I am up for it as well, once I get off work in a few hours. However, I have not participated in such things before, so I may need a primer on what exactly a "Negaverse" even is...
Army of Liberty: a Fantasy Revolutionary Warfare Quest
- Thread starter Photomajig
- Start date
- Fantasy Historic
- Location
- Argentina
Negaquest (and presumably negaverse) is the term for "if the quest was about the antagonist what would the rolls/discussion be" usually is something among the lines of "the questers compain about rolling 4 crit fails in a row".I am up for it as well, once I get off work in a few hours. However, I have not participated in such things before, so I may need a primer on what exactly a "Negaverse" even is...
In this case the "5th army" would be the "scary enemy aemy with odd tactics"
@Chimeraguard I am down
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Wait, Negaverse? Where is this?
- Location
- SEAsia
- Pronouns
- Thou
I wonder how the Loud part works in a scouting role...
Loud Commander: (shouting into the treeline) I SAY, ANY FOREIGN LADS OUT THERE LOOKING FOR A PROPER SCRAP!?
Red Rationalist
Spinning in eternity
- Location
- Andro-Orlando Hair Saloon
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Or the commander insists on playing their favourite music track on state of the art technology while scouting, namely trumpets.I wonder how the Loud part works in a scouting role...
Loud Commander: (shouting into the treeline) I SAY, ANY FOREIGN LADS OUT THERE LOOKING FOR A PROPER SCRAP!?
WITH CATLIKE TREAD
UPON OUR PREY WE STEAL
IN SILENCE DREAD
OUR CAUTIOUS WAY WE FEEL
NO SOUND AT ALL
WE NEVER SPEAK A WORD
A FLY'S FOOTFALL WOULD BE DISTIIIINCTLY HEARD!
Omake: Von Trotha Negaverse 1
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
Von Trotha Negaverse
Mitteln: Second March
Beneath the mask of Nornish discipline, you can see that the troops are relieved to be back on hard roads. The rain continues its incessant downpour, but the roads beneath their feet are at least somewhat less likely to turn to churning muck than the plains they were on before. The march and wait at the Raoille has been a wear-and-tear enough that you send an outrider ahead to Engelsburg with orders to requisition or purchase replacement boots for when when the army arrives.
There are far less crowds out to greet the Army of the Centre than there were when you arrived from Sonneck, no doubt from a combination of having no desire to stand under the sky in this downpour and unease at what the army's return means. From the marvelously inventive language your artillerists have about keeping their munitions dry, you can hardly blame them.
You are able to pick up the latest news as you march through though. Herculia has finally joined in the war, though given the pathetic state of its army, you doubt it will do much to change the course of the war on the continent. No, you imagine that it will rely on its navy to snatch colonies from Arne's grasp while the Elfenkönigreich does all the hard work.
Your musing is interrupted by word of a mud-soaked outrider approaching with the Army of the West's colors. You hum consideringly. It appears any further thoughts will have to wait until you hear how von Wachenheim's march on Martelnac has gone.
-----
A few hours later, you find yourself unable to think of a curse of sufficient severity to encompass the sheer catastrophe you have just been told.
The Army of the West's advance on Martelnac was intercepted by the Arnese V Army, which positioned itself to threaten its supply lines. Von Wachenheim pulled back to engage, and the two armies clashed outside an unimportant border town called Brutet.
And the result was a complete and utter disaster. You still need to sort through the testimony of those who managed to escape, but one thing that is certain is that the Army of the West is gone, annihilated in a battle fought in drenching rain and sucking mud. The last anyone saw of von Wachenheim was the command tent being overrun by Hobgoblin lancers, and most of the army is either dead in the mud or enjoying Arnese hospitality.
The situation failed to improve from there as the ragged remnants of the army fled back to Daurstein, with Durand arriving scarcely a day later. To her credit, rather than storming and sacking the town, she instead offered them quite generous terms of surrender, allowing what was left of the Army of the West to withdraw minus their cannons (which were destroyed), and for her army to remain camped outside Daurstein instead of inside it.
But that does not change the sheer enormity of the disaster that the hollow-eyed courier reports to you. A handful of gutted infantry regiments, two artillery batteries without their cannons, and a half-strength regiment of human hussars. Scarcely over two-thousand demoralized and despondent souls, their ranks still wracked by desertion every hour, remain of what was once an army of over thirteen thousand.
Over the following days, it becomes impossible to conceal the disaster from the troops, not when they can see the dispirited and defeated trailing past them on the Kriegspfad. The mood of the remaining Arnese Royalists begins to turn from vengeful to uneasy, no doubt recalling their past defeat against Durand as their thoughts go from longing for vengeance to fearing a second encounter.
Morale has fallen by -1.
A part of you vaguely recalls the jokes of the world suddenly going upside down and backwards since the Arnese overthrew their own monarchy. Looking at a war where a Nornish invasion of Arne has become the reverse scarcely a week since it began, and they no longer seem that amusing.
And when the rain begins to let up not too long after word of the disaster arrives, you become increasingly convinced that Ael is having a joke at Norn's expense.
That aside, the entire strategic situation has changed, and so to must your plans. News from the west reports that the Silver Army has also been defeated, and the Grand Duchy seems likely to surrender soon. With the Army of the West destroyed, the Army of the Centre remains the only intact military force available to prevent Arne from spilling over the Raoille.
[] Defend the Raoille. Durand has swallowed up one Provincial Army and spat out the bloody scraps, and Daurstein is ultimately expendable in any war with Arne. Abandoning Nornish territory in what was supposed to be a conquest of La Durance will not win you any friends at court, but the Raoille has been Norn's barrier against Arnese assault for generations, and holding there will force Durand to fight a bloody river crossing if she wishes to continue north. You will seek to engage in a defensive battle on favorable terrain, abandoning the parts of Norn south of the Raoille. You will lose some Influence regardless of outcome, and receive less even if you win, but lose far more if you are defeated. 3 Army Actions Allowed.
[] Continue to Daurstein. The situation is rapidly spiraling towards disaster, but that only increases the need for a victory against the Arnese, to stabilize the front if nothing else. You will continue to Daurstein and defeat the V Army in battle, at the very least driving them out of Norn. You will seek to engage the enemy at Daurstein. The terrain is both hilly and heavily forested, and the enemy is likely to be entrenched to some extent, especially if they have occupied the town itself. 2 Army Actions Allowed.
[] Force march to Daurstein. Every minute on the march is one more that Durand has to better secure her position in Daurstein, and one where Arnese reinforcements draw ever-closer. It will be a miserable thing with an army already demoralized by news of the Army of the West's defeat, but a rapid march should let you force a confrontation with Durand before she can receive any reinforcements. No Army Actions allowed. Lose -1 Army Morale, -1 Army Drill, and suffer 2d100 Casualties, rolling an additional 1d100 for every point of Morale and Drill less than 5.
Army Actions:
Cohesion
[] Drill and practice. The troops require additional drill and training in formation warfare. Lose Munitions equal to number of Units (-20). Gain +1 Drill.
[] Intense drill. There's no time for rest or leisure on this march. The troops need a taste of discipline and grueling drill. Lose Munitions equal to number of Units (-20). Gain +2 Drill. Lose 2d100 troops as Casualties.
[] Extra rations. There's nothing better for getting the mood up than full bellies and good wine. Lose Supplies equal to number of Units (-20). Gain +1 Morale.
[] Let loose. A good, old-fashioned few days of destruction and debauchery soothes the worst sting of defeat. Whatever happens may reflect poorly on your reputation, of course. Lose Supplies equal to number of Units (-20). Gain +2 Morale. Lose 5d10 Influence.
