MOSTELLER'S BATTLE TACTIC # 1

Basic, fundamental tactics and strategies of real combat can serve the Hyborian War player well, if adapted to the game environment and game rules.

One of my favorite tactics is to utilize a "divide-and-conquer" tactic. If executed properly, it can effectively alter the existing balance-of-power for a given kingdom, compared to that of its enemy.

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but the best path to conquering your enemy's provinces is not necessarily a straight line at all.

The "divide-and-conquer" tactic is an extremely valuable tool to include in your tactics arsenal. You do not have to be a master tactician in order to understand how to employ this tactic against your enemies.

Why "divide-and-conquer?" Consider the following:

(1) You can use this tactic to effectively disrupt and impede your enemy's supply lines. If you succeed in severing your enemy's "line-of-reinforcement," by cutting his nation into two or more distinct groups of provinces (geographically speaking), you are able to then deal with the enemy on terms far more reasonable than otherwise would be the case.

(2) If used to encircle or cut-off the enemy's capital, the effect can be particularly devastating. Only your enemy's armies in provinces adjacent to, or which have an unfettered line of reinforcement from, his capital can be reinforced, once your armies succeed in cutting the enemy in two.

(3) If "divide-and-conquer" is employed successfully to encircle the enemy capital completely, then a side benefit is that your enemy's treasury will begin to see a sharp increase in troop encampment costs, which will result if new troops raised have no place to go for assignment but to the enemy's capital. If the enemy's capital is not completely cut-off from his outer-lying provinces, the ability to damage your enemy's treasury via "forced encampment costs" will correspond directly to how few additional provinces your enemy has which border or are connected by alliance or additional conquests to his capital.

(4) If the "divide-and-conquer" tactic is used in conjunction with timely placed peace treaties, the end effect will be that you will limit and impede your enemy's ability to expand at his leisure, by effectively disrupting his ability to expand. Sever his supply lines (lines of reinforcement), and then slap him in a peace treaty, to effectively consolidate your position.

(5)Successful implementation of the "divide-and-conquer" tactic forces your enemy to alter his existing strategy, by compelling him to now endure a forced change of plans. Barring your enemy being willing to effectively "cede" a given portion of his still-owned outer-lying territory to you, a situation where no hope of future reinforcement of outer-lying armies is possible swiftly becomes an untenable situation to any player who finally ultimately realizes his fate. Empty imperial armies do not invade additional provinces, nor do empty provincial armies. Even full (30 troop strength level) provincial armies in outer-lying provinces will cease to be of use in an offensive capacity, if an outer-lying imperial army needed to initiate an invasion, whereby those full provincial armies can be "added to" the imperial army in question, has less than 8 troops in it. In effect, if successfully carried out in a timely manner, the "divide-and-conquer" tactic can result in your using your enemy's own military strength against himself.

(6) Once outer-lying provincial armies are cut-off from reinforcements from your enemy's capital province, the option of "raiding empty" your enemy's provincial armies can then be implemented (depending upon circumstances, troop types, and troop ability disparities) at your leisure and convenience. In effect, a "war of attrition" tactic directed against enemy outer-lying provincial forces can be useful to whittle enemy forces down over an extended period of time, effectively making your enemy's outer-lying provinces just ripe for the picking.

(7) If employed in a timely manner, and you succeed in cutting-off multiple enemy imperial armies from reinforcement, particularly during the turn they are fighting battles which deplete them of existing troops, you may very well find yourself in a situation where your kingdom can effectively rip the fangs out of your enemy, even if his kingdom is bigger and militarily stronger.

(8) If you miscalculate, and simply assume that your enemy's outer-lying imperial armies do not have 8 or more troops in them, following successfully cutting your enemy's kingdom into two or more distinct parts, your miscalculation may be your own undoing. A timely and accurate military spy report at just the right moment can remove the "element of doubt," where this matter is concerned. Also, even if you succeed in cutting off some of your enemy's imperial armies from reinforcement, always be very aware of the disposition and strength of any of his remaining imperial armies which are not cut-off from additional reinforcement from his capital. If your enemy has imperial armies of strength available to him following your cutting his kingdom into two or more distinct parts, then those very same enemy armies can then be resorted to by your enemy to "re-establish the line-of-reinforcement." In this case, what you don't know very well can hurt you. Indeed, your ignorance can cost you dearly. Again, I stress the value of timely and accurate military spy information on the current location and strength of his imperial armies.

(9) If you are successful at employing the "divide-and-conquer" tactic, and if you follow your success up by using peace treaties to stabilize the status quo, be on guard against enemy taunts designed to irritate and anger you to the point where you will invade him again, thereby breaking the peace treaty you have against him.

