Warhammer Fantasy: I Have Total War System

The sound of bones cracking echoed as horses' hooves pounded the sand, and a fierce wind swept across the sand littered with the corpses of ghouls and ogres.

Dried fungal cysts and rusted equipment tumbled down the sand ditch, raising clouds of reddish-brown dust.

"This is it." Li Lin reined in the reins and, along with Qian Tang, He Xu, and Jian Ping, arrived at the site where he had fought the cannibalistic war gang during his transmigration.

Several days later, even the vast desert with its endless yellow sand could not completely bury this tragic battlefield.

A faint smell of metal mixed with foot odor still lingered in the air.

The overturned gun carriage lay haphazardly on the slope, and the dents made by the large mallet on the bronze gun barrel were clearly visible.

Several overturned supply wagons, their wheels still spinning forlornly in mid-air.

The mountain-sized corpse of the cannibalistic tyrant and the spears impaling his head remained in place.

Even in death, it exudes an astonishing aura, deterring desert foxes and vultures from approaching easily.

He Xu dismounted, covered his mouth and nose, and stared in astonishment at the tyrant's corpse for a moment before turning back to Li Lin, clasping his hands in apology:

"I initially thought Steward Li was exaggerating when I was in the side tent. I was truly blind to his greatness. I apologize to Steward Li here."

The young general Jian Ping also pulled Qian Tang to apologize and bow.

Qiantang wasn't as resistant this time, but looking at the charred corpses and the blackened spear shafts, there was still a hint of resentment in his eyes.

"It's nothing," Li Lin turned his horse around and pointed to the corner blocking the view of the cliff. "Didn't you come here to hear me talk about war? Let's start here."

He Xu and Jian Ping's eyes lit up as they quickly approached, with Qian Tang following half a step behind them, arms crossed.

Li Lin cleared his throat, trying to make the corner defense tactic in the game sound as serious as possible.

The principle is actually quite simple: it involves using the terrain to create the smallest possible, densest enemy-contact lines, and then bombarding them with spells or ranged weapons.

"The terrain here isn't very effective for defending a corner. I didn't have any troops at the time, so I had to sacrifice artillery carriages and trains to act as obstacles."

"If there were enclosed triangular ramps or narrow passages that could only accommodate one troop at a time, we wouldn't have to pay such a high price."

Jian Ping jotted down a few notes on his wooden slip, paused to think, and said to Li Lin, "I have an idea. Why not bring some obstacles specifically designed for rapid deployment?"

Li Lin was taken aback.

That makes sense, but there's no such thing in the game.

"Tell me about it."

Jian Ping perked up, squatted down, and traced lines on the sand with his fingers: "This humble servant has seen the military equipment bureau in Nongchang. They made a kind of 'chevaux-de-frise,' which is a horizontal bar with two rows of spears densely inserted on it. Normally, it can be folded up, and when in use, the bar is nailed to the ground, with the spear tips pointing outwards at an angle, so enemy cavalry can't get in at all."

"There is also a type of stand with an iron base, which is larger than the shields of ordinary infantrymen. It has a pointed bottom and can stand upright by being inserted into the ground. Iron spears are placed between the gaps. It is not as dense as a chevaux-de-frise, but it is better at resisting firearms and crossbow bolts."

interesting.

Li Lin and He Xu squatted down next to him, and the three of them simulated the battle against the Ogres' War Gang again, adding the two types of obstacles mentioned earlier.

The final conclusion was that this thing was indeed useful, but its drawbacks were also obvious.

First, its durability is not high, and it is easily destroyed by infantry, magic and concentrated fire, so it cannot be used as the main line of defense. Second, the enemy will find it difficult to rush up when they see that the position is heavily defended.

"Yes, do you know how heavy these things are?"

Jian Ping answered all questions without reservation: "There are different sizes of chevaux-de-frise. The smaller ones are three feet tall and weigh about thirty pounds. One person can carry two of them, and they can be deployed in just ten breaths. The larger ones are six feet tall and weigh eighty pounds, requiring two people to carry them. The chevaux-de-frise are even lighter, weighing no more than twenty pounds each, and they have a folding support on the back."

