Chapter 13

…

Besieging a city in this game was a complex process, primarily intended to increase the cost of rush tactics. That's right, the game devs didn't make the cheese impossible, they tweaked it while keeping balance in mind. If anyone asks for a reason to buy the game and all its expansions, even the cosmetics, that was what I pointed at.

Besides, you can just mod your game into the earlier versions, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Sieges require an army making contact with the tile of a city. When that occurred, the army gets to choose an adjacent tile in the city to set up their siege camp. The siege camp will then expand around the city, then you assign units in the army to take part in the siege. You rotate them out turn after turn to recover in the camp, because being on siege duty depleted their health.

Specialized siege units, like magical artillery, took up those siege slots, took far less attrition, and they whittled down the city's defenses more effectively than basic-bitch, regular infantry. Siege towers and rams were upgrades in the tech tree that improved heavy infantry for their role in bringing down cities. Some factions had special siege technologies which gave them the edge in the mid and late game, but by the end game everyone researched one tech or another that made sieging cities a breeze.

Orcs, for example, received a special trait for their wyvern units that let them practically paradrop heavy infantry into cities. Orcish heavy infantry, at that, which translated in game as "ignores fifty percent of city defense."

If a mountain of green muscle just dropped from the sky carrying an axe twice my height in one hand, and a cannon in the other, I'd definitely think hard about fighting against any siege any longer.

Anyway, since I was in the early game, the siege was set to take a long time.

We mainly had infantry, early-game fliers, and a smattering of mages. All of whom were at Tier 1. The infantry didn't have the armor value to stay very long, so they got rotated out after gaining enough experience, and new ones were slapped into the role. The Pegasus Knights weren't Wyverns and we didn't have enough research to have them start pulling cargo in magical, floating boxes yet, so they weren't much help. The mages getting sent to the front was just asking for them to get arrows in their faces, so they were put to work as sentries that guarded the flanks of the camp.

Overall, even with three Champions present, I was sure that we were going to sit around for at least a year to get the defenses down, then we'll go through with the battle to end the threat that the Elves posed.

Half a year passed, we wore down the defenses steadily while I guided the army through any events that popped up, and Khanrow played his hand.

I never saw it coming, primarily because it was something that never took place in the game.

Or, rather, it would definitely be called cheating or hacking.

Someone tell the Devs that Khanrow is being a cheating piece of shit, please.

After we win the current session, of course.

The devs need in-depth, start-to-finish information on the bug, after all!

…

Just a mile away from the siege camp, the assault on the Citadel's surrounding wall was taking place, and it was as horrible as I thought it'd be.

Thousands of soldiers were assailing ten-story-tall walls. We didn't have our specialized artillery units yet, so they were making do with things like catapults and ballistae that shot at the defenders. Mobile palisades provided cover, while archers, crossbowmen, and mages mixed in with the infantry shot at the defenders.

It was furious exchange. Men and material were being exchanged on both sides to keep each other locked in combat. We had the advantage in numbers and logistics, because of our secure supply line, and the fact we already killed their army. The Elves were good marksmen and their bows were strong, but they had population issues at the start of the game, and that was alleviated through research and social policies that they hadn't had the time to research and apply.

I would say we outnumbered them five to one in terms of Tier 1 units. One full army being reinforced and maintained, against the civil militia spawned as a final defense. Civil militia units were always green, couldn't get veterancy, and were usually the cheapest unit your faction could have. Still, they had home field advantage, so they could fight just fine against one or two army units that were making cheeky attacks on the capital, until they could spawn real units to fight on the field.

However, this wasn't the game, so they weren't spawning units in their base while they were under siege. Not only that, but they were already down a Champion while we had all of ours present. They had to fight, otherwise we'd be able to cast all the magic and make all the preparations we wanted, and the walls would go down. The only way to break the siege was get another Champion, spawn two or three units for a slapdash army, and break the siege.

But, again, unlike the game, Champions and military units didn't spawn out of nowhere.

We captured most of their fleeing populace, executed those who wouldn't surrender and swear themselves to us, and sent away those that wanted to live. Only those that managed to flee into the Citadel remained, and even if one took five of ours to kill, then we'll still win.

Units healed in the siege camp because they were replaced by new people, and healing increased in-game when you had a Champion that Heal, Cure, Raise Dead, and all those other fine spells. With my artifact getting rid of disease and rot, most soldiers were surviving, and the first batch of wounded were already coming back after a few months of healthy eating, rest, and recuperation.

I looked forward to the day when we researched the healers and upgraded them properly.

Anyway, the Elves had the Citadel and all its amenities, but it wasn't the same as a constant supply line with reinforcements coming unabated.

This victory was ours, but Khanrow didn't have the patience for another six more months of it, and unveiled his plan.

Using Citadel Guardians as an offensive weapons.

By throwing them onto the walls where the gates were.

"After testing, we've discerned that our Guardians can work as shock troops until we can field our own." Khanrow probably had the Subterfuge trait line, that allowed all sorts of nasty tricks to be at his disposal. I couldn't see him using Seduce on Champions of the opposite sex, and I really hoped I'd never know if he did. "We'll launch them inside to wreak havoc, open the gates, and lead the charge into the Citadel proper."

"It'll still be hell to fight to the top, but numbers should make everything easier, and if we can get rid of their own Guardians with ours." Riegert pipped up. I didn't see him that often nowadays. I'm focused on keeping the siege camp running and giving orders to the backline. An administrative role, but it was always important to have someone with Support Artifacts doing the events, since most events had better outcomes with them. Combat Artifacts, naturally, were built solely for battlefield use. If they did both, then no one would use Support Artifacts. "The defenses will kill at least half our army, if we can't find a way to get their leader to surrender."

