Riding and Slashing

Chapter 176 A Simple Ambush
This is a double-storey stable about six to seven meters high, with a width of more than 20 meters and a length of more than 40 meters, covering an area of ​​more than [-] square meters. It is a rare large wooden building in this era.

The elves made reasonable use of these tall yew trees in this area. There are many big trees that are still growing embedded in the outer walls and corners of this stable. A big tree that can be used as a wall pillar is planted, and then it is built with the trunk as the base pillar.

There are seven or eight crowns on the top of the stables, which rustle in the night breeze. The crowns are more than 15 meters high, and they are the branches and leaves of the big trees that serve as pillars.

This is a fusion of man-made products and nature, which seems reasonable-the trees will still grow, but the bigger they grow, the other wooden piles of the outer wall will be supported more tightly and firmly.

This stable has been around for an unknown number of years, and the outside has been covered with vines, making the outer wall tough and tight.

There were probably over a hundred Jatu people who rushed into the stable. They didn't encounter any obstacles before entering the stable, and the stable's gate was also open.

The Jatu people didn't light torches when they first marched, because the moon was bright outside, and they could actually see it.

But there was no light in the stables, it was pitch black, and you couldn't see your fingers.

If it is completely out of sight, it is actually very difficult for both sides to cause any damage.

But since the door of the stable is open, the situation at the door can be seen from inside the stable, and it can be seen clearly.

After hearing the screams, the Jatu people in the back row probably thought that hands had been handed over inside, and they were still rushing into the stable.

But although the gate of the stable was not small, it was only five or six meters wide. Under the crowd, the Jatu people who had already entered the stable could not get out at all, and could only hear continuous screams.

The Jatu people in the back row who couldn't get in finally lit a torch and threw a torch into the stable door. Only then did they finally see the situation inside the stable.

This tall stable has two floors, and the walls are full of haystacks. Inside, there are at least eighty people standing around the walls, all holding bows and arrows.

There were Men, and there were Noldor.

They were divided into upper, middle and lower layers, forming an extremely fierce firepower network, and they were constantly drawing bows and arrows.

Dozens of Jatus had fallen in the middle of the stables—these archers had caused a lot of damage when they couldn't see anything.

But that was all they saw, for buckets of water were poured over their heads, and their torches were all extinguished.

And continuous arrows also shot out from the top of the canopy.

There were also many Noldor hidden on top of the stable door, and Sedren and Lisadiran were also on it.

They are the strongest fighters at night and the best at archery.

Sedren was in charge of dealing damage, and Lisadiran's main task was to prevent the enemy from starting fire-mainly to prevent the enemy from setting fire to the stables.

As long as he saw someone wielding a scythe, he would shoot an arrow.

In fact, there were many buckets and tanks filled with water on the top and sides of the stables, and some buckets were suspended from the branches of the big trees-this is the way of water storage in this era, and it is also a fire prevention facility.

When it rains, the buckets and tanks will be filled naturally, and those buckets are tied with ropes, which can be pulled over by ropes at any time to put out fires.

The elves also pay great attention to forest fire prevention, and the fire prevention facilities in this stable are quite complete.

The bowstring buzzed and screamed again and again. Sedren and several Noldor warriors hiding in the canopy and leaves on the top of the stable also began to shoot arrows at a very fast rate. The dense Jatu people made it easy for them to create a lot of arrows. corpse.

Since they couldn't see the inside of the stables, nor the specific positions of the shooters hidden in the huge canopy, the Jatu people had to shoot a few arrows blindly in a mess to fight back, but the probability of killing people with this kind of blind shooting was about the same as winning the lottery ——The branches and leaves of the canopy can not only hide the figure of a person, but also block most of the arrows that shoot randomly.

"Bispa, Bispa!"

Some of the Jatu people had already started to retreat, they knew that they were in ambush, and they didn't dare to light the fire again-anyone who made any sparks would fall to the ground and die in the next moment.

