Army orders

Latest revision as of 12:02, 29 June 2024

Overview

A military campaign is not a single battle: a campaign is a prolonged period of warfare that takes place over the whole territory in the three months between events. Each general can issue a single set of orders for the army they control. The orders should describe a broad strategic plan representing what the general would like the army to achieve on campaign in a territory over the downtime before the next event.

If a set of orders turns out to break one of the rules - for example moving to a territory the army can't reach, or using an order they don't have access to - then Profound Decisions will e-mail the player after the event with a set of options to choose from that fulfills as much of the original order as possible.

Movement

Generals may issue orders to attack or defend any territory their army can reach. To keep things as simple as possible, an army is assumed to move to any territory that the general issues orders to attack or defend before any fighting takes place. In effect, an army can slip away at the start of a season before the campaign begins.

Most Imperial armies can move through three territories in a season (for example, an army in Bregasland may be ordered to defend Hercynia - it will pass through Kallavesa and Hahnmark before reaching Hercynia where it will join any campaign that takes place. However an army cannot pass through a territory it does not control - it will automatically stop and engage any enemy forces present if it enters a hostile territory - one that is controlled by an enemy power.

A fast army can use the forced march order to move as far as its general wishes each season, but must still stop when it enters a territory that is controlled by an enemy.

Note that the elite military unit resources controlled by players do not move like this. Military units can cross the entire Empire swiftly and quickly - so they can be freely assigned to an Imperial army, or sent to raid a neighbouring nation.

There is no "move order" for an army, even if an army moves to the centre of the Empire to resupply, it is assumed that it would defend the territory it has moved to if that territory were attacked.

Impeded Movement

Sometimes geography or current events will serve to slow down an army as it attempts to move through a territory. When any Imperial army experiences impeded movement in a territory then they require the same time normally required to pass through two territories rather than one. Any army that has their movement into or through a territory impeded can move one less territory than normal that season.

Attacking

Imperial armies can only attack a region that is adjacent to an existing region controlled by the Empire
Taking any attack action means a campaign will happen if the enemy is still in the territory.
Taking any attack action means the army is not eligible for natural resupply this season.

If a general wishes to attack a territory, they must indicate which region they wish to assault. Imperial armies can only attack a region that is adjacent to an existing region controlled by the Empire. This represents the limitations of warfare and the practicalities of moving armies through enemy territory. The region the army is attacking from may be in another territory - but in this case it is twice as difficult to take the region.

If a general wishes to attempt to capture more than one region, they should indicate which regions they will attack and in what order. Subsequent regions that are assaulted may only be adjacent to the region that has just be conquered.

All of these orders will always cause a military campaign to be initiated in the territory if there is an opposing force present. If an attacking force is victorious - they will capture land - the greater the victory the more land they will take in a season.

Cautious Advance

Casualties suffered by this army are reduced by a fifth
The ability of this army to capture territory is reduced by a fifth

A general may be keen to scout out a territory to identify enemy forces, or simply wish to make a probing attack to initiate a campaign. A cautious assault can also be useful to disrupt enemy supplies lines and prevent the enemy from resupplying.

Cautious assaults are less effective at claiming territory - the attackers are less able to overcome the defenders and drive them back - but casualties suffered will be lower. Urizen and Freeborn armies favour this strategy as it provides the most certain ways to identify the strength of the enemy position.

Balanced Attack

There are no modifiers associated with this order

This is the standard order issued by Imperial generals who wish to engage the enemy forces in a territory. A balanced attack involves assaulting the enemy positions but seeks weak points in the enemy lines rather than attempting to smash through strong positions. Highguard armies favour this strategy believing that the natural efficiency best serves the manifest destiny of the Empire.

Overwhelming Assault

Casualties suffered by this army are increased by a fifth
The ability of this army to capture territory is increased by a fifth

A general who seeks victory at any price can order an overwhelming assault. The army will spend the season seeking out the strongest enemy troops and attempting to smash through their positions. This kind of attack is dangerous - casualties will be higher than normal - but the army will gain more ground during that season. Wintermark and Dawnish armies favour this strategy as it provides many opportunities for glory and heroism.

Steady Conquest

Casualties suffered by this army are reduced by a fifth
Casualties inflicted by this army are reduced by a fifth
Only Imperial armies may take this order.

