On the training ground, bursts of shrill roars rang out one after another.

Clean the gun chamber, insert lead bullets, load gunpowder, aim at the target, pull the trigger...

The guards strictly followed the procedure and fired lead bullets one after another under Luo Wen's scolding, and soon smashed the target in front of them into pieces.

In the end, Luo Wen had to replace all the targets with steel ones, otherwise they would not be able to withstand the test.

This practice lasted for an entire afternoon. Although his palms and shoulders were a little sore from the recoil of the musket, the novelty brought by this thing made Old York completely ignore the physical discomfort and he wished he could practice shooting here all day long.

Even after hearing Luo Wen say that the shooting practice was over and they could rest, the recruits were somewhat reluctant to leave.

Old York took advantage of the break to take a look at the steel target stand. He couldn't help but gasp. The copper shield, which was two fingers thick, was full of pits and dents from lead bullets, and the surface was sunken inwards.

Obviously, even steel cannot completely resist the attack of muskets, and armor will be shattered in an instant. If it hits a person... Old York couldn't help but shudder. He didn't dare to imagine it.

After resting for a while, it was time for the usual jogging. Three thousand people carried new muskets and lined up in a long queue to jog around the entire city. The townspeople on the streets cast envious glances at them.

Everyone knows that the best treated troops in the entire Iyeta seaport are the Musketeers, who not only receive twenty silver coins a month, but also receive free food and lodging.

It’s a pity that the Musketeers are very strict when it comes to recruiting. Those who are too fat, too thin, too short, or too old are not accepted.

Old York enjoyed the envious and jealous looks of the crowd and held the flintlock in his hand tightly. If these people knew that the city lord had given each of them a powerful alchemical weapon that could penetrate steel armor, they would be so envious that they would go crazy.

"Lord Lin En, is it really useful to let them keep doing these basic drill training?" Looking at the figures of the recruits going away, Luo Wen asked in confusion.

He felt that instead of spending so much time studying how to arrange the formation meticulously and how to keep the formation neat while running, it would be better to spend time practicing shooting accuracy, which is more important on the battlefield.

"Of course! I have always believed that one of the most important criteria for a qualified army is to obey orders!" Lin En said firmly. "Especially the musketeers, they must maintain a strict formation to exert their greatest power!"

In the era when flintlock rifles were popular, the most famous tactic was the linear infantry tactic, which was jokingly called "shooting in a line."

The accuracy and range of early muskets were limited, and only by lining up in formation and firing together could the ammunition be guaranteed to have sufficient accuracy at long distances.

Of course, Lin En didn't intend to do this, because his opponent was not equipped with muskets and artillery, but was prepared to use the famous three-stage shooting method to make up for the poor firing rate of the flintlock! The so-called three-stage shooting is to divide the firearms troops into three rows, front and back, and fire in turn. After the first row finishes firing, they retreat to the third row to reload ammunition, and the second row of musketeers who are ready can start shooting, and so on, so that the rain of bullets will continuously attack the enemy.

Discipline is very important at this time, otherwise we will only lose our composure during the battle! Lin En explained the musketeers' combat methods to Luo Wen, and then asked curiously.

"What is your impression of war? What are the factors that determine the outcome of a war?"

It was precisely because of his experience in leading troops that Lin En let him lead the musketeers.

While thinking about the so-called three-stage shooting method, Luo Wen spoke. "Normally, the army is divided into two types. One is the temporary conscripted serfs, holding pitchforks, hoes and other farm tools. They are numerous but have very limited combat capabilities. The other is the elite guards who are well-equipped with armor and trained, and are usually used as the finale.

When a war begins, they usually line up their troops, shoot a few rounds of arrows, and then everyone picks up their swords and attacks each other. Whichever side is defeated first loses.

Normally, the factors that determine victory or defeat are the number of troops, the percentage of armor worn, the number of bows and crossbows, and the number of knights. "

Luo Wen talked incessantly.

Of course, this is a civil war among nobles for land, and generally the Holy See will not interfere. Otherwise, if the priest or even the bishop intervenes, it will be a different situation.

Is it so primitive? Lin En paused for a moment, then remembered that if we put aside divine arts and magic, this was a medieval empire, and the battles between nobles usually involved only a few thousand people. What new tactics could they come up with?

After introducing the war situation among the nobles, Rowan talked about his own use and understanding of firearms.

For example, when there are a small number of enemies in front of you, you can surround them in a circular formation, cross-shoot, and form a firepower network to improve your shooting accuracy.

Compared to the bow and crossbow, the strength of the flintlock rifle lies in its armor-piercing ability and the speed of personnel training. Its disadvantages are its slow reloading speed and weak close combat ability.

After all, bayonets are not as useful as greatswords or spears, so it may be necessary to train a team of about a thousand sword and shield soldiers to assist the musketeers in close combat.

"There's no need for that. Bayonet fighting will only be used in the worst of situations. Since we're at a disadvantage in close combat, wouldn't it be fine if we just prevent the enemy from getting close?" Lin En interrupted.

"Lord Lin, war is no joke. The number of any punitive army of the empire is probably more than ten times ours. It is impossible to defeat them with just a few rounds of musket fire." Rowan frowned. He felt that Lin's confidence in the musket was a little too great.

"No, it's precisely because our army is too small that we can't afford to waste it in close combat, which would mean a significant loss of manpower!" Lin En shook his head. "This is how we should fight when we have superior firepower!"

"Use the field of vision provided by the airship, and when the enemy is three kilometers to three hundred meters away from us, use artillery to attack! Magical bombardment between three hundred and seventy meters, and within seventy to ten meters, use muskets to fire in turns, and try to eliminate the enemy out of sight!"

"As for the area within ten meters, depending on the enemy's resistance, I will decide whether to use [Flame Torrent] to baptize them or use Earth Wall to assist in their retreat..."

(End of this chapter)