(10) Few things are more satisfying than to humble an enemy in Hyborian War to the point where he cannot invade either yourself or anyone else. Even if your enemy's outer-lying imperial armies still possess sufficient strength (8 or more troops) to invade his other neighbors, though you succeed in slapping a peace treaty on him, the more battles he fights thereafter, even against kingdoms other than your own, benefit your kingdom, by virtue of the fact that, once your enemy's outer-lying imperial armies start losing troops in other battles, once they fall below 8 troops in strength, those imperial armies effectively cease to exist as a force to be reckoned with. At that point, your enemy could use those outer-lying imperial armies to raid you with, but again, do not allow a raid (a form of taunting) to goad you into doing something stupid, such as invading the outer-lying provinces where his imperial armies are stranded. Even a loss for your enemy, in this case, is to his advantage and to your kingdom's disadvantage, because if his defeated imperial army retreats to his capital, he will then be able to reinforce it, and by extension, use it against you again.

(11) Be especially aware as to what other kingdoms (player and non-player) which your enemy is allied with. Remember - an alliance your enemy has with another kingdom or kingdoms can be used as a path to reinforce his outer-lying armies. Mistakes on your part, in this regard, can prove fatal to your kingdom.


This tactic has served me very, very well over the years I have been playing Hyborian War, ever since my first game in Hyborian War game # 85. I trust and hope that you - my fellow Hyborian War player - will find this piece of game advice to be of use to you in your future conquests and wars. This is probably the single most effective tactic I have ever used to do well in the various games I have played. The first kingdom I ever used it on was Aquilonia, and it worked like a charm. Let me know if it works for you.

- Charles -

Imperial Troop Types of the Player Kingdoms
* NOTE: Letters in parenthesis denotes that those troops fight with increased ability in that terrain type. Terrain types and abbreviations can be found here.

