Mongol siege of Mosul, part I Medieval II Total War Antioch campaign battle (not historical). As an Antioch army is laying siege on Baghdad, the Mongols make their appearance near Mosul. Diplomats are sent with presents to appease them. Both Antioch and the Mongols have the same enemy, the Turks. An alliance seems a natural course. The Mongols accept the presents but merely canter from north to south and back north without making counter proposals. The Antioch armies take Baghdad and march towards Mosul. A screen of horsemen is sent to the desert north west of Mosul and the Antioch armies camp around Mosul and behind the mounted sentries. Antioch has 7 full armies: the Mosul garrison of mainly dismounted Hospitaller, Antioch and Edessan knights under Heliot Magliorie; a cavalry army under Philip, king of France, and Gerard, the Marshall of the Hospitallers; an army of light cavalry and mounted archers under Richart, used partly as a screen of scouts and patrols in the desert; and four other armies under generals Arthur, Robin, Christofle de Montfort and Emery de Champagne. There are also smaller armies under faction heir Charles the Mad, Robin de Toulouse, and Gerbert le Maingre. The Mongols have seven smaller armies under Khan Joshi, Khanzada Berkei, Hulegu, Kitbuqa, Abaqha, Kuo Kan, Yesugatai and Mengadai of Rus, a total of some 90 companies, all full strength with triple silver chevrons of experience rating. The two sides are approximately matched in florin value. However, the Mongols have 5 generals superior to any of the Antioch generals. Despite continuing presents from the Antioch side, the Mongols begin to attack the Antioch mounted scouts. Eventually, the Mongols decide to make an enemy out of Antioch. They march at night towards Mosul. The Antioch armies are arrayed in front of the city. Khan Joshi, backed by Hulegu, Kitbuga and Kuo Kan attacks the army of Philip, the King of France. In Philip's army is also Robin de Toulouse and Gerard, the Master of the Hospitallers. Philip falls back towards the monastery of St John the Baptist, where Robin is camped. The Mongols fail once again to get the cue, that Antioch is itself at war with the Turks and means no harm. They seem to perceive Philip's retreat as a weakness and attack him again. Khan Joshi, the Mongol faction leader, stumbles upon Philip while Hulegu, Kitbuga and Kuo Kan are some distance away. Philip's light cavalry launches diversionary attacks against his flanks, drawing the heavy Mongol cavalry to the sides. Khan Joshi rides on into the thick of the night while his army has gone this or that way. Philip blows his trumpet and the Antioch knights launch a lightning strike at the Khan's bodyguard. Within moments the Khan is surrounded and soon enough is also dead. His army flies off in disarray. Rather than chase them and risk an engagement with the entire Mongol horde, Philip's force takes the opportunity to disappear into the night. The same night, Mongol faction heir Berkei, launches an attack on Robin, whose army is camped outside the monastery of St John near Mosul. Robin has heard the fighting and is ready. Richart rushes up with a reinforcement of mainly light cavalry. Berkei is followed by Kitbuga the Wrathful and Kuo Kan but attacks on his own, before the other two generals have arrived. Robin has placed mangonels and catapults on the hill in front of the monastery and bombards the Mongols as the sodeer archers rain fire arrows on them. The Mongol archers waver but Berkei himself rushes ahead and charges up the hillside with the heavy Mongol cavalry in a very un-Mongol fashion. The Mongol cavalry breaks against the spears of the massed Hospitaller spearmen. Rather than run off or wait for Kitbuga and Kuo Kan, Berkei notices some stray Antioch infantry at the bottom of the hill and attacks them with his bodyguard. Instead of using the night to spin a trap around Robin, Berkei is walking into a trap himself. Richart's light cavalry attack Berkei's bodyguard. Berkei meets the same end as Khan Joshi. Robin and Richart keep their ground and brace for the attack of Kitbuga and Kuo Kan. But the two Mongol generals think better of it and never attack. ------------------------- My Antioch Crusaders Mod campaign AAR http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=425329

• published: 31 Jul 2011
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