Logistics
[] Additional foraging. An army needs to live off the land. You'll send off additional scrounging parties to forage for food and necessities. Gain 5d10 Supplies.
[] Extort supplies. You could get more supplies by sending troops to "requisition" stocks from the locals. It's not pretty, but it's for the cause. Gain 10d10 Supplies. Lose Influence if in friendly territory or reduce number of available recruits if in hostile territory.
[] Manufacture munitions. Basic powder, wadding and repairs can usually be managed with local materials. We could set the men to work filling up our stocks of ammunition. Gain 5d10 Munitions.
Recruitment
[] Recruit locals. It's a fact of war that an army bleeds warm bodies constantly, in and out of battle. We could try recruiting from the local population to fill our ranks. Gain Reserve Manpower. Recruitment in hostile territory has an Influence cost. Available in Mitteln: elves, humans, hobgoblins, halflings, dwarves, devils, nymphs.
-[] Elves. Gain 5d100+100 Reserve Manpower.
-[] Humans. Gain 5d100+150 Reserve Manpower.
-[] Hobgoblins. Gain 5d100 Reserve Manpower.
-[] Halflings. Gain 5d100+200 Reserve Manpower.
-[] Dwarves. Gain 5d100+150 Reserve Manpower.
-[] Devils. Gain 5d100-150 Reserve Manpower.
-[] Nymphs. Gain 5d100 Reserve Manpower.
[] Recruit artillerists. Finding and training kin who can properly act as artillery gunners is a difficult task, requiring kin who are not only strong and fit enough to load and maintain the heavy guns, but of a proper education in complex fields of study to provide even a chance of accurate fire. Such kin are far more scarce than ones fit for infantry or even cavalry, but with a focused effort, enough can be found to crew a battery. Gain enough artillerist Reserve Manpower of one species to form an Artillery Battery. Species may become temporarily unavailable after recruitment in the same province.
-[] Elves.
-[] Humans.
-[] Hobgoblins.
-[] Halflings.
-[] Dwarves.
-[] Devils.
-[] Nymphs.
[] Found new regiment. You have enough idle men and equipment to establish a new regiment for the army. Gain new Unit, which will begin at Green XP Rank and promote to Trained Rank after one March. You must have the necessary amount of appropriate Reserve Manpower and the equipment for the Unit.
[] Integrate an Army of the West regiment. A few regiments from the Army of the West are still in a reasonable enough shape to consider folding into the Army of the Centre. They are demoralized and battleworn, and the general mood of the army may suffer as a result, but a couple skilled regiments in the right place might be the key to defeating the Arnese. Take control of an Army of the West Regiment. Will probably reduce morale and may reduce drill. Artillery regiments will require you to provide new artillery for them.
-[] Select an Army of the West regiment.
Personal
[] Attend to correspondence. A soldier only needs think about the battle ahead, but a general must also consider the battles being fought at home. A flurry of letters sent to the right people should keep your name known and your friends positively disposed. Gain 10d10 Influence.
[] Mentor CO. One of your officers could use a bit of guidance before the next battle. Write-in a CO. A CO with an Unknown Trait will have their Trait revealed. A CO with a known Trait will have that Trait rerolled with Advantage (can only be done once per CO).
[] Interrogate Army of the West remnants. With von Wachenheim and his command staff in Arnese captivity, the kin who would have the best picture of the battle of Brutet are unavailable. Nevertheless, speaking to the surviving unit commanders may give you a picture of both how the battle was lost and the enemy you will soon be facing.
Influence Actions
[] [-100 Influence] Remove CO. There's good officers and there's bad. The bad need to be gotten rid of, but to do so one must cut through the web of political patronage and connections around the officer corps. Write-in CO. Gets rid of a CO entirely. Influence cost may be increased for certain COs.
[] [-25 Influence] Transfer CO. Sometimes a rotten officer can still cause less harm in command of a different unit. You can arrange for a transfer, as long as you take care not to step on anyone's toes doing so. Write-in COs. Switches placement of two COs. Influence cost may be increased if transfer target has lesser XP Rank. Switching a CO to different Unit type requires a further retraining effort.
[] Requisition equipment. The Army provides only what it sees fit. Pulling a few strings, greasing a few palms and making a few new friends should get you shipments of better arms and armor for your Units. An Unit requires one March turn of time to train with new equipment.
-[] [-10 Influence per Unit] Erlkönig Muskets. The workhorse of Nornish armies, and unspectacular but cheap and affordable musket. Wounding +0, Range 100m/200m/400m.
-[] [-50 Influence per Unit] Falke Rifles. High-quality rifled muskets. Longer ranged, but their most distinctive quality is their high stopping power, perfect for breaking the tough stone skin of the Dwarves who make up much of the frontline of Norn, Vechia, and other armies across central Arcadie. Wounding +1, Range 100m/300m/500m
-[] [-60 Influence per Unit] Sabres. Cavalry sabres and equipment for the close-up work of killing on horseback, along with the horses themselves. Wounding +0.
-[] [-125 Influence per Unit] Lances. Heavy lances are some of the most fearsome cavalry weapons to exist. A shipment of well-made lances would allow you to create a new regiment of lancers for the army. Wounding +1, Concealment -1, Movement -2, additional Charge Advantage.
-[] [-100 Influence per Unit] Cavalry Cuirasses. A steel cuirass provides some useful protection for cavalry, especially in melee. The weight and size of it does limit a cuirassier's mobility somewhat, however. Wound Threshold +1, Movement -3.
-[] [-150 Influence per Unit] Field Artillery. Cannons and howitzers for an unit of field artillery. Wounding +3, Range 200m/700m/1400m.
-[] [-250 Influence per Unit] Horse Artillery. Light cannons and trained horses for an unit of horse artillery. Wounding +2, Movement +4, Range 200m/600m/1200m
-[] [-250 Influence per Unit] Siege Artillery. Heavy artillery capable of bringing down buildings with its devastating barrages. Wounding +3, 100m/800m/1600m, consumes additional Munitions when Firing, reduces certain Hexes to special Ruins Terrain on sufficient Hits
-[] [-500 Influence per Unit] Silvium Cuirasses. Silvium is far lighter than steel, and can thus be laid far thicker as well. This creates durable but lightweight cuirasses that do not slow down rider and horse. Cavalry only. Wound Threshold +1, no Movement reduction.
-[] [-500 Influence per Unit] Silvium Plate. Silvium is far lighter than steel and more flexible as well. Steel plate is a thing of the past, but silvium allows us to give our infantry armor that offers some protection without sacrificing mobility or visibility. Infantry or Artillery. Wound Threshold +1.
[] Requisition experienced recruits. It is far easier to integrate veterans into your service than to train new units from scratch. You might be able to get experienced recruits and replacements sent your way if you talk to the right people. Experienced recruits can be used to found new Regiments of higher XP rank. Experienced replacements can be used to avoid XP loss if they are of equal or higher rank than the Unit they are joining. Write-in desired race of recruits. Available: Elves, humans, dwarves, halflings, hobgoblins, nymphs.
Infantry (Only Dwarves and Elves available at Experienced and up.)
-[] [-5 Influence per 100] Regular. Soldiers who have seen at least some action and come through their trial by fire.
-[] [-10 Influence per 100] Professional. Soldiers who have real fighting experience and don't shy away from the chaos of battle.
-[] [-20 Influence per 100] Experienced. Soldiers who are truly hardened to war and have at least one campaign behind them.
