Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Battle Array
Time is of the essence, and Louis must quickly enhance the combat strength of the territory in the coming days.
So he took his white-haired little secretary, Sif, to the training ground to check on the progress of the soldiers’ training.
Sif watched the orderly and synchronized movement of the battle array, her mouth slightly agape.
It was her first time seeing the soldiers of the Red Tide Territory practicing in formation, and she was filled with awe.
The tactics of the Red Tide soldiers were entirely different from the commonly seen combat techniques in this world.
Most lords’ tactics are merely a ragtag army forming a wall of flesh, attempting to withstand cavalry charges through sheer numbers.
But the result is often the knight tearing through the formation, leading to a swift defeat.
However, the Red Tide Territory is different; they use the "Stacked Formation" designed by Louis.
He divided the battle array into three layers, representing cooperative combat for ranged suppression, melee interception, and deadly counterattack.
First layer of the battle array: Archers.
The archers stand at the front, divided into three rows for continuous volley fire, akin to a three-stage strike, thus maintaining a constant rain of arrows.
"Target the horses!" the training officer shouted on the training ground.
The soldiers drew their bows, and arrows rained down like raindrops.
Pop! — Pop! — Pop!
The arrows hit the targets densely; though not accurate, the sheer volume made it inevitable they would hit something.
The simulated targets aren’t the knights themselves, as this kind of attack is quite limited against knights with Fighting Energy.
Their real target is the horses beneath the knights!
Other than magical beasts, ordinary horses usually have no armor and cannot utilize Fighting Energy.
A precise shot to the horse’s legs or belly could disrupt the enemy cavalry’s charging formation, greatly weakening the knight’s impact.
Second layer of the battle array: Spearmen.
"Hold the formation! Maintain your pace!"
After the archers completed the first round of shooting, shield-bearing spearmen swiftly stepped forward, forming a dense array of spears.
The spears they hold measure four to six meters in length, neatly pointed forward.
Their role is, when the enemy cavalry is disrupted by the archers and their momentum diminishes,
they step forward, aiming their spear tips at the belly of the horses, forcing knights to slow down or even lose control, toppling the knights.
Third layer of the battle array: Sword and Axe Warriors.
Once the cavalry is forced to slow down, it becomes the stage for the sword and axe warriors.
They hide behind the spearmen, waiting for the spear formation to successfully stall the enemy before leaping out swiftly, wielding heavy long swords or war axes.
Target—hack off the horse’s legs, then chop down the dismounted knights!
"Slash!"
On the training ground, at the training officer’s command, the sword and axe warriors charged forward swiftly, causing the mock cavalry poles to splinter and shatter.
Even those lower-tier knights, despite having Fighting Energy to protect them, find it hard to leave the battlefield alive when beset by several well-trained sword and axe warriors.
Moreover, this battle array can cooperate with knights to expand the victory.
Of course, this combat technique isn’t Louis’s original, but rather a reference to the stacked formation used by Wu Lin during his resistance against the Jin Army.
In the historical Song Dynasty battle at Immortal Pass, Wu Lin used this tactic to successfully annihilate the Jin Army’s heavy cavalry, the "Iron Butcher."
"Can such a method kill fighting energy warriors?" Sif finally couldn’t help but ask.
"It won’t be so easy to kill anything above an Official Knight, but it’s very effective against low-tier knights," Louis said with some pride.
This set of tactics, of course, cannot confront those high-tier knights; after all, those monsters can destroy hundreds.
But for apprentices and Official Knights, it is a deadly nemesis.
With just a well-trained infantry team, utilizing the formation, they could encircle and kill several knights.
However, these soldiers can only assist on the battlefield; the decisive factor still lies with the knights possessing Fighting Energy.
"Let’s go." Louis interrupted Sif’s thoughts and continued to walk toward the other side of the training ground.
There, the knights were also conducting tactical exercises.
Unlike the infantry formations, the core of the cavalry training is "Swarm Tactics."
This is a tactic Louis improved based on the environment of the Northern Territory.
On the vast training field, the knights were divided into multiple small teams, each led by 3 to 5 Official Knights and 10 to 20 Apprentice Knights.
They kept launching attacks on mock enemies from different directions.
In summary, the tactic is divided into three stages: Harassment—Feint—Focus Fire!
A team quickly approaches the target, throwing javelins or shooting arrows to harass, then immediately retreats.
Another team attacks from the flank, creating an illusion of a main force charge, forcing the enemy to rearrange their defenses.
The two teams keep harassing the enemy in rotation.
Finally, as the enemy falters, a hidden cavalry team suddenly appears, focusing their attack on a critical target, causing maximum damage in a short time.
Throughout the process, the knights maintain high mobility, not engaging the enemy directly, but repeatedly wearing them down and looking for weaknesses.
As soon as the enemy shows fatigue or the commander makes a mistake, the knights take advantage by concentrating their forces for a deadly strike!
The training field resounded with the thunder of hooves and dust swirling.
Lances pierced the wooden stakes, arrows hit their marks steadily.
After months of training, the Red Tide Territory knights could flawlessly execute swarm tactics.
Veteran knights performed with ease, while newcomers, despite some mistakes, gradually integrated into the system through practice.
Louis nodded with satisfaction.
This combat technique could maximize the protection of his cavalry while continuously weakening the enemy.
Compared to the foolish tactic of mindless charges which end in encirclement and annihilation, this scattered harassment strategy is the fighting style that elite cavalry should adopt.
Sif watched the disciplined and rapidly obedient knights, feeling somewhat stirred inside.
Their actions were precise and every order was executed promptly without the slightest delay.
This was completely different from the Northern Tribe warriors she was familiar with.
In the tribe, warriors were more accustomed to rushing in frenziedly, relying on personal bravery and physical prowess rather than cooperative and tactical combat.
If the knights of the Ironblood Empire were all like the ones in the Red Tide Territory, then the Northern Tribes would be in danger.
She slightly clenched her hand, feeling conflicted.
As a former princess of the Cold Moon Tribe, she certainly hoped all traitors would be killed, especially those who poisoned her father and murdered her mother, brothers, and sisters.
She wished they would not find a place to bury their bones.
But if the Empire really swept the Northern Territory with full force, then the innocent clansmen her father protected...
"What are you thinking about, let’s go to the Alchemy Workshop."
Louis’s voice interrupted Sif’s scattered thoughts.
She snapped back, glanced at Louis, and eventually said nothing, silently following along.
Louis gazed at the increasingly powerful army on the training ground, feeling a sense of joy.
The soldiers were now proficient in utilizing battle formations, and the knights’ swarm tactics had also taken shape, making them many times more combat-effective than when they first arrived at the Red Tide Territory.
Very good, next comes the Magic Flame Bullet.
If Hillco’s team has achieved results in their research, his upcoming battles will be even more assured.
If it hasn’t been completed yet...
Louis let out a light hum, already having a plan in mind.
Then make Hillco work overtime until it’s done, hmph, wear him out.
He pulled the reins and spurred his war horse forward.
Sif also mounted her horse, and they, along with the accompanying knights, rode toward the Alchemy Workshop.