10.4.2.2 Divisions
The Ministry of War and its soldiers are the life blood of the city war machine. Without them, a city has no hope of defending its walls against invaders, or pushing its agenda on those of the world. Officers of the city militia possess the authority to command these divisions with direct orders, pitting them against other soldiers or capturing land for the city.
Commanders
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When you issue an order to a newly recruited division, you will become their commander. Anyone with an equal or lower militia rank will be unable to issue orders to that division while you remain its commander. Commanders can be reassigned with powers available to the Ministry of War.
There is one exception. Anyone capable of commanding troops may request a report on the division's status without needing to supersede the commanding officer.
Base Stats
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These are the base line stats for a division to keep in mind. Each type can have slightly different stats, so this list helps you compare.
Strength level: 100
Strength determines how strong a division is in battle.
March Range: 20 rooms
This is how far a division can march before they must recover.
March Recovery Time: 60 minutes
How long it takes to recover after marching, so that the division can move its maximum range again.
Formation Time: 5 minutes
This is how long it takes for the division to become immune to attacks from adventurers.
Division Types
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There are currently six division types that you can draft, each a little different from each other. Which division you might wish to form depends on what your city needs in the moment.
MILITIA:
Generic unit with no changes.
These are generic units that offer no unique bonuses or penalties. This type cannot be drafted, but it can potentially be obtained as a reward (such as for an admin event).
SOLDIER:
Access to order: FORTIFY, OCCUPY, and CHARGE
The soldier division is the bread and butter of the military. Only this division has access to the FORTIFY, OCCUPY, and CHARGE orders, and the associated commands that go along with them.
ARCHER:
Strength level: -5 levels
Ability: Defensive arrow volley
The archer division type will automatically fire a volley upon enemy divisions in an adjacent location when war is declared, or when an enemy division is marched into an adjacent location to them during war.
In order for them to fire, they must be in formation after marching, and only one archer division per room can fire (multiple can fire if they're spread out in different rooms).
They only fire a single volley when triggered, but can fire multiple times if the conditions are met again.
CAVALRY:
March Range: +10 rooms
Formation Timer: -2 minutes
Ability: No environmental malus to bal/eq recovery when marching
The cavalry division is unique in that it can march an extra 10 rooms before having to rest. They also enter into formation after marching quicker than other types (three minutes) and suffer no environmental malus to their march speed. These divisions make for quick strikes against the enemy.
ELITE:
Strength level: +5 levels
March Range: -5 rooms
The elite division are the strongest division in the army, however they are somewhat slow at reaching the front of the war. They have a reduced marching range, which will require some strategic consideration to make the most of.
SUPPORT:
Strength level: -20 levels
Access to order: CAPTURE
Cannot be ordered to: ATTACK
Support divisions help build together supply lines by capturing individual pieces of land, but as they are not trained for battle, they are unable to initiate an ATTACK order.
Captured land can provide numerous bonuses such as an advantage in troop battles and lowered march recovery timers.
They are able to defend themselves when attacked and inflict some losses.
Attacking Divisions
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Attacking a division is generally done by an opposing division being ordered to enter battle with them. During such a battle, neither division will be able to receive orders until one of them is wiped out.
While it is possible to attack a division as a player, it will be quite difficult to do so. Divisions will only be vulnerable while not in formation, which is generally only possible for a limited time after they are ordered to march or are newly recruited.
Once a division takes 20 losses to players, they will quickly enter formation and no longer be vulnerable.
It is possible for players to attack a division while it is in battle with another, as such it is wise for an attacking force to be ready to defend their division from others.
Ordering Divisions
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There are many different orders that you can give divisions. It is up to the officer in command to understand the advantages and pitfalls of doing so.
You can give the following orders to a division under your command:
ORDER <division> REPORT STATUS
- Have your division report on its current status, strength, and any
timers that might be relevant.
ORDER <division> MARCH <direction>
- Orders a division to march in a particular direction.
- You can only march as far as your divisions March Range before it will
need to rest. The March Recovery Timer will determine how long it takes
for the division to recover their maximum range again.
- If they are left resting on captured land, then the March Recovery Timer
is reduced by 10 minutes.
- After the last marching order, the division will assemble into
formation depending on the Formation Timer of the division, giving them
immunity from adventurer attack from that point onward.
- Ordering them march again will cause them to lose formation.
- Once ordered to march, you will lose balance and equilibrium for a few
seconds. This number can be variable based upon the current environment as
below.
SPEED BONUSES:
* Division is marching upon a road.
* Division is marching during the day.
SPEED MALUSES:
* Division is marching through a watery environment.
* Division is marching during rain, snow, or a blizzard.
ORDER <division> ATTACK <enemy division>
- Orders a division to attack another division. Once engaged in battle,
they will no longer take orders until there is a victor.
- You must be at war in order to issue this order on another division.
