Chapter 31; Know thine enemy;
Characters of the chapter
Edmond Brahms, Knight of Nevarra, Military advisor to the court of King Jon
Jon Snow, also known as Aegon Targaryen and Jon Stark, King of the North Kingdom of the Twin Kingdoms
"The Chevaliers tend to favor the wedge formation in battle." Edmond told Jon, placing a number of blue triangles on the table to mimic the Orlesian formation. There were other pieces on the table as well, blue for the Orlesian side, white for the northern units. Triangles represented cavalry units, squares infantry.
By now their scouts had found the positions of the Grand Army, also uncovering the fact that most of them had not made landfall yet. Currently the scouts estimated that the Orlesian force ashore at the moment was only slightly larger than the army of the North Kingdom. Even so more Orlesians were arriving every hour, strengthening their positions. Aware that he had a rapidly closing window of opportunity to engage the Imperials at roughly even numbers, Jon had begun preparations to engage the enemy in battle as soon as possible. The lords would be called together shortly to hear his battle plan, but first Jon wished to have a better grasp of the Imperial forces and how they operated. And so Edmond was now telling his King everything he knew about the Orlesian military forces, their preferred tactics their likely strategies for the upcoming battle, the Thedosian methods of warfare in general, all to familiarize Jon against the foe he would have to face now.
"Typical size of a wedge varies between company and battalion size formations, so between one hundred to five hundred riders per wedge depending on the tactical situation and the size of the battle. Considering that the upcoming battle will be a large one, with tens of thousands of troops participating on both sides, we can expect the Orlesians to opt for the larger battalion sized formations." Edmond detailed.
"The wedge is a very powerful formation, able to cleave an opposing unit in two, particularly in the case of heavy cavalry like the Chevaliers." He said, moving the triangles forward, showing them piercing a line on squares. "Since all Chevaliers have lances, the initial impact of their charge can be devastating, enough to shatter an opposing unit into a chaotic mess. After that they can switch to swords and finish what they started. Meanwhile they and their steeds are so well armored they can shrug off a lot of damage in return. Near as I can see they are better trained and better equipped than even your best units, so be careful with them. They are likely the deadliest troops of the Grand Army."
"So how should we go on about countering them?" Jon asked.
"Well the main weakness of the wedge is that it is a formation intended purely for attack. It needs to be mobile to be effective. Stop it from moving and it is vulnerable. It is also very slow to turn because the wings have a hard time keeping up with the tip as they're changing direction. So if you have lighter cavalry available you will have a good chance of outmaneuvering them. If its infantry facing them its best for them to just stand their ground and take the hit. Respond with deep ranks and spears. Let the charge bite deep, then get troops around the wings of their formation to pin them in place. Like an arrowhead they have a hard time retracting themselves if they go too far inside your lines, except the Chevaliers might actually wish to move back at some point. It's a costly approach for the infantry, but if they face Chevaliers it's their best chance to beat them back."
"Understood." Jon said his face one of intense concentration, trying to memorize everything Brahms was telling him.
"On a larger scale the Orlesians have a special trick they like to employ in field battles, allowed by good control of their horses. They call it the sling. It takes the form of a column, with a relatively narrow frontline, but very deep ranks. It is used when cavalry is deployed to the flanks of an army, as is very common in Orlesian strategies. Chevalier assault wedges form the front ranks and the inner edge, creating an L -shape within the formation. Meanwhile units of imperial army cavalry are deployed along the outer edge. The column moves forward, and the enemy naturally deploy their own flank units to intercept them to avoid the Orlesians getting around their main force. Chevaliers then charge and pin the enemy in place. Army cavalry meanwhile, faster and more maneuverable due to their lighter armor, separates from the main body of forces, like a stone ejected from a sling, hence the name. The army cavalry circles around to either envelop the enemy flank units or bypass them to hit the opposing army in the rear." Edmond said, once gain moving the pieces appropriately.
"Watch for that maneuver during the battle. Their way of deployment may go to great lengths to conceal the army cavalry presence within their formation. It will be easy for the Chevaliers to steal all the attention, but if the army cavalry is ignored it could create some very serious issues. If they try it during the battle you need to act quickly to avoid being outmaneuvered. I recommend that you leave yourself a reserve that can be moved to reinforce your flanks if something like this happens." He continued.
