We must turn the tide in this battle!
Duncan was already leading his army toward the Dorset region, as he had received some troubling military news this morning.
Jill hurriedly arrived with his men overnight and reported in a panic, "Lord Duncan!"
"Yesterday, the Duke of Dingtiger led his troops to fight against the Saxon pirates. In an attempt to flank the enemy, the Duke led his cavalry in a rear assault but was hit several times by Saxon archers!"
"Fortunately, the royal knights risked their lives to cover him and returned safely, but he is now gravely injured and bedridden."
Just a few days ago, he was doing well and even reclaimed some territory. How did he end up today?
Duncan quickly rose and asked, "Is the Duke of Dingtiger okay?"
Let’s hope he doesn’t die suddenly; at least hold on until I gain my footing!
Jill, with a complicated expression, said, "Gravely injured."
"But fortunately, his life is not in danger."
Duncan couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Don’t you know your own limits?
Duncan, as strong as he is, wouldn’t dare charge recklessly. The Duke of Dingtiger, with his one-star rookie strength, shouldn’t be leading charges like a fierce general!
After some inquiries, the situation soon became clear.
There’s no denying the Duke of Dingtiger has improved significantly. In this battle, he seized the opportunity, first breaking a unit of Saxon cavalry head-on, then flanking them from the sides and rear.
From a tactical perspective, his decision was flawless.
The Duke of Dingtiger is indeed more daring and bold than before.
But the problem is, a cavalry charge is like a hot iron rod, with steam rising, that must pierce the enemy ranks in one breath. Ideally, it should break in from the sides and rear, forming a pincer movement, catching the enemy off guard, causing confusion, and subsequently collapsing their morale.
But the problem was that the Duke of Dingtiger penetrated the enemy lines but couldn’t break through. Worse, he couldn’t withdraw after charging in.
The front line must be opened by a formidable leader, and the Duke of Dingtiger’s spearhead was not sharp enough. Though his cavalry pierced the enemy lines, they were soon trapped in the chaos.
Then, he was targeted by the elite Saxon Forest Hunters.
The Duke of Dingtiger was struck by six arrows, with several more embedded in his shield. If it weren’t for the quality of his armor, standard noble heavy scale armor with neck, shoulder, and waist protection, he might have died on the spot.
He was eventually rescued by the royal knights, but he was bedridden upon returning.
But he took an arrow to the buttock, another to the thigh, three to the chest and back, and one more that struck his helmet, nearly killing him.
With the Duke of Dingtiger injured , he can no longer command the troops.
Cornwall is a small territory with no sons but three daughters for the Duke of Dingtiger, and no generals among his subordinates capable of independent command. So, he thought of turning to Duncan for help at the first moment, even sending his retainer knight, Jill, over. Now the situation can only rely on Duncan to stabilize.
Duncan has no choice but to go now. The most update n0vels are published on Nove1Fire.net
If the Duke of Dingtiger loses another battle, he’ll have to face the Saxon Barbarian army directly.
In this battle, the Duke of Dingtiger could have broken even; he just overestimated his own martial power.
It takes at least a two-star warrior to lead a cavalry charge successfully. In any era, when cavalry charges, they are led by a formidable general; otherwise, the spearhead strike will fail to intimidate the enemy effectively.
A thunderous galloping.
Duncan rode with his party, with Clegane, Kulin, and others at his back, a total of sixteen cavalry, while the infantry led by Severus and Kvito would take more than a day to arrive. In this era, infantry moved slowly, and due to the rushed departure, logistics had to be handled by caravans, with conscripted laborers transporting supplies.
In the age of cold weapons, supplies were extremely important.
People would be incapacitated after a day of hunger.
Most of these sixteen cavalry were elite. With Clegane equipped with fish scale armor, he had become a one-star silver-gray combat unit.
On the road, Jill gave a general account of the enemy’s situation.
The Duke of Dingtiger didn’t engage Holsa, the Kent King’s brother. If he had, he wouldn’t have initiated the attack. The opponent was one of the Germanic Barbarian chieftains, the Virgin Possessor - Enfiss, renowned as a Warrior of Warriors, known for his brutality, especially for city massacres and possessing virgins, which earned him a notorious reputation across Great Britain. One of his most notable acts was demanding ten virgins while conquering a native tribe in Britain.
This man commanded an elite chieftain guard, initially gaining fame as Saxon pirates, with significant achievements in naval battles and raids.
Duncan led the sixteen riders straight to Exeter, the largest town in Devon, with a relatively sturdy wooden wall, reminiscent of the northern towns of Caladria in Mount & Blade, built with wooden logs forming high barriers, reducing the risk of fires.
Seen this way, the Saxon Barbarians’ recent retreat might not have been due to individual martial prowess but possibly a plan to lure the enemy, using a feigned defeat tactic to draw out the Duke of Dingtiger.
Duncan could already see the situation on the battlefield.
Below the eastern city gate of Exeter, a group of Saxon spearmen was pushing a battering ram against the gate. The fortifications here were far inferior to the Cornwall castles and fortresses, with the wooden gate already on the verge of collapse.
—— British Legion (morale shaken) (heavy casualties) (commander heavily injured).
—— British Coastal Guard (morale shaken) (commander heavily injured) (command disordered).
—— Canti Auxiliary Legion (morale shaken) (no command).
—— British Militia (low morale) (command disordered).
On the strategic map.
The Duke of Dingtiger’s forces, though not suffering heavy casualties, already had shaken morale, making it only a matter of time before they fled if the gate was breached. After a minor defeat in open combat, the Duke’s forces could only rely on defending Exeter Town. Fortunately, there was a town to defend, or else they wouldn’t hold out until Duncan arrived.
In the era of cold weapons, morale was extremely important; once the main tactical troops were depleted, the other units, suffering only minor casualties, would soon dissolve and flee.
In the Middle Ages, only the main battle forces could endure relatively high casualty ratios.
If this morale isn’t restored soon, it’ll all be lost.
Duncan surveyed the whole battlefield.
He reined in his horse, turned to glance at Kulin, Clegane, and the others behind him, and said in a solemn voice, "Do you dare charge with me?!"
Clegane’s blood instantly boiled, and he roared, "Wherever the Lord goes, I will follow!"
Kulin remained silent, simply unsheathing his long sword.
These men all yearned for deeds of valor, especially when following a brave commander.
Amongst Duncan’s sixteen cavalry, more than half boasted one-star strength, mainly native noble knights. Their armor exceeded that of the infantry, and even their warhorses had some simple protection.
He led the charge down the hill!