Executing every Tactical Trick we Have in an Impossible Battle!
Table of contents
- Sometimes, the biggest obstacles in your journey come from within your own ranks.
- In the heat of battle, strategy is everything; sometimes you just have to adapt and let the landscape guide your victory.
- Patience is the ultimate strategy; let them come to you and then unleash chaos.
- In the chaos of battle, patience and strategy can turn the tide, but sometimes you just have to charge in and create mayhem.
- In the heat of battle, adaptability is key; just like in life, focus on the most urgent needs to turn the tide in your favor.
- In the heat of battle, strategy and adaptability can turn the tide, even against overwhelming odds.
- In the chaos of battle, strategy and adaptability are your greatest allies.
- In battle, positioning is everything; a well-formed square can turn the tide and unleash a storm of firepower.
- Victory favors the well-positioned; when you control the terrain, the battle is yours to win.
Sometimes, the biggest obstacles in your journey come from within your own ranks.
Welcome back to another episode of Tactical Enlightenment's Freestyle Series, where we showcase unique battles in Bannerlord. In these videos, we narrate live while navigating various difficulties by deploying a wide variety of tactics on the go.
All right, friends, welcome back again to another episode of Tactical Enlightenment. I've paused this battle scene because I actually reloaded a save game from about a minute ago just to display this [ ] [ ] and his ineptitude in our armies. I know this is a strange way to start an episode, but this guy really is part of the reason that we're struggling in our current campaign. While I can't place all the blame on one individual, this [ __ ]—a 4-foot-tall loser—has been taken prisoner, and his wife towers over him, of course, because he's so short. He basically loses every single battle and just had one of our biggest armies eviscerated again by the enemy. He’s essentially an automatic loss when he's out there as a commander, and it’s getting exasperating. I wish I could execute my own Clan leaders because he would have been executed for insubordination a long time ago, or at least for incompetence.
So, here we are, sieging and doing our part while trying to expand into the Batanian Empire. I noticed a Valan force nearby; I saw red and thought it looked like a large Valan force. We are indeed invading Batanian territory. However, we could probably handle that, except for the fact that there are Batanian forces also nearby. Let’s take a look at our army—we are already engaged in this castle. I can't just abandon this siege because I don’t think we can get away.
We have about 4,000 troops, and I’m going to try something I rarely do: we’re going to leave. Of course, we’re disorganized—that’s the status. Now, we’re being chased down, so we’re going to have to fight here. The Batanian forces and Valan forces look like they are going to converge. Here we are facing the High King Lifeus, whoever this guy thinks he is. We are really outnumbered here; I guess I shouldn’t have talked [ __ ] to Castor in case we’re next. This is about as outnumbered as I’ve been in this campaign—4 to 1 here on my end.
The terrain is somewhat helpful; we have an elevated position, but it’s still Valan territory, which means they will have a huge amount of cavalry—that’s a problem. I’m looking at my lineup, and I’ve got a good amount of cavalry in my current field army. We have 90 archers, so we’re going to rain down some damage from above. I’ll probably use a cavalry square and do some counter-charging with the second cavalry unit. My third cavalry unit will serve as a defensive line. I operate these cavalry lines very differently; the seventh is horse archers, but I also have some heavy cavalry in that division for versatility. The fourth unit is a crossbow unit that we use defensively in squares, while the fifth is mostly Batanian Fi Champs. To round it out, the sixth and eighth units are my elite skirmishers and knights.
We have a beautiful sunrise here, which may be a good omen for this battle—just like the Rohan in The Lord of the Rings, where the sunrise always heralded victory. Now, we’re going to do some long-distance skirmishing first. We do have an elevational advantage, so we’re going to try to inflict some major damage at range. To be perfectly honest, folks, I don’t have a plan right now for how we’re going to win this battle, but I will see if a strategy comes to me. We do have elite troops, of course, but the enemy is going to have an enormous amount of elite troops as well, and it looks like they have a huge number of crossbows setting up in front of their infantry. Let’s cut down some of these horse archers; we don’t need them taking us out.
In the heat of battle, strategy is everything; sometimes you just have to adapt and let the landscape guide your victory.
