Yes, if the legion won in the Mojave, the NCR would have to heavily fortify I15, which seems to be the only transport link good enough to march large armies over. I don't see them having the stomach to scorch earth in their own lands as they retreat if the legion ever beat them back to California. If the legion got a foothold there the NCR would be in big trouble
NCR vs Legion Opinion
- Thread starter mandala
- Start date
Dr Fallout
Centurion
Somehow I doubt it, because it makes sense when we look at it from small scale warfare.
I totally agree, but keep in mind that I have not said any different. I even mentioned that these kills came from NCR patrols rather then any straight out warfare, though keep in mind you're ignoring the victory near... what was the NCR camp east from Novac? That was on a hill, with little cover around yet the Legion took it out and basically stopped NCR patrols around the area.
There are other ways into the NCR territories, and honestly I think it's the Legion that's going to scorch earth.
Nelson? It really depends which way they came in from. I wouldn't have attacked directly from the Colorado if I was the legion. The NCR are stretched so thin the legion could probably have circled round and taken the high ground overlooking the town without much of a problem.
There are other ways, sure, but they're much longer and not so easy to move across. Death Valley and the Sierra Nevada. Again, if the NCR are being smart, they can fortify I-15, and force the legion to travel through this inhospitable terrain, harried and ambushed by NCR elite forces all the way.
It doesn't make sense for an advancing army to scorch the earth, only a retreating one, the legion would probably either enslave or drive off the NCR farmers and move in their own slaves to take over food production if they ever entered NCR lands.
Dr Fallout
Centurion
Yeah! Well that goes for every other area as well, but more so.
Going up north and circling around is a thing. Except they're stretched too thin, and the Legion can go around the I-15.
Remember Nipton? Novac?
Yep, but they're small outposts in frontier territory. The NCR were trying to defend the entire length of the Colorado there. They won't be nearly as overstretched trying to defend their own territory, with well-developed infrastructure and supply lines. This time it will be the legion that will be vulnerable, as their own supply lines will be overstretched.
Dr Fallout
Centurion
Except the NCR is a lot more fertile and home to farms...
And to secure any of those farms the Legion has to cross very inhospitable terrain, stretch their supply lines, and fight the NCR on their own turf. Which is going to be far from easy. If they don't secure those farms in the first few weeks of fighting, every morsel of food, every round of ammunition they need is going to have to be transported across Death Valley, or around the north of the Sierra Nevada, probably with NCR Rangers lying in wait to ambush it.
Of course, the same applies if the NCR try and push the legion back to Flagstaff and destroy them. I would imagine the legion would burn every morsel of grain and poison every water source east of the Colorado as they passed it on their retreat.
"Amateurs talk about tactics, but professionals study logistics."
- Gen. Robert H. Barrow, USMC
Ilosar
Vault Fossil
This is also reinforced by the fact that the Courier can convince Lanius, via Barter skill, that the Legion simply cannot hold both the East and West. And while Lanius is a knucklehead in most matters, when it comes to military and supply lines I'd wager he's better than anyone in the Legion and agrees. Their primitive supply lines do not allow them to make extended campaigns unless they basically rout NCR wherever they find it, which seems very unlikely if they start hitting Republic hearthlands and face something else than a half demoralized army of conscripts fighting on foreign soil.
Napoléon's campaign in Russia was mentioned, and let's not forget that the Grande Armée was passing through the most fertile portions of Russia, and were still starving by the end. Yes, the Russian winter did not help, but the American desert isn't much more forgiving, and probably much more sparsely populated than the western reaches of Russia were in 1812, what with the apocalypse and all. There are only so many farms you can raid before you need to feed thousands of men with cactus apples and stale corn. To say nothing of the ludicrously dangerous wildlife that makes foraging a much riskier proposition than in reality.
Napoléon's campaign in Russia was mentioned, and let's not forget that the Grande Armée was passing through the most fertile portions of Russia, and were still starving by the end. Yes, the Russian winter did not help, but the American desert isn't much more forgiving, and probably much more sparsely populated than the western reaches of Russia were in 1812, what with the apocalypse and all. There are only so many farms you can raid before you need to feed thousands of men with cactus apples and stale corn. To say nothing of the ludicrously dangerous wildlife that makes foraging a much riskier proposition than in reality.
Dr Fallout
Centurion
They already hold that inhospitable terrain after the Legion victory at the damn, and have good supply lines along the roads because of this. Attacking the NCR plays to Legion's strengths, which include attacking and ambushes. The NCR have a lot of ground to cover, which gives the Legion large spaces of land to play with. That's exactly how the Legion works best, lightning raids and surprise attacks. Rangers and Legionaries have on difference, one has better guns and armor, the other doesn't. It's mentioned in the game that the Legion have similar training programs with the rangers.