Cavalrymen clad in heavy armor and wielding long spears could not fight against cavalry skilled in mounted archery. This was especially obvious on an open plain.
Gu Shenwei had once led troops to scatter several thousand Northern Court cavalrymen. Dugu Xian scoffed at the tale. "I've heard about it. In truth, it was nothing but the Dragon King's good luck. First, Dudun's army was arrogant and careless enough to charge head-on, using short weapons against long ones. Their defeat and flight were only to be expected. Second, the Dragon King had ten thousand troops, several times the enemy's number, yet captured only a few prisoners. Strictly speaking, that could hardly be called a victory. If Dudun had been a little bolder and rallied his troops to attack again, keeping his distance, the Dragon King would still have been in grave danger."
After dismissing the Dragon King's "victory" as worthless, Dugu Xian began to explain the army's strengths. "Thanks to Dudun's blunder, the Dragon King now has an army that dares to fight. That's a quality no amount of training over the years could forge. As the Dragon King has seen, once the long-spear cavalry close in, they're invincible. Northern Court cavalry have a habit of chasing the weak and fleeing from the strong. If we can catch them off guard..."
On the level grasslands, catching the enemy off guard was all but impossible. Gu Shenwei pondered for a long time. It was almost dawn by the time he chose one of Dugu Xian's plans. "The wind's picking up. If it raises enough dust, that could make good cover."
"Mm. Don't rely too much on the weather. It can blind the enemy, but it can also scatter your own troops. You'll never understand how an army marching shoulder to shoulder can