"Well done!"
Little Knife watched in delight as a single blast from the Crouching Tiger Cannon sent fifty large lead balls hurtling out, knocking down a barricade and several crossbowmen fleeing behind it and clearing the passage.
The players had paid a heavy price trying to seize the gate quickly. They had tried going around, but the spiral staircase leading upstairs was truly difficult to assault.
The knights in plate armor guarding the stairs carried shields in their left hands and flails in their right. Whenever anyone charged up, they only had to swing their flails to beat the attackers into the dirt.
Even veteran players could not withstand those simple, crushing downward blows.
The clockwise spiral staircase gave the guards above an overwhelming advantage.
As an attacker, you not only had to look up to attack, but the wall also obstructed your dominant hand, making it difficult to swing your weapon.
The defender, meanwhile, had half his body sheltered by the wall. His right hand was entirely unobstructed, and he also had the advantage of higher ground.
Moreover, the stone steps had deliberately been made uneven in height. Aside from the local guards familiar with the staircase, attackers could easily catch their feet on a higher step as they climbed.
They stumbled and bumped their way up, struggled to swing their weapons with their dominant hands, and could not even use their flintlocks in the extremely narrow stairwell.
Under these conditions, Little Knife realized he really had no way of reaching the second floor quickly.
With no other choice, he turned around and led his men back to launch another frontal assault on the gate area.
Little Knife had the players make smoke bombs using the chili, cumin, and turmeric powder they carried, along with flammable materials found inside