“Sure, why not,” I said as I walked to stand a few feet in front of the melee fighters. “I’ll keep it simple. A bunch of shite farmers are headed this way, and we are going to kill them all. If someone next to you gets hurt, pull them back. Reinforcements are coming, but not as quick as that lot.” I pointed to the crowd of enemies, which had slowed to an orderly advance and were even now crossing the first bridge. “We killed close to a hundred of the bastards, but there are more ratkin, a ton of trow, and freaking spiders. The Unfey Nightmares have a paralysis attack, so be careful. Focus on supporting our front line, and when I say so, drop the heavy damage spells. And if any of you see a commanding unit, drop them faster than a blind date who asks to meet your mother.”
Laughter spread through the ranks of players, and I felt some of the tension ease. No shouts of glory or immortal conquest, but at least I’d helped them relax a bit.
A final platoon of the ratkin had arrived at last, which, by the looks of it, had pulled up the rear of the enemy formation. I could barely make out their commander speaking with a huge trow, giving orders no doubt. My guess at their attack plan was confirmed as a line of trow began marching across the bridge. They had taken shields from the ratkin, and though their progress was slow and intentional, I realized they would be all but impossible to bring down with ranged attacks.
The enemy had a front line that was ten trow across and five or six ranks deep. Behind that, the bulbous forms of the spiders marched, the ratkin last of all.
A subtle vibration ran through the bridge as the heavy fighters marched. I felt a surge of adrenaline spike, my vision becoming acute. I focused on breathing slow and steady.
Some of the fighters in our front line were moving about, anxious to start the fight. I shouted, “Hold the line! We just have to slow these bastards down!”
As the trow came into range, a few loose volleys of arrows began to rain down. Many of the projectiles bounced off of the heavy shields, but I watched one arrow strike a trow in its neck. Even that direct shot fell away, only a tiny spot of blood emerging.
More arrows rose and fell, so I shouted the obvious. “Hold your fire! Save the arrows for squishier targets. Casters, see what magic can do!”
A few magical bolts flew out at the trow from the towers above. These had a greater effect than the arrows. One spell, a large mass of black energy, splashed over the top of a shield and caused one of the attackers to fall to the ground, screaming as his face and chest were eaten away. But most of the others either caused minor wounds or else were blocked entirely.
I called again, “Keep it up, but reserve your mana for support or AOE when we need it!”
At twenty paces, a distant voice screamed from across the bridge, “Charge!”
Only two other trow fell before our forces met. They had quickly been replaced, so it was a wall of ungodly strength and steel that crashed into us. Keeping the trow close together and holding off the charge until the last minute had been a smart move. When the enemy hit, there was enough unified force to knock us back several feet, a few of the guards getting wounded or falling right away.
“Push!” I shouted, then used a Quake Stomp, forcing a couple of the trow before me to their knees to reduce the pressure of their assault. Oliver’s Paladin friend dropped a few energy hammers, leaving the targeted trow with a Dazed status. That gave me some hope, as even their great strength was reduced with the debuff. “Debuff spells on the frontline!”
As soon as I finished shouting, several skills were released at the same time. Xiao Pang roared and a fiery sandstorm whirled into existence, seeming to confuse and enrage the trow. A few of them turned and attacked their fellows. Immediately after, a caster from above finished an ecstatic chant that I could hear even over the roar of the press of battle. A huge meteor fell in the enemies’ midst, and though little damage was done, at least a dozen of them fell to the ground, only to be stepped on by their allies.
More of the debuff spells were loosed, some causing Daze or Blindness. The result was nearly as catastrophic as the AOE stacking had been back at our ambush.
I screamed, a surge of bloodlust filling me with purpose, “Front line, push forward!”
My Stamina had not fully recovered after my mad dash away from my heroic stand, but I had some room to play. Trusting our magical support, I used Rampage again, feeling my HP bleed into increased strength and speed. Then I used Whirlwind three times in quick succession. Those that were around me acted in like fashion, Tejón using his Mauling Frenzy, and a couple other warriors amping up their attacks. The result was carnage.
Oliver had figured out the same thing and hollered, “Armor-piercing attacks!”
I changed my tactic to a more methodical style of fighting, remaining defensive, avoiding strikes from the huge battle axes and hammers that the trow held. Then, when I saw an opening, I used Sunder and split one of the trow’s heads in two.
The fight was going well so far, but the trow, even despite the many debuffs, were powerful foes. Another of the Bridgerun guardsmen fell to my right. The trow who’d gotten within reach lifted the man by his neck and crushed him.
One of the tank players was cut nearly in two by a massive sword-wielding trow, and poor Xiao Pang took a hammer to his face. The flame leopard gored the trow, but
