[Neraphym]

Clan Warfare
By: Alpha Weapon

Introduction to Clan Warfare
This is meant to be a comprehensive guide to conducting clan warfare in the wilderness or Runescape. This guide will incorporate logistics and combat tactics, along with more, unconventional strategies and methods that will assist clans in conducting battles to their favor.

Section 1: Clan Structure
It is very important to have the appropriate clan structure in order to successfully conduct battle. Every clan should have a method of communicating with its members outside of Runescape, and also more private methods, too. A forum (and PM system) is very useful to have. If such commodities are unavailable, consider the use of e-mail. A message should be sent to all active members to alert them of the upcoming conflict. The clan leader must brief all members on the situation, as well as mobilize all of the logistics groups and modify the command structure to accommodate absences. Preparedness is paramount to a successful battle.

A hierarchy command structure is necessary to maintain order in the chaos of battles. The Clan Leader should have absolute control over the clan. Disputes over power at the top can lead to the complete destruction of the clan. The clan leader should always have a second in command to take charge during his or her absence. The second in command should be a real life friend of the leader, and should share similar values and employ similar methods. After the second in command comes Generals. There should be no more than three active generals in a clan. The generals should all have very high levels and experience in the wilderness. They will receive orders from the Clan Leader. Their job is to organize the fight by giving orders to their captains. Captains are meant to take these orders and relay them to individual troops. The individual troops will then carry out their orders in battle. If battle conditions become unfavorable, the Clan Leader can call a retreat. He would then PM the Generals, who would PM the Captains, who would then PM each soldier under their command, and they could all successfully retreat with minimal losses. This structure allows for generals to oversee the battle and make important decisions efficiently. The Clan Leader should only be contacted by the Generals, and in extreme cases, a Captain. The Generals should only have contact with the logistics forces (to be explained in a later section) and the Captains under their control. The captains will contact their troops and their respective General only. No troops should burden their leaders will excessive PMs during battle. This will only add to the chaos. If a trooper has something very important, they should relay t to their Captain, who will in turn relay it to the General. That is also why there should be no other ranks between the four outlined here. If more ranks are incorporated, it will take longer for messages to reach their intended receivers and the message may become distorted or lose meaning. During peacetime, clans should not rely on this as a method of communication. Doing so would have no purpose, so relax these regulations at such times. A unique set of capes to signify ranks and jobs is also recommended.

Section 2: Logistics
Logistics are the most important part of any war, whether in reality or in Runescape. Logistics are supplies, and how to deal with them. There are five classes of logistic support that a clan must have to effectively win the battle, the five “rings” of logistics.

The first ring is the Member Ring. A clan is nothing without its members. It is important to have everyone in the clan familiar with their members and their relative abilities. This is so clans won’t end up attacking their own members, and so leaders won’t send in weak troops against strong enemies. These members need to be placed in respective groups according to their strengths and weaknesses. Members, unlike items, are recycable. When a member dies, they will be dropped of in Lumbridge. From there they will meet up with the other rings and resupply before heading back into battle. This will allow us maximum use of our forces.

The second ring is the Food Ring. It is recommended that large quantities of food be stocked prior to any battle. Most troops die because they eventually run out of food to heal themselves with. In order to prevent this, you must have an ample amount of food on hand at the battle site. This is where food runners come into play. Clans should select low level players (preferably with the magic level required to cast either Varrok or Falador Teleport) to run from a “home point” to the battlefield. The home point is the closest bank to the battlefield. If the battle is in the western part of the wilderness, select the Falador West Bank, if middle, choose Edgeville, if eastern, use Varrok East Bank. A clan may choose to do one of two things. They can either have the runners withdraw from the bank directly, or have another play permanently there resupplying the runners whenever they get back in. Either one works, the latter being quicker, yet uses more manpower. It’s recommended clans use cooked lobsters as their primary source of food, and all of it should be secured before any battle takes place.

The third ring is the Armor Ring. This ring should focus on supplying armor and weaponry, as well as amulets an rings to troops before they go into battle. They are also responsible for reequipping fallen troops. Just like the Food Ring, all of the weapons and armor should be forged before the battle. Once everyone is supplied and is setting off for battle, one or two low level members (two is preferable, in case one should log out) will stay back at home point and await fallen troops. The armor ring will also be respnsible for the supply of potions. A large quatitiy of potions, basic and supers, should be made before battle. Everyone should initially equip themselves with two of each pot (two strength or two super strengths, not both, same gos for attack and defence type), and every time they respawn, get two more of each. It would be unnecessary and inefficient to have a sixth ring, when it could easily be incorporated in this one. Both involve increasing stats, therefor they are more related than food or ammo.