-[] [-50 Influence per 100] Veteran. Soldiers who are veterans of several campaigns and are expert hands in the business of killing.
Cavalry (Only Elves available at Professional and up.)
-[] [-5 Influence per 50] Regular. Soldiers who have seen at least some action and come through their trial by fire.
-[] [-10 Influence per 50] Professional. Soldiers who have real fighting experience and don't shy away from the chaos of battle.
-[] [-20 Influence per 50] Experienced. Soldiers who are truly hardened to war and have at least one campaign behind them.
-[] [-50 Influence per 50] Veteran. Soldiers who are veterans of several campaigns and are expert hands in the business of killing.
Artillery (Only Elves available.)
-[] [-5 Influence per 5] Regular. Soldiers who have seen at least some action and come through their trial by fire.
-[] [-10 Influence per 5] Professional. Soldiers who have real fighting experience and don't shy away from the chaos of battle.
-[] [-20 Influence per 5] Experienced. Soldiers who are truly hardened to war and have at least one campaign behind them.
-[] [-50 Influence per 5 ] Veteran. Soldiers who are veterans of several campaigns and are expert hands in the business of killing.
[-] Request temporary command of unit. Some of the finest regiments in the Kingdom are sitting idle when there's fighting to be had. A word in the right ear could see one such unit placed under your command for this campaign. May choose from specific high-quality units available. Cost varies. Currently unavailable.
[] [-50 Influence] Request additional supply. The logistics of running an army is both tiresome and vitally important. The Army could be more generous with providing you supplies and munitions if you had the favor of someone important. Gain 50 Supplies and 50 Munitions each time you take this Action.
[] [-50 Influence] Acquire intel on enemy forces. Gold, well-placed friends and clever agents can usually yield useful intelligence on the enemy movements and disposition. Learn enemy Units, their XP rank and equipment. Must be done separately for each enemy Army.
Army of the Centre
Bayonets, Sabres: Wounding +0
Erlkönig Musket: Wounding +0, Range 100m/200m/400m
Lances: Wounding +1, Concealment -1, Movement -2, additional Charge Advantage
Field Artillery: Wounding 3, Range 200m/700m/1400m
Horse Artillery: Wounding +2, Movement +4, Range 200m/600m/1200m
I really do feel bad for the position you're in now. The fight between von Wachenheim and Durand was not supposed to go as badly for him as it did.
-----
----
A/N: Thanks to @EagerListener @MrRageQuit @notbirdofprey @Pinniped @RamiroGalletti and @Red Rationalist for providing the quotes for the negaverse conversation. They (with the exception of MrRageQuit) came up with their own negaverse names as well.
So, I added a couple actions and changes to actions ideas that I had just to see how they worked out. Artillerists I did to make them harder to recruit and emphasize the strict qualifications needed for one, while in Influence, I increased the cost of cavalry equipment to go with how Norn doesn't really have a good cavalry tradition.
I also had some of the higher ranks of experienced soldiers be species-limited, since cavalry and artillery seem to have been largely an Elves-only thing for most of the Golden Realms, so there wouldn't be a large number of highly experienced cavalrymen or artillerists of the other Kin.
I did make it easier to recruit Nymphs though, since the Markwald is relatively close and the "low recruitment" seems to be a Devil-specific flaw, so closer to places with large numbers of Nymphs like the Markwald there'd be more of them available to recruit.
To measure desertion of the Army of the West remnants, I did 2d100 rolls for each unit (d10s for Artillery), with adding additional d100s if the unit has bad circumstances (low training level, bad CO.) The 14th Halfling Jaegers I did not expect to do that poorly though. They got like, a Nat 100 and high rolls in general for their losses. I don't expect this to be what actually happened, but I wanted a way to get hard numbers.
I'm still not sure on how morale affects Cohesion, so it's still using its numbers from our intel BTW.
Mitteln: Second March
Beneath the mask of Nornish discipline, you can see that the troops are relieved to be back on hard roads. The rain continues its incessant downpour, but the roads beneath their feet are at least somewhat less likely to turn to churning muck than the plains they were on before. The march and wait at the Raoille has been a wear-and-tear enough that you send an outrider ahead to Engelsburg with orders to requisition or purchase replacement boots for when when the army arrives.
There are far less crowds out to greet the Army of the Centre than there were when you arrived from Sonneck, no doubt from a combination of having no desire to stand under the sky in this downpour and unease at what the army's return means. From the marvelously inventive language your artillerists have about keeping their munitions dry, you can hardly blame them.
You are able to pick up the latest news as you march through though. Herculia has finally joined in the war, though given the pathetic state of its army, you doubt it will do much to change the course of the war on the continent. No, you imagine that it will rely on its navy to snatch colonies from Arne's grasp while the Elfenkönigreich does all the hard work.
Your musing is interrupted by word of a mud-soaked outrider approaching with the Army of the West's colors. You hum consideringly. It appears any further thoughts will have to wait until you hear how von Wachenheim's march on Martelnac has gone.
-----
A few hours later, you find yourself unable to think of a curse of sufficient severity to encompass the sheer catastrophe you have just been told.
The Army of the West's advance on Martelnac was intercepted by the Arnese V Army, which positioned itself to threaten its supply lines. Von Wachenheim pulled back to engage, and the two armies clashed outside an unimportant border town called Brutet.
And the result was a complete and utter disaster. You still need to sort through the testimony of those who managed to escape, but one thing that is certain is that the Army of the West is gone, annihilated in a battle fought in drenching rain and sucking mud. The last anyone saw of von Wachenheim was the command tent being overrun by Hobgoblin lancers, and most of the army is either dead in the mud or enjoying Arnese hospitality.
The situation failed to improve from there as the ragged remnants of the army fled back to Daurstein, with Durand arriving scarcely a day later. To her credit, rather than storming and sacking the town, she instead offered them quite generous terms of surrender, allowing what was left of the Army of the West to withdraw minus their cannons (which were destroyed), and for her army to remain camped outside Daurstein instead of inside it.
But that does not change the sheer enormity of the disaster that the hollow-eyed courier reports to you. A handful of gutted infantry regiments, two artillery batteries without their cannons, and a half-strength regiment of human hussars. Scarcely over two-thousand demoralized and despondent souls, their ranks still wracked by desertion every hour, remain of what was once an army of over thirteen thousand.
|
| Str. | Coh. |
|
|
|
| Spt. |
| Equipment | Traits | CO | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lie 1st Hum Hsr | Trained | 221/500 | 0/15 | -20 | ? | 3 | 5 | 9 | Sabres | Human Cavalry | Offensive Genius | ||||||||
| Gal 14th Half Jäg | Regular | 529/1000 | 0/12 | -10* | ? | ? | 5 | 3 | 3 | Falke Rifle Bayonets | Halfling | Demoralizing | |||||||
| Bil 15th Dwa | Trained | 575/1000 | 0/18 | -40 | ? | ? | 3 | 3 | 3 | Erlkönig Musket Bayonets | Dwarven | Unsteady | |||||||
| Mrk Nym Rng | Professional | 711/1000 | 0/13 | +0 | ? | ? | 3 | 3 | 3 | Erlkönig Musket Bayonets | Nymph | Feared | |||||||
| 61st Elv Art | Regular | 39/50 | 0/12 | +0 | 0 | ? | 3 | 5 | 1 | None | Elven Artillery | Careless | |||||||
| 75th Elv Art | Regular | 42/50 | 0/12 | +10 | 0 | ? | 3 | 5 | 1 | None | Elven Artillery | Offensive Genius |
Over the following days, it becomes impossible to conceal the disaster from the troops, not when they can see the dispirited and defeated trailing past them on the Kriegspfad. The mood of the remaining Arnese Royalists begins to turn from vengeful to uneasy, no doubt recalling their past defeat against Durand as their thoughts go from longing for vengeance to fearing a second encounter.
