Zhao Han
Warrior of Wei 
General of the West
Posts: 53
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Post by Zhao Han on Jul 1, 2009 16:39:12 GMT -5
Zhao Han's army arrived in array before the walls of Xiliang, approaching from the far side of the river. There, the peasants were detached, settling to form camp and chop wood for their siege engines. Ladders and stone-throwers they intended to build there, purpose-built for this siege that lay ahead. Four thousand each, archers, halberdiers, and swordsmen advanced in a main body in battle formation. The steel-armed force drew up up in a rank four hundred wide, twenty deep as the missile-launching force stretched themselves wide, one thousand wide, four deep at the rearmost ranks. Screening them was Zhao Han's personal cadre from the Wei Guard, two deep and three hundred-fifty wide, their shields raised as much to intimidate the enemy within the city as it was to protect the men behind. Axemen and the curved swordsmen, eight hundred men in total, covered the flanks in two equally formed units, twenty wide and twenty deep. Zhao Han himself stood between the Wei Guard and the soldiers on loan from Cao Pi.
As they advanced upon the city, they stopped as Zhao Han assessed the situation some distance from the base of the hill. Xiliang stood atop a hill, its walls beckoning him to attack. However, it was for that very reason - Xiliang's commanding position, that Zhao Han was tasked with retaking the city from the rebels. Per custom, Zhao Han, carrying a white banner of truce, that very character written starkly in black on it, advanced upon the city alone. Striking the banner into the ground, he drew a bow borrowed from an archer and at once a letter was flown over the walls.
Quietly, Zhao Han picked up the banner and returned to the lines, the banner returned to the camp, the bow to the lending archer.
As this all happened, ladders were taking shape ini the rear, several frames were already complete, several of the rungs already placed and secured to the scaling equipment.
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Post by Battle Mod on Jul 2, 2009 16:03:55 GMT -5
Battle of Xi Liang Purple Circle=Zhao Han's starting location (I think?) City=Ryou Kin's starting location Rules (I'm going to clarify these because my standard for battle modding may be a little bit different from what you might expect)- 1.) Vash has 48 hours to post his defense. 2.) You can roleplay as much as you want in this thread. Your actual PLANS for battle must be sent over private message. Your PLANS should be 2-3 paragraphs in length. Each paragraph should be 3-7 sentences. Keep in mind that the PLANS are pretty basic. They should not include things like the words of the speech you're giving to your men. Example plans: "500 of Zhuge Liang's cavalry will move forward 4 squares, in spite of the fatigue. They will wave white flags. They will hope to trick the enemy into thinking they are surrendering. While they are distracting the enemy attention, Zhuge Liang's infantry will move in secret across the eastern mountains. The archers will follow close behind. Zhuge Liang will give a speech to inspire his men (speech listed in the battle thread). If the enemy does not accept the surrender of his cavalry, the cavalry will pull back to defend the camp. They will move as many squares as necessary to get back quickly. If the enemy is encountered in the eastern mountains, the archers will attack from a distance while the infantry will move in to melee. While moving through the mountains, Zhuge Liang's soldiers will constantly be on guard for rockslide attempts. They will move at a normal pace instead of a brisk one (a normal pace for infantry being 1-2 squares per turn). Should Zhuge Liang's troops not encounter enemies on the eastern mountains, half of them will camp on the peaks. They will set up boulders and try to attack enemies that come near the mountains with them. Zhuge Liang will be with the unit marching across the mountains." As you can see, these plans merely list the actions of Zhuge Liang and his troops. With all plans, it is preferable if you attach a map so I can see CLEARLY where all the soldiers are moving. You can indicate where your troops are moving with colored arrows, circles, X's, etc. I don't really care so long as the map you send me is understandable. 3.) I will be using these rules for battle movement. I will be applying these rules for troop losses. Morale for all units will start at 10. 4.) In this particular battle, Ryou Kin will start in the city. The city is located on top of a hill. Ryou Kin's archers will have 5 squares range due to having the high ground. Zhao Han's archers will be able to fire 4. Any catapults either force has will also have different ranges (with Ryou Kin's catapults able to fire further). However, Xiliang is on a hill and also isolated. If Ryou Kin loses access to his water supply, morale may be gradually affected. The city has enough supplies to last a short while even in that scenario, however. 5.) Zhao Han seems to have already listed some plans in this thread. I shall count them for this turn, but in the future, he should send them to me over private messaging. If he has any further plans, he can still pm me them, but he should preferably keep them brief. 6.) If you need my msn messenger address, it is jlthaler@msn.com. Plans over MSN are unofficial. The vast majority of the time I will only take into consideration plans sent over private messaging.
