To Wage War

1279, Yuan-Song War. Genghis Khan has set his sights to the east. Through two kingdoms and four khagans, Kublai Khan looks to finish off what his grandfather started. Technology and trickery abound as the Mongols use the philosophy of Bruce Lee against their foes.

1303, Mamluk-Ilkhanid War. The Ilkhanate has eliminated Baghdad and Aleppo, and only the Mamluk Sultanate of Cairo stands in their way of domination over the Levant. Sultan Nasir al-Muhammad needs to contend with the general Qutlugh to seize victory and ensure Mamluk rule over the contested land, and end Mongol incursions into the region forever. Artwork by Angus McBride

530 AD, Iberian War. The Sassanid Persians have the Byzantine Empire outnumbered two-to-one. Can Flavius Belisarius deploy his troops to meet the challenge of the famous Persian Zheydan? Artwork by the US Military Academy Atlas for Ancient Warfare.

1071. Byzantine-Seljuk War. The Byzantine Emperor Romanus IV attempts to defeat the Seljuk Turks to stop the problem of raiding and secure his newly won throne. Sultan Alp Arslan is outnumbered, but not unwilling to play the game. Strategic planning, tactical mistakes, and political infighting all show up on the board game of history. Artwork by O. Mustafin, Istanbul Military Museum

1097, The First Crusade. The Seljuk Turks attempt to crush the Norman vanguard of the First Crusade. Can the speed and mobility of the Turks overcome the heavy armor of the Normans? Formation are key, but morale takes center stage in central Anatolia on one hot day. Painting by Gustav Dore