Every Imperial army is accompanied by a cadre of battlefield physicks and chirurgeons, and magicians skilled in healing magic, who are more than prepared to take risks to help minimize Imperial losses. By adapting strategies to make the most use of these resources, a general can ensure no part of the army is ever too far away from skilled medical attention. At the same time, the general ensures that the soldiers in their army eschew risky tactics, or those that would lead to unnecessary loss of life, in pursuit of spilling enemy blood.

Steady conquest is as effective as balanced attack in claiming enemy territory and securing strategic objectives, but significantly reduces the casualties suffered by the army - at the cost of inflicting less casualties on enemy forces. This order became possible after the coronation of the twentieth Throne, Empress Lisabetta, when Imperial strategy was reassessed in the light of significant losses inflicted by the barbarian orcs.

Defending

Imperial armies can only defend a region that is controlled by the Empire
No campaign will take place unless another force issues an order to attack
Any victory achieved by the army translates into fewer casualties incurred rather than territory gained
Taking a defending order means an army is eligible to receive natural resupply provided the other requirements are satisfied.

Armies on defend are seeking to hold their position and fight off any attackers they encounter. If all forces in a territory have orders to defend the regions they control, then no campaign takes place and the side that controls the territory will be able to resupply their forces. If the defenders are victorious - if their side has a higher military strength than the attacker, then their victory translates directly into reduced casualties for the defenders. The greater the victory, the less casualties they suffer. Defenders take fewer casualties than attackers anyway; all other factors being equal there is a small natural advantage that favours the defender.

Give Ground

Casualties suffered by this army are decreased by a half
The ability of this army to defend territory is decreased by two fifths

A general that wants their army to carry out a fighting retreat can issue orders to give ground. The army will avoid major engagements, while still attempting to slow the enemy advance using ambushes and the like. An army that is giving ground is much less effective at holding the territory against an attacker, but will see their casualties reduced accordingly. Navarr and Varushkan armies are both fond of this strategy. The Navarr consider it an effective way to bleed an enemy as they advance into a trap, while in Varushka the land itself can soon become the enemy of an unwary attacker.

Following the events of the Summer Solstice 381YE, no Marcher general can issue this order. If they try to do so, it will default to Solid Defence. Marcher generals can instead give the unique defensive order Shoulder to Shoulder which gives additional advantages when fighting alongside other Marcher armies.

Solid Defence

Casualties suffered by this army are decreased by a fifth
Any army that does not submit an order defaults to solid defence.

An army that attempts the solid defence of a region will seek to make best use of the terrain to bring the enemy to battle in a way that favours the defender. Casualties suffered are less than if the army simply attacks, even though an enemy army that attacks is just as likely to be rebuffed. The League traditionally favours a solid defence believing that the fortifications at Holberg have proven the advantage of this strategy over many years.

Heroic Stand

Casualties suffered by this army are increased by a fifth
The ability of this army to defend territory is increased by three tenths

An army that commits to a heroic stand will not initiate a military campaign - but they will make the enemy pay for every inch of ground they take. The army will take every opportunity to engage with the enemy side, they won't fight to the last soldier, but they will fight on even until the cause is utterly hopeless. Marcher armies favour this strategy; their natural belligerence makes them loathe to leave any battlefield while the chance of victory remains.

Billet

Can use the order to billet an army in a territory when defending Bregasland, Upwold, or Mitwold
There are no bonuses or penalties to defend the territory, or to casualties taken or received
The total cost to support the Imperial armies billeted in a single Marcher territory is reduced by a total of ten thrones

The soldiers of the army are dispersed across the Marcher territory they are instructed to defend. Those who are injured are fed and supported while they recover from their wounds. Those who can will be expected to work the farm at the direction of the yeoman who owns it in exchange for their bed and board.

