The Approaching Shadow: In Preparation (10th Entry)

[+Veritas]

The Umbris forces are amassing for a second assault on Felucca Britan. The numbers of units that will rain upon the city are unknown, and there are reports of new soldier classes joining the ranks. We need to prepare or perish…

Below is a map of the likely battlefield:

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The likely path of the Umbris Army is through the pass and right into the northeastern pathway of Britan (Path 1). Taking the other paths (2 and 3) require the army’s foot soldiers to travel further, and become fatigued before battle. However, I anticipate mounted units trying to blitz the northern pathway into Britan (Area C), while our attention is focused on the northeastern entryway (Area A). It may be beneficial to meet the oncoming forces by forming a line of warriors in Area A. However, it is likely this line will fall quickly. The Area B lines will be much easier to hold. But, there is no guarantee. The Umbris Army can also use boats to assult the city. If the city falls, our last resort is the castle grounds.

So, we need to prepare for the inevitable invasion of Britan.

Below are locations where we can build defensive structures (Numbers). Our resources are limited, so we need to place these structures wisely. Also, we can use building rooftops as archer and ranged attackers. However, we can only choose 2 of these buildings (Letters).

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Below are the structures we can create. These can face any direction. However, we can only have one structure per location. We are limited to 3 Archer Towers, 2 Ankh and Corpse Stone Areas, 2 Bottle Necks, 3 Simple Walls, 2 “U” Walls, and 1 Archer Wall.

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We can also hire units for this battle. However, our funds are limited and we cannot place more than one special unit per area. We can hire 1 Berserker, 2 Mages, 2 Archers, 1 Elite Defender, and 5 Guards.

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I will open the polls soon so the Excelsior community can decide how we will defend the endless numbers of Umbris soldiers.

I hear that Legion, Bael’Nefario’s military commander, will oversee the assault.

I am not sure when the attack will take place, but I will keep you posted!

+V

[Layfon Alseif]

Sounds good, can't wait to find out when the invasion will take place. :D

[Albino]

This is my initial assessment of how to defend the city, so suggestions and critiques are welcome. I believe we should concentrate our defense inside the city so that the Umbris will have less of an advantage with their numbers. I believe we should set ankhs at positions 37 and 19. Buildings C & E I would choose to place archers on top of. I would place archer towers at positions 5, 26, and 42. U walls I would put at positions 5 and 14 assuming that they will completely block passage over those bridges. Simple walls ought to be set at 12, 15, and 26. Bottlenecks could be placed at positions 13 and 30. And I would place the archer wall where I think their heaviest assault be, position 12. I would set the elite defender at position 30 and guards at positions 12, 13, 16, 19, and 26. Archers could be placed at positions 5 and 12, mages at building E and 26, and a berserker at 15. I tried to cover all entrances but there are a few places that concern me: the SE bridge into brit, the alleys between buildings near position 5, and position 16.
Tell me what you guys think.

[krothu]

We can also have mage defenders on top of key buildings casting walls to help slow the advancing enemy down as well as trying to set up crates and boxes in their path of advance into the city. It will defenetly be a hard brutal battle but in the end I believe we can hold em back from taking the entire city.

[blckfire]

I'd do it like this:

- Simple Walls: 5, 12,16

- UWall: 13,30

- Archer Wall: 17

- Bottle neck: 16,37

- Archer Tower: 25, 19, 29

- Anhks: 20, 40

As for our special recruits:

-Elite Defender: 37
-Archer: G, E
-Guards: 25, 16, 5, 12, 13
-Mage: D, F
-Berserker: 30

I tried to concentrate the troops inside the part closest to the castle, thus creating a kind of fortress, hopefully impenetrable to those who attack. Feel free to share your thoughts on this. For this to work better, positions 5,12,13,16,17,25,30, should receive a strong force of defense and when those outposts break retreat to, 26,27,28,29.

An alternative to simple walls in 5, 12, will be to put'em at 27, 29, and moving the U-Wall from 13 to 28. This will ensure that if the troops need to fall back they'll have some protections and this will also create strangulation points.

Signed,
Blackfire.

[SkunkDave]

I find your strategy to be well thought-out in that you abandoned certain areas as indefensible and overall used the city layout to create choke points, but each location can only have one structure. This means positions 5, 12, and 26 need to be re-evaluated, but I would also change your "outer ankh" to be a little more protected.

To simplify things, first:
-Abandon "Lord Blackthorn's" castle. Archers would not have the reach to be effective as there is plenty of water to go around them. Also, any units here would likely become cut off and unable to fall back to a secondary position, which we cannot expect hired units to be capable of.
-Pull back bridge defenses 5, 14, and 15 to focus on the Main gate (near 17), 17, and 20, we can further funnel the enemy, consolidate useful structures/units and increase quick access and defense to the outer ankh (aka field medic).

