Return to Huesca, 1105

The Battle of Huesca, first fought solely against Mark (see: Battle of Huesca 1105) saw an encore engagement fought remotely pitting Mark against Steve.  Coming off from a convincing victory as Ali, Mark wanted to switch roles and take command of the Spanish under Alfonso.

Without further ado, let us see how the battle panned out.

With both armies drawn up for battle, Alfonso makes only slight adjustments to his army's deployment as the Moors begin their advance. Watching the Moors advance toward the Spanish army as Ali throws out his light cavalry to harass the enemy, the Spanish remain calm.  Calm but nervous underneath, perhaps.  The only movement in the Spanish line is pushing skirmishers and archers hesitantly up toward Huesca to counter Ali's light cavalry.  Alfonso is definitely allowing the Moors to come to him.

Armies arrayed for battle.

Alfonso steadies his line.

The Moors advance while the Spanish wait.

The Moors begin harassing the enemy line.

Ali's wall advances as a singular force. 

Tired of the annoying javelin fire from the enemy light cavalry, the Spanish right advances to Huesca to drive off the enemy skirmishers.  Alfonso's knights in the center of his line continue allowing the enemy to come to him.  Is he awaiting the right moment to strike?

The Spanish right

Yes!

Alfonso sends three of his knights crashing into the enemy's battle line.  The heavy cavalry blows land upon the enemy right.  

The first blow falls against the Muslim camelry.  In a fierce clash, the Spanish knights are driven away in full retreat. The second blow sees a second body of knights overrun the skirmishing bowmen between the lines before crashing into an enemy block of heavy spearmen.  As these knights close, they are met by a hail of arrows from the spearmen's support archers.  Weakened, the knights carry on but are repulsed as the enemy stands firm.

Finally, Alfonso, himself leading the away, follows up against the wavering camelry.  In a swift clash, the enemy camelry is sent packing.  In the pursuit, Alfonso smacks into a light cavalry unit and scatters these light horsemen to the four winds.  This pursuit carries Alfonso deep behind the enemy's battle line.

Alfonso attacks!

Wave after wave of Spanish knights charge in!

Ali's camelry is sent packing.

Alfonso in headlong pursuit

but Ali's infantry battle line remains firm.

Seeing the hole widening on his right, Ali attacks against the enemy right in an effort to rebalance the battle.

Against the walls of Huesca, Ali's heavy infantry advance.  Their first opposition encountered is a unit of massed archers.  Despite suffering mightily at the arrows of the enemy, the archers are dispatched in heavy fighting.  In pursuit, the Moors swing behind the enemy's line to strike Spanish knights surprised to see the enemy upon it.  Initially caught unaware, the knights regroup and battle back.  The Moorish spearmen, already weakened from their earlier fight, break.  The knights follow-up although heavily battered in these exchanges.  Ali sends his Black Guard forward into the thin Spanish line of spearmen.

Ali 's heavy infantry attacks!

Having scattered the archers,
 spearmen careen into Spanish knights.

Spanish knights counterattack.
The Moors are scattered.

The Black Guard smashes into the enemy spearmen after first sending a volley of arrows into the footmen.  The Spanish infantry do not last long.  Quickly cutting the enemy down, the Black Guard swings into the next Spanish spearmen in line.  

These Spanish, hit from the flank, fail to hold the line.  They are overwhelmed as were their brothers in arms.  Back they go!  The black-clad warriors do not ease up.  Coming up on the already wavering knights, the appearance of enemy on its rear scatters the knights. 

The Black Guard are not finished quite yet.  Still they come on, overrunning fleeing Spanish infantry.  The Spanish left has been ripped apart!

Black Guard attacks!

Victim #2 in sight!

Victim #3 in the crosshairs.

Spanish knights destroyed!

Victim #4 dispatched!

With the Spanish right destroyed and the line ripe for turning, Alfonso, although far removed from battle, concedes that the day is lost. The seige of Huesca has been lifted and Ali is victorious.

Alfonso loses an army

While Alfonso pursues to nowhere, his Spanish Army is destroyed.

Victory to Steve and his Muslim Army!  Congratulations!

as Ali holds the field.

Watching this battle unfold was really quite exciting, dynamic, and with plenty of action.  

First, watching the Spanish patiently waiting for the right moment to strike and then striking out against the enemy.  Tensions rose as the Moors advanced.  Some of these attacks worked.  Others did not.

Second, Ali's attack against the Spanish right was breathtaking.  I have never witnessed such complete damage wrought against an enemy.  Given only half a chance to pursue, the Black Guard succeeded until there were no enemy within reach.  Casualties were high.  Remarkably high.

In the end, Steve played a great game in destroying Mark's Spaniards.  Still, Mark was laughing in the end and took the defeat in good humor.  While the result was decisive, the outcome could have been much different.

Great battle!  Thank you both!