Battle of Hattin (1187 AD)

A recreation of the Battle of Hattin.

“In 1170 AD a new, powerful leader rose to lead the Muslim counterattack. For a while Saladin, as he was known in the West, maintained an uneasy peace with the crusaders. However a series of provocations by the crusaders broke the truce and finally forced his hand."

"He gathered a large army and laid siege to Tiberias. The Crusaders went for the bait and marched to the rescue. Their line of march took them across a desert where the heavily armored knights suffered terribly in the summer heat. Saladin sent soldiers to harass them during the march, slowing their advance to a crawl."

"The army was dying of thirst when they approached Lake Tiberias only to find Saladin’s army blocking their path. In the battle that followed the crusader army was destroyed. Raymond of Tripoli was the only commander to escape, the other the crusader leaders were killed or captured. Saladin’s forces also capture a treasured holy relic – the ‘True Cross.’”

A miniatures wargame intended for classroom use with two teams of students (grades 6-8). The game is designed to be played using 1/72 scale plastic miniatures or free print-and-play paper miniatures provided with the rules.