Life on the Wall
ItÕs hot. My arms and legs burn with fatigue from
squatting behind my shield. The shieldwall stretches out to my left as far as I
can see. I watch spears and polearms working back and forth over my head, as
the two lines look for some kind of advantage. Suddenly I hear Oswulf call my
name, ÒPerrin, keep your shield up!Ó I react without thought, just before an
enemy spear caroms off my shield at head height. Five minutes later, the word
is passed down the line, and we press forward. The opposing wall crumbles, and
we roll them back. The army of Atlantia pursues them, but without me. Having
lost my leg, IÕm of little use to the ensuing mobile action.
ÒShields
to the front!Ó ItÕs time to go to work on the shieldwall.
Pack
together, shoulder-to-shoulder. With your shields touching, or just
overlapping.
If
a gap is too big for you to cover completely, donÕt try to. Call for a
shield-brother to squeeze in next to you.
Hunker
down so your shield completely covers your target area.
If
you have a large warboard, you can kneel down during a static battle and rest
the bottom edge on the ground.
Use
a hanging guard to protect your head and keep your sword out of the way of your
own spearmen.
Shield
up! Shield up! Keep your shield up!
Be
prepared to squat there for a long time.
DonÕt
worry about making kills. The spears do most of that on a static shield wall.
Just take opportunity shots when the enemy does something stupid.
If
you can, try to rotate shieldmen on the front-line so no one becomes too
exhausted.
If
someone with a big shield dies, he will leave it there on the wall. Just drop
your own or give your shield to a friend, and take his place.
Some
people may try to climb up onto and over the shields. Be ready to club them,
but donÕt drop your shield.
Read our news blog, and take a sneak peak at whatÕs in the pipeline