The fourth ring is the Ammo Ring. This ring consists of a few people whose sole purpose is to resupplying Mages and Rangers. A ranger should carry no more than 100 arrows on him at a time. That way if he dies relatively few arrows are lost. For mages, measure in terms of runes needed to cast 100 spells. A resupplier will wait behind friendly lines for troops that run out of ammo. There is no limit to the amount of ammo any supplier should carry, however, these people make excellent targets for enemy scouts and should be escorted at all times. All arrows and runes should be secured prior to battle, and placed in the hands of two or more capable suppliers.

The fifth ring is very important. It is the Respawn Ring. When troops die, they return to Lumbridge, and it’s quite a walk from Lumbridge to the battlefield, and they are unsupplied. Two members should be selected to be respawners. It is their job to give the appropriate runes to fallen troops so that they will teleport to the home point. If the home point is in Edgeville, have troops teleport to Varrok and walk the rest of the way (This would encourage you to select a battlefield closer to Varrok or Falador).

With these five rings linked, your troops will have incredible longevity on the battlefield and will keep coming back for more. Unfortunately, supplies cost a lot of money and these rings may use up quite a bit of members, but they are all together worth it.

Section 3: Combat Tactics
With supplies in hand, and a hierarchy established, you are now ready to engage in combat. There are many factors that will influence the outcome of the battle. In this section, you will be shown effective methods of beating opponents with minimal losses.

Select the battlefield. The clan that chooses the battlefield will have several advantages. The first advantage to choosing the site is the selection of a home point. A home point in either Varrok or Falador is recommended, as teleports to such places exist. The second advantage is the type of combat zone you are in. If you outnumber them, select a multi-combat zone. If you are outnumbered, but have superior troops, select a single-combat zone. If you have smaller numbers and weaker troops, avoid battle. Always try to position yourself near a combat zone change area. Should the tides of war change, switching combat zones may prove very advantageous when trying to finish off an opponent or when trying to retreat. Also avoid placing your troops in monster respawn locations, while at the same time, trying to place them in such areas. A third advantage is not that great of one, but a good one nonetheless. Getting their first allows rangers with multi-cannons to get set up before the battle starts. Always take the south side of a fight. This makes for shorter distances for your runners and fallen troops, as well as longer distances for theirs. Fallen enemies must go through your troops when rejoining the battle (be careful, though, as some fallen enemies may amass behind your lines for an attack on your rear). Also try to position your army so that the main battle will be fought with your troops attacking their troops in the level 21 wilderness. This allows your forces in the rear to use teleport, but theirs cannot. It also allows for your stronger troops to hit their weaker ones (be warned, as they can do the same). Most players choose to orient themselves facing north. If so, they will have hampered views on the surroundings to their south most of the time. Use this to your advantage when maneuvering troops. It is difficult to align yourself on the south side, but the advantages are numerous.

The actual combat is very chaotic. Organization is your key to victory. Each General should have sets of three Captains, one for rangers, one for mages, and one for soldiers. Each Captain should select an enemy troop that their troops are strong against. A ranger captain will have their troops attack a mage, mages attack a soldier, and soldiers attack a ranger. Only shift efforts to another enemy once that one is already dead. Do not allow enemy injured units to escape. This works to great effect in multi-combat, but one on one can make battles a little sluggish. In that case, have troops split up into pairs. Have one get a few hits in, then retreat, allowing for the other to take his place. This is difficult when numbers are not on your side. Mages should constantly be casting weakening and freezing spells to hinder enemy efforts. Another tactic to consider employing is more difficult to coordinate, but may be worth the extra disorganization. This tactic has Mages concentrating on weakening, archers will hit that enemy from a distance, and soldiers will crush the enemy from up front. Exploit any weaknesses. Use the appropriate attack type against the enemies armor. When a Captain selects an enemy target, he should both identify then enemy by name and identify the appropriate attack type (slash, stab, or crush) to use against the armor the enemy is wearing. The Captains should have prior knowledge of such things. Due to the Captains important position, he should avoid involving himself too much in combat. If he is lost, there should always be a person in the Captain’s squad who will take over. There should also be another person to take over his job in case the replacement is knocked out, and so on. This is merely a chain of succession, not a chain of command. Until the third replacement becomes the Captain, he has no power over the fourth replacement. Not only should Captains target standard enemy troopers, but the Captain should also be on the lookout for enemy officers or resuppliers. Taking out their chain of command and their logistical support can leave them in complete disarray. Order is the key to victory. Maintain yours and eliminate theirs, and you will be victorious.

