Summery of topic provided by ah_dut

summary plus own tips:
Alhomads: They are a fairly unique and peculiar faction. They can fight Christian style or Muslim style.
First I wish to talk about the Alhomad style of battle.
First the AUM or alhomad urban militia. This is considered to be able to pwn any unit in early. ( I disagree VG will spank them on equal everything) They are heavily armoured and can be used in early to attack even the powerful FMAA head to head. They are your legion unit, the meat grinder to whoop somebody’s sorry ass. However, they need support.
To support them you have brilliant skirmish units. In the words of Doug-Thompson ‘You have one unit that is unconventional -- desert archers -- and one unit that is just strange -- Berber camels.’ I agree but they are very micro heavy. I like to send the DA out in a skirmish line with the AUM right behind them. They are good archers so use them. They are faster than conventional troops so keep an eye out. I like Berber camels a lot. While unusual they are able to dispatch Jinetes and other pesky units, while skirmishing. They are slow but capable in combat against horses.
Your other skirmish unit deserves special mention, the murabitin javelineer. It rocks put simply. They are AP so can kick those damnable Spanish royals (who you will be fighting right?) these are better pursuit troops than DA in my opinion. They have some combat skill and are also fast.
Cavalry: you have relatively boring cav. You have pursuit cav in the Saharan cav, average medium but not capable in the drawn out melee in the form of the ghulam cav. You have an excellent attack cav in the form of the ghulam bodyguard. Nice and lethal.
Doug-Thompson defines what to do very well: MOPPING UP SPAIN

Finish off the Spanish if they survive in Leon. You may wait a turn or two to get some Murabitin javelin troops from your spearmaker in Morocco, and AUM from Cordoba. Peasants in Castle’s garrison will also free your good units.

If you were lucky enough to kill the Spanish king in Castile -- who's always a tough son-of-a-gun -- and his heirs, you will be able to leave the rebels in Leon and attack Valencia if you want to. Nobody's going to reach Leon while you hold Castile, although the Spanish faction will probably re-appear.

Now get yourself a shipbuilder, you’ve got a long coast ahead of you. Also get yourself Portugal or you’ll have a lot more to defend now whoop some Egyptian ass now. Make sure you rule from the Pyrenees to Sinai. My job is done.
Doug-Thompson has the idea for the rest of the game: Make multiple Jihads. If you don't know how to use Jihads, learn.

Make Bedouin Camels in Egypt and elsewhere. They play havoc with Crusader knights.

Learn to use Faris. They are one of the few new units you get as the ages roll on.

If you want decent heavy cavalry, you're going to have to take Armenia and Lesser Armenia sometime, to get Armenian Heavy Cavalry.

Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade. Retrain, retrain, retrain.
Ah_dut

additions: against knights, give em naptha



Edited: To include this summery.