Siege of Tossagrad

Not to be confused with the Battle of Tossagrad, which took place in June 2021.

The Siege of Tossagrad, also known as the Second Battle of Tossagrad, was the first actual battle in the Second West March War in the historic Ryzani capital of Tossagrad. It was the first battle of the Second Stage & the first time that a Syltoren nation had successfully defeated Bardonian forces in a defensive battle since the Battle of Northport.

Prelude
The Second West March War formally restarted on October 3rd, 2022, with the announcement by the Bardonians that they would be marching on Tossagrad. The date for the battle was decided the same day as October 10th.

Preparations for the battle by the United Crowns of Syltor were extensive, with a chunk-wide trench being dug down to deepslate level surrounding the city, alongside barbed wire (berry bush) lines that spanned the western sectors, ice surrounding the trench, fake water traps & obsidian barricades atop the walls. The UCS used their prior contracts from the first stage of the war, so they did not have to spend any money on mercenary groups for the battle.

Bardonian preparations were also extensive. An estimated 70-90 sets of armour were bought and/or produced, alongside many mercenary groups. Defences at Lobopolis were minimal if not non-existent. This may be because they were not expecting a UCS counteroffensive on the city as a swift victory in Tossagrad was inevitable.

Events of the Siege
Bardonian troops, under the command of Howertt Medici, armoured at Lobopolis, seemingly in homage to the original West March War and begun their march, gathering food supplies at Port Solanaria, before passing Vologda in the dead of night, using the swamp to camp before they marched on Tossagrad. However, the decay and drain on supplies and morale caused by the western march, meant Bardonian national forces were not fit to properly fight.

UCS, allied, & volunteer forces spread out along the wall and set up defensive positions as Bardonian and mercenary forces attacked the walls from multiple sides. The defenders on the walls were initially isolated and overwhelmed, with heavy fighting stoon starting in the streets and houses of Tossagrad. Bardonian and mercenary forces were able to push defenders out of the victory point in the 'throne room'. Shortly after this, most of Bardonia's mercenaries and most of their allies, consisting of around half of their army, abandoned the battle for unknown reasons

UCS forces regrouped at Erebor and Vologda, doing so very quickly due to good logistics. When the Bardonians caught wind of this, they attempted to send reinforcements through Volkoregrod to cut off the UCS reinforcements, however this plan was foiled when Nappa Doy trapped these Bardonian and Mercenary troops in the city & held them for ransom until 25 minutes after the end of the war.

Fighting started on the outskirts of the city, and within Erebor and Vologda, with UCS forces still in the Tossagrad beginning to inflict heavy losses on the Bardonians, who were unable to effectively regroup after respawning due to bad logistics & the previously mentioned traps at the spawn points of most Ryzani cities. A small group of soldiers, led by Tsarina-Velereth Shan Tossovich, retook the victory point and spawn point and held it as the remaining UCS forces counter-attacked from Erebor & flushed the remaining Bardonians out of the city. Those Bardonian and mercenary soldiers still fighting on the outskirts of the city then fled the battlefield.

Aftermath
The Siege of Tossagrad was a colossal failure militarily & logistically for Bardonia. Autarch Howertt Medici was removed from power shortly after the battle, for the combined reasons of attempting to sue for peace with the UCS & his collective military failures. He would switch sides & fight for the UCS for the rest of the Second Stage of the War. The victory at Tossagrad allowed the UCS to go on the offensive in the next battle, which was selected to be at New Dorasterrock on October 23rd after much debate.