Amazonia
Amazonian Horse
LCA
Excellent
Good
Excellent
6

Imperial Amazon Foot
MI
Excellent
Good
Superior
3

Aquilonia
Pictish Legion
MIA
Excellent
Good
Excellent
4

Imperial Legion
HC
None
Excellent
Superior
5

Argos
Argossean Army
HI
Adequate
Good
Excellent
3

Argossean Fleet
MNA
Excellent
Good
Superior
3

Asgard
Aesir Hordes
LIA
Excellent
Adequate
Excellent
4

Imperial Aesir Foot
HI
None
Excellent
Superior
3

Border Kingdom
Hyborian Warriors
HI
None
Excellent
Excellent
3

Imperial Knights
HC
None
Excellent
Superior
5

Brythunia
Ware Riders
HC
None
Superior
Excellent
4

Brythunian Archers
LIA
Excellent
Poor
Superior
4

Cimmeria
Migrating Clansmen (HI)
HIA
Good
Good
Excellent
2

Imperial Swordsmen
HI
None
Excellent
Superior
3

Corinthia
Corinthian Nobles
HC
None
Excellent
Excellent
4

Imperial Halbardiers
HIP
None
Excellent
Superior
4

Darfar
Imperial Darfar Horse
LC
None
Excellent
Superior
6

Blowgun Warriors
LIA
Superior
Adequate
Excellent
4

Hyperborea
Cold Legions
HIA
Good
Good
Excellent
3

Albino Horsemen
HC
None
Excellent
Superior
5

Hyrkania
Kossak Outriders
LCA
Good
Good
Excellent
6

Imperial Horseriders
MCA
Excellent
Good
Superior
6

Iranistan
Golden Legion
HI
None
Excellent
Excellent
3

Golden Horse
HC
Poor
Excellent
Superior
5

Juma’s Kingdom
Kulalo Foot
MI
Good
Good
Excellent
3

Kulalo Horse
MCA
Good
Good
Superior
6

Kambulja
Longsword Legion
HI
None
Excellent
Excellent
3

Kambuljan Nobles
MC
Adequate
Excellent
Superior
5

Keshan
Keshan Imperials
HI
Adequate
Excellent
Excellent
2

Alkmeenon Riders
MC
Adequate
Excellent
Superior
5


Khauran
Khauran War Chariots
HCH
Adequate
Excellent
Superior
4

Khauran Legions
HI
None
Excellent
Excellent
3

Khitai
Elite Swordsmen
MI
None
Excellent
Excellent
3

Imperial Warriors
MC
Good
Excellent
Superior
6

Khoraja
Shemish Legions
LIA
Superior
Poor
Excellent
4

Khoraja Imperials
HI
None
Excellent
Superior
3

Kosala
Holy Spear
HIP
None
Excellent
Excellent
3

Kosala Imperial Horse
HC
Adequate
Excellent
Superior
5

Koth
Imperial Spears
HI
None
Excellent
Excellent
2

Imperial Horse
HC
None
Excellent
Superior
5

Kusan
Kusan Swordsmen
HI
None
Excellent
Excellent
3

Kusan Imperialists
HC
None
Excellent
Superior
5

Kush
Kushish Noble Horse
MC
Poor
Good
Excellent
6

Kushish Imperial Spearmen
HI
Good
Excellent
Superior
2


Nemedia
Royal Adventurers
HC
Poor
Superior
Superior
5

Imperial Heavy Archers
MIA
Adequate
Superior
Superior
3

Ophir
Ophir Imperial Lancers
HC
None
Superior
Superior
5

Ophir Royal Archers
MIA
Excellent
Adequate
Excellent
3

Pictland
Pict Imperial Warrior
HIA
Good
Good
Excellent
3

Pict Cavalry
MC
None
Good
Superior
6

Punt
Puntish Golden Horse
HC
None
Excellent
Excellent
5

Puntish Imperial Spear
HI
None
Good
Superior
3

Shem
Asshuri Archers
MIA
Superior
Poor
Excellent
3

Asshuri Horse
HCA
Adequate
Excellent
Superior
5

Stygia
Stygian Cavalry
MC
None
Excellent
Excellent
6

Stygian Imperials
HI
None
Excellent
Superior
2

Tombalku
Tombalku Archers
LIA
Excellent
Adequate
Excellent
4

Tombalku Nobles
HCA
Adequate
Excellent
Superior
5


Turan
Turanian Heavy
HI
None
Excellent
Excellent
2

Turanian Far Horse
MCA
Excellent
Good
Superior
7

Uttara Kuru
Royal Foot
HI
None
Excellent
Excellent
2

Royal Cavalry
HC
None
Excellent
Superior
5

Vanaheim
Vanaheim Horse
MC
None
Excellent
Excellent
6

Vanaheim Imperials (FO)
MIA
Good
Good
Superior
3

Vendhya
Vendhyan Imperialists
HI
None
Excellent
Excellent
3

Royal Horse
HC
None
Excellent
Superior
5

Zamora
Zamoran High Foot (HI)
HI
None
Excellent
Excellent
2

Kezankian Loyalists (MO)
LCA
Excellent
Good
Superior
6

Zembabwei
Imperial Spears
HI
None
Excellent
Excellent
2

Zembabwei Nobles
MC
None
Excellent
Superior
6

Zingara
Zingaran Fast Horse
HC
Poor
Excellent
Excellent
6

Zingaran Imperial Ships
MNA
Good
Good
Superior
3

What I am aiming for, where this forum is concerned, is to primarily use it as a repository to better organize certain data and information pertaining to the play by mail (PBM) game called Hyborian War, which is run by a company called Reality Simulations, Inc. (or RSI, for short). This is a long term project, and with the passage of time and the allocation of effort, I am hopeful that this forum will prove to be useful to the overall Hyborian War community of players.

Site visitors and registered site users are free to use this forum to carry on discussions of their own, of course. If you're looking for Lloyd Barron's The Road of Kings forum site, then click here to go there, now.

Feel free to post any questions that you have about Hyborian War in the forum, here, and I will try to track down the answer(s) for you, if I don't already know the answer(s) to what you are asking.

What is Hyborian War, you ask?

Now you can live the most powerful legend of them all. HYBORlAN WAR™ is a Play-By-Mail game where you control the destiny of the Hyborian Age of Conan. Aquilonia with her Black Dragon knights, slumbering Stygia gathering her wizards, the fantastically helmed armies of Kambulja in the east. Any one of these kingdoms is yours to rule, or choose from over thirty others -- unique and authentically recreated from the Conan series.

The absolute gripping power of this world can be yours. Send forth your lords and generals to lead the armies of invasion. Send forth your heroes to adventure, your spies to kidnap nobles, steal secrets, and assassinate your enemies! Decree the policies of your land, giving your subjects good government or bad. Call upon your priests to speak the wisdom of prophecy and council. Command the sorcerous incantations of wizards. Indeed, the tide of war may turn upon their arcane magics. Rule and Conquer! It is an age of empire and the jeweled thrones of the earth await you.

Land of No Return (LAND) - Province #365 - Non Unified Area

* This province cannot be invaded!

Pathenia (PATH) - Province #364 - Non Unified Area

* This province cannot be invaded!

Mysterious South (MYST) - Province #363 - Non Unified Area

* This province cannot be invaded!

Western Savannah (WSAV) - Provinces #353 through #362 - Non Unified Area

Western Ocean (WOCE) - Provinces #339 through #352 - Non Unified Area

Western Jungles (WJUN) - Provinces #325 through #338 - Non Unified Area