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"If they haven't surrendered after all the losses they've taken now, they never will." It was just the three of us present, so I said my piece on the matter. Khanrow frowned, but he soon nodded, while Riegert had to sigh. He really cared about his men, and they cared about him. Which was good, because that meant that the infantry wouldn't break while scaling the skyscraper death-trap filled with killing machines, moving floors, and ever-changing halls. "Unless whatever you're plan on using to drop the Guardians in can get them all the way to the top."

"No, the launchers can't do that… but there's still an old practice in play that we can put to our advantage."

Khanrow looked at me and I already knew what he was getting at.

"Trial of combat between two leaders? I'll lose."

"You can call forth a champion, and so can the Children of the Elm's leader. Whoever they send will have to contend against Riegert or Ilych."

Riegert wasn't going to do jack shit to an actual hero-killer, and Ilych was geared up for turning the battlefield into a slaughterhouse.

"If we're doing that, we should use Rita." I put my two cents forward. That drew raised brows from both of them. However, unlike those two, I knew what her stat sheet was like the back of my hand. There was a reason why I had her killed the first change I got, whenever she spawned in the game. "We have a few Artifacts that'll make her almost untouchable."

"And what might those be? The ones we have here are almost worthless." There were differing levels to Artifacts. The classic grays, greens, blues, purples, and orange since time immemorial. Or, you know, when certain companies didn't let their employees steal breast milk. But, once again, I'm getting off track. We had a lot greens at our disposal, because the blues and purples were taken already. My anti-disease staff, upgraded, was technically somewhere between blue and purple now. Anyway, we had uncommon Artifacts aplenty. In fact, they were in the same room as us. "Nothing looks particularly special."

"For us, but not for Undead." I walked over to the Artifacts and sifted through the dozen present, until I got a load out together. Riegert loomed over me, while I presented my picks. I started with the first. "Ring of Speed. Weakens normal people to the point where they can barely swing a sword, but she's got Undead strength."

"She'll be weakened to her original strength, which is fine." Khanrow came over as well and looked over my other shoulder. His face was bare, as to help him disguise himself better with various fake forms of wigs and beards, but the way he spoke was unmistakable. I hadn't noticed he'd come behind me, and that sent a chill down my spine. I could've died then and there. "What about the rest?"

"Fleeting Boots, another increase in speed, but only four times a day at the cost of power." In-game, it was thrice per battle, and it depleted half of your Champion's reserves. It was cost-effective in early game, but in the late game it was garbage, since it was a percentage-based cost… well, some people still swore by it for the memes of having a speedster, but I didn't subscribe to save-scum, meme tactics. At least, in this life. "And, the third, will be the Amulet of Protection."

"More speed and increased resistance against magic." Riegert frowned and looked upon the artifacts. He was comparing it to his own assortment, and he was coming to a quick realization of what I meant earlier. "You're turning Rita into a slayer of mages."

I nodded.

When facing off against a magic-based Champion, the key to victory was speed and staying power. It was the classic triangle of Mage, Warrior, and Rogue. Mages mulch through the health of warriors before they can reach them, Warriors survive the alpha strike of Rogues and AOE the area so they can't evade, and Rogues can evade Mages and destroy their tiny HP bars. Ilych was hyper-lethal as a meme Champion because she could potentially become a hybrid of any of the three and essentially counter any other Champion.

But that was a few dozen levels and traits in the future.

"That's right. That's what their leader's specialized in, right?" Riegert nodded at my words. He'd been gripping about the Children of the Elm's lord whenever the guy popped up. He came down to plug possible holes in the defense, lashing out with magics that an entire division of non-Champions would need, and slunk away before a force could be mounted to kill him. It was classic guerilla warfare and it was a pain to a conventional force, as per usual. "These should work well enough to get her close enough, too."

The final two pieces of the puzzle were sub-optimal picks. Just a health-boosting bracer that gave a little bit of regeneration, and a circlet that would increase critical chance. Still, this early in the game, a buff of a point or two was massive, since stats weren't inflated to the point where percentage-based modifiers were the only ones applicable. In fact, arguably, the green weapons were better for the early game than the higher levels.

Not the grays though, they were just dog-shit.

"Validate his findings, test Rita, and then we'll announce the challenge after breaking the walls and killing the defenders upon them." Khanrow made the decision with a nod, and Riegert was quick to take the Artifacts and leave to get the former Elf. That left me alone in the room with Khanrow, and he glanced at the remaining artifacts on the table, then looked at me. "What use do these have?"

"I haven't thought about those. I mostly researched the last ones to get the job done, just in case." I lied. I knew every Artifact that wasn't a gray like the back of my hand. Reading through tooltips thousands of times does that to you. Khanrow's eyes narrowed at my words, but what was going to imply? That I somehow knew every single existing artifact in this world? "These are the ones in the books I requested. Descriptions of them, anyway."

Khanrow glared at me for a while, but backed down when I met his gaze and didn't budge.

He knew better than to try that intimidation tactic after I've achieved so much in this campaign.

Even if I was a figurehead and put in my place to die instead of him, I was getting results that couldn't be ignored, and I've linked my life to the morale of the common soldiery with all my successes.

Sure, Riegert held their loyalty, but their morale will take a massive blow if the person they looked to guide them through this died.

"Hmph, I see. Well, then, I will see you when the gate is taken, Jack. Be ready to declare a duel then."

"Yes, my lord."

I gave him a nod and a little bow, but luxuriated as he left.

Finally.

I had some real, concrete leverage.