...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!
Onrushing Army
- 159 statements
- 29 feature instances
- 31 referencing feature instances
| Onrushing Army | type |
FeatureClass | |
| Onrushing Army | label |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army | page |
OnrushingArmy | |
| Onrushing Army | comment |
A popular subset of Hollywood Tactics. Opposing armies will not engage in tactics or maneuvers of any kind. Instead, they simply form up into two opposing masses and charge straight at each other across a flat field. Afterwards, even this rudimentary formation will be lost as soldiers break up into a chaotic series of individual duels. If there are any cavalry, they will not work as a separate unit or form up together; rather they will just be scattered in amongst the infantry. If one side doesn't charge, they will hold their fire until the very last moment. Or they will fire exactly one volley of arrows before charging themselves. Before firearms, this tactic was rare, the "shield wall" being a much more common tactic. Even ancient barbarians generally knew better than to just gang up and run toward the enemy. Actually, the advent of firearms temporarily increased the use of this tactic, the goal being to close within melee range before the enemy could fire a second volley (this tactic being used by Scottish Highlanders), but even then, soldiers still maintained formation rather than charging in a formless mass. Ever increasing range, accuracy, and speed of firearms finally rendered this tactic suicidal in the First World War, both sides relying on suppressive fire from artillery to enable the attack to close on its target, with horrible consequences if the barrage was insufficient or badly handled. Realism aside, this trope makes for a useful and iconic image for filmmakers, and is popular in an introductory scene as a way to quickly tell the audience that these two large groups of people really, really don't like each other. Compare Animal Stampede, where the charging troop consists of mindless animals rather than soldiers. A subtrope of Call That a Formation? |
|
| Onrushing Army | fetched |
2023-06-26T01:59:44Z | |
| Onrushing Army | parsed |
2023-06-26T01:59:44Z | |
| Onrushing Army | processingComment |
Dropped link to BayonetYa: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Onrushing Army | processingComment |
Dropped link to ItCanThink: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Onrushing Army | processingComment |
Dropped link to PlayedForLaughs: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Onrushing Army | processingComment |
Dropped link to RealTimeStrategy: Not an Item - CAT | |
| Onrushing Army | processingComment |
Dropped link to WarElephants: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Onrushing Army | processingComment |
Dropped link to WarcraftIII: Not an Item - UNKNOWN | |
| Onrushing Army | processingUnknown |
WarcraftIII | |
| Onrushing Army | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Onrushing Army / int_18c0256c | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_18c0256c | comment |
From Total War: Rome II and onward in the series, a "bracing" bonus exists for infantry units that are standing totally still and facing toward enemy units to help reduce the damage an enemy's charge against them will cause. A variety of units in these later entries can also have a bunch of other bonuses to encourage averting this trope again enemy units which have a more fearsome charge than them, such as negating charge bonuses entirely as previously mentioned, doing more damage against charging adversaries while braced, or even completely reflecting an enemy's charge bonus right back onto them (especially good against cavalry, of course). | |
| Onrushing Army / int_18c0256c | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_18c0256c | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Total War: Rome II (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_18c0256c | |
| Onrushing Army / int_1c2dca78 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_1c2dca78 | comment |
Used to a T in Prince Caspian. The Telmarines send their cavalry in first, far ahead of the infantry, charges far ahead, then monolithic rectangles of infantry slowly walk in, supported only by trebuchets. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_1c2dca78 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_1c2dca78 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Prince Caspian | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_1c2dca78 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_23b84765 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_23b84765 | comment |
The Return of the King: The Rohirrim's charge against the Orcs at Minas Tirith. One really big line of horses coming at full speed on the Orc army, whose volleys of arrows do little to impede the cavalry charge before they're all swept away by a literal equine tidal wave. The Rohirrim attempt the same strategy against the line of Mûmakil covering the Orcs' retreat, but fail hard due to the Oliphaunts' sheer size and are left scattered. Not too long after the Rohirrim are nearly spent, Aragorn's group joins the fray with the Army of the Dead, bullrushing any and all resistance on the fields. The final battle between Aragorn's force and the combined, very much larger force of Mordor plays this trope even stronger; with the need to distract Sauron's gaze away from Frodo and the Ring, Aragorn simply charges forward and his army follows suit, despite being completely surrounded by the Black Gate's army. |
|
| Onrushing Army / int_23b84765 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_23b84765 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_23b84765 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_24a56b50 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_24a56b50 | comment |
Parodied in Meet the Spartans: The Spartans and the Persians charge at each other, and collide in the middle, falling to the ground. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_24a56b50 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_24a56b50 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| MeetTheSpartans | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_24a56b50 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_35e675e2 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_35e675e2 | comment |
Deconstructed the first time a viking raiding party fights a Saxon force in Vikings. The Saxons try to ambush the vikings (who are coming from raiding a nearby town) before the vikings can get back to their ships. The Saxon battle plan consists solely of firing a single volley of arrows and then charging at the vikings in a disorganized mass. The vikings on the other hand stay in a tight shield wall, have a reserve to fill in any spots should someone in the front line of the shield wall die, etc. The vikings slaughter the Saxons, while only suffering two casualties, plus the two guys who were originally watching the boats. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_35e675e2 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_35e675e2 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Vikings | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_35e675e2 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_3e374b30 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_3e374b30 | comment |
