate general as they wish. These points will allow that particular officer to control the elements he has been assigned; each individual element or group of elements (bases that are in contact with each other and that are facing the same way) will cost one command point to control. Costs can increase if the command group includes irregulars, if  they are too far from the base of the command general, etc. DBM  is a quick-playing game system which lasts around 2 to 3 hours once you become familiar with its mechanics. It has 4 supplements with army lists that cover armies from around the world from 3000 AC to XV century BC. Its success has triggered its adaptation to the XV and XVII centuries, De Bellis Renationis  (DBR ), and in 2004 a new version for the Empire and French Revolution period is to be released.

Warhammer Ancient Battles In 1998, four of the main game and miniature designers of  Games Workshop – Jervis Johnson, Rick Priestly and the Perry twins- released a new project: Warhammer Ancient  Batttles , a game system based on the 5 th edition of the wellknown Warhammer Fantasy Battles and that represents historical battles. Up to now, they have published six supplements for the Antiquity age and they have another four in the development stage. They have also released an adaptation of the game system for the XVII century, specifically for the British Civil War (1642-1645), which includes basic and specific rules. Each book comes with special rules, a histo-

rical introduction –which is exceptional in the case of the last published module of Alexander the Great- , painting section with examples and tricks (see, for example, the one on El Cid ), full-colour illustrations, army lists and bibliography. WAB  does not have a pre-determined time scale, a real soldiers-figures ratio or a space ratio. The make-up of the forces centres around the relative point value for each type of unit in the army. This cost is determined by the skills, armament and special rules for the type of war in question. The basic point scale can be increased if you provide your miniature with additional weapons. For example, a Spartan hoplite is worth 22 basic value points per figure (Armies of Antiquity, pg. 15) that can be raised to 25 if he is equipped with heavy armour and to 30 if he is “promoted” to the category of homoioi –equivalent to the Theban Sacred Band. A basic Persian soldier with a lance and shield would cost 5 points per miniature. That is, you could deploy up to 6 Persian soldiers for one Spartan hoplite. This system allows players to decide which type of army they wish to deploy -if they prefer a small but elite army or a horde of several hundreds of figures. As a general guide, an army of 1000 points will be made up of between 40 and 100 miniatures. The miniatures are organised in homogeneous units except for the special figures; that is, the generals, standard-bearers, war commanders, etc. are individual figures that act alone, while the rest form groups that have the same characteristics and weapons. This does not mean that you cannot have mixed units, as, for example, some late Roman vexilla-

tio or Persian or Assyrian regiments that allow you to mix archers with lancers or archers with slingers. The combat skills, unit morale and its ability to handle the pressure of the battle are reflected in 9 characteristics with values between 1 and 10. The higher the number, the better the warrior in question will be. Note: In  WAB all the movement values are expressed in  inches. One inch equals 2.5 centimetres approximately. Nor-  mally, the formed infantry moves 4 ”  (some 10 cms), the skir-  mishers 5 ”  (12.5 cms), the cavalry 8 ”  (20 cms) and the cha-  riots and elephants 6 ”  (15 cms). These values may be  modified in some army books to reflect special circumstances  for the type of unit described. The game is divided into turns -6 is the most common, although it may be more- that are, in turn, subdivided into player turns, that is, player A carries out all his movements, charges, shots and resolves his combats, and then player B repeats the sequence. Unlike DBM, there is no limit to the number of troops that can be activated in a turn. A typical game of between 1500 to 2000 points can last up to three hours once the players are familiar with the rules and, over all, with the peculiarities of  each type of weapon and each unit of  their army. The game uses the standard 6-sided die plus one “artillery”  die, although you will only need the “artillery” die if your army includes catapults, onagros, etc.

Ancient Empires This game system that was published in 1990 by Emperor’s Press, the creators of  the famous rules for Napoleonic Empire, is one of the old dinosaurs. You can say that it is the summit of a gaming philosophy that covered in detail all the “historical” aspects of the period that they wanted to represent. Those of you that enjoy tables, percentages and detail in general, Ancient  Empires (AE ) will satisfy you. The game’s scale is 1:60, that is, one figure equals sixty real soldiers (or four elephants or chariots); so, for example, a Roman legion from the period of the Second Punic War will consist of 70 infantry figures. Each turn equals one hour of real time; this is divided into 11 phases with the Tactical Combat phase divided, in turn, into up to three action periods in which the Major Units (a group of tactical units under the command of an officer; a Roman legion would be equal to one MU) in contact –that is, those within a distance of tactical combat with the enemy- can announce a charge, carry out a melee, settle shots, etc. Depending on the operative orders, the presence of generals assigned to the unit, etc. will have one to three chances to activate their army for each Tactical Combat phase of each turn. For each activation, he will first be able to operate with his available MUs, the side that wins the tactical initiative for this turn (it is settled with a throw of the die; the result is added to modifiers, such as the officer’s skill or the number of attack orders activated in that turn). As you can see, AE  opts for an approximation that greatly differs from the old warfare used by WAB or DBM. It is highly detailed, but it is also slower to play and requires more space. A medium-sized battle can take from 6 to 8 hours to resolve. AE has five supplements: Hannibal, included with the basic rules, Alexander, Successors (this covers the wars between the successors of Alexander the Great), Trojan Wars  and Caesar. It does seem as though they are going to publish any more for now. The original company has changed owners and it does not seem like they are going to continue developing the game at the moment. 40

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Vis Bellica Out of the rules that have been mentioned up to now, this one is the most recent. The first edition hit the market in November, 2002. Unfortunately, I have not been able to play it yet, so I will not be able to speak about its virtues or its defects. However, I am trying not to compare merits, but to give guidelines that orientate those that would like to begin playing wargames in the Antiquity and Middle Age. For those of you who are interested, you can find additional material on Vis Bellica’ s web site, www.visbellica.com. Vis Bellica has been designed to be used with any scale of  figures that are placed on standard-sized bases; the number of  miniatures per base depends on the type of base used (heavy or light infantry and cavalry, harassers, etc.). The bases do not correspond with the sizes proposed in other popular systems -DBM, in particular-, although in the first VB, they propose alternative systems so that those that already have an army based on another game system can use it with VB. From my point of view, the easiest solution is proposed by the author in the rules; he recommends having VB -sized bases ready to use as movement bases when the gamer plays with his rules. VB recovers old models of troop classification according to morale and training, formation (closed, open, harassers, etc.), unit type and offensive and defensive weapons. It also incorporates newer concepts, such as unit strength as an abstract value that depends on the abovementioned aspects more than on the number of men included. This idea has proved effective in colonial rules Principles of War  and can work the same in VB. Another aspect that it recovers from old rules like Koenig Krieg  is that of hidden deployment. At the beginning of the battle, each player deploys one Leader Base per contingent officer –  brigade, if it is made up of regular soldiers- which is a card that can include up to six bases of  troops that do not have to be put onto the table until they are discovered by the enemy. The system also includes rules for using decoy bases, that is, fake leader bases used to mislead the opponent about the real deployment. You must give each brigade or contingent initial orders: attack, stay, advance or retreat. To change the orders, you must use command points, which are obtained at the beginning of each command phase by throwing the 6-sided die. These command points will be used to change orders, regroup troops or force the enemy to show the content of his Leader Bases. What may be the most striking at first is that, unlike the game systems that we have analysed so far, VB uses a simultaneous playing turn, that is, players carry out all the actions of  each phase at the same time. According to the author, you can play with around 120 miniatures per side, although bigger battles are perfectly viable. The battle lasts two and a half to three hours. VB  has three supplements of army lists that cover from 3000 BC to the XV century. This year there are plans to publish an adaptation of the rules for fantasy (orcs, elves, wizards and goblins). Also on the Web, some scenarios for VB  have appeared on Wargames Illustrated  and Miniatures  Wargames. They have also published scenarios for the Battle of the Yellow Baboons (Romans versus Macedonians), the Battle of Bosworth (The War of the Roses) and Adrianopolis (late Romans versus Ostrogoths); on Vis Bellica’ s web site you can find more scenarios, Queronea, Leuctra, Zama, Agincourt, etc.  Author: Antonio Carrasco

 At the encampment, an imam encourages the advance of the Muslim army with his prayers.

Dust, sweat and iron: the Battle of Alcocer (summer of 1081) Scenario for WARHAMMER ANCIENT BATTLES

“The Reconquest cannot be separated from the fiigure of El Cid. The life of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar entails a way of understanding the art of war, obscures the heroic deeds of his distinguished contemporaries and sums up one of the most bellicose periods of medieval Spain.” The blind sun is reflected  Off the rough edges of the arms, Wounding with light the body armour  And emblazoning the tips of the lances. The blind sun, thirst and fatigue. Over the terrible Castilian plain, Into exile, with twelve of his men  -dust, sweat and iron-, El Cid rides. Manuel Machado. Castilla

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he actions in Alcocer are described in the Cantar  del Mío Cid  between verses 658 and 819 of the First poem. It provides an account of the events from Alfonso VI’s banishing of Rodrigo Dïaz de Vivar to El Cid’s victory in the Tevar Pine Forest over the Count of Barcelona Ramón Berenguer II,

The Fratricide. It seems as though the poet confused the first victory with El Cid’s second victory over the Catalan, who was captured in both cases. The first occurred in 1082 in Almenara, while the second took place in the mountains near Morella –where the pine forest was apparently located- in 1090, that is, 9 years after the events that the Poem  opens with (spring of 1081). Actually, the historical truth of the Battle of Alcocer is questionable. In fact, the Poem is a rather unreliable source and even more so when, as in the case that concerns us, the epic structure and dramatic resources are taken from La Chanson de Roland and from the historical works of Salustio. Notwithstanding, in 1986 the remains of a Christian encampment dating back to the XI century were found in a hillock between Ateca and Terrer. This site could very well have been used as an operation base by El Cid and his men. The location was ideal for controlling the region, since they could keep check on the accesses to the Jalon Valley from

Calatayud and on the southern invasion route of the Saragossan Taifa that started in Henares and that Rodrigo had followed after being forced into exile. I am inclined to think that the Poem may not speak of  a real battle, but it does give us an account of the battles the Castilian warrior had to fight during his first exile before building a reputation in Moorish lands. In any case, the presence of El Cid in the area is recorded, as are his military activities in the spring-summer of 1081. Apart from the historical truth, Alcocer is ideal for our purpose, since limited forces were involved and it is well described in the Poem. If we accept that the poem prima facie, we see that the Castilian hero and his men, banished and without a lord, did what they knew how to do best: sack and extort. And what better base for their raids than a fortified hillock with drinkable water? From this base, El Cid must have levied parias  and requested ransoms from the region ’s towns: Ateca, Castejon de las Armas, Terrer …only the garrison at Alcocer could thwart his raids. According to the author of the Poem, the Castilians had been unsuccessfully laying siege to the castle –little more than a tower and a fortified town- for fifteen weeks until they implemented the feigned flight strategy and were able to provoke the garrison. When the garrison began to follow El Cid ’s army, it was defeated and the city was conquered before the garrison was able to return to take refuge. I doubt the Castilian troops held a real siege in Alcocer; I believe they instead devoted their time to creating brawls in the area and to sacking the harvests, farms and flocks. In any case, according to the Poem, Alcocer paid pa-  rias to El Cid ’s troops when the Andalusian expedition reached the Jalon Valley.

