Iron Powder and Spellcaster

[Southern Division Battlefield]

Geza Adonis folded his arms and lowered his head to listen to the feeble gunshots coming from the river bank. His scalp was covered with fresh scratches that were oozing blood, which was horrifying.

Whenever Gesa thinks, he scratches his head subconsciously. But this is the first time that I have made myself look like this.

Gesa's nails weren't long, but he didn't realize how hard he was exerting himself—or maybe he just needed some pain.

There was nothing quiet around the colonel, but it was so oppressive that it made you want to vomit. The messenger closest to the colonel tried his best not to make any noise, because no one wanted to be noticed by the colonel.

Five brigades of Baishan County soldiers lined up in the wheat field, with the battle line extending from Tushe Field outside Hehe Village to the field ridge at the edge of the farm.

Their enemies were also arrayed on the other side. Looking north, they could vaguely see the tips of their guns floating in the white smoke.

In front of the spearmen and sword-and-shielders of both armies, the musketeers seemed to be engaged in a never-ending game of wasted gunpowder.

The accuracy of unrifled matchlocks was limited, so it was difficult for the musketeers sheltered by flood-proof embankments to seize the fleeting shooting window and hit the enemy musketeers who were also hiding behind the field ridges.

Not to mention, the constant gunshots in their ears and the acrid smoke filling their nostrils made the recruits unconsciously panicked.

Most of the Baeksan County musketeers, who were on the battlefield for the first time, just wanted to hit the lead bullets to the other side as quickly as possible, without taking careful aim.

So much so that the upper reaches of Hehe Valley Village, where the gunfire is the densest, is actually the most passive and stalemate area on the entire battlefield.

A rider came from a distance and was intercepted by a sentry riding on the outskirts of the farm. The rider tore off the red ribbon tied to his arm, took off his helmet to reveal his identity, shouted anxiously a few times, and was immediately released.

The riders who had returned from the reconnaissance across the river came directly to Colonel Gesa, rolled their saddles and dismounted, and reported in an urgent and low voice: It's the 'Flag of the Seven Kings'.

You see that right? Gesa stared into the rider's eyes.

It's unmistakable, the round flag on a white background, five fully equipped infantry brigades. The rider looked at the colonel without fear: It must be the roundabout enemy force that Captain Lauzon discovered before.

Gesa was noncommittal and asked, Who is the commander?

The enemy did not display the commander's personal flag, but judging from the formation he put up, it seems that he wants to be a turtle. The rider hesitated for a moment, turned to look at the North Branch battlefield where the battle situation was still unclear, and finally bit the back groove. Ya Jin said:

Sir, Colonel Bode guessed wrong. The heavy puppet troops are not on the left, but on the right! The enemy forces on the other side obviously want to hold us back and wait for their right wing to defeat Colonel Skull's troops. Since they have made up their mind to cross the river , then we can only fight! No matter what, it is better than sitting in silence like now!

Geza glanced at the impatient subordinate: Be patient, Second Lieutenant Worthington.

Yes. Worthington forced himself not to show his disappointment and raised his hand in salute.

Gesa was about to ask for more details when he suddenly saw a lieutenant and a messenger cavalry in a dark green coat galloping down the valley village high ground and heading straight to his location.

The messenger cavalry brought the long-awaited message from the Baishan County officers: Sir, Colonel Bode ordered you to cross the river with three brigades to attack.

Second Lieutenant Worthington clenched his fists, growled, and then looked eagerly at Colonel Geisa—no matter what order Bode gave, the final command of the White Mountain County Army still rested with Colonel Geisa.

Gesa's eyes were uncertain. He turned to look at the Baishan County lieutenant who returned with the messenger, and asked in a deep voice: There are only three brigades?

Yes. The lieutenant said firmly: I heard Colonel Bode's order with my own ears.

Gesa was silent for a moment, and finally slapped his head hard: Okay! Three will be three!

The colonel seemed to be a different person, regaining his ferocious energy like a wild bull. He issued a series of orders in a rough voice, instructing each officer what to do, adjusting the position of each group and even each centurion.

The headquarters staff, who had not dared to breathe loudly just now, could not help but feel refreshed. As the Baishan County command system began to operate, the giant beast lying frozen on the southern battlefield gradually came to life.

The musketeers of the Grand Council Army on the other side of the river were the first to notice that something was wrong: the sound of hooves on the other side suddenly became denser; many figures in dark green coats shuttled between the phalanxes; The forest of spears began to move slowly.

The commander of the Grand Council Army subsequently changed his deployment and moved most of the soldiers to the direction of Tushe Field.

However, the attack by the Baeksan County troops was not launched from Tuchechang, the easiest place to cross the river upstream of the village.

There was no sound of trumpets or drums. While the Grand Council Army was making tense arrangements, the Baeksan County troops located in the center of the southern battlefield broke out of the smoke and landed on the east bank.

…

[Northern Division Battlefield]

When the Baishan County troops finally broke the deadlock, the showdown on the northern battlefield also entered the most critical moment.

The two armies were organized according to the same version of Legion Doctrine, and the musketeers deployed in each brigade did not exceed one-third of the total strength.

