Ludwig

Biodata

Background / History

Ludwig is a nobleman trained in traditional knighthood. Before the fighting in Aragon, he had seen Morin at aristocratic gatherings and knew him as a down-on-his-luck playboy 38 40 49.

During the battle outside Seville, Ludwig holds his Teutonic Armored Knights in reserve while Saxon infantry suffers losses. He expects the Britannians to send elite reinforcements to save the Northumberland Fusiliers; when four Order of the Garter Armored Knights arrive, he springs the ambush. He fires on their leader rather than answering a formal challenge, then destroys a damaged Garter Knight in close combat by crushing its cockpit with a mace 35 36.

High Instructor Eldridge halts the Teutonic advance by turning the ground beneath its machines into a mire. Morin organizes concentrated rifle fire that forces Eldridge to abandon the spell, and Saxon troops help pull the trapped Knights free. Ludwig subsequently salutes Morin and praises his judgment 37 38.

Ludwig enters Seville with the Teutonic Order and warns that the enemy’s orderly withdrawal may precede a counterattack 39 40. When Morin seeks a way to defend the city against Armored Knights, Ludwig explains why conventional shells and incendiaries are poor answers. Despite doubting Morin’s proposed alternative, he secures artillery supplies and personnel for an improvised weapons test. Ludwig tests the resulting shaped-charge device with his own Knight and discovers that it penetrates a captured Garter armor plate 44 45 48 49.

Appearance

Ludwig is described as handsome and notably well-groomed, even while helping repair his machine 38 44.

• His face is smudged with oil when he emerges from his Knight after the battle 38.
• While working with a wrench, he keeps the visible grease confined to his gloves 44.

Personality

Ludwig is patient in planning and ruthless once he commits: he lets the infantry battle draw out more valuable targets, opens fire during an opponent’s ceremonial challenge, and presses the attack against retreating Knights 35 36 37. He is also talkative and curious about the contrast between the Morin he knew at noble gatherings and the officer he sees in battle 40.

His view of warfare is shaped by noble and knightly traditions, but he can revise his judgment. He sets aside his earlier disdain for Morin, backs an experiment he finds implausible, and reacts to its success with admiration and unease 38 45 49.

Abilities & Skills

Armored Knight combat

Ludwig pilots a Teutonic Order Armored Knight in ranged and close-quarters fighting 35 36.

• Uses its handheld cannon to begin an ambush against the Order of the Garter 36.
• Exploits damage inflicted by other Teutonic Knights to deliver a killing mace strike to an enemy cockpit 36.

Tactics and command

• Anticipates that the Britannians will reinforce a threatened battalion and waits to engage the higher-value force 35.
• Assesses the enemy’s withdrawal from Seville as a likely tactical pullback rather than a final defeat 39 40.
• Uses his Teutonic Order standing to obtain shells, casings, and veteran artillerymen for Morin’s weapons project 45.

Armored Knight expertise

• Explains the Garter Knights’ enchanted frontal armor, thinner rear armor, ability to evade incoming shells, and resistance to incendiaries 45.
• Helps maintain his Knight and personally tests Morin’s close-range shaped-charge weapon 44 48.

Equipment

• Siegfried Type 1 Armored Knight — Ludwig’s machine, identified during the shaped-charge test 48.
• Handheld cannon and armor-breaking mace — weapons he uses against Garter Armored Knights 36.
• Binoculars — used to watch the battle and later to observe the approaches to Seville 35 40.

Relationships

• Morin — an acquaintance from noble gatherings whom Ludwig comes to respect as a soldier. He supports Morin’s anti-armor experiment despite serious doubts 38 40 45 49.
• William — a fellow Teutonic Armored Knight pilot. William urges an earlier intervention but follows Ludwig’s plan to wait for Britannian reinforcements 35.
• Major Thomas — a fellow officer in the Seville operation; both support Morin’s resolution of a confrontation between Saxon soldiers and their allies 39 41.

Notable Quotes

“If we want to pull off this ‘hunt,’ patience is our best weapon.” 35

“I’ll take that bet! Tell me what you need. If I can get it, it’s yours!” 45