Battle Thread (Skirmish at Er Ba Zhen)

[Sam]

Turn 3 Results

Post Order:

Sun Quan
Li Wang
Ryou Kin
Shen Ha

Troop Losses:

Sun Quan:
41 Light Swordsmen
28 Retinue Swordsmen
40 Levy Spearmen
12 Pikemen
33 Peasant Bowmen
31 Recurve Bowmen
15 Light Cavalry
11 Elite Heavy Cavalry
3 Heavy Cavalry (via swamp)

Li Wang:
356 Light Swordsmen
228 Retinue Swordsmen
144 Levy Spearmen
51 Pikemen
425 Peasant Bowmen
264 Recurve Bowmen
139 Light Cavalry
68 Elite Heavy Cavalry

Ryou Kin:
22 Light Cavalry (from Sun Quan's Horsebowmen as you and he ford the swamp in a mad rush)

Shen Ha:
225 Light Swordsmen
179 Retinue Swordsmen
64 Levy Spearmen
24 Retinue Spearmen
249 Peasant Bowmen
241 Crossbowmen
388 Light Cavalry
157 Heavy Cavalry

Yue Jin:
None yet.

Morale:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Weather Report:

The day remains warm and bright under the heat of the unhindered sun. The south earternly breeze seemingly dies down. Clouds continue to push in from the east, taking their place in the clear blue sky. The humidity heralds a potential rain shower.

Summary:

In the north Ku Ren spots the mass Wu charge and instinctively begins to withdraw over the swamp, in the direction of the dinosaur bones. His retreat is impaired by the swamp, but the lightly-kitted horsemen find little trouble traversing them without anything bad befalling them.

Sun Quan's horsebowmen arrive on the scene after their target and begin fording the swamp in pursuit, appearing to keep pace behind Ku Ren's lighter cavalry for now. The Heavy Cavalry are not so fortunate as initial contact with the swamp is met with disaster as the weight of their protective gear, coupled with their speed out of the forest, has them crashing head first into the swamp, unable to cope under such conditions, cutting off the momentum of their pursuit.

The paleontologists of Wu, manage to surface the head, neck and shoulders of the dinosaur, and continue digging, knowing now where to dig to get the rest; even as the sound of horses increases behind them.

The battle begins! The main clash kicks off in the south as Shen Ha sallies forth against Li Wang's arriving army, their forward lines of archers crumble under the sudden cavalry charge, but not before a panicked volley is discharged in desperation. The charge is a surface strike and does not penetrate the forward lines, as Shen Ha pulls back immediately after contact. The surviving archers give him reason to pull back as they give him a few more arrows.

Both Shen Ha's and Li Wang's armies send volleys and artillery bombards at each others main positions, as Shen Ha falls back into his own lines, and Li Wang's advance continues, seemingly hell bent on traversing the open as a singular formation. Shen Ha's army moved into motion, closing the gap ready for battle.

Li Wang's catapult crew discharge a bombard and rip into the grove, glancing the cherry tree's hind branches and taking out a couple of it's friends instead of the centermost target. (Only one volley per turn to represent reload times)

Yue Jin prepares to engage Sun Quan. Like Shen Ha he braces for the coming bloodbath, letting loose a volley on Sun Quan's forward lines. (I'll be needing some kind of formation diagram or description this turn Justin.)

Completed Objectives so far:

Sun Quan - Talk to an enemy officer, in or outside of battle! (+5 Rep), Be the one to discover the dinosaur bones in the Northern Swamp! (+10 Rep)

Li Wang - Talk to an enemy officer, in or outside of battle! (+5 Rep), Personally pick the Cherry Tree in the middle of the map! (+10 Rep, your troops are less fatigued.)

Ryou Kin - Talk to an enemy officer, in or outside of battle! (+5 Rep)

Shen Ha - Talk to an enemy officer, in or outside of battle! (+5 Rep)

Let Turn 4 Begin!

EDIT: Restructure for easier to read points.

[Guo Huai]

Sweat dripped down Guo Huai's brow, his hand on the reigns of his steed below him. Dong Xuanfeng rode a couple of feet away to his right, with his army behind. They had been marching for hours on end, though it was a slow march - Guo Huai didn't want to wear his men out before leading them straight in to battle. That would have proven to be a terrible mistake. They had been taking twenty minute rests between a couple of hours marching, which was sufficient for the moderate size of his personal army. Even though they weren't experienced troops or veterans, they had an unbreakable spirit, which they had gained from their commanders.

Even though Guo Huai probably wasn't the most amazing leader of men out there, he was still competent at doing so. He had, after all, personally lead the retreat from Han Zhong, the same battle which killed the brilliant Xiahou Yuan, almost dead from illness. Whilst he had made a slow recovery, he was still feeling the stabs of infections throughout his body - the head doctor in Xu Chang had given him medicine to counter the disease, however, and it seemed to be working a charm. It had almost cleared his cough up entirely. Guo Huai snapped out of his inner reflections as Dong Xuanfeng suddenly spoke.

"Their forces will be gargantuan" she said simply, her deep voice booming below the clinks of armour and weapons. Guo Huai glanced over to his right, to see her staring straight ahead with an expressionless face.

