Deciding the Victor
In the morning sunlight, the riverbank was already covered with blood and severed limbs.
In order to squeeze out the landing forces of the Ironvine Territory as much as possible, the Fifth Regiment launched multiple assaults at the insistence of Gaba.
The battle is currently very close, with the Ironvine Territory's troops using rafts to build simple defensive fortifications on the riverbank.
The archer units were unable to suppress these landing forces, and Gaba had no better options than to send troops to directly assault the fortifications.
However, the army of the Ironvine Territory had a very strong fighting spirit, especially after the second batch of troops crossed the river and landed, their morale soared.
To avoid being greeted by the Bed Crossbow and Catapult of the Ironvine Territory, Gaba directly ordered his troops not to disengage from the battle and to maintain close combat with the landing forces. The two sides turned the riverbank into a meat grinder.
Under these circumstances, coupled with the inability to deploy troops, the soldiers of the Fifth Regiment easily fell into a slump. Gaba also organized a large-scale supervisory team to continuously drive the routed soldiers back to the battlefield.
By using this method, the soldiers of the Fifth Regiment were made to lose their judgment through constant fighting. They were influenced by the atmosphere of the battlefield and their spirits were stimulated, so that they would fight to the death.
This was Gaba's initial plan, after all, the original intention was to use up all these soldiers.
The two sides' battle lines were completely intertwined, with thousands of people fighting in a chaotic melee.
Count Lloyd was also stunned by Gaba's tactics, especially after the third wave of troops arrived, they couldn't find a place to land and could only drift on the river, where they were attacked by the Fifth Regiment of archers from a distance and suffered heavy losses.
After the third wave of river-crossing troops failed to land, the morale of the Ironvine the river was greatly affected, and their river-crossing positions were compressed again.
Left with no other choice, Count Lloyd had to order the fourth wave of troops to choose a slightly more distant location for landing.
The troops that had just completed their landing attempt to support the landing position by attacking the flank of the Fourth Regiment.
At this moment, Dirac suddenly appeared with the Cavalry of the Sixth Legion. The troops crossing the river never expected to encounter Cavalry, and were defeated in a single attack.
The troops that crossed the river are now in dire straits. They cannot get support from the rear, and there is also a Cavalry unit roaming around the perimeter.
Seeing this, Captain of the Guard Lepond ran straight to Count Lloyd: "Count Excellency, let me lead a charge. If we can break through their formation, our troops can open the landing zone. Otherwise, we'll just be adding fuel to the fire."
Count Lloyd was somewhat tempted, but quickly gave up. "Lepond, now is not the time for you to go. Your troops are simply not capable of fighting on the muddy riverbanks, and besides, there aren't enough boats; even crossing the river will be a problem."
Lepond's guard was unique; it was a Heavy Infantry unit that normally wore rattan armor woven from Ironvine. Before a formal battle, Auxiliary Troops would help them put on specially made lamellar armor. The two layers of armor made them impervious to swords and spears, but also made it difficult for them to fight in muddy environments.
Lepond shook his head. "Sir, we have just changed our equipment. The premium chainmail from the Golden Sunflower Territory is lighter and provides better protection than our original lamellar armor. I think we can give it a try."
However, Count Lloyd still did not budge. Lepond's troops were his trump card, not expendable resources. Even if they could fight on the riverbank, they would suffer heavy losses, and he could not afford such losses.
"Lepond, stop talking. I won't let you go. Even if it's just adding fuel to the fire, we'll still win. Send someone to inform the Cavalry to go."
Count Lloyd's words surprised Lepond, as noble territories like the Ironvine Territory, which lacked Cavalry forces, were very cautious in using Cavalry units.
Generally, the cavalry is used to deliver the decisive blow after gaining an advantage. Directly charging an infantry phalanx with Cavalry would be a luxury for them.
"Count lord, the enemy forces outnumber us, and the riverbank is not suitable for Cavalry maneuvering. Perhaps you should reconsider?"
"There's no need. The riverbank is indeed not suitable for Cavalry to launch an attack, but it's just as effective against the other side. At worst, both sides can exchange pieces. Anyway, it's good to wear down the enemy 'Cavalry."
Moreover, based on my observation, it's likely that our troops will emerge victorious in a battle between the two Cavalry.
Lepond was somewhat surprised by Count Lloyd's judgment, but since the Count had made up his mind, he would naturally carry out the order.
Soon, the Ironvine Territory Cavalry, which had already been mobilized to the vicinity of the battlefield, began to enter the battlefield after receiving the Count's order.
Dirac's Cavalry also noticed the situation and began to adjust their course and conserve horsepower.
The two sides had roughly equal troop strength and began to move slowly under the orders of their respective commanders.
The moment the Ironvine Territory Cavalry officially entered the battlefield, the entire battlefield lit up—literally.
Count Lloyd's order was for this Cavalry unit to attack from east to west. It was only eight o'clock in the morning, and the winter Sun was just beginning to appear on the horizon. When Dirac led his troops toward the Ironvine Territory Cavalry, he discovered that they were facing the Sun directly, while the Ironvine Territory Cavalry were advancing with their backs to the sun.
By this time, it was too late for Dirac to adjust his course. The two sides were only a little over a kilometer apart, and the Ironvine Territory Cavalry had already begun their charge.
Dirac could only grit his teeth and order his troops to accelerate their charge into the sunlight.
During the charge, many Cavalry of the Sixth Legion had to cover their horses' eyes to prevent them from being exposed to direct sunlight, which directly affected the speed of the entire column.
Losing speed means losing impact.
After the two Cavalry clashed, Ironvine Territory's Cavalry was reduced to half its original strength, while the Sixth Legion's Cavalry was reduced to only a quarter. Dirac abandoned the fight and fled towards Gaba with the remaining troops.