The Conflicting Forces The scenario for the drama would be as follows. The Moors in Zaragoza could not tolerate that a group of Christian warriors were sacking the kingdom 2 and remained unpu-

nished. Apparently, Abu Beker –Tamin in the Poem- , governor of Valencia and vassal of al-Muqtadir of Zaragoza, had deployed a force to expel the Castilians from the region. The Poem says that there were more than three thousand warriors 3. We do not know much about the make-up of the Andalusian army. When the poet describes the deployment of  the Andalusian army, he speaks of two haces (regiments) of  Moorish infantry in two ranks, although we do not know the exact size. He also says that they were “mixed” , so we can deduce that at least one part of the infantry was armed for hand-to-hand combat and another was equipped with projectiles. Again, we do not know exactly how many there were. Now, the poet says that Muslim casualties were around 1300 and included those that fell in battle and those that were lost during the subsequent pursuit; 500 horses were also said to have been captured. With these figures, and insofar as we can rely on them, I would think that the Andalusian infantry forces made up at least half of the army and the rest were cavalry. A part of these horsemen were certainly nobles, since the Poem  highlights the wealth of  the armours and weapons that the Christians had taken as booty. To balance the troops, I have decided to include a small group of noble Andalusian cavalry in the Moors ’ order of battle. El Cid’ s forces were made up of a main body of  knights, who the author of the Poem described as horsemen armed with coat of mail, shields, helmets and lances, that is, troops prepared to win in the charges. However, we cannot forget that the Poem  was written around 1200; so, it would not be surprising if it were describing the tactics and weapons from the XIII century more than those from the XI century. In any case, and at least until 1069, the Norman knights had been travelling to Spain and had introduced new tactics used by European heavy cavalry. In the design of this scenario, I thought it would be a good idea to respect the description given in

 Both inside and outside the walls, the Castilian captains try to organise the defence.

 In the fortress, the defenders strive to fend off the attack.

Arms: Sword, shield, heavy armour and lance. Standard-bearer, musician and champion (15 pts) Special Rules: Fast Attack. A +1 can be applied per rank (maximum). Villainous Knights – 10 knights: 195 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld Knight 10 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 War horse 20 3 - 3 - 3 1 Arms: Sword, shield and thrusting spear. Standard-bearer, musician and champion (15 pts) Special Rules: A +1 can be applied per rank (maximum). the Poem, since it helps reflect the difference between the two armies. The rest of the force consisted of peons. Perhaps at least a part was made up of villainous knights, that is, mounted warriors with little armour that were used to harass their enemies with their javelins.

Orders of Battle Christian Army

-Special Rules Bloodthirsty:  In the story of the Battle of Alcocer, Pedro Berm údez, El Cid ’ s standard-bearer, charged the Muslim ranks before receiving orders to do so and put his lord ’s battle plan in danger. To simulate this event, it will be subject to the Bloodthirsty  rules (see El Cid  supplement, pg. 9). Any knight unit that joins it will also be subject to these rules. -Characters Rodrigo Dí az de Vivar, El Cid: 220 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld General 10 7 5 4 4 3 7 4 9 War horse 20 3 - 3 - 3 1 Arms: Sword, thrusting spear, shield and heavy armour. Special Rules: Army General. El Cid s  reputation was such that friendly units at 38 cm can use his leadership (instead of the usual 30 cm). Veteran – once per battle, all the throws can be repeated to provide the same impact described in Warhammer Ancient Battles  rules (pg. 94). Fast Attack. ’  

-Infantry Peons – 10 lancers + 5 archers: 130 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld Lancer 10 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 Archer 10 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 Arms: Shield, lance and javelin (Lancers); compound bow and hand weapon (Archers). Standard-bearer, musician and champion (15 pts) Special Rules: Combined Formation  Peons – 15 lancers: 135 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld Lancer 10 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 Arms: Shield and lance. Standard-bearer, musician and champion (15 pts) Special Rules: Combined Formation. Total points: 1,500 pts Figures: 62 miniatures  Andalusian Army

-Characters Amir al-Hariz 4: 110 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld General 10 4 4 4 4 3 5 2 8 Horse 20 - - Arms: Sword, throwing spear, shield and light armour. Special Rules: Army General. Andalusian horsemen.

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Pedro Bermúdez, El Cid’s Standard-bearer: 170 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld General 10 5 4 4 4 2 5 2 8 War horse 20 3 - 3 - 3 1 Arms: Sword, shield and heavy armour. Special Rules: Battle Standard-bearer – given El Cid ’s reputation, the area of influence of his Standard of war is 38 cm (instead of the usual 30 cm). Veteran – once per battle, all the throws can be repeated to provide the same impact described in Warhammer Ancient Battles  rules (pg. 94). Fast  Attack. Bloodthirsty. ’  

-Cavalry Noble Knights – 10 knights: 325 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld Knight 10 4 3 3 3 1 4 1 8 War horse 20 3 - 3 - 3 1 Arms: Sword, shield, heavy armour and lance. Standard-bearer, musician and champion (15 pts) Special Rules: Fast Attack. A +1 can be applied per rank (maximum). Noble Knights – 10 knights: 325 pts M HA HP F Knight 10 4 3 3 War horse 20 3 - 3

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R 3 -

H 1 -

I 4 3

A 1 1

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Amir al-Qabr: 80 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld Amir 10 4 4 4 4 3 5 2 8 Horse 20 2 - 3 - 2 1 Arms: Sword, throwing spear, shield and light armour. Special Rules: Andalusian horsemen. Second Lieutenant ibn Hassam: 93 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld Second Lieutenant 10 4 4 4 4 2 5 2 8 Horse 20 - Arms: Sword, shield and light armour. Special Rules: Andalusian horsemen. Battle Standard-  bearer.

The Christian cavalry leave the fortress to stand up to the Muslims.

-Cavalry Andalusian horsemen – 8 miniatures: 167 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld Horseman 10 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 6 Horse 20 - Arms: Bow and hand weapon. Standard-bearer, musician and champion. Special Rules: Feigned flight, light troops and Andalusian  horsemen. Expert horsemen. Andalusian horsemen – 8 miniatures: 151 pts M HA HP F R H Horseman 10 3 3 3 3 1

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Horse 20 - Arms: Shields and javelins. Standard-bearer, musician and champion. Special Rules: Feigned flight. Light troops. Andalusian horsemen. Andalusian horsemen – 8 miniatures: 151 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld Horseman 10 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 6 Horse 20 - - Arms: Shields and javelins. Standard-bearer, musician and champion. Special Rules: Feigned flight. Light troops. Andalusian hor-  semen.

Andalusian noble cavalry – 6 miniatures: 165 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld Noble 10 4 4 3 3 1 4 1 7 Horse 20 - Arms: Shields, javelins, throwing spears, and light armour. Standard-bearer, musician and champion. Special Rules: Feigned flight. Light troops. Andalusian  horsemen. -Infantry Andalusian lancers – 16 lancers + 8 archers: 151 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld Lancer 10 2 3 3 3 1 2 1 6 Archer 10 2 3 3 3 1 2 1 6 Arms: Shield, spear and hand weapon (Lancers); bow and hand weapon (Archers). Standard-bearer, musician and champion (15 pts) Special Rules: Combined Formation  Andalusian lancers – 18 lancers + 6 archers: 153 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld Lancer 10 2 3 3 3 1 2 1 6 Archer 10 2 3 3 3 1 2 1 6 Arms: Shield, spear and hand weapon (Lancers); bow and hand weapon (Archers). Standard-bearer, musician and champion (15 pts) Special Rules: Combined Formation  Andalusian horsemen – 24 lancers: 207 pts M HA HP F R H I A Ld Lancer 10 2 3 3 3 1 2 1 6 Arms: Shield, spear, hand weapon and light armour. Standard-bearer, musician and champion (15 pts) Andalusian harassers – 10 miniatures: 40 pts M HA HP F R H Harasser 10 2 3 3 3 1 Arms: Hand weapon and javelins. Special Rules: Skirmishers. Andalusian harassers – 10 miniatures: 40 pts M HA HP F R H Harasser 10 2 3 3 3 1 Arms: Hand weapons and slings. Special Rules: Skirmishers.

