Another Battleground?

[Surfing HalfOrc]

I know everyone is talking about the current battle, the Donut of Doom and how Ansom escaped it, the Wanda-Jillian-Ansom love triangle, whether or not Parson is the Ultimate Warlord, and several other topics, but since I am waiting for OotS to start back up, I decided to reread all the Erfworld comics.

When I noticed something... interesting.

Look at page three: http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0003.html

An old castle, a nearly uncrossable ravine, and a ricketey bridge spanning the gap. Think Parson might be able to sow a bit of hate and discontent with the B-dwagons as Ansom tries to bring his troops across that nasty little chokepoint?

Ansom's plan depends heavily on the siege engines. Without them, he has to bombard from the skies (which Stanley owns), or penetrate the tunnels, which are controlled by the gobwins.

Other (ruder) people say: "Discuss!"
I stick with my more polite: Any Thoughts?

[LordVader]

Hasn't the army already passed that bridge?
And that would be a great equalizer for Stanley, as it takes away Ansom's vastly overwhelming numbers and facilitates a ground defense as a possible delayer for the main force.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Hasn't the army already passed that bridge?
And that would be a great equalizer for Stanley, as it takes away Ansom's vastly overwhelming numbers and facilitates a ground defense as a possible delayer for the main force.

I don't think so. It seems like a no-man's land between Ansom's forces and Gobwin Knob. Ansom and his troops seem to be in a more forested area, while the entire surrounding area (all 600 yards of it) seem more desolate and desert like.

Ansom's primary goal is to get the siege engines up to Gobwin Knob, knock down the walls, and overwhelm Stanley's forces by weight of numbers. With the walls in place, his lighter flyers would be chewed up by Stanley's dwagons, and his ground troops would die in droves down in the tunnels.

Something Ansom seems loath to do.

[PirateMonk]

It all depends on how many turns it's been since Warchalking. It's possible that while Gobwin Knob was recovering from the losses, the army took advantage of this to march through an area that would normally be a death trap. But if they didn't or couldn't, then yes, that means that Parson could partially recover from the loss of the current battle. Nice find.

[benthehater]

Somehow, I thought that place was Warchalking, or at least what remained of it, and it was in fact on the other side of the column from Gobwin Knob at this point. Not too sure now that you mention it.

[Lamech]

It wasn't Warchalking; when manpower was enroute to GK as an uncroaked, he had to pass over it. I don't think that would make a defensible spot compared to GK. It is to open to ranged attacks over the ravine also Ansom's siege weapons could pound any troops stuck there.
Mabey Parson could rig up a trap that would destroy the bridge. Something like that could destroy siege and archers gaurding siege. I don't know if Parson has time or knowledge to rig up a trap.

[keeganknorr]

One of Parsons plans was sabotage, so maybe the bridge detonation is a possibility. I don't know how Ansom prepared for that bridge to hold the weight of his siege unless he went single file or one at a time.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

One of Parsons plans was sabotage, so maybe the bridge detonation is a possibility. I don't know how Ansom prepared for that bridge to hold the weight of his siege unless he went single file or one at a time.

Looking at the narrow gap, that might be a part of the plan. But Parson doesn't know his battlefield just yet...

But he's learning fast!

[Surfing HalfOrc]

It wasn't Warchalking; when manpower was enroute to GK as an uncroaked, he had to pass over it. I don't think that would make a defensible spot compared to GK. It is to open to ranged attacks over the ravine also Ansom's siege weapons could pound any troops stuck there.
Mabey Parson could rig up a trap that would destroy the bridge. Something like that could destroy siege and archers gaurding siege. I don't know if Parson has time or knowledge to rig up a trap.

True, but Parson seems to be the first person on GK's side (or Erfworld in general) to consider thinking outside the box. Mining the bridge makes sense, but does Parson even know the bridge exists? A major force, or even a small squad might not be a good idea, but two guys with the Erfworld equivilent of a case of TNT might make a HUGE difference. One of those overlooked details Parson was talking about...

[fractal]

Of course, if Parson loses all of the Dwagons before Ansom gets to Gobwin Knob, then Ansom will have the clear air advantage. These excursions of Parson's are costly even when they work.

[Lamech]

How would Parson lose all the dwagons. It looks like he could lose almost half off his dwagons, but not all. I also don't see how sending out a few uncroaked which are about to fall apart and are therefore worthless to defend GK at the city going to be very costly. Even if they don't have any uncroaked like that sending out a few to trap the bridge won't be very costly at all.

A major force, or even a small squad might not be a good idea, but two guys with the Erfworld equivilent of a case of TNT might make a HUGE difference. One of those overlooked details Parson was talking about...

Is there an Erf equivelent? Of course if that bridge is on a hex barrier the uncroaked could be given orders to say smash the bridge as soon as a so many units are on it.

[LordVader]

It seems to me that a dragon smashing that bridge could go a long way towards halting the attack.

Of course, we don't know if buildings in Erf are destructible, so that's only a possibility. For all I know, it's not possible to smash down walls, you have to scale them or otherwise breach them.

[jindra34]

It seems to me that a dragon smashing that bridge could go a long way towards halting the attack.

Of course, we don't know if buildings in Erf are destructible, so that's only a possibility. For all I know, it's not possible to smash down walls, you have to scale them or otherwise breach them.

Its been hinted at that walls are destroyable with seige engines... otherwise the entire coalition would be flying or carrying ladders...

[LordVader]

True, but when the dwagons were attacking the bear-thingies, they were pushing siege towers, weren't they?

Most likely it does include catapults, etc.

[SteveMB]

Ansom did say they intended to breach the walls, not simply climb them (though they could do both, depending on just what defenses they run into).