Warfare's Ultimate Frontier 1

by Quasar Magellan

  Xu Da shrugged. “I'm fine with whatever.”

  Baron coughed into his hand. What about… “Under One Banner?”

  And so the name was agreed upon, and the group’s conversation continued.

  “So.” Baron started. “How do you think we should prepare for the Faction Selection Tournament?”

  Ban Chao waved him off. “That tournament is still decades away. I believe increasing our funds is of higher priority.”

  Yue Fei disagreed. “While the tournament is decades away, there are factions that have begun training for a great deal of time already. If you ask me, we’re already behind in preparations.”

  Han Xin tried to calm the two down. “Both points are valid, but preparations should come first. My funds are now the faction’s fund. We should be able to train for quite a while before having to worry about money again.”

  “I second Han Xin.” Xu Da spoke calmly.

  “I have to agree with Han Xin and Yue Fei. Now, how about it? Have you guys fought aerial battles before?”

  “No, never.” Ban Chao said rather embarrassingly.

  “A few times, but I just can't seem to grasp how they work.” Xu Da admitted.

  “I've tried a few, but I can only be considered average in the Chinese community.” Han Xin shook his head and sighed.

  Yue Fei nodded. “I've actually waged quite a few. I’m no expert but I’d say I’m above average.”

  As for Baron… “I can’t say I’m too well versed with aerial combat. But my knowledge and tactics should be advanced and modern enough to give us a bit of an edge compared to others. Just like on land, I’ll need to experiment in air battles before I’m comfortable ranking myself. Maybe even some exercises or drills involving the machines would reveal my competency or lack thereof.”

  “Alright.” Han Xin shook his head. “It looks like we have a lot of work to do. Let’s practice aerial combat against each other first, then let's join some tournaments to see how we stack up against the rest.”

  “That's a great idea.” Baron looked to Yue Fei. “Yue Fei do you know what the best scenarios for training aerial combat are?”

  “There are a few, I think. None are really representative, though.”

  Baron scratched his head, trying to remember his history lessons. “What about that air battle in 1918 where less than a hundred German jets engaged over two thousand Allied bombers and fighters?”

  Chapter 35

  Aerial Warfare Basics

  “I haven't heard of that map before. What’s the name of that battle?” Yue Fei asked.

  Baron shrugged. “I don’t think the battle was actually named. I think in the end there were only twenty or so casualties. What’s that in the grand scheme of a war?”

  “Tell you what.” Han Xin commented. “I think the best thing we can do at this moment is to try and find this map. If we do then we will have an advantage over the others.”

  Yue Fei nodded. “Certainly. If we can succeed despite such horrific odds, we’ll have become great aerial strategists.”

  Baron looked around the room and saw that everyone’s eyes were ablaze with passion.

  “Well, let’s get to it.”

  The five looked for the battle that Baron had mentioned. And looked… and looked… and looked, until they finally found it. There was a reason that this scenario was unheard of, and it was because it was stashed away in a category that few ever visited. These were battles that only lasted a few hours.

  Most strategists preferred to practice battles that lasted weeks, or months, or even years. Hour-long battles were viewed by most to be basically useless.

  With their map chosen, all five entered the simulation. It would be Han Xin and Yue Fei taking the side of the Germans, against Xu Da, Ban Chao, and Baron, taking the side of the Allies.

  Although the scenario greatly advantaged the trio, they didn’t dare slack. After all, this was to be their introduction to aerial warfare. Before the battle began, all five met in a neutral zone to discuss practice.

  Baron piped up first. “I think it would be best if Yue Fei and Han Xin gave an introduction to aerial warfare to Ban Chao and Xu Da.”

  Yue Fei nodded. “Yes, that’s a great idea. Hm, okay. Let me start.

  “To be honest aerial warfare is not too different from land. It’s only that the weapons available, means of victory, and the objectives have changed a bit. You still need to target strategic positions, plan ahead, and maintain vigilance.”

  Han Xin sighed, then stepped forward. “Let me expand on Yue Fei’s explanation. What he’s trying to say is that the key aspects of warfare don’t change from land to air — but the strategies and tactics are different.

  “There are also different tools, and different timings. One of the key tools in aerial warfare is radar. It’s basically a map that updates constantly, with but a small delay. It will give you time to prepare for oncoming attacks, and it will also allow you to keep track of the enemy at any given moment. This technology is in blueprint format, but sometimes the setting will allow you to have it regardless of whether or not you have the blueprint.”

  Baron mused. “I believe planes in this scenario don’t have radar sensing capabilities. Nor has radar really been used for military purposes, yet. But I do have a blueprint for a radar tower. That can help us.”

  Silence followed his words.

  Han Xin smacked his forehead. “Do you realize what you just said?”

  “No… what do you mean?”

  Yue Fei groaned before responding. “Do you know why our Chinese community is weak when it comes to aerial warfare? It’s not because we lack capable strategists — it’s because we lack the necessary blueprints to properly compete.”

  “Really?” Thinking about it more, Baron realized what was going on. “Oh, I see. Right. It’s only recently that China really started seriously investing in an air force. It would make sense that we don’t have many blueprints. The ones with the know-how either belong to other countries or are still alive.”