- Declaring your attack first has the natural bonus of first strike,
lowering the enemy numbers before they can retaliate.
- Each member of the division has a low chance to kill a single enemy in
battle upon an attacking blow, making higher numbers better for victory.
- There are certain advantages that can be gained that will boost the
chance scoring a kill for each soldier, with bonuses being updated and
applied upon each and every attack made by EITHER division during the
battle.
ATTACK BONUSES:
* Attacking commander is present during battle.
* Division is blessed by the Cardinal.
- Note: blessing fades after a battle.
DEFENCE BONUSES:
* Defending commander is present AND division is fortified.
* Division resides within captured land (check via SURVEY).
* Division resides within its home city.
ORDER <division> MERGE WITH <division>
- Orders a division to merge with another division. If the new division
would have more than 100 members, then the new division will have
whatever is left over (minimum 20).
- Both divisions must have a blessing in order for the new division
to inherit a blessing.
- The March Recovery Timer is restarted if applied and the highest
number of marched locations between the two is inherited by the
new division.
ORDER <division> SHED <number>
- Orders a division to shed a specified number of members into a new
division (minimum 20).
- The March Recovery Timer is restarted and the marched locations
and blessings are inherited by the new division.
ORDER <division> BASH <direction>
- Orders a division to destroy a locked door in the given direction.
- Can only be done within a city you are at war with, and there must
be an enemy division behind the door.
ORDER <division> DISBAND
- Disbands the division and adds the soldiers back to the reserves.
Only the Minister of War may do this.
- You can disband a division in the barracks of another city,
allowing you to aid an ally. This will add the soldiers to their
reserves instead of your own.
Soldiers Only
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ORDER <division> FORTIFY
- Orders a division to entrench in their current position, preventing
a non-allied division from marching past them. This takes the
division roughly 15 minutes to fully settle in.
- Once fortified, the division will not be perform any action other
then REPORT STATUS, ATTACK, BLOCK, or MOVE OUT.
- Multiple divisions may not be fortified in the same location, unless
it is the city barracks.
- If fortified on the route a caravan takes to reach a city, it will
prevent any caravans from departing for that city on that route,
unless that city has alliance or peace relations with yours.
ORDER <division> BLOCK <direction>
- Have your division prevent adventurer's from moving past your troops
in the specified direction. Your division must be fortified first and
you cannot perform this action on captured foreign land.
- Officers of your militia and those that are following will be able
to move past the division without issue.
- In order to cease blocking a direction, you must have your division
move out and give up their fortifications.
ORDER <division> MOVE OUT
- Instructs a fortified division to strike fortifications and prepare
to leave their position. This takes roughly 5 minutes.
ORDER <division> OCCUPY LAND
- Orders a division to begin occupying a territory so that it is held
under your cities control. It will take approximately 90 minutes to
succeed.
- You must be at war to issue this order on a territory held by
another organization (that isn't neutral).
- You may only perform this order at the town square of the territory.
- If the territory is controlled by another, you will not be able to
begin occupying the land until all forces of the opponent are first
removed.
- You may not try and occupy multiple territories held by the same
organization at a time. Once properly held, you may occupy another
territory again.
- Please see HELP TERRITORIES for more information.
ORDER <division> CHARGE <city>
- Orders a division to begin an invasion of the specified city. To
begin an assault, the division must be just outside the gates of
the city.
- You must be at war in order to issue this order on another division.
- The division will split up into individual units and begin to make
their way into the city, fighting any guards or citizens they
encounter.
- If there is an enemy division in the same location when you attempt
to charge, you won't be able to begin an assault.
Support Only
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ORDER <division> CAPTURE HERE
- Orders a division to begin capturing a location, claiming it for
your city and providing a bonus in division battles that occur
upon it. It will take approximately 30 minutes to claim the
spot.
- If you are at war with anyone, then the time it takes will be
reduced to 10 minutes instead.
- Only a location that is either inside your city or adjacent to a
supply line may be captured. A supply line is defined as a series
of locations you have captured that connect a direct path to your
city's war room.
- Capturing land from another city does not instigate a war. As such,
land can be stolen if you are not vigilant, so keep an eye on your
logs.
- Maintaining captured land requires the upkeep of gold from the
city, as per HELP WAR.
Mock Battles
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Within the Dyisen-Ashtan Memoryscape lies the Ashtan Colosseum, where one can practice mock battles with troops formed of memories, minus the bloodshed. You can find the door to the Colosseum at v72321, which you can then get into by using ENTER DOOR.
Within there are two gateways and two separate sides; the ghost army and the spectral army. You can take control of either side and practice battles to learn how they work. You can PROBE the gateways and divisions to learn how to take control of them.
The ghost army additionally has some captured land if you wish to see how those bonuses play out.
Right now it only offers the ability to battle other troops. The capturing of land and territory isn't possible in the Colosseum right now.