"Shouldn't ordinary craft workshops and the armory be able to make them?"

"Yes!" Jian Ping's face flushed. "We don't even need a dedicated armory. Just prepare the iron and wood, and the craftsmen recruited from the civilian population can build it!"

"Very good, very good. Jian Lushun, you have done a great service. When I get back, I will gather some arms dealers and workshop owners to make a few to test the effect."

Qian Tang nudged He Xu with his elbow and whispered a few words in his ear. He Xu scratched the back of his head and interjected, "What if the enemy doesn't attack at all?"

Jian Ping and Li Lin looked at him simultaneously. He Xu, forcing a smile, asked, "I mean, if we surround the position so tightly that even the flanks are blocked with obstacles, and the enemy sees that they can't attack from the front or the flanks, what if they simply stop attacking and go around to our side? Or what if they don't even enter our firing range and just wait and see what happens on the outside? Wouldn't our 'box formation' then become... digging our own grave?"

"Good question," Li Lin patted the sand off his hands. "It's a good thing that the enemy is unwilling to attack. Our Aurora troops aren't just for show. We can just place them in the center of the position and let them explode."

"If they're too far away, send a few elite soldiers with mages to sneak up and bomb them with magic. If they dare to chase after us, they'll get shot."

At this point, Li Lin suddenly realized that the Allied forces seemed to have very few gunpowder units.

It was possessed by only a few generals and Wei Gongzi's men.

"What if the other side sets up cannons and fires back at you?" Qian Tang's voice suddenly came from the side, low and guttural, as if squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Two methods," Li Lin held up two fingers. "First, take out the enemy's gunpowder troops before they open fire, for example, by sending the flying Jade Dragon Horse troops to rush over and smash those cannons, or as I said before, have the mages blow up the cannons first."

"Secondly, we need to bring the artillery over to engage the enemy."

"What if we don't have a mobile force with sufficient capabilities, nor mages or artillery capable of engaging in direct fire?" Qian Tang continued to ask. Li Lin couldn't tell if he was genuinely considering the possibility of a difficult situation or if he was simply trying to make things difficult for him.

"Then we can only take it one step at a time," he shrugged. "Move the box formation to the woods or the back of the slope and just take it. If they have a military advantage over you, you deserve to be bombed. Guarding the corner is just a combat strategy, not a panacea."

He Xu and Jian Ping nodded repeatedly as they listened.

Qiantang stood there in silence for a long time, showing no sign of being persuaded.

He paused for a moment before speaking, "According to Steward Li's tactics, in most cases, it will inevitably come to close combat in the end, and both sides will suffer huge losses."

"I have read no fewer than fifty military books, from the 'Battle Manual' to the 'Mirror of the Six Armies,' from the 'Wind Formation' to the 'Crescent Moon Formation.' Military strategists throughout history have devoted their efforts to studying how to defeat the enemy at the lowest possible cost. If the cost of winning and losing is equally devastating, then what is the difference between winning and losing?"

He Xu and Jian Ping both turned pale.

Li Lin's troops had just been completely wiped out, this was like rubbing salt into his wounds!

The three of them came together, hoping to learn and make friends, but they ended up offending someone, which could be disastrous!

Sure enough, Li Lin's face visibly darkened.

The two pounced on Qiantang at the same time, wanting to shut this clueless bastard up.

Unexpectedly, Qian Tang took out a three-foot square, jet-black black iron chessboard from the storage pouch at his waist.

The chessboard is made of a very special material; its metallic sheen is as black as night, and occasionally, snakes seem to flicker within it.

The chessboard also features four different colored "eyes" at its four corners—green in the east, white in the west, red in the south, and black in the north—making it exceptionally elegant and refined.

He quickly set out two stone benches and casually arranged two sets of black and white military chess reliefs on the chessboard.

The bas-reliefs of infantrymen with spears, crossbowmen with bows, cavalrymen on horseback, and artillerymen pushing cannons are all exquisitely detailed, with distinct figures and clearly visible armor patterns.

"Further words are pointless," he gestured for Li Lin to sit down, "Chief Steward Li, let's have a military exercise."