Making the same assumption that the U wall would entirely cut-off access, I would:
-Put archer towers in close alley intersections to make them more effective/create congestion to increase field spell effectiveness and decrease numerical advantage.
-Make the city proper and final stand in the castle more concentrated, providing players a simple multi-stage strategy while keeping hired units in the most effective positions for the longest time during a prolonged battle.

Specifically:
Archers towers: 28, 20, 17 (mostly for player use)
Ankhs: 39, 29 (hope y'all have high veterinary!)
Bottle Necks: 37, 36 (unless a bottle neck in 30 could also block the "Poor Gate", freeing a wall + guard for perhaps bridge 14)
Simple Walls: 30, 13, 12 (bridge walls for player use)
U Walls: 27, 19 (blocking street access leading South)
Archer wall: 38 (supporting 37 bottle neck and defending inner ankh)

Berserker: 30 (if only to quick-kill pursuers during final stand rush)
Mages: 37, 38 (healing and field spells, I hope)
Archers: roofs of C, D (hopefully C will reach all the way around to the castle gate, but can still cover 13 and main gate)
Elite Guard: 37
Guards: 36, 29, 28, 20, 17 (mildly expendable but not surrounded or exposed)

Basically, a recon skirmish could occur at three fronts of about 25, 5, and 14, pulling back to fronts in front of the mage shop by 12, 12 itself, 13, and the main gate near 17. All northern cavalry, infantry, and landing water forces would be funneled down the street in front of the mage shop to 17 and 20, at which point 12 and 13 fall back to prevent being surrounded. From here the archer towers could provide harassment during door to door tug of war in the alleys until a possible final fallback through the main gate, all the while supported by roof archers c and d.

In short I propose an all-or-nothing funnel strategy maximizing player power vs. the "enemy intelligence". Sorry to write so long, but the idea is that we don't know exactly what will happen. Quick pet resurrections and recall runes for shifting circumstances could be important factors. Even without player coordination, static defenses, pets, and field spells could effectively hold narrow streets and choke points. The main gate will likely remain hotly contested the entirety of a siege if the main enemy force doesn't stick to the shortest route, or if a surprise water landing happens on the docks. A sewer entry would most likely be ineffective regardless.

Faction traps worth the trouble? Table barricades? I'm open to suggestions if I overlooked anything! Think outside the box people!

PM me if you can get me recall runes into Felucca Britain.
-Camerae!

P.S. Edit: took me a long time to write this, at which point Blackfire's responses weren't there yet. Other than my Blackthorn archer's comment, most of my advice to Albino was still oddly appropriate. This is immensely fun.

[krothu]

I dont know what anyones take on this idea will be but since the umbris army will no doubt show up in overwhelming numbers and more than likely overrun the outter defences with some ease what does everyone think of just concentrating all the defensive structures around point 30 and create a stalemated bottleneck there as well as having some archers and mages on the walls that divide the 2 halves of west Brit as well as defenders on the walls of Lord Britishs castle. We can have the upper hand at that point and pick em off as they approach. It can work and when their attack starts to break and their ranks thin a bit we can start to retake the rest of the city.

[SkunkDave]

My plan basically degrades into what you suggested as a worst case scenario. The only reason I would say we meet them in the field in a few stages is to get a few shots at Legion or whatever new/specialized soldiers they have prepared. Likely he will be intelligent enough to pluck apart a defense in time, so I would hate to put all of our eggs in one basket. Also, Veritas hasn't told us if there is a limit on how many hired units can occupy a single area, or if allowing ourselves roof access on selected buildings would provide the enemy the same access.

We could definitely crate a double bottleneck, one on each side of the castle bridge, allowing F, moat walls, and the extended wall of C plenty of support on the position. Keep in mind though there are 13 defensive positions to place and doubling up some of them (for instance, two ankhs inside the castle) may not provide additional usefulness.

[Johnny Warren]

Are there any civilians or objects we need to protect in the outer city limits? If not why not focus the protection around Lord British's Castle? That is their obvious target. My thoughts are; use our superior fighting skills (we don't use AI and can move faster than NPC's =P) to perform a fighting withdrawal all the way from the 3 passages back to Brit itself... We should bleed them a fair bit that way. As +V said we have little chance of holding them there... but we can whittle down their numbers. Then basically all fall back to the castle itself and dig in for the final battle. In terms of city defense: I would place a mage or archer on Blackthorne's castle at (A) to disrupt their boats landing. I'm thinking 30 and 37 are the critical choke points, anywhere else on the map has ways around it. So we build the best defensive positions there... U-wall@30 and either U-wall or archer wall at 37. More defenses at 38 and 40. Res areas at either 39 or 41. Mages/Archers at (F) and (G) I say we put no defenses in East Brit. The city is too large to defend all of it. South Docks will also be a problem, maybe place a few of our mercenaries and defensive structures at 36 (as they have to come through there or 30 to get the castle).

