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{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_1}1415, Northern France.

{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_10}Knowing this only too well, Henry moves his army forward, hoping to provoke the French into rash action.

{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_11}Henry’s gamble is successful.

{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_12}Lines of unprepared French knights and nobles push and shove amongst themselves, eager to engage their English counterparts.

{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_13}Henry's longbowmen will be the key to defeating the French, striking them down as they traverse the muddy field.

{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_14}To protect his longbowmen from cavalry, Henry has ordered them to plant sharpened stakes in front of their positions.

{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_15}To emerge victorious, Henry must survive the upcoming battle and destroy or rout the French army before him. Only then can he make his way home.

{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_2}The Hundred Years War continues.

{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_3}After spending the Autumn months campaigning in Northern France, Henry V, King of England is making his way home.

{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_4}But first he must contend with a large army awaiting him near the town of Agincourt.

{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_5}The French army, led by Jean la Maingre and Charles d’ Albret is more a collection of arrogant nobles than an army, distracted by their own bitter rivalries.

{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_6}While the English army is a disciplined force, led by King Henry, a shrewd commander and an inspiring presence.

{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_7}As the sun rises on the 25th October, Henry moves his weary and hungry men into position, knowing they are largely outnumbered.

{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_8}Heavy rainfall overnight has left the newly ploughed field separating the two forces a sodden, muddy, mess.

{AGINCOURT_NARRATOR_9}The French forces awake and take a leisurely breakfast, happy to wait and let disease and hunger grind down Henry’s army.

{ARSUF_NARRATOR_1}The coastal road north of Arsuf, September 7th, 1191 AD.

{ARSUF_NARRATOR_10}Spurring his horse forward, King Richard launches a counter-attack, determined to break the Saracen onslaught or die in the attempt!

{ARSUF_NARRATOR_2}The third crusade began with the capture of the city of Acre ... the ultimate goal to seize Jerusalem. King Richard 'the Lionheart' of England saw the port city of Jaffa as a vital staging post on the road to the Holy City and resolved to take it.

{ARSUF_NARRATOR_3}Marshalling the crusader forces, King Richard marches south to wrest the city from Saracen hands.

{ARSUF_NARRATOR_4}Shadowing this invading army from inland, the great sultan and leader of the Saracens, Saladin, waits for an opportunity to strike.

{ARSUF_NARRATOR_5}Saladin draws his army into battle formation in a forest near Arsuf, an ideal position from which to launch an ambush.

{ARSUF_NARRATOR_6}The great sultan, planning to attack and isolate the crusader's rear divisions, deploys his best troops on his left.

{ARSUF_NARRATOR_7}In readiness for the inevitable Saracen attack, King Richard's men march in a formation that will allow them to respond quickly.

{ARSUF_NARRATOR_8}His archers and crossbowmen hug the coast with a screen of cavalry and infantry between them and the Saracens.

{ARSUF_NARRATOR_9}Saladin springs the attack with terrifying quickness, hoping to drive the crusaders into the sea.

{DORYLAEUM_NARRATOR_1}1097, The First Crusade, near Dorylaeum.

{DORYLAEUM_NARRATOR_10}The main Crusading army, upon entering the valley and encountering the awaiting Turks, attempt to fallback and form a defensive perimeter.

{DORYLAEUM_NARRATOR_11}Bohemond and his knights bravely deploy themselves in front of the Crusading infantry, in a desperate attempt to buy them time to regroup.

{DORYLAEUM_NARRATOR_12}Knowing that there are more Crusaders to come, Bohemond must hold off the Turks and keep his fragile position from crumbling. Only a man with extraordinary faith and righteousness flowing through his veins will be able to bring victory to the Crusaders.

{DORYLAEUM_NARRATOR_2}With Pope Urban the second preaching for a Holy Crusade to recover the Holy Land from the Turks, all good Christians are called to take up arms and serve God.

{DORYLAEUM_NARRATOR_3}Nobles and commoners alike, from all over Europe, answer the Pope’s call. They form a great Crusading army, with France leading the charge.

{DORYLAEUM_NARRATOR_4}Bohemond of Taranto, a powerful French noble, leads the crusaders in their holy quest.

{DORYLAEUM_NARRATOR_5}Marching across Turkish Anatolia, the Crusaders leave behind a wake of destruction on the road to Jerusalem.