"If there are enough troops to spare. The reports say that the enemy forces already ashore outnumbers us by at least a few thousand, and those numbers will only increase as time goes by and more of their forces disembark. Keeping troops in reserve may not be possible under those circumstances." Jon said.
"What about the layout of the terrain. What do we know?" He asked then.
"Well, as your scouts reported the Imperials are setting trebuchets on a hill just off the shoreline. That's the ground they have chosen to hold." Edmond said. "It looks to be a very good position. The coastline is close, so our ability to maneuver around the enemy is limited. Very small adjustments of their line can keep their front facing ours. The hill affords them a good view of the surrounding area. The battlefield beyond the hill is an open plain of low grass, little to no cover anywhere. The weather has been dry and warm for weeks now, so traversing the fields should be easy for both sides, with no unexpected mud fields to slow down the troops. And with the enemy's back to the sea it adds a nice little incentive for them to stand and fight. There's no easy line of retreat for them. All in all a very nasty situation for our side."
Jon nodded grimly. It was a good position. The Orlesians could wait him out if they wished, await a critical numerical advantage that he would have no chance of defeating. He would have no choice but to attack them before that could happen. The ground they had chosen allowed for little else except a direct frontal assault into what was likely to be a prepared battlefield with ready defenders. His army might be the attacker in this battle, but the initiative, at the beginning of the battle at least, would belong to the Empire.
"We could try to launch a night assault on them. We might be able to catch them by surprise." Jon suggested, giving voice to the only other possibility he had in mind.
"That's unlikely to work." Edmond replied. "The enemy still has scouts out, and with their responder battalions they can slow us down long enough for the Orlesians to throw a party in our honor. It would be next to impossible to sneak on them with close to twenty thousand men, particularly as they are alert and waiting for us. It's unfortunate, but it looks like the only option the Imperials have allowed us is to face them head on."
"Then I suppose it's their game for the moment." Jon sighed.
Edmond nodded, then continued his explanation:
"The Orlesians will probably place themselves in front of their war machines, so they can keep them protected while profiting from their firepower. As I explained earlier the Imperials will likely place their cavalry on the flanks while having an infantry center. Now, I've read up on Westerosi military history, the various battles fought across your history. Your armies often like to have a frontline of heavy cavalry, with infantry behind them in a second line. It's not surprising that you choose to do this. Your heavy cavalry is often the best component of your army and has the greatest chance of breaking the enemy. In this case however it might turn out to be a very bad idea, because the first line of the Empire is likely to be made out of pikemen."
"Pikemen? I faced such during the Battle of the Bastards. Not an experience I look forward to repeating." Jon said, suppressing a shudder.
"Understandable. It's likely you will like these even less, Your Grace. The Emperor has made some new innovations around the pike, inspired by what he has read about Qunari field formations. These new units work in close cooperation with dedicated units of crossbowmen. Pikes protect the crossbows from enemy attack, while the crossbows support the pikes by firing on anything that comes into their range. Pike and shot formations they call them. Organized into regiments of about a thousand men, each regiment contains five hundred pikes, four hundred crossbows and one hundred skirmishers that protect the flanks and rear of the formation. These are very new, so we Nevarrans have had only a few run-ins with them. But what we have seen is… most impressive." Edmond said.
"That's the future, right there." He added, with no small amount of admiration in his voice.
"How so?" Jon asked.
"Because this is a very powerful formation, while at the same time being quick and easy to train. It can take years to train a proper swordsman. And the really good ones can take a lifetime to train. In a fight between sword wielding units the skill of individual fighters tends to play a huge role in who wins. With pikes it is less about individual skill and more about learning to perform a narrow selection of commands with mechanical precision and being brave enough to hold your ground. In battle the individual skill of pikemen is rendered irrelevant, so long as the unit as a whole is competent. I could train a decent unit of pikes in three months, a good one in six, and a great one in twelve." Edmond explained.
"If they are so good, why are these units so new?" Jon asked.
