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Lexander's
Tactics: The Theory of Defense |
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THE
PURPOSE OF THIS TREATISE |
I make no claims to be the best player in Kohan. This text is not an
attempt to expound to the world my own greatness, nor do I consider it
to be completely accurate. My purpose in writing this treatise is much
simpler. Kohan is a game that rewards good thinking, and the best games
of Kohan are those between players of a certain level of skill.
Unfortunately, many people will play game after game of Kohan without
improving, and will be shutout of not only the opportunity to play with
certain players, but will never see the joy of a well executed plan. It
is my goal to be a catalyst for the overall improvement of play in
Kohan. Hopefully a treatise such as this will provide a basis for the
complex changes that are often needed to take a player from a struggling
average player to someone welcomed into the highest circles of the game.
As such, my interest is in the underlying concepts of the game, the
things you might never grasp when playing the game but which will be
much more obvious upon further play. It is my hope that even expert
players will find something useful in this text, but I particularly look
forward to improving the play of the community as a whole.
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THE
PURPOSE OF DEFENSE |
A game of Kohan is won by the capture or elimination of enemy cities.
Achieving this goal requires that the enemy cities be attacked either to
capture or raze. Therefore, it follows logically that offensive
operations will be needed at some point in a game of Kohan.
All other activities must in some way support this goal of attacking the
enemy and destroying their cities and companies. Therefore, it follows
that the purpose of any good defense is to prepare the groundwork for
attacking the enemy. When a team determines that it will never be able
to take the offense at any point in the future, it is time to resign.
Victory is not achieved until the sufficient enemy cities have been
captured.
For the purpose of this discussion, defensive operations are activities
in which a player has for specific reasons decided not to attack the
enemy in a given area. Instead, the defender intends to use his units to
prevent the destruction of his own cities. The critical element to
consider is that the player has decided not to pursue an attack, and is
therefore not directly attempting to achieve the goal of the game, at
least for a time. For a player to justify such a strategy, a real
advantage must be gained.
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THE
ADVANTAGE OF DEFENSE |
Defensive strategies would never be of any value if no advantage can
be gained from such strategies. In general, defense is fraught with
risks and that should not be overlooked, and defensive operations should
only be considered when the risks are outweighed by the advantages. The
only other reason to defend is a complete lack of offensive power, a
situation not conducive to victory.
Defense concerns the following advantages:
a. Less firepower is required
Defense should take advantage of the proximity of outposts and militia,
the special defensive bonuses of terrain and entrenchment, and the
closeness of supply to allow a successful defense with less firepower
than is used by the attacking player. The defending player does not need
as much strength, and therefore is able to make use of the lower
economic and military cost of defense.
b. Defending companies are closer to supply
Defending units are usually closer to supply than the attacker. Morale
and unit strength can be recovered more quickly. It is correct defensive
strategy to complicate the supply situation of the attacker as much as
possible. In a good defense, the attacking force will often have greater
firepower but will take damage during the attack that will need to be
repaired. If successful, defending units will outlast the attacker and
repair more quickly once the battle is complete.
c. Reinforcements are typically closer
The attacker is usually farther from his reinforcements than the
defender. The defender will often be able to send new units into a
battle more quickly than the attacker. The defender hopes to
prolong the defense to the point where reinforcements and the decreasing
morale and health of the attacker will force the attacker to retreat and
regroup.
d. The defending units are stronger in certain
types of terrain
Kohan has been designed so that units defending in certain types of
terrain have defensive advantages that make them stronger than normal.
Certain types of terrain also make it difficult for the attacker to
bring his entire force into the battle. Strong defensive locations can
greatly increase the combat effectiveness of defending forces.
e. A successful defense opens up the possibility
of a strong counterattack.
The great danger in attack is the loss of companies during a failed
retreat, particularly if supply is some distance away. A good defense
will attempt to destroy as many attacking companies as is possible in
order to facilitate a counterattack before the enemy can repair the
damage.
f. Defending units are less likely to be cutoff
from retreat
Defending units are more likely to be successful in retreating from a
lost battle. The city militia and any outposts will help cover the
retreat, and the closeness of supply will allow the units to be repaired
quickly. Attacking units are typically more vulnerable when routing,
particularly if the attacker is unable to cover the retreat or the
defender has surrounded the attacker.
g. The defender has better visual range
Cities and outposts have a larger visual range than companies, and this
provides the defender with the ability to see more of the units in the
battle. This provides improved opportunities for potent flanking
maneuvers. It also allows the defender to prepare to receive the attack.
The attacker is more likely to be surprised by the sudden appearance of
reinforcements or allies.
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THE
DISADVANTAGES OF DEFENSE |
Despite the advantages cited above, defense is fraught with risk. The
disadvantages are often strong enough to warrant alternate strategies.
Do not attempt defense unless these disadvantages can be mitigated or
removed.
a. Defense does not directly achieve the goal of
the game
A good defense often destroys many of the enemy companies, and can
produce a situation where the defender can become the attacker. However,
the entire time a player is defending the ability to destroy the enemy
cities has been given up by all the companies and resources allocated to
defense. Since the destruction of said cities is the primary method need
to win the game, defense is not sufficient to win the game.
b. Defense often gives the initiative to the enemy
In the area that a team has decided to defend, the initiative has been
given to the enemy. The attacker may choose the time and place of the
attack, while the defending forces are forced to await the attack. The
defender is reacting to the attacker and this allows the attacker to
make many of the decisions on the course of the upcoming battle. The
defender must attempt to force the attacker into attacking in the way
the defender wants, or else the attacker will simply direct the course
of the battle in a way that is advantageous to his own plans.
c. A failed defense has serious consequences
A failed defense forces a team to give ground to the attacking forces.
The lost territory often contains cities or areas of the map needed by
the defender for various purposes. One goal of the defender is to place
his defense at a point where the loss of the location will have minimal
effect. Nonetheless, the reality of defense is that the enemy is
attacking cities and outposts and is threatening the destruction of your
ability to continue the game.
d. Defending companies are unable to disrupt the
operations of the enemy
One advantage gained by attacker is the ability to disrupt the enemy.
The loss of cities and the sudden movement of forces to stop the attack
typically disrupt the intentions of the defending player, who may be
forced to cancel an attack or risk losing the ability to support the
attacking armies. Even failed attacks have the ability to force the
enemy to react. Companies allocated to defense are unable to disrupt the
economy of the enemy, and will only cause problems to the opponent in
the event they are able to play a part in defense.
e. Defensive situations are more likely to cause
dangerous panic, overreaction, and loss of morale.
When pressed with a determined attack, human emotions can often override
solid planning. The defenders are often faced with the collapse of the
ability to defend and the knowledge that the damage done will not easily
be repaired. In some cases the defenders are facing the real possibility
of complete defeat. This often causes the defending force to overreact,
to panic, to stop considering options, and to generally make inferior
decisions. Players often misunderstand and misevaluate the situations
when faced with attacking armies and act hastily.
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CONTINUED... |
[Defense I] [Defense II] [Defense
III] [Defense IV] | |
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