acdc1272

These three people. All from about the same time period. Choose away!

Viperlord

Of these three, Richard. I'm not a big fan of him as a person, but he was undeniably skilled on the battlefield, definitely Saladin's superior in that regard.

acdc1272

How about Gottfried?

DreamWeaver

Richard, superior general of the entire group really. Saladin was a politician, a statesman rather than a general or strategist. Godfrey of Bullion, while participating upon then First Crusade, hardly ranks as a tactician or commander.

They are a century apart though.

ClearlyInvisible

Saladin, for being a military genius when it came to breaking sieges (Hatten) and a wizard ont he open battlefield. His soldier had an unbelavable amount of morale, and that won them big.

Viperlord

If Saladin was a wizard, what does that make Richard, who defeated him multiple times?

Rocksteadyeddie

Well tactically Richard but stratigically Saladin.

I have always admirred Saladin's character as I do Richards but for totally different reasons.
One story is that Richard's warhorse was cut down beneath him. Instead of trying to kill him Saladin simply sent a servant with a new horse for the endangered Richard. An amazing man and warrior was Saladin.

ClearlyInvisible

Richard beat his subordinates multiple times. Arsuf was the only time he beat Saladin head on, and he faled to take Jerusalem in the end.

acdc1272

I really think it's a tie between Gottfried and Richard

DreamWeaver

Hattin wasnt a siege.

Saladin's role was better in terms of politics, his psychological warfare post Hattin 1187-89 is commendable, but he failed before Tyre twice, and sieges of Beaufort and Kawkab dragged on and were still holding out by 1189. On the battlefield his career was rather unremarkable.