n7axw wrote:TheOneLogician wrote:Given that Harchong seems to be adopting the swarm tactic, ...
I think you're wrong on several points.
1) Harchong is NOT "adopting" a new tactic, massed pikes is a traditional and well-proven pre-gunpowder/early-gunpowder formation. Google "Pike square" for details.
2) Massed Piles are anything but a "swarm." Massed Pike formations are slow and deliberate and under tightly controlled command of officers and NCOs. For really large masses of pikes, simply ordering a change of direction can take up to ten or twenty seconds.
3) Harchong's army is simply two or three "wars" behind the times. Against even muzzle-loader equipped armies, Harchong's peasant pike formations would have a better than even chance of victory. They've never faced more modern arms so they supplied the army they had, equipped to "fight the last war."
I don't think that Harchong's primarily dependent on pikes. Traditionally Harchong's decisive arm has been the cavalry armed with horse bows, arbalasts and lancers for shock. Indeed, the Harchongians haven't really fought a major war in a long time, unlike Desnair's unfortunate experience with Siddarmark's pike blocks. Most of their experience has been in dealing with peasant rebellions where the shock of the lancer along with the calvary's use of ranged weapons proved key to surpressing the rebellions.
I'm not saying the Harchong doesn't have pikes; only that the calvary is more important.
I think that one thing we've learned ever sinse Haryl's crossing in Corisande is that you really, really don't want to oppose pikes against even muzzle loading rifles. That is simply a formula for running up the body count. I understand the temptation to match Harchong's peasantry in human wave attacks against allied forces. But that will turn into a way of stacking up bodies regardless of which end of the barrel you are inserting the bullet into. I agree that they may well try it. But they will wish they hadn't if they do.
Don
Harchong's troops have been getting a winterlong Valley Forge boot camp from AoG veterans. Come spring we are going to see a lot of well-trained disciplined riflemen rolling towards the front. The SPOILER snippets showed us how well AoG riflemen can fight even in the worst situations, and if the Host can use its firepower with even half that grit it won't need to human wave. However, given how the CoGA has been operating, any human wave attacks may take on a resemblance to the Pusan Meatgrinder hostages tactic.