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Cao Pi
King of Wei 
Emperor of China
Posts: 233
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Post by Cao Pi on Jul 2, 2009 19:21:23 GMT -5
As much as I like your enthusiasm for getting started. I will have to erase one of your rules. You're making a good example of how people should go about their siege, but it isn't right to ask people to make 2 posts worth every time they make a round. As a battle moderator it is your responsibility to read their posts and analyze the situation from that. As a mod, you can encourage or even have them make a separate section at the end of their post underlying the basic strategy that they're doing. Even I agree to that part, when posts are overly long it can be hard to track down every-single piece of information. So people SHOULD add an extension to their posts briefly explaining the general basics of their long posts. But, sadly Slick, people do not agree to writing 1 post and then writing another, more condensed version and sending it to you directly. The only thing that should be given to you via PM is a plan/strategy for ambushing or whatever. Sorry for the inconvenience, but it seems like an excuse for you not to read peoples posts, and it's important to read everything people do to get the true impact of their stratagems.  |
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Vash
Warrior of Zen
Angel of Death
Either get use to it or Get over it
Posts: 76
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Post by Vash on Jul 3, 2009 11:31:26 GMT -5
There that grim smirk appeared on Kin's face, hidden from the others. That note from the Wei army out there just dont know what or who he is fighting. Ryou quickly written the letter after still getting supplies ready for the fight. When he reached the end of the note, should he put his name, or Wu Wei's name. He signed it but it wasnt neither his name nor Wu Wei. Kin wrapped the note around an arrow, having a small string tired around it to hold the note into place. Kin stepped to the highest part of the wall, all those men out there dont know him, nor could they even make out who he is. Taking his bow, he slides the notch of the arrow on the string, pulling back hard, but not too hard. The arrow flew far and long landing just a bit after Zhao Han crosses the river. If the man sent someone out to get it the letter would read: |
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Post by Battle Mod on Jul 3, 2009 14:00:06 GMT -5
my recharger is dead, but I will hopefully be getting one in about 2 hours. I'll respond to the updates in this battle then.
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Zhao Han
Warrior of Wei
General of the West
Posts: 53
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Post by Zhao Han on Jul 3, 2009 20:39:24 GMT -5
Peng Wei rode at the head of the rear guard of Zhao Han's army, his forces almost a day behind his leader. The rear guard was small, only five hundred men, but it was also the baggage train. Two massive carts of food, mostly dried meats, grains, and flour, lead the train, followed by a ram, and two catapult. One hundred of the swordsmen walked at the front and rear of this line of valuable cargo, and one hundred fifty took to either flank as they traversed the roads.
By the time Zhao Han's rear guard arrived, it was already night. Torches burned bright on the walls of Xiliang. Men stood watch there, but in the dark of a moonless night, little could be seen save some lights that made out the location of the Wei camp.
Within that camp, Peng Wei came upon Zhao Han's camp and bowed as he entered.
"General Zhao Han!" he said as he approached the General of the West, eating his evening meal.
"Captain Peng Wei, it is good of you to have come. Please, sit, eat with me," Zhao Han replied as he sipped from his goblet. A bowl, goblet, and food were called and retrieved for the captain.
"I trust your movements were not hindered in the least?" Zhao Han began.
"Indeed. Your path was impossible to miss, and we followed the army with ease. Our siege engines gave us no issues, and the food carts are still fully laden and should last us many months," Peng Wei said between greedy mouthfuls of rice and pork. He'd been following Zhao Han's army the entire previous day, hell-bent on arriving in time and intact. As such, he drove a consistent pace, stopping only long enough for his men to have eaten their field rations for dinner and a very early supper.
"I'm glad we left you an easy path," Zhao Han noted. The rest of the evening largely passed in a similar manner, military matters exchanged between Zhao Han and Peng Wei as they considered the situation, the commander telling his lieutenant of his intended plan of action. It was very simple.