The opportunity to create this special order arose as the result of a mandate enacted by Friar John of the Mourn following the Spring Equinox 383YE. It relies on the presence of the Imperial Breadbasket. If that great work were extended to cover other Marcher territories, the billet order could be taken there as well.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ==Overview==
-Each [[general]] can issue a single set of orders for the army they control. The orders should describe a broad strategic plan representing what the general would like the army to achieve in a territory over the [[downtime]] before the next event.
+A [[war|military campaign]] is not a single battle: a campaign is a prolonged period of warfare that takes place over the whole territory in the three months between events. Each [[general]] can issue a single set of orders for the army they control. The orders should describe a broad strategic plan representing what the general would like the army to achieve on campaign in a territory over the [[downtime]] before the next event.
-A campaign is not a single battle, a campaign is a prolonged period of warfare that takes place over the whole territory in the three months between events.
+If a set of orders turns out to break one of the rules - for example moving to a territory the army can't reach, or using an order they don't have access to - then Profound Decisions will e-mail the player after the event with a set of options to choose from that fulfills as much of the original order as possible.
-==Sequence==
-At the beginning of an event the generals are briefed on the current status of their army and the outcome of the campaign, if any, that it was involved in running up to the event. They are also presented with a number of ''opportunities'' to intervene – usually battles or skirmishes, that might affect the current military situation.
-Toward the end of the event, the generals are briefed with regard to how the actions of the characters (especially battles and skirmishes) have changed the situation since the start of the event, if at all. Each general must then submit an order for their army to follow over the coming three months.
-These orders are then compared with the orders submitted for the barbarian armies to identify which forces are fighting and calculate the outcomes.
 ==Movement==
-Generals may issue orders to attack or defend any territory their army can reach. To keep things as simple as possible, an army is assumed to move to any territory that the general issues orders to attack or defend before any fighting takes place. In effect an army can slip away at the start of a season before the campaign begins.
+Generals may issue orders to attack or defend any territory their army can reach. To keep things as simple as possible, an army is assumed to move to any territory that the general issues orders to attack or defend before any fighting takes place. In effect, an army can slip away at the start of a season before the campaign begins.
-Most Imperial armies can move through three territories in a season (for example, an army in [[Bregasland]] may be ordered to defend Hercynia - it will pass through [[Kallavesa]] and [[Hahnmark]] before reaching [[Hercynia]] where it will join any campaign that takes place. However an army cannot pass through a territory it does not control - it will automatically stop and engage any enemy forces present if it enters a hostile territory - one that is controlled by an enemy power.
+Most Imperial armies can move through three territories in a season (for example, an army in [[Bregasland]] may be ordered to defend [[Hercynia]] - it will pass through [[Kallavesa]] and [[Hahnmark]] before reaching [[Hercynia]] where it will join any campaign that takes place. However an army cannot pass through a territory it does not control - it will automatically stop and engage any enemy forces present if it enters a hostile territory - one that is controlled by an enemy power.
-A [[Military keywords#Fast|fast]] army can move up to five territories each season, but must still stop when it enters a territory that is controlled by an enemy.
+A [[Army qualities#Fast|fast]] army can use the forced march order to move as far as its general wishes each season, but must still stop when it enters a territory that is controlled by an enemy.
 Note that the elite [[military unit]] resources controlled by players do not move like this. Military units can cross the entire Empire swiftly and quickly - so they can be freely assigned to an Imperial army, or sent to raid a neighbouring nation.
-==Orders==
-Orders should focus on ''what'' the general wants their army to achieve rather than ''how'' they do it. An Imperial army fights to the best of it's ability, the civil service control military logistics and supply lines and the Empire has battlefield captains and commanders who are well versed in tactics. The orders issued by a general determine the overall actions of their army in the field over the next three months; there is no option to submit specific tactics or arrangements of troops. The place for complex battlefield plans is during the events, where player characters fight barbarian enemies.
-E.g. The Dawn general of The Hounds of Glory may issue orders for their soldiers to advance without concern for casualties with the goal of smashing through the Druj lines to join up with the Imperial forces defending the fortifications at the city of Holberg.
-The ''type'' of orders that a general can give fall into six categories - three for attacking and three for defending, based on how aggressive or cautious the general wishes their army to be. The text for the orders is important - we use it to determine the narrative of the campaign outcome - and it influences the options that the plot team write for the battles at the next event -  but the ''mathematical'' results are calculated based purely on the type of order that was submitted.
