Playing as a Muslim Faction

[AlexandersForlornHope]

Hi all. It may sound odd, but after all these years of playing MTW, I've never played as a Muslim faction...until last night.
Boy, what I've been missing! I picked the Egyptians in MTW 1.1, and am really surprised at how good they are(I can just imagine what they're like in XL/Tyberius!).
Camel archers and warriors are truely inspiring. Although 'light' on solid infantry in Early, their desert archers in mass are a force to be reconned with.
As an aside while fighting the Byzantines in the desert, they were getting so tired chasing my nimble footed camels that I thought I could hear them 'sizzling' in their heavy armor...
Anyway, think I'll get back to my campaign and see if I can 'roast' some more Kataphratoi, he,he,he.
Cheers
Alex

[gollum]

Welcome to the org and the Main Hall.

Precisely, you ve been missing a whole new world. Muslims play differently than Catholics/Orthodox as you ve discovered. Thats part of the beauty of it. And wait till you try out the Turks or when the Mamelukes come about...

[PershsNhpios]

Yes!

You must try fighting those same camels with a few Turcoman Horse!
Although my strategy was incorrect, I found the Turks to be very difficult to lead to success in a war with the Fatimids.
I have never succeeded with any muslim faction, and I have never succeeded against one.

Notice how few are the islamic AARs!

[seireikhaan]

The mosque is a muslim faction's best friend- to train ghazis, and to give a needed morale boost to saracen infantry. Saracens, archers, ghazis and a few camels can put to flight almost anything if uitilized properly.

[gollum]

Turcoman Horce, Saharan Cavalry, Mameluk Cavarly, Armenian Heavy Cavarly, Ghulam Cavalry and Kwarazmian Cavalry, Ottoman Sipahis, Mameluk Horse Archers and Faris are the attributes i love the most in Islamic factions.

Of course there are the Almohad Urban Militias, the Janissaries, Nubian Guards, Ghazis, Desert Archers, Turcoman Foot, Futuwas, Nizaris, African Spears, Saracen Spears and Muwahids too, to bring Crusaders to their knees.

And for sandy desert provinces a few surprises...

[AlexandersForlornHope]

In early I'm planning a 3 pronged assault on Byzantine Anatolia. My large army in Antioch will act as the shield to protect my provinces as Byzantium and the Turks are locked in a see saw battle for the eastern half of Anatolia.
I've decided to pursue a strategy that is one I would normally not consider, but see an opportunity to sweep the eastern Mediterrainian sea's with my fleet while simultaneously landing 3 armies in Cyprus, Rhodes and Crete. From there strike the soft underbelly of western Anatolia and sandwich the Byzantine armies there between myself and my allied Turks(lets hope they don't see an opportunity to turn on me).
Cheers, and away to the battle.
Alex