The article is this http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1267536/Ten-greatest-battlefield-tactics-Rob-Johnson.html
I will try to be brief while I am trying to analyze what is the idea behind the most of those and how can they be decrypted in the battle simulation we are playing.
Before starting, the reason that I am typing down all this, is that i have read enough of historic battles (from Sun Tzu to modern military manifestos) and always had the idea in my mind to use em in some aspects of life.
_______________________________________
1. SURPRISE ATTACK: TEUTOBURG FOREST, 9AD
The terms of ambush are already included in the rules of the scenarios we are using. But those words in the article: "waiting for the right moment to spring their attack, but ultimately their strategy was an example of effective and channelled aggression.", make us think of when (=priority!!) is the right time to make attack with X number of type A troops into Y useable(!) number of type B enemy troops. It is a matter of understanding the pace of the battle and the value per model that can be used in the current time.
2. ENVELOPMENT: OPERATION URANUS, 1942
This is actually referring to a WW2 warfare, but the idea behind this is what we are calling "outflanking the opponent". You have numbers, you must use em all fighting at once! Tight or loose formations is the part of how the army's construction is affecting the man to man battle.
3. COMMITTING THE RESERVE: AUSTERLITZ, 1805
What actually happened in this battle is that Napoleon improved (without making it obvious) the center in a way that after it has won it, he managed to divide the enemy's army into two parts, isolating them and using the correct counter-troops in each one to smash em. Think of isolating the enemy's cavalry on the right with a fell beast there and some archers on the left where you have your cavalry.
4. SHOCK ACTION: ARSUF, 1191
5. CONCENTRATION: JAGDGESCHWADER FORMATION, 1917
Well for this one, a forum member and well known player, Dr Grant, who is using an army named shock troops (with ferals etc), is actually making a transfer of this tactic on the table. It is about the intensity of power in certain spots of the two armies. Taking advantage of hitting so hard and wining every man to man battle to lower dramatically the power of the enemy's army in a way that when the opponent gets over it and gather his troops to make a coordinated attack against you he will already be lacking the resources.
6. OFF-BALANCING & PINNING: TRAFALGAR, 1805
This is about isolating an army that can be shooted. Pretty obvious for us.
7. STRATEGIC OFFENCE & TACTICAL DEFENCE: PANIPAT, 1526
Mostly for sieges. Not so common for us. Worth searching it if so.
10. GUERRILLA WARFARE: CHINA, 1934-49
This hit-and-run tactic is not unknown in our SBG. Rohan cavalry is using some of that, taking advantage of the fastest movement and the arrow/spear option.
______________________________________
So, that's all. As a final advice is to always calculate your moves. Measure in your mind what you believe it is strong, what is fast, what is durable. Practice to understand well the scale of the battlefield, the formation and the possible outcomes of each action. These are terms that we are already calculating in our everyday life when we want to be competitive.
Cheers,
Valadorn
|