{DORYLAEUM_NARRATOR_6}To reach the city of Antioch, the crusading army must traverse the Kara Su valley, then turn and march through the Nan Dere Valley ... a perfect place for an ambush.

{DORYLAEUM_NARRATOR_7}The Turks, led by their Sultan, Qilich Arslan, are alerted to the passage of the Crusaders by a shadowing force of Turkish cavalry.

{DORYLAEUM_NARRATOR_8}Knowing that the crusaders must pass through the Nan Dere, the cunning sultan blocks the valley, deploying his army to launch a surprise attack.

{DORYLAEUM_NARRATOR_9}However, unbeknownst to the Turks, the ill-disciplined Crusaders have split their forces, with a secondary contingent trailing behind the first by many miles.

{HASTINGS_NARRATOR_1}October 14th 1066, Caldbec Hill north of Hastings in England.

{HASTINGS_NARRATOR_10}The two forces are evenly balanced, but there are only two paths from this place for Duke William: to the grave, or through the shield wall and onwards to the throne of England!

{HASTINGS_NARRATOR_2a}This land is ruled by King Harold Godwinson, the latest in a line of Anglo Saxon kings.

{HASTINGS_NARRATOR_2b}But Duke William of Normandy has a claim to the throne too. 

{HASTINGS_NARRATOR_2c}Years ago, Harold is said to have sworn to help the Duke to the throne of England, but he has failed to honour his oath and now he rules as king.

{HASTINGS_NARRATOR_2d}But the throne on which Harold sits is not a comfortable one and Duke William's invasion is fortunately timed.

{HASTINGS_NARRATOR_3}Even now, Harold marches south from battle at Stamford Bridge near York, having crushed another invasion led by Harald Hardrada of Norway.

{HASTINGS_NARRATOR_4}Duke William was able to land unopposed but now his scouts report that Harold's army is in sight and has formed a shield wall on a ridge crossing the Norman's road.

{HASTINGS_NARRATOR_5}The position is a strong one at the top of a gentle slope flanked by marshy ground, and the enemy appear happy to let the Normans come to them.

{HASTINGS_NARRATOR_6}The Duke has come well-prepared for battle and has many war-hardened infantry and horsemen.

{HASTINGS_NARRATOR_7}But if his men cannot overcome the enemy shield wall, they will have little choice but to negotiate terms or starve.

{HASTINGS_NARRATOR_8}Duke William of Normandy is no stranger to war though. He knows that if there is no way around or through Harold's shield wall, he will have to find a way to pick it apart.

{HASTINGS_NARRATOR_9}The Anglo Saxons are known for their fearlessness in battle and perhaps William can use this to lure them from their position so that his horsemen can finish them off.

{HATTIN_NARRATOR_1}4th of July, 1187, a few miles west of Hattin

{HATTIN_NARRATOR_10}Saladin’s left division, commanded by Gokbori, begin by harassing the Crusader rearguard with archers. More men lie in wait in the hills to the north.

{HATTIN_NARRATOR_11}Saladin knows that the morale of the desperately thirsty Crusaders lies in the balance. Persistent arrow fire will cause them to lose heart quickly.

{HATTIN_NARRATOR_12}If Saladin can prevent the Crusaders from reaching Hattin, he can free the Holy Land of the accursed Crusader presence indefinitely!

{HATTIN_NARRATOR_2}A few days ago, the Great Sultan Saladin launched an attack on the city of Tiberius, hoping to draw out the Christian army. He knew that opposing the garrisoned Crusaders would be futile and his plan to rid the Middle East of the Crusader presence in one battle could only be accomplished in the field.

{HATTIN_NARRATOR_3}Taking the bait, King Guy of Jerusalem now marches to relieve the city of Tiberius.

{HATTIN_NARRATOR_4}In the hope of reaching Tiberius as fast as possible, King Guy refuses his men much needed water from rare springs along the way, a mistake that Saladin will use in his favour when the time is right.

{HATTIN_NARRATOR_5}Gathering his forces from his camp at Cafarsset, the Great Sultan Saladin rides to meet them head on!

{HATTIN_NARRATOR_6}Saladin’s presence forces the crusaders to redirect their march towards Hattin, where a large spring resides. Saladin must not let them reach Hattin and the water they sorely need.

