Mazzarin's Demise

	Opening Letter From: Oroboros, Demesne of the Alkema To: ChrisP, Kennel of the Underdogs From all quarters of the Alkema Demesne I bid thee and thy Pack fond greetings, O Mangy One, Following your investigation of the fall of Mazzarin, and having sent allies far and wide your account of how Mazzarin fell to the Dark, I can safely say on behalf of all that, were we Mazzarin, our pantaloons would have been well fertilised. Nevertheless, several stalwart commanders have seen that which Mazzarin could not, anticipated that which Mazzarin was not able, and generally devised strategies and techniques that sent the Watcher and his charges packing with loud and decisive 'wOOt's. This isn't to suggest Mazzarin was incompetent in his time. Our ability to see possible victories comes solely through our ability to rehash your investigation several times over. Would that Mazzarin had the same benefit of hindsight. This scroll covers many aspects of Mazzarin's Demise that may interest both you and Father Merrin (SJ). Should the Heron Guard ever be asked to challenge these odds ever again, it is my hope that these notes might focus commanders on the maintenance of discipline and military intelligence. Also, this scroll is inscribed on very soft vellum, making it a valuable resource in one's outhouse, or when wiping the tears off distraught virgins tied to posts (as excess salt in one's diet should really be avoided). Kind regards, and send my best wishes to the pack. (Oh, and please apologise on my behalf to Brave Sir Robin for that accident at the crossroads: Goats don't strictly agree with me, and I was forced to make an emergency jettison). - Oro
	Mazzarin's Demise: Overview "When Blessed With Many Skills, the Last Lesson We Learn... Is Sacrifice." Whether by accident or design, battle scenarios have a terrain and unit stock that produces 'successful' ways of playing it. Like the rest of Project Magma's cooperative investigations, the authors hint at how best to explore "Mazzarin's Demise"- in this case, better to sacrifice a few units throughout so that the rest of team can fight efficiently. There were several major sources of disaster in Mazzarin's final conflict - 'Dangerously incompatible unit assignments; Being over-run; 'Saving' dream dispersal spells for big, sexy group dreams rather than using them when he needed them; Attrition - that is, being constantly chipped away at by the enemy over a long period of time without healing; Fighting on treacherous ground, and; Commanders deserting the field of combat.
	The Defensive Strategy A defensive Strategy is one where you set up a base camp and defend it. You may choose to move to a different base camp during the onslaught, but when you get to the new location, you set up another defensive strategy. The key element of a defensive strategy is that formation cannot afford to be broken - Design a set-up that covers all eventualities at base camp, and for events you can't control there, design tactics that keep those events away from base camp. Mazzarin was not able to establish a base camp, nor rally his army to use an effective defensive strategy. This points to a lack of knowledge of the terrain, and the military intelligence at Scales was to blame here. Base Camp Possibilities The ancient chinese warrior-philosopher Sun Tzu outlined 9 types of ground in battle. An area that best suits a defensive strategy, allowing the team to communicate, is Surrounded Ground. This is ground where a small force can hold off a far larger force, simply because the enemy has no way to bring its numbers to bear. Either the North-East or South-East quadrant would have made the best holding grounds. Quadrant positions mean the enemy would've had difficulty approaching base camp from all sides at once. The North-East peak might've seemed like a good vantage point for archers, but if this peak is held, base camp would be open for more attacks from different directions. North-East would've been best held near the northern wadi, as enemy units would have had to attack uphill, in bottleneck positions. South-East has flatter terrain, meaning archers wouldn't have had to move as much to get a clear shot, and friendly fire should've been minimised. However, the foothills that provide an archer team with elevation, also harbours deceptive footing, and negotiating a way through the foothills can might've caused friendly-fire mishaps and confused units. Generally, the Western quadrants weren't as defendable. The South-west quadrant was very open and a large dry pool area would put units at an elevation disadvantage. The North-west was trecherously rocky.
