Perisno: Finally beat the Valahirian warlord, Gunnar ... in a really odd way.

Nodah, in the Voldeberg tavern, asked me to help the Illica Falki. I took a long time to accept the quest (level 24) because I didn't want to upset the Reich des Drachens. The first few task battles were manageable, but then it came time for Gunnar ... who kills the Illica in a most unusual way.

I took my army of 125 elite bad-ass soldiers straight at his army of 100. They're all foot soldiers. My army is 75% cavalry. It did not go well. I try again and this time give my soldiers orders first. That failed because I have no idea how to give the buggers orders.

[Side note. Viking Conquest is downright awesome when it comes to ordering your troops on the battlefield. It's really tough to figure out at first, but then it clicks and suddenly you're Alexander.]

Next I tried luring his band toward another group of baddies, hoping they'd fight it out. Nope, they totally ignored one another. I tried luring them toward their hated enemy, the Illica. They ignored them, too. Since I'm now friends with the Illica, surely they'll come to my aid! I waited until two groups were within spiting distance and went to battle ... alone. Grrrrrr.

I almost made it on my own. I lost all my troops and Gunnar's group had about 25 soldiers left. They were out of whatever they were throwing, but I still had all my arrows! I kited them around the battlefield, picking them off slowly, starting with the accursed spear-men and those bastards with the double-headed axes. They are seriously tough troops. I ran out of arrows, but I had more! I made two more trips to the chest to restock arrows and still they did not die. Fortunately, I had a crossbow and bolts in my chest! That enabled me to finish off the baddest of the bad-asses so all that were left were shield dudes. I rode around them, bashing away at their pitiful shields with my hammer of Hamlet.

Then they got my horse. Game over, man! Soooo close.

See, I don't even have the option of putting my mounted troops into a castle and raising a new army of footman because I only have a lousy village. If I wait too long, will I lose this quest? ^{Anxiety intensifies.}

I've got the bastards following me as I try to come up with yet another strategy. As I cross a bridge, I remember having a battle on bridge over a deep river. I wonder ...

I wait for Gunnar's band to catch up and challenge me. I give my troops orders (ever the optimist, I figure if I dismount my cavalry, I might stand a chance). The battle begins and the baddies start for the bridge; that beautiful bottleneck. My troops are too far back! With no other options, I order them to charge ... and learned that my cavalry are still mounted. This is not going to go well. Still, I fight.

I pull up near the bridge and proceed to drive arrows into as many enemy heads as I can. That lasts for about thirty seconds because one of those bastards lobbed an ax at me and took me out with one hit.

With my finger poised over the retreat button, I watch my troops falling left and right. Then I noticed something weird on the mini-map: fewer and fewer red dots. I'm losing troops, but he's losing more. I have no idea how. Several minutes later, my dudes throw their arms in the air and shot. I won? Holy hell, I actually won. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, I saved the game!

Submitted February 13, 2018 at 04:11PM by photolouis http://ift.tt/2sui10U