To Destroy a Dynasty (8)

[Sun Xiong]

~How the Mighty hath Fallen~[/b]

*The sun was shining when the company arrived at Chang’an. One man rode at the front. A story of rags-to-riches embodied this man. One who began his life in marshlands with his entire culture killed, who traveled back to China with nothing but what he carried. In months, just over a year, he now rode intent on destroying the once mighty Han. And the greatest thing about the case was… he was going to win.*

*The sun cast a tall shadow of the riders as they approached the field which camp would soon be made. The halted their horses, staring off into the distance, where the walls of Chang’an stood above all else. Zhiyun remembered the sight, as his first duty with his brothers was to travel here. But at that time, allies held the city. The Sassanids, ruled by Xanthos of Hatra. However, all that it was then was destroyed. The culture, the architecture, the lifestyle. It was now the authority of the Han, the opposers, the defeated.*

“Look at that. The Han shells themselves with what little they have in Chang’an…”

*Zhiyun sat on his horse, looking behind him at his company, a large group of lancers.*

“Men, to all who may die these next few days, you have lived a life in the chaos, and shall ascend to peace in the Heavens. You, though slain, are far more lucky then those who live.”

*Zhiyun shouted an order, as one of his riders nodded and galloped to Chang’an. He came up to the gates, lifting his eyes to the men atop, and shouted that Sun Yuan Ci was allowing a withdrawal of the city, all who wished to leave to leave right away, all who wished to perish to stay as long as they could. He had a wide grin, knowing that he may die below the gates or be spared, either way, he was now looking at men who were about to die. But these men weren’t going to ascend to peace in the Heavens. They were heathens, chaotic followers of corruption, and would rot their days in the afterlife in the embers of hell.*

*It was at that time Zhiyun’s main force arrived:

300 Tower Guards of the Bronze
300 Elite Zhao Spearmen
270 Zhao Spearmen
250 Zhao Lancers
90 Crossbowmen
40 Northern Skirmishers
100 Cavalry
100 Hunters
100 Yuri Assassins
60 Assassins
2 Catapults
2 Chariots

*The men began to set up a huge camp, one fit for an army of multiple thousands. Many came already, and there were many more soldiers set to arrive under the banners of Kyong Duo and Lu Bu. The catapults set up outside the camp, a few lis away from the gates, outside of enemy fire, and awaited the command to commence the siege. For now, though, it was a wait. To see how the Han would react, and how they would attempt to outlast the Zhao army. It would be a large battle, but the victors were decided long before the battle began. Zhao would route the corruption, without contest, and kill all within.*

[Bya Kou]

(I'm not feeling good enough to post anything special... like it matters, though. Who cares about a big post? XP)

*Kou and his army arrived at the camp with little fuss, being that they weren't high in number and, of course, none of the Han had barred their way.

It seemed that this battle would be easily won - Even with only 500 crossbowmen, Kou was a force to be reckoned with and, with the other thousand troops who were aiding him, he was all but unstoppable.

His forces formed up to the rear of the main camp and kept lookout.*

((I bring 500 Crossbow Militia... not much, but... meh.))

[Sun Xiong]

*SUn Yuan Ci uses a chemical mixed with another too. His troops are invincible.*

(Bullshit. Give me the exact chemicals used, properties that made them mix into a smokescreen, and the link to the thread where you gathered them.)

[Kong Fa Xu]

((I'm going to go ahead and post my arrival, since I won't have any time to get on here until about 8 or 9 hours from now.))


*The army of Kong Suo, flying both Zhao colors and the banner of the White Dragon, arrived in grand display, moving to aid the forces of Sun Yuan Ci with camp and battle preparations. Arriving with him are his officer, Shi Fei, and the following troops:

Foot Troops
576 Light Infantry (Militia/Sword/Light Chain Mail/Thatched Shield)
460 Archers (Militia/Composite Bow)
650 Armored Pikemen (Militia/Pike/Battle Robe)

Mounted Troops
548 Mounted Spearmen (Militia/Horse/Spear/Light Chain Mail)
650 Breaker Cavalry (Militia/Pike/Battle Robe/Embossed Shield/Sword/Armored Horse)
200 Elephant Riders (Militia/Elephant/Pike/Composite Bow)
60 Amazon Riders (Amazon/Horse/Composite Bow/Battle Robe/Scimitar)

Siege Weapons
2 Ballistae

Kong Suo quickly rides to find Sun Yuan Ci and inform him properly of his arrival.*

General, I have arrived to help. These Han dogs don't stand a chance now.


((wow, that really sucked. Oh well))

[xufu]

Xu Fu comes out he rides past the man speaking he hurls Zhao around and with a thunderous sound stomps the earth. Looking angrily at the man.

Xu Fu: Think you I am not versed in war. My mount can run a mile in less than two minutes. I have conquered lands no one would dare go. I have taken the head of my enemies.