Morale has fallen by -1.
A part of you vaguely recalls the jokes of the world suddenly going upside down and backwards since the Arnese overthrew their own monarchy. Looking at a war where a Nornish invasion of Arne has become the reverse scarcely a week since it began, and they no longer seem that amusing.
And when the rain begins to let up not too long after word of the disaster arrives, you become increasingly convinced that Ael is having a joke at Norn's expense.
That aside, the entire strategic situation has changed, and so to must your plans. News from the west reports that the Silver Army has also been defeated, and the Grand Duchy seems likely to surrender soon. With the Army of the West destroyed, the Army of the Centre remains the only intact military force available to prevent Arne from spilling over the Raoille.
[] Defend the Raoille. Durand has swallowed up one Provincial Army and spat out the bloody scraps, and Daurstein is ultimately expendable in any war with Arne. Abandoning Nornish territory in what was supposed to be a conquest of La Durance will not win you any friends at court, but the Raoille has been Norn's barrier against Arnese assault for generations, and holding there will force Durand to fight a bloody river crossing if she wishes to continue north. You will seek to engage in a defensive battle on favorable terrain, abandoning the parts of Norn south of the Raoille. You will lose some Influence regardless of outcome, and receive less even if you win, but lose far more if you are defeated. 3 Army Actions Allowed.
[] Continue to Daurstein. The situation is rapidly spiraling towards disaster, but that only increases the need for a victory against the Arnese, to stabilize the front if nothing else. You will continue to Daurstein and defeat the V Army in battle, at the very least driving them out of Norn. You will seek to engage the enemy at Daurstein. The terrain is both hilly and heavily forested, and the enemy is likely to be entrenched to some extent, especially if they have occupied the town itself. 2 Army Actions Allowed.
[] Force march to Daurstein. Every minute on the march is one more that Durand has to better secure her position in Daurstein, and one where Arnese reinforcements draw ever-closer. It will be a miserable thing with an army already demoralized by news of the Army of the West's defeat, but a rapid march should let you force a confrontation with Durand before she can receive any reinforcements. No Army Actions allowed. Lose -1 Army Morale, -1 Army Drill, and suffer 2d100 Casualties, rolling an additional 1d100 for every point of Morale and Drill less than 5.
Army Actions:
Cohesion
[] Drill and practice. The troops require additional drill and training in formation warfare. Lose Munitions equal to number of Units (-20). Gain +1 Drill.
[] Intense drill. There's no time for rest or leisure on this march. The troops need a taste of discipline and grueling drill. Lose Munitions equal to number of Units (-20). Gain +2 Drill. Lose 2d100 troops as Casualties.
[] Extra rations. There's nothing better for getting the mood up than full bellies and good wine. Lose Supplies equal to number of Units (-20). Gain +1 Morale.
[] Let loose. A good, old-fashioned few days of destruction and debauchery soothes the worst sting of defeat. Whatever happens may reflect poorly on your reputation, of course. Lose Supplies equal to number of Units (-20). Gain +2 Morale. Lose 5d10 Influence.
Logistics
[] Additional foraging. An army needs to live off the land. You'll send off additional scrounging parties to forage for food and necessities. Gain 5d10 Supplies.
[] Extort supplies. You could get more supplies by sending troops to "requisition" stocks from the locals. It's not pretty, but it's for the cause. Gain 10d10 Supplies. Lose Influence if in friendly territory or reduce number of available recruits if in hostile territory.
[] Manufacture munitions. Basic powder, wadding and repairs can usually be managed with local materials. We could set the men to work filling up our stocks of ammunition. Gain 5d10 Munitions.
Recruitment
[] Recruit locals. It's a fact of war that an army bleeds warm bodies constantly, in and out of battle. We could try recruiting from the local population to fill our ranks. Gain Reserve Manpower. Recruitment in hostile territory has an Influence cost. Available in Mitteln: elves, humans, hobgoblins, halflings, dwarves, devils, nymphs.
-[] Elves. Gain 5d100+100 Reserve Manpower.
-[] Humans. Gain 5d100+150 Reserve Manpower.
-[] Hobgoblins. Gain 5d100 Reserve Manpower.
-[] Halflings. Gain 5d100+200 Reserve Manpower.
-[] Dwarves. Gain 5d100+150 Reserve Manpower.
-[] Devils. Gain 5d100-150 Reserve Manpower.
-[] Nymphs. Gain 5d100 Reserve Manpower.
[] Recruit artillerists. Finding and training kin who can properly act as artillery gunners is a difficult task, requiring kin who are not only strong and fit enough to load and maintain the heavy guns, but of a proper education in complex fields of study to provide even a chance of accurate fire. Such kin are far more scarce than ones fit for infantry or even cavalry, but with a focused effort, enough can be found to crew a battery. Gain enough artillerist Reserve Manpower of one species to form an Artillery Battery. Species may become temporarily unavailable after recruitment in the same province.
-[] Elves.
-[] Humans.
-[] Hobgoblins.
-[] Halflings.
-[] Dwarves.
-[] Devils.
-[] Nymphs.
[] Found new regiment. You have enough idle men and equipment to establish a new regiment for the army. Gain new Unit, which will begin at Green XP Rank and promote to Trained Rank after one March. You must have the necessary amount of appropriate Reserve Manpower and the equipment for the Unit.
[] Integrate an Army of the West regiment. A few regiments from the Army of the West are still in a reasonable enough shape to consider folding into the Army of the Centre. They are demoralized and battleworn, and the general mood of the army may suffer as a result, but a couple skilled regiments in the right place might be the key to defeating the Arnese. Take control of an Army of the West Regiment. Will probably reduce morale and may reduce drill. Artillery regiments will require you to provide new artillery for them.
-[] Select an Army of the West regiment.
Personal
[] Attend to correspondence. A soldier only needs think about the battle ahead, but a general must also consider the battles being fought at home. A flurry of letters sent to the right people should keep your name known and your friends positively disposed. Gain 10d10 Influence.
[] Mentor CO. One of your officers could use a bit of guidance before the next battle. Write-in a CO. A CO with an Unknown Trait will have their Trait revealed. A CO with a known Trait will have that Trait rerolled with Advantage (can only be done once per CO).
[] Interrogate Army of the West remnants. With von Wachenheim and his command staff in Arnese captivity, the kin who would have the best picture of the battle of Brutet are unavailable. Nevertheless, speaking to the surviving unit commanders may give you a picture of both how the battle was lost and the enemy you will soon be facing.
***
Influence Actions
[] [-100 Influence] Remove CO. There's good officers and there's bad. The bad need to be gotten rid of, but to do so one must cut through the web of political patronage and connections around the officer corps. Write-in CO. Gets rid of a CO entirely. Influence cost may be increased for certain COs.
[] [-25 Influence] Transfer CO. Sometimes a rotten officer can still cause less harm in command of a different unit. You can arrange for a transfer, as long as you take care not to step on anyone's toes doing so. Write-in COs. Switches placement of two COs. Influence cost may be increased if transfer target has lesser XP Rank. Switching a CO to different Unit type requires a further retraining effort.
[] Requisition equipment. The Army provides only what it sees fit. Pulling a few strings, greasing a few palms and making a few new friends should get you shipments of better arms and armor for your Units. An Unit requires one March turn of time to train with new equipment.