"One word. Mages. Those sparkle-fingers are the primary reason why there always has been and always will be a strong and proud tradition of skirmish fighting in Thedas. Pikes need to be in close order to be effective, and it turns out a mage casting fireballs can do quite a lot of damage to them then. So before pikes can be used the commander that has them has to ensure the opposing army doesn't contain significant numbers of spellcasters. But since there are unlikely to be mages here, the Emperor probably thinks Westeros makes an excellent test ground for units like this, to see what they are really capable of." Edmond said.
Now, each of their pikes is around six meters in length, longer than any spear in your army, which means they can hit your soldiers further away than they can hit them back. Packed together the imperials can present a quite a dense thicket of pikes, giving them a front facing almost impervious to any assault, whether made by cavalry or infantry. Horses in particular will not willingly charge into a wall of sharp points, and if they stop before the enemy pikemen our cavalry will be shot to pieces by the crossbows firing at point blank range. The best way to counter them would be with pike soldiers of our own, but sadly our army does not have any. The only other ways to defeat then will be to flank them or weaken them with archer fire until their ranks are thinned enough for an assault to break their lines. Even then they will be able to fight back, since every soldier in a pike and shot regiment carries a sword and at least one dagger, but in those circumstances we will have a chance of defeating them."
"So we will need to mirror the Orlesian deployment. Put cavalry in our flanks and foot soldiers in the center. Our footmen will pin the enemy pikes in the center, prevent them from turning, while our horsemen move to flank." Jon guessed. "Which on the other hand will put our cavalry right in the path of what you described as the deadliest soldiers in the enemy army. This ought to be interesting…"
"That's the plan we have to go with. And we will be in no small amount of rush too. Our foot soldiers will be able to hold their ground only for so long. We have to drive back the enemy cavalry and reach them before our center breaks. Even if we manage that it won't be quite the end of our efforts. As you already pointed out the enemy already outnumbers us to some degree, so I would guess the enemy will have a second reserve force, most likely infantry. It is also possible that they will have a force of archers behind either the first or second infantry line. It is difficult to estimate how many troops the enemy might have command of during the battle in the final analysis, but odds are good they will seek to bring as many as possible ashore to shift the odds in their favor." Edmond said.
"And mages, where will they be during the battle?" Jon asked, rightly concerned by this unique aspect of Thedosian armies.
"Mages are typically dispersed among other military assets where they can render support. Alternatively they may be assembled to a mage coven for large scale spells. In this situation I'd think there might be a concentration of the sparkle-fingers on the hilltop with the trebuchets, where they can provide additional ranged attack power. A mage can offer as much firepower as a light siege engine, except much more precise, much more versatile and much more mobile. If they were smart they brought the mages ashore with the first landings of troops, so I expect that every mage this force has with them will be on the field to face us." Edmond said.
"Trebuchets, archers, crossbows, mages. It's a lot of firepower they are in command of." Jon contemplated.
"Indeed, that's going to be another problem for us. Once we enter their range the enemy can use their trebuchets to force us to attack, and as we approach the incoming fire will only intensify. It will guarantee heavy losses for our side in the early part of the battle." Edmond said.
"All the more reason for us get close as fast as we can and end this battle quickly then." Jon said. "Some of the former soldiers of House Warblade have told me that the Orlesian commander is someone called Alexander de Rozien. Does that name mean anything to you?" He asked then.
"It does, although I can't claim to have ever met him in person. While he was still a mere general his army was stationed along the Nevarran-Orlesian border. During the Orlesian civil war he chose not to take sides in the fighting, instead sealing the border to prevent my kingdom from taking advantage of the Empire's disarray. After Gaspard secured his throne de Rozien swore fealty to him along with the other Orlesian commanders who had yet to do so. Even though de Rozien did not support him directly the Emperor was quick to recognize the value of his service in protecting the Empire from external threats and so promoted him to Marshal." Edmond said.
"Is he a good commander?" Jon asked.
"One of their best." Edmond confirmed. "His position on will likely be on the hill, where he can observe the battle and direct troops fire where it is most needed." He added.
"Not with his soldiers?" Jon asked, surprised.
Edmond shook his head. "It is my understanding that he is an older man, no longer in his prime. And his role is to command, not fight. It would be folly for him to engage in direct combat. He has middle ranks, captains and colonels and such who can handle that kind of leadership."