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A 1

Ld 5

 Author: Antonio Carrasco  Fotography: Anastasio Jiménez   Paintings by Gripping Beast & Perry Miniatures

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Total points: 1,508 pts Figures: 115 miniatures

The Battle of Alcocer Following the story of the Poem, El Cid’s men would have been able to take the castle of Alcocer after several weeks of laying siege on it and the Moors would have responded by sending a force that besieged El Cid and his men. El Cid would have locked himself in the captured town and waited for the enemy army to retreat. The Moors, however, wanted to force a battle since they had a superior number of troops and because they still were not afraid of the Campeador. So, they cut the town ’ s water supply forcing the Castilians to surrender or to go to battle. With no place to return to -the exile- and with no chances of paying a ransom, the only alternative left was to try to beat the enemy in battle. The Christian forces left the castle leaving behind a small garrison and went into battle with the heavy cavalry in the centre and the peons on the wings. The Muslims, warned of the deployment, formed two lines on infantry in the centre with their light cavalry on the flanks and, possibly, the noble cavalry in the centre behind the infantrymen. El Cid had a terrain advantage, since he was deployed on a hillock; his plan was to wait for the enemy to begin to

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climb the hill before launching the attack. However, Pedro Bermúdez, his standard-bearer, could not stand the wait and he threw himself down the hill and charged the Moors carrying the Campeador ’s standard. El Cid was forced to order the charge against the enemy line so that he would not loose the standard and so that his men would not be demoralised. At a part of the enemy line, the Andalusian infantry was broken and a squad of knights put them to the sword. But, the rest of the line held up against the Christian pounding and the action degenerated into a confusing melee in which the Moors ’  superior numbers began to take effect. It was at that moment when the Muslim cavalry entered the skirmish and the Christian knights began to be knocked off their horses. Alvar F áñ ez Minaya, one of the main champions of El Cid ’s army, fell off his horse and El Cid threw himself into the middle of the clash to rescue him. The Campeador was wounded, but he was able to defeat the enemy leader, who withdrew from combat before continuing the fight with the Castilian. The Castilian situation began to get desperate. Only their defensive weapon superiority and their leader ’ s charisma prevented them from fleeing. This was the situation when the squadron that had initially broken the Andalusian line returned to the battlefield and charged the Muslims from behind. The surprise and the weight of the attack were too much and the Andalusian army fled. The Christians followed them to the doors of Terrer and even to Calatayud (some ten kilometres away), where the rest of the Islamic army had taken refuge. The Moors lost around half of their troops, between deaths and prisoners, and the Christians lost 15 knights and an undetermined number of peons, proof of the Islamic warriors ’ hard resistance5.

The exact location of Alcocer is not clear.Some associate it with Castej ón de las Armas – on the Piedra River, mountain tributary of the Jalon-, but it is more probable that it was in a place that is now uninhabited, halfway between Ateca and Terrer, known as the Uninhabited Mora, where remains of Muslim ceramic from the XI century were discovered. It is believed that the place name Alcocer is actually a hispanicis ed version of the Arabic al-Qasr (tower, castle) and that it refers to a fortified town or a watchtower.I am inclined to think that it is, in any case, a small fortification, since the Poem says that El Cid only left a garrison of two peons (sic) to protect it when he left on the Muslim expedition. 2 This image is copied straight from La Chanson de Roland, so you do not have to take it as a reliable fact, only as a simple formula of the medieval epic poetry. However, I think the poet r eflects the real events in that the presence of a group of Christians in the area would have provoked enough upheavals in the r egion to demand a Muslim military response. 3 It is probable that the figure does not correspond with the real numbers.In medieval poetry, numerology was a constant and, in this specific case that concerns us, it seems that it was a way of indicating the presence of the Holy Trinity. 4 The first two emirs, Fariz and Galbe, are fictional characters; however, I wanted to include them to give the Andalusian gamers a chance to identify themselves with their characters. 5 The Christian losses were extremely high, considering that they were the winners and that most of the casualties fell during the pursuits. If we accept the figure of 300 knights given in the Poem, this would represent 5% of the knights. It is not bad for a winning force. 1

The Moorish cavalry in formation before launching  the attack. 15mm Figures from Old Glory.

Mio Cid defends Valencia: Scenario for DBM “I would rather be an Almoravide camel herdsman than a Christian swineherd.” With this statement, which to his disgrace would become prophetic, Al-Muttamid, king of Seville, evoked an understanding among the Andalusian Taifa kingdoms that, as the pressure of  Alfonso VI increased, lead to the request for help from the Almoravides.

I

n 1085, year in which Toledo was conquered, Alfonso VI had been able to organise a powerful army that he could use to threaten the deteriorating Taifas. All of the kinglets of Al-Andalus rushed to bow before this powerful lord who had not even received a response from the rest of the Christian kings after proclaiming himself Imperator totus Hispaniae in the coveted Visigothic capital. However, too much power, too many incompetent counsellors and flatterers and too little care allowed the Castilian-Leonese sovereign to double their parias and to threaten to invade their kingdoms. In was in this defenceless situation that the king Al-Muttamid of Seville had to make a hard decision; he could choose to subject himself  to the Christians and be hated by his subjects and fellow kings or ask for help from people he considered to be “the barbarians from the south”, the Almoravides (al-murabit), a Berber sect that practiced a strict and ascetic Islamism and whose African territory reached Senegal. Some versions say that the Almoravide leader, Yussuf Ibn Texufin, was not sure if he wanted to advance to the Peninsula and others say that he could not wait to do it. Whichever version was true, it seems as though, after the first call for help from all the kings in Muslim Spain, there was a second more desperate cry from Al-Muttamid in which he referred to the defence of Islam: “... they demand our mosques and minarets so that they can put up crosses and put them in the hands of their monks...” However, the fakirs on the peninsula thought that the religion in the Taifa kingdoms had gotten too relaxed and that perhaps it was a good idea to have the strict Almoravides reestablish order in the religion. So, in addition to the message from the king of Seville, Yussuf Ibn Texufin received a fatwa that entrusted him with the defence of the Islamic faith on Spanish territory and that named him “prince of all believers”. To encourage him even more, the bold Alfonso VI sent him a letter in which he told him to come to Spain, if not, Alfonso himself would search for him in Africa. So, in 1086, the Almoravide warriors –fierce, experienced, austere and fanatical- calmly crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and began their incursion in Spain: This move would put Christianity on the Peninsula in check until the middle of the following century. As soon as they crossed the strait, they advanced towards Badajoz, which was threatened by the Christians; they encamped near Sagrajas and waited for their enemies.

Minarets Made of Decapitated Heads The encounter between the two armies took place on 23 October 1086. Ibn Texufin waited patiently for the Spaniards from different reli48

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gions to tear each other apart. “Let them kill each other, they are all our enemies,” was said to have remarked the “emir of all believers” when he was informed that the Christians were destroying the Andalusian encampment. After this and when the disorganised Christian charge was able to breach the lines of the Almoravide archers and lancers and was running towards the cavalry, the best Almoravide general, Abu Beker appeared on the Christian flank with two new arms: camels and drums - the first against the horses and the second against the morale. Tired, discouraged and with no reserve corps to resort to, their desperate defence was hard-fought but useless. Even King Alfonso suffered a serious leg injury- he may have had his femur broken by a stab wound. He barely escaped and must have travelled with a delirious fever and an incredible thirst more than 100 kilometres to get as close as possible to Toledo, which he thought was an imminent Muslim objective. Many Christians were surrounded and the Almoravides had no mercy on them. Rejecting the money to be earned from a possible ransom, they decapitated all the living and dead soldiers they could find, arranged the heads as if they were minarets and waited for their muezzins to call them to prayer on the battlefield. After having given the Castile-Leonese army such a hard pounding, the Almoravides spent the following years taking control of  the Taifa kingdoms (they sent the kings of these kingdoms into exile, bringing truth to Al-Muttamid’s prophetic statement) and recovering part of the territory conquered by his enemies, who did not know how to stop such a powerful army. There was only one Christian hero that never feared them. In June, 1094, El Cid Campeador entered Valencia triumphant. The starving people of Valencia welcomed him. Most of the inhabitants did not hesitate to subject themselves to a lord that had already demonstrated to them that he was noble, fair and a good administrator.

Strike Once Again: Defeat El Campeador Yusuf Ibn Texufin, the Almoravide emir, decided to strike the Christians one more time at their strongest point to weaken them, as he had done with the massacre at Sagrajas. If the admired and feared Rodrigo Dí az de Vivar were defeated and his armies annihilated, if the strongest bastion left in Christian Spain were conquered, the blow to the morale would be fateful for the enemy and the road to the north would be opened for the Islamic world. Valencia would be an excellent starting point to attack Zaragoza and to dominate the flank of the Castile-Leonese kingdom. Castile-Le ón was

The Christian knights, with their general at the lead, burst into the tight  ranks of Muslim lancers. Figures from Old Glory 15mm and Essex.

worried about saving Toledo from the Almoravide threat that was putting pressure on them from the south of the Peninsula. With this aim, he sent a vanguard under the command of his nephew Mohammed that seemed to be the bulk of any army; reliable sources speak of 4,000 African cavalrymen, in addition to the infantrymen, auxiliary corps and troops from the the Taifa kingdoms of the Peninsula who either loaned them willingly or were forced to hand them over. A few days later, several contingents of  troops commanded by Ibn Texufin followed this vanguard and stayed at a considerable distance at the rear of the siege troops. Aware of the situation, El Cid asked Pedro I of Arag ón and Alfonso VI for help. He began by encouraging his men and covering his back. Outside the city of Valencia, he isolated the Muslim inhabitants that were apparently battle-hardened on the beach. He also ordered the seizure of all sharp instruments that could be found in the city, including the last needle. One week later, after word that the beckoned kings were approaching to back him up had spread, El Cid had studied his plan well and felt he was well prepared -one of the things that most help win battles. Trusting in the favour that he humbly begged for from above, Rodrigo Dí az led his faithful followers on an unexpected and fierce attack against the relaxed enemy lines. The immense Almoravide army was in shambles: the general was sick, the troops were disorganised and the morale was quite low. When they realised what was coming down on them, some of the troops fled and others desperately tried to organise their uncoordinated forces to repel the Christian attack. After Rodrigo Dí az had attracted most of the Almoravide cavalry and had most of them behind him in disarray, he rode his horse back towards the walls of Valencia. The fighting broke out again near Valencia. A second group of Christian knights under the command of Alvar Fáñez had left the city the night before and had hidden in a small forest nearby. Now that the enemy ’s elite were moved away from their encampment in the Cuarte valley, this group was able to enter and destroy the Muslim encampment. The Muslim cavalry that had fought against the first group thought that their base had been attacked by the reinforcements sent by the Christian kings and they panicked. With the Almoravide army split up, El Cid began a fierce pursuit that lasted well into the night. This tactic used by the Christians had been learned from the Muslims and was called torna fuye. It was the second time that El Cid had repelled an Almoravide offensive, since he had been able to dissuade them from trying to lift his siege on the city of Valencia. It was the first time that an army of dreaded murabit had been defeated in open field. It was such an enormous victory for the Christians and such a hard setback for the Muslims that the “emir of all believers” thought that the disgraceful defeat was caused by their sins; so, he decided not to continue the offensive and not to send a new wave of soldiers until all the errors that had provoked the catastrophe had been purged. This decision helped an uprising in the Almoravide rearguard in Murcia. They paid for being overconfident. Mohamed, the general in command of the immense vanguard, never considered leaving the city and did not worry about keeping his troops on alert or saving a reserve like his uncle and lord in the Battle of Sagrajas. This startegy, in the end, clenched victory for him only after a long, hard battle.