 There is no "move order" for an army, even if an army moves to the centre of the Empire to resupply, it is assumed that it would defend the territory it has moved to if that territory were attacked.
-===Issuing Orders===
+===Impeded Movement===
-* '''The general hands their a copy of their signed orders to the Herald of the Council'''
+Sometimes geography or current events will serve to slow down an army as it attempts to move through a territory. When any Imperial army experiences ''impeded movement'' in a territory then they require the same time normally required to pass through two [[territory|territories]] rather than one. Any army that has their movement into or through a territory ''impeded'' can move one less territory than normal that season.
-The Imperial general must provide the Herald of the Council with a signed copy of their orders. The General can submit their orders at any time. Traditionally they are written and sealed on the last day but there is no legal requirement for this - as long as the orders are received by the Herald before the end of the summit.
-The civil service use the signed orders to make suitable arrangements and instructions for all the necessary logistical support, as well as ensuring that the correct orders are communicated to the army. Any attempt to change the orders once they are officially given to the Herald invariably leads to chaos and confusion which harms the army's effectiveness.
+==Attacking==
+* '''Imperial armies can only attack a region that is adjacent to an existing region controlled by the Empire'''
+* '''Taking any attack action means a campaign will happen if the enemy is still in the territory.'''
+* '''Taking any attack action means the army is not eligible for natural resupply this season.'''
+If a general wishes to attack a territory, they must indicate which region they wish to assault. Imperial armies can only attack a region that is adjacent to an existing region controlled by the Empire. This represents the limitations of warfare and the practicalities of moving armies through enemy territory. The region the army is attacking ''from'' may be in another territory - but in this case it is twice as difficult to take the region.
-===Barbarian Orders===
+If a general wishes to attempt to capture more than one region, they should indicate which regions they will attack and in what order. Subsequent regions that are assaulted may only be adjacent to the region that has just be conquered.
-The orders for the barbarian armies are submitted by members of the military campaign plot team. The barbarian generals have access to magic and rituals - similar to those employed by the players - so the team also decide which rituals to use to strengthen their armies and to scry the Imperial forces. All these decisions are done blind; the people submitting them do not have '''any''' knowledge of the orders submitted or rituals performed by the players.
-==Attacking==
-* '''Taking any attack action means a campaign will happen if the enemy is still in the territory.'''
 All of these orders will always cause a military campaign to be initiated in the territory if there is an opposing force present. If an attacking force is victorious - they will capture land - the greater the victory the more land they will take in a season.
@@ Line 60: / Line 46: @@
 A general who seeks victory at any price can order an overwhelming assault. The army will spend the season seeking out the strongest enemy troops and attempting to smash through their positions. This kind of attack is dangerous - casualties will be higher than normal - but the army will gain more ground during that season. Wintermark and Dawnish armies favour this strategy as it provides many opportunities for [[glory]] and [[heroism]].
+===Steady Conquest===
+* '''Casualties suffered by this army are reduced by a fifth'''
+* '''Casualties inflicted by this army are reduced by a fifth'''
+* '''Only Imperial armies may take this order.'''
+Every Imperial army is accompanied by a cadre of battlefield physicks and chirurgeons, and magicians skilled in healing magic, who are more than prepared to take risks to help minimize Imperial losses. By adapting strategies to make the most use of these resources, a general can ensure no part of the army is ever too far away from skilled medical attention. At the same time, the general ensures that the soldiers in their army eschew risky tactics, or those that would lead to unnecessary loss of life, in pursuit of spilling enemy blood.
+Steady conquest is as effective as [[#Balanced Attack|balanced attack]] in claiming enemy territory and securing strategic objectives, but significantly reduces the casualties suffered by the army - at the cost of inflicting less casualties on enemy forces. This order became possible after the [[Iron and wine|coronation]] of the twentieth [[the Throne|Throne]], [[Empress Lisabetta]], when Imperial strategy was reassessed in the light of significant losses inflicted by the barbarian [[orc|orcs]].
 ==Defending==
-* '''No campaign will take place unless another army issues an order to attack'''
+* '''Imperial armies can only defend a region that is controlled by the Empire'''
+* '''No campaign will take place unless another force issues an order to attack'''
 * '''Any victory achieved by the army translates into fewer casualties incurred rather than territory gained'''