-[] [-10 Influence per Unit] Erlkönig Muskets. The workhorse of Nornish armies, and unspectacular but cheap and affordable musket. Wounding +0, Range 100m/200m/400m.
-[] [-50 Influence per Unit] Falke Rifles. High-quality rifled muskets. Longer ranged, but their most distinctive quality is their high stopping power, perfect for breaking the tough stone skin of the Dwarves who make up much of the frontline of Norn, Vechia, and other armies across central Arcadie. Wounding +1, Range 100m/300m/500m
-[] [-60 Influence per Unit] Sabres. Cavalry sabres and equipment for the close-up work of killing on horseback, along with the horses themselves. Wounding +0.
-[] [-125 Influence per Unit] Lances. Heavy lances are some of the most fearsome cavalry weapons to exist. A shipment of well-made lances would allow you to create a new regiment of lancers for the army. Wounding +1, Concealment -1, Movement -2, additional Charge Advantage.
-[] [-100 Influence per Unit] Cavalry Cuirasses. A steel cuirass provides some useful protection for cavalry, especially in melee. The weight and size of it does limit a cuirassier's mobility somewhat, however. Wound Threshold +1, Movement -3.
-[] [-150 Influence per Unit] Field Artillery. Cannons and howitzers for an unit of field artillery. Wounding +3, Range 200m/700m/1400m.
-[] [-250 Influence per Unit] Horse Artillery. Light cannons and trained horses for an unit of horse artillery. Wounding +2, Movement +4, Range 200m/600m/1200m
-[] [-250 Influence per Unit] Siege Artillery. Heavy artillery capable of bringing down buildings with its devastating barrages. Wounding +3, 100m/800m/1600m, consumes additional Munitions when Firing, reduces certain Hexes to special Ruins Terrain on sufficient Hits
-[] [-500 Influence per Unit] Silvium Cuirasses. Silvium is far lighter than steel, and can thus be laid far thicker as well. This creates durable but lightweight cuirasses that do not slow down rider and horse. Cavalry only. Wound Threshold +1, no Movement reduction.
-[] [-500 Influence per Unit] Silvium Plate. Silvium is far lighter than steel and more flexible as well. Steel plate is a thing of the past, but silvium allows us to give our infantry armor that offers some protection without sacrificing mobility or visibility. Infantry or Artillery. Wound Threshold +1.
[] Requisition experienced recruits. It is far easier to integrate veterans into your service than to train new units from scratch. You might be able to get experienced recruits and replacements sent your way if you talk to the right people. Experienced recruits can be used to found new Regiments of higher XP rank. Experienced replacements can be used to avoid XP loss if they are of equal or higher rank than the Unit they are joining. Write-in desired race of recruits. Available: Elves, humans, dwarves, halflings, hobgoblins, nymphs.
Infantry (Only Dwarves and Elves available at Experienced and up.)
-[] [-5 Influence per 100] Regular. Soldiers who have seen at least some action and come through their trial by fire.
-[] [-10 Influence per 100] Professional. Soldiers who have real fighting experience and don't shy away from the chaos of battle.
-[] [-20 Influence per 100] Experienced. Soldiers who are truly hardened to war and have at least one campaign behind them.
-[] [-50 Influence per 100] Veteran. Soldiers who are veterans of several campaigns and are expert hands in the business of killing.
Cavalry (Only Elves available at Professional and up.)
-[] [-5 Influence per 50] Regular. Soldiers who have seen at least some action and come through their trial by fire.
-[] [-10 Influence per 50] Professional. Soldiers who have real fighting experience and don't shy away from the chaos of battle.
-[] [-20 Influence per 50] Experienced. Soldiers who are truly hardened to war and have at least one campaign behind them.
-[] [-50 Influence per 50] Veteran. Soldiers who are veterans of several campaigns and are expert hands in the business of killing.
Artillery (Only Elves available.)
-[] [-5 Influence per 5] Regular. Soldiers who have seen at least some action and come through their trial by fire.
-[] [-10 Influence per 5] Professional. Soldiers who have real fighting experience and don't shy away from the chaos of battle.
-[] [-20 Influence per 5] Experienced. Soldiers who are truly hardened to war and have at least one campaign behind them.
-[] [-50 Influence per 5 ] Veteran. Soldiers who are veterans of several campaigns and are expert hands in the business of killing.
[-] Request temporary command of unit. Some of the finest regiments in the Kingdom are sitting idle when there's fighting to be had. A word in the right ear could see one such unit placed under your command for this campaign. May choose from specific high-quality units available. Cost varies. Currently unavailable.
[] [-50 Influence] Request additional supply. The logistics of running an army is both tiresome and vitally important. The Army could be more generous with providing you supplies and munitions if you had the favor of someone important. Gain 50 Supplies and 50 Munitions each time you take this Action.
[] [-50 Influence] Acquire intel on enemy forces. Gold, well-placed friends and clever agents can usually yield useful intelligence on the enemy movements and disposition. Learn enemy Units, their XP rank and equipment. Must be done separately for each enemy Army.
Army of the Centre
Morale | Morale | Drill | Munitions | Supplies | Influence |
| Current | 3 (Nothing but bad news) | 7 (Nornish Discipline) | 250 | 130 | |
| Projected | 250 | 110 |
|
| Str. | Coh. |
|
|
|
| Spt. |
| Equipment | Traits | CO | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HM's 1st Elv Hsr | Professional | 500/500 | 13/13 | +20 | 5/5 | 3 | 5 | 9 | Sabres | Elven Cavalry | Demoralizing | ||||||||
| 1st Roy Elv Lan | Professional | 500/500 | 13/13 | +20 | 5/5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | Lances | Elven Cavalry | Butcher | ||||||||
| Son 8th Elv Hsr | Trained | 500/500 | 11/11 | +0 | 5/5 | 3 | 5 | 9 | Sabres | Elven Cavalry | ? | ||||||||
| Son 9th Elv Hsr | Trained | 500/500 | 11/11 | +0 | 5/5 | 3 | 5 | 9 | Sabres | Elven Cavalry | ? | ||||||||
| Ott 4th Hum | Trained | 1000/1000 | 15/15 | +0 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Erlkönig Musket Bayonets | Human | ? | |||||||
| Ott 17th Hum | Trained | 1000/1000 | 15/15 | +0 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Erlkönig Musket Bayonets | Human | ? | |||||||
| Ott 109th Hob | Trained | 1000/1000 | 11/11 | +0 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Erlkönig Musket Bayonets | Hobgoblin | ? | |||||||
| Wür 15th Dwa | Trained | 1000/1000 | 18/18 | +0 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Erlkönig Musket Bayonets | Dwarven | ? | |||||||
| Wür 31st Dwa | Trained | 1000/1000 | 18/18 | +0 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Erlkönig Musket Bayonets | Dwarven | ? | |||||||
| Wür 33rd Dwa | Trained | 1000/1000 | 18/18 | +0 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Erlkönig Musket Bayonets | Dwarven | ? | |||||||
| Neu 20th Dwa | Trained | 1000/1000 | 18/18 | +0 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | Erlkönig Musket Bayonets | Dwarven | ? | |||||||
| Neu 155th Elv | Trained | 1000/1000 | 11/11 | +0 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | Erlkönig Musket Bayonets | Elven | ? | |||||||
| Son 74th Elv | Trained | 1000/1000 | 11/11 | +0 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | Erlkönig Musket Bayonets | Elven | ? | |||||||
| 28th Elv Art | Experienced | 50/50 | 14/14 | +30 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | Field Artillery | Elven Artillery | ? | |||||||
| 60th Elv Art | Regular | 50/50 | 12/12 | +10 | 10/10 | 5/5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | Field Artillery | Elven Artillery | ? | |||||||
| 66th Elv Art | Regular | 50/50 | 12/12 | +10 | ? | 5/5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | Field Artillery | Elven Artillery | ? | |||||||
| 75th Elv Art | Regular | 50/50 | 12/12 | +10 | ? | ? | 3? | 5? | 1 | Field Artillery | Elven Artillery | ? | |||||||
| Hum Vol Art | Trained | 50/50 | 15/15 | +0 | ? | ? | 3? | 3? | 1 | Field Artillery | Elven Artillery | ? | |||||||
| 14th Elv H Art | Experienced | 50/50 | 14/14 | +30 | ? | ? | 3? | 5? | 5 | Horse Artillery | Elven Artillery | ? |
Erlkönig Musket: Wounding +0, Range 100m/200m/400m
Lances: Wounding +1, Concealment -1, Movement -2, additional Charge Advantage
Field Artillery: Wounding 3, Range 200m/700m/1400m
Horse Artillery: Wounding +2, Movement +4, Range 200m/600m/1200m
***
I really do feel bad for the position you're in now. The fight between von Wachenheim and Durand was not supposed to go as badly for him as it did.