Then it's best to stay away from the stables, or retreat immediately.

In fact, the Jatus did the same thing, but before the outsiders withdrew, the Jatus at the entrance of the stable were blocked inside and couldn't get out at all.

From the time when the Jatu people rushed into the stable, lit the lights, and finally withdrew, it only took about ten seconds before and after all the things happened. The reaction of these Jatu people was actually not slow.

But in these ten seconds, the Jatu people left at least more than 100 corpses—most of the Jatu people who rushed into the stable died in the stable, and those who could withdraw were also wounded, and their bodies were stabbed like hedgehog.

And Sedren and several Noldor warriors hiding in the branches and leaves of the canopy on the top of the stable also killed at least twenty of them in these few seconds.

After all, both sides are facing the dense Jatu crowd at close range. In this case, there is no need to aim at all, and there is no need to consider the wind direction. It is more difficult to miss the shot, so you only need to draw the bow at the fastest speed. .

With the ability of Sedren, the twilight knight, he can actually achieve two arrows in three seconds without the need to aim. If it is not convenient for him to take the arrows while hiding in the tree, he may be faster...

In order to guard against the arrows, the Jatu people raised their shields and retreated slowly, more slowly.

And when the Jatus started to retreat, thirty infantrymen holding huge fan-shaped shields came out from behind the stables, and rushed out from the side of the stables holding the shields, all the way to the west side of the Jatus, forming a line. The platoon began to close in on the Jatus.

The huge fan-shaped shield can completely block Jatu's bows and arrows, and attracts a lot of firepower.

The Noldor warriors in the stable also took the opportunity to come out. They quickly stood in an array holding swords and shields, and began to approach the Jatus. The armored archers also left the stable and stood behind the Noldor.

At the same time, a troop also appeared in the forest to the east, charging quickly behind the Jatu people.

That was not the troop that the lord took to the south before, but a part of the troop that went east from the beginning.

It was the wounded that the lord really took away to the south...

He took the troops heading east at the beginning, but he didn't bring all of them back. Half of them have been hiding in the forest to the east.

The ambush did not involve any sophisticated means of killing the enemy, no fire was used, and no pits were dug.

Of course, it’s not that I don’t want to use it, but I can’t—the consequences of using fire in the forest are very serious, and a little carelessness may cause forest fires. The Noldor will not take the risk of being wiped out.

As for digging pits—the ground near the stables has been trampled by horses all year round, and it is quite solid, and even the grass doesn't grow very much...

In fact, the Noldor elves already had much stronger fighting power than humans at night, and the lord's manpower was not much less than that of the Jatu people, so the crux of the problem did not lie in the process of ambush.

Ambush doesn't necessarily mean you have to play with water, fire and rocks. Relatively conventional sudden side attacks and siege can knock the enemy back. The Enoldor are familiar with the forest and can naturally destroy the enemy in pursuit.

The key lies in how to let the Jatu people see the 'opportunity' and launch an attack within their given time.

In order to lure the enemy to attack, the lord has used a lot of careful thinking.

As Li Ang said, this racecourse is a relatively spacious place, and the target is obvious. Of course, the Jatu people will continue to observe.

During the day, Li Ang deliberately led a large army to the east, arranged for the ponies from the racecourse to stroll out, and let the Noldo warriors patrol. This was actually to make the Jatu people think that he was "arranging an ambush" during the day.

So the Jatu people did not move.

In the evening, the troops that Li Ang led to the east were brought back by him—in the eyes of the Jiatu people, this meant that an ambush was impossible, so they withdrew.

But in fact, only half of the troops that Li Ang brought back in the evening were left by him in the forest to the east.

Then he took the wounded Noldor and the children to the forest to the south with a great banner—this was to make the Jatu people think that he had indeed gone far, because this time he had really gone far south. , those birds are enough to prove it.

After setting up the wounded in the forest several miles away, Li Ang went to the east alone, and went to the army that stayed in the east.

