Magical Tactics of High Rock

by Ademar de Sarne, Royal Battlemage of Camlorn, 4E 202

The Bretons of High Rock were rarely seen as a strong force invading other nations throughout history, but that doesn't mean their art of war is poor. Over centuries, Bretons cultivated their battle tactics to a very effective standard. The reason why there wasn't any Empire out of High Rock yet is that Bretons use their considerable battle prowess mostly against each other, or an occasional Orc raid.

As every nation, Bretons utilize their natural talents and their familiar environment. The bulk of their armies consists of levied peasants, yes, but what drives a proper Breton army is a unit of battlemages. Tacticians have learned many creative ways how to use magic on the battlefield - and using crude Destruction is by far not the only one.

A clever mage in command utilizes all schools of magic, having specialists of all of them in his unit. The key school is Conjuration, which Bretons are known to have exceptional talent for. It provides an "expendable first line". Conjurers summon various daedra on the battlefield, ranging from scamps to dremora (depending on the individual skill), which are ordered to man the first line of the army. The reasons to do this are simple - the most damage on any battlefield, done by archers and cavalry, happens in the first line. Mages are, to put it simply, saving lives of their footsoldiers by replacing their positions with daedra.

Expendable first line is not the only use of Conjuration. The more skilled Conjurers summon high ranking daedra able to cast their own magic and send them on reconnaissance missions. Flying daedra, such as Winged Twilights are often seen getting information on enemy troops from a distance. A daedric minion capable of illusion can sneak into enemy camps and poison supplies, assassinate generals or gather information as well. Better to use them, than a trained battlemage whose life is priceless.

If a lord is able to afford more skilled Conjurers, actions such as "Prince's charge" are performed. Large daedra, mostly Xivilai or Daedroths are sent in place of cavalry to break enemy lines with brute force.

Very important is also Alteration. Mages often place wards above their fellow soldiers to protect them from arrows or enemy magefire. Sometimes, wards are placed in front of the army as a defence against incoming cavalry. A memorable technique is "Basket of savages", which was first used by a unit of battlemages against an Orcish raid. Mages let the Orcs charge, while encircling them. If they were regular soldiers, the Orcs would easily break the encirclement, but battlemages erected magical walls to hold them in until reinforcements arrived. This technique is, however, ineffective against units with mages of their own, since wards like this are easy to dispel.

Mysticism does not require many specialists in the unit, but it is paramount to have at least some. Mystics can detect enemy forces, send Dreamsleeve messages to distant units, teleport important people or cargo, use telekinesis to move objects across a battlefield or dispel enemy magic.

Mysticism and Illusion are both not very popular schools of magic in High Rock. They require fine-tuning the spells, knowledge of all nuances connected to manipulating the flow of magic and the intricate workings of mind. Bretons prefer simpler spells. Mystics are not numerous in the units, but are very much needed. Illusionists are rare.

Destruction also plays a role, especially during a siege. Attackers try to blow city gates up, while defenders rain magefire on camped enemies. A common tactic of defenders during a siege is summoning daedra at night to disrupt camps and destroy siege machines. The next day, with magicka reserves full, Conjurers can repeat the process. That's why siege machines are not as popular in High Rock. Destruction mages do the work of trebuchets themselves, while brave (and often stupid) Alteration specialists levitate over the walls to secure the gate (a Dispel or a Silence of an enemy Mystic can end such attempt very quickly). Mystics can also hijack incoming deliveries of supplies via teleportation into the city. A general usually makes sure to bring more of them along when planning to start a siege. In rare cases, attacking soldiers can also be teleported into the city (but it is easy to disrupt by defending Mystics).

Restoration mages are useless in the thick of battle. Restoration requires a lot of time and precision and a rushed spell can even do harm. Healers tend to the wounded in camps and field hospitals and do not participate in battles. However, high ranking officers of a military unit usually do have personal healers present. Common soldiers rarely get the care during a battle. However, every battlemage should have at least rudimentary knowledge of Restoration and an ability to save their own lives when wounded (being healed completely requires a specialist).

Battlemages are not the only magic users in a Breton military unit. Most educated Bretons have knowledge of magic, especially the nobles and the knights. Many knightly orders teach basics of Restoration, Alteration and Destruction to their members. A heavy-armoured Breton knight is a force to be reckoned with. Using Feather, always light on feet, keeping himself alive and protected, blasting fleeing enemies with magefire. Perfect commanders to rally and inspire common footsoldiers. Knights, as magic users, have therefore an important role in the tactics, they are the ones to count on.

Magic users make up a significant fraction of Breton armies, way larger than in other human forces, rivaling even a few elven nations. However, mundane infantrymen, archers and cavalrymen still form the majority. Breton commanders have to be knowledgable in the non-magical tactics as well. That makes Breton armies so versatile - not relying on magic, but knowing how to effectively use it.