	The Enemy's Strategy According to Myth-ology, Mazzarin fell to 7 waves of Thrall under the Watcher's banner. Through months of research, Magma cartographer ChrisP has discovered that Ghols, Wights and Mauls, as well as traitorous Archers and Dwarves, were also called to the Watcher's side. As the ill-fated battle unravelled, the Watcher sent more elite fighters after Mazzarin: the Mauls got tougher and faster. The Thrall got tougher. The Ghols and Archers remained... pesky. What Mazzarin didn't appreciate was that the Watcher relied on surprise and sheer numbers for his victory. Had Mazzarin the time to appreciate the Watcher's strategy, he would have realised that a simple, yet aggressive defensive strategy would have torn through The Watcher's army like a cougar through cotton candy. (Only without all the licking of fur, and loud concerns about the accelerating cost of this sweet, I mean really, price-fixing is in order: it's getting ridiculous...) The Watcher sent slow, durable units, fast, weak units, and archers. This meant Mazzarin's army could outrun the slow, and take out the weak. What the Watcher was thinking of using his archers for, few commanders know: they were too slow, inaccurate and too few to be of any real threat to Mazzarin's army. At best they were a mild, easily neutralised nuisance. We begin to learn more of the Watcher's psyche through this unit choice: he wanted Mazzarin worn down, ground slowly into the ground. His death wasn't enough: Mazzarin had to be crushed in spirit and power. The Watcher didn't care how much of his own army had to be sacrificed. From this we learn that surviving a war of attrition requires stamina, strong leadership and preparation. Tense Enough of the past. The rest of the document addesses commanders who wish to readdress the rest of ChrisP's investigation, and focuses on re-enacting Mazzarin's Demise in the present.
	Military Intelligence Thrall are the slowest units on the map and can be outrun. However, luring or leading them uniformly is extremely difficult. Attack them when grouped, by heavy artillery preferably. As they get stronger, they may cause your base camp to split. One of Mazzarin's mistakes was conserving his dream dispersal spells for large groups only. It is far better to dream a small number of units and get out of trouble, than save a dream for a glorious moment that might not arrive. Mauls get faster, but are easily led. Approach them with a single Heron Guard and lead them around in circles under archer and/or Mortar Dwarf fire (or let them blunder into friendly fire from their own Dwarves or Wights). Avoid using Dwarves against Maul unless you have numbers and terrain limitations in your favour. Alone, a Dwarf's range is too short, and getting closer may cause the Mauls to notice them with keen interest, breaking them out of formation. Ghols threaten Mazzarin's Dwarves and Archers. One pack can be fought off by 3-4 Heron Guards alone, depending on terrain positioning and health. Wights are extremely difficult for commanders to detect, but units can see them when they approach. If they aren't busy, use a circular formation for Archers. Not only will the facing Archer fire at the closest target, the other Archers will turn and face with him. This gives Archer commanders a good 'alarm' system against sneak attacks, but never be complacent about Archers. Traitor Dwarves are generally taken out by Archers or allied Dwarves. While a melee unit could take out a Dwarf, the risk is in detonating their explosives when they fall dead. Traitor Archers can be taken out by almost anything. They are slow and innacurate. But if melee units attack, remember to call friendly archers off them. The Watcher's endurance defies reason. Because his speed and strength are so powerful, aiming power-bows at him proved difficult. Not even ChrisP has managed to determine what the full extent of the Watcher's power is, but history has already indicated that Mazzarin alone could not defeat him.
	Bows of Power Consistent with the circumstances surrounding the battle, the artifacts in Mazzarin's charge were also present. Bow of Furious Incandescence (1) - A bow of enormous power harnessing the raw forces of lightning, the Archer bearing this bow best aims it at Mauls and ghols. Bow of Paralysis (2) - Loaded with wight-tipped enchantments, targets not only suffer damage, they are also paralysed temporarily. Thrall are the most immune, but Mauls have never developed much immunity to them. Bow of Slaying (3) - Victims of the arrows this bow sends suffer enormous pain and crippling damage, often fatal. The arrows are so dedicated to death that the limbs and encumbrance of the victims who fall to the bow scatter over a wide area. Bow of Hellfire (4) - The members of the 7th Dwarven Airborne call this bow Gr'Znask g'Kulk, or "Oblivion on a Stick". Not only did this signal airborne dwarves to drop charges, the dwarves didn't have to be directly overhead to do so - enchanted arrows drew satchels to it for a devastating rain of fire. A formidable weapon against packs of durable units. The "Cycling Pact" There is a tale told that Mazzarin's Archers agreed upon a special pact: If an Archer had one shot left in a power-bow, and oblivion faced the company, the Archer would allow himself to die, surrendering the bow to another Archer. With a new wielder, the bow would be replenished with a full complement of special attacks. Few records corroborate this story. It's likely this pact was just romantic fable.