He couldn't help but grin to himself. Dong Xuanfeng was an odd one. She hadn't claimed allegiance to Wei, yet she still stuck around for Guo Huai. After the failed assassination, he had her captured and jailed. He couldn't let go such a talent or execute her - her abilities would prove incredibly fruitful to the ambitions of Wei, and possibly the higher commanders, such as Sima Yi, in the future. After seventeen days of refusing to enter his service, she eventually agreed under one condition - that she was available to leave whenever she wished to do so. Guo Huai agreed. She was incredibly inexperienced in matters such as warfare and battle, yet her assassination skills were unmatched across the whole of China. She boasted over 50 successful assassinations within the past 5 years, mainly of high up officials or mediocre officers in forces. As Xuanfeng put it, ''if you pay me enough, i'll kill anyone''. He held back another smile, turning back forwards to face in front of them. Green grass stretched ahead as the ground began to slope uphill.

"I expected that to be the case" Guo Huai responded quietly, in a voice that nobody could hear but her. Her hearing was also brilliant.

She had been in Jian Ye on a fairly unsuccessful spying mission a few months prior to the present time. Xuanfeng had mainly been sent there to observe the way the town worked, and any possible things that could be implemented back at Tian Shui, where Guo Huai was the newly-made prefect. He had absolutely no idea how to possibly run a whole city, and Wu was well known for their managerial skills, so he saw it as the best possible way of improving on his, and his female lieutenants, knowledge. Whilst there, however, she had caught wind of how huge the army of Wu was - she had said the amount of men was unmatched by any other kingdom in China. Xuanfeng had predicted that an attack would soon materialize, of which her words came true. Wu just had to wait for the right moment to strike, and they had it - after Zhang Liao's death. In the ensuing grief and confusion, Sun Quan had made his move. Dong Xuanfeng had called him a coward, but Guo Huai knew better.

"I should have done him in whilst I had the chance" Dong Xuanfeng was obviously thinking along the exact same lines of Guo Huai. He smiled at the thought, having her return from Jian Ye with Sun Quans head would have been extremely satisfying indeed. However, he had given her strict orders not to even attempt any form of sabotage on Wu - even Guo Huai knew it to be a suicide mission. It was not at all possible to get anywhere near Sun Quan. Sometimes Xuanfeng was too confident by her abilities, and got a little carried away by her stronger emotions.

"That would have been the move of a brave, yet utterly idiotic fool" He replied calmly, to which he could sense her tightening grip on her horses reigns.She had a short temper. "Do not worry - we shall one day get our chance" It was a simple yet hopeful answer. There was no doubt that after this irritance of a battle was concluded, and the winning sides banners were high in the blood-scented air, Guo Huai and Dong Xuanfeng would be straight back to his city. He had been out of Tian Shui for almost a month now, and that was surely going to have a negative effect, especially with that idiot of a man, Yu Bao, filling in his place.

"Mm" Xuanfeng replied abruptly, pulling herself away from next to Guo Huai and making her way over to her personal cavalry forces that he had entrusted to her. She was evidently bored with the conversation, and, being a woman of few words and an independently abrupt attitude, had concluded the conversation. Guo Huai continued to march with his men.

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4 HOURS LATER

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After a quiet and uneventful reflective march, Guo Huai's forces finally drew near to the battlefield - as was evident by the sounds of fighting in the far distance. A village came up on their left as they marched onwards at a medium pace, with a villager running up to Guo Huai. He held his hand up, halting the many men behind him. He heard Dong Xuanfeng sigh far to his right, but continued to stay put until the villager reached him. He was wearing basic cloth and leather, the dress of many other civilians across the poorer dwellings of China. It took a minute for the villager to reach the general.

"My lord!'' The skinny man sounded worried. "The battle is straight on! Please, protect our lands from that demon of Wu!"

To which Guo Huai guessed he was talking about Sun Quan.

"Do not worry, my friend'' Guo Huai replied quietly. "We shall do our utmost to defend you from their armies"

"AND TO KICK THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF THEM!" He heard Dong Xuanfeng yell from her own place at the head of her cavalry. The men cheered loudly, Guo Huai shaking his head slightly in amusement. "Now come on, Guo Huai! We have a battle to fight in!"

The villager bowed and sprinted back to the deserted village - they had obviously all been evacuated somewhere safer, as was the duty of the men of Wei. Never would innocent lives be harmed, especially THEIR civilians.

Holding his hand up again, the army began marching towards the battle area...

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TROOP COUNT:

Guo Huai

Dong Xuanfeng

Levy Spearmen - 550
Light Cavalry - 1000
Peasant Bowmen - 560
Light Swordsmen - 160



SUMMARY:

Guo Huai and his army march towards the battle area. That is all.

[Storyteller]

Battle Result:

Wei Strategic Withdrawl -- The Wu forward army advances to the city of Juchao. Inconclusive Tactical Victory (Many losses on both sides, not a decisive battle).

Rewards:

Sun Quan - 10 Reputation for General Writing Ability, 15 Reputation for completing secondary objectives.

Li Wang - 10 Reputation for General Writing Ability, 20 Reputation for completing secondary objectives. + 200 Gold for having Treasure Hunters.

Shen Ha - 10 Reputation for General Writing Ability, 5 Reputation for completing secondary objectives.

Ryou Kin - 10 Reputation for General Writing Ability, 5 Reputation for completing secondary objectives.

Guo Huai - 5 Reputation for General Writing Ability.


All participants gain 200 gold as a form of 'battle loot'.