Tactician Derek's Mission

[Prince Toad]

Derek
Nation: Colan
Rank: Tactician
Specialty: Knights
Gold: 25
Battle Record: 1-0
Generalship: 350
Charisma: 300
Sixth Sense: 150
Battle Skill: 200
Troop Morale: Average
Troops
100/100 Soldiers
60/60 Mercenaries
50/50 Pikemen
25/25 Horsemen
20/20 Knights
13/13 Wyvern Riders
1/1 Spy
1/1 Subcommander
_________________
270 Total

Your first assignment is basic training, to show you the ropes of battle.

Battlefield Info

As you are from Colan, the battlefield is open flatlands, pretty much as far as the eye can see, in all directions.

Enemy Troop Estimate

Your sixth sense estimates the enemy at around 250 troops, the greatest portion of which appears to be cavalry. Your spy informs you that the numbers are closer to 180 or 200, and the majority is horsemen. There are also many wyvern riders.

Enemy Commander Info

Your spy informs you that the enemy commander specializes in wyvern riders, although since he's up in the air with them, his name could not be found.

How do you want to organize your troops? You are shown the basic "line" formation, where your cavalry are at the front, heavy infantry next, light and medium infantry after that, archers and crossbowmen next, and finally horse archers as well as random units. Flying units are the same, but in the air, starting with your wyvern riders and then your pegasus archers behind. You can divide your troops into squadrons if you want. You may lead one, and your subcommander may lead one. Alternatively, you can just command your units as a whole. You are shown the basic commands-- advance, retreat, and hold ground, all of which are doable from the line formation.

What are your commands?

[ July 05, 2004, 12:10 PM: Message edited by: Prince Toad ]

[Blake]

..well... what is the percentage I can hit the wyverns about?

[Prince Toad]

Actually, since you have neither flying nor ranged units, you'll have to wait for them to come to you. Knights destroy wyvern riders-- if the wyvern riders attack them. Pikes and light cavalry aren't so good vs. them. Wyvern riders are great against mercenaries and good against soldiers, so you'll want to keep those away, if possible... but since there's not much you can do, you can just hope they pick their targets poorly, or protect as many as you can.

Also, I'm staying away more from numbers and percentages and dice in this. Maybe it makes the game a little... way... more subjective, but honestly, that would be a LOT to compute, and it would fall apart that much faster.

[Blake]

I'll do something like this:

-000000000000000-
----o-------o----
---ooo-----ooo---
--ooooo---ooooo--
---ooo-----ooo---
----o-------o----

The knights(0's) will stay on the front line in a row to attack the wyvern riders when they come. The other soldiers (o's) will stay in a circular formation(although the picture shows diamonds) with my horsemen and pikemen on the outer areas, and keeping the mercenaries and soldiers inside the circle.

[ June 08, 2004, 04:31 PM: Message edited by: Guy That Goes To The Roleplay Forum ]

[Prince Toad]

The units form up as you command.

The enemy advances in line formation, each knight in front surrounded by horsemen on all sides. His infantry come up slower, pikes in front, mercs and soldiers in back. The cavalry are within attacking distance for your knights and horsemen. The wyvern riders are wheeling around above the circles behind your line, trying to get a good place to attack. They look about to strike.

Your orders?

[Blake]

3 knights on the left, middle, and right will patroll up and down the 'circle' to try taking care of the wyverns and have the other knights reform an even line. I'll have the two amry circles slowly advance to the enemy until they are extrememly close, and let out all the horsemen and non-patrolling knights towards the enemy followed with pikemen. The Patrolling knights will still continue to patroll around the sides and behind my two armies, waiting to strike the wyverns.

[Prince Toad]

Sorry, but I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean a total of 9 knights, or just the one on each end and one in the middle?

[Blake]

basically, 9 knights will constantly chase the wyvern riders so they cannot close in on any mercenaries or foot foldiers. And next turn I'll use the proper unit posting so it helps you

[Prince Toad]

Got it.

Your knights patrol the circles, attempting to protect them against the many wyvern riders while the others hold the line. The wyverns finally attack. They skillfully deal with about twenty of your mercenaries, and your knights are only able to hit six of them.

