Tactician Heret's Mission

Prince Toad · #21

Their crossbowmen fire. Your mercenaries and, at last, champion are hit. However, all but one of your horse archers hit their targets. The last three crossbowmen surrender.

The enemy has surrendered. You have won.

For winning your field training, you get 1000 gold to spend on troops. Also, all of your troops have been returned and are ready to fight. Spend that gold and you can choose a mission.

Lord Umbra · #22

1 Assassin
10 Archers

Prince Toad · #23

Purchased.

You return to Astiem from the training field. You go to the room where missions are assigned, and see a few choices.

1) Take an old keep that may or may not be abandoned in Cirillor
2) Run a decoy mission for a General in Lianshath
3) Run a reconaissance mission to scout for a good pass in Aenoafel

The others for Tacticians are all taken.

Lord Umbra · #24

I'll take number 3.

Prince Toad · #25

Do you want to bring all of your troops? It's reconaissance, so you may not need an army, and if they're looking out, you might not be detected if you don't bring one.

Lord Umbra · #26

I'll take everybody I have, except for the mercs. I'll only take 40 of 'em.

Prince Toad · #27

...um, okay...

You lead your army, minus those forty mercenaries, up into the mountains. The going is very tough, and your pikemen are barely keeping up. Your pegasus archer, who was flying low above your army, swoops down and reports that he spots a mountain pass.

Move towards it? Take all of your troops?

Lord Umbra · #28

I'll send 5 wyvern riders to scout it out.

Prince Toad · #29

Not one of your scouts returns.

Now what?

Lord Umbra · #30

Damn... I'll split up into two parties. One will contain 3 healers, gaurded by 30 mercenaries, 20 archers, and 10 wyvern riders, and the champion. They'll go towards the pass without any regard to secrecy, and try to find out what happened to the wyvern riders. Hopefully the healers can heal them and stuff if they're wounded. The rest of my troops will go slower, trying to be stealthy and letting the pikemen keep up.

Prince Toad · #31

Your champion and his battalion go ahead of your group, as the pikemen slow down to catch a breath. At a slower pace, trying to conceal your movements, you creep closer and closer to the pass.

You hear sounds of combat ahead. What do you want to do?

Lord Umbra · #32

Screw stealth. I'll just run towards the combat.

Prince Toad · #33

Um, sure.

You break and dash for the pass, your pikemen slowing to a stop from exertion. One dies from exhaustion. (...just kidding)

You reach the pass and take a look. Your champion is shooting his bow left and right at lightning speeds. Your archers are also firing, although compared to the champion, their quivers are coated in molasses.

Your pegasus archer trots over and points your head in the direction of the sky. You see pegasus archers returning as much fire as they're getting, about twenty-five. You see the same number of wyvern riders wheeling around to attack, with around ten gargoyle riders mixed in. The ten wyvern riders you left with the champion, as well as the original five you sent scouting, have all been slain, except three who are being cared for by the healers. You do notice several corpses left by enemy wyvern and pegasus riders. Five of your archers have been killed in the crossfire as well, and twenty mercenaries either impaled by a wyvern or gargoyle's lance or shot down.

You also notice lightning falling, despite the clear skies. You look back up and note ten more pegasus riders, with no bows. They appear to be the source of the bolts.

Battlefield Info

The battlefield is a small pass, which you are above at the moment. It runs steeply up to the west and down to the east.

Enemy Troop Estimate

You see about twenty-five each pegasus riders and wyvern riders, as well as ten each gargoyle riders and pegasus-mounted mages.

Enemy Commander Info

You have no information about the enemy commander. In fact, you're not sure if there even is one.

Your orders?

Lord Umbra · #34

I guess I'll bunch my long-range units and healers together, and surround them on all sides with my melee units.

Archers: Attack Pegausus Riders
5 Horse-Archers: Attack Pegasus Riders
5 Horse-Archers: Attack Pegasus Mages
Champion: Attack Pegasus Riders
Gaurd: Attack Pegasus Mages (but still stay around to protect Heret)
Pegasus Archer: Attack Pegasus Mages
Wyvern Riders: Attack Pegasus Mages
Healers + Heret: Heal, with a priority on long-range units. For ranged units I'll use the following heirarchy: Gaurd, Champion, Pegasus Archer, horse-archer, archer.
Everybody else: Protect 'em long-range units.

Prince Toad · #35

The enemy's pegasus archers and mages attack. Eighteen mercenaries fall, as well as five archers and four horse archers who are quickly tended to by you and your healers. It seems like they'll survive, but won't be firing until at least next turn.

Your various archertypes (I aer funnay) fire their quarries. Ten of your archers, as well as three of your horse archers and your champion strike pegasus (archers); one horse archer, your pegasus rider, and your guard hit the mages.

Your wyvern riders take wing and attack the mages. Their wyvern riders protect the mages, and your attack is repulsed, with all of your wyverns falling in exchange for only two enemy wyverns. Their gargoyle riders come screeching down, nine taking out an archer, one attacking and missing your guard.

By now, you've finished healing your hit troops. You've got 11 mercenaries, 16 archers, 10 horse archers, the pegasus archer, guard, champion, and assassin, and the 8 healers. The enemy's got 10 pegasus archers left, as well as about two dozen wyverns. They've got all ten gargoyles, and 7 of their mages.

Your pikemen are trudging along. They should arrive in two turns, but they're still little use except as defense against the wyverns.

Your orders?

Lord Umbra · #36

Archers: Attack pegasus archers
Horse-Archers: Attack the mages
Champion: Attack pegasus archers
Gaurd: Attack the gargoyles
Healers + Heret: Heal, using the same priorities as before
Mercs: Attempt to hit whatever foe attacks.

Prince Toad · #37

The enemy pegasus archers fire. Six mercenaries and three archers fall, but three of the mercenaries and one of the archers remain alive, and are healed. The enemy mages fire as well, bringing down five horse archers and a mercenary.

Your archers and champion fire at the pegasus archers. Eight pegasi fall. Your horse archers shoot as well, bringing down three mages. Your guard kills a gargoyle rider as well.

The wyverns and gargoyles come in to finish off your mercenaries. Only one wyvern falls of the ones who attacked, and all seven living mercenaries are taken out. The ones who did not attack mercenaries take out your remaining horse archers and 6 archers. Your pegasus archer is desperately maneuvering away.

Your orders? Things aren't looking up for you.

Lord Umbra · #38

Uh, retreat?

Prince Toad · #39

You order your troops to retreat. When the enemy forces notice your command, they resume their positions watching over the pass and stop firing. Your champion comments that they were probably just a sentry group.

Your troops have retreated. You have failed.

Upon your return to Astiem, you report your failure. You are given 500 gold to lessen your losses, but you'll have to take out loans if you want a larger force, or take non-combat missions for a bit.

How do you want to spend that? (I've updated your troop list.)