Chapter 64: War of Atrition
"Put!"
With an order, the feathered arrows at the head of the city flew like rain towards the approaching enemy troops, and the enemy's gradual approach made the defenders of the city more and more nervous, almost to the verge of collapse. There was a huge pressure, and as the bow and arrow were fired, the person also relaxed.
"Ready!" the next order, issued right away, the archers prepare for the second round of shooting.
In the process of attacking, although the formation has been dispersed, the infantry still can't dodge the dense feathered arrows. It was as if the crops that had just grown had encountered a surprise attack of locusts, and a large number of them suddenly fell.
Falling does not mean that there are heavy casualties, they saw the arrows flying and raised their shields early to defend. Most of the bows and arrows were blocked by shields, and some people's shields were instantly inserted with five or six arrows. A huge impact that makes the arm tingle.
The shield could not protect the whole body, and some people were hit by arrows in the arms or legs. After the first ** blow, more than 100 people could not stand up.
Tens of thousands of arrows were fired, and only 100 casualties were lost, and such an attack was obviously unsatisfactory. So, Sparky immediately changed his attack.
"Three strikes!"
The order was given, and a dense array of arrows were fired down at the head of the city. The advancing infantry again raised their shields above their heads to block the incoming arrows. This attack was not as dense as before, and fewer people fell.
The soldiers lowered their shields and continued to run. Suddenly, a rain of arrows fell overhead. The one who reacts quickly dodges to the side while raising his shield. The slow reaction was immediately shot by several arrows, and he was either killed or injured.
Before they could calm down, after a slight pause, there was another rain of arrows!
Three consecutive hits, the people who originally fired arrows at the same time, separated into three batches. The people behind heard the sound of the bowstrings of the people in front of them, so they drew their bows and shot. Stagger back and forth, catching the enemy off guard.
In this attack, one-third of the troops below were lost. By surprise, the attack achieved very good results. The morale of the city was greatly shaken, and some of the generals couldn't help but applaud.
Feng Luo didn't think it was any good, the other party was on guard, slowed down his progress, and there would never be such a brilliant result again. And when they get close to the city, they can also be suppressed with bows and arrows, and then the battle will officially begin.
"Commander Spark, can you give me 2,000 cavalry to get out of the city and destroy this remnant!" Aborre appeared, eager to make a meritorious service.
At this time, Sparky would not give in to him, shook his head, and said, "Their follow-up troops have followed, and the light cavalry is ready at any time." If we go down, we will be strangled as long as we get entangled a little!"
After Sparky finished speaking, he turned around and issued another order: "The catapult is ready for two ** shots, the target is the ladder!"
Catapults attacked over a wide range and even threatened local military camps. But if you do that, you can easily break the catapult parts. And the farther the distance, the lower the accuracy.
The ladder column was already close, and the catapults could deliver accurate strikes. It was fitting that Sparker issued an order at this time.
Large rocks flew out, fell to the ground and kept tumbling. The casualties caused were no less than 10,000 feathered arrows. Two rounds of boulder attacks smashed more than 20 ladders. But there were still about twenty ladders, which continued to rush towards the city wall.
At this point, the distance was too close for the catapult to continue attacking. Catapults have undeniable attack power, but they attack infrequently and require large stones. Before the battle heats up, Sparky won't run out of all of his attack power.
The ladder was reduced by more than half, and the pressure on the soldiers defending the city was greatly reduced. The most important thing is to keep the consumption to a minimum while keeping the walls safe.
It is certain that for quite a long time ahead, the two sides fought a war of attrition. Whoever consumes first will face defeat.
I used the strategy of burning oil last time, but I can't use it again this time. Because the opponent is on guard and dodges in time, the casualties will be limited.
The soldiers at the head of the city began to put up their shields in front of them. When attacking the city tree ladder, there must be a bow and arrow to cover. With so many arrows fired, casualties were inevitable.
Sparker commanded the archers and launched a round of strikes against the enemy's follow-up reinforcements. In this way, there will be a short break in the troops attacking the city in Haori. The persistence is interrupted, and a little respite can be obtained.
The shield of the Haori soldier has an extra sharp cone underneath. A few feet from the city wall, soldiers stuck their shields on the ground, and people hid behind. Take off your bow and start shooting at the castle.
At first, the city did not feel the pressure. But with all the vanguard troops shooting, thousands of bows and arrows caused great difficulties for the city.
As soon as the soldiers tried to counterattack appeared, arrows flew in. Although Haori's soldiers shot from the bottom up, their power was not much weaker.
After the head of the city was suppressed, the ladder troops arrived. With the help of inertia, the ladder was instantly set up at the head of the city. The man in charge of the charge, without fear, used his technique and rushed up the ladder as fast as he could.
"Operation Steel Fork, Shield Array Ready!" Sparker ordered. The steel fork was taken out, and dozens of huge shields were scattered to the place where the ladder was erected.
Of course, the soldiers at the head of the city were not completely suppressed, and some pulled their bowstrings to fight back. Arrows were constantly being shot on both sides, and there were casualties on both sides. And those who climb the ladder, the most dangerous, can be shot into a hedgehog at any time.
The ladder leaned obliquely against the head of the city, and the amplitude was too large to be pushed away. Using a steel fork to fork the rung, several people worked together to push the ladder away from the wall.
There were two ladders that could not be supported, and they fell backwards, and there were several fresh lives. The ladder fell, and the people above it fell into meat sauce. And the people on the ground, who were a little slower to dodge, were also flattened.
Most of the ladders were successfully erected, and the besieging soldiers continued to climb up. The men at the head of the city stuck out their heads and shot downwards. The person who was hit by the arrow gritted his teeth and went up, even if it was good to block one or two more arrows for his comrades.
Someone on the ladder couldn't support it and fell high. When falling, jump to the side without affecting the comrades who follow behind.
Most people, only halfway up, fall off. The man who began to have great strength climbed up with his shield and arrows.
Someone had already climbed the wall, and even he was surprised. But before he could jump in, several steel forks were stretched out. Even if he used all kinds of techniques, his defense and strength were strengthened, he still couldn't withstand the power of everyone, and he was forced to fall off the city.
In addition to steel forks, there are archers ready. As soon as the steel fork did not work, the archers immediately struck. The defensive formation is very tight, layer after layer. A well-organized defense system, which is still functioning at the moment. But after a few days, I'm afraid there will be chaos.
"Fuck you, I'm coming up!" a Haori squad leader still rushed up bravely with three arrows stuck in his body. He was so agile that he dodged the attack of the steel fork.