How to write about epic battles

            When writing about epic battles, you need to remember that there has to be a reason one side prevails over the other, and the fact you want that side to win is not a good enough reason for the average reader.  The rules about when a battle can take place are the same as those for single combat, so a review of that post would be helpful before you lay out your battle. 

            In the real world, battles are won or lost for many reasons.  Some battles are won by technology.  Even though the Aztecs were one of the most powerful civilizations in Central America, they had no chance against the Spanish Conquistadors who possessed armor and muskets.   

            Sun Tzu wrote about the advantage to taking the high ground in his book The Art of War.  He wrote of the advantages of forcing an opponent to attack uphill.  He also described nine types of ground, and how commanders should conduct themselves when fighting on each one.  (see the next post about terrain and tactics)

            Another reason is that one side or the other either followed or failed to follow the Principles of War.  Carl von Clausewitz outlined the nine principles of modern warfare in his treatise On War.  The nine principles of warfare are: Mass, Objective, Offensive, Surprise, Economy of Force, Maneuver, Unity of Command, Security, and Simplicity.

Mass:  Concentrate combat power at the decisive place and time.  Even though he was outnumbered, Hannibal won the battle of Cannae because he concentrated his cavalry on one wing of his army.  His massed cavalry overcame the Roman cavalry on that side of their lines, and his horseman crushed the Roman cavalry on the other wing between them.

Objective: Direct every military operation towards a clearly defined, decisive, and attainable goal.  When the Germans attacked the allies in the Battle of France in World War II, their objective was to drive to the coast as quickly as possible.  By doing so, they were able to cut the allied armies into two parts and destroy them one by one.

Offensive;   Seize, retain, and exploit the initiative.  Always take the battle to your enemy, so you can decide where the battle takes place.  The German armies went on the attack in World War I, and were able to fight most of the war on enemy territory, and not on German soil.

Surprise:   Strike the enemy at a time, at a place, or in a manner for which he is unprepared.  Stonewall Jackson moved his corps through a heavily wooded area at the Battle of Chancellorsville.  Because the Union commanders believed that the wooded area provided them with a secure flank, he was able to surprise the Union 11^th Corps, and drive them before him, causing confusion among the other corps of the Union Army.

Economy of force:  Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts.  This principle goes hand in hand with the principle of mass.  If you mass troops in one location, you will have fewer troops in another location.  This force is usually called a masking force.  Their job is to hold the line while the massed troops break through the lines of the enemy force.

Maneuver:  Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of          combat power.  One of the reasons that the Germans prevailed in the Battle of France in 1940 is that their armored units were operating independently from their infantry and at their top speed.  The allies had divided their tanks evenly among their infantry divisions, and drilled the tank units at slower speeds, so the infantry could keep pace with them. 

Unity of command:  For every objective, ensure unity of effort under one responsible commander. 

Security:  Never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage.  This principle boiled down, means that a commander must keep their plans, movements, and troop numbers a secret.  One of Robert E. Lee’s commanders lost their battle plans when they dropped their cigar case before the Battle Of Antietam.  The Union victory at that battle would have been more decisive had the Union commanders believed that the plans were actually real.

Simplicity:   Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and clear, concise orders to ensure thorough         understanding.  Everyone involved in an attack must understand the part that they are to play in the attack, and must understand the goals of their immediate commander.  If plans are too complicated or not met, the whole battle may be lost.  

On War.  Clausewitz, Carl von.  Princeton NJ, Princeton University Press, 1976.

How to write about combat

    When I was younger, I remember playing a game called Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.  Two players controlled robots, each intent with hitting their opponent’s robot beneath its chin and popping its head off.  The next step was to push the losing robot’s head back down and begin the battle again.  Combat was very simple in that game, the goal was defined, each robot could only throw punches, and there was a definite winner and loser.  Combat in the real world is not so simple, and in order to write a good combat scene there are many things that you should keep in mind.

Before the combat even begins, you should be able to answer the following questions:

Who is offering combat? 
What is at stake?
Why now?

First the who: this is the attacker.  And this leads directly to what is at stake.  The person who begins the fight must have something to gain.  But not only will the stakes determine why the combat is taking place, it will also determine the endgame of the battle.  The more there is to gain or lose, the more likely it is that the fight will continue.  A person with little to lose will probably end the combat shortly after the first injury, while a person who is fighting for their life will leave nothing unused in their bag of tricks.  And now for the important question: why has the attacker chosen this moment?  Something must have changed, or else the person bringing the combat would have done so earlier, or would have waited for a more opportune time.

Once you answer those three basic questions, it is time to choose your weapons.  Fists are an obvious choice, but fists may not be appropriate for mortal combat.

Here is a website that describes many medieval weapons and their usage.

https://www.swordsknivesanddaggers.com/medieval-weapons-glossary.html

Choice of weapons will do several things:

Determine the duration of combat–Wielding a sword is heavy work, especially those made for swinging rather than stabbing.  When writing combat you must take into account how long a person could actually continue fighting, which will be determined by: the weight of their weapon, how it is used, are they wearing armor, using a shield, and has one of the combatants been in combat recently.  King Harold Godwinson lost the battle of Hastings because his men were tired having defeated the army of King Harold Hardrada and then marching almost the length of England to engage the troops of William of Normandy.

Determine the location of combat–-How a weapon is wielded will determine where a battle can take place.  A weapon that is swung requires more room than a weapon that is thrust.  Ranged weapons require wide open spaces, otherwise there is a chance that the terrain will determine the effectiveness of the weapon.  Any kind of cover will limit the effectiveness of arrows, bolts, spears, javelins, etc.

Determine the sequence of combat–It requires more time to bring a heavy weapon into play than it requires to bring a light weapon.  A combatant swinging a battleaxe will be able to strike once, but someone using a dagger should be able to attempt to stab their attacker several times while they are swinging their axe. 

Now it is time for the combat to begin, and time to get creative.

Use all five senses.
Sight–the glint of chainmail, the flash of the blades, the lines of troops, flags, pennants, smoke,

Smell–a battlefield is chock full of smells: smoke, blood, sweat, burning flesh, oil and other flammable substances, propellant, etc.

Hearing–clash of blades, the sound of metal impacting wood, the sound of metal impacting flesh and bone, the thunk of an arrow,

Touch–the aftermath of the impact of a weapon on a body part

Taste–blood, sweat, tears

Describe the effects of combat on the combatants.  They should be getting tired, their arms should start feeling like lead weights, their weapons should be getting slippery from sweat and blood. 

Is there magic involved?  Make sure you define your magic, does it require an implement such as a wand, does it require gestures, are there spell components?

Are there animals involved?  Horses for jousting.

Are there magical beasts? 

Here is a decent list of them:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_legendary_creatures