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You amass your forces at a trio of nearby hills.
This position will let you form a wall of infantry that protects the Fireblood machines that shall bombard the enemy, but it will be an inflexible formation with the cavalry having little to say.
The enemy approaches from two sides by the next hour; southwest and west, no doubt having tried to flank you. Seeing your troops so deposited on the uphills, they must've given up on the idea.
You raise your sword and begin initial bombardment just as the enemy approaches the hills.
2
It has little effect! The enemy deeper ranks are far from the blast zones, and only the small troops of skirmishers and vanguard are decimated by the early fire.
It's when you notice that the enemy is using cavalry to ride around the hills!
3*
The lightning-fast movements of light cavalry, showering your front lines with lead bolts shot by their Firetubes (or whatever Damdamian equivalent that is) cannot be easily matched by your infantry, which has trouble shooting accurately; your artillery can't even turn that fast to direct its fire!
Hundreds are picked off by the Damdamian mounted skirmishers before your officers raise an alarm - a great wedge of heavy cavalry, armed with axes and long lances, is running up the hill to smash through the most-thinned-out of your lines!
4*
The wedge smashes into your infantry lines, but this time its your troops that have upper hand. The cavalry soon loses its momentum and is bogged in a heavy melee, shots swishing above men's head as axes chop and spears stab, men screaming and horses whinning.
The fighting is inconclusive at the moment, but both sides certainly bleed. What to do?
A) I will inspire my men to do better by joining the frontlines!
B) I will strengthen the forces fighting in the melee with troops from other sides!
C) I will use my cavalry to reinforce the frontlines!