Rurik wants to cultivate the entire Novgorod region, and no longer hunt here like a hunter like he did in the past half century.
Sorgon voyages will give way to regular taxes, and outsiders who collect "protection fees" will become the real kings here.
Ligus's White Tree Manor is already relatively strong, while Uski of Calf Manor and Toli of Fisherman are much less powerful. All three of them interpreted Rurik's glorious declaration as a great opportunity for the future, and the loyalty they swore came from the bottom of their hearts.
This group of local Slavs do not yet have clear noble pursuits and beliefs. Worshiping the great god Peron or worshiping the invincible Odin is not the entirety of their lives. They are pure farmers. Fishing, hunting, logging, etc. are all additions to agriculture. Only by allowing them to obtain vast farmland through various means can they win their loyalty.
How to get farmland?
Opening up wasteland is a means, but it will take some years to bring a steady stream of land wealth.
Waging war against neighboring countries and plundering local people's farmland to grow their own wheat involves huge risks, and the benefits can tempt people to risk their lives. Similarly, farmland owners will fight to the ground against intruders in order to defend their farmland. Such people do not fight for any "warrior's faith" at all, they fight for everything they own.
It was precisely this kind of enemy that Rurik had to face with caution even if they seemed weak.
This is an era of the jungle. Back then, White Tree Manor was no match for the military power of Pine Needle Manor, so it was forced to choose peace. It almost voluntarily withdrew from the fertile Lake Ilmen and handed over itself. The farmland that had been cultivated in the past had to be cut down in the dense forest to expand the fields. After a period of difficult life, new acres of land were opened up by the Volkhov River.
The desire for revenge is passed from generation to generation, causing the farmers of White Tree Manor to take up arms and take back the farmland of their ancestors. They have no moral scruples and even kill their opponents without mercy.
As a true duke, Rurik began to lay out his battle decisions.
"We will take the initiative to launch a comprehensive and powerful attack. Even if they have 10,000 people, our army should have a lot of troops according to the current situation!" Rurik looked at Rigus.
"Yes, Your Majesty the Duke. My Medved leads the banner force. The strength is still 800 people. As shown in the past battles, their wall of spears can kill all The enemy is approaching."
Ligus's reply was very confident. He added: "The population of my farm is also different from what it used to be. There are still many young and old people who can take up arms. Even if I take a sharpened wooden pole and put the male and female warriors together, I... can still produce two thousand more warriors."
New two thousand warriors?
Rurik was slightly surprised: "I did see a large farm. Tell me, what is your current population?"
"This...is probably more than five years old."Thousands of people. "
"So many? ! Do you still dare to call yourself a small farm? ! "How can Rurik not be surprised? A farm with five thousand people, placed on the shores of Lake Mälaren in Sweden, is a very powerful force. This Ligus can call himself a prince, and his manor can call itself a city-state.
Obviously, Ligus still doesn’t know how strong he is. Maybe their fear of Pine Needle Manor still cannot be gradually improved due to the increase in size.
Otto took the opportunity to signal: "Stay." Rick, this is your first time in Novgorod, unlike me, who comes every year for twenty years. The population of White Tree Manor has surged only in the past few years. ”
“Yes, yes, yes. "Ligus immediately complimented: "This is all a gift from the great Russian people. Our life has become better. Many people from other farms have boldly moved to my place, and even your territory. ”
“Not only that. Otto smiled and said: "Those people use your farm as a springboard to move to New Roseburg." ”
If Rurik’s announcement to directly notify the ruler of Novgorod was smart, Otto’s strategy of pulling one faction to fight another was nothing short of a clever plan.
This The Slavs in the Pianhu District are actually divided into three waves: those who support Russia, those who oppose Russia, and those who support whoever wins.
Neither Rurik nor Otto can tell how many people there are in those fence-riders. What are the thoughts of these people?
There is only one thing Rurik wants to know accurately - what is the population of Pine Needle Manor, the main enemy?
Specifically, what is the population? Are there really 10,000 men and women who can afford weapons?
When it comes to the most critical issue, Rigus, Toli and Uski all frowned slightly. Rurik was very annoyed: "I'm asking you a question. Their total population must be 20,000? Give me an accurate number. ”
“Definitely not 20,000. "Tolly said.
Uski hurriedly denied: "Maybe only 10,000 people. "
"They persecuted us and prohibited people from White Tree Manor from asking about their population. "Ligus regretted: "At least I can't face them. "
Rurik tightened his weak golden beard on his chin: "Then assume that they do have ten thousand armed men. What is our total strength now? Rigus, the two thousand people you call don't count, pick out men between the ages of fifteen and fifty for me. How many people can there be? ”
“Probably four hundred more people can be added. ”
“Then your total number of people is 1,200. "Rurik concluded.