In the midst of the battle, Lord of the Rings is referenced as we prepare for a strategic engagement at sunrise. We are determined to be victorious. Our initial plan involves some long-distance skirmishing, taking advantage of our elevational advantage to inflict significant damage from range. However, to be perfectly honest, I currently lack a concrete plan for how we will win this battle; I will see if a strategy comes to me as the situation unfolds.
We do have elite troops, but the enemy also boasts an enormous number of elite forces. It appears they have a substantial amount of crossbowmen setting up in front of their infantry. Our immediate task is to cut down some of these horse archers, as we cannot afford to let them take pot shots at us. Among the enemy ranks is Ergon, one of the toughest knights in their army.
As we assess the battlefield, I notice that their cavalry is charging, and I am particularly concerned about the spear units. While horse archers can be problematic, it is the Valan heavy cavalry with their spears that poses a greater threat. I have positioned the third cavalry unit in a long line, which is effectively stacking the enemy forces. A handful of their cavalry is managing to maneuver around the edges, but we will fly in and attempt to eliminate as many of these immobilized knights as possible. They are still formidable opponents, but our archers are currently raining down fire on them, creating a huge wave of green as we lay waste to their ranks.
Despite our success, I am aware that we will soon run out of ammunition, which will undoubtedly become a problem in this battle. With 4,000 troops on the field, we can expect wave after wave of enemy forces. Fortunately, they only have about 10 infantry units, which I believe gives us an advantage. Their archers will certainly be an issue, but this battlefield features numerous ridges and hills, which can serve as a disadvantage for archers if we utilize the landscape effectively.
As I brainstorm a plan, I consider the possibility of finding pockets on the battlefield where we can take cover behind ridges, allowing us to avoid the fire from their 300 crossbowmen. This tactic would force the enemy to approach us, giving us the opportunity to Blitz C them with our elite infantry, including the Elite 8th Division and Batanian Fiend Champions. Given the size of their army, it is likely they have many Batanian fiends among their ranks.
I also note that the Valan Army is larger, which means they may have more overall forces. As I continue to skirmish, I realize the importance of saving our ammunition. We have already killed approximately 250 enemy troops in our initial wave of attacks, and now it's time to focus on our battlefield tactics.
The terrain is tight, and I can see that we will need to pack our units closely together. I plan to arrange them in a giant army square, ensuring that every soldier is ready for the next phase of the battle. Our infantry is taking their time to position themselves, but I believe that the enemy will be forced to approach us. They cannot advance without being exposed to our fire, especially from this ridge.
With a little patience, I will place our infantry on the right with archer support, while positioning our heavy cavalry on the left. As long as the enemy lacks a good line of sight, they will be compelled to enter our lion's den. Although they still have a significant force and infantry, I am confident in our strategy. When the enemy gets close enough, we will charge and attack, bringing our cavalry around the left flank to maximize our effectiveness in this battle.
Patience is the ultimate strategy; let them come to you and then unleash chaos.
In this strategic scenario, I believe that the enemy will be forced to approach our position. They cannot advance without us being able to shoot at them or utilize the cover of the ridge. Therefore, a little bit of patience is required. We will place our infantry on the right with archer support, while heavy cavalry will be positioned on the left. As long as the enemy does not have a good line of sight, they will essentially be compelled to enter the lion's den.
Despite the size of their force, which includes infantry, it does not mean they can easily overpower us. My plan involves using horse archers; if and when the enemy gets close enough, we will charge and attack. I intend to maneuver cavalry around the left flank, as the right flank is obstructed by a cliff. Observing the battlefield, I can see that numerous archers and crossbowmen are targeting us, with an overwhelming 5,000 arrows raining down. If I can successfully get cavalry around the left flank, we may be able to attack their archers, potentially causing them to reform or at least reposition.
At that point, we can launch a full-scale assault with all our units. The situation calls for an all-out attack, utilizing commands like F1 and F3. However, as long as the enemy maintains line of sight, they will likely continue to shoot at us from a distance of 500 yards. It is quite remarkable that they can hit us from such a range. In this game, crossbows have more range than archers, which I find historically inaccurate. I believe that compound bows and English longbows should have greater range, but I am open to corrections in the comments, as I am a history buff eager to learn more.
