The Type 02 standard longsword in the hands of melee infantry is made of high-carbon steel produced by the Chinese. It is not supplemented with flashy and expensive elemental arrays, but with a weight control array. According to the operator's thoughts, the weight of the longsword can be increased at any time. A skilled swordsman can activate the array when the potential energy is the highest, greatly increasing the power of the chopping. In addition, there is a solid array to increase the durability of the longsword, making its hardness reach 58-60HRC.
The armor is composed of a steel helmet, breastplate, shoulder armor, skirt armor, as well as hand guards and greaves. The armor plates are made by hydraulic stamping. Although simple, the protection is enhanced after being enchanted, and it is not much worse than the general enchanted armor on the market.
The Type 02 air pistol is a shortened version of the Type 01 air rifle, which can hold two bullets. Although its power and range are significantly shortened, it enhances the soldiers' ability to fight at medium distances.
In the Infantry Drill Manual, when defending in formation, the typical fighting method of melee sword and shield soldiers is to throw crystal grenades when the enemy rushes within 150 meters. Within 30 meters, they first shoot with a pistol and then draw their swords to engage in battle.
Xiao Chen and Catalina walked a little further and encountered a group of cavalry. There were not many cavalry in the guard army. The group in front of Xiao Chen had only about fifty people. The equipment of the cavalry was very similar to that of ordinary infantry, except that they replaced their weapons with 02-type lances. The lances were shorter than rifles, but the general structure was similar, and the ammunition and parts were universal. They were also equipped with a close combat weapon - a saber, but these cavalry were not used for charging, but for flank harassment and pursuit from behind. When there were not enough scouts, they would also participate in battlefield blocking.
Behind the cavalry appeared two slowly moving magic crystal trucks. There were a lot of supplies piled on the cargo beds, but on both sides of the cargo beds were some soldiers in military uniforms sitting. However, these people were not carrying air guns, but magic wands.
"We are the only ones who treat mages like this." Katarina said, "If other forces dared to treat mages like this and treated them as soldiers, those mages would have rebelled long ago."
"A wizard shouldn't be special. I've said it before, more and more people will master magic in the future, and becoming a wizard won't be a rare thing. There are few wizards on this continent, just because education can't keep up." Xiao Chen smiled, "Do you know how many of the newly enrolled middle school students know apprentice-level magic?"
Katerina shook her head.
"Fifty percent!" Xiao Chen stretched out his hand. "When they graduate from high school, this number will increase a lot. Although I don't know how many of them can become low-level mages. But I am optimistic. The fact that we have trained so many mage apprentices shows that our training method is correct. Look, so many people can use magic, so what's so precious about magicians?"
These mages indeed had no sense of being "noble". They huddled together with the goods, meditating or chatting, and they did not feel uncomfortable at all, nor did they act in a pretentious manner.
The Guards stipulated that low-level mages in the army must form a mage class of ten people and fight in a joint casting method. Mid-level mages will form teams of three to ten people according to conditions. They usually fight by casting spells alone. When attacking or encountering strong enemies, they will also fight in a joint casting method. In addition to being equipped with a staff, each of these mages will also have a 02-type air rifle and an extra small kettle containing a potion that stimulates mental power.
Behind the two crystal vehicles were several small crystal trailers towing pneumatic cannons. The small crystal trailers were much smaller than the trucks, but more flexible. A gun mount was mounted directly behind the front of the vehicle, on which a two-meter-long pneumatic cannon was placed. Several artillerymen were either sitting on the gun mount or walking beside the trailers. They were the lightest-equipped soldiers, with no other weapons or equipment except a Type 02 air pistol.
"This cannon is bigger than the previous ones," said Catalina.
"This is a 120mm pneumatic cannon. Generally speaking, the larger the caliber, the greater the power." Xiao Chen said with a smile. "If our plan in Suero City doesn't go smoothly, then we have to rely on them to break open the gates of the inner city."
In the year after the attack on Arano, the Ministry of Industry launched two new types of pneumatic cannons. One is a reinforced pneumatic cannon with a caliber of 120mm, which is 50% larger than the first type of pneumatic cannon and has a larger caliber. Although it is not as convenient to transport as the first type of pneumatic cannon, it is much more effective when attacking a city. The other is a 60mm caliber mortar. This lightweight cannon is used to fire small elemental shells, and its power is equivalent to a low-level mage's attack. Its power cannot be underestimated when used on a large scale.
The original 80mm/L25 pneumatic cannon also had its gas tank and rifling strengthened, and the inflation array was improved, which further increased the inflation speed by 30%. In addition, the weight-reducing array that can be turned on and off at any time has achieved a new balance in mobility and power.
Another huge improvement came from the shells. After nearly two years of hard work, the Ministry of Science and Technology finally mastered the formulas of several explosives. Although there is still a gap between them and the high-energy explosives in the original world, after loading them into conventional shells and adding magic circles and crystals, the effect can be taken to a higher level. In addition, with the help of alchemists, absorbing the accumulation of mages from the Tower of Shining Wings and the Kingdom Magic Association, a series of special magic shells have been recently developed.
"I think even if our plan fails, Marquis Baldini of Suero will surrender directly when he sees this army. After all, he only has a very weak city guard and at most some mercenaries." Catalina said.
"Our opponent was not him. Suero is just a commercial city after all. However, the imperials have made up their minds to make a fortune. They will definitely not be easy to deal with." Xiao Chen said as he looked at the army that was constantly moving forward. "Moreover, our team has not been truly tempered. The Guards have been expanded on a large scale several times in the past six months, from a battalion to four regiments, with a size of nearly 5,000 people. In this team, the veterans have been seriously diluted, and the soldiers who have been on the battlefield have become very few. Wang Jiyuan can't even guarantee that the squad leader of each squad has been on the battlefield once. Some people were just small soldiers before, and before they had time to see blood, they became deputy platoon leaders in the blink of an eye.
You know very well the difference between mercenaries who have seen blood and those who have not, so the same is true for our guards. If everything goes well, it's fine. Once there are any setbacks, that's when the real test comes. Weapons and equipment are never the core of a unit, but talent is. "