Group Combat Tactics

General Attack And Defense Postures

There are many basic procedures you should practice at all times, and that should become second nature to you. Whether you are in a pitched battle or you are simply relaxing just after a battle, by following these procedures you can cut down on healing time and prepare for the next encounter.

There are two stances or postures you should practice at all times when out in the field: an attack posture and a defensive posture. Often more emphasis is placed on attacking a beast, not defending from them. It is often when you are defending improperly that you fall. Thus, I will focus on defensive postures first. If you are falling during an attack posture, you should review the basics of fighting available on many other scrolls.

Defensive Postures

The most basic procedure is securing and fortifying the area after combat.
To secure an area you make sure all threats are dealt with and position your group with the most injured or vulnerable members behind the front line of fighters and away from any beasts that may spawn or come across an area's border. When you've positioned your party to account for all these factors, you will have a formation. The formation should be ready to deal with anything that comes its way by optimizing positions to increase response time in the event of combat.

Facing Dangers Head On

D1. Determine which direction the most danger may come from.

Often the most dangerous direction is the one that leads away from town and sometimes it is the border of the area if the border is within visual distance. Make sure the entire party recognizes this direction and acts accordingly. This direction will be referred to as the "front" or the "front line". The opposite direction with be referred to as the "back", "behind the line" or simply "behind."

If all directions pose the same threat, it may be best to move to lessen the directions of possible danger. If this position is desirable. Then deploy the fighters in a ring as mentioned in Guard the Vulnerable below.

Healers: Defensive Posture

D2. Healers should practice a defensive posture when considering healing others.

Thus, when healing themselves or others, they should be behind a healthy fighter. And always stand behind a person they are healing* (especially if it's a fighter who may need to move forward in a hurry to protect a vulnerable healer or other fighter.) Practicing this will cut down valuable seconds from response time and allow healers to continue healing until the fighter decides to move away from a danger, or confront it and use the Healer as a "Backpack." For healers who are able to take hits and keep healing, it is often a good idea to position oneself between a beast and the fallen, so that the fallen will not fall again immediately upon being raised.

*Please note this information is out of date. Now the preferred method of healing is the side, to allow fighters to move back if they need to escape. Backpacking can still be done on strong fighters that mostly brick, or when you know the fighter can kill the threat faster than the threat can kill him/her.

Guard

D3. Guard the Vulnerable.

The first impulse after a battle may be to relax and let your guard down. However, just because one wave of monsters has been vanquished it doesn't mean another wave won't descend upon the group seconds after and strike down those softened up by the previous wave. It is during this time, that the lack of awareness lets another beast strike suddenly at a group, sometimes crippling it by taking out a healer or other valuable member, that is necessary for the group's survival in the area.

Immediately after a battle, fall into a defensive position. Each healthy fighter should be a corner of a polygon with equal distance between each healthy fighter. The most experienced or healthiest fighter, should be facing the most dangerous position, with the other fighters taking the other corners.

Avoid Edges

D4. Heal away from edges.

Many exiles after a battle close to an edge may linger too close to the edge not realizing that leaves themselves vulnerable to beasts that come across. Often, the healers may be tending to an injured person right at the edge and a beast comes across, sometimes with devastating results. Often the injured person falls immediately or the healer that has lost health while healing. A monster simply appears and strikes down the fighter or healer, or both, before the party has time to react.
The solution is to ask the healers and injured to move away and then place a fighter near the edge. If the healer and person they are healing can see the edge, they are too close. The fighter guarding should be able to see the edge if the healers are just beyond it, and pay close attention to the border.

Stand One Length Away

D5. Stand a minimum of one body length away from others at all times unless you are healing, being healed or surrounding a monster.

Often in parties I'll see people right up next to each other. Suddenly a monster will appear and both people end up tripping all over each other to get to the monster. Most of the time being caught on another only delays or inconveniences momentarily. However, sometimes this second or two of confusion spells death for someone in your party, maybe even yourself. By standing one pace away, it allows both of you to choose efficient attack vectors, thus delaying neither person from responding quickly.

Stay Tight

D6. Always stay within visual contact with all members in dangerous areas.

Often parties will be cut down when the group splinters into two or more unbalanced or weaker parties, when two or more members decide to wander away from visual contact with the others. One of three things happens:

1. The straying party encounters an overwhelming number of beasts and is cut down.
2. The straying party leads the beasts back to an unprepared party, which is then cut down.
3. The party that did not stray is overwhelmed when they do not realize other members have left them weaker and vulnerable. Often the straying party will return and realize their error far too late.

It is especially important to stay with the group when members are healing up if you are in good health; they often need guarding to heal quickly and uninterrupted.

Don't Get Flanked

D7. Never allow monsters to flank you, it is your job to control and flank them.

"Flank" means to attack from behind or just behind the right or left of a person. If you are engaging a monster in one direction and another comes from another direction, make sure they are not setting up to surround you, because then only one more monster would be needed to surround you and lower your defensive ability. Use another person at your side (up to one and a half paces away), to close off that side from being flanked. In return you are closing off their side from attack. This creates a wall that you can extend into a circle if the entire party is surrounded or until all beasts can be contained in it.