"There are still only four hundred. Because the Slavic flags are your warriors. "
"You... are right too. "Rurik turned to Toli and Uski and asked, "You two also handed over an army according to this age. "
Tolly blurted out: "Barely two hundred people. "
In order not to lose to him, Uski gritted his teeth and said: "I am also a 200 person. ”
“In this way youThe maximum number of troops we can send is 800 people? Not much, but not much. Your so-called warriors are all farmers, not real warriors in my eyes. I am their commander-in-chief, and I will not let them take the lead. You can all rest assured that by following my plan your men will suffer no combat losses, or even injuries. Unless you violate my arrangements. ”
The three of them looked at each other and remained silent for the time being.
As for the real strength of the Ross army, it was very clear.
The First Flag Team of the Warriors and the Third The Three-Flag Corps, after reorganization, is in full strength, with a total of one thousand Varyag warriors in classic uniforms. They wear completely uniform military uniforms. The two interlaced blue stripes stitched on the chest of the long gown are the symbol of the Ross warriors. They all have log shields that can protect the entire torso. The shields are either covered with leather or reinforced with thin bronze skin. The surface is also painted. Most of them are coated with pine gum and then sprinkled with chalk mud powder and then painted. Woad dye.
Otto came with some old guys from the Second Flag. He lost some old soldiers, and there are still more than a hundred people. They are thirsty for revenge and swear to attack. The villains of the Pine Needle Manor retaliated mercilessly, but little Conuson brought more than a hundred people, so they were simply incorporated into the second flag force, making the flag force more than three hundred.
The Slavic Flag Army has eight hundred warriors, and their equipment is almost like a spear. Fortunately, they have received training, and most of them have experienced the decisive battle on Gotland. They have experienced large-scale war scenes and are not afraid of new wars. . Moreover, most of them come from White Tree Manor, and a large number of people come from other manors other than Pine Needle Manor. They are now New Ross people and are directly responsible for Duke Ross himself, so Rigus's remarks are completely correct. , this "Spear Flag Team" is only loyal to Rurik.
As for the Shooting Flag Team, this team is a mixed bag of young and old, including elite mercenaries and armed sailors. There are Finnish people and Danes who have surrendered. There are also the Ostara Allied Forces led by Carlotta. For the time being, these people have also been incorporated into the flag-shooting team.
The Shooting Flag Team is like a big basket with all kinds of people stuffed into it, but no one can deny that they can show their strong combat effectiveness in special ways.
In this way, the real Ross. The strength of the army is as many as 2,700.
The main force of Russia is indeed like this, and it is by no means exhausted. Even so, such an army can be found in the Frankish Kingdom in the current corrupt and gloomy Europe. They fought all the way from Bremen to Rome.
After Rurik counted the troops he could accurately control with his fingers, Rigus, an old guy, could not hide his anger. Worried.
“Sir, are we going to fight Vadim’s 10,000 people with more than 3,000 people? "
"What? Are you actually scared? "Rurik asked harshly.
"No. "Ligus's heart trembled, and he quickly denied: "I didn't say that the Russian army had few soldiers. only……”
“It’s just that the number of enemies scares you. Rigus, you'd better be a rich man in peace and contentment. You don't understand the war, so don't mess with it. "
"Yes. "
"However, the three manor owners you are present still have to bring their own warriors to participate in the battle. Now is my specific tactical arrangement. ”
White trees, calves, and fishermen’s manors, they can summon at least eight hundred so-called farmers’ armed forces. Rurik completely does not believe in the combat effectiveness of these untrained people. They lack organization and individuality. Their physical condition is also worse than that of the Russian soldiers. They can only fight against the wind, so they will be used as auxiliary troops in the new battle. They are not even qualified and completely unable to march simultaneously with the Russian army. This is a group of burdens, and it is precisely the burdens that have certain uses. < /p>
What he is most worried about is the meaningless death of these farmers, because these people still need to cultivate the large amount of vacant farmland that appeared after the war.
Based on these practical factors, it is difficult to leave the farmland behind. Rick arranged a land march tactic for the three of them. The farmer army from the three manors brought their own various weapons to form a whole. When the Ross fleet launched a force attack on the enemy's Pine Needle Manor, they marched. Killing by land towards Pine Needle Manor
These farmer warriors must tie a piece of cloth or hemp rope on their left and right arms, and a circle of cloth should also be wrapped around their forehead to show their identity. , to avoid misunderstandings in a melee situation.
The "Nine Transformations" of "The Art of War" once described that "a general may be used by the enemy because he is too kind; he may be too caring." The power of the people has limited the performance of tactics."
Rurik does have such a problem. What he cherishes is not the people of the hostile forces, but the farms of these three die-hard servants. His original intention is not to These guys join the battle, but this battle is indispensable to them.
The three peasant soldiers of Ligus will march on the riverside. When they arrive at the outskirts of Pine Needle Manor, it will depend on the situation whether they will march or not, once the Ross army kills them. When they entered the farm and the battle was at its most chaotic, they took the opportunity to break out. In a sense, they were a tactical reserve team, a reserve team with poor combat effectiveness, and the value of their existence was to intensify the chaos. They also ordered a more cruel task - to kill anyone who saw the Pine Needle Manor.