My overall strat summary: Bleed them all the way from the mountains to Brit. Disrupt their boat landing to the North as best as possible. Sacrifice East Brit for a more solid defense. Use mercenaries to the South with a smattering of defenses (imagine an imaginary line from Britt Bank - Mage shop - Across to Blacksmiths - then back down to the west bridge) in that loose area.

Critique/Comment welcome.

Also +veritas do you forsee that the enemy will have a finite number of units? Or will they merely attack for a certain time period before falling back?

-JW, Military Genious

=P

[SkunkDave]

Seems like we're pretty much on the same page. My initial outline had 36 squarely in mind. Definitely running while casting EV's and BS's should be pretty darn simple and effective.

There are no civilians to speak of, and I doubt bank access would be important or feasible.

It might also not be a bad idea to run an attack into the rear of their line once the main battle is underway. Travel magic certainly makes us more mobile. Maybe even a few pre-positioned stealthers with precasted spells and ranged weapons could assassinate Legion early on?

With my limited abilities, gear, and pets, I mainly plan on provoking enemies to attack each other and healing.

[droolguy]

There is a reason you "attack" a town and you "siege" a castle, one offers immensely more protection than the other from a tactical standpoint.

We have the highest chance at succeeding by simply falling back to the castle and putting "all our eggs in one basket".

We can draw them back to the bridge (Choke point on 30 and 37). Put archers and mages on the castle wall, and on wall "C", this will give us complete coverage of the front area with room to send out (if need be) by way of "C" since it spans most of the city.

Concentrate all of our other forces to the castle yard.

When the attack happens we will simply bunker up and use massive amounts of area-of-effect abilities and underhanded tactics to get the upper hand.

Remember, the simplest plan is often the most effective. Since we know about the attack in advance the city should already be evacuated (in RP terms) so there are no civilians for us to protect. Why protect something you know for sure is going to fall? It's a waste of resources.

Vote for Ukar (Droolguy, me) as the Defense Director and we will WIN!

[droolguy]

So, I decided to scout out the position that Bael'Nefario had chosen for his encampment and I took a small strike force with me Just in case I met with some resistance. When we arrived I noticed a peculiar piece of parchment laying on the ground.

[attachment=2]Dispatch.jpg[/attachment]

I proceeded ahead to check the area, getting all the way to the imposing wall that had been erected. The front of their encampment looks to be very well defended even if you could get past the monstrous wall they have built.

[attachment=1]frontgate.jpg[/attachment]

However, following the mountains around to the rear of their encampment is another story entirely, it is a simple wooden wall, and you can see the Umbris Soldiers still waiting to get inside. Also, the interior of the camp on this side is much less defended being comprised mostly of foot soldiers.

[attachment=0]backgate.jpg[/attachment]

It seems in his offensive push Bael'Nefario's tacticians have made a mistake and left their rear open to attack. Also, the fact that many of his troops are not yet in place which you can deduce from the dispatch we found, leads me to believe that a decisive strike from the rear of the encampment could cripple and destroy the army before it even has a chance to get to Britain.

This could be the break we have been looking for. If it fails, we can still mount a defense of Britain and nothing changes. If it succeeds we won't need to though.

I submit this to plan to the tacticians (+Veritas) and the people of Excelsior in hope that we might crush the enemy before they ever get to our city.

[Albino]

I have to agree with your assessment SkunkDave. Looking back my layout does have some key flaws in it. I also like droolguy's idea of flanking the enemy from behind. I juts hope we have enough people to do somethin like that.
Also, I went into fel brit the other day to check out the entrances into the city. All but one of the bridges can be completely cut off with an energy field spell. I know its not a permanent block but will definitely give our archers more time to plink them with arrows.
Lastly, I feel it is also a wise idea to send a number of people ahead of the battle lines to skirmish with the enemy and send back recon before the army reaches the city. That way we can adjust our forces accordingly.

[krystol]

i havent been following the entire story, but is it possible for the enemy to already have set up a magical portal in Blackthorns castle? using the mountain pass to draw us out while they just sneak in under our noses? if their objective is Lord British's castle i say we slaughter them all at the Draw Bridge to the courtyard of the castle. id take in consideration of the townsfolk, if there were any but... empty houses can always be rebuilt!

but enough of that i look forward to participating in the event however it unfolds.

[Johnny Warren]

Iagree with Ukar (droolguy). My defensive strategy is essentially the same (and posted before yours =P)... Although i do like the idea of a pre-emptive strike on their rear...

Let them sack Brit but hold at the castle... With Ukar as my Lieutenant we could make it through this alright! =P

JW