The brothers Rurik and Arik divided the army into two, and Rurik, who commanded the main force, was already arranging his troops.
The Ross army on the grassland quickly formed a wide formation of about 200 meters with a slightly concave arc.
All the crossbowmen, they stand in the first row of the array.
The rest, such as the Rus and Novgorods, carried their own weapons and formed a formation with only three rows and a relatively thin distance between people.
Only Rurik himself was guarded by a small group of elite trusted mercenaries. The position where he sat had the highest concentration of soldiers.
As for the specific layout of the formation, the Russian warriors were mainly placed on both wings of the formation, with the Novgorodians holding spears in the middle.
There are a large number of spears with blue and white tassels standing in the middle army. Can the momentum bring spiritual shock to the enemy?
However, the elite strength of this formation is mainly concentrated on the two wings.
The Russian warriors, their axes and swords kept rubbing against their shields, stared unruly at the forest not far away.
Most of the soldiers in Novgorod are farmers from the White Tree Manor, and the flag captain Medvedben is also the successor of the manor owner.
The Slavic peasant soldiers ushered in their first battle, and it was also their first time against another group of Varyags. Fighting side by side with the Roswarangs, do the brothers have enough courage?
Medevit noticed that among his men, many young warriors' legs were shaking, and there was even strange water flowing out of their crotches.
He pinched a very young warrior hard and encouraged: "Child, don't be afraid, you will be as brave as the Russians. Think about what rewards the Russians will give you if you defeat the enemy."
The soldier stared forward and bravely grabbed the three-meter-long spear.
Their spears are all made of blackened chromium iron, which is extremely hard and will never curl when stabbed or struck!
The swords and axes of the Ross warriors are both made of carbon steel. After being quenched, it is impossible for the curled blade to bend. For them, there is no need for any training. Each of these most elite Russian warriors is a hero in the melee. Everyone knows their mission, and then only needs Lord Rurik to issue the combat order.
However, the Slavs are different. Medvit, Rurik’s destined brother-in-law, is now wearing a Russian iron helmet that covers half of his face, and is dressed like a Russian warrior. Holding a steel sword in his hand, he lectured in ancient Slavonic in front of the battle.
After all, they were inspiring words, and Rurik didn’t seem to interrupt at all. He stood at the core of the array, riding on the shoulders of a strong mercenary warrior, looking at the movement in the woods.
The mercenary was a little impatient: "Sir, we have been standing here for a long time. Brothers are eager to kill the enemy, do you want to continue to wait and see?"
"Are you tired? "
"No, sir. I just want to chop off the enemy's head."
Rurik is not interested in this flattery, he noted.By the time the traces of Arik and the three-hundred-man roundabout force had completely disappeared, we finally made up our minds.
"Now, put me down!"
The time has come!
Rurik suddenly rushed to the front of the formation. He drew his sword and roared at his men: "Shout! Knock the shield as hard as you can! Keep shouting!"
He shouted the same order in Norse, Old Slavic, and Old Finnish, and everyone who received the order roared in challenge.
More than seven hundred men shouted at the top of their lungs, and the crisp sound from beating shields intensified the sound.
Many sounds mixed together, it completely suppressed the sound of the wind, and by the time it reached the woods, it had turned into a terrifying rumble.
What's rumbling? !
The Gotland Army in Siegfast just wanted to have a good rest. They had just woken up en masse and quickly resumed the burning of the almost extinguished bonfire. A large number of cut pine branches were thrown into the fire. There was very thick smoke and dust.
They were busy heating up the cold dried meat, or munching wheat cakes made from leftover grains.
They never noticed the appearance of the army. When the rumble came, everything became clear.
Some Gotland warriors determined the direction from which the terrifying sound came. They ran frantically to the edge of the forest, and were shocked to see that the entire army was actually lined up. Look at this array, it's really a huge army!
They panicked and ran back to the camp in the forest, rolling and crawling in front of the commander Sigfast.
"Chief! It's the Russians! The main force of the Russians is here, and they are roaring."
"Sure enough, it's really them?! It turns out that they are the ones who are shouting. Let me It's a bit out of control."
Sigfast was indeed startled by the roar at first. His subordinates reported that it was the Russians who were attacking, but his attitude changed in a second.
He arranged his clothes and put on his helmet urgently.