-Armies on defend are seeking to hold their position and fight off any attackers they encounter. If all armies in a territory have orders to defend the regions they control, then no campaign takes place and the side that controls the territory will be able to resupply their forces. If the defenders are victorious - if their side has a higher effective strength than the attacker, then their victory translates directly into reduced casualties for the defenders. The greater the victory, the less casualties they suffer. Defenders take less casualties than attackers anyway; all other factors being equal there is a small natural advantage that favours the defender.
+* '''Taking a defending order means an army is eligible to receive natural resupply provided the other requirements are satisfied.'''
+Armies on defend are seeking to hold their position and fight off any attackers they encounter. If all forces in a territory have orders to defend the regions they control, then no campaign takes place and the side that controls the territory will be able to resupply their forces. If the defenders are victorious - if their side has a higher military strength than the attacker, then their victory translates directly into reduced casualties for the defenders. The greater the victory, the less casualties they suffer. Defenders take fewer casualties than attackers anyway; all other factors being equal there is a small natural advantage that favours the defender.
 ===Give Ground===
@@ Line 71: / Line 67: @@
 A general that wants their army to carry out a fighting retreat can issue orders to give ground. The army will avoid major engagements, while still attempting to slow the enemy advance using ambushes and the like. An army that is giving ground is much less effective at holding the territory against an attacker, but will see their casualties reduced accordingly. Navarr and Varushkan armies are both fond of this strategy. The Navarr consider it an effective way to bleed an enemy as they advance into a trap, while in Varushka the land itself can soon become the enemy of an unwary attacker.
+Following the [[All_along_the_watchtower#Resolution|events of the Summer Solstice 381YE]], no Marcher general can issue this order. If they try to do so, it will default to [[#Solid Defence|Solid Defence]]. Marcher generals can instead give the unique defensive order ''[[The_Marches_military_concerns#Army orders|Shoulder to Shoulder]]'' which gives additional advantages when fighting alongside other Marcher armies.
 ===Solid Defence===
 * '''Casualties suffered by this army are decreased by a fifth'''
+* '''Any army that does not submit an order defaults to solid defence.'''
 An army that attempts the solid defence of a region will seek to make best use of the terrain to bring the enemy to battle in a way that favours the defender. Casualties suffered are less than if the army simply attacks, even though an enemy army that attacks is just as likely to be rebuffed. The League traditionally favours a solid defence believing that the fortifications at Holberg have proven the advantage of this strategy over many years.
@@ Line 81: / Line 80: @@
 * '''The ability of this army to defend territory is increased by three tenths'''
-An army that commits to a heroic stand will not initiate a military campaign - but they will make the enemy pay for every inch of ground they take. The army will take every opportunity to engage with the enemy side, they won't fight to the last man, but they will fight on even until the cause is utterly hopeless. Marcher armies favour this strategy, their natural belligerence makes them loathe to leave any battlefield while the chance of victory remains.
+An army that commits to a heroic stand will not initiate a military campaign - but they will make the enemy pay for every inch of ground they take. The army will take every opportunity to engage with the enemy side, they won't fight to the last soldier, but they will fight on even until the cause is utterly hopeless. Marcher armies favour this strategy; their natural belligerence makes them loathe to leave any battlefield while the chance of victory remains.
+===Billet===
+* '''Can use the order to billet an army in a territory when defending [[Bregasland]], [[Upwold]], or [[Mitwold]]'''
+* '''There are no bonuses or penalties to defend the territory, or to casualties taken or received'''
+* '''The total cost to support the Imperial armies billeted in a single Marcher territory is reduced by a total of ten thrones'''
+The soldiers of the army are dispersed across the Marcher territory they are instructed to defend. Those who are injured are fed and supported while they recover from their wounds. Those who can will be expected to work the farm at the direction of the yeoman who owns it in exchange for their bed and board.
-[[Category: Rules]]
+The [[opportunity]] to [[Home_fires#A_Meal_and_a_Bed|create this special order]] arose as the result of a [[mandate]] enacted by Friar John of the Mourn following the Spring Equinox 383YE. It relies on the presence of the [[The_Marches_economic_interests#Granaries_and_Storehouses_-_the_Imperial_Breadbasket|Imperial Breadbasket]]. If that [[great work]] were extended to cover other [[the Marches|Marcher]] [[territory|territories]], the billet order could be taken there as well.
-[[Category: Downtime]]
+{{War Further Reading}}
-[[Category: Military Council]]

Army orders

Latest revision as of 12:02, 29 June 2024

Contents

Overview

Movement

Impeded Movement

Attacking

Cautious Advance

Balanced Attack

Overwhelming Assault

Steady Conquest

Defending

Give Ground

Solid Defence

Heroic Stand

Billet

Further Reading

Core Brief

Additional Information

Profound Decisions[edit | | ]

Community[edit | | ]

Wiki Editors[edit | | ]