Scenario for DBM Keeping in mind that the imbalanced forces would make it almost impossible to game a DBM battle in which the Christians had some opportunities, we will use the army lists with some changes to create a compensated scenario that is the closest to the historical development of a battle that lacks reliable information on the troops.  Army Lists

-The Christian side plays with: Feudal Spanish , no. 35, Book III, up to and including the option only after 1000 AD. -The Muslim side plays with: Fanatic Bereber , no. 74, Book III, as the main list, up to and including the option only Murabits (1039 AD - 1145 AD). In the option Only alter 1086 AD, the first two lines are excluded. Andalusian , no. 34, Book III, as the secondary list for the ally.

The Game Board 

A normal-sized game board should be used. On the Christian side, a BUA equivalent to 1 element must be placed in the centre on the edge of the board, which simulates the edge of the sea, and should be surrounded by FP. The door of the FP should be facing the longest edge of the enemy’s field. One Wd equivalent to _ element should be located on one of the areas of the Christian flank, although is not supplied with a list.  Deployment 

The Christian side is the attacker. They should begin the battle with all their elements at more than 150 steps from the BUA, except for two elements of Sp (I), two elements of Ps (I) and the entire Bg, which should be put within the BUA. If they wish, they can ambush all or part of one of the commands of Kn on the Wd. The Muslim side deploys their troops as normal, except that the command of their C-in-C cannot be more than 200 steps from their Bg when the battle begins. Flank marches are not allowed.  Special Rules

-The Andalusian list cannot be used by the Christian side to reflect the hope that the Muslims in Valencia had when they received news that the Almoravides were nearing. The Andalusian ally can only fight on this side. An ally command must be present to simulate the help of the Taifas. -Due to the concentration of cavalry for the respective diversion and encampment attacks, only two Christian commands can have Kn, even though three of them are allowed. In the third, the player can only have the cavalry element that corresponds to the general of that command. -Some sources say that El Cid ordered the troops to replace the leather shields with new more-resistant shields; so, up to half of the Christian Irr Kn (F) can have their rank increased to Irr Kn (o). This rule is optional. -For the expert and disciplined cavalries’ great organisation and command, we will consider the elements of C-in-C (Cid Campeador) and his sub-alternate generals as Reg Kn (O). -Since the legend says that Rodrigo D í az de Vivar won the battle after dying, when the Christian’s C-in-C element is eliminated, their command will not be demoralised if the points from the following throw of the die are not more than the number of that command’s elements eliminated up to that turn. -Also if the Christian C-in-C is eliminated, the city ’s pro-Almoravide faction under the command of the Muslim C-in-C will appear automatically in the next turn, although unarmed. 4 Hd (I) elements, one on each edge of the BUA. -The Reg Sp (O) from the Al-Lamtuni tribe (the most fanatic among the Almoravide) can have their rank increased to Reg Sp (S). Victory Conditions

Apart from the normal victory conditions, the following actions are also grounds for automatic victory: - the Christian side, if it sacks all the enemy ’s Bg; - the Almoravide side, if it puts an element from the city, except the Hd (I), in the centre of the BUA, or if the pro-Almoravide Hd (I) are left alone without any enemy element within the BUA, not even Bg.  Author: Emilio García García  Fotography: Anastasio Jiménez   Painting by Librería Atlántica y SE

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Painting Moors

 Andalusians, Berbers and Christians have become the central theme of many hobby enthusiasts since the “El Cid” module for Warhammer Ancient Battles has hit the market. As part of the information that we offer you on this fascinating period, this article focuses on the most flamboyant combatant from the ranks of the Muslim troops and on its characteristic outfit. For these step-bystep instructions, we have chosen an  Andalusian by Artizan. While painting this figure, we are not going to follow a strict colour scheme; that way, we are able to make several different combinations with our own criteria based on existing graphic references, such as illustrations and prints. COLOUR CHART

Materials As on other occasions, we will need acrylic paints by Andrea Color (AC) and Vallejo Model Color (numeric references), a modeller’s knife, a spray primer from Games Workshop, round files and a millimetric drill.

Preparation To begin, we must clean the figure, removing any unwanted metal and filing the mould’s joints. This should not be too problematic for us since this brand is known for an excellent presentation of their figures. After doing this, we will glue the figure to a surface (a paint can, for example) to avoid touching it while we are working. With regard to the shield, the first thing we want to do is remove two small pieces of metal that come on the back (to make fixing the shield to the hand easier), since they are too narrow; we should make a small hole in place of it with the drill and put a small metal bolt in the figure’s hand. This will give us the stability we need. Once the shield is ready, we will glue it to the handle of  a used brush so that we do not touch it while we are painting. When we have everything ready, we will put a white primer coat on the two pieces; we use White because we want the colours to be brighter.

Shield As we said before, the shield should be painted separately. In this case, we have chosen a relatively simple design; we will paint the entire shield with Dark Brown Leather (AC-48). Once the paint is dry, we will add the decorations with Pale Grey 990 and the metal pieces with Black AC-26. Now, the only thing left to do is to

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Flesh:  Base: Matt Flesh 955 + Orangish Brown 981 + Reddish Brown 985 First shade: Base + Matt Flesh 955 Second shade: First shade + Matt Flesh 955 Leather doublet:  Base: Dark Brown AC-48 + Black AC-26 First shade: Mahogany Brown 486 Cap e:  Base: Reddish Brown AC-18 + Black AC-26 First shade: Reddish Brown AC-18 + Vermillion Cadmium Red 909 Second shade: Vermillion Cadmium Red 909 Tunic:  Base: Orangish Brown 981 First shade: Base + Golden Yellow 948 Second shade: First Shade + Golden Yellow 948 Trous ers and helmet str ap:  Base: Pale Grey 990 First shade: Base + White 951 Second shade: White 951 Boots:  Base: Royal Purple 810 First shade: Base + White 951 Second shade: First shade + White 951 Belt s:  Base: Black AC-26 First shade: Brown Beige 875 Second shade: First shade + White 951 Sheat h:  Base: Blue Grey 943 + Black AC-26 First shade: Blue Grey 943 Metal Parts:  Base: Black AC-26 First shade: Natural Steel 864 / Brass 801 Pattern:  Base: Napoleonic Green AC-38 + Black AC-26 Dark Brown Leather AC-48 First shade: Napoleonic Green AC-38 + White 951 Vermillion Cadmium Red 909 Shield Body:  Base: Dark Brown Leather AC-48 First shade: Mahogany Brown 846 De coration:  Base: Pale Grey 990 First shade: White 951 Metal Parts:  Base: Black AC-26 First shade: Brass 801

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add the shades of light to the shield with Mahogany Brown 846 and the decoration with White. Lastly, we will outline the decoration with Black and paint the metal pieces with Brass (801).

Figure 1.- To prepare the figure, we begin by painting the predominant surfaces using the order given below so that it is easier: -Leather doublet: Dark Brown Leather AC-48 (90%) darkened with Black AC-26 (10%) - Cape: Reddish Brown AC-18 (80%) darkened with Black AC-26 (20%) - Tunic: Orangish Brown 981 - Face and hands: Matt Flesh 955 (50%) + Orangish Brown 981 (30%) darkened with Reddish Brown 985 (20%) - Trousers and helmet strap: Pale Grey 990 - Boots: Royal Purple 810 It is important that the colours cover well; we recommend you put two coats on with slightly watered-down paint so that you obtain the desired texture.

