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Medieval Army Lists

Ayyubid Egyptian
(1171-1250 AD)
DBA #144

The Ayyubid Egyptian list covers the rule of Saladin (e.g. Salah al-Din) and his heirs until the rise of the Mamluk Sultan Baibars in Egypt.

In the 1160s, court politics coupled with Crusader incursions caused Fatimid Egypt's rulers to seek military aid from the Abbasid Caliphate in Damascus. Only 26, Saladin, a Kurdish prince and nephew of the great Nur Ed-Din, made his name in 1164 AD as second in command to his uncle Shirkuh on three military expeditions to Egypt. After Shirkuh's death in 1169 AD, Saladin was named Vizier of Egypt. By 1171 AD, he had fully deposed the Fatimids and was recognized as Sultan, After the death of Nur Ed-Din in 1174, he then began a series of campaigns that resulted in the consolidation of Syrian Nurredin, Nubia, and the Hijaz into his new Ayyubid Egyptian kingdom. His next target was the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Saladin's campaign in Outremer started inauspiciously, with a sharp defeat to King Baldwin IV at Montgisard (1177 AD). He was able to return the favor at Marj Ayyun in 1179 AD. The Egyptian navy destroyed a flotilla sent by Reynald de Chatillion to the Gulf of Aqaba in 1183 AD to disrupt pilgrims sailig for Mecca. Saladin's punitive invasion into Palestine was stalemated as the Crusaders refused to give battle, forcing his eventual withdrawal. Another raid on Moslem pilgrims by Reynald in 1187 AD prompted Saladin to invade the Kingdom of Jerusalem again. After destroying a small force of Templars, he marched on Raymond's fortress at Tiberias, while the Crusaders mustered an army at Acre. On July 4, despite being greatly outnumbered, Saladin inflicted a devastating defeat on the thirsty and demoralized Crusaders at the Horns of Hattin. Jerusalem surrendered to Saladin on Oct. 2 and the balance of Outremer was quickly overrun save for scattered strongholds and the towns of Antioch, Tripoli, Tyre and Tortosa. After being released by Saladin, King Guy raised an army and laid seige to Acre, losing a pitched battle to a relief army lead by Saladin on Oct. 4, 1189, but retiring in his works to continue the seige.

Saladin's success in Outremer prompted calls for the Third Crusade, which began inauspiciously when the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa drown while fording a river with his army in Cilicia. By June 1191, however, French King Phillip II arrived at Acre with reenforcements, which helped turn the tide of the extended seige, forcing the Moslem defenders to surrender on July 12. The English King Richard I (Coeur de Lion) (a.k.a. Richard the Lion-Hearted) arrived shortly thereafter, took command of the Crusader army and moved down along the coast, inflicting a costly defeat on Saladin's shadowing force at Arsuf. The continued presence of Saladin's large, highly mobile force and his own small numbers, however, prompted Richard to abandon plans to strike out toward Jerusalem in early 1192. Saladin was freed to lay seige to the Crusader stronghold at Jaffa, but Richard's army intervened and defeated the Moslem commander on August 5. A truce was negotiated, which allowed Richard to sail home to England to pursue marriage in Oct. 1192. The following February, Saladin was stricken with a fever and died.

Saladin's son al-Malik al-Afdal (al-Aziz?) (1193-1198) assumed the throne followed by Salidin's brother al-Malik al-Adil, who both used the fifteen year respite provided by the truce and by Crusader preoccupation with Constantinople (i.e. the Fourth Crusade) to consolidate their unruly Ayyubid Kingdom. In 1217 AD, however, a Crusader army organized by the Cardinal Pelagius and John de Brienne launched an invasion of Egypt (i.e., the Fifth Crusade) from Syria. The Sultan al-Adil died in Aug. 1218 AD and the Crusaders were able to seize Dalmietta in 1219 AD. The entire Crusader army was defeated and captured at Bahr Ashmun in Sept. 1221 AD, however, by the new Sultan al-Malik al-Kamil (the son of al-Adil).

In 1225 AD, the excommunicated Emperor Frederick II arrived in Outremer to pursue his claim to the Kingdom of Jerusalem (i.e., the Sixth Crusade). Arms gave way to politics and diplomacy, as Frederick negotiated a treaty with Sultan al-Kamil in Feb. 1229, who surrendered Jerusalemin exchange for peace. The treaty was unpopular in the Moslem world, but resulted in a period of friendly relations between Ayyubid Egyptian and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Al-Kamil was succeeded by his son al-Malid al-'Adil (1238-1240 AD). In 1239 AD, a crusading force lead by King Tibald of Navarre landed at Acre. A reconnaissance in force into Gaza was destroyed by the Ayyubids in Nov. 1239 AD, and the Syrians seized Jerusalem. Then with the arrival of Richard of Cornwall and an English force in 1240 AD, another peace was negotiated which saw the Syrian and Egyptian Sultans surrender territory in exchange for the departure of the Crusaders. In 1240 AD, al-'Adil died and his brother al-Malik as-Salih became Sultan (1240-1249 AD).

In 1244 AD, the dislocated Khwarizmians (who had been chased westward by the Mongols) sacked Jersualem. An allied Frankish-Syrian army set forth to drive them out, but the Khwarizms with Ayyubid support inflicted a heavy defeat on them at La Forbie, near Gaza in Oct. 1244 AD.

