Re: Legends Combat

From: griffith@fx.com (Jim Griffith)

Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1993 18:40:05 +0000

Theodore Wadsworth <tw1t+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes:

>To those who might know.  Is there any benefit for breakthroughs in
>Legends combat?

Yes, there is.  As near as I can tell, 1) a given slot is only able to
inflict damage on one other slot (the exception being the missile round),
and 2) a given slot always does damage against *some* other slot.  If you
achieve a break-through, then that means that one of your slots can then
attack some other slot without getting return damage from that slot.  So if
you have more soldier slots than your opponents, you are double-teaming
opposing slots in some cases.

As an example, a common tactic for defeating lair monsters is to stick five
individual soldiers in the front slots and three really tough slots of troops
in the back with charge/flank orders.  If the monster has no magic or special
attack, then it will spend two or three rounds killing off single-soldier
slots, while your back slots can pound on it with impunity.  If the monster
has magical or special attack, then it's a riskier proposition, as in combat,
the sequence for attacking slots when slots break is supposedly 1) slot
opposing, 2) slot 1 to the left, 3) slot 1 to the right, 4) slot to the rear,
and the magical and special attack will take out two of the three slots that
protect your rear slot and your rear slot will get attacked on round 2.

>Does anyone want to comment on the applicability of real world tactics
>to Legends?

Nope.  The only thing I like is the thought paid to the value of defenses
(although it should be noted that a level 1 ditch as your only fortification
apparently gives ZERO benefits).

>Someone once submited a village discription that included some
>netherworld knights.  In contumplating that problem I was wondering if
>it is possible to get a unit like that to break by eliminating all of
>their friends (the rest of the legion was scrap) thus conquering the
>location and gaining controll of the Netherworld Knights.  (Does the
>world work this way? or would I have to be a lucky punk?)

Nope.  When you conquer a location, any defensive soldiers get converted to
unskilled.  One common tactic when attacking a location with a tough slot is
to oppose the tough slot with a minimal amount of trids and concentrate on
killing the other slots and making the tough slot break when the entire army
breaks.  As a matter of fact, I'm doing this on my next NIC turn - I'm
attacking a fortified town with one front slot of enchanted swordsmen and
the rest normal trids.  I'm not doing anything against the enchanted swordsmen,
but I'm vaporizing three other front slots in the magic round and I'm killing
the fourth in the charge round, which should cause the whole army to break.

This is important to remember.  I defeated a rather nasty army once because
the enemy player made the stupid mistake of temporarily housing his army
in a location.  He had a 750-man army in a legion running around (all
spectres and netherworld), and he captured a fortified city and moved the
army into it for a couple turn's respite while he trained troops.  I attacked
it with a 1500 man army and I made it break with 500 troops left.  Had it
been a legion, he would have had 500 troops left.  Since it was a location
that I conquered, they converted to unskilled and I captured them.  *Big*
mistake on his part.  With the new fortifications modifications, it wouldn't
be as big a mistake now.  But if you have a reasonable chance of being
defeated, *don't* stick them in a location, because locations are all or
nothing propositions.

Jim

--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Griffith  /--OO--\     | Two great powers are on our side: the power of
griffith@dweeb.fx.com      | Love and the power of Arithmetic.  These two are
BEWARE BATS WITHOUT NOSES! | stronger than anything else in the world.

References

Legends Combat
Theodore Wadsworth <tw1t+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Thu, 22 Jul 1993 17:56:54 +0000