He called his warrior Grund and all the Danish mercenaries, and this group of the most elite mercenary warriors was assembled one after another.
"Grund, we are indeed lucky. I successfully encountered the main force of the Ross army. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I will lead you to defeat them! I want to become the hero of Visby! "
Grund put on a shocked face! His shock was twofold. Firstly, the old Danish mercenary had just seen the huge Russian army formation with his own eyes and instinctively judged that this was a powerful enemy. Secondly, he was also shocked by Sigfast's blind credibility.
"Sir, don't you think we can really defeat them easily?"
"Isn't it true? We defeated them once, and now we can defeat them a second time." Gfast still spoke with a smile, and his confidence drove Grund crazy.
"You... better go and see for yourself! If you are stupid enough to join the army, everyone will die!"
"You saidWhat? ! "Sigfast suddenly burst into anger: "Do you want us to lose? "
"No, I hope you recognize the reality. I really don't know who gave you the surge, was it Odin? "
"It's Frey! "Sigfast pushed Grund away and called out to other warriors: "Gotland warriors, the main force of the Russians has appeared! Now follow me to kill them and avenge the dead! ”
People with strong hatred have unparalleled brute force! Of course, it is only brute force.
The Russian army is ravaging the pastures in the center of the island, and the herdsmen cannot graze. , then the wool and leather industries that maintain Gotland's economy will wither, and everyone will have a hard time.
The appearance of the Ross army will cut off the livelihood of all islanders, not to mention many soldiers! There are indeed relatives who have been killed by the Russians in the past few years.
Grund looked at the back of a group of islanders who were not afraid of death and rushed to the battlefield and sarcastically said, "The courage Frey gave you? It gives you the courage to lower your body! "
His Danish mercenaries laughed.
"Hey, what are you idiots laughing at? ! "
"Brother, our sponsor did find a bunch of women and gave birth to a bunch of illegitimate children. He is indeed loved by Frey, hahaha! "
Grund forced a smile, then pulled out his sword and put on a dull face: "Frey, the protector of fertility, also blesses the merchants, but the warrior must respect Odin. Let's go! Brothers, we fight under the sun, and this battlefield may be our destination. It would be great if a raven showed up. "
The Danish mercenaries gathered together and quickly unified their attitude. In this battle, they decided to fight smartly and obey the command of the boss Grund.
What if Gotland If the army can fight with a favorable wind, the brothers will fight to the death. If they cannot retreat, they will fight to the last man.
They walked out of the forest carrying their own weapons and equipment.
Nearly all of them were wearing armor, and the wooden shields they carried were colorfully painted.
When I saw them officially. The Russian troops were lined up, and in that moment Sigfast almost lost all his confidence.
“Damn it, why are there so many roaring Russians? Although there are not three thousand people, this is still too many! "He gritted his teeth, and it was difficult to issue combat orders before the Danish mercenaries entered the queue.
Now the two armies can finally look at each other, and Rurik stands alone at the front of the Ross army. He pinched his waist and pouted, and couldn't help but shake his head, "Is this your main force? A ragtag bunch. ”
Indeed, when you look at the Ross Army, it is really a blue and white ocean.
The best of the elite of the Ross Army were dispatched in this battle, and the soldiers were almost all equipped with one weapon. Uniform uniforms
The Russian army essentially has a standard military uniform, which is very strong.With the visual impact, every Gotland warrior began to doubt themselves.
The Gotland warriors paid attention to the attitude of their leader Sigfast. Many of them had the idea of retreating, and they all saw the leader holding his sword high.
"Shield wall! Now!"
No way, he is a prince, and if he wins the war, he himself will be the king. He intended to fight, and the brothers could only use their existing forces to fight a "decisive battle" with unequal forces against the main force of Ross.
Yes, Sigfast and his men have naturally regarded the Russian army in a wide formation as the main force. All the Russians who have landed on the island are here. Defeat them and the whole island is safe.
The warriors gathered, shields stacked on top of each other.
The most elite Danish mercenaries stood in the first row. Each of them wore chainmail and had a black raven painted on their shields. Compared with the others, the Danish mercenaries were in the same shape. Unified by the shield pattern.
The Gotland Army barely had 400 people. About 100 of them stood in a row in four dense rows, shouting slogans rhythmically, and slowly advanced towards the Ross Army.
