General

General

Hierarchical Information
Rank	General
Troops	Indefinite
Division(s)	Indefinite
Jurisdictions
Lieutenant	Yes >3
Strategist	Yes >1
Cavalry	Yes
Rank
Previous ← 5000-Man Commander	Next Great General →

A General is a leader of an army usually with less than 100.000 men, who uses military tactics, strategies and knowledge to achieve victory on the battlefield. They carry political weight and can sometimes wield immense power and influence in some of the warring states. Having a good general is crucial to the defence of a state's territory as well as for offensive campaigns into other state's territory. Few soldiers actually achieve the position of General due to the difficulty to get the rank.

Types of Generals

There are two types of generals:

The Strategic type are Generals who use tactics and knowledge to achieve victory in battle. Many Strategic Generals are generally seen to fight battles logically. Go Kei of Wei is an example that represents the strategic type.
The Instinctive type are Generals who typically fight battles with intuition and reacting to situations on the battlefield. Many Instinctive Generals are generally seem to fight battles like wild beasts. Duke Hyou of Qin is an example of an instinctive type.

Despite there being two types of general it has been note that there are some generals that embodied both types with both Ou Ki and Ren Pa being considered such hybrids.

Despite different types of generals, there are contrasting ways in how generals lead their armies. Typically they are divided in to two categories. Those who lead their armies from their HQ will generally provide a sense of security to their army with the knowledge that they're being guided by good hands. Meanwhile, there are those who lead from the front personally that will raise their men's morale with each strike they make alongside their men.

Strategy versus instinct is an eternal theme among generals, as Ou Ki commented to Shin in the battle between Duke Hyou and Go Kei, two highly contrasting generals who met and fought in the battle of Daikan Plains.

Abilities

It is expected for a general to be the best of the best in all things war related. They must display capable leadership abilities as the numbers of soldiers under their command can vary from thousands to hundreds of thousands. In addition to this, they must use clever or crude tactics (depending on the general) to achieve success on the battlefield. Most generals have been shown to wield their respective weapon of choice with superior skill, though it has been seen that the instinctive type tend to be stronger when it comes to combat. Using the environment to your advantage, predicting what the enemy will do in response, and having tremendous martial talent are the differences between a general and a Great General.

How to Become a General

In Qin, true strength, supremacy and principle have pushed lineage to the back burner. The system that's in place now allows for anyone to go to war, and if they do well they get promoted. If they keep it up, they'll eventually reach the level of general.

The army is made up of men from noble families, and regular citizens who either enlist or are drafted into the army. However, the only ones who can enlist are those who are registered, and they must come from a village that meets certain criteria. If they are servants, like Shin, who don't have a place to live, they can't raise their name through battlefield exploits, they can't even make it to the battles (under normal circumstances). Even to nobles, to becoming a general is a nearly insurmountable task. So for a servant like Shin, it's like trying to reach the stars.

Personality

The personalities vary from general to general. Some charge recklessly into battle, while others command from their headquarters. Spending the lives of men is a common tactic used in warfare which cannot be avoided. A general's presence is far above that of the average person to the point where they seem larger to those around them. The pressure invoked by a general's presence puts fear into men and makes some reluctant to fight against such monsters on the battlefield. It is also said that there are two types of generals in regards to the way they affect their troops' moral. Some, such as Geki Shin, control their army through fear or subterfuge. Consequentially once they die, a major portion of their army will lose their morale and will usually surrender on the spot or flee out of cowardice. Others, such as Ou Ki, are predominately charismatic and are a major source of inspiration and loyalty. As a result, if they were to fall in battle, their army would usually go berserk. They will then go on suicidal charges with the intent of taking as many enemies as they can with them before joining their general in the afterlife.