Osprey Games made sure that the game was overseen by a cultural and historic consultant, who is of Muslim background and trained in the history of the Middle East during the time that Crescent Moon is set. The publisher clearly took their responsibility seriously and realized that a game set in a probably rather brutal period of history requires appropriate treatment. The rulebook makes clear what this game is about. It’s not an area control game in a made-up world that’s highly abstracted. So, it is against this background of political scheming and the spread of power through marriage and war, with all its terrible implications, that Crescent Moon is set.
It is also clear that many people will have lost their homes and had to flee or endure a new, probably merciless ruler, as one power expanded and took over populated areas.Ĭrescent Moon‘s rulebook points out that “the imperial balance of power remained fluid so too did their affiliations, languages and ethnicities, intersecting with one another in ways that may confoundĪ contemporary sense of ‘identity’.” It goes on to say that “rulers transgressed sectarian boundaries through marriage in pursuit of power dynastic families of Turkic ethnic origin often Persianised their mores to cultivate a stronger link to a pan-Islamic cultural prowess.” However, it is clear that a lot of wars were fought and people will have died in large numbers. War, Political Marriages and Power Struggles I’m also unable to gauge the seriousness and importance of these events, let alone get any sense of the suffering and brutality that is likely to have occurred during this time period. Without doing some extensive research, I am unable to compare how the game brings these events from history to life to the real events that happened. Unfortunately, I know very little about the history of this region or the powers portrayed in Osprey Games’ Crescent Moon. According to the rulebook “these empires waxed and waned, repeatedly wresting power and territory with one another in the lands east of the Mediterranean, as well as pushing into north Africa, the Iberian peninsular and deeper into south and central Asia.” Sultanate 1, Ghaznavid dynasty 2, Fatimid Caliphate 3 and Byzantine Empire 4, amongst others.
For now, though, it’s the time of the Crescent Moon by Steven Mathers from Osprey Games.Ĭrescent Moon is set in the Middle East in the 10th century and onward. So as the sun sets on the deserts, mountains and fertile lands and as day turns to night, the warring factions prepare for another day and get ready to put their plans into action. Nothing is safe and everyone has their own goals. The Warlord ravages the lands, plundering and destroying everything in their way. The Murshid spreads its influence and whispers into the Sultan’s ear, trying to affect where they build their magnificent towns and cities.
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