>>I just meant in general inasmuch as I don't think Tatius, being of >>The College of Magic would have any qualms about using the Heartland >>Corps (or similar) in such a costly venture, even if it had failed in >>the past.
> Tatius is Dean of the College of Magic, a political appointment.
> I've seen nothing to suggest he is a magician himself.
I see Tatius as much as a magician as Broyan. He is a Dara Happan patriarch, i.e. an incarnation of a manifestation of Yelm (Antirius/take your choice).
Political appointment: maybe. But he also is from a family trust that takes its power from the construction of Reaching Moon temples. Even if not a great field magician, as a project leader he will know all about coordinating divergent magics.
In my personal opinion, Tatius is a worse military thinker than Euglyptus. Because he is a magic specialist. Common soldiers, even those of the phalanxes, are just magical ingredients to him. IMO Euglyptus had some qualifications at getting an army marching, and Tatius probably will be able to copy those achievements. Exhorting an army to martial efforts is not their style.
Tatius would have thought of neutralizing a machine gun by providing more targets than the MG had bullets. Unlike his WW1 counterpart, he would have made good use of the spilled blood, though...
> Any magic
> he has is going to be related to the major Lunar HQ he's planning
> although I think he delegates the magic itself to others. He's going
> to be well aware of the implications of casualties to Heartland
> Corps units. And has plenty of provincial and mercenary soldiers
> who's loss has no political ramifications.
Even so, I don't think he would think twice whether to use up an Oroninian or Darjiinian regiment - it is Yelmic and (upper) Lunar nobility he would use sparingly. Unless they make the perfect mythical precedent (read: sacrifice) for some magical preparation.
The Carmanian 7 year build-up involved the ritual battlefield death of the brother of the Shah along with an expedition army. That's part of what the military doctrine of the Imperial college is based on.
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