This means that no matter how much time is spent in the shooting phase, they must eventually defeat the opponent through hand-to-hand combat.

Therefore, no matter how reluctant and unwilling they were, the two soldiers could only walk toward each other with great fear and to the beat of the drums.

The soldiers in the first three rows had already leveled their spears at shoulder height, and the soldiers behind them holding spears on standby ensured that they could not retreat.

Like two comb teeth being squeezed together, the gleaming spearhead inserted into the gap between the opponent's spears little by little, and the spear shafts began to collide with each other.

Just like the ultra-long spear trembling slightly, the soldier holding the ultra-long spear is also trembling. They stared at the enemy's facial features, which were also deformed by fear, with wide eyes. They tentatively moved their steps, extending the spear tips towards each other while getting closer and closer to each other.

When the tip of the spear was less than an arm's length away from the chest of the soldier in the front row, one soldier finally couldn't bear it anymore and roared as he pushed the super long spear into the neck of the enemy in front of him.

The roar triggered an avalanche, and in an instant the battlefield erupted into howls like wild beasts. Soldiers on both sides howled and stabbed the enemy's face, neck, and thighs with their weapons.

Their formation was so tight that everyone had no way to hide or retreat. If one person fell, another would immediately be on top.

When the gleaming spear tip came towards them, the only way the soldiers in the front row could avenge their cruel fate was to raise their spears and thrust them back without hesitation.

Another unintended consequence of using the same version of the doctrine is that the ultra-long guns issued by the two armies are exactly the same shape, and no one can have an advantage in the length of the gun body.

No matter which side the spearman is on, when he can pierce the enemy, the enemy's spear point will definitely pierce him.

Some soldiers who could not accept such a miserable death resolutely abandoned their spears, pulled out their daggers, crawled towards the enemy from under the tree-like forest of spears, and risked their lives to stab the enemy in the front row. They were then stabbed to death by the enemy with their daggers. .

At the same time, a small number of sword-and-shielders with strong swords and shields broke away from the formation and struggled with the enemy's sword-and-shielders who also wanted to attack the opponent's flank at the edge of the square formation.

The musketeers who retreated into the phalanx also joined the melee. They placed their arquebuses directly on the shoulders of the spearmen in the front row and fired.

With such a close distance and so many enemies, it was impossible to miss. Every gunshot was bound to cause an enemy to fall to the ground. The deafening sound of gunfire also made the spearmen acting as supports feel stars in their eyes and dizzy.

Some people yelled, some cursed the gods, some cried bitterly, some had a nervous breakdown... but no one cared.

The lead bullet flew out of the gun's muzzle, erupting with a terrifying thunder; the sharp blade sliced ​​through the iron armor, making a sharp, tooth-piercing sound.

These sounds were immediately submerged in countless sounds. The battlefield seemed to be swallowed up by a huge whirlpool, and the sky was full of boiling and extremely quiet.

Because everyone can only hear one sound - the sound of death.

People disappeared, leaving only wild animals fighting each other.

This is a phalanx duel, a stupid and genius tactic that squeezes uncertainty to a minimum, turns battles into mere consumption, and turns human lives into mere numbers.

Once the battle reaches this stage, the winner will be decided within minutes. Because even if morale is not considered, if this stage lasts longer, all the soldiers on one side will be completely dead, while the other side will have very few soldiers left.

And until the moment before the goddess of victory opens the curtain, no one knows which side will collapse first.

In the center of the central phalanx on the left wing of the coalition forces, Colonel Scull was riding on horseback, concentrating on observing the bloody battle just around the corner.

Lead bullets kept passing by, and the four sword and shield bearers who were also on horseback held up steel-covered bucklers to protect the colonel, but they still inevitably showed flaws.

The commander of the phalanx repeatedly begged the colonel to dismount, because even in the center of the phalanx, he could not be more than thirty steps away from the enemy musketeers, but Scull refused.

Through the gunpowder smoke, Skull saw a horrific gash on a soldier's face, with bloody teeth exposed; he saw a gray-bearded veteran kneeling on the ground, putting the spilled intestines into his stomach. He also saw a child soldier who was only fifteen or sixteen years old, dragging blood and crying, crawling towards the inside of the phalanx, but was mercilessly trampled by the soldiers in the rear row, and finally stopped moving.

However, these tragic scenes were not what Skull Mecklen cared about.

Colonel Scull hardened his heart and coldly took stock of the enemy's depth and judged who was advancing and who was retreating.

The two colliding phalanxes were like two gears, swallowing up living people and spitting out broken and rotten flesh.

The extremely cruel battle of attrition lasted only a short time, and almost all the armored spearmen standing in the first few rows of both sides were dead. The reserve spearmen were thrust into the battle line, and without even a pair of iron armor, they died faster.

Skull keenly noticed a detail: most of the breastplates of the enemy's front row soldiers had unpatched dents or bullet holes - not newly added, but before the phalanx battle began. keeping it.

This means that this batch of ordnance recently left one battlefield and was immediately put into another battlefield before it had time to be repaired.