Now, we wait as the enemy moves forward. I can see their huge vanguard marching up, and we are prepared for the ambush. My plan is to create chaos, with the sound of screaming and the visceral imagery of body parts and bloodshed being the only remnants of the battle. It seems that one noble is attempting to be heroic by charging us; I jokingly refer to it as a shield delivery service, akin to Amazon but in medieval style.
With the number of crossbowmen they have, I certainly need a shield. I wish the sun was in their eyes, as it affects my visibility, but the AI seems unaffected, possessing what feels like x-ray vision. On our left wing, I have positioned our cavalry to ensure they can charge quickly towards the center. To the right, we will have our infantry and archers, who may be able to skirmish effectively.
As the enemy approaches the edge of the hill, I consider using javelins against them. They have some knights advancing, which prompts a light-hearted dare among my troops. As they prepare to engage, we will remain patient, holding off on any charges until the enemy is significantly closer.
In the chaos of battle, patience and strategy can turn the tide, but sometimes you just have to charge in and create mayhem.
To the right, we're going to have our infantry and archers. We may be able to skirmish, as they are right here at the edge of the map, or the edge of the hill. I might be able to drill some with javelins on their way up. They've got these random Knights coming in here. What if—maybe it's a dare?
"Hey Edwin, I bet you won't go up there and challenge them yourself."
"Oh yeah, yeah I will, man! I'll go up there, man. What will you give me for it?"
"How about that in-state and Hampshire?"
"That's a deal, man, if you survive."
All right, here they come. Again, we're just going to be patient. I can throw some javelins here, but I have no reason to charge them until they're a lot closer. I want to see the whites of their eyes before we charge. They're starting to throw javelins, and that's worrying. It might be time to just try this and move these two divisions up here to see where they're at.
Oh, they're marching; they're close! All right, here we go. This is going to be quick. I'm not going to be able to tell you all these separate orders; I've got to focus. I can't tell you second, third, and eighth—we're coming around, getting by their infantry into their archers because we have to get in here and cause mayhem.
God, they have a lot of archers. They're trying to spread out like Batanian fiend Champs everywhere. I'm now dragging the third and eighth core—these are my Elite Knights. I'm hoping we can cause major damage to their archers while the rest of our line charges the center. Obviously, I've got too many different things here to really focus on, so I'll do my best to narrate, but no history lessons for the next whatever, five minutes.
Holy— they have a lot of crossbowmen spreading out like Batanian fiend Champs everywhere. Now our line looks like it's holding. I can tell from the death spam—I don't have time to look, but I can see Batanian fiend Champs. They're on charge and hold fire, which means they're swinging their two-handed axes, cutting a swath through the middle of the enemy center. There they are; they're actually more like on the enemy's left, our right flank, but they're definitely cutting a path right.
They're mowing through their infantry. We're suffering losses, but we're still cutting a hole here. Now we just got to get these crossbowmen off this ridge. This becomes the major problem; the enemy's almost taken up our position up here, and obviously, we can't have that. So I'm dragging a division; the eighth core is rampaging through there, and hopefully, eventually, our other troops that are charging start to interrupt and reach these archers. If it doesn't, well then this episode's going to go into the failure dust of ridiculous battles where we tried an abane challenge and we lost.
They're getting reinforcements; these crossbowmen just will not get off. These guys are stubborn. They actually look like a lot of them are out of bolts because they're just standing there holding their shields up in line formation. Finally, they're starting to retreat here. Now it's pandemonium! I couldn't actually tell you, folks, where my units are; I just know that we're F1, F3. We'll sort it out here when mayhem ceases.
At times like this, I can't even tell—oh, I shouldn't have jumped that far; that's going to hurt. I did 25 damage. It's mayhem right now. The good thing, though, is a lot of their units are retreating, and we tore up their infantry. They're already getting reinforcements, of course, so here comes more infantry. I have to be careful not to get speared in here. Their archers are still vulnerable; let's drag them right through these crossbowmen.