	Dwarven Militia Mortar Dwarf (c) As well as his powerful charges, the Mort's greatest tactical power is its extra firing distance. From a hill, the Mort could've weakened the Watcher's Mauls significantly. Strider Dwarf (d) Clearly the fastest Dwarf on the field (all other Dwarves are the same speed), it could take a secondary role as a Maul leader unit. Despite an average throwing arm, the Strider also makes a good Thrall attack unit. Pathfinder (e) Not only blessed with a good arm, the pathfinder also calls upon the power of the 7th Dwarven Airborne, throwing signal flares wherever it needs a satchel bomb air-strike. Hero Dwarf (f) An all-rounder well-respected on the field. Demolition Dwarf (g) Gifted with a strong back rather than arm, this satchel-toting explosives engineer can lay large satchel minefields. Dwarven Assignment The Mortar Dwarf would have been best left to itself with 2 Heron Guards. This team needed to remain mobile and active. The Strider Dwarf could out-distance several enemy units, but in doing so, also out-distance fellow dwarven units, so it probably didn't partner well with other dwarves. Teamed with 2 or 3 Herons Guards it would have made a good mobile luring/ attacking team. The Pathfinder and Hero Dwarf, as well as the Demo, made a formidable base camp team defending bottlenecks. The short-range of the Demo may have cause problems with the speedier enemy attack, such as ghols and elite Maul waves. with 2 Heron Guards, a valuable defense team at bottleneck terrain features. The Demo might have become a hinderance to the team near the end of the battle: judging by the Watcher's onslaught, knowing where and when to lay a satchel field would have been extremely difficult.
	Commander Assignment Records show that Mazzarin did assign 6 commanders platoons with complementary strengths. Having studied ChrisP's account of the battle, various commanders suggest these broad platoon assignments. Mazzarin (a) + Heron Guard Hero (b) - According to historical accounts, Mazzarin wisely teamed up with the Hero and split from the main army, to distract enemy waves that might overwhelm the main force, particularly fighting Ghols and leading Mauls. Mazzarin also lured Wights and Traitor Dwarves to blow up the Watcher's more dull followers. East Archers - Teamed with 4 Heron Guards, the East Archers collected the Hellfire and Slaying bows of power. Primarily concerned with Thrall attacks. In both Archer teams, the Heron Guards were used less for healing, more for leading the enemy or defending against over-running ghols. West Archers - Also teamed with 4 Heron Guards, they collected the bows of Incandesence and Paralysis. Primarily concerned with Maul attacks. If the Archers did 'cycle' the bows, then the Heron Guard had to ensure the bow-holding Archers were not healed - no point if they were going to die anyway. It follows that the Archers to receive the bow anew should be the weakest on the team. Mortar Dwarf (c) - With 2 Heron Guards, this team would have been best used in a fighting retreat from Thrall, or reducing the health of a Maul herd. This team needed to remain mobile and active. Strider Dwarf (d) + Pathfinder (e) - Again, with 3 Heron Guards, a valuable mobile team at bottleneck terrain features. Demolition Dwarf (g) + Hero Dwarf (f) - This combination is best left at base camp doing short range defense and minefield preparation, with 4 Heron Guards.
	Heron Guards These hardy, lethal crusaders were and are the greatest fear the legions of the Dark had ever known. It's well-worth examining them in detail, for a full appreciation of how well they were drilled. Healing Not only could the Heron Guard scythe through vast numbers of the enemy like a plough through cheesecake, they were well-veresed in herblore. They could heal others and themselves with the necessary ingredients. But what's most spectacular about their healing prowess was their ability to heal themselves to full strength in the midst of battle. I myself have witnessed a Heron Guard surrounded by ghols, near death, cast a healing spell upon himself, and the spell continued to heal, even though the enemy were still striking him! Fortunately for the Watcher, the Plains of Scales were a relatively poor growing ground for the essential mandrake root used in healing. The Heron Guard were well-instructed on the use of rations: if a cleric were to fall, his rations were to be collected at the earliest convenience. While healing an undead creature to death is not uncommon, I believe the Heron Guard accompanying Mazzarin would not have been so wasteful, given the enormous numbers of undead against them. However, healing Wights that broke into base camp would have been a very wise move. Constitution The Heron Guard are immune to the effects of poisons, such as produced by wight-debris, but not immune to the explosive properties wight debris might make on detonation. Assignment Alternative Some Commanders recommend having large Dwarven platoons and a dedicated Heron Guard platoon. Depending on the strengths of the commanders it's a perfectly legitimate option, but there is a slight role difference. A dedicated Heron Guard platoon is more concerned with the fitness and formation of base camp, rather than being an independent offensive arm. From covering one or two units, they must cover the entire base camp area, especially from over-running.