Outside of the battlefield, there are other activities you can take part in to help attain victory. You should send out scouting groups to locate and eliminate enemy resuppliers, or spy on enemy leaders. Make sure you are aware of your surroundings. Information is essential in battle. The more you have, the better off you are. If you can find out the location of an enemy commander, quickly send in troops to assassinate him. Having a mage freeze the enemy leader and then having archers attack him helps. Soldiers are not recommended, as their bulky armor hinders their running ability.

Always have a back up plan. No clan is invincible, and yours is no exception. Provide plans for a retreat. It is not recommended that you have everyone log out, as you may strand a few players there helplessly outnumbered. You should retreat as a group to a predetermined location to avoid casualties. Have a retreat codeword that signifies when to retreat. Rather than go by the PM system, shouting the retread word allows everyone to know it at the same time. Once the Generals PM their Captains, the Captains will shout it, and everyone else should then shout it. Then have the Captains PM the fallen troops about the retreat. This makes sure everyone gets the message.

Section 4: Forging Alliances
Alliances will other clans will greatly improve the odds of victory. Having the freedom to commit large amounts of players to combat and logistics is essential to victory. No matter how great the enemy tactics are, not matter what methods they employ, if you catch them vastly outnumbered in a multi-combat zone, you will devastate them.

Forging alliances is tricky. First off, you must find a potential ally. Use your better judgment to determine whether the potential ally is trustworthy and committed to your cause. Once you are sure of their willingness to fight, make an offering to convince them to support you. Alliances can be expensive, but they are well worth it, as losing a battle can be just as, if not, more expensive. Create as many alliances as possible. The more troops you have, the faster you will kill the enemy, and the less casualties you will incur in doing so.

Alliance combat can be very difficult to coordinate. Separate the battlefield into however many clans are on your side. If toy ally with just one clan, have them on your left side. If you have two clans, put yourself in the middle. If you have thee clans, do the same as if you had two, but stack one more on the left. Continue this pattern, or have allied clans overlap or station some in the rear. You should always keep your command structure, and let them keep theirs. Have each Clan Leader communicate with each other. From there, each of their systems will deal with orders. You may separate the systems, but do not separate the logistics. In doing so you will sacrifice valuable troops. Also, taking sole responsibility of the tedious task of managing logistics with be an enticing gift to a potential ally.

Another recommendation is to hire individual mercenaries to help you with your battle. Many clan members have people on the friends lists that do not belong to their clan. Have your members attempt to persuade them to join them in their fight. If they are hesitant, offer rewards or the promise of special missions. If they will fight in the main battle, incorporate them into a squad (if recruited by a friend, stick them in the same squad if stats allow for it). You will hopefully increase your forces considerably by this method.

As it is with your own members, make sure you know what troops are your allies and which are your enemies. Capes usually work best when it comes to distinguishing friend from foe. Before the battle, have all parties involve select an color cap that they will wear.

Section 5: Special Forces
Special forces are what separate good clans from great clans. They can easily turn the tide of a battle or influence the outcome of the battle before it begins. It is essential to any clan warfare program to incorporate special ops into any battle strategy.

Spying is easily the most common and simplest special op to perform. There are several things you may do to help ensure victory. If the enemy clan has a website, find out as much information from it as possible. Find and copy a members list. Find some of these members in game and try to become friends with them. If they have forums, exploit these to their fullest. Constantly monitor their activities, especially ones related to the upcoming war. If their Clan Leader has a complex, easily and unnoticeably alterable name, creat a new account with a small adjustment to their name. Copy their avatar, sig, and other pertinent information. Use this fake leader to mess up their PM system, provide false information, and give fake orders. Terrorize their forums within appropriate measures dictated by your Clan Leader. Make sure no one does this without permission, as it may jeopardize another operative’s mission. Disorder is key.

