GMT’s Commands & Colours is an expandable game system. Like its older sister, Commands & Colours: Ancients and brother Commands & Colours: Napoleonics, Commands & Colours: Medieval is going to be much, much, much more than what was originally presented in GMT’s Medieval core game. As such, Crusades Mid-Eastern Battles 1 is just the first expansion for Commands & Colors: Medieval.
The original plan was to have the Medieval expansions follow a somewhat historical timeline, but to keep in tune with player requests and feedback, GMT chose to jump ahead in time some 500 plus years to the Crusades. Actually reflecting on the decision, this jump makes a lot of sense, since there are marked similarities with many Byzantine battles as featured in the Medieval game and the battles fought during the Crusades gameplay wise, rule wise, and transitional-thinking wise.
Yes, there are plenty of knights in shining armour in this expansion, but there are no damsels in distress or dragons to be slain. The Crusades Mid-Eastern Battles 1 expansion will instead focus on some of the major engagements of earlier Crusader history. In this first Crusades expansion, we showcase at least 16 Crusader scenarios and all the additional unit blocks you need to fight out these battles. New units include: Crossbow Infantry, Foot Knight Infantry, Turcopole Light Bow Cavalry, Heavy Knight Cavalry, and Heavy Military Order Knight Cavalry.
The Crusades expansion introduces many new game concepts as well: Impetuous Pursuit, Feigned Flight, Shower Shooting, and Charging Cavalry ability to pass through friendly stationary infantry units, all of which add historical depth and flavor. Still many game mechanics remain constant, like the deck of Medieval Command cards that drive movement while creating a “fog of war” and the battle dice that will resolve combat quickly and efficiently. There are also new and updated Inspired Actions for both the Crusader and Mid-Eastern armies.
The stylized battlefield scenario maps still emphasize the important terrain features and highlight the historical deployment of forces in scale with the game system. Like your Medieval core game, the scale of the Crusades expansion is flexible and can vary from battle to battle. Yet to gain victory (and I have stated this many times before), the tactics you need to execute conform remarkably well to the advantages and limitations inherent to the various Crusader and Mid-Eastern army units, their weapons, terrain, and the history.
Still, we realize that this period of history is way too large of a subject matter to hopefully cover it all in detail in this single expansion, so there is more to come.
Welcome Again & Enjoy!
- Richard Borg
IMPORTANT: In order to play the scenarios in this Crusades expansion, you will need a copy of the Commands & Colors: Medieval game.
Early Crusade Battles:
Nicaea 1097
Dorylaeum 1097 (Phase 1 - Defendable Base Camp)
Dorylaeum 1097 (Phase 2 - Attack on the Camp)
Dorylaeum 1097 (Raymond's Flanking Attack)
Lake of Antioch 1098
Antioch 1098
Ascalon 1099
First Ramla 1101
Second Ramla 1102
Harran 1104
Third Ramla 1105
Tell Danith (Sarmin) 1115
Anger Sanguinis (Field of Blood) 1119
Hab 1119
Harim 1164
Montgisard 1177
Hattin 1187 (Raymond III Escapes)
Hattin 1187 (Balian's Rearguard)
Hattin 1187 (King Guy - Center Column)
Hattin 1187 (Final Stand)
It may not be possible to ship very heavy items outside of the Mainland UK.
Released: 30 April 2025
