Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="argo" data-source="post: 1633222" data-attributes="member: 5752">So, your occupying force of heavy infantry is mired in a war of attrition against locals who use guerilla tactics in forest/jungle/urban terrain and are friendly with the natives?  Oh yeah, if history teaches us anything it's that the heavy infantry has the advantage here  <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/paranoid.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":uhoh:" title="Paranoid    :uhoh:" data-shortname=":uhoh:" /> You don't really have a lot of good options, my advice is to just suck it up and stay focused.  They win if they can sink your morale low enough that you abandon the campagin as not worth the cost.  You win if you can grind them down, outlast them and that's difficult.  Don't go looking for a quick-win scenario, there is none.  Don't try to play their game either, they are better at it than you.  Stick to your strengths: heavy power, numbers, orgnization, and vast resources.  You may be tempted to throw your forces at them in mass, don't.  If your casualties outsrtip your reenforcements you loose.  Fight defensevly but don't fight conservatevly.  Be agressive at all times, bulldog them to death.  Whatever you do, whenever you move, do it in strength.  A patrol of 5 orcs is worthless (unless you are using them as bait) move in platoon strength or greater.  As you encroach on the forest establish a foward moving line of interlocking defense points.  Anywhere you establish a perimiter push back the forest at least 100 yards beyond, this includes tall grass too, nothing bigger than a mouse ought to be able to approach your positions undetected.  Every unit should be under the observation of two other units at all times.  This allows you to provide support for your troops so a small unit can never be cut off and outnumbered (remember, they may have fewer numbers overall but if they concentrate on one point at a time they could still overwhelm you) and in the event the stinking elves actually do get bold enough to try and move in force it allows you to respond quickly to the situation as it develops (something that the elves, with their high forest mobility, probably think is their advantage).  It also helps you prevent their raiders from sliping past your front lines.  With your greater numbers you have the ability to rotate your troops and keep the ones on the front relatevly fresh, do so.  Above all keep the pressure up, stay in close contact with the enemy at all times, wear them down.  Your plan is to grind the elves and their ugly forest into the ground, get to wrok doing it and don't let up.  Absouetly put together some kind of special forces units but remember: they aren't going to win the war for you.  Their job is to 1)gather intel 2)seek and destroy high-priority targets (enemy leadership) 3)keep troop morale high by demonstrating just how badass you can be 4)harass the enemy so they don't get any rest.Advance tactics will mostly revolve around forcing the enemy into a stand-up fight.  That will mostly involve finding something so valuable to the elves that they are obligated to defend it, even guerilla fighters have to have a supply depot/staging area somewhere.  They will counter by keeping their structure diffuse and mobile so you can't find these points.  Good intel is key here followed by a fast response time, be opportunistic.  Perhaps if you make threatening gestures towards the fort (deception) the enemy will get desperate and begin a buildup of forces in prepration for a rescue attempt.  In that event play it cool, open a door for them (don't be obvious) lure them in and crush them.  Stay focused on your long-term goal: a build-up of forces that, as it grows, slowly pushes back the forest and grinds up all enemy opposition that is sent to stop it with minimal losses to itself.  I don't know what the exact population ratios are but, unlike most orcish campagins, you need to limit yoruself to a 1:1 or 1:2 kill ratio at the worst.  This thing is a contest of willpower and, despite conventional wisdom, you can win but only if you stay determined and play it agressive and close to the vest.  Luckily for you I doubt there is an orcish "peace movement" back home.  As for the fort itself, assuming you have it prety well contained it should fall to the siege in due time.  Since you are settling in for the long haul anyway you might as well divert a small unit to begin sapping opperations.Good luck.</blockquote>

Verification