8189 El Cid Almoravid Foot

Dated: May 30, 2008

The Almoravids were a powerful Berber dynasty that arose among the desert tribes of the western Sahara during the 11th century. From their new capital at Marrakesh, they created an empire extending across much of Morocco, western Algeria and the western Sahara. Their soldiers were accustomed to long marches, harsh conditions and disciplined warfare, and their distinctive face veils, or litham, became one of the most recognizable symbols of the Almoravid armies.

Box art

In 1086, the Almoravid ruler Yusuf ibn Tashfin crossed into Spain after the Muslim rulers of al-Andalus appealed for help against the advancing Christian kingdoms. His army decisively defeated King Alfonso VI of Castile at the Battle of Sagrajas, also known as Zalaca. Yusuf later returned to Iberia, absorbed most of the smaller Muslim taifa kingdoms and united Muslim Spain with the Almoravid empire in North Africa. Almoravid forces consequently became some of the most important opponents faced by El Cid and the other Christian warriors of the Reconquista.

Test sprue

Almoravid infantry commonly fought in disciplined formations. Spearmen carrying large shields formed a strong defensive line, while troops armed with javelins and bows attacked the enemy from behind them. When the opposing troops had been weakened or brought to a halt, swordsmen and other close-combat warriors could join the fight. Their infantry was generally more lightly equipped than contemporary European troops, relying upon mobility, cohesion and missile weapons rather than heavy armour.

This set provides 96 figures in 16 different poses, divided between heavier and lighter infantry. The warriors carry long spears, javelins and swords, together with a varied selection of round and elongated shields. Several figures wear quilted protective garments, while others are dressed in the flowing robes and turbans suited to the heat of North Africa and southern Spain. The characteristic litham covers the lower face of almost every warrior. With advancing, throwing, fighting and standing poses, the set can be used to create both a solid Almoravid battle line and the more mobile troops operating around it.

Production figures:
Heavies

Lights

Our El Cid range can be used to recreate the changing alliances and conflicts of late 11th- and early 12th-century Iberia. Sets:
8168 Andalusian Infantry,
8214 Andalusian Light Cavalry,
8215 Andalusian Heavy Cavalry and
8249 Moorish Command
represent the Andalusian forces of the taifa kingdoms that emerged after the collapse of the Caliphate of Cordoba in 1031. These rival states, including Seville, Granada, Badajoz, Zaragoza, Toledo and Valencia, fought one another as readily as they fought the Christian kingdoms. El Cid himself served the Muslim taifa of Zaragoza and led its mixed army against the taifa of Lleida and its allies at Almenar in 1082.

The Almoravids entered this divided world from North Africa after being invited to resist the expansion of Alfonso VI of Leon-Castile. Almoravid infantry from this set can be combined with Andalusian troops and the cavalry and command figures of sets:
8246 Almoravid Light Cavalry,
8247 Almoravid Heavy Cavalry and
8249 Moorish Command
to recreate the great Muslim victory at Sagrajas in 1086, where Yusuf ibn Tashfin's army fought beside forces from several taifa kingdoms. The same figures can oppose the Spanish infantry, cavalry and command sets at battles such as Cuarte in 1094, Consuegra in 1097 and Ucles in 1108.

Line drawings

The alliances did not remain unchanged. From about 1090 the Almoravids began deposing the taifa rulers and absorbing their kingdoms, so Andalusian troops may also be placed in opposition to the Almoravids or shown serving under their new rulers. The Spanish sets can similarly represent the armies of Leon-Castile, Aragon and El Cid's independent forces at Valencia. Together, the range depicts not one simple conflict between Christians and Muslims, but a period of rival kingdoms, shifting alliances and armies whose soldiers often fought beside former enemies.