Tartar tactics remained essentially unchanged from those described in Armies and Enemies of the Crusades, relying principally on envelopment, horse-archery and feigned flight. In 1307 Hetoum wrote that Tartars ‘are for the most part victorious over their enemies; yet they are not afraid to turn their backs in a fight if it is to their advantage... Their manner of fighting is very dangerous, so that in one Tartar battle or skirmish there are more slain or wounded than in any great conflict between other nations, which results from their archery, for they shoot strongly and surely, being indeed so skilful in the art of shooting that they commonly pierce all kinds of armour, and if they happen to be routed they flee in troops and bands so well ordered that it is very dangerous to follow or pursue them, because they shoot arrows backwards in their flight, often wounding both men and horses that pursue them.’ These tactics were used, for instance, in a battle between Tamerlane and the Mamluks outside Aleppo in 1400: ‘By cleverly feigning flight the Timurid hordes opened up a path for the sultan’s army and permitted it to get well inside their lines. Then they closed in at the same time and bore down upon the sultan’s troops as though the latter were closed within a wall.’
Usually they drew up in between 5 and 7 divisions, comprising centre, left and right wings, vanguard and reserve, sometimes with additional reserves for the wings, with the Khan himself generally to be found in command of the centre or the reserve. The vanguard was generally sizeable, and its initial onset (launched in a sequence of waves) was often enough to secure the victory; if it failed in this objective, then the centre, usually the largest element of the army, would advance to its support. The principal Tartar tactic, however, remained encirclement, from one or both flanks, as will be seen from the battle descriptions in the next section.
World History
