/lit/ - Literature

>>22435251
>Peasant deserter claims to have returned because he had visions where Saint Andrew told him to dig up the Spear of Destiny, the lance that pierced Christ's side, in a church in Antioch.
>Actually find rusted out item that could be an old spear point under the church.
>Whips the starving diseased survivors into such a religious frenzy that they abandon the safety of the walls to attack a massive professional army of Turks some 40,000 strong.
>Most of the horses have been eaten (they had just 700 left before taking Antioch when 700 picked elite knights routed a Muslim relief army of almost 7,000). Everyone is starving, cannibalism has started.
>Crazed Crusaders somehow manage to not only win but butcher most of the large host.
>Only one of like six uncanny victories of this sort.
Honestly, no wonder people criticize Bakker as unrealistic. The Crusaders has absolutely stupid plot armor in the First one and should have lost at almost every turn. Literally their greatest asset was not realizing how incredibly outmatched they were and plunging into suicidal attacks over and over. They had a slight advantage in military technology but a massive disadvantage in numbers, leadership (having no real leader), knowledge of the terrain, and planning. Partly they won because they did stupid shit no one expected because they essentially had no clue where they were.

It was literally your classic barbarian advantage. A horde of tribal people from a backwards and warlike race sacking wealthy cities in a large empire.