Egyptian armies of the period rely on…
August 1105 CE
Egyptian armies of the period rely on masses of Sudanese bowmen supported by Arab and Berber cavalry.
Since the archers are on foot and the horsemen await attack with lance and sword, an Egyptian army provides exactly the sort of immobile target that the Frankish heavy cavalry excels in attacking.
Whereas the Crusaders develop a healthy respect for the harass-and-surround tactics of the Turkish horse archers, they tend to discount the effectiveness of the Egyptian armies.
While overconfidence had led to a Crusader disaster at the second battle of Ramla, the more frequent result has been a Fatimid defeat.
As at Ramla in 1101, in 1105 the Crusaders have both cavalry and infantry under the leadership of Baldwin I.
At the third battle, however, the Egyptians are reinforced by a Seljuq Turkish force from Damascus, including mounted archery, the great menace of the Crusaders.
After they withstand the initial Frankish cavalry charge, the battle rages for most of the day.
Although Baldwin is once again able to drive the Egyptians from the field of battle and loot the enemy camp, he is unable to pursue them any further: the Franks appear to have owed their victory to the activity of Baldwin.