It's just a big long line. We're just going to continue to truck through these archer lines. Look how long it is! We got to go through here with our shields up. Of course, I got to have my polearm out, killing as many of these guys as I can. I can't believe they haven't routed. I was hoping these guys would route, and we'd be able to ride down most of them when they retreated, but they are stubbornly staying here. The enemy probably has high lords. Look at this—they're reforming all the way to where we were on the top of this hill, and the losses are starting to mount up.
In the heat of battle, adaptability is key; just like in life, focus on the most urgent needs to turn the tide in your favor.
The archers are still vulnerable, and we need to drag them right through these difficult formations. With our crossbow units lined up in a big long line, we will continue to push through these archer lines. Just look how long it is; we have to advance here with our shields up. Of course, I need to have my polearm out to kill as many of these guys as I can. I can't believe they haven't routed yet. I was hoping these guys would break and that we would be able to ride down most of them during their retreat, but they are stubbornly holding their ground. The enemy probably has high lords, as evidenced by their reforming all the way to where we were on the top of this hill, and the losses are starting to mount up.
Fortunately, I'm getting reinforcements at an excellent time. I have archers that can position quickly here, and I need to get infantry in a line and sent to charge. Now, finally, they look like they are reforming, which is not a good sign. I was hoping they would have reformed much earlier so we could have done a lot more damage as they attempted to regroup. Instead, they have fought it out, making this battle even harder.
Our archers are now shooting, and I need to get them positioned on this steep hill. This will allow them to fire a lot of arrows into the backs of these retreating troops. However, the crossbowmen are blocking a lot of these shots. It's what we have to deal with, though, as they don't seem interested in engaging me. I will continue to drive through here and kill a guy every five seconds. The cavalry are getting in my way, so I’ve set up a cavalry square as a distraction down there, hoping it diverts a lot of their attention.
I still have some members of the fifth core left, which are Batanian Fen Champs, and I need to get this infantry line pulled back; otherwise, they will get butchered. Oh, this is good timing; the enemy is falling back again. It’s very tempting to charge and see if we can get a few more kills on these wrapped-around troops. Remember, these troops are being shot by ours, so the more they move, the more they are getting hit. You can actually see the arrows raining down on them now.
However, they are starting to charge our troops with heavy cavalry, and we need to respond to this new emergency. As a full-time firefighter and first responder, I can tell you that battles like this are similar to triage. You help the most urgent needs first. If you don’t know how that works, let me explain: in triage, people who don’t need help or don’t need much help, like someone with a broken arm, are told to walk out. If someone is about to die and we can do something quickly to save them, then we do that, and then we move on to the next person. It’s basically a wartime strategy where you divert your resources to the absolutely most pressing needs to try to save as many as possible, whether it’s an active shooter, earthquake, fire, or bad car accident.
The enemy's infantry is still in a long, strange line, almost like a column shape. I will continue to attack this formation until they change it. Their formation almost resembles a cross, like a big strange religious symbol. Their infantry is trying to get away, but I will keep driving our cavalry right through their archers. Our archers are shooting them from the valley, and it’s like we are manipulating their whole formation. We are dragging around these two cavalry cores, spinning them around like a top while our archers rain arrows down upon them.
You can see the death spam—every other guy is either an archer, Batanian foot sergeant, or crossbowman. It’s hard for me to keep track as I try to kill these guys, but we are laying waste to them. Now, I think we can charge these infantry. Look at the infantry right on their archers; we’ve flushed them right into our infantry. The massacre continues, and it feels like we have the enemy on the ropes. It’s just time to finish them off. I know we are facing 4,000, and there is no finishing off at this stage, but if we can obliterate this whole force, you never know. I’ve never seen an enemy route this early, but this has been an absolute, unmitigated disaster for them, and it’s largely because we have been tactically ready.
In the heat of battle, strategy and adaptability can turn the tide, even against overwhelming odds.
The other guy is Archer Batanian, a Sergeant crossbowman. I mean, it's hard for me to look to see what’s happening. I'm trying to kill these guys, but we are laying waste to them now. I've got infantry, and I think we can charge these infantry. Look at the infantry; they are right on their archers. We flushed them right into our infantry. Charge! The massacre continues! It's like we have the enemy on the ropes, and it's just time to finish him off. I mean, I know we're facing 4,000; there is no finishing off at this stage, but if we can obliterate this whole force, you never know. I've never seen an enemy route this early, but this has been an absolute, unmitigated disaster for them.
