Warlords: Strategic Conquest

You cannot let Toleron get away and regroup. When he gets his hands on his 15 ballistae it will be much tougher to defeat him. You order your 40 thousand mounted cavalry to charge after the 70 or so thousand retreating footmen.

They gallop over the dry plains and soon catch up to the enemy. Infantry, even ones running for their lives, cannot outrun thoroughbreds. Panicked soldiers cannot keep from tripping over themselves, let alone defend against your charging cavalry's spears. A massacre ensues.

One of your alert officers spots Toleron himself and captures him alive. He is thrown in front of you with bound ankles and wrists.

"Why should I spare your pathetic life?" you ask a defiant Toleron.

"There is no need. Ever since I converted to Buddhism I have seen the way. The pain and suffering of existence are meaningless. In time, your people will agree with me. Killing me will only send me to nirva-"

"Enough! Your death will serve me much better than it will serve you, believe me. Off with his head!"

When you take over Toleron's castle you find his 15 ballistae in good condition and add them to your fleet. In addition, winning a battle against a huge enemy while suffering negligible losses astronomically raises your kingdom's morale. Another huge spike in conscription occurs, this time increasing your troops to 500 thousand infantry, 500 thousand archers, and one million mounted cavalry. Furthermore, your increasing stable of skilled tradesmen have completed construction on several cloud ladders.

Cloud ladders, or siege towers, are slow-moving, wheeled, vertically extendable wooden structures. They allow infantry and archers to directly reach the top of castle walls and towers without being bombarded by arrows on the way. Damp cloth is draped over the outside to protect it against burning arrows. Unlike regular arrows, ballista bolts can penetrate the cloud ladder's wooden shell and eventually wreck the entire structure. Cloud ladders also cannot accommodate any cavalry, so your mounted troops would not be able to support your infantry and archers. Your war machines now total 20 ballistae and 10 cloud ladders.

One day, as you are preparing for another offensive campaign, you are visited by an emissary.

"I am here on a mission of peace from President Min. He has heard tales of your victories and is in awe of your military brilliance. Now that all other remaining warlords in China have allied themselves with the President, your joining us is overdue. He asks that you keep your troops within the boundaries of your newly acquired territories in north, south, and east China in exchange for him keeping all the other warlords from invading your territory. You are still free to attack anyone you want outside of China. What reply shall I bring back to President Min?"

"Ahahahaha!" You have not had such a good laugh in a long time. "Don't worry," you say, "I'll take care of that for you."

You grin as your men drag the diplomat away to be executed and his head put in a box and sent back to Min.

By now you hold three quarters of China. But the last opposition is the strongest. Min has convinced his allies to all resist you as one. Their most defensible position is Min's capital, where 1.5 million soldiers await you in battle.

You march your army to Min's last bastion. A giant castle stands in the distance. In front of it are thousands of tents nestled close together, where the one million infantry of Min's allies are camped. Perched on the castle walls are Min's 200 thousand infantry and 300 thousand archers. Ten ballistae sit atop his towers, pointed in your direction. Due to their elevation, Min's ballistae possess much greater range than yours. The battlefield terrain is a low plain with no trees, and a brisk wind blows from behind your back.

Your legions stand tall facing the enemy. Your day of glory has finally come. Before the moment sinks in however, Min's allies suddenly attack you. All one million infantry charge as one at your formation and taking the initiative away from you. You have no option but to fight back.

Your one million cavalry are the first to engage the enemy. Soldiers on their front few lines are knocked down by your cavalry's ferocious charge. Your mounted troops quickly slaughter the infantry while taking moderate losses. Soon, all one million infantry are either dead or scattered, while you have lost 500 thousand of your cavalry.

Careful to remain just out of the range of Min's ballistae, you walk past the tents and closer to Min's towering castle. You still have 500 thousand each of infantry, archers, and cavalry, as well as 20 ballistae and 10 cloud ladders. Min still has 200 thousand infantry, 300 thousand archers and 10 ballistae guarding his fortress. How will you assault the castle? Thanks to your exceptional tactical decisions in earlier battles, you now have better options at your disposal. There are two appealing choices, but decide carefully.

You know that as your ballistae move close enough to fire on the castle, they would also likely be fired on during the assault as well and eventually all destroyed by Min's longer ranged ballistae.