  Yue Fei shrugged. “Well, you know better than me, so I’ll take your word for it. But here on planet four, countries like England, Japan, Germany, and the United States are far ahead of us when it comes to aerial military technology. It’s only because we’re strong in land-based simulations that we’re still a top-five community.”

  “I see… well then. It looks like we will need to seriously modernize our Chinese community’s aerial military technology. Anyway, let's continue with the basics.”

  Han Xin shrugged. “There’s a few more points to give, but I think it’s better if you guys experience it yourself. Nothing can beat raw experience when it comes to learning warfare.”

  Ban Chao and Xu Da were itching for battle.

  Baron nodded. “Alright, I'll get started on the radar tower blueprints. If I have extra time I’ll also work on some other things that will help us in the future. You guys can get started.”

  They then split up to accomplish their own tasks, and only reconvened the day before the battle phase began to speak again.

  Baron handed out blueprints to everyone present. “Alright. I’ve made blueprints for you all.” Baron handed each person three sets of blueprints.

  “The first is the radar tower. It can detect aircraft and ships.”

  Ban Chao grimaced as he looked through the blueprints. “I fear for the future of Earth, if we have technology like this…"

  Baron shook his head. “Trust me. This isn’t all that impressive compared to the more modern weapons humans have built. We’re really animals made for war. Anyway, the second blueprint is a radio set. This device will allow you to communicate your orders to your units in real time. Just like smoke signals, except you can directly talk to them. Of course, you’d have to install a receiver onto each plane.

  “And that’s what the third blueprint is.”

  Han Xin was very much impressed by the blueprints. “Some of the newer maps have planes and technology that are super
ior to what you have here. But these will greatly benefit us when the scenario itself doesn’t include this kind of technology. Wonderful.”

  Chapter 36

  Experimenting is Important

  Once the battle officially began, there was not much for Xu Da, Ban Chao, or Baron to do. After all, there was only so much they could do to command their massive army of bomber and fighter planes. They’d simply given their pilots the order to spread out and fend off enemies.

  Instead, it was the NPC officers who would be in charge.

  As the pilots flew around in the air, patrolling, Baron, Ban Chao, and Xu Da used what they observed to come up with certain tactics.

  The first was a hit and run tactic, that was followed up by multiple ambush paths. This may sound extremely basic, and it is, on land. But in the air, things are very different.

  For starters, ambushes on land are made possible by terrain available for concealing troops and machines, such as hills and trees. But in the sky, there is very little cover, save for clouds. On ground, there is terrain to help trap enemies, or escape pursuit. But in the sky, none of that exists.

  With all of these variables and other smaller factors in mind, one had to be extremely careful as to what strategies to employ in the air, while denying the enemy the chance of countering. Yue Fei and Han Xin, with their previous experience, had fairly solid understandings of these basic determinants.

  But with no experienced opponents to practice against, what they wanted to focus on, for this simulation, was how they fared against the game’s own officers.

  Since the opposing side was ordered to only stay and protect their base of operations, this allowed Yue Fei and Han Xin to have a major advantage from the get-go.

  This meant that they could attack their enemy whenever they wanted to, wherever they wanted to. And, they wouldn’t need to worry about counterattacks. As long as they planned their attacks well, theoretically they would be able to deal significant damage with minimal losses.

  They had a two-week opportunity to deal as much damage as they could, so they planned to attack the enemy base multiple times every day and night.

  And the backbone these plans relied on, was the ability to direct their pilots in real-time, thanks to Baron’s radio blueprint.

  On the first day of battle, Yue Fei and Han Xin had sixty planes at their disposal compared to their enemy’s two thousand. No matter how you cut it, they required strategic dominance to deal with the enemy's vast numbers. The hit and run tactics that they had their pilots engage in were quite effective, especially to unsuspecting victims. During the first day, they managed to shoot down twenty-five of Baron, Xu Da, and Ban Chao’s planes.

  The second day would provide dramatically different results. On the first day, the enemy planes hadn’t given chase to Yue Fei or Han Xin’s pilots, but on the second day, fierce dogfights could be seen all over the sky.

  With the two master strategists on their side, though, Yue Fei and Han Xin’s pilots were able to utilize their advantages to down seventy-five planes despite losing only four of their own.

  Yet, if numbers continued to dwindle at their current pace, Yue Fei and Han Xin would still lose. Besides, it was because they were going against the NPC officers that they were doing so well. Clearly, they still had much work to do.

  Losses continued to pile up for the two sides over the next few days. Due to an error in judgment by Han Xin on the fifth day of battle, they lost five planes in a matter of minutes. By the eighth day of battle, Yue Fei and Han Xin’s side had but thirty planes left, while Baron, Xu Da, and Ban Chao’s officers still had about a thousand.

  Still though, they were still happy with the results — they’d learned a great deal in the past week, and they’d also gained much to review and contemplate.

  Continuing the simulation, Han Xin and Yue Fei lasted another week before they finally lost. Exiting the simulation, the five excitedly rushed to speak to each other.

