You have all probably noticed our skirmish thread.

While that's been OK, I think we may employ a better model of combat in future.

First of all, I hope people on both sides PM each other to set up single combat--you can do threads that break away from the main battle thread, and, I think, have more fun that way.

As for how to decide a winner... well, if you like you can PM one of the Admins (or Mods, though I still have to ask them about this) and get a verdict based on RP quality. Or you can set it up between the two of you OOC. Feel free to discuss in cbox, via PM, in the OOC forum--whatever.

We won't be getting to more combat right away. What we will be doing is training. This means that anyone in the military can spar with anyone else in the military. New recruits (I don't think we have many) may also join in, but keep in mind what skills your character has and what skills he still needs to acquire.

I'll set up a general thread with Lt. Tremaine for some training soon.

If you've got the posts, feel free to make an auxie Thiasan male and get in on the action.


OTHER NOTE: We're also planning many more site events: a wedding feast for King Aedan, to take place somewhat backwards in time (i.e. before troop mobilization) and the Ekaini and Zerui Summer Gatherings, to be arranged by Zeru and Ekain (Kai and Mike) respectively.

Once again, PM me or reply here with any questions. Military commanders also reply here with ideas on how to handle the new recruits/reinforcements. I'm totally open to playing several belligerent recruits, and I think it would be great fun if a few of us did pick up some auxies for all this.

Ok, I've been thinking of some ideas of how to train the soldiers.
For foot soldiers:
The new and inexperienced recruits would probably be the poor and/or under equipped. Training wise, they would probably learn some very basic moves, dodging, and how to march. Learning how to salute and who to salute is probably going to be included. As they "rank up" they would perhaps get better training and equipment, although still not much versus what knights and nobles get.
For knights: (Also any lords that are knights)
The knights, whether new or old, probably would have better service versus foot soldiers. They would be training in riding, attacking from horseback, etc. Thing is, since there seems to be a general lack of calvary activity in the strategies since Ekani horses are faster, they probably would be seem as useless to the foot soldiers. Tensions between them could become good thread ideas. If I'm not reading the general strategy for facing the Ekani, it seems that the calvary are to kept at the back and sides, not really doing much. In most cases, it seems the Ekani are to be stopped with a rather simple spear wall which, of course, is made by the infantry.
For commanders:
Gerenally, there doesn't seem to be a lot of them. For all those who are, life of luxury even when hard training is supposed to be expected. Sure, I guess you would be expected to be all daring and brave, but really I'm not sure how willing they really would have been to ride out in the front if infantry men would have not sneered at them whenever they cowered.

As for my character, I'm going to plant some interesting ideas in his head. I've only got some ground work done, but these are the basics:
Actually use and training of the calvary, since I'm going to make him this sort of person.
Actually use of bombardment from arrtillery, in certain cases.
Actually giving all infantry men something to put on so they aren't wearing rags.

Anyone else have any other ideas?

Four words: Blankets covered in smallpox. War over.

Just found this. Maybe there could be some infantry without pikes. I don't think they'd be very useful if ambushed or in choppy terrain. And that's pretty much what the natives would go for if they ever chose a battlefield. When the Macedonians fought the Romans the Macedonians had massive Sarissa spears. But whenever they fought on mountains their larger armies got trounced on messy terrain. When they used their spears ,and pursued their formation broke ,and the Romans turned around and slayed em.

Maybe we can have Thiasan troops outfitted for close up combat ,since I don't want Baskari at spitting distance with pikemen.

Actually, I''m thinking more of less the same. Except I'm thinking about our calvary. Most of medieval combat went down to the calvary charge to break the enemies' formation and morale, while the infantry would break out into an all out fighting where the larger numbers/higher persistence normally won. (Shock tactic)

What if we started focusing on more smarter tactics. No. Let's actually use them!!! Flanking with knights (make more than 1/2 of them light clavary and using bows and they'll massacred many. The normal heavy calvary could take down anything else)

The infantry should be used to A. Pressure the enemy. A shield wall works wonders but that's not the main point. (Shield wall can be broken; either through repetitive attacks, or luring to break formations) B. Attacking the horses. Moving them into distinct formations could easily trap and capture/kill unmounted warriors once horses become nuetralized.

Currently the infantry in Kincade's troop are being trained to use melee weapons in addition to being pikemen (which are really only useful for downing horses and stopping charges. Once the shit hits the fan and everything gets all mixed up, they're gonna wanna know how to use a sword).