Remember, your forums are also subject to their special ops, and the administrative teams should take the appropriate steps to ensure the safety and privacy of your forums. By use of a codeword, leaders should authenticate their PMs at avoid misinformation.

The enemy clan may also attempt to forge alliances of their own, too. You must prevent this at all cost. Do so by outbidding them, or just prevent them from getting involved. If you can ally with an opponent’s ally, you will have a very powerful tool at your disposal if the other clan still thinks of them as a friend. Take their allies or stop them from making any, while forging many of your own will guarantee victory.

During battle, assassination missions of enemy officers, scouts, or runners can quickly hinder the enemy’s battle strategy. Use special forces in any manner to gain any edge you possibly can.

Section 6: Rules of War
It helps to have some sort of order when engaging another clan in battle. Have the enemy Clan Leaders and you and your allies meet up and discuss the rules of the engagement. Use this time to establish the cape system, as well as battlefield location, time, date, server, and any other important information. Using excellent tact, finesse your way into an advantageous position. If possible, try to avoid any unnecessary conflicts. Take this time to also try to prevent the war from ever happening. Wars are costly, and there is always the chance you will lose. It is not always worth the risk. Spoils may be great, but if you lose, everyone in you clan will be set back a lot. Avoid clan wars unless you are confident you will win.

Epilogue to Clan Warfare
With rules established, logistics secured, tactics perfected, alliances forged, and special ops at your disposal, you should have many advantages over your opponent. Use your recourses wisely, and take every advantage you can get. Use the fundamental tactics, as well as some unconventional methods to ensure victory. Clan wars are expensive, but the more money to invest in them, the greater chance of victory, and the spoils that come with it. Never underestimate an enemy clan, and avoid wars at all cost. Avoiding a war is better than winning one, but just in case, your clan will be ready.

I’d like to thank various members of the clan SeeD, as well as some of my friends and relatives that play Runescape. I’d also like to thank Jagex for making such a brilliant game.





I'd like for a mod to pin this, as I only spent 3 hours typing it... I'd also like to suggest a War Forum (as well as a secure sub-forum for mods and generals to discuss war time battle strategies. I'd also like some suggestions to improve this guide.

Update 1: Added potions into the armor ring. Also went more in-depth with troop recycling. I'd also like to discuss with Cspace sometime on redesigning our command structure around this. I'll post them on the suggestions forum.

[Neraphym]

I think I should win an award for posting the only topic so darn long, that no one has finished reading it and had enough time to make an inteligent response. Killer said he would when he gets the time, but that doesn't count because his response could not cover it entirely in the time he has had available! I am the winner!

[james 189]

Bravo! Bravo! These are great tactics, I will be sure to use them in battle.

[shadowblade]

nice one alpha

[Eliteman03]

That is an awesome guide, it sounds like you have been in several wars. I actually read the whole thing (took like 20 mins) and it is very complete; every angle is covered to the full extent.

Great Job again!

[obiwan22]

A relatively minor suggestion.

If your troops outnumber their's, simply detach a group of pre-selected soldiers, and have them exit the battle. Totally out of the mini-map area, and move around the enemy formation, keeping out of the mini-map. This allows you to have a group of around ten soldiers or so to sneak away to attack an important enemy officer, who will be hanging around towards the back of the battle.

Understand? Or am I babbling.

[Neraphym]

[obiwan22]

[Ruckus Fox]

*rolls his eyes and scratches things into the desk, then perks up as he hears 'Assassination'* Did somebody say... ASSASSINATE?! o.o;;; That's where I come in... *licks an arrow or something fancy like that*

[yeah man]

Assassination? If I had to lead a battle, I would be a lvl 3, and would thus be exempt from most assassains, with pre-positioned backup lvl 3s incase I should fall to a NPC or assassain.

[Stealth X1]

you post what every one knows and think your special, if you have EVER PKed you know this stuff! And for combat plans you dont need sub sections or teams thats STUPID it disorginizes you, just attack them, attack highest levels and get the m out of the way, have all teams consentrate on 1 person this is all basic knowlage and I think the very idea of tactics or formations is stupid! you fight them, highest levels first attack the same person, 1 at a time SIMPLE the rest is stuff idiots know! this guide is for lvl 3-10 noobs who dont know anything and probly written by a lvl 60 noob who just figured this out and thinks its special!