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SolipsistInvader said:
Blue Empiricist said:
SolipsistInvader said:
Paintingmabob said:
Blue Empricist said:
The Autistic Argentinian said:
Blue Empericist said:
The Autistic Argentinian said:
Blue Empiricist said:
Bird of Prey said:
Blue Empiricist said:
Fissiped said:
SolipsistInvader said:
Blue Empiricist said:
GracefulLoser said:
Paintingmabob said:
Blue Empiricist said:
Fissiped said:
GracefulLoser said:
ReluctantReader said:
GracefulLoser said:
Blue Empiricist said:
----
A/N: Thanks to @EagerListener @MrRageQuit @notbirdofprey @Pinniped @RamiroGalletti and @Red Rationalist for providing the quotes for the negaverse conversation. They (with the exception of MrRageQuit) came up with their own negaverse names as well.
So, I added a couple actions and changes to actions ideas that I had just to see how they worked out. Artillerists I did to make them harder to recruit and emphasize the strict qualifications needed for one, while in Influence, I increased the cost of cavalry equipment to go with how Norn doesn't really have a good cavalry tradition.
I also had some of the higher ranks of experienced soldiers be species-limited, since cavalry and artillery seem to have been largely an Elves-only thing for most of the Golden Realms, so there wouldn't be a large number of highly experienced cavalrymen or artillerists of the other Kin.
I did make it easier to recruit Nymphs though, since the Markwald is relatively close and the "low recruitment" seems to be a Devil-specific flaw, so closer to places with large numbers of Nymphs like the Markwald there'd be more of them available to recruit.
To measure desertion of the Army of the West remnants, I did 2d100 rolls for each unit (d10s for Artillery), with adding additional d100s if the unit has bad circumstances (low training level, bad CO.) The 14th Halfling Jaegers I did not expect to do that poorly though. They got like, a Nat 100 and high rolls in general for their losses. I don't expect this to be what actually happened, but I wanted a way to get hard numbers.
I'm still not sure on how morale affects Cohesion, so it's still using its numbers from our intel BTW.
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Had a great time participating, glad to be of help! I just wish I could have written more.
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- Pronouns
- He/Him
Thanks for having me. And you came up with a good name.
Ditto! The most I had was being the comparative lone speaker who can say "I told you so!"
Red Rationalist
Spinning in eternity
- Location
- Andro-Orlando Hair Saloon
- Pronouns
- They/Them
So, with the conversation about the feigned retreat winding down, I would like to make the effort and prepare for the upcoming battle. Looking back at Brutet, one of our major shortcomings was bad infantry organization.
A) Previous battles:
Both Mauvais and Brutet hade a fairly simple system for our infantry, with the vast majority put in a single line. In Mauvais case this was driven by the need to protect artillery, and to deny the cover of hills and woods to the enemy. Planning in Brutet attempted to establish a continous line between the river and the forest, in order to engage the entire enemy army. This position has a couple of advantages: It denies the enemy the ability to march, limits the number of attacks on any single unit in the line (2 at most) and increases the ability to fire on the enemy line. Overall, quite good against advancing infantry. But it also has issues: The length to actually block the enemy binds large numbers of infantry, this system of organization doesn't lend itself well to pushing against the enemy as the entirety of the line is cumbersome to move. In Brutets case, this unwillingness to create an angled line also resulted in the enemy seizing the highly valuable southern hills, allowing them a forward position for the middle battlefield.
B) Lessons:
Overall, I think part of our issue in Brutet was not just assuming higher aggression, it was assuming uniform aggression. In truth, 2 aggressive pushes came: One on the village, one in the south (dwarves & ambush). The village was very well defended, but lacking organization let them amass forces in the soutg without pushback. In this particular event you can see some competence from Wachenheim as an infantry commander, as he was able to seize a forward position despite harsh terrain, timidity and forward positioning from us.
So rather than assuming a uniform assault across the entire battlefield, I think we should closely consider positioning, with infantry units being concentrated among the main axis of approach rather than spread out. Additionally, even a generally stationary and defensive battle can have needs for counteroffensives. Identifying the points that will be contested between us and the enemy is even more vital than numerical superiority and firepower, as proper identifications of the direction of a localized offensive is necessary for artillery to be put against them. We've gotten this only half-right in Brutet, and as a result half of our stationary artillery was limited in use. Had we put a unit on the southern hills, the enemy could have been forced into attacking the position with ongoing artillery fire against them. Resulting from that, too many reserves were kept in the north, with 2 of those reserve units not practically participating in the battle.
A similar error happened in Mauvais, with the 84th unable to fire more than 2 medium shots due to lacking hostile engagement with the eastern village.
C) Suggestions:
Instead of conceptualizing infantry as a continous line, I would suggest splitting our 9 infantry regiments into 3 divisions Allowing each flank to operate somewhat independently, with gaps in the overall position can gives us additional benefits. Gaps of one or two tiles in our line don't really matter if trying to march trough those is going to put the enemy under a lot of fire. We are in the fortunate position of being supplemented by 5 more infantry regiments, which can be used to hold less important positions, allowing us to emphasize skirmishes and assault in our division formations.
The voltigers are nearly invincible outside of melee attacks, with their superior range allowing them to inflict attrition on enemy infantry while they approach. With the enemy generally unwilling to use cavalry offensively, they could be pretty useful in controlling the battlefield, especially as the enemy doesn't use screening.
Lastly, the stalwart division is a simple formation to hold the line, with the 148th serving as the tank that steps in once the elven meatshields are exhausted. The unsteady 42nd is somewhat awkward to use, but it can still absorb some damage.
In general, I'm in favour of a looser formation over the broader battlefield, leaving gaps between lines. With our superior cavalry, we can use ready charge quite well to punish any infantry trying to move in between our positions. The cavalry can't blindly charge into enemy infantry lines, but it can still be used to inflict damage on marching infantry columns, especially if they march into zones with limited enemy artillery support.
