McKay Mentoring Basic & Intermediate Combat Tactics

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Day 5 - Basic & Intermediate Combat Tactics

This is just a course on basic and intermediate combat tactics; as advanced military strategy is a complex mix of mechanics knowledge and artfully applying that knowledge to various situations, I will not include it as a course for new nobles as a part of standard training. Want to learn advanced and post-advanced combat tactics and battle strategy? Inquire about the The Order of the Citadel guild in Hawthorne!

In the course of your career as a troop leader in Eston you may choose to be in one of the character classes that fights: Be it as a soldier or a hero (the mentor class can also fight). As in any battle, there are fundamentals that win or lose battles. As a small unit commander you must be able set your unit settings (found in the "paperwork" section on the left-hand side of the screen. If you are changing you unit designation you will need to pay your men first).

When fighting battles, the High Marshal or other designated field commander needs for you, as a troop leader, to be active enough to change your settings to what they order and move when they say. This is because battlemaster works with a system that takes into account several factors of your unit's readiness and compiles it into a number called "Combat Strength," otherwise known as CS. The High marshal matches the total CS of friendly forces up against the total combat strength of enemy forces, taking into account types of units, and then develops strategies accordingly.

The High Marshal then takes into account the composition of enemy forces in the target region. Infantry will most often make up the most of all forces; they can use siege engines and are otherwise the most versatile type of troop unit. Archers are very effective against infantry. Special forces have multiple uses and are generally very effective in most situations. Cavalry is the "hard charger" of them all, usually taking up the rearguard of the attacking or defending forces to avoid a condition called "overkill" and are very effective at trampling the competition.

Intelligence is extremely important in developing the strategy for attacks. This is why scoutings are often called for on a periodic basis. They are the eyes and the ears of the good field commander or General: You should make sure that you have 1-2 trained scouts on you at all times and try to provide the realm with timely scout reports so that making life-and-death decisions about fighting battles can be effectively accomplished.

When you eventually find yourself in the position of a field commander or High Marshal, you should take into account that if you do not have at least 10 percent more CS than the enemy that you are attacking (I would even have a bit more than that in the case of attacking a stronghold), then you should not attack. Also, calculate that some of your combat power is not going to move. This is a fact of life: Some troop leaders are not as active as we would like them to be. Furthermore, orders should be given out as early as possible; if you cannot, find someone that can for you.

Marshals, furthermore, can set "staff settings" for tactical command of the battle. Depending on your leadership ability, you can arrange for the troops to take special offensive and defensive settings such as Infantry Charge, Calvary Charge, Archer Opening, Attack in Waves, or Soften and Charge. Defensive settings include Infantry Wall, Fortification Deploy, Mixed Lines, and Delay and Wound. As you progress as a military leader you will learn more about what these settings do.

These are the basics of warfare in Battlemaster, and completes your lesson for today. Please let me know if you have any questions. This course was brought to you courtesy of the The Order of the Citadel.