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2.- Now, we are going to do the outlining; use a fine line with Black AC-26 to separate the figure ’s different surfaces and parts. We prefer to do it now rather than after adding shades of  light because the figure ’s angles will cause us to make some mistakes, which are easier to correct with the base colours than to do it once the shades of light have been added. Taking advantage of the Black we are using, we will paint the belt, the sleeve, the sheath and the helmet. 3.- The first shade of light we add to the cape will be with Reddish Brown AC-18 (50%) thinned with Vermillion Cadmium Red 909 (50%) –make sure the paint is watered-down and applying two coats so that the colour is strong. With regard to the tunic, we will apply Golden Yellow 948 (60%) darkened with Orangish Brown 981 (40%); we should respect the flat areas of the figure and mark the recesses more, if not, the pleat effect will be excessive. On the surfaces painted with Pale Grey, we will add the first shades of light with a mixture of this colour (50%) and White (50%). The boots are the only thing left; we will paint them with Royal Purple 810 + White 951. y SE

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4.- With the second shade of light, we are going to highlight the piece ’s volume, applying the paint only on the highest parts of the figure and adding some new details on the tunic so that it is not so plane. For the cape, we will use Vermillion Cadmium Red which we replaced the water with the medium to obtain a matt finish. On the tunic, we apply a mixture of Golden Yellow 948 (80%) and Orangish Brown 981 (20%) to highlight not only the highest pleats, but also the effect of movement. We will apply the second shade of light with White to the trousers and the helmet strap and with a mixture of Royal Purple (50%) and White (50%) to the boots. Lastly, we will very carefully paint the diamonds on the padded part with Mahogany Brown 846. NOTE: In steps 3 and 4, you have to be very careful when tracing, if not, you will have to retouch the outlines, in other words, an extra step. 5.- Now we will begin with one of the most difficult parts, the face. The eyes are the first thing we should paint by putting a dot of White for the eyeball and a tiny dot with Black for the pupil. Then we draw the upper eyelid with a very thin stroke of  Black. With the mixture we prepared before for the base colour, we reduce the white of the eye until we achieve a well-proportioned shape; remember that we must try to avoid a “fried-egg” shape that will make it seem like the figure has been shocked. Now, we will also add some small details, such as the sheath, to which we will apply Blue Grey 943 (80%) + Black AC-26 (20%), and the belts, which we will cover with Beige Brown 875, respecting the buckles that will be a different colour. 6.- We start by adding the first shade of light to the face and the hands with a mixture of the base colour and Matt Flesh; this mixture should be applied to the cheeks, nose, upper lip, chin and fingers (just as it is in the photo). We will now add the first and only shade of light to the sheath with Blue Grey and to the belts with Beige Brown + White. 7.- To finish the process of the face and hands, we will add more Matt Flesh to the mixture used for the first shades of light and we will apply it, highlighting the cheeks, the nose and the chin and marking the bags under the eyes and the age lines. Lastly, we will paint the metal components on the uniform with Natural Steel 864 and Brass 801. 52

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8.- The figure could be perfectly prepared to form part of  any army, but we want to show you that it is not to difficult to personalise a group of them for use on the battlefield as a general’s personal guard or as part of any elite group. To do this, we are going to put a pattern on the tunic; once we have selected the design we wish to use, we will paint it with dark tones using very precise brushstrokes. In our case, we have chosen Napoleonic Green AC-28 mixed with Black and Dark Brown Leather AC-48. 9.- The only thing we have left to do is to paint the highest areas of the pattern with Napoleonic Green + White and Red, respectively, and to put on the shield and the spear with a quick-drying glue (cynocrilate). NOTE: For the spear, we have used one of the steel pikes from Perry Miniatures; we have cut it and painted it with Wood AC-41, added Natural Steel on the tip and outlined the two colours with Black.  Author: El Mercenario  Fotography: Anastasio Jiménez 

Military Miniatures Scale 1/32 (54 mm) MODELS SUITABLE FOR LARGE FORMATIONS (standard-bearers, music bands…) THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY  SOLD AT SPECIALIZED ESTABLISHMENTS Manufactured by:

Miniature Figures – The Reconquest Until recently, British miniature manufacturers have had very little interest in this period of the Spanish history, save some honourable exceptions, such as Gripping Beast, who has been selling one of the best ranges of 28-mm Moors and Christians for several years. The recent module “El Cid” for the popular Warhammer  Ancient Battles rules has undoubtedly brought the wargamers and collectors from around the world closer to the Reconquest. This new release is highly recommended, even for those that are not planning on playing and only wish to obtain more information on the period as well as on the aesthetics and the make-up of the armies. There are several brands that cover the ranges of Moors and Spaniards, whether you are looking for specific figures from the Peninsula or ranges of Normans, Christians and Muslims from the Crusades. The aim of this article is to familiarise you with some of the most well-known companies.

 Norman cavalry by Perry Perry Miniatures, painted painted by El Mercenario. Mercenario.

15-mm Brands

In the 15-mm scale area, there are basically two brands that this period can be covered with, and they are, of course, Old Glory and Essex, the two companies preferred by DBM players. Old Glory is the only brand that has a specific range for the Reconquest. It includes up to 4 packs of Spanish-Normans and 4 packs of Andalusian-Arabs, each pack comes with 50 figures on foot and 30 mounted as well as enough references to form two armies. For their part, Essex has a specific range of Spaniards for the period between 1150 and 1350 and figures of Normans for earlier periods, like the one we are focusing on, that can be combined with other more or less generic series designed for the “Dark Ages”. Even though they do not have a specific range of  Moors, you can substitute them for their assortment of Muslim armies for the Crusades. 28-mm Brands

In the 25-28-mm scale area, there is a greater variety, especially if we combine the manufacturers that sell Reconquest figures, such as Gripping Beast, Artizan and Crusader, with the others that carry compatible ranges, such as Black Tree Design, Old Glory and Perry Miniatures. We recommend this scale for collectors and those that only wish to paint figures from this period. It is also the scale preferred by players of  Warhammer Ancient Battles (these rules are more tactical than DBM and adapt better to the well-known skirmishes and Almogarav attacks of the period). For several years, Gripping Beast has marketed one of the most complete series for the Reconquest, including figures from both sides: wide assortments of Andalusian, Berbers, Nubians and Christians as well as the two most important characters, El Cid and Ben Yusef. The style used for these figures is somewhat unusual; even though some of the figures are not crafted with great detail, the size and postures make them especially useful when forming units. The price to quality ratio is good, and the size is compatible with Crusa-

 Al-Andalus infantry infantry from Gripping Beast. Beast. Figures Figures painted by David Alarc Alarcón.

der and Artizan. Perhaps the worst thing about this brand is their horses; they have a very small assortment that has little detail, and that, in most cases, is a bit too small. They are sold in packs of four figures on foot and one mounted and are available for both sides. The much more recent brands Crusader and Artizan offer better quality at a slightly higher price. Both companies have very similar characteristics, which makes them perfectly compatible: their figures are highly-detailed and voluminous and their movement is more than acceptable. The appearance of Artizan on the market has been one of  the most pleasant surprises in the sector these days. Their Reconquest range offers an extraordinary series of Moors; it includes a wide assortment of Andalusian and Berber infantry and cavalry as well as special units, such as Ben Yusef  s Black Guard. The infantry blisters come with 12 figures, the command blisters with 4 and the cavalry blisters with 3. For their part, Crusader focuses on the Christians, including the cavalrymen, the typical light Spanish cavalry from the period and characters, such as El Cid and Alvar Minaya (DAE10) as well as Pedro Bermudez and King Alfonso (DAE11), Their figures are sold in packs of 8 on foot and 3 mounted. Black Tree Design offers an extensive line of figures under the name of Warriors of Islam ; they were originally designed for the Crusades, but they are perfectly compatible with the Reconquest. So far, they are the only brand that includes warriors mounted on camels. In addition, they have two series that can help to add more variety to the Christian armies: the Normans and the Second Crusade. Their price to quality ratio is excellent. Perry Miniatures  Crusades range and their new line of Saracens display the typical characteristics of these two modellers. Their detail is great and the movement extraordinary. They provide a wide assortment of types and postures, even though the 25-mm figures have been made so accurately that they are not compatible with earlier versions. The line of both ’

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series focuses on the First Crusade. So, the Christians can be used with no problem, but only the Arab Muslims, not the Turkish Muslims, can be used.

Tips Since the market offers a wide assortment of figures for this period, we can consider combining miniatures from different companies to get a wider variety. Maybe mixing figures from two or more brands in the same unit is not the best idea. However, it would be perfectly fine to use units from different brands to form the same army; so, Black Tree s troops mounted on camels can be perfectly combined with Artizan s cavalry and Gripping Beast s Black Guard. Although practically all of the figures of Normans and Arabs from the Crusades can be used for the Reconquest in some way or another, this period has peculiar characteristics, such as the clothes worn by the Spaniards and the Andalusians, the shields, saddles, etc. that should be taken into account. You can get excellent results from the Spaniards if you change the typical Norman kite-shaped shields to round shields and add the typical decor from the period with a bit of green putty. In addition, many Christian figures can pass for Andalusians or Berbers only by adding a veil or turban around their helmets. To complete your units of Moors, do not forget the drums as well as a lot of  flags and standards; this will add much more colour to the already spectacular Andalusian armies. You also must remember that the Reconquest was a period of wars between kingdoms more than between religions and, therefore, many mercenaries of both faiths fought in any army that hired them; they also formed alliances that had little to do with religious beliefs and a lot to do with their own interests at that time. ’

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 Author:: Rafael Gómez   Author  Fotogr  F otography: aphy: Anastasio Jiménez Jiménez y SE

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REPRODUCTION OF THE GATE OF A XI CENTURY AL-CASABA  The structure and characteristics of the walled defences of the Andalusian cities evolved throughout the centuries and adapted to the needs of each moment. The gates of these grounds were the most vulnerable points and, therefore, the most carefully defended.

