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3 Important Things to Know About Fantasy Army Campaigns
Sunfire
CONTENTS
The Premise
Many consumers of the fantasy genre only see the most exciting parts of war such as grand battles or an eventful showdown between the protagonist and villain. What they don’t realize is that they’re parts of a larger picture that they usually don’t see. They are planned steps in what’s known as the fantasy army campaigns.
Army campaigns aren’t necessarily sexy or glamorous which is why not a whole lot of attention is devoted to them in the stories they appear in. Nevertheless, they are an integral part of war for they enable those involved to evaluate the current state of the war and the options they have available to them at that moment in time.
Fantasy army campaigns are a protracted affair, depending on the goals of the opposing sides in the war. Some last for months, others years. Knowing how they function is key in crafting one that fits the story and makes it easy for your audience to understand what’s going on.
The campaigns the army sets out to execute are the final product of strategizing. A bevy of options are explored in the strategizing process and they all dictate how a campaign being planned out will look in the end. There’s a lot that goes here that not a whole lot of people notice.
One key component of making fantasy army campaigns that work is using the right type of units. Each one has its own set of objectives and it is best to use the units that will be the most helpful in attaining these objectives. Not every campaign will see the use of every type of unit at the military’s disposal.
This is article number fourteen in the series diving into the various aspects of the fantasy military. If you like this article and want to see what else we have, you can find a treasure trove of articles on our blog page!
Exploring the Basics of Fantasy Army Campaigns
When creating a campaign, understanding how it works and what goes into making one is key to crafting one that has a realistic chance of achieving its goals. All military campaigns have goals and objectives and they heavily influence what type of campaigns the army develops and implements.
The most basic fantasy army campaigns include taking over enemy lands or strongholds. This could be a whole country or parts of it, the ones that are the most desirable for the invading force. The desirable parts could have strategic resources like mines or be major food sources for the kingdom.
When working on a campaign, army leaders dispatch reconnaissance soldiers to survey all points of interest. Major infrastructure like roads, cities, and fortresses are evaluated to assess how much of a threat they pose to the army as well as the ease of which it would be to successfully win control of them. The agents gather information such as the number of enemy forces and so on that helps the leaders shape a campaign they believe will yield them success.
Think of a campaign like a roadmap. After gathering all relevant information, the army pilots a series of movements, beginning in one place and ending in another, the one that will officially mark the end of said campaign. As to how it ultimately turns out, only time will tell if the army wins or the campaign ends in dismal failure.
Fantasy army campaigns last for a long period of time. Most standard campaigns take months though some can go on for years. A number of factors influence their duration like weather, seasons, supply line shortages, and so on. Even the most well-thought out campaigns will experience setbacks such as vicious thunderstorms or snowstorms and these setbacks will require the army to make some adjustments.
Fantasy Army Campaigns and Strategizing
A military campaign doesn’t just materialize out of nowhere. Rather, it’s the product of an extensive amount of gathering information and then compiling said info to create a comprehensive strategy that will give the military the desired results. And it starts with the most basic of steps: getting the information.
In terms of fantasy army campaigns, the first step entails dispatching reconnaissance agents and spies across all potential areas of interest such as cities, military bases, and the ilk. The agents look at the terrain around these areas, document how heavy the enemy presence is, what type of troops are stationed, the military equipment in use, and so on. Spies tap into their network and converse with the locals in gathering spots like inns and taverns to obtain info useful for the army.
After receiving all the pertinent information from their spies and recon agents, the leadership pores through all of it during several meetings. In these meetings, they break it down and consider what options they have as well as the places they plan to attack. For lightly guarded targets, they choose not to deploy a lot of resources in taking them, choosing instead to use them for heavily guarded areas like castles.
In these meetings, the brass also consults with weather experts or those skilled in predicting it. The various elements of weather that is expected to be in the areas the army plans to strike will dictate how they attack or whether to move them up forward or delay them. This can have a cascading effect on the overall campaign, for better or worse.
During meetings of strategy regarding fantasy army campaigns, the leadership does a deep dive into all major targets, especially complicated ones like cities that have plenty of streets and many areas in which the enemy can hit them. They determine the best route for the army to take and will usually settle on a force meant to distract those guarding the area so that a covert force can sneak through and attempt to seize all buildings that control it.
Using the Right Type of Units in Fantasy Army Campaigns
Military campaigns are won using units perfect for them. There’s a lot of considerations that go into finding the right units and each campaign might see different kinds fielded. Thus, the leadership looks at what they have at their disposal and how they might best be put to use whether it be for battle, supplying, or reconnaissance.
When formulating a campaign, military planners don’t just look at the landscape, they also take into factor the obstacles the army will face. These obstacles will play a key role in shaping the type of units they’ll field. Obstacles such as rivers, mountains, blockades, and so on means they’ll dispatch units that can best deal with them.
The info the leadership gets from their recon agents and spies gives them an idea of what sort of enemy forces they expect to face. They’ll put in units that are best equipped to deal with them. For instance, for enemy soldiers, they might put in bowmen or cannons to hit them from afar or for enemy ships, they’ll put in soldiers and spies trained in the art of sabotage to either steal or destroy them outright.
The best fantasy army campaigns rely on a mixture of different units. A full army might consist of archers, swordsmen, cavalry, and others. Each one of them brings something to the table that the others don’t and their unique strengths enable them to deal with all sorts of obstacles with relative ease. They all must work in tandem to achieve success.
One driving factor in selecting the right kind of units is how quickly they can attain their objectives. Campaigns are slated to take up quite a bit of time and if there’s anything that can shorten it, the leadership will take it. That means if they need to pull their best soldiers from other armies without affecting their campaigns, they won’t hesitate for one moment.
Tying it all Together
Fantasy army campaigns are no walk in the park. They take a long time to complete and that’s if there’s no setbacks! Seasoned veterans anticipate the army to experience one or more setbacks and factor that into the planning of a new campaign.
Extensive information gathering kickstarts the process of putting together a campaign. The military leadership needs to learn as much about the area they’re planning to conquer so that they walk in clear-eyed and not be caught off guard by something they had no idea about. After they’ve gathered all the info they need, they start the process of creating one.
A lot of strategizing goes into making fantasy army campaigns. They leadership uses the info they gathered about the area to determine what areas are ripe for a takeover and which ones to avoid. They also focus on where the enemy is holding his forces and consider how best to respond.
Having the right type of units can make or break a campaign. That’s why successful ones feature a mixture of different units since they all can use their unique talents to deal with anything that heads their way. Only by collaborating can they successfully accomplish their mission and win the campaign and perhaps the war.
Fantasy army campaigns can generate a plethora of storytelling options for those whose stories have war as a main plot-line. Their audience can learn a lot about the characters involved, the different sides fighting, how people in different positions within the military interact with each other, and so on.
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Thanks for reading this and until the next time,
Sunfire
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