"This does bring me to something I've been meaning to talk to you about Your Grace. It is my understanding that you prefer to lead from the front, to fight with your men. I understand what you seek to gain with that. It's inspiring for the troops, and it gives them the benefits of your personal skill in combat, which I have heard is substantial. Even so, I think in this case you should consider other options." Edmond said.
Jon sighed. "I know there is risk. And I know that as King my survival is vital. But if my men are willing to risk their lives then I find I can do no less. What Kind of a King would I be if I was not willing to fight for them like they fight for me? I have been in battles before, I know how to survive them."
"With respect Your Grace, that was hardly the point I was trying to make." Edmond said.
"The reason you need to be in the back ranks is so that you can see developments on the battlefield and give orders to respond to them. Fighting for your life in the middle of a battle will deny you that option. It might not be a problem if our army's tactics consisted of charge and have at them. But in this case that is not going to be enough. We are dealing with a canny enemy that has an extensive command structure and signaling system that afford them great control over their troops. We need to be ready for anything on their part, and we won't be able to do that if our general is busy in a sword fight. The true weapon of any general is their army, and you need to be so placed that you can wield yours properly." He then explained.
Jon shook his head. "My people need to see me leading them, fighting at their side. If I'm not there our soldiers will be disheartened, and that could be disastrous."
Edmond nodded his understanding. It was not how he believed things should be done, but he could see the King's point. And at the end of the day Jon was the King, and this was his army. "Very well. If you insist on taking part in the fighting personally then it would be a good idea to appoint someone else to manage giving orders to you army in your stead."
"Maybe that could be you?" Jon said.
At first Edmond thought Jon was joking, so he laughed. Then he noticed the King's serious expression.
"Er, Your Grace, I don't think that is a good idea. This is your army, and these are your people. They follow you. I'm just some foreigner to them. Maybe one of your Lords…" He tried to say.
"There are none among them who have fought the Orlesians. None among them know them. You do." Jon cut in. "Time and again you have given me good information on their methods, and think you have good grasp of strategy and tactics. On this session of ours that has been more apparent than ever. I think you would do well in putting those skills to use in the upcoming battle. And you need not be concerned. This army will still be seen as mine. Putting you in charge of managing tactical decisions won't change that. Even with our armies it is common to divide command between several commanders. If I tell them that I will fight at their side on the front lines and that you will be given command of the overall army for the duration of the battle, they'll accept my judgement. A few who believe themselves more qualified might grumble about it, but they won't challenge their King's judgement."
"We all have different skills. Different strengths. Mine will be put to their best use leading my people against the enemy directly, by battling them with all my skill and giving my people the courage to win, as a King should do. And perhaps this is where your skills will do the most good, by being the guy with the plan. I can be the heart of this army for this battle, while you can be the head." Jon said, giving the Nevarran knight a reassuring nod.
"That is, if you accept the job?" He then asked.
Edmond saw the look in the King's eyes, and could understand the subtext behind his words. Jon was probably heard how he had frozen in the middle of combat during the fight against House Warblade. Now the King was seeking to place him in a position where he would do good and where whatever problems he had wouldn't become a problem a second time. Edmond still had a long way to go to prove himself, despite the work he had done so far. Could he really afford to turn Jon down with this?
"If you're sure that this is what you wish to do, then of course I will do my very best. I'm here to serve in whatever capacity you require of me." Edmond said.
"But if you really want my direction on this situation, call off this attack while we still have time." Edmond said.¨
For a time Jon was shocked in silence. "They don't outnumber us that badly yet. You would have me fall back, just as the enemy is at our very doorstep, at a time we still have a chance against them. Why?" He asked, still stunned.
"I know you planned to fight them before their numbers became more than you could handle. I don't mean to sell your people short, but I'm afraid the Imperials might have already reached that threshold. The strength of their army is far greater than simple numbers might indicate. And in the upcoming battle far too much could go wrong. If we fail to break the opposing cavalry, we're dead. If our infantry breaks against the pikes before the cavalry can reach them, we're dead. If we take too long in crossing the field to get to the enemy their ranged firepower will tear us apart and then we're dead. In short, unless we do everything to absolute perfection we will lose this fight." Edmond explained.