At this time, the Jiatu people were still not sure whether Li Ang had really gone south, so they would not send anyone to the south.

Then it was getting late, and the foals were brought back to the stables—this was the bait, and they were indeed left in the stables. In fact, these ponies were still chained in the corner of the stables and howling.

But more than 100 people have been ambushed in the stables, and another 100 people are ambushed in the forest to the east.

Then, at night, Li Ang's "big army went to the south and never came back" - the Jatu people had seen the battle during the day, and according to their judgment, there should only be those Noldor elves left in the stable, and most of them were Among the wounded, there should only be about [-] combat-capable ones.

——This is the best opportunity. The Jatu people will naturally launch an attack when Li Ang's troops are not here. Who knows if Noldo's reinforcements will come tomorrow?
Under such circumstances, the nearly [-] Jatus would of course attack at night—this is what the lord said, giving the enemy a chance.

If they don't attack when they encounter such a good opportunity, what's the point of them hiding in the forest and not leaving?

Afterwards, the Jatu people entered the racecourse at night. They were really careful at the beginning, advancing slowly, and left scouts outside the racecourse.

But Li Ang's infantry came out to defend at this time, and then retreated quickly after the enemy had just entered the range-of course, this was deliberately to build up the confidence of the Jatu people.

If there is an ambush here, it will definitely not run away when the enemy is already close to more than 100 meters.Running in this situation looks more like the Noldor are unwilling to stand on the bare ground and shoot at each other under the disadvantage of numbers.

This made the Jatu people firm in their confidence. They believed that Li Ang's troops were indeed not here, and the fleeing 'Noldor defenders' ran to the back of the stables. There should not be much combat power in the stables.

So the Jatus began to charge, ready for a quick battle.

But after hearing the sound of 'hasa', the lord took action with the troops left in the forest to the east, and killed the Jatu scouts left outside the racecourse.

Then the Jatu people rushed to the door of the stable, and within ten seconds they were shot dead by fierce firepower, and then they started to retreat.

But the dozens of infantry who had 'run away' came back at this time, and formed a shield formation on the west side of the Jatu people, and began to squeeze the Jatu people's space.

Li Ang's troops from the east also charged forward, forming an array of spears and approaching quickly.

The Noldor warriors and armored archers in the stables also swarmed out at this time.

The Jatu people faced attack from three sides.

These Jatu people had gathered at the entrance of the stable before, and they were crowded together. Now they were pressed by infantry and Noldor warriors holding swords and shields. As a result, they gathered even more densely, almost standing in a group.

Except for the opening left in the northwest, there are troops on three sides, and the Jatu people who lost a lot no longer have the advantage in numbers. In addition, the Jatu people don't have horses now, so they can't rely on mobility to avoid them. open surround.

Once this kind of three-sided attack is formed, most troops will be unable to fight, because the soldiers will definitely think about how to escape after encountering the enemy on several sides...

In fact, ordinary troops will be easily defeated just by facing flank attacks.

But the Jatu people are different, they are indeed brave and fearless.

None of the Jatus escaped, and they split into two and started hand-to-hand combat, intending to break into the shield formation and force the battle into a melee.

However, the infantry with swords and shields and the Noldo warriors had already formed a relatively tight formation, and they were not given a chance to fight in melee, and Li Ang had already arrived with his troops, forming a long and difficult formation.

The pocket surrounded on three sides has been closed into a U shape, leaving only the northern opening.

In fact, the Jatu people rarely face encirclement. They are flexible and maneuverable on the grassland and most of the time they are encircling others...

But at this time, they were surrounded by the lord with the same force - after less than half of them died, the number of Jatu people was almost the same as that of the coalition forces of Li Ang and Sedren.

"Raise the shield and move forward!"

After the lord arrived with the soldiers, the first order he issued was to continue to squeeze the Jatu people's space.

When the crowd is too crowded and there is little space, no one can fight normally.