Combining the previously learned information that a siege of Bazenauer broke out, Scull judged that the troops reorganizing the new reclamation army should have participated in the siege of Bazenauer.

However, his judgment immediately raised another question in his mind.

After the smoke cleared, Skull counted the number of enemy soldiers on each side. He was certain that he was facing six fully manned infantry corps.

How could a force that had just experienced a siege not suffer any casualties?

Skull had a guess in his mind, and his guess was quickly confirmed by the battle situation:

After the front row of armored soldiers was exhausted, the enemy's formation quickly fell into decline as more and more reserve spearmen were added to the battle line.

The phalanx of brown-clothed soldiers was shaking. At first, only one soldier moved back, but soon all the soldiers in Leiqun County realized that the enemy was retreating.

When one person's movement turns into a group of people's retreat, the collapse of morale is as unstoppable as the flood that breaks the dam.

With a desperate cry of Escape for your lives, the enemy formation in front of Colonel Scull instantly collapsed.

The brown-clothed soldiers abandoned their weapons one after another, turned around and fled to the other side of the river. Even the sergeants holding red arrows to supervise the battle could not stop them.

The collapse of a phalanx meant that a gap was created in the entire front.

The sound of the retreating military bugle reached the eardrums of everyone in the North Division battlefield. In order not to be outflanked, the other four Grand Council Army formations that were still fighting fiercely broke away from the battle and retreated to the river bank.

During the retreat, another phalanx collapsed. The fear of death outweighed the awe of punishment, and the soldiers scrambled to escape.

A burst of cheers resounded from the left wing of the coalition forces. The soldiers from Leiqun County and Bianjiang County who were still alive were celebrating, venting, and shouting meaninglessly.

But Skull was so anxious that he almost went crazy. He yelled in a rare way: Idiot! Beat the drum! Chase after me! Don't keep distance from the enemy! March with the drum!!!

The colonel knew very well that the eight cannons on the hillock on the other side had been silent so far, not because they had not loaded their ammunition, but because the fronts of the two armies had just been mixed together, and there was no way to avoid accidental damage. Once fired, the artillery shells will plow a bloody alley between the soldiers of both armies at the same time, and the enemy serving as one's own human shield will have to pay even more heavy casualties.

Skull had previously ordered his troops to retreat and then advance. The purpose was to seize the artillery firing interval to close the distance with the enemy and limit the power of the enemy's artillery.

The sound of military drums rang in Scull's ears, and soon rapid drumbeats came from all the phalanxes on the left wing of the coalition forces, urging the soldiers to advance.

There was no time to treat the wounded, so the various formations from Leiqun County and Bianjiang County briefly formed a team and began to move forward.

However, their advance was not fast, because the cavalry of the Grand Council Army had not yet been driven off the battlefield, and the commanders of all parties did not dare to easily order the dissolution of the phalanx.

Skull stared at the artillery position on the other side of the river, pursed his lips tightly, and the blood in his hand holding the saddle had lost its color.

The messengers from River Valley Village desperately broke through the obstruction of the enemy's light cavalry, and it took a lot of effort to find Colonel Scull's phalanx on the chaotic battlefield.

After his identity was verified, the orderly was put into the forest of guns. He brought Colonel Bode's order.

Sir. The experienced messenger quickly saluted and went straight to the point: Colonel Bode orders you to pursue the enemy across the river.

I know! I will! Skull's eyes did not leave the low hillock on the other side of the river for a moment, and he replied calmly: But the enemy still has reserves on hand. If I cross the river, the enemy in front of the valley village may also Attack my flank. I need cavalry cover.

Skull turned to look at the messenger, his eyes as sharp as a falcon: Also, go back and report to the colonel that the enemy army has added a large number of new troops after the siege of Bazenauer. It seems that they are fully equipped, but in fact they are strong on the outside and capable on the inside! Nell is playing tricks! I don't know exactly what tricks he is playing, but he must be playing tricks! Definitely! Go tell the colonel!

Sir. The messenger swallowed and wiped the sweat from his forehead: Colonel Bode also ordered me to tell you that the cavalry troops cannot provide you with cover. On the contrary, you must contain the six enemy troops who have already entered the battle. At the same time, we will try our best to force the enemy to commit two brigades that have not yet participated in the battle to create opportunities for the cavalry.

Skull's eyebrows suddenly rose and he asked in a serious voice: What fighter plane?

A fighter plane that captures enemy artillery.

Just then, the cannon on the other side of the river roared again.

[Sorry again]

[Recently, my time and energy are mainly spent on work. I try my best to use fragmented time to write and write every day as much as possible. But as a social animal, work should still be the main focus. But don't worry, sooner or later the rain will clear up. ]

[This chapter should be the first time this story describes the phalanx battle in a positive light]

[The first volume is the standing army of Veneta versus the mercenaries of the Islands, with the main focus being siege]

[The second volume is the battle between Plato’s standing army and the Hed tribes, mainly in field battles]

[The third volume is about Winters' troops fighting against various forces. They rarely engage in formal battles, and most of them are melees with hundreds of people]

[Finally, a real phalanx battle begins to appear in this volume. Although it should be short-lived, the author is satisfied to be able to write about it once. ]