{HATTIN_NARRATOR_7}The crusaders march in their standard three division battle array, the cavalry boxed in by infantry, and King Guy commanding from the centre.

{HATTIN_NARRATOR_8}Saladin commands from the centre of his army consisting of cavalry and infantry, most of which are archers.

{HATTIN_NARRATOR_9}He orders his right division, commanded by his nephew Taqi al Din, to block the route to Hattin.

{OTUMBA_NARRATOR_1}1520, The New World.

{OTUMBA_NARRATOR_10}The Aztecs, without knowledge of horses in battle, have chosen to meet the Spaniards on Otumba’s open plains, rather than amongst the crags and forests that would have negated the awesome power of Cortés’ cavalry.

{OTUMBA_NARRATOR_11}Cortés instructs his men to target the many chiefs leading their men below.

{OTUMBA_NARRATOR_12}After earnest prayers to Santiago, the Virgin Mother and God, Cortés and his men prepare for what will be a fight for survival.

{OTUMBA_NARRATOR_13}Only victory in the upcoming battle will allow Cortés and his men to see another day.

{OTUMBA_NARRATOR_2}Since fleeing the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, Hernán Cortés and his Spanish Conquistadors have been relentlessly pursued by Aztec warriors, keen to exact revenge for La Noche Triste ‘the sad night’.

{OTUMBA_NARRATOR_3}On crossing the mountains overlooking the Otumba plains, Cortés and his men find an enormous Aztec host waiting for them in the valley below.

{OTUMBA_NARRATOR_4}The Spaniards, suffering from hunger and disease, are exhausted.

{OTUMBA_NARRATOR_5}However, having made alliances with local tribes, the Spaniards are supported by Tlaxcalan warriors who have no love for their Aztec overlords.

{OTUMBA_NARRATOR_6}Indeed, some of Cortés' Tlaxcalan guides have gone for help from nearby tribes.

{OTUMBA_NARRATOR_7}Even with allies, looking at the army below, Cortés and his men expect their final hour has arrived.

{OTUMBA_NARRATOR_8}Cortés speaks to his men, telling them that science and discipline will prevail against the vast number of Aztecs arrayed against them.

{OTUMBA_NARRATOR_9}The Spanish are armed with steel and gunpowder weapons. While the Aztecs, though fierce and skilled warriors, are armed only with weapons of wood, stone and obsidian.

{PAVIA_NARRATOR_1}1525, Mirabello park, near Pavia.

{PAVIA_NARRATOR_10}The Imperial forces move toward the French King's camp, determined to capture or kill the French sovereign.

{PAVIA_NARRATOR_11}The Spanish Musketeers shoulder their arms and move to support their Imperial comrades ... bracing for the bloody battle to come.

{PAVIA_NARRATOR_12}The situation for the Holy Roman Empire is desperate, but defeat against the ambitious French is not an option. Here ... today ... at Pavia, the Empire must prevail!

{PAVIA_NARRATOR_2}The Italian Wars ... fought bitterly for over thirty years by the Holy Roman Empire and France. Both sides claim ties by blood and deed to various Italian states and seek dominion over all of Italy.

{PAVIA_NARRATOR_3}Spain joining forces with the Holy Roman Empire prompted a desperate France to launch an all out assault on Milan, the wealthiest Italian state.

{PAVIA_NARRATOR_4}After successfully wresting most of Milan from Imperial control, King Francis moves his French army towards the last corner of Imperial resistance, the city of Pavia.

{PAVIA_NARRATOR_5}King Francis waits in his camp with his formidable Gendarmes cavalry, near the main road into Pavia.

{PAVIA_NARRATOR_6}He has deployed the majority of his army across the park, including a force of infantry to guard Mirabello manor.

{PAVIA_NARRATOR_7}The greatest challenge awaiting the Imperial force is the heavily-guarded French cannons, positioned to protect the French King.

{PAVIA_NARRATOR_8}However, all hope is not lost for Pavia's Imperial garrison, even now, General Charles de Lannoy leads a relieving army of Imperial and Spanish troops. Amongst them: Musketeers and Arquebusiers, equipped with new, powerful firearms.

{PAVIA_NARRATOR_9}Under orders from General de Lannoy, the Spanish army boldly moves to destroy the French cannons to the left of the manor.

{SETENIL_NARRATOR_1}1484, Setenil, Emirate of Granada.

