MS02 Battle of Walaja (May 633)

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

After learning of his defeat at Kazima, the Sassanid king Yazdegerd ordered his armies from the north and east to confront the growing threat to the south of the empire. Two armies set out toward the capital, Ctesiphon, to meet the Rashidun Caliphate Muslim army led by Khalid ibn al-Walid. One Sassanid army was led by Andarzaghar, and the other by Bahman. Andarzaghar moved toward the city of Walaja, on the southern side of the Euphrates River, while Bahman moved toward Uballa from the northern side of the river. Both armies were intending to meet and reinforce one another. Khalid was aware of this and could not allow the two Sassanid armies to join together so he set out from Uballa westward to Walaja to destroy the army of Andarzaghar before alerting Bahman and before it could be reinforced. Khalid’s swift army was able to meet Andarzaghar at Walaja well before Bahman could change course and reach them. Andarzaghar’s army of 25-30 thousand troops set up camp at Walaja and waited for Bahman to reach them as Khalid’s Muslim army of 15-20 thousand arrived. Khalid couldn’t wait long, however, as Bahman’s army approached, so after almost a day of rest he ordered his troops forward to attack. Andarzaghar was surprised to see no cavalry in Khalid’s army, only footmen. The night before, however, Khalid secretly sent his cavalry around the Sassanid position with orders to flank them when given the signal in the heat of battle…   

War Council
Sassanid Army (Tan blocks, Sassanid Inspired Actions)
Leaders: Andarzaghar    
Command Cards: 5    
Inspiration Tokens: 3
Send up the reliefs: the Sassanid player begins with the Line Command card.

Arab Army (Purple blocks, Rashidan Inspired Actions)
Leaders: Khalid ibn al-Walid    
Command Cards: 5    
Inspiration Tokens: 3
Send in the cavalry: the Arab player begins with the Mounted Charge card.
Move First

Victory: 5 banners

Special Rules
*Nowhere to run: impassable hills line the entirety of both army’s baseline though the game does not supply sufficient hill tiles. After the Arab cavalry moves out of the hills they cannot reenter. Arab cavalry in the hills are not considered in play until they move out. Retreats into the hills on either baseline result in eliminated blocks and consequent victory banners for the opposing army. 
*Fall Back: An Arab unit may treat a sword as a flag when attacked in melee or during a battle back
*At the beginning of the Arab player’s third turn place the following units anywhere on the Sassanid baseline: 2 Medium Bow Cavalry, 2 Light Bow Cavalry, 1 Light Cavalry, 2 leaders. These units are not considered in play until they are ordered out of the hills. Arab cavalry and leaders deployed in the third turn retreat toward the Sassanid baseline. Arab footmen and Khalid retreat toward the Arab baseline.