Historical Overview Section

The Arab Conquests began after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He established a new unified political polity in the Arabian peninsula which under the subsequent Rashidun and Ummayad Arab Caliphates saw a century of rapid expansion of Arab power well beyond the Arabian peninsula in the form of a vast Muslim Arab Empire with an area of influence that stretched from northwest India, across Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, southern Italy, and the Iberian Peninsula, to the Pyrenees. Edward Gibbon writes in History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire:

"Under the last of the Ommiades, the Arabian empire extended two hundred days journey from east to west, from the confines of Tartary and India to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. And if we retrench the sleeve of the robe, as it is styled by their writers, the long and narrow province of march of a caravan. We should vainly seek the indissoluble union and easy obedience that pervaded the government of Augustus and the Antonines; but the progress of Islam diffused over this ample space a general resemblance of manners and opinions. The language and laws of the Qu'ran were studied with equal devotion at Samarcand and Seville: the Moor and the Indian embraced as countrymen and brothers in the pilgrimage of Mecca; and the Arabian language was adopted as the popular idiom in all the provinces to the westward of the Tigris."

The Arab conquests brought about the collapse of the Sassanian Empire and a great territorial loss for the Byzantine Empire. Though spectacular, the Arab successes are now being understood in hindsight, most notably in Hugh Kennedy's book The Great Arab Conquests: How The Spread Of Islam Changed The World We Live In . The Sassanid Persian and Byzantine empires were militarily exhausted from decades of fighting one another. This prevented them from dealing effectively with the mobile Arab raiders operating from the desert. Moreover, many of the peoples living under the rule of these empires, for example Jews and Christians in Persia and Monophysites in Syria, were disloyal and sometimes even welcomed the Arab invaders, largely because of religious conflict in both empires.

Using the army in ADLG

  • Solid blocks of 6 HF being pushed into your face will focus most opponents attention
  • The mix of medium and heavies gives a lot of width and punch, and a need to take the right terrain
  • Its a hard army for anyone to attack, as the only home terrain choice is Desert. That means you can expect to be attacking in Plains in most games even if you lose he initiative and can plan your terrain and army choices accordingly
  • This list comes in 2 forms - both are good. Impetuous troops require a mindset that you will attack relentlessly. The later list with elite Spear is also quite good. El Kreator has used the impetuous army.
  • Generally you have to decide are you going to be foot strong or mounted strong as the price point is too high for both. Shove the elite HI into someone's face then sweep in with the mounted.
  • In theme a big elite impetuous HI Arab conquest is incredibly dangerous to the Skutatoi. It is very resilient frontally to the mounted as well.
  • Go for size, around 26 units I think. I take few light infantry, for me size is about fighting units, not total units.If a heavy is damaged by shooting, just use another one for the hand to hand, you should have lots
  • Take the Foot as ordinary, not elite.
  • Strategist every time.
  • Centre Command mainly heavy swords, a couple of archers and a javelinman. 1 or 2 light infantry. Heavy foot can accept shooting. Also often one ligh horse to exploit gaps if enemy avoids this command or after a breakthrough.
  • A "flank command", which can handle the almost inevitable terrain found there. 3 or 4 MI impetuous sword, a javelinman and an archer. Plus all of the impetuous cavalry and a light horse. Of course with terrain in the centre this may be used more centrally.
  • Last command 2 camels, a javelinman and an archer, plus maybe some odds and sods
  • Aim to attack so that you get forward fast and use your size. But if you loose initiative it is fun to watch an opponent when he realises that desert is the only terrain option if he wants to attack you. So you often get to attack even if you loose the initiative.
  • Take no dunes, or only small ones. You are big and want to work the space and flanks. Difficult terrain reduces your options.
  • If you take dunes or brush there is no need for the camels to be there. You double their value if the enemy avoids dunes / brush and you still get to put the camels somewhere else useful

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Army Lists

Sample army lists for this army
PAW 2023 v4 winning list
Competent
2 Nomads and Bedouins Light cavalry impact ------
4 City cavalry Medium cavalry impetuous Elite
3 Nomads and Bedouins Light cavalry javelin ------
==
Strategist
4 Fanatic Warriors Medium swordsmen impetuous
2 Bowmen Bowmen
2 Light Infantry Javalin Light infantry javelin
==
Competent
6 Fanatic Warriors Heavy swordsmen impetuous
2 Bowmen Bowmen
2 Light Infantry Sling Light infantry sling
Sacred Camp (!)


Britcon 2022 (V4)
632AD
Strategist
6 Fanatic Warriors Heavy swordsmen impetuous Elite
2 Light infantry javelin Light infantry javelin ------
2 Light infantry bow Light infantry bow ------
2 Bedouins Light camelry bow Mediocre
==
Competent Included
6 Fanatic Warriors Heavy swordsmen impetuous Elite
==
Competent Included
4 Fanatic Warriors Medium swordsmen impetuous Elite
2 Disguised Camelry Medium camelry Mediocre



Britcon 2022 (V4)
630 AD
Brilliant
4 City Cavalry Medium cavalry impetuous Elite
3 Nomads and Bedouins Light cavalry impact ------
==
Brilliant
6 Fanatic Warriors (inc) Medium swordsmen impetuous Elite
1 Light Infantry Light infantry javelin ------
1 Bowman Bowmen ------
3 Nomads and Bedouins Light cavalry impact ------
==
Ordinary Included
5 Fanatic Warriors (inc) Heavy swordsmen impetuous Elite
2 Light Infantry Light infantry sling ------


131 Arab Conquest - (Webb - Britcon 2019)
Strategist
2 Fanatic Warriors Medium swordsmen impetuous
1 Bowmen Bowmen
5 Fanatic Warriors Heavy swordsmen impetuous
1 Light Infantry bow Light infantry bow
1 Light Infantry Javelin
2 Light infantry sling Light infantry sling
1 Nomads and Bedouin Light cavalry Javelin
==
Competent
5 Fanatic Warriors Medium swordsmen impetuous
1 Bowmen Bowmen
1 Light Infantry bow Light infantry bow
1 Light Infantry Javelin
==
Ordinary Included
4 Nomads and Bedouin Light cavalry Javelin
1 City Cavalry Medium cavalry Impetuous


131 Arab Conquest - Bennett
Strategist
4 Fanatic Warriors Medium swordsmen impetuous
3 City Cavalry Medium cavalry Impetuous
2 Light infantry sling Light infantry sling
1 Nomads and Bedouin Light cavalry impact
1 Bowmen Bowmen
==
Competent
5 Fanatic Warriors Heavy swordsmen impetuous
1 Nomads and Bedouin Light cavalry impact
1 Bowmen Bowmen
1 Light Infantry bow Light infantry bow
1 Javelinmen Javelinmen
==
Competent
2 Fanatic Warriors Heavy swordsmen impetuous
2 Bedouin Medium camelry bow
1 Bowmen Bowmen
1 Javelinmen Javelinmen


200 points from Cry Havoc 2018
2 Medium Bow camels
1 Bowman
1 Impact Foot Swordsmen Medium
Competent general
==
6 HI Impetuous Sword
1 Javelinman
1 Bow
1 LH Bow
1 LH Javelin
Competent General
==
4 Impetuous MF Sword
1 Bow
2 Impetuous Medium Cavalry
1 LH Javelin
1 LF Sling
1 Javelinman
Strategist