A lot of our success has been due to the fact that we've been tactically ready for whatever the enemy did. Again, I'm forming a Cavalry Square here. Okay, they're starting to turn to shoot; we get our shields ready. I've got cavalry and a shield wall now to try to block against heavy cavalry. I've got one infantry unit charging, although they're moving slow, and then I've got the other cavalry unit in the square. Let's get these infantry moved back. I think what we'll do is... I need a horse is what I need; I’ve got to get out of here. I think we're going to do another one of these sort of ridge rushes or whatever. I don't really have a name for this strategy, but there are no horses around me at all. I'm just going to have to run back. I might steal a horse here; guys are taking a beating on the way out.
Right, pulling our units back up again. The one good thing is this cavalry shield wall is serving as sort of bait. Here we go; we got a horse. It's not our archers that are being shot to pieces on the retreat. We're taking arrows in the back from these heavy cavalry, and obviously, they're much better armored than our archers. Follow me! What I really want is a spot that's way deep in our territory so that when we... okay, here we go; we're right at the back of the map. When we charge the enemy on one of these bum rushes, these Blitz CS... what's this guy doing here? There's a lone horseman back here; he must be trying to collect that yarl bounty. It's going to cost him his life.
What I really want, though, is for the enemy to have to come over a ridge, and we've got a ridge here where we can hammer them with archers. But then, we need our infantry and cavalry towards the front so they get a double whammy. They get archers obliterating them as they stick their heads over the ridge, and then, of course, as soon as they're too close to the ridge or approaching the ridge to try to get to our archers, we can rush them.
Get up here, fellas! The reinforcements came in at a beautiful time; we've got a nice big long line of infantry here we can line up. It's a very shallow ridge, but this is going to work. Look, I can barely see that guy, and so the enemy can't see us. They can probably see those archers right there, so we'll have them hold fire. But I think if I have infantry right at the edge of this ridge and cavalry right where it is, I don't think they can shoot us until they get close.
They're forming up a big column down there, a big wedge. Why are you shooting, archers? Listen to your yarl! Archers, move into formation! It worked well last time; I mean, it worked. It was messy, but ultimately, you know, we charged almost 600 troops and eventually got them to route without getting annihilated ourselves. So that's definitely a tactical win. I don't know if it's enough to overcome being outnumbered 4 to 1, but we're going to try it again here.
Yeah, you see they can't see us. I don't know why they're standing there; they're kind of methodical about it. Oh, they're sending in cavalry. Here’s their big cavalry charge; it’s like nine guys. This is another brilliant commander—some more genius AI here, sending their nine horsemen in to get killed while the rest of their troops watch. Obviously, it's just a sideshow to the main event here. Still, we might as well massacre these guys before they cause any losses. I’ve got to avoid getting speared, of course. Here they come; they're starting to march up the ridge. It's kind of cool; the game has really good sound; you can actually hear them marching in.
In the chaos of battle, strategy and adaptability are your greatest allies.
We're going to try it again here. You see, they can't see us. I don't know why they're standing there; they're kind of methodical about it. Oh, they're sending in Cav—here's their Big C charge. It's like nine guys. This is another brilliant Commander, showcasing some more genius AI here, or should I say artificial imbecility? They're sending their nine Horsemen in to get killed while the rest of their troops watch. Obviously, this is just a sideshow to the main event. Still, we might as well massacre these guys before they cause any losses. I have to avoid getting speared, of course. Here they come; they're starting to march up the ridge. It's kind of cool—the game has really good sound. You can actually hear them marching in; you can hear all these boots stomping.
All right, so we're dragging C around again. This should look very familiar. We're going to try the same exact process and see if we can't barrel in on them. Applause Here they're right at the edge. I'm kind of waiting for them to cross that ridge. "Soldiers, follow me! Hem, follow me!" I may have a difficult time narrating again just because there are so many different commands in such a short period of time. I'm moving infantry closer to the ridge. All of our units are in Shield wall here, and we're sneaking out of bounds to get a really wide flank on the enemy. Round we go!