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he Arabic word AL-CASABA was used to designate the military grounds that were generally located in the high areas of Andalusian cities, but were not necessarily an integral part of the cities, and that held the civilian authority and the garrison. The walled grounds were made up of a tower and stretches of walls that

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 joined them. The walls could be made of different materials even though stones and bricks, the focus of this article, were normally used. The wall was built with a mortar composed of gravel, sand, lime and clay. Moulds were used to apply the mortar to the walls that were later plastered with light colours that would

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blind the attackers. This type of wall caused great problems for the sappers. Since the material was a compact block, it held up well to projectile impacts and made it difficult for the attackers to easily bore through. The tower was the most important element of defence and was generally square or rectangular. They were somewhat taller than the walls and were also used as a garrison. The distance between the towers was reduced when the wall was more exposed. The gates (bab’) were the most vulnerable parts of the entire walled area and had to be carefully defended. Until the X century, the gates were simple a doorway flanked by two towers for protection and two pieces of solid wood that were reinforced with metal sheets so that they would not catch fire. During the caliphate period, another small door was added inside. There was a small courtyard between the two doors that was uncovered so that the attackers who were able to get through the outside door could be harassed. In the XI century, doors began to be opened in the towers, which was a more effective and easier solution. The corridor that went from the outside door towards the inside of the fortress was made into an L-shape so that the attackers could be stopped from entering. The entrance was located on one side of the tower, perpendicular to the wall, so that the attackers were left unprotected on their flank (this type of  construction is the one described in this article). From the XI century, crenellation began to be more usual. How to build the model

 Materials and tools

1mm and 2mm thick cardboard, two-part epoxy putty or Das 

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Pronto, modelling wood, cutting mat, metal ruler, modeller’s

knife, brush and glue. (Picture 1)  Building the tower structure

The tower structure is made of cardboard covered with some pieces of wood and metal that are fixed using the epoxy putty. For the doorways, we cut two 6x8cm pieces of cardboard (1mm) and we draw the outline of the gate on the inside (with a horseshoe arch). (Picture 2) The tower has two structures made with cardboard (2mm), one on the inside and the other on the outside, and resembles a box placed inside another. We cut out the doorways in the exterior and interior structure using the doors that we previously cut out as a template. Pieces for the exterior structure: -Three pieces at 10x14 cm -Two pieces at 14.2x14 cm Pieces for the inside structure: -One piece at 7x10 cm -Two pieces at 7x14 cm -Two pieces at 10.2x14 cm Once all the structure pieces are cut out (do not forget to make the doorways in both structures), we glue them together using white glue (pictures 3 and 4). When the glue has completely dried, we put the inside structure into the exterior structure, making sure the doorways coincide. We then finish off the space between the structures with cardboard strips (picture 5). We now have to add a length of wall (wall A and B) to both sides of the tower, for which we will need the following pieces of cardboard (2mm): Wall A pieces: -Two pieces at 5x5 cm -One piece at 9x5 cm y SE

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-One piece at 7x5 cm Wall B pieces: -Two pieces at 3x5 cm -One piece at 9x3 cm -One piece at 7x3 cm We then assemble and glue the pieces of both walls (picture 6). We finish the top part off with small cardboard pieces of  the same thickness (picture 7). To complete the sides of each wall we glue a thin piece of cardboard on the exposed area (the sides). When it is completely dry, we trim off the excess cardboard using the modeller’s knife. Now that we have built the entire structure we must finish the space between the outside and inside doorways (picture 9). To do this, we cut out a piece of thin cardboard paper and adapt it to the space. The finish is obtained by using the following procedure. It should be carried out in parts so that the putty does not dry: -cover the structure with the two-part epoxy putty (or Das  Pronto ) little by little (picture 10). We recommend you wet your hands with water to make spreading the putty easier. While we cover the structure and before the putty dries, we carefully add texture using a toothbrush. (Picture 12)

-add decorations with modelling wood (picture 11). - add embrasures or portholes in the tower (picture 13). -remove chunks of the plaster from the walls (picture 14). -make small horizontal lines so that it resembles a wall. -decorate the top part of the gates with sentences in Arabic (preferably from the Koran). (Picture 15) -make the surrounding ground by using a bit of modelling paste on the base and around the whole perimeter. Add texture with the toothbrush. We finish the decoration by painting the entire structure in brown tones and then adding a plaster effect with light tones or white with a dry brush.  Building the tower’s wooden rooms

In one of the sides, we cut out a 2x2 cm square as an entrance or access from one room to another. We cover one of the sides with small sheets of modelling wood so that it looks like floorboards. Use the white glue to fix them to the structure. So that it looks more realistic, the boards should be slightly different thicknesses. Once they are glued in place, trim them with a knife. We should put strips that are 5 cm long and 5 cm wide that act as wooden supports to place the room in the tower and so that it does not move around. These strips should be glued on the inside of the room at 2 cm from the top edge. (Picture 16)  Building the gates

We cut out two pieces of cardboard (1mm thick) at 7x2 cm. To make the doorframe we cut and glue wood strips with a 2mm cross section on top of the cardboard. The longest of the lateral pieces should overhang 2mm on the top and bottom. This will be used for the door’s pivot. We are going to cover the centre of the gate with small metal sheets (tin) to simulate the original gates (horizontal strips that are 5mm wide). The hinges or holes where the gates are going to be placed so that they can open and close will be made out of wood strips that are 48 mm long and with a 4x4 mm cross section. We must make two holes on the ends that are separated by a distance of 38 mm. These pieces are then glued in the doorjambs; we must put the bottom ones on first and then the top ones. After this, we fit the gate between the two. We make certain that the gates close correctly before gluing them.  Author & photography: Adolfo Ramos Lobo 58

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 Bicorne Miniatures THE ENGLISH CIVIL WAR 1642 - 1651 The most detailed Range of 28mm ECW ever produced   In packs of 8 variants - £6.50 per pack unless otherwise stated  Foot ECW1 ECW2 ECW3 ECW4 ECW5 ECW6 ECWP

Unarmoured Pikemen at advance Unarmoured Pikemen at charge Unarmoured Pikemen at order Unarmoured Pikemen at shoul der Unarmoured Pikemen at port Unarmoured Pikemen marching 4" wire Pikes (pack of 10) £1.80

ECW7 ECW8 ECW9 ECW10 ECW11 ECW12 ECW13

Armoured Pikemen at advance Armoured Pikemen at order Armoured Pikemen at port Armoured Pikemen marching Musketeers advancing at port Musketeers loading Musketeers at order

Foot Command Each pack contains 2 Officers, 1 drummer, 2 Ensigns, 1 Sergeant - £5.50 each ECW16 Foot Command (Mixed headgear) ECW18 Foot Command (helmets) ECW17 Foot Command helmet/Montero ECW19 Foot Command (Broad brimmed hats)

ECW14 ECW15 ECW20 ECW21 ECW22 ECW23

Musketeers marching Musketeers standing firing Musketeers standing at port Musketeers ramming musket Musketeers advancing at port Musketeers loading from bandolier

S1 Finials & cords (flag tops) & poles x 5 £1.50

Cavalry Each pack contains 3 horses & 3 riders (£7.50 per pack) ECWC1 Trooper with sword (back & breast plate) ECWC2 Trooper, pistol (back & breast plate) ECWC3 Trooper with sword (buff coat) ECWC4 Trooper with pistol (buff coat) ECWC5 Trooper with pistol (doublet) ECWC6 Horse Command 1 Officer, Soft hat, Cornet, helmet & Trumpeter, soft hat ECWC7 Horse Command 2 (Officer & Cornet - both Back & Breast plate & Trumpeter) Mounted Dragoons - £7.50 per pack ECWC8 Mounted Dragoons, broad brimmed hats ECWC9 Mounted Dragoons, helmets ECWC10 Mounted Dragoons, monteros ECWC11 Mounted Dragoons, monmouth caps

ECWC12 Mounted Dragoon Cmd broad brimmed hats Officer Guidon & Drummer ECWC13 Mounted Dragoon Command Montero caps (Officer, Guidon & Drummer) ECWC14 Mounted Dragoon Command helmets Officer, Guidon & Drummer)

Horses - pack of 4 (With saddles attached) - £6.50 ECWH1 Horse walking ECWH3 Dragoon horsre reigning in ECWH2 Horse trotting ECWH4 Dragoon horse walking ECWH5 Dragoon horse trotting Equipment/Guns - 1 gun per pack - £6.50 each ECWG1 Cannon ECWG3 Culverin ECWG2 Demi-Cannon ECWG4 Saker Artillery Crew - 6 figures per pack - £6.50 per pack ECWA1 Artillerymen laying gun ECWA2 Artillerymen Loading/firing gun Scots - NEW! ECWS1 Covenanter Musketeers standing firing ECWS2 Covenanter Musketeers ramming musket ECWS3 Covenanter Musketeers marching ECWS4 Covenanter Musketeers at order ECWS5 Covenanter Musketeers standing at porte ECWS6 Covenanter Musketeers advancing ECWS7 Covenanter Pikemen at charge ECWS8 Covenanter Pikemen at order Set 1 ECWS9 Covenanter Pikemen at order Set 2 ECWS13 Highlander Bowman taking arrow from ground, belted plaid ECWS10 Covenanter Pikemen at advance ECWS11 Covenanter Pikemen marching at shoulder ECWS12 Covenanter Pikemen at porte

ECWS14 Highlander Bowman firing bow, belted plaid ECWS20 Highlander charging with sword up and shield, belted plaid ECWS22 Highlander with Lockaber axe at order, belted plaid

More Covenanters, Highlanders, Scots Cavalry, English Cavalry and Personalities due very soon

We are now the sole owners of the 25mm Connoisseur Range (Napoleonic French, Austrian, British, Russian, Prussian, Bavarian, Brunswick, Baden, Dutch/Belgium,Saxon,Spanish, Portugese, Swedish, Wurttemberg and other ranges including Sudan, Zulu Wars, Early Italian Wars, ACW, Pony Wars) and Firing Line Miniatures French, Wurttemberg Napoleonics, ACW, Western Gun Fighters p&p UK & BFPO up to £100 +10% (min £2) Over £100 +7.5% Europe – Airmail up to £100 +25% (min £2) Over £100 +17.5% Worldwide – Airmail up to £100 +30% (min £2) Over £100 +20% Send £1.50 in stamps for price list and sample figure stating range. Most Credit Cards Accepted Phone/Fax +44 (0) 1235 537018 email: [email protected] www.bicorne.co.uk 44 Campion Road Abingdon Oxon OX14 3TQ England We will be attending WMMS in Walsall on 14 March & Salute at Olympia on April 24. Advance orders to be picked up at shows welcome

The Latest in Miniature Figures for Wargamers and Collectors  The aim of this new section is to display the most important wargame miniature innovations. Although all brands will be included here, we are especially interested in covering releases from Spanish manufacturers since they usually have less impact on the publicity in the international market. This way, we hope to use our magazine to give these high-quality brands greater media coverage both within and outside our borders. Spanish guerilla (left) and Bavarian infantry (down) by Fantassin. Figures painted by El   Mercenario.

he guys at Fantassin  are unstoppable. Their catalogue of 15mm Napoleonic figures is one of the most complete on the market due to the frenzied pace at which they are launching new products. The mamelukes from the Imperial Guard, the mounted and foot guerilla and Spanish peasants were their last rele-

T ases. Now, they have added the first references of the Bavarian and Nassau armies to their repertoire. The infantry is already available and the cavalry and artillery will be released shortly. Soon, we will also be able to enjoy a series of references of artillerymen with capes of all nationalities and another new army, the Dukedom of Warsaw. Lastly, special attention will have to be paid to their latest release, no less than Agustina of  Aragón in person.

