2C01 1st Constantinople (September 1147 )
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Battle of Constantinople in 1147 was a large-scale clash between the forces of the Byzantine Empire and the German crusaders of the Second Crusade, led by Conrad III of Germany, fought on the outskirts of the Byzantine capital, Constantinople. Conrad had insulted Manuel by calling him "King of the Greeks" rather than his formal title of "Emperor of the Romans", and the imperial pretensions of the Germans made them far more suspect in Byzantine eyes than were the French Crusaders following the German Crusader force.
The Byzantine force was placed under the command of two generals, Prosouch and Basil Tzikandyles. They were instructed to make a stand confronting the Germans, and by their presence provoke an attack. The array of the Byzantine army, unusually, is described in some detail by Kinnamos. To the fore, "far forward", were four units (taxiarchiai) of the "most unwarlike, common part of the army"; Kinnamos' wording indicates that these were infantry. Behind these were drawn up the heaviest and most well-armoured cavalry, the kataphraktoi, the elite of the army. Next were "those who rode swift horses", the koursores, a more mobile form of close-combat cavalry. Finally, in the rear were the Cumans, Seljuk Turks and the "Romans' archer force"
According to Kinnamos, that part of the crusading army confronted by the Byzantines was "seized by a great eagerness and disorder" and attacked "at a run". A fierce battle developed; in response to the reckless attack of the Germans, the Byzantines "scientifically resisted and slew them"
War Council
Byzantine Army (Use Tan blocks, and Byzantine Inspired Actions)
• Leaders: Prosouch and Basil Tzikandyles
• 5 Command Cards
• 3 Inspired Actions tokens
Crusaders Army
• Leader: none
• 5 Command Cards
• 3 Inspired Actions tokens
• Move First 
Victory
5 Banners
Special Rules
• The Hospitaller Knights are worth 2 Victory banners each if eliminated
• Each camp hex is worth 1 Victory Banner when occupied by a Byzantine unit at the start of their turn.
• Camps are friendly to the Crusaders.