The Wargamer

Introduction

Suleiman the Magnificent is a fast-paced tactical level board game that portrays the Battle of Mohacs in 1526 where the forces of the Ottoman Empire decisively defeated the Hungarian Army. It is an uphill battle for the Hungarians, who start with a slight advantage, but are soon heavily outnumbered by Ottoman reinforcements. The game has no turns, players alternating activating distinct formations until one side is defeated. The game mechanics are fairly straightforward and do a good job of simulating the oftentimes-complex interaction of muskets, pikes, archers, artillery and charging cavalry. Suleiman the Magnificent is part of Against the Odds magazine (v.3, #1), which includes historical articles on both the battle and the opposing forces.

Plot and Presentation

There are differing sources and opinions on many of the aspects of the Ottoman conquest of Hungary and the Battle of Mohacs. Rather than turn this review into a historical discussion, my summary below will be drawn from “The Battle of Mohacs: The Fall of the Hungarian Empire”, by Richard H. Berg, published in Against the Odds, Volume 3, Number 1, September 2004. 

August of 1526 found the Ottoman Empire on a roll and Christian Europe in turmoil. Taking advantage of the struggle between France and the Holy Roman Empire, Sultan Suleiman had first seized Belgrade and then captured the Island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea. His next objective was Vienna, but he had to get through Hungary first. The Hungarians had the potential to put together a sizable army of first rate units, especially cavalry, but political and economic problems doomed this effort. In one case, Johann Szapolyai, Voivode of Transylvania, appears to have held his troops back in hopes that he could be the next ruler of Hungary. 

In August 1526, King Louis II and his barons determined to meet the advancing Ottoman army with the forces currently in hand, about 35,000 troops consisting mostly of high quality heavy (knights) and light (Hussar) cavalry. The smaller infantry contingent was a mix of regular infantry armed with muskets and pikes and poorer quality levy infantry, including some archery units. The Hungarian artillery, consisting of a mixture of about 80 three and six lb. guns, was relatively immobile and ineffectual. 

The Ottomans had an army of up to 200,000 people, with about 60,000 actual combatants. Cavalry made up about two thirds of the army, the bulk being medium cavalry (Sipahis), with a contingent of elite units matching the armor of the European heavy cavalry. The light cavalry (Akincis) were highly mobile mounted archers. A hard core of musket and pike armed Janissaries and mercenary infantry was supplemented by large numbers of poorly armed levies of infantry and archers. About 300 artillery pieces, ranging from 3 to 24 lb., accompanied the main force. 

The Hungarians chose to give battle near Mohacs, a town in southern Hungray on the Danube River. The field was bounded on the Hungarian right by hills and the village of Mais and on the left by marshland. The terrain was mainly flat and clear, though there was a plateau with steep sides directly in front of the Hungarian position. Rain had made the slopes slippery, impeding the movement of any force looking to attack the Hungarians. The Hungarian line consisted of two lines, the first with a center of infantry and artillery and the majority of the cavalry on either flank. The second line was a mix of levy infantry and cavalry. 

The constricted terrain resulted in the Ottoman army arriving onto the battlefield in a staggered fashion, with the left wing leading. Given the relative size of the forces, the Ottomans did not expect the Hungarians to attack, so the order was given to the army to encamp upon arrival. The Ottoman left wing, consisting of medium cavalry and artillery, arrived and begun to set up camp while a force of medium cavalry was posted on the extreme left to watch the Hungarians. A screen of mounted cavalry covered the center. This suited the Hungarians, who had planned to attack all along and had hoped to defeat the Ottomans piecemeal. Apparently a debate ensued among the Hungarians, however, and by the time the decision was made to attack after all, the Ottoman center, with heavy cavalry and lots of infantry, had begun to arrive. 

The battle itself seems to have lasted only about two hours. The Hungarian attack, led by Archbishop Tomori, went in, routing the surprised units of the Ottoman left wing. The impetus of the assault was lost as the Ottoman elite infantry and artillery came up to support the left wing; Tomori was killed and many of the Hungarians retreated. The Ottoman right wing arrived and soon the outnumbered Hungarians were engaged all along the line. The Hungarian infantry center was destroyed and the rest of the army fell apart. King Louis II and many of the high-ranking nobles were also killed. The Ottomans, having won the battle, proceeded to devastate the country, which eventually became an Ottoman vassal state.