Seljuk: Byzantium Besieged

Seljuk: Byzantium Besieged is Volume VI in GMT’s Levy & Campaign Series, covering the clash between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Seljuk Turks in Anatolia before the Battle of Manzikert.

Players command either the Byzantines under Romanos Diogenes or the Seljuks under Alp Arslan. The Seljuk side relies on speed, mounted archery, raids, and the ability to strike across a wide frontier. The Byzantine side has heavier troops, fortified cities, and professional forces, but must manage limited frontier garrisons and political fragility.

As with other Levy & Campaign games, logistics and timing matter as much as battle. Players must muster lords, move across difficult terrain, manage supply, and decide when to raid, defend, besiege, or risk a major engagement. This volume adds its own character through asymmetrical objectives, mobile Seljuk warfare, Byzantine defensive problems, and the possibility of unreliable allies changing sides.

This is a strong choice for players who enjoy medieval operational games with cat-and-mouse movement, political tension, and a campaign where one decisive battle may change the fate of an empire.

Contents include: mounted map, wooden pieces, playing cards, countersheets, lord and battle mats, sticker sheet, player aids, screens, rules booklet, background booklet, and six dice.