"Charge! Kill them all!" That's a lot of troops, though. In they go. The Archers are trying to spread. "Attack! Attack very aggressively coming in here!" Again, I'm not going to let any of these archers get this free space. Our main line is just driving right into the center of theirs. At this stage, we definitely have stronger units. Let's join these boys on foot, and you go ahead and reform right into my axe. This time, we might try to keep the momentum. We've got our troops right amongst their retreating archers, and we've got Cavalry right on them. They've got lower quality units at this stage, so we full-out charge these units to death. A lot of their infantry survived that main wave; they have a lot of infantry.
All right, let's see. We are still coming downhill. I think it's Square distraction time. "Fire! Fire!" Let's see if any archers have ammo left. We've got this nice ridge to shoot all the retreating units down into this valley. "Follow your—no, not follow your sergeant!" All right, those guys are firing. Music Away we go! We've got Shield walls bearing in on the enemy. The fifth core is also being told to charge, but any of those guys with ammo will shoot. They've got a square heading straight down.
I keep moving my archers up here. We've got these guys on attack too because, at this stage, I need my archers pushing forward as well. I'm sending in another weak Cavalry charge here. Our units in square should be able to handle this no problem. We've got Shield walls that are holding off the enemy beautifully. We've got a Cavalry block in a square. My archers are kind of a big mess here in the center of the battlefield. A lot of their archers can't shoot us because of where they positioned themselves; they're sort of jammed packed together. They should be spreading out, but I think they're tired of being charged.
Here they go; they're finally starting to spread. Now these guys are toast! I've got infantry that are charging here—like 20 on 400 still. It's going to distract a lot of attention from the enemies. We will get reinforcements. We started this battle with something like 1,000 troops; I think we've probably gone through 300. We've definitely got another wave, maybe even two more waves of infantry. It's just a question of where they come in and how we can use them. A lot of green, though. Still, it helps that these crossbowmen...
In battle, positioning is everything; a well-formed square can turn the tide and unleash a storm of firepower.
The position is sort of jammed packed together; they should be spreading out. However, I think they're tired of being charged. Finally, here they go; they're starting to spread. Now, these guys are toast. I've got infantry that are charging here, like 20 on 400. Still, it's going to distract a lot of attention from the enemies. We will get reinforcements; we started this battle with something like 1,000 troops. I think we've probably gone through 300. We've definitely got another wave, maybe even two more waves of infantry. It's just a question of where they come in and how we can use them.
There's a lot of green, though. It helps that these crossbowmen just don't have good line of sight. You can see them standing there at their crossbows. These are reinforcements, yeah, they are. No, that's not what I'm expecting. I'm soon on my FL attack with archers. The numbers are dwindling badly, and I'm retreating units that are in combat. Sometimes that's an inevitability; you have to make a judgment call here, folks. If you've got a lot of units that are retreating and they're in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, you're better off charging. But in this case, with the 20 guys or 30 guys, it looks like it was, you're actually better off just having them fight it out.
Applause Sorry, I'm distracted watching different things. I said the opposite of what I meant. If you've got a lot of units, look at the archers raining down into the valley. We've got a nice weight line of infantry here charging and throwing javelins. We're going to join them. These archer reinforcements are going to be able to range damage down into this valley. We've got a perfect slope for them to shoot down—no reloading.
Dude, it's a lot of cavalry. This is light cavalry, though; these guys get chopped apart by infantry. There we go! Those archers are largely unimpeded up there. I just see them absolutely unloading their bolts and arrows. As long as the enemy is not pushing through with too many heavy cavalry, we're going to just let them work. Let's get these guys into a square. I think our archers will be able to shoot right over this square and decimate these guys. I can attack the guys at the edge of the square, or the archers are getting a little bit higher up on that hill for a little bit more safety. Once they get to that position, they're going to be able to unload arrows.
