As he moved to the great hall he sat down and began to listen. The maester began to speak and teach about what was expected of everyone and how the test would play out. He then moved the attention to the large table in the center of the room. He then explained that this was a mock war board; meant to pit two students against each other. Of course, the first two weren't very talented, but something else happened that John wasn't expecting. They had to defend their decision and do a verbal play out of the battle to show that there was some actual thought in their troop movements. So, this would be a battle of wits as well as troops. John sat and watched the students that were before him all go up and there were standard troops, but the ones that caught John's attention was the dragons and the elephants. He knew about both as anyone would, but to hear how they were used in war was a joy for him. As he sat there and watched the students had all done pretty much the same they charged their elephants in, and then sent their dragons out only to be brought down by the siege craft that the other had. It was truly a very childish idea, but still it was a very amusing game to watch. Finally, it was John's turn as he got up he walked down to see his opponent it was some lordling playing at being a Maester. Truly, it was his battle to win, the game was simple they would set up their boards with a great wall between the two sides. They were given as much time as they needed to set up the board how they thought best. John knew the game and he did know the valuable points on this map; the river, the keep, and the center of the valley.
He knew what the others had done, they had set their footmen and cavalry in the center, their elephants, and dragon on the river, and their weapons and archers at the keep. This usually led to a blood battle that ended with the winner doing just that with a very minor change. Yet, this was not what John would do, this was not what he planned. He moved his dragon and his soldiers to his keep. He moved his cavalry and his archers to the river. Finally, he put his elephants and siege weapons in the center of the valley. When the wall was removed, the board was set and his opponent had done the smart play, but this is what John was hoping. The maester smiled and nodded once "John, I am very impressed. Tell me why you chose this formation?"
John smiled as he gestured to the board "There are few things that can break up a cavalry charge. Well, siege engines, catapults, and ballistae can break up his footmen and some of his cavalry. The elephants can easily break a horse line and thus in this exchange I lose maybe half of these forces that can then be used to engage his river forces. With that in mind I can move my center forces up to the river. The ballistae will bring down his dragon while my catapults deal with the forest and elephants; when his forces leave the forest, my elephants clean up. I lose all my weapons and half of my remaining elephants. At that point, I move up my archers, cavalry, and call in my dragon. I use my elephants as fodder for the weapons while my archers work to clear and kill his and his siege crews. Finally, I bring my dragon down to rain fire on those in the castle while using one elephant in reserve to batter down the keep doors. I lose all my elephants, weaponry, dragon, and half my archers, but I have my soldiers and cavalry in reserves. I lose many, but ultimately win."
The boy piped up now "What if I don't fall for your trick!?"
John shrugged this suggestion away dismissively "Then I bring my cavalry in as a big distraction and my footmen scale your walls on the opposite side to take you from within, or I bring my remaining forces back and starve you out while raining fire on you with my dragon which will melt the stone of your keep eventually. In any event, I have complete control and you lose. If you would protest that you wouldn't fall for these tactics either I will bring the Maester's attention to the fact that you have placed your forces the same way as all the other so-called winners, but the ones they faced never used their forces the way I have. Your thinking is the same, you think to get in the first strike, but I deny you that and thus route you soundly."
The rest of the Acolytes were stunned into an awed silence. The man just laughed "Well done my boy! You have mastered the art of strategy, and warfare. You pass, go make your link."
John bowed his head as he left and headed to the forge; it took him a bit, but he soon had his link.
The next few links were similarly as easy to him as he just soared through the tests and what he needed to. He was there for a year and a little; when he turned seven and ten years old he was almost ready to be a full-fledged maester. Yet, fate had other plans for him; as he was going to the lecture hall he spotted something that was a very interesting sight to him.