AGAINST THE ODDS #30: The Lash of the Turk

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With the fall of Jerusalem, Europe learned a new synonym for boogeyman: 'Turk.' Organizing the Moslem forces of the Middle East with discipline and training, the Turks recaptured the Holy Land and gradually took over the rest of Asia Minor and spread into Europe like a slow tide, including capturing Constantinople and swallowing the remnants of the Byzantine Empire and the Balkans. Presuming extreme cruelty, various European leaders called for new crusades, to free fellow Christians from 'the Lash of the Turk.'

Game rules stress ease of play, but give players lots of options, including river movement and combat, siege rules, forage, and political turncoats. Four different scenarios let you juggle the strengths and weaknesses of the principle leaders for both sides, along with Austrian, Hungarian, Transylvanian, Tartar, Turk, Bavarian, Polish, and Franconian troops and appearances from other nationalities. Can you can hold off the Turks? Can you conquer new lands for Allah?