A) Previous battles:
Both Mauvais and Brutet hade a fairly simple system for our infantry, with the vast majority put in a single line. In Mauvais case this was driven by the need to protect artillery, and to deny the cover of hills and woods to the enemy. Planning in Brutet attempted to establish a continous line between the river and the forest, in order to engage the entire enemy army. This position has a couple of advantages: It denies the enemy the ability to march, limits the number of attacks on any single unit in the line (2 at most) and increases the ability to fire on the enemy line. Overall, quite good against advancing infantry. But it also has issues: The length to actually block the enemy binds large numbers of infantry, this system of organization doesn't lend itself well to pushing against the enemy as the entirety of the line is cumbersome to move. In Brutets case, this unwillingness to create an angled line also resulted in the enemy seizing the highly valuable southern hills, allowing them a forward position for the middle battlefield.
B) Lessons:
Overall, I think part of our issue in Brutet was not just assuming higher aggression, it was assuming uniform aggression. In truth, 2 aggressive pushes came: One on the village, one in the south (dwarves & ambush). The village was very well defended, but lacking organization let them amass forces in the soutg without pushback. In this particular event you can see some competence from Wachenheim as an infantry commander, as he was able to seize a forward position despite harsh terrain, timidity and forward positioning from us.
So rather than assuming a uniform assault across the entire battlefield, I think we should closely consider positioning, with infantry units being concentrated among the main axis of approach rather than spread out. Additionally, even a generally stationary and defensive battle can have needs for counteroffensives. Identifying the points that will be contested between us and the enemy is even more vital than numerical superiority and firepower, as proper identifications of the direction of a localized offensive is necessary for artillery to be put against them. We've gotten this only half-right in Brutet, and as a result half of our stationary artillery was limited in use. Had we put a unit on the southern hills, the enemy could have been forced into attacking the position with ongoing artillery fire against them. Resulting from that, too many reserves were kept in the north, with 2 of those reserve units not practically participating in the battle.
A similar error happened in Mauvais, with the 84th unable to fire more than 2 medium shots due to lacking hostile engagement with the eastern village.
C) Suggestions:
Instead of conceptualizing infantry as a continous line, I would suggest splitting our 9 infantry regiments into 3 divisions Allowing each flank to operate somewhat independently, with gaps in the overall position can gives us additional benefits. Gaps of one or two tiles in our line don't really matter if trying to march trough those is going to put the enemy under a lot of fire. We are in the fortunate position of being supplemented by 5 more infantry regiments, which can be used to hold less important positions, allowing us to emphasize skirmishes and assault in our division formations.
- Assault Division: 200th Hobs, 251st Hobs, 72nd Hum
- Stalwart Division: 45th Elv, 148th Hum, 42nd Elv
- Voltiger Division: 19th Half Pfd, 28th Half Pfd, 16th Half Pfd
The voltigers are nearly invincible outside of melee attacks, with their superior range allowing them to inflict attrition on enemy infantry while they approach. With the enemy generally unwilling to use cavalry offensively, they could be pretty useful in controlling the battlefield, especially as the enemy doesn't use screening.
Lastly, the stalwart division is a simple formation to hold the line, with the 148th serving as the tank that steps in once the elven meatshields are exhausted. The unsteady 42nd is somewhat awkward to use, but it can still absorb some damage.
In general, I'm in favour of a looser formation over the broader battlefield, leaving gaps between lines. With our superior cavalry, we can use ready charge quite well to punish any infantry trying to move in between our positions. The cavalry can't blindly charge into enemy infantry lines, but it can still be used to inflict damage on marching infantry columns, especially if they march into zones with limited enemy artillery support.
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- Pronouns
- They/Them
I hope it's a feigned retreat, or rather... I am terrified of some sort of double-bluff second-guess thing or... something? But I guess we also DID pay the influence to know what his army was made of, and so this could just be the reward for having that knowledge??
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I will say that I'm fine with some reserve units "practically not participating in the battle". Like, wasn't one of them serving as the armor-caddy for our artillery? And if things had actually gone wrong they WOULD have participated in the battle. To be clear here, I'm not actually disputing your general point, I'm just not sure if that particular example is a good one, because it's easy to imagine a scenario where not having reserves fucks the infantry.
Red Rationalist
Spinning in eternity
- Location
- Andro-Orlando Hair Saloon
- Pronouns
- They/Them
One of them was, yes. The 42nd due to the morale event, though that still leaves the 45th, 2/3 halfling regiments, the 251st (though that was also bad luck). My point is that part of placing units in the permanent position as ammo-carrier was also due to bad organization, considering we only needed to supply the 5th H. Art. with new ammo every 3-4 turns AND you can still hold a line while being low on munitions, which means you participate in the battle, even if just by blocking. We need some ammo resupplying to them, but not to the extent of doing this every turn.
I'm also in favour of reserves, but the main issue is the deficiency of infantry in the 6th. Reserves are good, but they are less important than having some ability to counterattack. So I think we could use the less trained infantry from the 6th army there, since filler or reserve is a good fill for infantry that is "good enough".
I did also think about it, but I can't for the life of me figure out what the double-bluff could be done What could you conceivably do by moving infantry forwards and backwards while engaging the enemy cavalry arm? You could move the artillery, but the terrain is pretty bad, plus the line of fire is limited and you could see hill tops. I don't see an option that gives a concrete advantage while requiring stealth, especially when compared to attacking our forces now before the reinforcing army arrives. So the simplest conclusion is that this is a fairly bad bluff.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Well, in this situation (as I understand it), any main Norn attack with have to go through a defile about three regiments wide. Between that and our purely defensive setup, we can definitely keep the cavalry and maybe a few infantry regiments in reserve. If we buy enough time for Guillory's entire VI. army to show, then their infantry can also join the reserves.
In the future, yes, RR is right. We need to better consider positioning and not just default to a uniform line. We also need to start including reserve units. Eventually, there will be enemy breakthroughs and we need to plug the gaps fast and hard.
In the future, yes, RR is right. We need to better consider positioning and not just default to a uniform line. We also need to start including reserve units. Eventually, there will be enemy breakthroughs and we need to plug the gaps fast and hard.
Red Rationalist
Spinning in eternity
- Location
- Andro-Orlando Hair Saloon
- Pronouns
- They/Them
The divisions I'm proposing are somewhat napkin planning since I haven't seen the battlefield, though with tougher terrain I'm somewhat confident 3 would suffice to take a hill range. I would also note that there isn't a rule that reserves have to be behind our lines, they can also be at the sides if they can repositioned before the charge. Also, our own units are surprisingly tough (14-15 cohesion by default), surviving about 2-3 turns of continuous melee if they remain in cover. Which would be enough to start routing the enemy, especially if we get to use our cavalry to flank from the sides.
Also that. The division system would allow us to plan army expansion better, with the ability to account for what we need instead of forming a long line out of all of them. Just by looking at the division system it becomes immediately apparent that we're need more holding division and have an overabundance of skirmishers, which the line wouldn't necessarily show. Ideally I'm striving for around 1 more Stalwart Divison (2 Hum, 1 Elv Infantry) in the near future to have a defensive lines that isn't reliant on skirmishers.
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- Location
- Derna
Well, in practice RR's Assault group would act as the reserve much of the time. Held back in defensive battles to counter the enemy's main thrust, thrown against the enemy's most important position once the other infantry have cleared the way on attack.
Though I agree that we've got a little less infantry than I'd like. Hopefully we'll be able to raise a couple more regiments in the next campaign.
Though I agree that we've got a little less infantry than I'd like. Hopefully we'll be able to raise a couple more regiments in the next campaign.
- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
I disagree with the proposed division system. Not only does it not fit our needs, with holding infantry divisions way more important than assault or skirmish ones, but binding regiments together gives up flexibility for no gain in effectivness.
Also, my lesson from brutet is the opposite. Our problem wasn't that we didn't capture the hill, it was that we didn't give the hill and forest enough of a distance where wachenheim capturing them would have been useless.
