Medieval 2: Total War - Sicily

"Long live King Roger, Sicilian monarch and the greatest ruler of all Italy! Long live King Roger!"

Late 1100s Italy is an area on the edge of madness. Four countries vie for dominance; the cowardly, money-loving Venetians, the opportunistic, treacherous Milanese, the frothing power-mad Holy Roman Empire, and the proud and righteous defenders of the faith, Sicily. In between them all, Pope Gregory reigns, and those who would disparage the faith claim that he, too, has designs on controlling Italy. Of these four lands, only one has the Pope's blessing, and that is King Roger of Sicily.

The beginning of his rule sees the island of Malta brought under Sicilian rule, and the opening of hostilities with the Almohads, the Moors. Prince Simon, heir to the throne, easily devastates the castle of Tunis, taking the land in a manner most horrifying for the infidels; the holy fires of God raining down on the enemy general through the use of mangonels.

Milan shows its true colors and blockades Sicily's ports right after the conclusion of the Pope's work. The traitorous dog that rules Milan has no respect for the Pope's wishes, disregarding the Pope's alliance with noble Sicily, and King Roger is forced to respond. Prince Simon and his younger brother Giovanni land on Sardinia and wrest it from the hands of the betrayers. Milan rushes a captain down to counter, and lays siege to the city, meaning to take it back.

Pope Gregory sends an emissary to both Milan and Sicily, telling them to cease all hostilities. King Roger agrees, and sends no further ships or men to Milanese lands. Milan claims to accede to the Pope's request, but they keep their siege on Sardinia. Simon pens a letter to the Pope and sends a lone ship carrying it to Rome. It is unknown what is said in this letter, but the Pope looks the other way when Simon rides out to lift the siege.

At least 2000 men, all spearmen and light infantry, stand against Simon and Giovanni's 1100 men. But Simon has both diversity and ingenuity on his side. His men consisted of Muslim Archers, heavy cavalry, light cavalry, three units of Sergeant Spearmen, and the true might of his army, his siege equipment, a unit of mangonels and a unit of trebuchets. This force could not stand up to the massed infantry in a close fight, so it would take a great tactician to turn this disadvantage to a victory for Sicily.

Simon orders his archers to take to the walls, and his spearmen to stay in front of the western gate. The siege equipment is positioned just behind them. Simon and Giovanni lead the heavy cavalry out of the northern gate, while the light cavalry regiment rides through the southern.

At Simon's signal, the archers begin to rain arrows down upon the gathered Milanese forces, sending them scurrying back away from their ladders and towers. The light cavalry rides towards the spearmen, closes to within a stone's throw, and then retreats. Three units, buoyed by numerical superiority and impetuous with the lack of a true Milanese general, give chase, and are cut down nearly to the man by the archers, their long-shafted arrows cutting into the undefended flanks of the enemy. The trebuchet begins firing, stones landing in the midst of the spearmen and sending men flying up into the air from the shockwave. But the rest of the Milanese army did not charge, content to stay back and let the archers loose their arrows on the front line, confident that the arrows would run out far before they were in true trouble.

Simon's archers are his best asset in this battle -- the trebuchet did wonders against the enemy walls, and the morale effect could not be underestimated, but he needs to get more of the enemy in range of his archers. He holds an emergency meeting outside of the walls with his cavalry, and over the protests of his younger brother Giovanni, he goes ahead with his new strategy.

Simon rallies his unit and charges the spearmen. Unprepared for this direct assault, the spearmen are momentarily bloodied before recovering and bringing their spears to bear on the vulnerable cavalry. A few of Simon's bodyguards fall, but already he has pulled back, riding back for the walls. Undaunted, the spearmen give chase.

Directly into the whizzing arrows. With the entire army now in range of the archers, all 400 men on the walls let their arrows fill the evening sky. The Milanese army tries to pull back out of range, only to find five regiments of cavalry bearing down on their flank; Giovanni has led both light and heavy cavalry around in a wheel formation, slicing into the undefended flank of the spearmen. Yet just as quickly as they strike, they retreat, rearing about and falling back before the spearmen can begin their attack on the horsemen. Now the Muslim archers have the advantage once more, firing into the backs of the confused Milanese army.

Prince Simon blows a ram's horn, and a burning barrel arcs over the wall, smoke trailing behind, and explodes just above the besieging army. Death rains down on Milan in a torrent of fire, as the fiery rounds of the mangonel incinerate all they touch. The trebuchet continues firing, and with the entire army in a disorganized clump, no shot misses. Agonized screams and anguished cries fill the air, many cut off as the arrows find their way home to vulnerable spots in the lightly armored troops. The mangonel stops firing long enough for another dual hammer-wheel attack from the cavalry, and the Milanese army routs. Simon rides them down, capturing as many as he kills, with Giovanni joining in his brother's victory.

At the conclusion of the battle, over 90% of the opposing force has either been killed or captured, compared to a minimal 31 troops lost for Sicily. Milan refuses to pay the ransom for their captured soldiers, forcing Simon to put the prisoners to the sword. It is a heroic victory for Prince Simon, and a momentary break in the Italian hostilities.