But Rurik still stood in front of the formation, with withered grass covering most of his body.
He stared at the approaching enemy and stretched out his right arm to warn the crossbowman not to shoot rashly.
"Calm down! Fraser, Kejas, Mechasta, stay alert! Watch my gestures!"
Rurik is waiting for the best time, in order to To highlight the power of the shooter, he decided to keep the enemy as close as possible.
However, there was a sudden whooshing sound in the sky!
It was three crossbow arrows, they were actually...
Rurik was shocked. He raised his head and saw three arrows whizzing past his head. He squatted down in the grass and witnessed the arrows. The arrow flew over the Ross army array and landed on the grass behind.
"Damn it! Arik, our crossbow was captured by them!" Rurik was angry. Important tactical weapons were taken away. The enemy must pay the price, but the tactics cannot be messed up.
Obviously the enemy does not understand the correct usage of equipment and weapons! They actually ejected at inopportune times.
Rurik still stood still, which made the Coven Metastas anxious.
A roar in Old Finnish came: "My lord, there are only a hundred steps left! Longbow..."
"Shut up! Keep waiting!" Rurik said Zhu Ya roared.
The Russian army is still standing still. As the enemy approaches, Rurik has withdrawn into the array.
Looking at the advancing Gotland army, the short archers among them began to throw arrows.
Their arrows were so weak that the Russian troops raised their wooden shields one after another, including the Novgorod soldiers holding spears. They raised their left arms and captured the oak wood from the White Sands Harbor Army. The shield is now of great use.
Gotland fired a round of arrows, which caused no real damage to the Ross army except for scratching the bodies of two unlucky men.
Neither Siegfast nor Grund knew what the Russians wanted to do. Could it be that they lined up and stood there like a forest, waiting for a close encounter?
The Gotland army is ready to fight with the enemy. The soldiers are lined up in a denser formation, and they are even shoulder to shoulder. Their hands are almost crushing the wooden handle of the axe, and those holding swords are His right hand was also shaking due to nervousness.
The well-trained Russian soldiers still stood still. Rurik himself was already covered in sweat. He was also making a gamble!
Because he is the only one who understands how terrifying a steel-armed crossbow can be at close range.
The crossbowmen with steel arms and wooden arms knelt on one knee and continued to aim, with their fingers touching the trigger.
The Kewen long archers and short wooden archers stood with as many as ten arrows stuck on the ground in front of them.
At first, Siegfast had no idea that the Russians had organized a large number of archers. The teams on both sides were only about fifty meters away. He could clearly see the "beasts" covered by withered grass.
Rurik was young, and his nervous eyes were already bloodshot.
His eyeballs were about to burst out. When he saw the fighter jet that he had been holding back for a long time, he suddenly roared, "Hjutar!"
The crossbowmen who were going crazy shot at the same time!
More than two hundred arrows were fired at the Gotland army in an instant.
The heavy oak shields of the Danish mercenaries standing at the forefront were ripped open by crossbow arrows! That's a cone-shaped crossbow designed to break armor!
The arrow clusters made of quenched carbon steel penetrated the shields, easily pierced their chainmail and leather armor, and penetrated deeply into their flesh.
This damage is not much different from a spearhead piercing the body, and the Gotland Army soldiers in the first row were not hit by an arrow!
Less than fifty meters away, the steel-armed crossbow shot at the opponent's dense formation, and Rurik succeeded in maximizing the output he hoped for.
This was a battle of willpower and organization. Obviously the Russians won from the beginning!
Half of the Danish mercenaries died in an instant. Their leader Grund did not realize what happened at all. His own helmet was directly blown off by the arrow, causing a sudden explosion on the side of his head. Big red and swollen bumps.
As many as seventy soldiers were hit by arrows on the spot, and only a few of those who were hit by arrows clenched their teeth and stood tenaciously.
The advance of the Gotlanders has been suspended, and the first row of their four-row formation has collapsed, hasn't it? !
Rurik was overjoyed, but he was not carried away.
Seeing his opponent's momentary confusion, he urgently ordered: "Archers draw swords! Swordsmen! Spearmen! Impact!"
There was no point in the second round of volleys. .
The Kewen archers began to perform their short-range rapid-fire technique, that is, holding multiple arrows in their right hands and placing the arrows on the outside of the bow. A young and powerful leader like Mechasta, whose rapid-fire skillsTechniques cannot be covered.