Tbh I entirely disagree about the purpose of the line? It's not about preventung the enemy from marching past it, it's about bringing the most firepower to bear. If your line is longer you are putting out more damage at the enemy and will crush it from the sides.
Reserves are still important, but because they fill the line to ensure no reduction in damage output.
Wachneheim amassing forces in the south was another case of a bad enemy being worse. It was a fools errand that wasted some of his most valuable troops and only get anything done because we positioned our own troops too far forwards
I really don't think brutet is a data point in favour of this. Wachenheim didn't attack in the north because he wanted to, he attacked because thats where the road was. Without the road a broader attack would have been better
I'm not sure if I understand this. If we had a unit on the hill it would be extremely exposed to the enemy without giving us better firing lines, because we were already open to fire at the north where the battle would be decided
I don't think these reserves could have been useful somewhere else, disregarding an ambitious flank in the south either through the forest or fully south of the mountains
Also, my lesson from brutet is the opposite. Our problem wasn't that we didn't capture the hill, it was that we didn't give the hill and forest enough of a distance where wachenheim capturing them would have been useless.
Tbh I entirely disagree about the purpose of the line? It's not about preventung the enemy from marching past it, it's about bringing the most firepower to bear. If your line is longer you are putting out more damage at the enemy and will crush it from the sides.
Reserves are still important, but because they fill the line to ensure no reduction in damage output.
Wachneheim amassing forces in the south was another case of a bad enemy being worse. It was a fools errand that wasted some of his most valuable troops and only get anything done because we positioned our own troops too far forwards
I really don't think brutet is a data point in favour of this. Wachenheim didn't attack in the north because he wanted to, he attacked because thats where the road was. Without the road a broader attack would have been better
I'm not sure if I understand this. If we had a unit on the hill it would be extremely exposed to the enemy without giving us better firing lines, because we were already open to fire at the north where the battle would be decided
I don't think these reserves could have been useful somewhere else, disregarding an ambitious flank in the south either through the forest or fully south of the mountains
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
Oh geez, I forgot all about this. We could've used the Omake Bonuses we already had to boost the Mentoring CO action we did.
That would have given our new Hobgoblin CO the +2 to Concealment rather than +2 to Spotting, which would've been way more useful for an infantry unit.
Oh well, just need to remember to use omake bonuses next time.
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- Pronouns
- They/Them
Yes, we should definitely remember to use bonuses.
Red Rationalist
Spinning in eternity
- Location
- Andro-Orlando Hair Saloon
- Pronouns
- They/Them
In all fairness, the dice were committed to making them watchful. We should honour their decisions. Plus, having a recon assault infantry isn't all bad, it saves us the need to integrate elves into the formation.
Red Rationalist
Spinning in eternity
- Location
- Andro-Orlando Hair Saloon
- Pronouns
- They/Them
To relitigate the specific point about the hill: Withdrawing was also a legitimate option, but one with the cost of contesting one only part of the battlefield, the north. In the case where we successfully seized the hill (one infantry on top of it), the enemy line would have faced consistent ranged attacks near the road, doing more damage. Contesting the hill would have the added cost of moving infantry close to it, with the NE tile being in direct artillery range. Long term, we could have positioned units on the hill and in the forest, endangering the enemy while providing little opportunity to use artillery against them. This would have been immensely useful during the pursuit phase, plus likely caught the enemy Jäger in melee (undesireable to them).
And to the point of raw firepower: I would say Brutet showed clearly that raw firepower doesn't win battles, positioning does. We did a lot more damage, but only after the charge did the enemy commit to a true retreat. Positioning has a very clear impact on if the enemy infantry comes into range, since infantry run into artillery range for a reason. Firepower doesn't mean much if the enemy stays out of range or contests the part of the front where you can't reach them. Lines can't output fire if the enemy is in range, which again comes down to being in a position where the enemy wants to be or can't allow you to be in.
Grouping units into brackets allows us easier planning than making decisions for every infantry unit individually (plan discussion: Should we attack with the assault division or keep them in reserve?). It gives us standardized building blocks, with people needing to slot 3-5 elements into the map to discuss planning rather than 16 ones individually. This greatly reduces the cognitive load, improving decision making and army building.
Also, regarding the holding divisions being way more important: One of the most apparent weaknesses of Brutet was our inability to counterattack once the enemy was weakened. You can't always rely on the enemy attacking, we won't always go against an enemy with inferior firepower and no mobile firing position. Grouping assault elements together to achieve a breaktrough via charge is also necessary. I would agree that our holding regiments are insufficient, though that isn't a point against the division system.
Not necessarily. Our effort not to contest the south robbed us of cover, allowed an ambush on one of our infantry units and cost us a good forward position during the pursuit case. It would have also made a charge much harder, but that was never our plan. The point is that reading what area the enemy is interested in rather and contesting points of interest allows you to tie units down, thus bringing more firepower against them.
That unit would have been virtually immune to artillery fire (-40 combined modifers [63% for 2 or less dmg], especially if we put one of the pathfinders there and fired on the enemy. Something we didn't recognize because we assumed a commitment of all forces towards the north.
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
Well, I think in terms of casualties, they were more or less equal percentage-wise and only a couple hundred in our favor before the big enemy collapse. The rout was I think the big casualty-inflictor where we could have everyone attack fleeing enemies without fear of counterattack.
I'd agree that positioning is pretty important given the benefits that good cover can give, but I'm less convinced about the hill at Brutet. Given its location, any units we put up there would've been exposed, and I'm not sure how well we could have secured it given how it was noticeably further east than the Lazaret, especially when the mud is factored in.
Like, maybe if we'd had a unit of Dragoons that could fight as infantry to hold it while other infantry units made the march it might have been feasible, but at that point we're talking about units that aren't even on the roster as of yet.
(Speaking of which, I still do hope Dragoons or Carabiniers become an option sooner or later. Though Carabiniers would probably be more accurate, since a look on the wiki says that by this time period Dragoons were increasingly just regular cavalry rather than mounted infantry.)
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Red Rationalist
Spinning in eternity
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Yes, the total number of casualties was in our favour, though far less than they should have been due to being the defender. That's my point, inflicting more attrition doesn't win battles since a committed enemy can choose to fight on. You can take more casulties than the other side and still win do to positioning.
Since this is relevant to our coming battle:
I've crunched the numbers there due the choice of shooting the dwarves and it's incredibly inefficient. Again, experienced artillery has a 41% of not inflicting any damage and 63% of 2 or less. Even a very, very lucky shot does only 3 damage. In terms of using artillery, this is incredibly wasteful against normal units. It's even worse against halflings (34% of 1 damage); the better choice is just not to shot and ready fire instead. Due to how much damage is lost, I would have expected enemy artillery to simply ignore the unit, firing on others or ready firing instead.
Regarding exposure: Enemies would have to grind the unit down in melee, taking multiple shots on the way there and attacking with a -20 against an enemy that hits for full damage. This is not a good fight for them and the hills are functionally impossible to charge for infantry.
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By the time of the Napoleonic Wars mounted infantry were generally kind of extinct in Europe, yeah. Both Dragoon and Carabinier regiments were usually just heavy cavalry with a funny name. There's various reasons for that, some applicable to our situation and some not. Dragoons were much less firepower (carbines aren't great and something like 1/4th of the regiment has to stay off the firing line to hold the horses) than a line infantry regiment for much more expense - even cheap horses are still more expensive than boots. And well-drilled light infantry doesn't move that much slower than cavalry, especially in bad terrain.