Legions are controlled by various methods, most of which are directly available to any player with suitable city or guild military stature. Depending on the command structure of the legion itself, as designated at its inception or by the Field Marshall or Guildmaster or representative, you will be able to take control of legions, determine their training, equipping, manoeuvres - all the way to the battlefield itself.
Guild armies are led by the Guildmaster/Guildmistress supported by those with Deputy rank. Members with legion-command privileges are honoured with "captain" appointment.
The city military is usually much larger than the more specialist guild soldiery and it is through their highly trained armies the cities defend and/or expand their crucial spheres of influence (see HELP SPHERE). The city-state army is led by the Field Marshall - as senior soldier appointed directly by the Crown - and his/her chosen second-in-command. Next in rank are the "Generals" whose authority - mandated directly by the Marshall - is comprehensive. Other citizens with a penchant for the battlefield will receive "Colonel" rank, enabling most of the command repertoire. Finally there may be numerous Aides to the Field Marshall: a part-symbolic, part-delimiting title: not explicitly entrusted with command of legions on the battlefield or in city defence but allowed to help the enlisting, training and homeland affairs of the army.
Syntax: MILITARY or for the Field Marshall MILITARY <city/guild>.
Brings you a report listing the leaders and other ranked citizens/guildmembers whose names constitute the active military command of your home city or home city (or specified city/guild if you are the Field Marshall).
There are three fundamental methods for commanding legions to execute warfare manoeuvres, the "command post" using your own direct presence, the "carrier pigeon" using prescribed dispatched tagged onto trained pigeons and the "runner", also using dispatches but using an agile scout often from the legion itself; less speedy than the pigeon but also more able to avoid danger and capable of carrying dispatches to legions in the most hard-to-reach locations.
See HELP COMMANDING for specific shortcuts and syntaxes for use at the "command post" or in-location with legion; and HELP WARGAMES for bullet point tutorials with all the info you need to general a legion or when in the same location as the legion you intend to direct.
Syntax: MARSHALL <legion>.
Use this instruction to take up a command-post of the specified legion. It takes a little time for the legion to marshall the correct formation but, having done so, you will be largely shielded from attack (by dint of being at the command-post epicentre) but likewise restricted in various areas (e..g. free use of Farsight and direct melee versus in-location enemies). At the command-post, providing you have the rank and authority, you will be able to pass commands directly to the legion as documented below.
Syntax: RELINQUISH <legion>.
Reverses the effects of the MARSHALL order by information your legion to disperse and afford you a way out, back into the open. The legion will quickly adjust its formation to let you relinquish your commandpost (thereby losing direct control of the group) and return to a normal unprotected state.
Syntax: COM <legion> <order/dispatch> [<specific details>] vs COM <order> et al.
Typing COM followed by a legion name and then all the usual order/specifics is a relatively quick way to command multiple legions in your location without shunting in and out of command-post. The archers example from HELP COMMANDING would, for instance, simply adjust to COM <legion-name> DEPLOY ARCHERS 50 and the order would find the specified legion even if you are not at its command-post. This allows a single commander to control multiple legions all around (providing in the same location) and thus apply more complex tactics. It is a popular alternative to the shortcuts for stronger fighters; but of course benefits from none of the almost-inviolate protections of the command-post.
The HELP COMMANDING file contains a ONE PAGE crucial list of shortcuts for the core essential commands for legion control; a list which if learned will ensure a good level of compentence and ability to meet ANY emergency with some kind of response.
Content Omitted on Intermediate Warfare: "carrier pigeon" "runners "scouts"
Syntax: BATTLEREVIEW CITY/GUILD <date>.
This command provides you with an overview of the battlefield actions for your legions (city or guild). If you include a date it will inform you of action on a period around that date. The interactions are listed by Avalon date but the date you specify should be 'real' date, in the format DDmmmYYYY e..g. 10apr2010 to review the 10th of April 2010.
Help Section 21 is devoted entirely to the art of warfare, including the all-important spheres of influence (where your city flag is raised, from which tributes come), enlisting, legion marching and engagement of the enemy, expanding your sphere of influence, maximising tributes from conquered villages and towns, manning forts and defending your homeland, etc. It is so important you know your fundamentals ( HELP COMMANDING, HELP WARGAMES cover all you need). Then you train others, make a proper military structure to ease the burden for al: problem shared is a problem halved.
Two commands separate to the battlefield direct leadership of your legions are the LEGION and DISPATCH commands. They're explained fully in HELP LEGION and HELP DISPATCHES. They have uses. They allow command from afar (and safe place) but there is no better way than being the general at the frontline of your troops: boosts morale, 10% inrease in strike, 10% increase in defence, faster response to orders given, immediate info about what's happening on the battle rathr than relying on well trained pigeons and hoping nobody shoots them out of the pssing sky.
See specifically HELP LEGION and HELP DISPATCH for syntax and usage of these two important legion-interaction (non-battlefield) and dispatch-manipulation commands.
Fundamentals documented in the single page HELP COMMANDING and the few pages HELP WARGAMS. Absorb just these two and you will be knocking on the door of the warfare extert.
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