But they underestimated one thing, the war prowess of Emperor Kaelin.
In the first few weeks, the Imperial Army was forced to defend.
The Federation's mercenaries relied on mobility and numerical advantage to probe continuously, even cutting off several supply lines at one point.
Just as the border nobles were preparing to compromise again, trading land for time, Kaelin took over command.
Without rushing to counterattack, he first compressed the lines, using the near-stubborn organization of the Imperial Legion to pin each army in its rightful place.
No matter how the Federation's mercenaries interspersed and harassed, those legion soldiers in outdated plate armor never retreated.
Then, at Sunset Canyon, Kaelin completed the first perfect counterattack.
He deliberately showed weakness, luring the Federation's main forces into the narrow terrain and cutting off their retreat in the dark.