Rurik who issued such an order was like a massacre. He once resented this kind of tyrant. But when he had the power to lead Ross to face many life-and-death tests, the brave man also turned into a dragon.
He did not feel burdened, and the order given to Ross's army was exactly the same.
The Ross army will enter Lake Ilmen on ships and by water, and Pine Needle Manor will see the most powerful navy in Northern Europe in this era.
The lake battle will be unprecedented.Existing, the Slavic canoes are meaningless in front of the huge body of the Avora-class sailing cruiser.
The Ross Army will engage in a landing battle, but the landing battle will not be as violent as a beach landing.
Since we have very good long-range weapons, we should try our best to develop their strong combat power.
Now, Avora, Spellosvilia, Duke of Ostara, Gray Squirrel, and Chief Salmon. These five sail cruisers alone were equipped with fifty torsion slingshots.
The seven sail destroyers Mercury, Venus, Mona, Mars, Eubit, Saturn, and Ouranos also have a total of forty-two torsion slingshots.
Up to twenty more torsion slingshots will be maneuvered for disposal. Rurik also prepared trolleys for these weapons, which were originally used as heavy land warfare weapons.
There are also twenty-five bull trebuchets, which have no accuracy. The advantage is that they can throw all kinds of stones, and pebbles as big as a fist can be thrown to a distance of three hundred meters.
Basically, the sailors and shooters control these heavy weapons. It is supposed that these terrifying ship-based and land-based weapons will be the first to deal a heavy blow to the enemy.
Rurik always believed that fighting soldiers at close range was a stupid tactic, especially the sword-and-shielder fighting was too dangerous.
Gunpowder weapons can be created according to Ross's current strength. For the time being, Rurik has no idea of developing this technology. The biggest reason is that the current armament situation is already domineering in Northern and Eastern Europe.
Twenty-seven hundred Rus warriors will be on sailing cruisers, sailing destroyers, armed cargo ships, and up to thirty traditional longships.
It is the most traditional longship that has the most tactical value in landing battles on lakes. Because they are the most suitable landing craft!
The thirty longships squeezed in a little, and the most elite warriors of the first and third flag teams rowed hard. A thousand warriors will serve as the initial landing force. They are engaged in something similar to Ma Run. Work.
Aric and Hellafed will open the situation at the beach, but I am afraid that the first thing they will face is a pile of dead bodies on the beach.
Rurik decided to deliberately spread out the fleet, facing the enemy sideways, and deliberately let the enemy stand still for some time to allow the enemy to gather their forces, luring them to form a formation on the lakeside (at least in a group) and then launch a long-range attack. attack.
What kind of tactic is this? It is actually the most classic joint tactic for sea and land landings since ancient times. It's just that the ironclads are now wooden-hulled ships, the steel heavy cannons are now torsion slingshots, and the landing craft are all Viking longships.
"I hope they really gather 10,000 people on the lakeside, so that our hundreds of torsion slingshots can kill 10,000 of them at one time. I hope they are as tough as pine trees, so Our people will spend some time and kill them all with arrows, javelins, and stone bullets." Rurik's summary made everyone applaud.
Because the opponent is not a real VikingPeople, Arik and others have no intention of engaging in a warrior's duel with such rebellious farmers. Their opponents are not worthy at all, so how to kill them has nothing to do with them.
Formulating complex tactics is not appropriate in the current era, precisely because the generals are unable to pass new orders to the grassroots troops in a very short time. Since the delay is too long, they have to formulate a tactical framework.
Rurik finally concluded: "I don't bring much rations. My main enemies this year are the Karelia people. The crusade against rebellion is purely an accident that must be settled. I will give you tomorrow's Rest, we will launch a war in two days! Note that this time we are not punishing the rebellious Vadim of Pine Needle Manor. You should understand what I mean after this war! The people present looked at each other and laughed, but the smile was ferocious.
But the rebels of Pine Needle Manor were miserable. They brought a variety of weapons to congratulate "Prince of Novgorod" Vadim and follow his feat of resisting the Russian invaders. It's a pity that they have no idea what kind of terrible enemy they have provoked. All the armed farmers see are their companions who have gathered in surprising numbers, and everyone's morale is high!
But their current appearance is almost the same as that of a coward. Vadim has not planned an active attack, at least not yet. He consciously prepared a huge army, decided to hold a grand sacrifice on the summer solstice, summoned the leaders and priests of each farm, and used the severed heads of the Rus people as sacrifices, becoming the well-deserved prince of Novgorod. .
Even they all know that the Russian ships are anchored in the waters where the lake enters the Volkhov River. Their optimism caused them to seriously misjudge the situation, and even ignored the defection of entire families from small estates. They naively believed that the Ross ship's failure to penetrate deep into the lake was a sign of cowardice, and the people of Pine Needle Manor did not take the initiative to attack. It seems like this is a subtle confrontation?
Bah! The stupid Vadim could not have imagined that in just a few days the Russians' elite main force and strongest fleet, which had killed all of Northern Europe, had already gathered in the Volkhov River, like arrows on the bowstring.