robertamgottlieb wrote:OTOH, consider that there are more than a million Harchonese troops that may be focused on one of the Siddarian fronts. Even if there is an effective coup against Clyntyn, that will only delay things for a month or two. The Harchongese, under CoGA leadership, is enough to overrun almost any defense existing at the end of LAMA. I don't doubt hundreds of thousands would die or be wounded, but as it stands now, they would push thru. Think of wave after wave of "Banzai" ("Long live the Emperor") attacks.
This assumes, of course, that the Charisians can't turn the entire force against their lords.
To stand up to that, they will need bolt action rifles and machine guns. They will need HE granades, smokeless-based artillery and mortar propellant, etc. They will have to counter CoGA angle guns. The only good news is that the GoGA forces will need time to move the people and supplies into position to attack. It won't be subtle.
Defeat the Harchongese, and the church will be ready to negotiate. But it ain't over yet.
-- Bob G
Hi Bob G,
I agree that the potential of a million Harghonese to cause problems for the ICA & RSA is not to be discounted.
However, I think that the tech available to the ICA and allies when they run into elements of those Harghonese is so great now that it's going to be a completely unequal fight.
As of the end of October 896 Charis is already producing M96, bolt action, magazine fed rifles. They are also producing newer version angle-guns with recoil devices. A host of additional river clads are also nearing the end of their construction and will be armed with modern rifled artillery.
IF, by the spring of 897, Green Valley has successfully completed a campaign against the northern AoG and is in control of Guarnak, or at the very least sitting astraddle the Guarnak-Sylmahn Canal with his back to Sylmahn Gap, he can be reinforced through the Gap, receive upgraded weapons and ammunition via canal straight from Siddar City, maybe even towed there by river clads who have in turn towed the weapons from Charis. Also, a whole bunch of newly formed RSA regiments that can be armed with the same weapons or hand me down Mandryn muzzle loaders can be sent to him. If he has 250,000 to 300,000 men, he can beat a million Harghonese IMHO.
Gwynt, where the Harchong contigent is based, looks to be the better part of 2,000 miles from Guarnak. Even after the canal system is repaired it is going to take time to move that many men and the material they need to fight with. They are actually much closer to Cliff Peak Province.
Even if the Harghonese show up with the Ferguson knock off, and church designed and built angle gun artillery, they are still going to be facing forces that have MUCH superior weapons that can negate their numbers with greater range and accuracy.
I just don't see any Harchong army overwhelming a dug in ICA contingent unless RFC allows them to attack at the edge of a forest like the Dolhar army did in LAMA.
Against that mass of men, the ICA won't be trying to cut them off. It will be a case of find a good killing ground, dig in, and pile up the bodies.
Can't wait to read what really happens.