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When war breaks out between two countries, the army bears the brunt of the fighting, considering most of the action takes place on land. For civilizations that have access to flight, the skies becomes another front and they have the power to fundamentally shift the odds of victory in their favor. This article explores how the fantasy airforce and war go hand-in-hand to create a riveting storyline.
War on land quickly becomes a protracted affair. Armies move slowly on land and have to contend with maintaining supply lines, storming enemy strongholds, and so on. When it comes to the wild blue yonder, it is anything but. Wars are quickly won by the side who has full control of the skies which is why it becomes the first goal of both sides when the fighting begins.
One of the most important parts of the fantasy airforce and war is the pilots’ relationship with the objects they ride. Regardless of if it’s a dragon or jet plane, pilots develop and cultivate that relationship and it will pay dividends off down the road. They become attuned to them, forming a deep platonic bond that knows no bounds.
There are several key types of missions the airforce undertakes in times of war. One of which is the classic bombardment which is self-explanatory. Other kinds include dogfighting with enemy forces, escorting invaluable resources like a bomber, and so on. These missions go a long way in the airforce’s bid to gain aerial supremacy over its opponent.
How does the fantasy airforce and war make for compelling drama? Is it due to how the audience gets an intimate look at the pilots as they carry out dangerous missions. Is is because it all occurs way up in the skies where the potential for a crash is ever present and sits in the back of the mind of all those in the air?
This is the thirteenth article in the fantasy military series. For more, take a look at our many others on our blog page! You shouldn’t have trouble finding one that catches your eye!
You’ve seen it in television shows, movies, video games, and other forms of media that pilots speak with the things they ride as if they’re a member of the family. They speak to them with affection and they want to get through another mission with them unscathed. This is a powerful relationship that serves both sides well.
When starting out, the pilot is just learning to get used to his plane or dragon. He has to get a feel for it so that he can begin to understand it and begin forging a relationship with it. This is why the first several missions he takes are more on the calmer side of things. That, plus he still needs to gain experience before he can move on up to the more dangerous stuff.
As the pilot spends more time with his steed, he begins to gain invaluable insight into how it works. He starts talking to it as if it’s a loved one and he will not let anyone else work on it, let alone ride it. It is only for him to ride and it won’t let anyone else ride it. This growing relationship will bode well down the road for the fantasy airforce and war.
After spending plenty of time with his steed, the relationship will get to the point where whenever it sustains an injury, the pilot himself feels the pain. This is because he’s so in tune with it that whatever it feels, he experiences the same feeling as well. Conversely, he’ll push to make it better and stronger so that he’ll be riding a force of nature.
For the fantasy airforce and war, the higher ups save the most dangerous missions for the pilots who have successfully navigated a series of grueling missions and developed a superb relationship with their flying steeds. These missions require the utmost precision and excellent navigating skills which can only be gained through experience. In short, they’re handed out only to the top pilots in the airforce.
Wars aren’t fought by standing around. That’s why when war breaks out, the airforce’s first goal is to seize and secure control of the skies. Having full control enables it to carry out missions without fear of having to contend with enemy forces in the air and also helps bring the war on land to a faster end.
To achieve complete victory, the airforce carries out a variety of missions, all of which are designed to help it advance its goals. Whenever people think of the fantasy airforce and war, one mission that comes to mind is the bombardment. A fleet of bombers or dragons rain fire and destruction upon a target such as an enemy army, city, strategic fortress, or something else, leaving nothing but smoking char. Destroying the target cripples the enemy and psychologically saps its morale.
The classic dogfight is a popular choice. It occurs when two opposing sides come face-to-face in a battle to the death high up in the skies. Only those who possess quick thinking and response time will emerge the victor as both sides attempt to outmaneuver each other doing a litany of moves until the perfect chance to take the other out emerges.
Another type of mission that appears in the fantasy airforce and war is that of the escort. Usually several vessels or fleets provide protection for something valuable like the top military leaders or a powerful bomber that can lay siege to an entire city by itself as it travels from one place to another. Such high-profile targets are likely to draw attention so the escorts are meant to safeguard them so that they don’t go down in flames.
Sometimes sending in an advance force to pave the way for the main force can pay dividends. Here, the force moves in to either neutralize potential threats to the main force like anti-aircraft units, enemy craft, and so on or soften up the target like a major fortress by hitting some of its vulnerable points. It can arrive hours before the main force appears or it can move in, do its work, and then depart and the target is left wide open to be blasted into smithereens.
War in the skies isn’t just another front between two opposing factions, it’s also a high-stakes match. Across different media, you see the protagonist face off against the villain in a cinematic battle high up in the skies which only amplifies the tension in the atmosphere. This is a powerful form of storytelling.
What is it about the fantasy airforce and war that just makes it so compelling story wise? Is it because both sides are merely playing their role in the eternal conflict between good and evil or is it something else? Something such as seeing your favorite (and despised) characters slug it out way up in the air?
Fighting in the skies is a wholly different beast than on the seas and land. The potential for a crash is ever present and all combatants have to continually scan their surroundings, for just one second can spell the difference between life and death. The possibility of making a fatal mistake never goes away, making each second in the skies rife with tension.
The most intimate moments of the fantasy airforce and war occur between the pilots of each side, like the protagonist and villain. They each have their own goals and the latter has no compunction about doing whatever it takes to win, resorting to dirty tricks to help him. The audience fears for the protagonist’s life as the villain deploys trick after trick to prevail and cheers when he successfully navigates his way though them.
One of the most impressive sights, and a great part of storytelling, is showing the epic nature of the battle in the skies. People can’t help but be mesmerized by the sight of two opposing forces clashing for aerial supremacy whether they be dragons or planes. They watch or read with great anticipation to see how it ends.
Waging a way in the skies comes with many risks, one of which is the possibility of a crash. It’s a whole another battlefield, one that demands nothing but full concentration for all those involved. Securing control of the skies is the airforce’s number one priority and whichever side accomplishes it first is more likely to win the war.
The pilot’s relationship with his ride is an important aspect of the fantasy airforce and war. It’ll help him survive all the missions he undertakes and he’ll come to consider it part of his family. He suffers whenever it sustains an injury and will not let anyone else fix it, only he can do it himself.
The airforce carries out a variety of missions in its campaign to gain full control of the skies. Clearing out enemy forces is a common one. But so is bombarding hostile targets, providing escorts, and other types.
The reason why this makes for great storytelling is that it is high-stakes from start to end. Both sides bitterly clash in the heavens which only makes it all the more epic. The battle between the protagonist and the villain in the skies is as intimate as it gets, for they each represent one side in the eternal conflict between good and evil.
Not ever world has a fantasy airforce and war but if your does, bringing it into your story is a great way to showcase a different element of your world. It enriches it and makes it feel more realistic to your audience.
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Sunfire
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