Small Introduction to ground battles
(What they are and stuff)
-troops
Your factions main fighting force is your troops you employ to fight for you, a standard ground force follows a command structure, a good way is to base it off modern combat unit examples like the US Army. Your troops need to be organized in a chain of command and in set unit sizes, unit sizes are how your troops are organized, and most the time are able to be divided for the operation. Most ground forces are organized in sizes.
[Military ranking and Formations] (This is the US army system with some edits of mixes from other nations, but yeah basically same formatting as the Army.)
Squad. A small military unit consisting of ten to eleven soldiers, normally led by a staff sergeant.
Platoon. A platoon is four squads: generally three rifle squads and one weapons squad, normally armed with machine guns and anti-tank weapons. Lieutenants lead most platoons, and the second-in-command is generally a sergeant first class.
Company. Company-sized units, 130 to 150 soldiers, are normally commanded by captains. They consist of four platoons, usually of the same type, a headquarters unit, and some logistical capabilities. Companies are the basic elements of all battalions. In the artillery corps, a company would be called a battery. Cavalry units refer to this unit level as a troop.
Battalion. A battalion, usually about 400-strong, is comprised of three rifle companies, a combat support company, and a headquarters company. Battalions often blend companies with different fighting specialties to take on tasks no existing unit is properly configured to tackle. Battalions normally fight enemy forces they can see and engage. This is defined as an area extending from less than 100 yards in forests, urban areas, and other close terrain out to about two to three miles from the battalion’s direct and indirect weapons-fire.
Regiment. Formerly a major organizational unit comprised of five battalions—about 2,000-strong to as large as several battalions.
Brigade. Traditionally, the brigade provides mobility, counter-mobility and survivability, topographic engineering, and general engineering support to the largest unit—the corps—and augments the corps’ various divisions. Brigades can range from 3,000 to 5,000 troops, generally three-plus battalions, led by a colonel.
Division. Divisions perform major tactical operations for the corps and can conduct sustained battles and engagements. One division is made up of at least three maneuver brigades with between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers, they are normally commanded by major generals and tend to be on the lighter side of the headcount. Divisions can have specialties such as light infantry, armored or mechanized infantry, airborne, and air assault. Division sizes vary widely, some can be generally comprised of three brigades with a mix of infantry, armor, or armored cavalry. Some others generally favored much larger formations—12,000 plus, with big ones going up to 25,000.
Corps. The corps is the largest tactical. The corps is responsible for translating strategic objectives into tactical orders. It synchronizes tactical operations, including maneuvering, the firing of organic artillery, naval firing, supporting tactical air operations, and actions of their combat support, bringing together these operations on the battlefield. Each corps has between two and five divisions, and specialized brigades depending on the mission.
-weapons and equipment
A ground force makes use of multiple different kinds of weapons for troops, a squad with only rifles and nothing else is not a well equipped squad. A unit should be able to provide for it's self and be mixed, offering rifleman and grenadiers, with heavy weapons and anti tank. An example would be a squad is made of two fire teams. A fire team can be specialized, which the more diverse the force the more efficient it can operate in small or large number. A platoon of 40 men would have your commanding officer, a senior enlisted, and then a unit of riles, grenadiers, machine gunner, and medic and would be able to handle any situation they encounter. A well equipped ground army is what is key in a battle because if your troops have the needed equipment they should be able to operate most efficiently. For ground combat you want mixed diverse forces, weapon systems that are able to engage for different situations like anti armor weapons or anti infantry. Building and medical supplies for building of a fortification or barricade and medical to treat wounded.
-vehicles
Never have a force without support. A ground force with no armor will be the great war all over again. Armor plays a key role in breaking lines and supporting troops along with providing transport. Transportation and communication play a key factor in how fast one can react. A heavily fortified machine gun position can hold off an infantry advance for as long as it has munition, using a vehicle overcomes this by being able to take the impact of the weapons fire and being able to destroy or allow infantry to advance on it.
-air support and orbit
Air support plays a key role in war, domination of the air can affect strafing and bombing of the enemy position which can make it easier for ground forces to advance and take, air vehicles can engage ground vehicles with less risk of destruction, air support can destroy the enemy morale as they are bombarded with no way to fight back. infantry can be used to mark targets for key strategic strikes carried out by support units like an orbital ship, bombers, or artillery units.
Dos and don'ts:
Always try and make the fight somewhat fair, otherwise it won't be a really fun time for both parties, try to employ proper tactics and unit organization you would expect of a military force.
Morale is always a key factor in a battle, no person is unbreakable unless your some sort of hive mind or lack self.
Do not asspull items, when starting a rp try and list all the material and troops you have, like for example you have an armored force of 16 tanks and 24 transports, which is 4 tank platoons, and 6 infantry platoons stuffed into assuming a 10 man transport for platoons of 40 men. Small items don't really matter like grenades or weapons but don't spam them, like you may only have 4 anti tank rockets for a trooper, and 3 grenades.
Men are not immortal, men will get injured and men will die, men are not going to keep fighting when missing a leg unless forced.
Factor in terrain features, terrain can affect how a battle is, if your are cornered against a mountain or ocean, or if your fighting on flat ground that can be deaminated by guns or forced into close quarters melee and skirmishes then giant battles with lines of vehicles and troops.
Always factor scenarios, if it's a last stand of a cornered enemy they are going to fight tooth and nail, psychology plays a part in war.
Examples of ground engagements:
Defensive: A defensive force will be harder to break, and are most the time heavily dug in defensive positions, to engage a defensive force you want to probe for weaknesses in the defense. Soften them up using artillery and orbital, always expect for them to be a difficult foe and to be capable of holding out for long time periods. Defensives are best done with layer and overlapping defenses, fighting positions that can cover one another,
Offensive: Upon fighting a offensive war different strategies can be used at play. And it lacks any one single way to describe it.