{SETENIL_NARRATOR_2}As the Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula from the Islamic Moors continues, Spain finds its efforts revitalized by its zealous Catholic monarchs, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.

{SETENIL_NARRATOR_3}King Ferdinand, leading the Spanish efforts on the field, is renowned as a skilled warrior with a passion for artillery.

{SETENIL_NARRATOR_4}The Spanish King now seeks to remove yet another Moorish fortress, keeping to his policy of leaving no enemies behind him as he moves towards the Moors' capital.

{SETENIL_NARRATOR_5}With a new train of artillery provided by his wife Queen Isabella, King Ferdinand builds a small artillery emplacement outside Setenil’s walls and prepares to lay waste to the defences.

{SETENIL_NARRATOR_6}Built on a giant rock, with the only access a ramp carved from stone leading up to the fortress, Setenil will be as impenetrable as the stone on which it is built.

{SETENIL_NARRATOR_7}The King, confident in his cannons, builds no siege equipment, believing he can destroy the walls at range and hasten the Moors' demise.

{SETENIL_NARRATOR_8}The Moors stand prepared, with ample crossbowmen and artillery positioned behind the protective walls, ready to bleed the Spaniards dry unless they can quickly drive through these walls.

{SETENIL_NARRATOR_9}For the Reconquista to proceed, Setenil must be captured. A hard land breeds a hard people, today the Spanish must be the harder.

{TANNENBERG_NARRATOR_1a}Following the defeat of the crusades in the Holy Land, the Teutonic Order of Knights sought to carve out its own sovereign state by seizing territory in Prussia, then launching crusades against the neighbouring Poles and Lithuanians.

{TANNENBERG_NARRATOR_1b}Reeling from this onslaught, the Poles and Lithuanians settled their differences. Under the guidance of the new Polish king, Wladislaw Jagiello, and his cousin, Grand Duke Vytautas of Lithuania, they formed an alliance and prepared to fight back.

{TANNENBERG_NARRATOR_2}The field of Tannenberg, near the Polish border in Prussia, July 15th, 1410.

{TANNENBERG_NARRATOR_3}Ulrich von Jungingen, Grand Master of the Order, stands at the head of a powerful army of 'knights of Christ' and prepares for battle.

{TANNENBERG_NARRATOR_4}His well-equipped and battle-hardened force includes both Teutonic Order and crusader knights.

{TANNENBERG_NARRATOR_5}Heavy infantrymen, crossbowmen and cannons also make the Order army a dangerous proposition.

{TANNENBERG_NARRATOR_6}King Jagiello has summoned a huge allied army of Poles and Lithuanians who now march for the Order's headquarters in Marienburg.

{TANNENBERG_NARRATOR_7}Amongst Jagiello's men are armoured knights - the flower of Polish nobility- together with infantry and light cavalry from both Lithuania and the Golden Horde.

{TANNENBERG_NARRATOR_8}Although the allies outnumber their adversaries, the quality of the Order's troops and equipment means that the result of the approaching battle is no foregone conclusion.

{TANNENBERG_NARRATOR_9}For King Jagiello, finding some way to weaken the Order army is imperative, but much grim and bloody work lies between the allies and victory this day!

{TUTORIAL_NARRATOR_1}Hastings, 1066

{TUTORIAL_NARRATOR_10}The battle for the English throne begins!

{TUTORIAL_NARRATOR_11}William's favoured son, Rufus, moves into position to guard the rear of the Norman army ... and awaits his father's call to battle.

{TUTORIAL_NARRATOR_2}The Saxon King Harold takes up a strong defensive position on Caldbec Hill.

{TUTORIAL_NARRATOR_3}His men form the legendary Saxon shieldwall, blocking the road to London and forcing a frontal attack from the Normans.

{TUTORIAL_NARRATOR_4}William waits patiently with ranks of archers, infantry and cavalry, ready to launch a three-waved attack.

{TUTORIAL_NARRATOR_5}He has archers to weaken the shieldwall from afar,

{TUTORIAL_NARRATOR_6}spearmen to engage the enemy in close combat,

{TUTORIAL_NARRATOR_7}and cavalry to drive through the enemy and run down deserters.

{TUTORIAL_NARRATOR_8}William gives his order for the first wave.

{TUTORIAL_NARRATOR_9}His archers raise their bows and fire into the shieldwall.