Instructor Lu Hu continued, "The combat value for Black Iron Level infantry is 2. This is a comprehensive figure reflecting their speed, Attack Power, Defense Power, and other metrics, using a standard system applicable to all academies. Next, the combat value for Black Iron Level archers is 4, Light Cavalry is 5, Heavy Cavalry is 10, and heavy-armored infantry is 8. The Spirit Beast Cavalry, due to their unique combat strength, has a combat value as high as 15. As for Black Iron Level Magicians, their combat value is 12.

"Of course, as ranks rise to Bronze, Silver, and eventually Gold, the combat values of units increase proportionally. But take note: to ensure the balanced development of an army, the ratio of high-level to low-level units must be reasonably allocated."

At this point, he paused, his gaze sweeping over the students to ensure everyone was keeping up.

"When choosing Magicians, only four basic types are available: water, fire, earth, and wind. You yourselves are the army Commanders, but your own strength must also be factored into your total combat value. In this War Chess competition, you will all be commanders of a Golden Level army, and your Profession will remain unchanged. For instance, Fang Zhou is a Golden Level [Undead Mage] with a combat value of 1,500. His Combat Skills can be freely chosen. Do you understand?"

The one hundred people who qualified as Seed Students all possessed some military talent and had naturally undergone systematic training in War Chess competitions. After Instructor Lu Hu's brief description of the unit combat values, they already had a basic understanding and acknowledged it.

Instructor Lu Hu nodded with satisfaction. "Next, each of you has the right to form an army with a total of 20,000 combat value. How you coordinate your units and which Skills you choose is entirely up to you. You have twenty minutes. After those twenty minutes, the War Chess competition will officially begin. During the competition, as an observing instructor, I have the right to question any of your actions, and you must be prepared to provide a detailed explanation."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other nine participants, including Bai Xiaochan, began frantically selecting their desired War Chess units. Only Fang Zhou remained still.

Twenty minutes was not a long time. They had to analyze the holographic sand table before them and choose the units best suited for the terrain. Each unit had its advantages and disadvantages. For example, although the Spirit Beast Cavalry were powerful, they were ill-suited for combat in a forest, where the terrain would directly reduce their combat value. Meanwhile, ordinary infantry, unburdened by heavy Armor, would receive a bonus to their combat value in such terrain.

In fact, the War Chess competition was an extremely complex game with significant real-world combat applications. After all, everything, including mechanics for morale, was based on actual warfare. Through years of research, this type of competition had become a compulsory course for developing military talent, and the simulation itself was growing ever closer to real combat. Every excellent commander would run a War Chess simulation before launching a large-scale war to determine whether their side held the advantage.

Fang Zhou did not rush to choose his War Chess units, but instead contemplated quietly. Generally, War Chess competitions didn't factor in the commander's personal power; the commander was merely a director. However, Instructor Lu Hu had just announced that commanders would also be factored into the combat value calculation, which had an enormous, unseen impact on all the participating students.

The total combat value is fixed at 20,000. As a Golden Level Undead Mage, my own value immediately takes up 1,500 of that. This means I have 1,500 less to spend when choosing my War Chess units. While that wouldn't be an issue in a one-on-one duel, this is a ten-person battle royale. If I'm besieged by multiple opponents, this initial deficit will have a major impact. Even though I'm an Undead Mage who can create an army from nothing, I'm still just one person in the end.

Although Fang Zhou himself didn't care about this handicap, Instructor Lu Hu's deliberate weakening made him realize something. My previous performance, which was so far beyond the others, must have caught the instructors' attention.

Everyone knew that in a War Chess competition, lower-level units had higher cost-effectiveness. To put it simply, forest terrain provided a flat bonus to a unit's combat value. For example, an infantry unit with a base value of two would have its combat value doubled to four in a forest. Therefore, an army of infantry with a total combat value of 20,000 would become worth 40,000 in a forest. In contrast, if an archer unit with a base value of four received the same +2 bonus in a forest, its new value would be six. An army of archers worth 20,000 would only see their total combat value increase to 30,000.

As for a Golden Level Magician with a value of 1,500, while they might receive a small bonus in certain terrains, it was negligible compared to their high base value. Everyone understood that no matter how strong an individual was, it was difficult to achieve a decisive victory in legion-level battles. This was why, when selecting their War Chess units, most commanders—with the rare exception of those choosing a Magician—opted for units with a combat value of fifteen or less, such as the Spirit Beast Cavalry. After all, this was a simulation, a contest of military command ability, not individual power.

After a moment of consideration, Fang Zhou selected the War Chess units that fit his own strategy.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.