Their cavalry charge your front line. Your other knights respond in kind. In the melee that ensues, those eleven knights all fall, but have twenty-three horsemen and six enemy knights to show for it, doubtless due to your skill with them. Their infantry haven't quite joined the battle yet, but clearly are going to shortly. Your infantry remain in the circles, despite not having a line to protect them.

Your orders?

[Blake]

I'll have my army hold their position until the enemy engages us.

Pikemen And Horsemen: Form the front line with a mix of the two types in front.
Mercenaries and Soldiers: Line up directly behind the Pikemen and Horsemen.
Patrolling Knights: Patroll through the back of the lines, continuing to attempt to kill the Wyvern Riders.

Edit: Wait... enemies die in one hit in training right? If that's the case, I'll just have my mercenaries and soldier attack the wyvern riders when they're attacked, unless they are too busy fighting the enemy ground fleet.

[ June 12, 2004, 10:26 AM: Message edited by: Guy That Goes To The Roleplay Forum ]

[Prince Toad]

Their wyvern riders dip and attack again. Some of your better mercenaries manage to dodge and counter successfully, and your knights do take out a few more. About half their wyverns leave the field.

Your troops hurry to carry out your orders. Their cavalry charge. All four knights and nearly fifty horsemen fall. You only lose five horsemen and two pikemen. (Pikemen are really, really good against horsemen.)

Their infantry and remaining cavalry move back and then attempt to move around your pikes. Your mercenaries and soldiers await orders.

Your commands?

[Blake]

Patrolling Knights: Keep them patrolling around the soldiers and to attack any Mercenaries or Wyverns that come to them.

Pikemen: Attempt to kill the Mercenaries without breaking the line. If they pass by the Pikemen, back up the entire line right next to the soldiers and attack.

Mercenaries: Go to the front line and attack the enemy Mercenaries if any get by.

Soldiers: Remain in their position with the patrolling knights

[Prince Toad]

The enemy wyvern riders attack your mercenaries, taking out twelve. However, between the mercenaries' counter-attacks and your knights' protectionary (yeah, I made that word up) attacks, all of the enemy wyverns fall.

The enemy horsemen, soldiers, mercenaries mostly swing around your line of pikes entirely. However, the ones on the ends manage to score glancing blows on three horsemen and four mercenaries. Their pikemen advance at yours. Two on each side fall.

Their armies attack your pikemen from the sides. However, your mercenaries have moved up by now and manage to protect the pikes as they fall back to your soldiers. Fourteen of your mercenaries fall, but between them and the three left standing they take ten horsemen, five soldiers, and a mercenary with them.

They're down to less than twenty each pikemen, mercenaries, soldiers, and horsemen. You can just order an all-out attack if you want.

[Blake]

alright baby... let's go all-out. Especially those knights!

[Prince Toad]

Their horsemen charge bravely into your soldiers. However, your knights counter and they all get mowed down. Your horsemen attack their soldiers, and take them out. Then... your 100 soldiers swarm in. Everyone else is taken out.

The enemy has been defeated. You have won.

You are given 1000 gold for winning your field training, and return to Yareliss to purchase troops and for orders.

What do you want to buy?

[Blake]

Alright, I'll get 13 Wyvern Riders and find a mission to do.

[ June 17, 2004, 12:49 PM: Message edited by: Guy That Goes To The Roleplay Forum ]

[Prince Toad]

Wise choice.

The orders available for Tacticians are:

a) Defend a small field against a division from Lianshath
b) Be a decoy force for a Battle Commander in Mardaquiv

[Blake]

I'll take mission A

[Prince Toad]

You arrive at the field a couple hours before the attack is expected.

Battlefield Info

It's a wide, open, grassy field, the like of which is seen all over Colan. There are some larger rocks lying around, but other than that the field is unremarkable.

Pre-Battle

How do you wish to deploy your troops?

[Blake]

Do I know which way the enemy is coming from? If so then:

Line One: Pikemen and Mercenaries
Line Two: Horsemen and Knights
Line Three: Soldiers
Wyverns: Stay Above Line Two

If I can't find the enemy, then I'll send one wyvern in each compass direction. Do not let the wyverns get any closer than 300 meters of the enemy.