Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War

Historically, the rashness of Harold's troops directly led to the failure of the battle. Since Orville knew about this, he would naturally be more careful.

It is hard to say whether William's defeat was a fishing enforcement or an accident. In short, he first regarded it as the other party's deliberate and deliberate action. Suspicion should be a virtue rather than a shortcoming for a commander. He does not seek merit but seeks no fault. Except for those top games, fighting is more about who makes fewer mistakes rather than who makes more brilliant decisions.

He repeatedly emphasized to the soldiers not to leave their posts without permission, which may be a strategy of the enemy. Just follow the instructions of the centurions and captains and fight step by step. In any case, the soldiers are still more obedient to orders. After repeated emphasis, not many people leave their posts without permission, and the formation is still as stable as Mount Tai.

Because the Romans have perfect preparations, the situation on the Germanic side is now quite passive. In order to prevent the trend of collapse from expanding, Harold has only two choices-either send his own reserve to top it up, or let the Frankish cavalry charge first.

Finally, he chose to use the cavalry as a trump card, letting the infantry troops go first. His own guards and some Viking troops were sent to the battlefield. The military strength of the left wing was relatively weak, so it was reasonable to send out the reserve troops, but Harold did not expect the troops to collapse so early, so he sent out these reserves much in advance.

The situation on the Roman side was not good either. They had no time to rest. They had to face the powerful German elite army again just after they had time to catch their breath. These people were of high quality, and their physical strength was very good. For a while, the Roman troops fell into a bitter battle.

Orville observed the situation on the hillside and noticed these small actions of the Germans at the first time. He ordered Rollo: "Take your soldiers to go up, follow the original plan, this battle determines our future and destiny, I wish you good luck."

Rollo was not good at speaking, just nodded in agreement silently, then saluted and left, and went to gather his soldiers.

He and his former Vikings had no aversion to cannibalism. Death and killing were commonplace to them, and they had clashed with other Vikings before.

Five hundred Viking warriors joined the battlefield under Rollo's command. They were significantly different from their peers - their equipment level was several levels better, and they did not look like pirates at all, but looked like elite soldiers.

Some works depict Vikings as well-equipped, and any warrior could put together a set of weapons such as mail armor, iron helmets, long swords, shields, axes, daggers, javelins, etc., but if you think about it, you will know that this is impossible.

Although the North has a good level of metallurgy, the products are definitely not rich, otherwise there would not be so many people going out of the city and out to sea to become pirates and bandits. It is precisely because of the scarcity of products that many people have to rely on looting for a living.

Although most Vikings have rich combat experience and are brave and aggressive, their equipment is generally not very good. Leather armor, shields and a one-handed weapon are standard equipment. Those who can afford iron armor and helmets are considered small leaders. As for the full set of equipment at the level of film and television dramas, it is a decent thing that only a few people can afford. Most people just do the job and don't delay killing people.

In contrast, Orville prepared a very luxurious "signing gift package" for his mercenaries. Rollo selected people based on the quality of elite soldiers. The quality of the people he brought was not bad. Orville generously equipped all of them with armor and used them as personal guards and spearhead troops.

This must have made the Romans and auxiliary soldiers feel a little unbalanced, but Rollo's performance has always been excellent. If they are dissatisfied, they can only complain. Orville and them are in a private employment relationship. The money is paid by Orville himself, and he did not embezzle the legion's funds, so the legion can't say anything.

Now, Rollo and others are about to prove their worth. They rushed into the battlefield like an arrow from a bow, and made a slight maneuver, going around the woods and attacking the Germanic army from the side. This force that suddenly appeared on the battlefield caught them off guard, but their reaction was not slow. They quickly responded and sent several troops to deal with these Vikings.

The addition of fresh troops boosted the morale of Orwell, and also really reduced some of the pressure on the front line, allowing the Roman legions and spearmen on the front to withstand this wave of offensive.

The sound of shields colliding, the sound of metal clashing, the sound of people roaring, and the wailing before people dying. There were all kinds of sounds mixed on the battlefield. Both sides held their breath and gritted their teeth to start fighting. The first wave was about courage and explosive power, and the next was about endurance and perseverance. Both the Romans and the Germans knew that this battle was of great importance. Everyone was desperately holding on, hoping that the other side would be the first to collapse.

Orville later sent several reserve troops to the right wing of the army to hold the battle line steadily. The enemy gradually gathered the defeated soldiers. The officers and the supervisors shouted and ordered the soldiers to reorganize the formation and muster up the courage to participate in the war. They even drew their swords and killed several deserters who did not obey orders and lost the will to fight. At least they suppressed the panic and stabilized the situation.

Hand-to-hand combat is a long and inefficient thing. It often takes a long time until both sides are exhausted and one side can no longer hold on.

In fact, by noon, the Germans had already begun to have some thoughts of retreating, and wanted to withdraw to rest before fighting the second half, but the Romans, although also exhausted, still held on to these Germans and refused to let go.

The German officers commanding the front line found that the other side did not give them a chance to withdraw from the battlefield at all, so they had no choice but to bite the bullet and fight in one breath. They could not show their weakness at this time, and the two sides continued to engage in fierce hand-to-hand combat.

The Romans' accumulated training came into play at this time. The army's resilience and obedience were quite high, and they had an advantage in fighting this kind of war of attrition that tortured both sides.

Later, the Germans' left wing, right wing and central army were somewhat unable to hold on, and they were at risk of collapse and being penetrated by the Romans. Once the front line was penetrated, the only result waiting for the Germans was defeat.

Harold had no other backup plan and had no choice but to send out the Frankish cavalry. At this time, the three parties had no time to argue, as losing the battle would benefit no one. Under the order of the cavalry commander, thousands of Frankish cavalry were divided into two cavalry wings and concentrated on the right side of the line, preparing to charge through the woods and launch a flank attack on the Roman army's flank.