 Imperial infantrymen from the XVII century by Old Glory 28mm (right) and Vietcong soldiers by West Wind  (down), painted by Flecha Negra.

ld Glory 15mm has launched new Renaissance and medieval ranges, as well as Napoleonic Swedes and new references for WWII. In addition, Old Glory 28mm has surprised us with a wide range for the Trojan War. There are more than 470 different figures, such as infantry, important figures, chariots and ships, as well as new references for WWI, the Thirty Years’ War, Renaissance Turks and Napoleonic Poles. Lastly, West Wind continues adding new models to their 28mm ranges of WWII, samurai and the Vietnam War and has reissued their gladiators, including chariots and animals from the circus.

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orvus Belli  continues working hard on their 15mm Punic Wars  series. After the heavy Carthaginian cavalry, the Numidian command groups and Hannibal s veterans with Roman gear, they are putting the longawaited elephants on the market. These excellently crafted pieces come in four different

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models: Numidian without tower, Numidian with tower and arquebusiers and Carthaginians with tower and lancers. The elephant has two versions in which the head and a front leg change. Carthaginian elephants by Corvus Belli.  Figures painted by El Mercenario.

 Imperial pikemen and arquebusiers by Game Zone.  Figures painted by Librer ía   Atl ántica.

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ame Zone ,

a new brand from Seville, has arrived on the wargame scene. Although they mainly dedicate their work to the fantasy genre, they

have a range of 28mm figures that are perfect for Spaniards from the XVI century, both as soldiers from the Italian Wars and as conquistadors. The only exceptions are that they carry lances instead of pikes and the halberds are a little big; but, these differences can be easily corrected.  Author: Javier Gómez   Fotography: Anastasio Jiménez 

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PUBLICATIONS  The latest releases on the market. Carlos VI, el emperador que no pudo ser rey de España Author: Virginia León Publisher: Aguilar Language: Spanish This book gives readers a detailed account of the life of the Archduke Charles, who would later become Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. In 1705 he came to Spain, after being proclaimed king in Vienna, in the midst of the Spanish Succession War. The repercussions of this war would reach all parts of Europe, making it the first great confrontation of the XVIII century. The war’s principal adversaries were France and the Anglo-Austrian Alliance. In 1713, the war ended with the signing of the Peace of Utrecht, in which Spain ceded its European possessions, the island of Minorca and Gibraltar.

British Grenadier, Gaming the wars for America 17751783 Author: Eclaireur Publisher: Partizan Press Language: English This author has created an excellent set of rules for gaming the American War of Independence based on the “General de Brigade”  gaming system; so, enthusiasts of these Napoleonic rules will be able to adapt quickly to the period. The rules include three interesting scenarios as well as some full-colour flag sheets apt for 25, 15 and 6-mm figures that are ready to be used.

Imperial Roman Legionary AD 161-284 Author: Ross Cowan Illustrator: Angus McBride Publisher: Osprey Publishing, Warrior series, number 72 Language: English This book narrates the turbulent period between AD 161 and 244 in which the Roman legions were involved in battles on a scale that had not been seen since the Republic. It also investigates the imperial legionaries through the experiences of the Legio II Parthica, which was created by the emperor Septimus Severus in AD 193 and was based near Rome at Albanum. 62

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Fair Oaks 1862 Author: Angus Konstam Illustrator: Steve Noon Publisher: Osprey Publishing, Campaign series, number 124 Language: English After the humiliating defeat in the first battle of Bull Run, the Federal Army at the Potomac was put under the command of George B. McClellan who, in the spring of  1862, devised a plan to end the war with a single campaign: It entailed transporting his troops by sea to the Virginia Peninsula, flanking the Confederate Army and occupying Richmond. The implementation of the plan was a disaster and the Confederates pounded the Union troops in the Battle of Fair Oaks.

British Infantryman in South Africa 1877-81 Author: Ian Castle Illustrator: Christa Hook Publisher: Osprey Publishing, Warrior series, number 83 Language: English This book covers the period of  wars against the Zulu and the Boers; the dramatic battles of Rorke’s Drift, Isandlwana, Ulundi, Laing’s Nek and Majuba are among the most famous battles in the history of the British Army.

Kawanakajima 1553-64 Author: Stephen Turnbull Illustrator: Wayne Reynolds Publisher: Osprey Publishing, Campaign series, number 130 Language: English In the valley of Kawanakajima, five battles took place between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin over a period of 12 years. Takeda and Uesugi were two great warlords and the leaders of  their respective Buddhist sects. In this book, Stephen Trumbull details all of the clashes led by these two skilled Daymio.

Fortresses of the Peninsular War 1808-14 Author: Ian Fletcher Illustrator: Chris Taylor Publisher: Osprey Publishing, Fortress series, number 12 Language: English This book gives readers an account of the sieges carried out by Wellington’s Anglo-Portuguese

Army during the Peninsular War and focuses especially on the storming and the sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Burgos and San Sebastián. The author analyses the sieges as well as the role the fortresses played in the war and their impact on the strategy of the armies on both sides of the conflicts.

Language: English This volume of the popular series describes the organisation, uniforms and insignia of the units of  the military and political corps that gained the reputation of  being extremely brave and fierce in battle. This professional corps participated in the most desperate battles on the Eastern and Western fronts.

The Complete Roman Army Author: Adrian Goldsworthy Publisher: Thames & Hudson Language: English This book provides an in-depth analysis of the different periods of  the Roman Army; it begins with the citizen militia of the middle Republic, followed by the professional army of the I and II centuries AD, and ends with the Army of Late Antiquity. It also has sections dedicated to the army in combat and the lives of the Roman soldiers.

Greek and Roman Artillery 399 BC-AD 363 Author: Duncan B. Campbell Illustrator: Brian Delf  Publisher: Osprey Publishing, New Vanguard series, number 89 Language: English This title analyses the design and construction of the catapults and ballistas used by the Greek and Roman armies and explains their use during the conflicts of the Greco-Roman period.

Encyclopedie des Uniformes Napoleoniens 1800-1815

Mongol Warrior 1200-1350

Author: Vincent Bourgeot and Alain Pigeard Publisher: Editions Quatuor Language: French This is an excellent encyclopaedia on the French uniforms from the Napoleonic period; in addition to the uniform regulations, it includes countless uniform notes taken from the memoirs of the participants of the epic campaigns, other archives and texts from the period. You will also find more than a thousand photos, illustrations and documents in the definitive work on this subject.

Author: Stephen Turnbull Illustrator: Wayne Reynolds Publisher: Osprey Publishing, Warrior series, number 84 Language: English The Mongol warriors, under the leadership of Genghis Khan and his successors, conquered a large part of the known world by adapting and improving many different types of military tactic, from siege wars to naval warfare. This book describes how they were able to carry out these successful military campaigns and includes details on weapons, tactics and training.

March of Death: Sir John Moore`s Retreat to Corunna, 1808-1809

Los perros de la Reina. Piratas ingleses contra España (s. XVI).

Author: C.J. Summerville Publisher: Greenhill Books Language: English This is the dramatic account of the British Army’s retreat from Castile to Corunna to reach freedom and to escape the persuing French Army led personally by the emperor Napoleon. The March of Death is the story of this horrible retreat during the harsh winter of 1808 captured by the memoirs, diaries and reports of the survivors.

Splendeur des Uniformes de Napoleón, volume 3: La Garde Imperiale a Cheval Author: G. Charmy Publisher: Editions Charles Herissey Language: French After the volumes on the line cavalry and the Guard infantry, this publisher has released an exciting new volume on the cavalry of the Imperial Guard. This

spectacular work provides a detailed analysis of the uniforms used by the Polish and Dutch Lancers, Chasseurs a Cheval, Dragoons and the rest of the regiments that made up this famous unit.

The Waffen SS (1) Author: Gordon Williamson Illustrator: Stephen Andrew Publisher: Osprey Publishing, Men-atArms series, number 401

Author: Vicente Fernández Illustrations: Dionisio A. Cueto Publisher: Almena Language: Spanish Throughout the 92 pages of  number 11 of the collection “Guerreros y Batallas”, the author describes the origin and development of piracy in the XVI century by means of its three most important figures: John Hawkins, Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh. With a wealth of detail, he explains their most significant actions, those that gained them the backing of the British Monarchy and that catapulted them “from pirate to knight” in the social scale. The book is well illustrated and contains engravings and black and white maps. It also has 8 high-quality colour illustrations and their respective comments. Wargames Editorial Staff  y SE

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Boardgames Age of Napoleon Publisher: Phalanx Games. With the release of this board game, Phalanx Games confirms its philosophy of mixing the simplicity and physical aspect of the “eurogames” with the basic themes and premises of wargames. It is a board game for two players based on the rise and fall of one of the greatest military commanders of all time: Napoleon I, the French Emperor. One player leads the French forces and its allies and tries to gain control of the European continent. The other represents a combination of countries that attempt to force the definitive abdication of Napoleon. The game not only represents the military units with its game pieces, but also integrates famous events, important figures and random factors with its playing cards. The game has three different scenarios that begin in 1805, 1809 and 1813. According to the publisher, the players who are familiar with the game can finish the 1813 scenario in 45 minutes. It offers an elegant integration of  military, economic and diplomatic factors. There are realistic but simple restrictions on battle charges and outcomes. The battle system is simple but it offers a great Napoleonic feel and more than one surprise. Contents: 1 large gameboard, 55 playing cards, 162 large game pieces, 2 player-aid cards, 2 dice, 1 rules booklet and 1 scenario booklet. Translation by El Viejo Tercio.