As the third watch became the fourth, and the fourth the fifth, the catapult was assembled over night. By the sixth watch, a new batch of peasants was working on it, and they were the ones that wheeled it into place, a prepared embankment at the city's side of the ford. In the dark, the other peasants mulled about in haste, digging into the sandy soil and building up a revetment. The work on the palisade along this trench would begin later, once the entire river was blockaded from the city by the entrenchments.
As first light broke, the catapults fired their first rocks in anger at Xiliang. As the catapult fired, peasants worked more on the trenches, extending them in both directions with determination. More men worked too in seeking out the finest trees that were out of range of the enemy, chopping them down and constructing with them planks of wood, which were constructed into mantlets over the course of two hours to shield the catapults and their crews from the city's archers.
As all was done, Wei's army paraded in the same formation as the previous day, marching along the length of the trench. Zhao Han himself wrote a reply that morning over breakfast while conferencing with Peng Wei and several other commanders. Again, another a message from Zhao Han, a direct reply to the missive sent the previous day, sailed upon the wall, attached to an arrow fired in the course of the lone volley the archers allowed themselves at the conclusion of the parade before the walls.
The message awaited Ryou Kin, lodged in the thigh of one of Xiliang's soldiers. The archers and crossbows retreated into the revetment that was taking shape as the rest of the soldiers stood at attention just out of range of the city's archery. This was just the beginning of a very long process. Zhao Han had the patience, and he intended to play on the impetuosity of the governor's new commander.
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Post by Battle Mod on Jul 3, 2009 22:40:06 GMT -5
The turn will be posted after Ryou Kin posts in this thread. Please in the future guys, keep your plans for private messaging. That goes for both Zhao Han and Ryou Kin.
This is a little bit iffy. If you meant it hit one of Ryou Kin's thighs, I'm afraid that is god-modding and not allowed. I presumed you had meant that one of your own soldiers had the message at his thigh.
Regardless, the message does not affect the turn in any ways.
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Vash
Warrior of Zen
Angel of Death
Either get use to it or Get over it
Posts: 76
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Post by Vash on Jul 4, 2009 19:31:22 GMT -5
This night is dark, very. Movements would be a challenge to see but with higher ground and the firing torches of Wei's camp would show anything thats out there on the field more easily. Moving in the dark could be hard if you don't know where you are going, or don't know the area well enough, Wei surely don't know their area well enough. When night came, Kin started to send out reconnaissance teams. Two man teams that have a very low chance of being detected by the enemy.
These men were sent out of both side gates and started to move toward the river. Need more water? Not really. The city will be fine for days with what they have already, and if they need it, well they will get it in different ways. These reconnaissance teams moved closest to the mountains and then toward the river. These men watches over the enemy movements and of course they do like a normal commander would do, build a trench.
Those Wei peasants had to be tired from working so hard to put a camp up and then go dig some trenches. Though they might be in greater numbers they are not trying to find any scouts watching them. Soon they will be taking hits from the archers on the walls and other things. One man watches at the other informs their commander by running back and forth. When the catapults appeared it was news that Ryou already knew.
Catapults are always best to attack a wall or gate but attacking troops is hard. When they are in a group it will kill many soldiers but with these folks inside the city, why would they be in formation? A line of archers ran up the stairs with their arrows locked into place already. Their tips seems to be on fire. What could Kin have plan for these blue punks?
The arrows are fired from the wall and hit just right there by the trench. Very few could have made it in the trench themselves but those are the men with mighty arms and their bows were pushed to the limits maybe. Now those reconnaissance teams could see a lot more clearer of things. Those peasants sure are working hard on their little shallow trench. Lights on the walls were gone, and the city seem a lot more dimmer than normal.
A wooden barrier was placed just close to the wall and gate, but enough for the soldiers to walk through. A black cover was thrown over the wooden wall. The front gate was cracked open and groups of men walked out, lined up against the wall. Wei would not be able to see them, the wall is just as dark as the night sky. The men walking through the gate where covered in darkness, with that black wall behind them, they are easily not seen.
