[quote=@Nariata]
[@babbysama]

Fair points across the board.  Should we adopt the defensive posture and own it on the first day?  Go big with a trench line dug in front of our defensive line, cavalry shrouded in cover ready to launch the counter assault, maybe find a way for some of the archers to climb the walls of the canyon to bring fire down from above?
[/quote]

That's the kind of thing I was imagining. Traps, caltrops, maybe some magical defenses scattered about the field; barrels of pitch and burning oil positioned on the heights to rain down on enemies; trenches, etc. etc. Of course to do that is also to tie our hands, because we'd be unable to maneuver; it'd be a siege, not a battle, and maybe that might be the better idea if we're going up against an unbeatable army. Although we don't have a chance at all to beat Alaric, I doubt that IC many of the commanders will fancy the idea of just sitting idly by. So ultimately I think we'll have to hit a sweet spot between offense and defense, obviously with a greater emphasis on defense. Like, a strategy that's highly defensive but also gives us wiggle room to maneuver, make raids, sally forth, etc. I think that's the only way we're going to be successful (to the extent that we can be successful).