He draws his swords sun and moon he hurls them about just as he does rat rat his own men shot at him and with the speed and agility he sends one arrow to the earth and the other in separate directions in two pieces.

Xu raises high in his saddle and spits to the ground

Xu Fu: Now you leave this place of Chang an. Take your boys home to their mother before I unleash the hounds of war upon your tormented lot. Leave now!

Xu hurls his steed forward almost crashing into the man and goes back from where he came. Archers remain aimed upon the man. Any foul play by him and he dies.

[Sun Xiong]

*The men had their camp set up fuly working with fires and supplies set. Kong Suo arrived with his men, and Suo himself was escorted to the audience of Commander Zhiyun. When they met, Yuan Ci punched a fist into his other hand, holding his arms out and bowing his head, saluting his fellow officer.*

"Lord Kong Suo, it is my honor this day to fight beside you. Now please, lord, let us assemble the soldiers to the frontline. Battle shall commence soon, and I pray we share the might to win this battle."

*Zhiyun left his tent, followed by all his captains. Their strategy was set in stone now, and was rather reliable. It was time to put it to work. This battle, if won by the Han, would only be a setback for Zhao. But if Sun Yuan Ci won this battle, the Han would falter. Be it the next day or the next year, the Han would not last if Chang'an was taken.*

*Zhiyun rode to the frontline, where his soldiers were now suited for combat, rows of ten. He rode forward, followed by 100 crossbowmen. The Horse Lord took hold of his spear, turning around, looking at his men.*

"Men, never has a battle meant more then now. We shall tear down these walls and enter the city, leaving none that interfere with our affairs alive. Let us go."

~At the Gates~

*The single horseman grinned, spitting in Xu Fu's face as he approached.*

"Kill me, you bastard! I have lived a life under the true lords of China. Liu Bei has died, Cao Cao shall follow, and you inbetween. Do you hear?"

*The hooves of Kal, steed of Zhiyun, began to sound. He was on his way.*

"Fate fortunes upon you. Goodbye, Lord Fu."

*The horseman then made an attempt to escape, riding to the camp. Sun arrived away from archer fire, with his 100 crossbowmen behind them. Lifting his arm, they moved back as he stepped forward.*

"Xu Fu, you are quite the thorn in the mighty kingdom's side. Let us end this. Come, Fu, let us duel."

[Jin Pin]

www.unitednuclear.com/smoke.htm
(read it and shut up)

*a force of
-8 Swordsmen / thatch shields
-20 Marines Composite Longbows / Chainmail
-40 Marines with Crossbow / Chain Mail
-200 Marines with Battle Axes
-710 Crossbowmen
made its way to the gate lead by ?Jin Pin?*

[Kong Fa Xu]

*Suo bows in deference to Sun Yuan Ci.*

My lord, the honor is mine.

*Suo leaves the meeting with General Ci and heads immediately to where the bulk of his own forces are getting prepared for battle, summoning Shi Fei as he went.*

Fei! Get your cavalry ready for battle. Position them all on the right wing of the formation. Breaker Cavalry in the front, Mounted Spearmen behind.

Yes, General.

*Shi Fei mounted his horse and moved out, signaling the aforementioned cavalry forces, totalling roughly 1200 men, to follow him. Kong Suo mounted his own horse and paced up and down his quickly establishing battle lines.*

Men of Zhao! The time of words has drawn now to a close. Actions will rule this day! Actions of bravery, of skill, of victory! Look to Heaven, for the gods side with us. Look to your weapons and armor, for the very elements of the earth side with us. Look to your compatriots, for the people of Zhao side with us! A new world is being forged, and this battle will be just one of many victories for our Emperor! Now, form ranks and follow me to victory!!

*With a mighty cheer rising from more than a thousand throats so that even the earth was trembling in fear, the men of Zhao began their march behind Kong Suo, who personally bore the banner of the White Dragon. ((See rough sketch of formation here.)) The ballistae were wheeled out last, well behind the formation, but within easy reach should the situation call for them. As Sun Yuan Ci seemed to be challenging Xu Fu, Kong Suo directed his forces toward the newly arrived Han army under Jin Pin. When they get within bow range of his composite bowmen, Suo will order the men (as well as the Amazon women) to unleash their arrows in the typical triple-rank volley fashion, with the first row of archers firing, then immediately retreating to the rear to reload while the second row steps forward to fire, and so on and so forth. The pikemen and swordsmen will crouch low to the ground to reduce casualties from the inevitable return fire of Jin Pin's crossbows. The light swordsmen in particular will defend themselves with their shields, angling the shields slightly upward so as to absorb the impact of the crossbow bolts slightly more effectively than normal. All cavalry forces are being held in reserve for the time being, waiting for Suo's signal to charge.*

[Bya Kou]

*Kou's forces stood easily out of arrow range, being at the rear of the army, giving Kou a chance to study the battlefield quite happily.

