Erfworld 72, page 66

[SteveMB]

We also learn a bit about the Archons here. Jillian can kill a (wounded) dwagon with a single blow; and gwiffons can damage dwagons, but both were neutralized with single counter-blows (the gwiffon being killed instantly, with Jillian wounded/stunned and captured). So lets say that means 1 gwiffon=1/2 dwagon and Jillian=1 dwagon. Her current force of 5 gwiffons and herself would equal 3 1/2 dwagons. But the dwagons she's facing are wounded (let's say at half strength). She and her gwiffons now equal 7 dwagons. That leaves 12 wounded dwagons for the 3 unwounded Archons. These assumptions, along with the closeness of the odds, suggest that 1 Archon=2 dwagons. Pretty substantial combat power I'd say.

Ideally, Ansom's side would have a large number of low-value units -- with the dwagons seriously wounded, what counts is getting the few more hitsies needed to croak each of them.

As it is, Ansom's side has a few high-value units. They'll want to spread their attacks as widely as possible. As I noted earlier, we've seen a dwagon attack two woodsy elves at once; the question is whether any of Jillian's units have the ability to attack two dwagons at once (a sweep-by strike with the BFS?).

About the subtleties of war: Parson knows he's at a slight but distinct disadvantage in combat power. He also knows he has to conserve his dwagons if at all possible. He knows the commander of the enemy force is under some sort of compulsion from Wanda. He trusts Wanda, so he doesn't attack (which would make battle certain) but he doesn't withdraw either.

He can't withdraw; it's not his turn. Even so, not attacking (presumably giving the enemy the first strike if Wanda's influence fails) is risky enough.

Jillian is hesitating. Lacking a mathamancy artifact, she may not realise she has an advantage (however slight). She is under a compulsion that supposedly will make her look for excuses to not attack. The reward of hastening the end of the war might not be worth the risk of attacking right now and she could probably justify her actions quit easily. After all, her boss takes pains to conserve and protect the units under his command. It's hard to see how he could take her to task for doing the same, especially if she couched her argument in terms of not risking the Archons. Who nows how Charlie might react to his Archons being squandered carelessly?

If she does move on (and the Archons don't prevent her from doing so), it'll get really interesting when she gets to Ansom. Unless she manages to cover up the fact that they found the dwagons, Ansom will presumably insist on returning to fight them (Both the wounded dwagons and the column are three hexes from Ansom's current position, so if they have the move for the latter as Jillian intends, they have the move to do the former instead.)