I'm just sitting behind the square here and I'm going to attack the guys at the edges of it and fall back each time. These guys are happily attacking our square. I've got 11 C I can put in front of our crossbowmen, and that'll work a little bit as a shield wall to help repel some bolts that are being shot at them. What I love about a square this dense is you can move it around like a big turtle on the battlefield and manipulate it to your desire. So if I want to get a better angle on the enemy, I can just angle it one way or the other so that our guys have line of sight.
In this instance, we're attacking. The enemy has a lot of crossbowmen here and less infantry, so you might as well just attack with this square. These are still pretty tough infantry; maybe not all of them are the highest tier, but a lot are.
It's been a sustained massacre in this battle, with the high ground and, of course, at this stage, far superior units. We are just eviscerating the opponent. Look, stand back to cavalry FL back square formation. All these enemy forces are paying me no attention; they're all magnetized to the square. Our archers are still firing away, although these guys now at this stage are probably low on ammo. I still see them shooting, and I still see the death span. These crossbowmen are just like in a daze; they don't have a target. They have a square there that's surrounded by their own guys, and they can't hit our crossbowmen all the way across the battlefield.
Victory favors the well-positioned; when you control the terrain, the battle is yours to win.
This battle showcases the advantage of having the high ground and, of course, at this stage, far superior units. We are just eviscerating the opponent. Our forces are standing back in a square formation, while all these enemy troops are paying me no attention; they are all magnetized to the square. Our archers are still firing away, although they are probably low on ammo at this stage. I still see them shooting, and I can observe the death toll rising.
The enemy's crossbowmen appear to be in a daze; they don't have a target and are surrounded by their own troops. They cannot hit our crossbowmen all the way across the valley. Meanwhile, our guys are pounding their infantry that are attacking our square. Their crossbowmen are literally paralyzed and do not know what to do. Although they finally overcome the square, we just received reinforcements in a beautiful location. We positioned them right on top of this ridge, allowing us to spread even more archers out. This is going to be an absolute slaughterfest.
All our archers have elevation, which gives them an advantage in range, and they are obviously fresh and full of ammo. Meanwhile, we have an infantry division pouring in down here. I can either form a square or a line formation to charge at the enemy. We have a handful of brave soldiers left in the original square, and I think we can save them and give them all medals. Incredibly, I believe this battle is over. I guess I shouldn't count my chickens before they hatch, but we have a superior position here.
I have a strong infantry line that I can run behind, and they are mangling everything in sight. My archers are dealing death from two different locations, creating a triangulated attack on the enemy. A lot of times, reinforcements in big battles like this can be disastrous, but this situation is perfect. The reinforcements are slightly skewed from the other archers, effectively creating two divisions of archers, beautifully spread out. You couldn't have positioned the units better unless the situation occurred naturally.
Our infantry is still outnumbered, but at this stage, we definitely have superior infantry. We have high-level infantry, and there are probably some tier four units in there, while the enemy is down to low or middle-tier troops. They are still standing there, seemingly dazed. Our archers are now charging, and this division consists of those who are out of ammo. Some are still shooting, but now the out-of-ammo troops can charge into battle and support our infantry. It’s just a wave of green; what a massacre! I think they are routing. This battle has been so ugly for them that they have had enough.
They have unreal losses—4,000 enemies—bring more next time. This battle wasn't close; it surprises you how easy it ultimately was. While we certainly lost some companions, including a couple of critical ones, we also killed 3,100 with only 500 losses. This is one of the worst massacres I have been a part of. Of course, there’s a bit of luck involved, but the terrain advantages we had and our tactics, particularly our Blitzkrieg rush, were effective.
They are going to need to build a new town just to hire laborers to bury all these corpses. What a massacre! Our campaign soldiers on. The enemy's armies are not getting any smaller; the battles are just getting bigger and bigger, and the challenges are becoming harder and harder. But that’s what we are here for, right? I love that. Hopefully, people following the campaign are enjoying it. If you're just here for the big battles, we will likely have plenty more of those as well. We will also try to sneak in a little bit of teaching, some tactical advice, and a bit of history, all while having a good time.
Thanks again for watching, friends. Please leave comments, likes, and all that normal stuff I’m supposed to say about my channel. Again, we’re not monetized; we’re just having a good time with this. I will talk to you, friends, next time.