Wyvern Horde

A horde does not always commit all of its numbers at once. At Basgiath, the first wave engages while many more wyvern wait beyond the edge of Lilith’s thunderstorm, with dark wielders holding back for a second wave and the formation leaving space for a leader arriving on a larger wyvern.

Wyvern can approach in dispersed paths instead of one compact mass. The Aretia attackers come through bad weather in pairs across dozens of paths and altitudes, apparently testing the wards or avoiding one large target.

At Draithus, the horde changes tactics during the battle. It waits in siege posture before launching, splits part of its force north toward Medaro Pass, and sends venin-carrying wyvern in different directions toward the city, Violet and Tairn, and the mountains.

A horde is used for direct pressure against a defended stronghold. The Basgiath attack arrives as an immediate assault wave, forcing the defenders to hold until Melgren’s forces can reach them.

A horde can also pin defenders in place while threatening civilians elsewhere. At Draithus, the wyvern initially hold a siege posture around the city, and part of the force bypasses the city toward Medaro Pass while evacuees are still moving.

Heavy fixed defenses can kill wyvern during an approach, but ammunition limits matter. At Draithus, enormous cross-bolts fire into the oncoming cloud, and Violet judges that the defenders will soon run out.

A strong windstorm can temporarily ground wyvern. The force threatening Medaro Pass is held on the valley floor while the storm lasts, but it resumes flight as soon as the storm stops.

Dark wielders are present with the uncommitted wyvern during the Basgiath attack. Most of them hold back for a second wave while the horde waits for permission before the leader arrives on a larger wyvern.

Theophanie is present as an enemy leader during the Draithus battle while part of the horde moves toward Medaro Pass. After the fighting, some surviving wyvern retreat into the mountains with her.

The Basgiath horde arrives before dawn in a massive formation of gray wings and proves larger than the defenders expected. Only part of the force engages at first, while the rest waits beyond Lilith’s storm until the leader’s arrival.

A smaller horde attacks Aretia through bad weather in scattered waves. Some wyvern reach the north gate, others skirt the officers’ line, and four fly low toward a lone structure outside the walls.

The Draithus horde first covers the eastern fields without stopping the western evacuation, then launches into the city battle as gray wings rise in the south. Dragons and gryphons hold above the walls while cross-bolts strike into the approaching cloud.

The Medaro Pass detachment threatens the evacuation route after splitting from the Draithus battle. Seventeen wyvern rise against only three dragons and four gryphons at the pass, and several break through toward civilians before Cat, Maren, Bragen, and Neve engage part of the group.

The Draithus battle continues even after Violet destroys an inhuman number of wyvern. Surviving wyvern breach the city’s airspace, attack Cuir in a group, climb the spiral tower, and leave dead or wounded dragons and gryphons across the city.

Basgiath is the first major defended target cited for a horde assault, with Melgren’s forces racing to arrive after the first wave.

Aretia is threatened by a smaller, dispersed wyvern force that appears to probe its wards and avoid forming one easy target.

Draithus and Medaro Pass are linked during the same horde assault. The city faces the main siege and air attack, while the pass becomes the evacuation route threatened by a northern detachment.