The Jatu people in the middle had no space and could no longer pounce - they were squeezed so that there were people around them, and they could neither run up nor make too much movement under mutual obstruction, and it was difficult to even exert force .

In the game, when people are crowded too densely, the knife will be "stuck" - in order not to hurt friendly troops, the knife cannot be chopped out, and even if it is cut out, the force will be reduced.

In fact, it is the same in reality... When people are crowded, stabbing with a short sword or dagger, or using a hatchet or military pick is much more effective than a knife.

Because the action of chopping requires the most space.

Jatu's weapons are scimitars, round shields, and bows and arrows.

Except for the round shield which is still useful at this time, other weapons are basically useless. The Jatu scimitar is not suitable for stabbing. This kind of single-edged weapon with a relatively large arc is more suitable as a saber.

But now they are squeezed in the middle and can't exert their strength at all. Facing the surrounding shield wall and dense crowd, the scimitar in their hands has no practical effect except causing accidental injury.

Li Ang's troops didn't have this trouble. His soldiers either used swords or spears, and it was much more convenient to be on the periphery.

The soldiers in the front row kept hitting forward with their shields, while the spearmen in the back row could even put their spears on the waist belt buckle of the front row personnel, and then stab them randomly.

While stabbing, he followed the shield hand in the front row step by step, leaving no room for the enemy.

The foot soldiers quite like this situation - at the moment this situation is a stab...

Shields, as a weapon that has been used from ancient times to modern times, actually have more uses than people think.

In addition to the main blocking function, it can also be used for identification, paddling, downhill on grass or snow, and even frying eggs...

Can also be used to squeeze space around enemies.

Even in the 21st century, explosion-proof shields are still used to isolate crowds or squeeze mobs, and shields and explosion-proof poles are also used to cooperate—just like what Leon is doing with spearmen now.

The Jatu people, who were in the inner circle and had never been surrounded by a shield formation, were obviously not used to this fighting style. The shield formation was actually very weak, but they couldn't break through it for a while, and people were stabbed to death constantly.

Soon, as the soldiers pressed closer and closer, the encirclement became smaller and smaller, and the Jatu people began to fall to the ground in pieces.

"Haza! Jatu!"

The Jatus seemed to explode in despair. They completely ignored the swords coming from the side and the back, and began to charge towards the only gap in the north regardless of damage.

But they lost their space, and it was difficult for them to even run - with a slight movement, the shield surrounding them would continue to tighten.

Some of the people who rushed out first were also easily shot down by the peripheral archers.

But their concerted charge did have an effect. After more than half of them were killed or injured, seventy or eighty Jatu people finally broke out of the encirclement and began to flee for their lives in the forest to the north.

But that gap was originally reserved by Li Ang for them to escape—the siege without a gap would cause the enemy to fight to the death, which would bring great losses.Surrounding the Three Ques, one is common sense in the art of war of the Celestial Dynasty...

The Noldor put away their swords and shields, and again took off the bows behind them.

At night, under the moonlight, in the forest, in a pursuit battle - such an environment is when the Noldor can display their combat effectiveness the most.

Sedren led the thirty Noldors in pursuit all the way, and Lisa Dilan followed.

However, Lord Lord's work is done, and the battlefield can be cleaned up.

The losses in this battle were quite small, with less than ten casualties, and the battle losses were only after hand-to-hand combat.

But Li Ang was not satisfied - the casualties were all recruits, and the combat effectiveness of these recruits who had just graduated from the training ground was far inferior to the batch he personally trained at first.

This shows that after the Meittenheim people, Sarah and himself no longer participated in the training, the recruits probably did not suffer too much torture.

Sir Roland was a good fighter, with respectable character and conviction, but he was not a good trainer, he was too kind, and the recruits probably weren't afraid of him.

It takes rough people like Friedrich and Klose to train soldiers well... Your lord is beginning to miss the strong men of Mettenheim.

(End of this chapter)