One line. Two line. Three Line. Four Lines! All of these men hold bows and crossbows in their hands. Ryou is also out there on the wall, looking out at the hordes of men. The gate is still not shut but the people are standing by at the gate to kill any spy that do try and enter. The Line of men are hidden in the dark just like those peasants were, but the flames from those arrows shown their position but the light died out almost ten minutes after the third line was out the gate.
Arrows are waiting. Bolts are lock. Just a few steps and they will be in range to hit the enemy. Slowly down the hill the men took their sliding steps. To make less noise of a march and to keep them stable, because these men don't know if they will trip on something or not, the men are sliding on their feet. No steps were taken, just sliding. Peasants are tired from their work for almost a day of work, putting a camp together, a catapult, and now digging trenches. One just cant stay in the city at all times, he must come out sooner or later.
The owls will soon fly and peak at their prey tonight. Wei's armies are still out of range, but those peasant, will surely get what their foolish commander had coming. The men in the lines know their range and when all were in range, they looked at each other and nodded their heads. Rising their bolts and arrows. The bolts are point right at their prey, arrows are heading toward the stars, and back to bring down the rain.
There! The hands is raised. And there the hand was put down. Volley of arrows first took to the enemy and directly after the bolts were let loose. Someone on Wei side will surely get hit. Once those bolts and arrows were shot, the archers and crossbowmens ran back inside before word or action could even be taken again the quick attack. The gates were slammed shut! This will surely have Wei to attack with something, maybe catapults.
Only about ten men were left on the wall, the others and by the wall, against the wall, maybe even humping the wall. They are close to the point that catapult fire would be very less to hit the. Those who were out there in the open know how to dodge a rock heading their way. Simple watch the rock. When you know where its gonna land then just jump out of the way of it. People know how to use common sense and dodge big slow things heading their way. And when first light was seen, there went the boulders hitting the wall.
Pluck! Another arrow. Another note. Kin read it...just one word of it and threw it over his shoulder the next second. No one went for it though, another rock rolled pass Ryou. They stayed in cover until told otherwise to move. The men on top of the wall were still getting hit but it was all good. If a rock was about to crush them, simple jump either left or right. Its not too hard. Kin headed to the palace, just to talk to the people there, since Wei has no common sense what so ever.
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Post by Battle Mod on Jul 5, 2009 4:29:08 GMT -5
I need to ask Steve about something. In the future, you guys will have to pm your turns. I really don't like the way this has gone at all. The turns are going to be very unfair if you guys don't follow the rules I set forth in my first post.
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Post by Battle Mod on Jul 5, 2009 20:59:00 GMT -5
Turn 1- Zhao Han's soldiers start working on makeshift siege weapons by obtaining timber from the nearby forest. They also deliver an ultimatum to the city. Ryou Kin's actions are unknown.
Turn 2- Both sides start out defensively. Zhao Han's soldiers set up trenches.* The first weapons they have been working on will be available in another turn, whereupon firing upon the city with them will commence. Keep in mind that they are of shoddier quality than the kind you would get at the market. Ryou Kin stands his ground as well, his plan as of yet unknown. If Zhao Han advances forward at a normal rate, his troops will be within archer range of Ryou Kin depending on where he moves on the map. Reinforcement catapults fire upon the city, doing damage to the walls and sentries. Their accuracy is not very good given the distance from the city. The garrison loses 100 Nu Shou. Ryou Kin's troops move into more secure positions where they can avoid catapult fire. The walls continue to take damage, however.
Alright, I talked to Steve about this. Originally, this was the turn: bot3kremixed.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=xiliang&action=display&thread=255&page=1#1827It was edited at Vash's behest, but Steve said that the original turn was in fact valid. I am going to enforce the following rule from now on: Both participants will have to PM me all of their plans. Every single one. Posting in this thread should be reserved purely for character roleplay and to indicate that you have pmed me. I am barely going to glance at what's posted in the thread, so if you want to win this battle, you'll have to send in better plans via pm than your opponent. If you scout or do secret things, I will send you a return pm indicating the success of these actions. This applies for both parties. *-Your trenches are only within one square of the map in front of your army. It will take several turns for them to be expanded, if that is your desire. |
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Post by Battle Mod on Jul 7, 2009 17:07:09 GMT -5
With the revert, this battle comes to an end. Sorry.
Glad I didn't spend too much effort on this one.
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