After I finished my Egyptian army for DBA, Andrea started working on his Hittites. Both took time, of course, but then all the actors were present to re-enter the world stage after several thousand years.
http://bennosfiguresforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23669
The Battle of Kadesh between the Egyptians and the Hittites took place in the fifth year of the reign of Pharaoh Ramses II, in 1274 BC at the fortress of Kadesh (also: Qadesh or Qadeš) on the Orontes River, in western Syria near the present-day Syrian-Lebanese border. It is the second known major battle in Egyptian ancient world history after the Battle of Megiddo, fought by Thutmose III in 1457 BC.
In this battle Ramses II and the Hittite king Muwattalli II faced each other directly for the first and only time. For this battle Ramses assembled the largest army that, according to today's knowledge, had ever existed in Egypt up to that time. It consisted of chariots and foot troops. In total, the army consisted of about 20,000 men in four divisions (combat units of mixed troops). These were named after the main Egyptian gods Amun, Re, Ptah and Seth. The main armament was composite bows with an effective range of 90 meters and bronze slashing weapons.
The army's ranks also included Nubian soldiers and elite units of the Sherds, foreign mercenaries that Ramses II had accepted into the Egyptian army. The army's ranks also included Nubian soldiers and elite units of the Sherds, foreign mercenaries that Ramses II had accepted into the Egyptian army.
The Hittite army consisted of a total of about 37,000 men, mainly foot troops. Muwattalli's army also included many traditional enemies of Egypt. To further enlarge his army, according to Egyptian sources, Muwattalli also recruited many mercenaries who came from different regions of Asia Minor and Syria. In addition, there were 2,500 to 3,500 chariots. They were heavier and more immobile compared to the Egyptian chariots. This was also evident, for example, in the fact that they were manned by three men. The Hittites already used the first cutting weapons made of hardened steel.
The historical course of the battle
Ramses II moved at the beginning of April 1274 B.C. He led the division Amun. It was followed at a distance of 10 km each by the other units Re, Ptah and Seth. In the plain of Sharon a kind of intervention force separated from the army. This was to advance along the coast to the mouth of the Eleutherus and then from the west toward Kadesh, while Ramses II marched directly there with the Amun division. He did not wait for the retreating army units and crossed the Orontes.
Meanwhile, Muwattalli II sent 1,000 Hittite chariots across the Orontes and attacked the Re unit. The Egyptians were taken completely by surprise and fled across the Orontes with heavy losses. The Hittites surrounded the camp of Ramses II, who was now in a disastrous position: he, his bodyguard and the Amun division were trapped, while the Re unit was on the run and the Ptah and Seth units were still far away. For the Hittites, complete victory seemed certain until the arrival of the intervention force, which had taken the route via the Palestinian coastal road. Although this unit was unable to reverse the course of the battle, it did succeed in extricating Ramses II from the hopeless situation unharmed. Muwattalli II, who had not expected such a quick success, did not pursue the fugitives, but remained with his army on the other side of the Orontes. He returned with his units to the eastern bank of the Orontes. Ramses II no longer had enough soldiers for a counterattack. He gathered his battered troops, as well as the units of Ptah and Seth not involved in the battle, and retreated.
Ramses II had not achieved his goal of capturing the city of Kadesh: the disputed area remained under Hittite influence. Despite the stalemate, Ramses had the events of the battle portrayed as a victory in an almost propagandistic manner.
However, the military weakness of the Egyptians at Kadesh did not go unnoticed by the Egyptian vassal states in the Syrian region. They stopped paying tribute to Egypt. Ramses II could not tolerate this and set out again for campaigns in the Syrian-Palestinian area. Via Tyros, Sidon, Beirut, Byblos and the valleys of Eleutherus and Orontes he conquered Tunip and Dapur. Muwattalli's successor Muršili III did not intervene when Ramses again advanced into Syria. For Ramses II, all further campaigns after the battle of Kadesh were extremely successful.
The Hittites were less successful. In the meantime, internal unrest prevailed in the Hittite empire, and so a change of power took place in 1264 B.C. Muršili was dethroned by his uncle Hattušili III and received political asylum in Egypt. In addition, the Assyrians became a growing threat to the Hittites.
But now the moment had come to throw the dice of fate anew and to steer the wheel of history in another direction with the wheels of the chariots.
The Hittites rolled a one, which resulted in us having muddy terrain on the right where the kings' chariots faced each other. So the battle initially unfolded elsewhere.
Both sides approached the hill in the center of the battlefield. However, the Hittites were on worse terrain and had to deploy their troops in width first, which of course was not really accomplished with a one yet.
The Egyptians, on the other hand, with a six, had the opportunity to send their army forward on a broad front and occupy the small hill.
Knowing about the historical success and the incompetence of the Egyptian generals, the Hittites believed in an easy game and were sure that Ramses would soon sink in the mud with all his other troops and not only with his chariot. With only a few movement points, a small part of the army advanced and attacked the Egyptians.Spears of the Hittites with support in the back against blades of the Egyptians, everything looked like a quick breakthrough in the center.
But the Egyptian archers were on the spot and let the attack perish in a hail of arrows. the first troops fell in the attack on the hill. The Egyptians, highly motivated by this, also won the melee and the spears were pushed back. 1:0
The Hittites then wanted to force a breakthrough and advanced again. A small force of psiloi covered the flank and the horde in the army of Muwattallis also extended it. Together with the spears on the hill, a new attack would now be possible in the next turn.
But the calmly aiming archers had really warmed up and divided the targets. Two units fired at the spears at the back of the hill: hit! But still the Hittite general tried to be in a good mood to keep the morale of the troops high.
Eight more archers, however, shot at the attacking hordes from Asia Minor and made sure that they could not do any more damage. But still 2:0, because hordes did not count.
For all the good humor, this was not looking good at all.
Now, however, it was time to reorganize the troops and to refrain from any further individual actions in the frenzy of victory. The Hittites retreated and formed a new battle line.
The Egyptians did the same, but they advanced in the process.
In order to be able to change anything at all in the outcome of the battle, there now had to be a massive advance of all troops and therefore a high throw for a lot of movement. A six! The Hittites thought they were almost back on the road to victory.
But the representative of Ramses on the battlefield also rolled a six with the red fate die and now the Egyptians did not wait any longer and advanced with their troops completely by surprise. In the process and with so many PIPs, they even managed to change positions and place archers on the top of the hill.
Now the Egyptians were on the verge of tearing open the left flank. Ramses knew: Now comes the hour of the chariots!
They had slowly dug through the mud and came within range of the Hittites, who, after all, had hit the Egyptians hard with their battle chariots in the historic battle.
Hoping to repeat this, they attacked the arriving Egyptians at the border of the mud. And indeed Ramses II was repulsed. but otherwise the Egyptians held their ground.
Ramses grabbed the reins and his lion roared. The Hittites could not survive this and were overrun. 3:0!
Now the only thing left for Muwattallis was to fight with pride and for the books of history. He charged again and pushed back one the chariots, but was also pushed back from the others. In the meantime on the other side of the field of battle the fighting comes to an end.
The last round:
Ramses pushed forward again and attacked the exposed chariot with his own force. No chance of survive and the game was over 4:0
Since the Egyptian Army pushed their foes far away from the camp, it took a while until the camp followers get the message, that the king's army subdued his enemies.
It was a great game with fantastic painted Hittites. And I am sure next time the dice will roll in another direction... maybe...
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