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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Old One" data-source="post: 1237982" data-attributes="member: 83">Thoughts...Marimmar has some excellent thoughts...Some other ideas:(1) An Equalizer - The biggest threat to any mass humanoid attack is the power of high-level mages (and clerics, to a lesser extent).  Perhaps Obould has discovered, stolen, traded for or otherwise obtained some type of poison or a parasite that incapacitates mages or temporarily renders them unable to access the weave.  Mages that leave the safety of their towers are set upon by half-orc assassins and are killed, captured or negated and left to cry in their firewine.(2) Fear - Take a page from the Mongol handbook.  Mongols would offer towns and cities a choice...submit or be destroyed.  As orc columns (worg and dire boar cavalry with wyvern-mounted scouts works nicely) descend on smaller communities, they are given choices with a twist..."Surrender or be eaten."  They make an example of a few small communities that try to resist them, completely devouring every living thing.  Communities that surrender are not pillaged, are allowed to keep their leaders for the most part and continue to function, although they are required to pay a "protection" tax to Obould and are garrisoned by a proportional orcish force.Obould has decided that the time-honored tactics of pillage, rape and burn doesn't work well in the long-term and that a subdued populace that provides steady cash flow, finished goods and other luxuries is much better!  Such a tactic might lead to many communities capitulating and allow the orcs to advance much faster than they have in past invasions.(3) Covert Ops - Orcish casters have been capturing, cataloging and breeding nasty critters since the last orcish invasion failed.  They have recruited human looking half-orcs in communities throughout the Silver Marches and set them up as respectable merchants and upstanding members of society.  Over the last decade, they have been smuggling nasty critters into the heart of many Silver Marches community.  When the attack begins or when an orcish column shows up outside the wall, the fifth column agents release the beasts, sowing confusion, causing casualties and perhaps providing a diversion to allow the half-orc spies to open the gates and allow the orcish army entry.My 2 coppers!~ Old One</blockquote>

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