Kempe Family/Olin/Combat Treatise

The Fundamentals of Small Unit Combat

Before any advanced discussion of tactical theory can begin it is imperative that all involved parties understand the basic foundation underlying their reasoning. Any fool can copy a successful formation, as indeed a great many have. To be a true tactician requires knowing when and how to break from these overstocked formations in order to exploit your opponent's tendencies or best utilize your own resources, and to do that requires a deeper understanding than mere memorization and imitation provide.

With a heavy monster and undead presence, large distances between realms, few nobles, and variable seasons; the logistics of warfare on Dwilight are compounded in comparison to other continents and squeezing the greatest use from every element is critical while at the same time large battles and heavy siege warfare are uncommon. It is for these reasons that this series of essays will focus primarily on open field battle between relatively few units. Improved tactical sense may give advantage in a particular battle and even preserve precious units, conceivably providing some strategic benefit during wartime via attrition; but it must be emphasized that the greater weight of men will always have an advantage. There is no substitute for fielding a bigger and better army.

Deployment in Combat

Before battle begins, all troops must be arranged in such fashion as their commanders deem most advantageous. I will refer to as many as nine battlefield rows: rearguard, back, middle, front, center, front, middle, back, and rearguard. When discussing or drawing diagrams of battle the armies will always be positioned such that the attacker begins on the left going from rearguard to front, and the defender controls the right in reverse order. Neither side holds the center initially so it may also be referred to as no-mans-land. This arrangement is standard and should be familiar to all, but I mention it up front because the decision of who to deploy on which row is a critical component of tactical discussion. See also Field Position.

The Order of Combat

It is unavoidable that to maintain disciplined order on the battlefield there is always some delay between a command initially being given, passing through the leadership hierarchy, and finally having the men-at-arms actually carry it out. For the purposes of this essay I will consider the time it takes a single general order to be completed a single round of combat. An additional time constraint is that different categories of personnel are able to carry out their orders at different rates. For example an archery of longbowmen can nock, draw, and loose a volley in a fraction of the time it takes a formation of heavy infantry to advance, while special forces utilize simplified command structures to more rapidly relay orders. It is a consequence of these two time components that within any given round of combat, different troop classes will act with different initiative. Every fighting unit in the world can be classed into one of the following categories:

1.Special Forces
2.Archers
3.Mixed (light) Infantry
4.Cavalry
5.(heavy/line) Infantry

In general, those higher on the list react more quickly than those below and carry out their orders sooner. It should be noted, however, that the difference of initiative between elite special forces and light infantry skirmisher units is not appreciable to any real degree, likewise with archers who fall somewhere between the two. Therefore initiative can be simplified into three components, namely:

1.Ranged unit firing and movement
2.Cavalry movement
3.Infantry movement

(Here I have made the simplifying assumption that Special Forces have ranged capability. Though this may not always be true in fact, it does not alter the current discussion.) All units carry out a single order each combat round in the sequence just discussed. An additional consideration is that sound defense requires expert reaction rather than action. A duelist can not attempt to parry a sword thrust too soon without exposing himself (the very point of a feint), likewise a defensive commander can not act before seeing how the aggressors act. Therefore, attacking units carry extra initiative and will have priority over defending units within the same rank of initiative. As battles are chaotic and often confusing affairs this explanation may not be immediately clear even to experienced commanders, so I summarize exactly what happens within the time frame of a single round of orders:

1.Attacking archers, mixed infantry, and special forces move or fire.
2.Defending archers, mixed infantry, and special forces move or fire.
3.Attacking cavalry move.
4.Defending cavalry move.
5.Attacking infantry move.
6.Defending infantry move.

All of the above assumes that the units in question are able to maneuver freely, as at the beginning of a battle. There are several reasons why they may not be able to do so. Chief among them is that from the moment a unit becomes engaged in hand-to-hand combat they focus simply on survival and will not obey movement or other orders, except possibly a full retreat. They may also be eager to follow orders but find themselves unable, such as when there is no room to advance.

It should be noted that no two units—even similar ones on the same side—ever act simultaneously; one will always be slightly quicker to receive and complete their orders. This is generally inconsequential but can become relevant in specific situations which we will discuss later.

Displacement in Combat (basic)

Now that we know where troops may be deployed and when they will act relative to each other, it is necessary to consider what orders they are likely to be given.

The general rule taught to Captains and Sergeants is to advance the men as quickly as possible until they begin fighting. For infantry this is simple: they move forward at every opportunity, stopping only when engaged in close combat. Cavalry will also move forward stopping only for close combat, but they cover twice as much ground. All three types of unit with ranged weaponry will advance until enemies enter their range, then stop to fire. There are some exceptions to this, mainly involving fortified positions and some unpredictable behavior caused by ranged units not behaving defensively. Because of this unpredictability it is recommended to have ranged troops act defensively unless a unique situation warrants a change of tactics. Even if it is desired for mixed infantry or ranged special forces to engage in melee combat, the proper way to make this happen is to select a formation such that these units are at the head of the formation and the enemy advances into them. If one attempts to use them the same way as infantry the results are likely to be disappointing.

Displacement in Combat (ranged)

Because of their severe weakness to melee combat, archers are almost always instructed to act defensively. When doing so they will fire at the closest enemy group or advance one rank forward if there are no enemies in range; however, they will not risk harming allies and so can not fire into an ongoing melee. Instead they shoot at the next closest group of enemies beyond. At shorter ranges more hits are scored and damage increases. If every enemy in range is engaged in melee they simply hold their fire. When there is close combat taking place directly ahead they will sometimes retreat one rank to avoid the possibility of being caught by enemies who break through the front line. Finally, on some occasions they may find their firing line unsatisfactory and advance seeking better angles—this can not be prevented and is often infuriating to the commander who has carefully selected his position only to see it ruined by an overzealous sergeant. Archers are optimally placed at the distance where they will fire the greatest number of volleys at the closest possible range, without becoming entangled in melee combat.

Mixed infantry (includes some special forces) are less vulnerable to close combat and can assist the heavy infantry when the enemy closes. Nonetheless, it is vital to understand that they are not heavy infantry. An incorrect way to utilize such troops is to deploy them with the infantry, give them infantry orders, and expect them to advance into combat with the infantry. This is commonly ordered by commanders who are unwilling or unable to adjust their formation to accommodate flexible units in an attempt to turn them into “more useful” infantry. What will actually happen more often is they will advance just into firing range and then stop to shoot, thus falling behind the infantry and never properly joining the melee. Among other things, this can lead to a frustrating case of wanderlust as the confused troops repeatedly move forward and back. The most straightforward way to use mixed troops effectively is to treat them similarly to archers: have them behave defensively and select an optimal deployment spot. Their primary differences are increased close combat survivability and generally inferior range, so they may be placed in front of the archer line to great effect. With an ideal deployment, friendly infantry will join the mixed units just as the enemy does, allowing maximum fire support followed by maximum close combat power. Such units shine brightly in shorter battles where their unmatched ability to fight effectively from start to finish greatly increases their utility. In lengthy combat their flexibility becomes less valuable as the ratio of “extra” rounds they participate in gets diluted and specialists, who are generally better suited for their specific role, take over. In extended melee, mixed units will eventually be worn down by infantry and in extended exchanges of fire they will typically be outperformed by archers.