Power Difference Attacks (威力差攻撃 Iryoku-sa Kōgeki) was a style of artillery warfare employed by the Sawallisch Group during the Great War of the Middle Ages.
Background[]
Power Difference Attacks made use of human rifles and cannons, which were thought to be powerless against Crimson Denizens. The strategy was simply to start off with using rifles against the Denizens, who would become careless due to the rifles being unable to harm them, and then blowing them away with the cannons. The artillery needed could be quickly set up because Flame Haze could easily carry cannons around, they could ignite them with their flames, and when the cannons had run out of ammunition, they could just use Endan as an alternative. They loaded the cannons before leaving them around the battlefield when the battle moved directions, meaning they could later pick up a cannon lying on the ground and fire it. This was done to deal with how Middle Age cannons were hard to handle and couldn't rapidly fire. While holding back Denizens with this strategy, the Flame Haze would look for opportunities to counterattack, and it could also be used during retreats.[1]
The Power Difference Attacks strategy was conceptualized by the Flame Haze Army Supreme General, Sophie Sawallisch, due to the majority of the army being recently contracted amateur Flame Haze who had only been gathered to have the numbers necessary to fight Töten Glocke. Unlike the powerful Flame Haze who had gathered for the City Devourer Incident, the Great War Flame Haze were mostly novices who hadn't even developed their own unique techniques, and as such they would stand no chance against the veteran soldiers led by the Nine Eternal Divine Scales. Power Difference Attacks was a desperate idea to amend the gap in military strength between the two sides.[2]
It was an odd strategy for Flame Haze, as they usually kept away from projectile weapons due to it being a difficult task to strengthen and control the weapons using Power of Existence after they left the users' body. The Unrestricted Spell Endan was easier to use and more powerful than cannons but a skillful Denizen could easily deflect them, and Denizens could quickly heal from gunshot wounds. Sophie's aim for using human artillery was for energy preservation, expecting a long battle, and implementing Power Difference Attacks could also hold back an average Denizen.[2][1]
Plot[]
Power Difference Attacks were effective in slowing down Ullikummi's Denizen army. By bearing two waves of attacks himself, Ullikummi had figured out the strategy's aim, its weakness, and the purpose of the artillery batteries laying about, and he decimated a flank of the Sawallisch Group using the strategy with his Iron Hammer of Nesa. Due to his breakthrough putting the battle in disarray, the other flanks of Flame Haze couldn't use their cannons as easily for fear of friendly fire. Therefore, the strategy had only been effective for the start of the battle.[1]