DemoSlay ONE: The demolition Dwarf is elevated and shot... DemoSlay TWO: The satchels (limbs, head) spray into the oncoming enemy... DemoSlay THREE: Armageddon.	Desperate Combinations "Desperate means call for desperate measures". Here, then, is a list of the most desperate. Incandescence Bow/ dwarf Carpet Bombing: Forget it. DemoSlay: A tricky suicide tactic that Mazzarin would probably have never attempted, but can be effective. If damage done by the Slaybow causes death, the encumbrance of the slain unit is scattered over a marked distance. By positioning the Demo Dwarf on elevated ground and hitting it with the Slaybow, its satchels will spray and rain down in close proximity. Because the satchels land hard, they detonate, giving the team a 'mobile satchel pit' they can use anywhere. Explosive Fire/ Hellbow: NO Dwarfs, or wielder of the Bow of Furious Incandescence, should attack the same enemy group as the Hellbow team. The risk of having signal grenades blow back into Mazzarin's army, or having the 7th Dwarven Airborne drop satchels in the wrong location, is too great.
	Well-Drilled Commandeering Communication is always key to consistency and survival. Certain actions should also have been performed throughout Marrazin's plight. Recover Roots: Surviving Heron Guards should always recover mandrake roots from the fallen, and uproot them from any available plot. Call the Inventory: Whenever there is the slightest stand-down in activity, assess what your company is carrying, if anything. The Power-Bow wielders should say how many charges they have with their bows, Heron Guards should number the roots in their care, Mazzarin should let the platoons know how many dream dispersal spells he can call on, and if satcheling certain areas is a fundamental strategy among the Dwarves, they should be listing stachels carried and harvesting satchels from the fallen. Cleaning the Base Camp: Undetonated mortar shells or grenade bottles, unused satchels and unexploded pus packets are a danger to the company. Debris might also hide valuable mandrake roots. Ensure base camp is safe to defend. Stay on Point Duty: If the commanders' eyes are still, they're not fighting. Even if their platoons are relatively secure, lending an eye and a voice for fellow fighters is crucial for the company's success. Study the Terrain: the Gods know that the strongest and most skilled of fighters may perform poorly if they do not know the battlefield. Being familiar with all the little eccentricities that the battlefield contains separates the skilled fighters from the dead ones.
Mazzarin's Demise today.	End Musings Out of curiousity, I recently revisited the plot of land where Marrarin reputedly fell in battle. While much of the soil has been tilled, it's still not a land that suffers fools gladly. By unblocking two tributaries to the Great Wash ("Wash", so the locals tell me, is a corruption of "Watcher") the river now splits as it once did and the cracked clay of the wadi is now a moderately swift stream. Mazzarin's Peak, the high promontory splitting the headwaters has a small stone monument that indicates the land's past significance, but there's little to indicate the extent of the incredible crash of flesh, fire and sorcery this land wore. Perhaps once every decade, the plough might discover the hilt of a sword, which is passed on to the Heron Guard for identification and sanctification. One thing had always bothered me about Mazzarin's Demise. I climbed to about 3000 feet, where I could get a view of the outlying areas of the land. It was undeveloped land, and there were no permanent towns, battlements, not even guard towers. There was nothing to mine here, the land was dry, and the wadi presented no tactical benefit to Mazzarin. So... What was he doing there? There were several, contained sites that Mazzarin could use to face the Watcher within 2 leagues of the wadi. Mazzarin could outdistance the Watcher's legion easily, and lay traps along the way, so he could have moved to a fortress distant and received shelter and reinforcements. Instead, Mazzarin chose to face the Watcher on treacherous ground, with a shortage of commanders and units. Why? What was it about this place? The sun was low before I decided to head back to my lair. Even as the sun lit the earth with its holy aura, bathing the land in a soft orange glow, the moon was already vying with some stars for the best position in the heavens. I looked back at Mazzarin's Demise, hoping for one final clue, the history and future of the world racing through my mind. The Answer failed to present itself. The mystery will still be there in the morning, I pondered, glancing at the silver ball leading me the way home. Even the sun knows when to call it a day.