Terrain Advantage

An example of using Terrain so you only fight one creature at a time

D8. Always use terrain to your advantage or the beasts will.

Always be aware or your surroundings, if you are standing in front of a boulder, this may trap you if beasts come upon you. It is better to stand behind terrain to allow you extra time to get ready for an encounter, or trap more hazardous monsters. Also, you can use a wall, rock or tree as a barrier to guard your flank and prevent monsters from getting behind you when another fighter is not available for that side.

Defense in Motion

When a party is moving from one place to another, you can often minimize the effects of creatures encountered by running in a formation and with a plan of attack and defense decided on before the group moves.

Run Off Kilter

M1. Have each following member in a group run off kilter.

By running just off to the side and not directly behind another member the person can easily change their position relative to the other person without have to first run off to the side, then run around the person in front. This cuts reaction time to anything approaching by eliminating any time the person would waste by having to change directions twice (once to avoid running into the person in front and again to approach the beast on an attack vector).

Fighters Up Front

M2. Place a fighter or two in the head of the group to deal with beasts as they are encountered.

The lead fighter(s) should quickly determine if they should attack the beast and kill it quickly, fall into a group attack or defensive posture or avoid the beast. The leader should be here if moving into an area with the intention of engaging beasts in combat. Also the leading fighters should be able to see all members in the body as well as the fighters running in the rear.

Cover Your Back.

M3. Place a fighter in the tail of the group.

This person monitors those in the body of the group (people being escorted or vulnerable members and less adept fighters) and deals with any beast that comes upon the rear or the sides of the group. The trailing fighter must be ready to call a halt to the group or command it to speed up, depending on the hazards around. Thus it is extremely important for the trailing fighter to be within visual contact of the head of the group.

Cover Your Sides.

M4. Place fighters on the side of the group.

These fighters are there to intercept beasts coming from the sides and can drop or run forward to aid the head or tail of the group in combat immediately. With the other members in visual contact they can immediately react to attack any beast coming in from the side. Often it will be the trailing fighter that moves in to support the side fighters, while the head fighters either move, slow down or stop the group, or move into one of the two postures. Notice the fighter is off to the side in keeping with "M1".

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Offensive Postures: Attack Formations and Movements

Often many defensive formations can serve as a starting point for an offensive movement or formation, assuming you've placed the fighters in a position that readies them for immediate combat. The members of the party should move into a position that allows all members to attack and defend as a fluid body.

Allow easy movements

O1. Allow all combatants freedom of movement during attacks.

At all times all members should be able to move freely by keeping one pace or more between each other. Also, the positions of each person should allow all combatants to move in to attack a beast and fall back freely with a minimum of effort. This cuts down on confusion and the time it takes to move in to attack or fall back by eliminating the possibility of combatants tripping over each other.

Move With Other Fighters

O3. Run in vectors* that allow others to attack as soon as possible.

All combatants should account for other combatants when they choose their attack vector. Thus, if you are closest to a creature, you may wish to flank the creature (run around to the back of it in a tight circle) in order to allow a trailing fighter to move in directly, and you both simultaneously engage the creature which quickens killing it.

*A vector is a line, either straight or curved that forms a link between two points.

Allow Easy Escape

O4. Allow plenty of room for combatants to retreat.

If a beast is already surrounded when you come upon a scene, stand far enough back to allow a fighter the maximum of vectors available for their retreat. This enable them to avoid taking hits from a beast when their balance is depleted, and allows you to immediately move in after they are clear of the beast.

Allow easy Access

O5. Unless you are the anchoring fighter, once you've swung, clear the area around the beast to allow others a clear vector to attack.

Standing in front of a beast while recovering your balance is not only foolish, since the beast may hit you and cause more damage to you than if you were at full balance, but it is also rude and inefficient for party hunts. Therefore, once you've swung out, and there are enough other fighters trapping a beast, move away to allow others a free and unobstructed path.

The Strongest Anchors

O6. Use the strongest fighter as an anchor, and let them take the hits.

With particularly strong beasts, the strongest fighter often can either brick the monster or take damage while other, weaker fighters, move in after each swing to attack. This prevents the beast from moving to attack the closest fighter (who may be injured enough to fall from a blow) or escaping a trap. NOTE: With hard hitting creatures, the strongest fighter, may be injured enough to have to step back. If you are the next strongest fighter, or a healer who is able to rod the creature, be prepared to step forward and take hits in the other person's place or else they may fall without someone to cover them.

Miscellaneous Tips

At all times in groups, be aware of the conditions around you and be prepared to counteract things that weaken your group.

In a group every member is responsible for each other, thus be aware of the conditions surrounding the group as well as yourself. If you see a hole in an attack or defensive posture, be prepared to fill it if doing so does not open up another hole. If you are needed somewhere, if you are holding creatures or otherwise supposed to be somewhere, do not abandon your post, unless you may fall if you do not move.