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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Bayushi Seikuro" data-source="post: 3655945" data-attributes="member: 23328">If I were an Evil Overlord . . .Sorry - had to use that for a title... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />I agree with the comment about early and often offers for surrender; not surrender per se, but trying to negotiate annexation of Pike.  One reason:  When the war starts to drag, people might put pressure on Pike's leaders to negotiate.Secondly, if I were to attack, I would send a few thousand troops to keep the farthest-from-the-coast fort occupied, while my primary attacks were at the other two forts as well as a landing on the coast.  A concentrated push in those areas would good; your biggest assest would be as much surprise and 'shock and awe' as possible.  It's one reason the German blitzkrieg was so effective; by the time the troops could be reassigned towards the coast, you're pushing in land as fast as you can.Something else I would look at for the river crossing, if you divert a good chunk of your arcane and clerical support towards the two REAL river crossings, you might fare better.  You don't need to build and protect the crossings if you have magical means for logistics and support; you merely need to get your troops on the other side.  Now, as far as Pike goes, the one thing cannot do is let the nation's morale break.  Even if they begin to lose, it must continue to appear that they're fighting the good fight, that reinforcements are on their way, and that they are not going to compromise their ideals; they must continue to be seen as 'The Good Guys'. . .  However, every step must be used to disrupt the attacking army.  When the Empire will outnumber you, you have to make it very, very, VERY costly for them to continue.  Find a way to counter the magical and divine advantage the Empire has and make it a ground fight as much as you can.  As much as people blast Episode I of Star Wars, the one thing they did well were those big, giant anti-energy shields the Gungans had; cancelled out the advantage of nuking things from orbit.Just my random two cents.  Again, looking at real sieges, the advantage goes to the defender as long as the food holds out and morale can be maintained.EDIT:Another point on the naval/amphibious assault:  The Empire has a large geographical and numerical advantage over Pike.  Yes, they will get heavy losses to land troops, but... if they land troops there, they've pretty much broken through the lines and are free to run amok in the soft belly of the country; at that point, they don't need to even stay in groups of thousands; if they split 5000 men into groups of 100 and send them willynilly through the countryside, burning everything in sight...And remember: The Emperor is smart and charismatic; he will no doubt spin the story of the landing in Pike into a great heroic deed for morale and PR purposes.  He might take volunteers, offering extra pay to those who survive, and extra benefits for those who's widowed wives remain.  it's all the power of positive thinking, and nothing about that isn't in character for an intelligent, charismatic Evil person.</blockquote>

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