The Prince: The Struggle of House Borgia Publisher: Phalanx Games. Those of you that remember the atmosphere of the super-classic Machiavelli  should check out this new game by Phalanx Games. War and betrayal were the order of the day in Italy during the Renaissance. Caesar Borgia has been considered the model of the Renaissance nobleman, the prototype of the Prince of Machiavelli. Intelligent, cruel, treacherous and opportunistic. It takes place in Italy between the XV and XVI centuries and each player represents one of the powerful families: della Rovera, Colonna, Medici, Orsini, or the Borgia, who have recently arrived from Spain. The objective of each family is to reach the position that will give them power, fame and wealth: the Papacy. The Prince is a game of resource management. Using your family members (cardinals), Papal offices, strongholds in the patrimony of St. Peter, alliances with other families and even your patronage of remarkable artists of the period, you will fight to improve your position until the time comes when the cardinals meet to vote for a new Pope. For 3-5 players. Playing time: 30-40 minutes. Translation by El Viejo Tercio.

Soldier Emperor Publisher: Avalanche Press. Robert Markham returns to the charge with this game that employs an approach similar to the fantastic Soldier Kings. The production standard is first-class: huge and thick playing pieces and 2 large hard-mounted game boards. Using the Soldier Kings  as its base, Soldier Emperor  covers the Napoleonic Wars, 1803-1815. It contains 180 big and thick playing pieces like those in Granada, 165 smaller marker pieces, two large hard-mounted game boards and 64 cards. The map stretches from Great Britain to Persia, from North Africa to Norway. Europe is divided into areas, each 64

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of them rated for their resources, manpower potential, and defence value. Armies move along the routes that connect these areas, and the object of the game is to conquer and hold as much territory as you can. This is probably the first time that Persia has appeared in a Napoleonic wargame, but we cannot forget that the Persians fought the Russians twice in this period and also threatened war with the Turks. Unlike other games, here the Turks must watch their right flank. Austria has a great army and a good general most of the game (the Archduke Carlos). Prussia is small and relatively weak, but it has two able generals (Yorck and Bl ücher) and a good army. But, if it loses its army, the country ’s scarce resources will make it difficult to replace. France has Napoleon, some other generals and the greatest army of the game, in addition to the Imperial Guard. It has a powerful economy and a good starting position. France’s revolutionary ideas offer players certain advantages (in movement and in battle) as well as some disadvantages (in diplomacy). Great Britain has hopeful advantages: a huge income from their sea trade, a strong fleet and Lord Nelson. They also have a couple of minor admirals (Collingwood and Jervis) and the outstanding Duke of Wellington to lead their land forces. But, the army is small and difficult to replace if it is lost. Spain can turn to the guerrillas if it is invaded, and should take advantage of every little advantage to endure its weak economy, the poor capabilities of their generals and its secondclass army. Their fleet is good and Gravina is a good admiral. It can access several minor countries that other players do not have easy access to, as well as a starting position in Italy that allows a swift expansion. Russia has a huge surface area, a strong position on the edge of the game board and a strong army. Its commanders are good, especially Kutusov and Kamensky, in addition to Senyavin, the fleet commander. But, just like in Soldier Kings, the Russian player always lacks cash-flow and is willing to do anything to fix this problem. The game can be played by less than seven players, and even a minimum of two. The play cards drive the game. Players can play their cards at any time to ruin enemy plans. Translation by El Viejo Tercio.

For King & Country Publisher: Multi-Man Publishing. ASL module with British troops. In the past, these units were in the “West of Alamein” module. You must have the ASL rules book. 4 geomorphic maps (1, 7, 8 y 12), 6 counter sheets, 20 scenarios and 1 Chapter H section for the ASL system. All of the Advanced Squad Leader enthusiasts are congratulating Multi-Man for this release.

America Triumphant: The Battle of the Bulge Publisher: Avalanche Press. This is a fast-playing game of the North American victory over Nazi Germany in December, 1944: the Battle of the Bulge. Command the German Fifth and Sixth Panzer Armies or the American First and Third Armies in the decisive battle of  World War II. Author: Brian L. Knipple. The game covers the unexpected German offensive on the weak part of the Allies’ front in 1944, which forced the Allies to face the possibility that Germany could retrace or even change the course of  the war. The scale is 2.5 miles per hex, the map is 85x55 cm with large hexagons. The units are at brigade/regiment and battalion level. Playing turns last one day. 280 playing pieces, rules and tables.

The game system uses impulse chits to activate headquarters, corps or armies, which control friendly units within their reach. Translation by El Viejo Tercio.

The Great Battles of Alexander: Deluxe Edition Publisher: GMT Games. This is the new updated version of the best-selling, multi-award-winning game system that started the Great Battles of History  series. The Great Battles of Alexander: Delu-  xe Edition is practically the complete history of Alexander the Great and the Macedonian art of war. Battles include: Chaeronea, Pelium, The Lyginus, The Jaxartes, Samarkand, The Grancius, Issus, Gaugamela, Arigaeum and Hydaspes. It comes with 720 counters, 3 maps (55x85 cm), 1 die, 1 rule book (3 rd edition), 1 scenario book and player aid cards. Features: third-edition rule book, new maps for The Granicus and Chaeronea plus an extended map for Guagamela; armies from Danubian tribes, Illyrians, Greeks, Persians, Scythians and Indians; 18 new Macedonian commanders, Restricted Lines Commander system for the Persians, Indians and Greeks; Macedonian Wing and Contingent Commanders; Cavalry Shock Formations (the wedge of the Companion and the Thesaly Diamond; the Immortals and Kinsmen, the Macedonian artillery, the cataphracted cavalry and cataphracted elephants! Scale: 20-minute turns, 60 metres per hex, strength points are 100 men. Translation by El Viejo Tercio

Tyrant Publisher: GMT Games. This is the expansion module for Great Battles of Alexander  Deluxe that presents the armies of Carthage and Syracuse between 480 and 276 BC. Long before Hannibal Barca led the armed forces of Carthage into a titanic struggle with Rome, Carthage had fought for centuries with the Greek city-state of Syracuse for supremacy in the Western Mediterranean. It includes twelve of the most decisive battles in the recurring wars fought by Carthage against the Greeks of Syracuse. The armies of Syracuse were similar to the contemporary hoplite armies of the rest of the Greek city-states, but with better cavalry and a strong mercenary corps with Greek and Western barbarian units. Carthage depended on North African tribal levies reinforced by barbarian mercenaries from all over the Western Mediterranean. In Sicily, the Carthaginian armies usually had support from the mercenary Greek units. Even though Syracuse was generally more successful in openfield battles, Carthage had superior wealth, political stability, and naval power. The continued warfare was balanced over time and gave no decisive advantage to either side. The more than twocentury long struggle came to an end when the “new kid on the block”  Rome emerged. It comes with 120 counters, 1 map (55x85 cm) and a 36-page rule and scenario book.

Battle Cry of Freedom Publisher: Decision Games. This two-player card game represents the American Civil War, 1861-1865, in the theatres of war east of the Mississippi River. Each player has his own Play Deck to use to draw cards from. The Command Points in this game are very important and represent the economic, military, political, and social factors.

The objective of the Union player is to capture three cities (Richmond, Atlanta, Vicksburg) or to take two of these cities and play the Presidential Election of 1864 card. The Confederate wins if his adversary cannot achieve his objectives. There are four different events and each individual card contains at least two of these types: Resource Events, Battle Events, Special Events, Strategic Movement Events. The overall effect of the game allows players to recreate the four years of the war within three hours of gaming. There are cards representing many of the key generals. In the game, there are many battles, but the design allows the campaigns and battles to be carried out in a coherent development. Contents: 300 full-colour cards, player aid card and rules.

Strategy & Tactics 218: Chancelorsville & Plevna Publisher: Decision Games. This new issue of Strategy & Tactics takes us to 2 battles from the XIX century, one from the American Civil War and another from the Russo-Turkish War. Also, issues 51 of Paper Wars and 25 of the Naval SITREP are now on sale.

Great Pacific War, 1937-1945 Publisher: Avalanche Press. Brian L. Knipple brings you the longawaited sequel to Third Reich . Japan’s elite forces face the tremendous power of the United States in a fight for the future of the Pacific Ocean. The game covers from December 1941 through 1946 and includes the forces of all participants. It includes five scenarios of the war in the Pacific and three scenarios to link it to Third Reich. Players play the roles of the commanders of the Japanese, British, Soviet and American forces in World War II. It can be played separately or along with Third Reich  to recreate the entire WW II. It comes with a new edition of the rules and rules to link both games in matches of up to 7 players. 560 playing pieces, three maps (85x55 cm). Scale: 60 miles per hex, units at corps, fleet and air army level. Each turn represents 3 months of real time. The game system consists of  players drawing impulse “chits” to determine how to activate their forces. The emphasis is on the interaction of military, political and economic factors. In Great Pacific War  the Japanese player must decide initially whether to go to war with America or the Soviet Union.  Japan’s lack of resources makes war with one of these powers a necessity. You can also go to war with Britain and her ally, The Netherlands, who together control the riches of India, Java and Borneo. This strategy is very risky; the greatest risk is that America will enter the war on Britain ’s side. Adding colour to this situation is the importance of Japan’s involvement in China. The American player must take a nation unprepared for war to a position of strength, while supporting the Nationalist Chinese. In the linked game with Third Reich players also have to consider the effects of their actions on a global scale. For example, a Soviet player desperately defending Moscow in 1941 cannot defend a Japanese attack on Vladivostok. Historically, Japan went to war to obtain the resources denied her by the Allies’ steel and oil embargo. German successes appeared to guarantee a victory. Translation by El Viejo Tercio.  Author: Joaquín Mejía  Exclusive translations by El Viejo Tercio

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