In 1248 AD, King Louis IX of France set forth on the Seventh Crusade, landing in Egypt on June 5, 1249 and capturing Damietta. The Moslem army gathered at El Mansurah ("Victorious"), the site where al-Kamil had defeated the Fifth Crusaders in 1221 AD. With news of the death of the Sultan as-Salih on Nov. 24, 1249, the Crusaders set forth to conquer Egypt. A preliminary battle was fought at Fariskur on Dec. 7, 1249. The Crusading army was undaunted, continuing its march to the banks of the Bahr as-Saghir, opposite El Mansurah on Dec. 21. After a futile attempt to build a causeway across the river, the Crusader vanguard under the Count Robert d'Artois attacked across a ford against orders, surprising the Moslems in their camp. The Ayyubid commander Fakhr ad-Din was killed and his army skattered, but the future Sultan Baibars was able to rally the mamluks in a nearby town and inflict heavy losses on the pursuing Crusaders in the narrow streets. The Crusaders withdrew to their camp, where they were beseiged for eight weeks. Disease compounded the battle losses to seriously deplete the Crusader ranks, until they were forced to abandoned their camp on April 5. The Egyptians pursued and overran the Crusaders the next day. King Louis ransomed himself and 12,000 of his followers, the balance of his army was put to the sword. The death of the Sultan as-Salih coupled with the rise of the Mamluk Baibars during the battles at El Mansurah, however, brought about the fall of the Ayyubid Dynasty and marks the end of this DBA list.

Enemies

The enemies of Saladin and his heirs were the Georgians (#121), Seljuk Turks (#124), Cilician Armenians (#132), Comnenan Byzantines (#133), Later Crusaders (#141), and Khwarizmians (#146).

Army list

The list above is a simplification of the Ayyubid army, which varied over time and was quite complexly organized. Foot could include the al-Ashair (semi-nomadic Syro-Palestian and Lebanese bedouin) who fought on foot as irregulars with bow and sling, the Ahdath, Ayyarun and Fityan (civic militias and veterans organizations), and bands of fanatical ghazis ("Warriors of the Faith"). It is also probable that the Ayyubids inherited many of the Fatimid askars, which included organized bodies of axemen and other regular infantry units, such as a small elite Daylami Guard. Finally, the Ayyubid army often included contingents of Wafidiya ("immigrants") serving under their own leaders, such as the Khwarizmian tribes who took service was Sultan as-Salih in 1244 AD during their flight from the Mongols.

Tactics

This is a highly mobile army which will require considerable skill to master. The most effective tactic for the would-be Saladin will be to use the Cavalry and Light Horse to draw the impetuous Crusader and Georgian Knights out of position and exposed to flank overlaps. Against the Byzantines, you'll want to try to seperate the Byzantine mounted from their foot if possible and concentrate on the former, while keeping your own infantry away from the Byzantine Blades and/or Knight. Against other Moslem opponents, the Ayyubids are almost a mirror image with similar proportions of cavalry, light horse, bow and some foot. Good match-ups and effective tactical play become key.

Miniatures

Essex offers a 15mm pre-package army which includes a mounted General (1xCRU19), Ayyubd Egyptian Heavy Cavalry (6xCRU41), Arab mailed cavalry (6xCRU2), Light Arab Cavalry w/ round shields (8xCRU17), assorted foot with javelin and round shield (3xCRU7), assorted archers (6xCRU4), and Saracen heavy infantry with round shields (6?xCRU35).

Gladiator has an extensive range of suitable15mm Moslems in their "Cross and Crescent" range, including Saladin with mounted escort, Mamluk heavy cavalry, Bedouin, Syrian and Turoman cavalry, Sudanese archers and spearmen, Syrian Adath spearmen, Moslem/Daylami skirmishers, and others.

Museum Miniatures 15mm Late Crusades range strangely enough offers no Moslems except for a long blister of Assassins. Museum also provides a range of Mamluk Egyptians (circa 1250 AD) that can be employed along with Khwarizmians

Irregular offers an extensive range of 15mm Arabs and Turks, including a variety of figures suitable for an Ayyubid army, as well as an Ayyubid army pack (composition unknown). Tin Soldier also offers a range of Arab/Eastern Nations figures, including options such as Sudanese ghulams, but no army pack and it is not clear how appropriate the figures are to the Ayyubid period.

In 25mm, Ellerburn Armies (Hinchliffe) offers Saracen heavy cavalry, horse archers and foot archers, Mamluk askari (heavy cav), Ayyubid Tawashi (heavy cav), Saracen mounted drummer and standard bearers, and Ghulam cavalry. Irregular has an extensive offering of 25mm Crusades range, with seperate figures for Ayyubids, Fatimids, Seljuks and more. Old Glory offers a Crusaders range, which includes: Turcomen Horse Archers, Ghulam Heavy Cavalry, Arab Armored Cavalry, Bedouin Light Cavalry, Sudanese archers and spearmen, Muslim militia spearmen and bowmen, and mounted Moslem command. Sabre Miniatures also offers a late Crusades range, and Qualiticast UK offers Saracens, both in 25mm.

Italeri offers boxes ofCrusaders and Saracens in plastic, as featured at Nick Grants DBx Wargaming With 20mm Soft Plastic Figures page.

Heroics and Ross offer 6mm Saracen cavalry and infantry in their Medieval/Crusades range.

Other Resources

A good basic reference is Saladin and the Saracens: Armies of the Middle East 1100-1300 (Men-At-Arms 171), by David Nicolle (Osprey, March 1986).

Nicolle also authored Hattin 1187 : Saladin's Greatest Victory (Campaign, No. 19) (Osprey, Jan. 1993).

Other useful titles include Francesco Gabrieli's "Arab Historians of the Crusades (English translations published by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., 1969 and Dorset Press, 1989), Ian Health's "Armies and Enemies of the Crusades 1096 - 1291" (WRG, 1978) and Ian Heath's "A Wargamers' Guide to the Crusades" (Patrick Stephens Ltd., 1980).

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Last Updated: March 6, 2000.

Questions, comments and suggestions welcome. Send your feedback to Chris Brantley, brant@erols.com.