"Those odds are not going to get any better. If you think we can't beat them now, how do you expect us to hold when they are at full strength?" Jon countered.
"Not by ourselves I should think. We should retreat to a defensible location, and wait for Queen Daenerys's army to arrive. Once the strength of her army is added to ours, we can strike the Imperials with all our strength. Then the odds will be as good as we are able to make them and we might as well take our chances and see what happens." Edmond said.
Jon shook his head. "We cannot do that. Even if you are right about this we still can't. If we retreat to Winterfell the Imperials can move their own army south, take out White Harbor and Moat Cailin. Daenerys's army would be completely blocked off, and they could finish us off at their leisure. If we move to White Harbor or Moat Cailin, the Orlesians will have the path open to take Winterfell. With such a small garrison of defenders it would fall in short order. If we lose Winterfell we lose the North. Not to mention I have family there, which I won't leave in the hands of these Orlesian cunts."
"And our armies aren't like your Thedosian standing armies. Nine tenths of my army are made up of the forces of Lords who honored their oaths to fight with me because they believe I can lead them to victory. If they lose faith in the cause they'll lead those men home, because they don't want to die in a war they can't win and they'll figure that I won't be around to punish them for oathbreaking. My army could simply evaporate overnight if I don't manage them with care and ensure their confidence holds. If I retreat in the face of this enemy without at least trying to fight them it will send a very bad message to them. No. This has to happen. We fight with the army we have." He added.
Edmond sighed, realizing there was no changing the King's mind about this. "Understood Your Grace."
"However, that does not mean that I intend to ignore your warnings altogether." Jon reassured his military advisor. "We will try to play this carefully. We will hit them as hard as we can. If or luck holds we will push them back to the sea. At the very least we will damage their landed forces, hopefully making them more cautious to attack us and give Daenerys more time to bring her troops here. But the moment the tide turns against us we need to break off and fall back. Be on your guard, and if you see a dangerous situation forming don't hesitate to order the retreat. I need my army intact for battles later in this war."
"Alright. That sounds like a reasonable approach." Edmond said, moderately appeased. "Your Grace, since against the pikes it might not be possible to get close enough to use your sword, I think it might be wisest for you to be with your cavalry. Which flank would you like to take?"
Jon considered for a moment. "I believe I'll take the left flank. Lord Redforge can be on the right flank. His heavy cavalry is well equipped, and no doubt he will be eager to prove himself. That enthusiasm will be very useful. Meanwhile you can hold the center."
"I'll have the lords sent for, so we can fill them in on the plan. Meanwhile it would be a good idea for you to go over the situation one more time. If there is something that could help us or matters we have overlooked you can bring it up during the meeting." Jon said, then left.
Edmond nodded, gave a heavy sigh and turned his attention back to the table. He tried to do as the King had bid him, but found it difficult to concentrate. He had not been expecting to be put in command. He had commanded soldiers before, and he was an avid reader of books about strategy. He could handle this. Had that not been the case he would have protested more strongly at the King's decision. But now without warning he was in charge of a situation that to him seemed less than ideal. And he already knew that despite the King's assurances the Westerosi Lords would think he usurped a post that rightly belonged to them. They would not be happy with him. Less so if the battle went poorly.
Briefly Edmond wondered if Jon had put him in charge just to save face in the event the battle was lost. But, no. That was not the kind of man the King was. He was not petty, nor given over to playing such mind games. When the King made a mistake, he owned it. Edmond was just hoping the King had not made another mistake by underestimating the Orlesians. He had seemed so confident despite Edmond's warnings…
Then again, the King had been right. They could not retreat now. They had to at least try.
And maybe the King had a point in his confidence. Edmond only fully understood the Orlesian half of this equation. The Westerosi were still strangers to him, ones that he was still learning about. King Jon's people seemed brave and spirited enough, and he had heard of them overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds before. So perhaps it was Edmond that was underestimating them. And Edmond already knew that he was a cautious commander, always preferring the safer option to taking risks. That had served him well in the past, but against a superior enemy perhaps boldness was what was needed instead?
Yes, the more he thought about it the more convinced he became that Jon had the right of this after all…