The once precious iron cluster arrows now have a crazier version. The Kewen people can squander it as much as they want. So when the melee troops were fighting with the enemy, only the Kewen soldiers quickly fired more than 400 arrows. An arrow.
More than eighty Gotlandic warriors were injured or killed to varying degrees. Their shields were also filled with arrow clusters, preventing the Gotlandic army from responding quickly.
Sigfast had lost all courage, and his men all remembered the horror of being killed by Ross's arrows at sea.
The morale of the Gotland Army has been shaken. They saw their commander, Prince Siegfast, and an arrow was drilled into the iron plate of the crazy iron cabinet. Many people felt that the commander's The head was shot through.
Sigfast didn't even have the intention to pull out this ridiculous arrow cluster, he really had no chance.
The fight between the two armies began. This should have been his most confident moment, but when the fight actually started, the outcome of the battle was completely unexpected.
The Russian army fought according to the plan.
Three hundred Slavic spearheads moved forward in unison. They experienced the rigorous training of "killing if they don't obey orders" on Tombstone Island, and now they are well-trained in fierce battles. . Those young Slavic warriors who were once afraid of actual combat found that fighting was so smooth and they instantly gained strong self-confidence.
Rurik was also worried that this group of Slavs would have a tendency to escape, and wanted to let elite mercenaries suppress them at the critical moment. Obviously, he was worried too much, or he thought too highly of the Gotlanders.
Rurik's current tactics are essentially a preview for the future decisive battle. Based on this battle, he also made changes on a whim.
He was particularly familiar with a regional decisive battle between the British and French armies in North America during the Seven Years' War. The British army stood in line and endured the French army's continuous fire. Ten meters away, the French army had already moved their bayonets forward, and the British army suddenly opened fire.
At such a close distance, the so-called poor accuracy of the smoothbore gun does not matter. The British army fired only one salvo, and 800 French troops were killed. The remaining French troops collapsed and were defeated.
Rurik tried his best to let the crossbowmen show their power at extremely close range, and he can say that his imitation has achieved good results.
Let’s look at the current battle situation! A scaled-down version of the pincer offensive was really successful. The deliberately concave formation was constantly exacerbating the concavity. Now the Ross melee infantry on both sides were close to the opponent's flanks.
The Gotlanders had to gather in a group and retreat slowly.
Finally, the spear wall of the Slavic Flag Team came over!
The Slavs roared in a language that Sigfast could not understand, and stabbed wildly with their black spearheads, making the shields of the Gotland warriors tired of dealing with them. They can withstand the thrusts of a few spears, but their opponents have four hundred spears!
On both wings of the Gotland army, the elite sword and shield men of the Ross family were slashing wildly, forcing them to shrink towards the center. The more this happens, the more it can give SillaTactical opportunities for husband warriors.
The wall of spears kept poking the opponent to death, the army continued to advance, and Rurik himself began to step on the horrific corpses of the enemy to advance the army.
This is no longer a battle, but a unilateral massacre by the Ross army with absolute superiority.
"You are so brave, why don't you collapse even after this? Damn it, wouldn't Arik be able to get even a head in this way?"
Rurik has already estimated that his soldiers will be strong. This Gotland army was completely annihilated, and their morale finally collapsed.
The Gotlanders essentially discovered that the Russians actually wanted to surround everyone, and even if they were surrounded, they would never survive. Siegfast made a difficult and shameful decision: "Brothers, let's withdraw. !”
After receiving the order, Grund took the lead in running away with a dozen of his surviving Danish mercenaries. Siegfast simply threw away his heavy helmet and shield, carried his expensive iron sword inlaid with gems, and followed the Danish mercenaries. As for your Gotland compatriots, please run away quickly. How much you can survive depends on your own destiny.
There were only a hundred living men left in the Gotland army who could escape, and the unlucky ones were hit by arrows thrown from the longbows of the Russian army. They subconsciously ran towards the woods, hoping that the cover of the woods would provide a chance to escape. However, three hundred elite Ross warriors led by Aric had already taken control of the Gotland Army's camp. With a savage smile, Arik held the sword in his right hand and formed a shield wall, watching the enemies rush over in a panic.
Sigfast, this is rushing towards the crater!