Chapter 128 - The Last Stand (1/2)
Chapter 128 - The Last Stand
Translated by Bloodfalcon, Edited by Krayto
“HAHAHAHAHAHA, you want to charge my heavy infantries with that cavalry? Perhaps if your heavy cavalry numbers equaled my heavy infantry, I will be scared. But you actually dispatched only 100 cavalry soldiers to fight my 3,000 heavy infantries. Oh, Your Highness Prince of Shu, this Zhou Cheng really overestimated your abilities!”
Zhou Cheng dispelled all of the bad feelings in his heart. He thought there will be ambush after this. If not, how can those people so easily be routed? Both armies had not yet clashed but Zhou Cheng decided that he has seen the depths of the Prince of Shu’s abilities.
He decided that this Prince of Shu is garbage. If not, how can his soldiers be routed so easily?
Regarding the great s.h.i.+eld and armor that was discarded by Urban Army, Zhou Cheng had seen them and even picked up a few.
Zhou Cheng did not know how much ore was used to use to make that s.h.i.+eld, but that is definitely not inferior to the s.h.i.+elds his heavy infantries used and was in fact lighter.
The s.h.i.+eld, helmet and armor were made by Liu Mang by utilizing a small blast furnace during the calm period after Lu Bu got Wancheng city. However, those were made in a hurry and was definitely not a good quality like those that he brought back from the future.
In ancient times, defensive power was proportional to weight. The more heavy an armor, the better its defensive properties. These heavy armor that the Black Flag used is weighed about 50 kg with for the upper body armor and lower body. In addition there was the heavy sword and s.h.i.+eld. The burden placed on one person is actually totaled 70 kg. Such armor can drain people’s physical stamina.
Over 150lbs
The Zhou clan secretly picked up 5,000 orphans to train to become the Black Flag. But from those 5,000 orphans, left only 3,000. These 3,000 troops were all elites and their height is more than 180 cm, so they definitely can put on heavy armor.
A little over 5 11’
But these heavy armor are spoils of war, its weight was only half of the refined armor from Black Flag. With kind this armor, Zhou the clan can make two battalions of the Black Flag. Zhou Cheng has decided, if he catches up to the Prince of Shu, he will interrogate him on how to build these armor and s.h.i.+elds before he kills him. This kind of armor and s.h.i.+eld can boost his Black Flag's combat capability by several folds.
Thinking of these armor mixed with his Black Flag’s combat capability, made Zhou Cheng's eyes painted with greed.
Cheng Yu who is with cavalry squadron charging towards the Black Flag's flank under Liu Mang's order exclaimed
“b.a.s.t.a.r.dS, YOU ATTACK MY CITY FROM INSIDE, KILLED MY COMRADES. IT IS PAYBACK TIME FOR YOUR SINS!!!!”
These cavalry soldiers are the Urban Army's elites. They are comprised of the Urban Army's original members who survived Battle of Mt. Bagong and those who survived Kaiyang's siege.
If Cheng Yu had 300 cavalry soldiers, he had confidence that he can charge into 5,000 regular foot soldiers. He truly had confidence in his Urban Army brothers’ prowess. But currently he only had these 100 brothers and his opponents were 3,000 heavy infantries. Cheng Yu gulped down his saliva and took a deep breath to calm down his nerves and raised his spear.
TL: Cavalry vs Heavy Infantries. It would be like 5 Tanks VS 200 Navy Seals armed with Grenades and C-4
“URBAN ARMY, TOGETHER WE LIVE OR DIE; TOGETHER,WE SHARE RICHES AND HONOR!!!”
”TOGETHER WE LIVE OR DIE; TOGETHER WE SHARE RICHES AND HONOR!!!!” These words left a deep impression to the Urban Army veterans.
Liu Mang let them eat delicacies that was only reserved for their lord Lu Bu. He also shared his reward from Battle of Mt. Bagong. Remembering the Battle of Mt. Bagong, the Urban Army was faced with 2,000 troops of Yu Province Cavalry and was besieged from the flank by 3,000 troops of foot soldiers from Chen Lan and Lei Bo.
At that time, Liu Mang unexpectedly led 100 of his cavalry troops to counter-charge Chen Lan and Lei Bo. Even though they were not elites but they able to annihilate Liu Mang's cavalry squadron and Liu Mang himself almost perished.
With this kind of general that treat his own men like his own brothers, it will be unfair if they did not go all out, even if they already lost their helmet and armor. As long as their heart still beating, they will continue to fight for this general.
Zhou Cheng also humphed coldly and said “OVERCONFIDENT, ALL OF YOU LIKE ANTS TRYING TO SHAKE A TREE!” Zhou Cheng really did not care for those cavalry. Jiangdong’s area is not suitable for raising horses and so what?
Instead cavalry, we can use heavy infantries as subst.i.tute. If ordinary cavalry soldiers met with this heavy infantries, the cavalry soldiers would be decimated.But if they meet with heavy cavalry, then Zhou Cheng might become perplexed because both of them will definitely have a huge casualties.
However, the one who charged only was these 100 heavy cavalries, what can they do to his heavy infantries?
Zhou Cheng's vision quickly changed from those cavalry soldiers who attacked their flank to the currently escaping Urban Army. Those Urban Army ran faster because currently their cavalry squadron is slowing down the Black Flag.
“I WILL NOT LET THEM ESCAPE!!!” Zhou Cheng's target has not changed from the very start, he wanted Liu Mang's head and he wanted Liu Mang's technology to build these armor and s.h.i.+elds in order to fortify Wancheng city. Decimating that cavalry squadron will not bring either of those merits.
“CHANGE FORMATION!!!” Cheng Yu issued his order. The entire squadron quickly changed into wedge formation. This formation is used in order to “bleed the enemy's nose” and confuse enemies, therefore opening for further damage.
“CHARRGGGEEEEE!” These 100 cavalry troops led by Cheng Yu are showing the momentum of 1,000 cavalry troops. This is what Zhang Liao taught the Urban Army's cavalry squadron.
He taught that the cavalry squadron must have the momentum to kill in one charge. That way, it will strike fear in the enemy's heart and bring great confusion. And if that happens, the cavalry squad would have won half of the battle.
When Zhang Liao led the Bing Province Heavy Cavalry, during their initial charge, they usually spread out first in order to gain momentum and strike fear into the enemy's heart by trembling the earth and raising dust. They can do that, with a minimum of 1,000 cavalry troops in order to reach the momentum of 10,000 cavalry troops.