ES - seige assault strategy

[Padraig Ruad O'Maolagain]

Sluggy <slugmusk at home.com> said -

>"Mark A. Arnold" wrote:
>
>>     1) Surviving the jump. I was speared in mid-air. I was dead before I
>> even hit the ground. 
>
>Similarly, I was killed at the top of the ramp.

To prevent this, as has been pointed out, we need to get the polearmsmen back away from the wall.  More on this later.

>> We need to drill this assault with a 
focus on
>> stiffening the arms to keep the shield from floating up into the air as
>> the body descends. We need to build a wall on which to practice.
>
>A focus on inter-soldier spacing on the ramp might help, too. I know
>that I paused to assess my landing space (wanting not to land on my
>comrades) and it was during this pause that I was killed. I died forward
>(into the fort), but I believe that my hesitation before jumping lead
>the spearman to thrust again and it was this thrust that I fell onto and
>caused my injury. 

I am not a particularly coordinated individual, and found jumping down (especially the second time, with my ankle already tender) more than a little awkward.  Practice is the only thing that will correct this for me.

>> We need to get the defending spearmen to
>> back off of the wall. 
>
>As was seen in the earlier battles, we now have a reputation as a
>powerful force. I fully beleive that part of the reason that we were so
>strongly resisted on that end of the fort was simply because the
>Trimarian commanders saw three powerful units, The Arthurian Company,
>The Talons and The Iron Lance massed on that side of the fort and
>supposed (correctly, of course) that we would attack there. Likewise,
>they expected a frontal attack with Calontir massing at the front gate.
>In hind sight (which always works nicely), I might suggest that
>virtually the entire army mass at the front gate. At lay on, move the
>engineers and marines to their true attack position, thus misleading the
>defenders. As a fort is very well suited for defense, we need to use
>every honorable tactic at our disposal.
>
>> Two palisades mounted on a platform 4 feet off the
>> ground. An archer behind each palisade -- one shooting while the other
>> reloads. 
>
>There are several good configurations for such platforms. Anything that
>allows us to put up a constant suppression fire would help tremendously,
>particularly to the charging column's right.

A two to three foot high step on either side of the crennellation, either as part of the ramp (for stability of the step) or as separate units could give a polearmsman enough height to be able to kill or drive back some of the closer defenders.  Once they have been pushed back, archers could get clearer shots, and thus open a space for the assault units to land.

>Other than parasols, whatever we could do to make the descent into the
>fort safer gets my vote. I think that anyone charging over the wall
>would be well advised to pursue exceptional ankle support and sole
>padding combined with drills drills drills in full armor. The shield
>wall defense drills we have done to date have done more to help us
>survive the front line than any other single practice. Fort wall attack
>drills would do the same.

Practice, good boots, practice, ankle supports (even Ace bandages wrapped around the ankles), practice, and leg strength training, concentrating on the ankle and knee joints - joints supported by strong and flexible muscle are much less likely to twist, sprain and/or break.  Did I mention practice?  And of course, a willingness to stick with the training - my personal weak point.

Padraig

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