DBA Armies

IV/20 AYYUBID EGYPTIAN 1171 AD - 1250 AD

This list covers the armies of the Ayyubid Sultanate established by Saladin from the end of the Fatimids until the Ayyubid dynasty was over-thrown by its mamluks. It does not cover the armies of the provincial Ayyubids in Syria after the death of Saladin in 1193, which are covered by the Syrian list (IV/6). The core of the army was the mamtuks, picked Turks and Kipchaks bought as slaves, then rigorously trained into a professional corps of armoured horse archers, half of whom also had lance and horse armour. Halqa were elite non-mamluk cavalry. Qaraghulams were probably Berbers and Sudanese armed with lance, but not bow. Infantry were now used only in a supporting role. The Sudanese archers were new regiments which do not seem to have included spearmen. A Crusader source describes agile black archers with shields. Reference: Armies and Enemies of the Crusades 1. Heath.

IV/20 — Ayyubid Egyptian Army 1171 AD - 1250 AD

List: 1 x General with ghulams (Cv), 3 x ghulams (Cv), 1 x halqa (Cv), 3 x qaraghulams or Kurdish or Syrian askaris (Cv), 1 x qaraghulams (Cv) or Kurdish javelinmen (3Ax) or ghazis (3Wb), 1 x Bedouin (LH) or Syrian ahdath town militia (7Hd) or Cairo mob (5Hd), 2 x Turkoman horse archers (LH) or Sudanese archers (4Bw) or Syrian Druze with mixed sling, bow or crossbow (Ps)
Terrain: Dry
Aggression: 2
Enemies:
Allies: IV/6a or IV/6b or IV/6c or IV/24b