Some of the Elf Arcane Mages also noticed that the Orc Infantry had countered their Blizzard spells, and switched to Rain of Fire. Huge fireballs fell from the sky and smashed against the Orcs' heavy shields, bursting into countless sparks. Despite the spells' searing burn effects, they could only scorch the shields held overhead and could do nothing to the Orcs themselves.
"Rangers, prepare Concussive Shot! Target every other shield in the front rank! The rest of you, prepare Arcane Shot and fire through the gaps when they appear! Arcane Mages, please maintain Rain of Fire!" the Rangers' acting combat commander ordered calmly.
This heavy-shield tactic, like an iron turtle shell, was not without weaknesses. It was certainly formidable as a stationary defense, but it was far less effective on the attack.
Once the formation moved, every soldier within it had to keep in step, or gaps would easily appear. Against the precise archery of Elf Rangers, that requirement became even more exacting.
Humans and High Elves were allies, and over their long association, the High Elves had studied the strengths and weaknesses of this formation, which originated with human heavy infantry. If human heavy infantry used this all-around shield fortress against Orcs, the outcome would be even worse.
In the previous war, the Allied Army had suffered grievously from using this formation and ended in utter defeat. Under the protection of Orc warriors, the Orc Warlocks had summoned Infernals straight into the Allied Army's heavy-infantry formations.
The mere arrival of the Infernals had swiftly turned the entire battle. Not a single human Shield Infantry soldier could withstand the force of an Infernal falling from the distant void like a meteor.
The arrival of just one Infernal could completely destroy a heavy-shield formation's iron shield fortress, leaving more than half