  “Wow! Yue Fei, Han Xin! The two of you are quite adept at aerial combat! It’ll be nice to have you two as our instructors.” Baron complimented.

  Yue Fei shook his head. “You think too highly of us. We still have a long way to go until we can be considered masters of aerial warfare.

  “I agree with Yue Fei.” Said Han Xin. “We still have much to improve.”

  “What should we do now? Should we do what we did just now a couple more times?” Ban Chao asked.

  Yue Fei playfully crossed his arms into an ‘X’. “No, that would be inefficient. I have a suggestion. As an elder, I have many benefits available to me. One is that I’m allowed to open simulations against NPC strategists. Meaning, I can open up simulations for all of us to practice against the game’s strategists.

  “By doing so, we’ll be able to optimize our time.”

  Baron couldn’t help but feel impressed. “Woah, I didn't know such a thing existed. You elders really have it good.”

  Han Xin had his two cents to give. “To start, let’s have Yue Fei open up two simulations. The three of you will take turns going into the simulations with me and him so we can impart our knowledge to you. When you are more attuned to aerial warfare, you can enter your own simulations.”

  “That's a great idea, Han Xin. I approve.”

  “I second that.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  “Yep.”

  Yue Fei did as Han Xin had suggested, and soon enough Yue Fei had teamed up with Baron while Xu Da and Ban Chao followed Han Xin into his simulation. They then spent roughly two weeks in each of their simulations, or about two days worth of planet four time.

  During this time Ban Chao, Xu Da, and Baron had their horizons widened tremendously by their respective mentors. Then they entered again, but this time Baron paired up with Han Xin while Ban Chao and Xu Da followed Yue Fei. Another two days passed before they met again.

  As their understanding of aerial warfare deepened, the five split to run their own simulations, where they experimented to their heart’s content.

  For fun, Baron decided to bring a prize to the table — whoever managed to down the most enemy planes in a single simulation, would receive a special blueprint from the man himself.

  Chapter 37

  Trouble Brewing

  Although Baron had given an incentive to the others, he personally did not feel that taking down as many planes as he could be the best way to go about this.

  Nevertheless, he decided he would try it out once, report his findings to the others, then continue with his experiments.

  The results were as follows for most planes downed. Yue Fei took first place with seven hundred and twenty, then Han Xin with six hundred and fifty, followed by Xu Da downing four hundred and thirty, then came Baron at four hundred and fifteen. Last of all, Ban Chao had downed three hundred and sixty-five.

  All in all, not a bad start to such a difficult task. After reporting, they re-entered, trying to improve.

  Over time, this became the norm: the longer one spent in the simulation, the more planes they were able to take down. As time passed, and they experienced more and more simulations, the five took longer and longer in each simulation. It started out with each of them lasting for two weeks in the simulation… then a month… two months… and more.

  But Baron didn’t follow this trend, and he worked on something else — the individual ability of each pilot at his disposal. With his second simulation, he stayed in it for a whole five months — long enough for everyone else to grow worried as to what he was doing. If they weren’t in the afterlife, they’d be worried that he’d die if he stayed inside much longer.

  There were two things that Baron was looking for. He was testing to see if training his soldiers would bring any tangible benefits. The second thing he was testing for, is what would happen if he only took the smallest of engagements, with long periods of rest in between each attack.

  The result was that he was able to bring down fourteen hundred planes in his second simul
ation. Such an incredible difference shocked everyone — and so Baron reported his findings to the rest of the group, who then went to conduct their own experiments based on Baron’s findings.

  Soon enough, another year passed on planet four.

  By now, Han Xin, Yue Fei, and Baron could consistently win the simulation by decimating the enemy’s forces. They could be considered to be aerial warfare masters by this point, but it wasn’t enough to guarantee them a victory in the Faction Selection Tournament.

  After all, the strategists invited by the Vesper faction were some of the best in the Chinese community. The five of them had progressed quite a bit, but they were still relatively new to the craft.

  Han Xin, Baron, Yue Fei, Ban Chao, and Xu Da decided to take a break after practicing for so long. As coincidences would have it, they also had matters to discuss with Madam Zheng’s Forever Pirate faction. This time, Madam Zheng and her two husbands personally visited Under One Banner’s headquarters to discuss some rather distressing news.

  Baron personally welcomed them in. “Welcome, welcome. What brings you here?”

  “It’s regarding the Vesper faction’s suppression. Its impact on us is far worse than we’d anticipated.”

  “How so?”

  “Another group has joined in suppressing us, and we suspect that they were bribed by the Vesper faction. This new group is far weaker than Vesper, or even us, but they managed to break the stalemate of our conflict.”

  Baron spread his arms, questioning Madam Zheng. “So, what do you need from me?”

  Madam Zheng frowned. “This is a tricky situation, because the man leading this new faction is a man by the name of Li Xin. I believe you’ve made contact with him already. Basically, we want you to convince him to leave our conflict.”

  “I've met him once. He seems like a decent guy, but I don’t know if I can succeed.”

  “Can you try, at least?”