After a few moments, Kou shrugged with a chuckle. No matter what situation Kou played out in his head, these armies of the Han appeared that they'd be completely decimated.*

("There's no need for me to help out with battlefield tactics... we'll see what this leader does on his own.")

*Kou's forces simply sat where they were until Kong Suo began his advance.

Soon after, Kou followed suit.*

"Men! Advance into crossbow range! We'll just snipe these fools one by one..."

*The crossbowmen would form up into groups of 4, a fair distance of 3 metres between every other group. They all would load their crossbows and fire, 50 groups at a time, at Jin Ping's unit, ensuring not only a volley of arrows, but a volley of crossbow bolts against the forces of Jin Ping.*

[xufu]

huh well the arbalests begin firing at the approaching army ((They are on the walls))
*duel yea right not after the last one who I had in perfect position to take him out oh I did actually but it was overturned by numerous loud mouths zhao has no shortage of them*
The messenger dies as so many enough arrows enter his back.

[Zhao Ping]

((Hey,I won't be here for a day or two,Brian,you can control all my troops and such for those two days,good luck and be back soon))

[Sun Xiong]

*Zhiyun laughed, mocking the man ahead of him. Xu Fu was no longer a warrior. Not a minute ago, he bragged about his valor and his might, but quinces in fear of a Spear of Zhao. He laughed, staring at the cowar Han officer with a dead-like gaze.*

"You damned fool. You'll defend your city to death... when your own emperor abandons you. Your emperor has fled Luo Yang. Your land is no longer yours. Your people have lost hope in their incompetent officers and generals. You make it hard, but I shall indeed kill you."

*He turned and rode back to the camp. But his 100 crossbowmen stayed. They took aim ahead, and each fired simultaneusly. They fired straight, not at Xu Fu, but in his direction, in a circumference around him. He had noplace to run to to avoid being hit. After they fired, they reloaded and fired again, and again, until they knew this man was dead.*

*Back at camp, Lu Bu, Yuan Ci's brother, had arrived with his men:

500 Northern Cavalry (Spears and Horses)
100 Cavalry [Qiang Merc] (Crossbows-thatch shields-chain mail)
100 Cavalry [Qiang Merc] (Spears-thatch shields-chain mail-javelin quivers)
100 Swordsmen [Qiang Merc] (Swords-leather armour)
100 Light Cavalry(horses,thatch shields,swords)

*They were now ready. The catapults moved forward, until the walls were in range. They lit the boulders ablaze, and fired. They aimed for the spot between where the gate met the walls, which would tear more of the walls down, as well as kill many men atop them. The catapults fired, but still remained too far away for the equipment atop the walls to effect it. In time, the walls would fall, then nothing could stop the destiny of Zhao.*

[Bya Kou]

(Is it my turn or Kong Suo's now?

Well... I'll post my turn, and, since Suo is the only person before me (I think), it can stay the same. ^_^; )

*Kou grinned when the arbalests adjusted themselves to aim at his approaching army. This was the reason for his formation - arbalests were, by no means, an effecient weapon when aiming at small units in a large area, and Kou's men exploited this.

The troops, between every one of their volleys, would immediately shift their positions. Falling back, moving forward, it was quite simple to do.

The groups of four would move together, but keep their distance from every other group. When an arbalest shot ahead of them, they would shift their movement to retreat backwards, then move to the West, then unleash a volley - they would reload their crossbows while they moved.

Of course, if an Arbalest shot into their ranks, they would attempt to seperate so that the attack was as least effective as it could be.

Slowly, but surely, they made their way to the west...*

(So, what I mean is: The arbalests, being that they take a while to reload and adjust aim, aren't hitting my troops nearly effectively as they could due to their formation and movements.

Unless I'm wrong... arbalests aren't exactly fast weapons (Do you even have any troops manning them? =P)).

[Don't Reregister account Aruzo]

Alright, casualty time!

Han Losses

Jin Pin
(Jin Pin please PM me stating your location. You said you moved 'at the gate' but does that mean your on the outside or inside? I suppose the inside, which means all attacks directed at you were taken by the gate. But PM me, to make it clear.)

Xu Fu
30 CrossBowMen With Crossbows / Leather Armour

The City Gate
956 (50 Damage per siege weapon. Gate was at 1056 when I checked.)

Zhao Losses

Sun Yuan Ci
1 Messenger

Kong Suo
50 Breaker Cavalry (Militia/Pike/Battle Robe/Embossed

Bya Kou
28 Crossbow Militia

Please take these casualties as soon as you read this. Thank you.

CONTINUE

[Cao Liao]

[Cao Cao is currently at the Palace with his men... So yeah... I will post here when I am done.]

Ba Zeng is detained by the Imperial Han Army by Order of General Cao Cao.

[Ba Zeng is not allowed in this battle. He is imprissioned.]