Starting in late July, Arda held several military exercises in succession. After all, in the war that was about to break out, they would no longer be facing a third-rate Pirate Crew, but the military forces of nobles from another territory, so they had to adapt in advance.
To allow the troops to be used flexibly on the battlefield, the Staff Department began experimenting with Linear Tactics at Paul's suggestion. Specifically, each Infantry Battalion formed a single horizontal line, with each Spearman Company arranged six ranks deep in a single line, each company responsible for two ranks. The musketeer companies were deployed separately in three horizontal ranks, with each platoon responsible for one rank.
Compared with the Phalanx Tactics currently in vogue, the front of the Arda Army was wider, while its depth was shallower. The broad frontage could create a partial encirclement. As the number of equipped muskets continued to increase, it would become increasingly effective against densely packed phalanxes, allowing them to pour a massive amount of firepower into the enemy in a very short time.
Compared with the large battle formations common in this world, such as the Ten Thousand Man Squad and Thousand Man Squad, smaller unit groupings like companies and platoons gave lower-ranking commanders more opportunities to exercise their initiative. Of course, this required a large number of qualified junior and mid-ranking officers. Paul was certain that no other power in this world valued the training of junior and mid-ranking officers as much as he did. To cultivate qualified commissioned and noncommissioned officers, he had even established a military academy. The low-ranking officers in most nations' armies knew little more than the common soldiers under their command.
Given the Smoothbore Gun's terrible accuracy, the musketeers were forbidden to fire at will before receiving an officer's