Details: Written by: Mike Schwartz; Category: Arab Ascendancy: Muslim Conquests (600-800); Published: 12 May 2025; Last Updated: 12 May 2025; Hits: 898

Victory Results:

50 %

50 %

Total plays 2 - Last reported by Frosty on 2026-01-20 13:57:04

MS06 Battle of Yarmouk (Aug 636)

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

After the Muslims seized control of Emesa, Emperor Heraclius ordered a massive army forth from Antioch in June, comprised of Greeks, Armenians, and Christian Arabs, to confront the Muslims at Emesa. The Muslims, however, learned of the counterattack and retreated southward, abandoning the city, and regrouped with the southern Muslim army detachments to face the Byzantines in a location more preferable to a smaller army which would not want to give a larger army an advantage in a large, open space. They passed southward, chased by the Byzantines, past even Damascus, to convene at Jabiyah. The Byzantines retook Damascus on their way south in pursuit of the fleeing Arabs and the armies met at the Yarmouk River, a field with Lake Tiberias to the west with the river itself running along the southwestern flank, and the desert to the east. Fruitless negotiations continued for weeks between the armies rendering confrontation inevitable. The Muslims were reinforced by veteran archers and footmen from the earlier Muslim campaigns during the negotiations, and the battle began on August 16, 636.

War Council

Arab Army (Tan blocks, Rashidan Inspired Actions)
Leaders: Khalid ibn al-Walid, Abu Ubaidah, Amir ibn al-As, Shurabil ibn Hasanah
5 Command Cards
5 Inspiration Tokens
Reinforce: The Arab player begins with Rally card in addition to his hand of five command
cards. When this card is played it is not replaced, leaving the Arab player with five
command cards. The command of the Arab player is five.

Byzantine Army (Purple blocks, Byzantine Inspired Actions)
Leaders: Theodore, Vahan, Qanatir, Gregory
6 Command Cards
4 Inspiration Tokens
Move First

Victory: 8 banners

Special Rules
*The Yarmouk River is impassable.
*The Alan River is fordable.
*All cavalry units have bows.
*The Sword of Allah: Medium Cavalry may move up to four hexes when ordered by a Mounted Charge.

Discuss this article in the forums (5 replies).

Posts in discussion: MS06 Battle of Yarmouk (Aug 636)

Frosty replied the topic:

#1201

1 month 1 week ago

Played this battle twice this week and it is an excellent balanced scenario. Results were 8-4 to Byzantines and 8-6 to Arabs (which should have been 8-4 too if I had rolled better dice!). We did remove bows from the Arab Cavalry MC & HC as that seems correctly historical for the conquest period. But it did make the Arab cavalry feel like pin cushions and made them charge as quickly as possible. In future I would compensate by changing Arab MI Spears to Warband to improve the Arabs and again feels correct for this period.

Raeez replied the topic:

#1166

6 months 2 weeks ago

Yes, the Arabs did seem to have heavy cavalry, and the Jund cavalry was used by Khalid for shock charges, just like heavy cavalry. I am however not sure about the use of bows and battle proficiency in horse archery by these cavalry units.

In my personal opinion, removing bows from the heavy bow cavalry and medium bow cavalry of the Arabs would make it more historically accurate. Just plain heavy cavalry and medium cavalry.

Not just for the Battle of Yarmuk, but to be extended to most of the scenarios involving the Rashidun Arabs.

Mark-McG replied the topic:

#1165

6 months 2 weeks ago

Having somewhat refreshed myself on the history of these times, I think it is likely enough the Rashidan had some Heavy cavalry by the time of Yarmuk.

Whilst it seems likely that the Arabian southern kingdoms and nomadic groups would have had generally light, and maybe some medium cavalry, there were two Arab Kingdoms that were closely affiliated with the Sassan and Byzantine Empires.

The Eastern Christian Lakhmid Arabs were in alliance with the Sassan Empire, but a rupture in 602 between Khosrow II (the Sassanid King of Kings), and the Lakhmid king, resulting in the annexation of the kingdom by the Sassanids. I'm suggesting this likely made the Lakhmid Arabs discontent, and happy to join the the Muslim Arabs, and that they likely had heavier cavalry. Khalid defeated the Sassans at Hira (the former Lakhmid capitol) in 633, which I also suggest assisted the recruitment (and conversion) of Lakhmid Arabs to the Muslim army.

The Ghassanid Arabs in Syria were allies of the Byzantines, and enemies of the Lakhmids. The Byzantines as Sassanids had used these 2 Arab Kingdoms as proxies for conflicts in Mesopotamia.
The Orthodox Christian Ghassanids were highly respected by the Byzantines, yet there was still desertion and conversion by Ghassanid Arabs to the Muslims, attracted by a young, fresh and very pro-Arab religion. The Ghassanids certainly had heavy cavalry.

Mark-McG replied the topic:

#1164

6 months 2 weeks ago

I'll let Mike Schwartz talk to the composition of this scenario, but I agree to an extent on the army composition.

There are a few points I'd like to bring up

Firstly, C&C Medieval is a existing system, and converting scenarios into the system requires a conformance to the system to a large extent (otherwise it may as well be a separate game). To that extent, there are limited choices on cavalry available, and essentially for the Arabs, we come down to Light and Medium cavalry. You could Special Rule the cavalry to some extent, but C&C generally is pretty light on in Special Rules.. or perhaps it would be more accurate to say players tend not to play scenarios with large tracts of Special Rules. So a Special Rule that said Arab Medium cavalry had javelins would be OK. Whatever changes you make by Special Rule, you still have to conform to the Command cards and rules, so introducing a new cavalry would have to be either Green or Blue for Command card and die hitting purposes.

Secondly, Arab foot archery was highly regarded, and is still practiced in competitions to the present day. So I think the Inspired Actions that enhance archery are needed, but I take your point about horse archery. However, Darken the Sky would also double javelin volleys as well.

I started out designing a few Arab scenarios, but Mike brought these ones out first.
The only scenario that didn't overlap was
BYZ10 Battle of Mu'tah (September 629AD)
It has an Arab force composition similar to what you are suggesting. It is hard work for the Arabs, but was just a raid that was driven off by the Byzantines.
Happy to hear thoughts on this one.

I still intend to return to design a Yarmuk scenario, but likely in parts (or phases) of the battle, since the battle itself was so large. I'd encourage you to try designing some scenarios as well.

Raeez replied the topic:

#1163

6 months 2 weeks ago

Hi,
I highly appreciate your effort to create the scenarios for the early arab conquests. The exploits of Khalid-ibn-Walid are some my favourite parts of medieval History.

I just wanted to let you know about this concern of mine regarding the troop types - medium bow cavalry and heavy bow cavalry.

From my superficial research, the arab cavalry under Khalid (Jund Cavalry) did not use horse archery to any significant degree. They were mostly used by Khalid as light lancers for shock tactics into enemy gaps or for flanking the enemy.
They were also versatile enough to perform skirmish actions but not using bows but javelins.

I feel some degree of historical disconnect when I use the medium and heavy cavalry under Khalid perform actions like darken the sky, which would be appropriate for later muslim armies like the Seljuk turks, Fatimids or Ayyubids.

Is there any way the army composition in the scenarios and the inspired actions can be tweaked to make them more aligned with the historical actions of Jund cavalry? Focusing more on shock tactics, speed and versatility and less on horse archery.
I know that this is too much to ask, considering the awesome work that has gone behind creating the scenarios for the arab conquest, but I guess it doesn't hurt to ask.

Warm regards,
-Raeez.