In The Dark Knight Rises, this is how the battle between Gotham's police and Bane's army plays out. In the cops' defense, there wasn't time nor a supply chain for anything more tactically sound, what with only ten minutes to stop Bane before he set off a nuke. Armed with only police batons, smoke grenades and pistols, the GCPD charge against Bane's army, who are armed with automatic assault rifles. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_3e374b30 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_3e374b30 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Dark Knight Rises | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_3e374b30 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_468bebb0 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_468bebb0 | comment |
On the Discworld, this is the policy of the D'regs. As their wise man said in Jingo, "It is always wise to charge." | |
| Onrushing Army / int_468bebb0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_468bebb0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Discworld | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_468bebb0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_4e433e78 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_4e433e78 | comment |
Monty Python and the Holy Grail plays this for laughs, as King Arthur and his knights (and later his entire army) always attack by charging. The trope is exaggerated on two occasions, when they charge at an enemy castle. Notably, they never win a single fight. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_4e433e78 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_4e433e78 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Monty Python and the Holy Grail | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_4e433e78 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_61a39969 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_61a39969 | comment |
In Avengers: Infinity War the Wakandan army led by the Avengers charges toward a similarly charging army led by Thanos' children. Somewhat justified by the fact that the Wakandans (and most of the Avengers) excel in melee combat, with few specifically ranged weapons among them (Bucky is smart enough to stay at range when using his gun, but also closes to close range to take advantage of the fact that he's also a skilled close quarters combatant). | |
| Onrushing Army / int_61a39969 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_61a39969 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Avengers: Infinity War | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_61a39969 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_6300d32a | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_6300d32a | comment |
The Spartans do this in 300 whenever they don't feel like using a phalanx as they're supposed to (which is most of the film aside from the start). | |
| Onrushing Army / int_6300d32a | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_6300d32a | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| 300 | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_6300d32a | |
| Onrushing Army / int_68571b69 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_68571b69 | comment |
The Chronicles of Narnia In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: The final battle also features this, though there is some strategic use of boulder-dropping fliers before the forces clash. In a slight twist, Peter's army charges in the shape of a flying wedge, in contrast to the Witch's army charging in the typically crowd-like fashion. Notably, there are actually two collisions, each sides' great cats charge ahead of the rest of the forces and slam into one another ahead of everyone else. Used to a T in Prince Caspian. The Telmarines send their cavalry in first, far ahead of the infantry, charges far ahead, then monolithic rectangles of infantry slowly walk in, supported only by trebuchets. |
|
| Onrushing Army / int_68571b69 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_68571b69 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Chronicles of Narnia | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_68571b69 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_721ebbf | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_721ebbf | comment |
In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: The final battle also features this, though there is some strategic use of boulder-dropping fliers before the forces clash. In a slight twist, Peter's army charges in the shape of a flying wedge, in contrast to the Witch's army charging in the typically crowd-like fashion. Notably, there are actually two collisions, each sides' great cats charge ahead of the rest of the forces and slam into one another ahead of everyone else. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_721ebbf | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_721ebbf | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_721ebbf | |
| Onrushing Army / int_770a7f90 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_770a7f90 | comment |
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon has all the bad guys on one side charging towards all the good guys in the intro movie. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_770a7f90 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_770a7f90 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_770a7f90 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_79a57c7e | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_79a57c7e | comment |
This is largely how infantry combat plays out in Black & White 2. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_79a57c7e | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_79a57c7e | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Black & White (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_79a57c7e | |
| Onrushing Army / int_8a40eb2b | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_8a40eb2b | comment |
The prologue of The Fellowship of the Ring features mindlessly rushing Orcs against more disciplined Elves. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_8a40eb2b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_8a40eb2b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_8a40eb2b | |
| Onrushing Army / int_97bb943d | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_97bb943d | comment |
The first battle sequence in Gladiator looks like it will subvert it, with the Romans clearly being aligned in formation while the disorganized Germans are not. However, by the end of the battle, it turns into the same swirling melee that all Hollywood battles are wont to do, which is especially egregious given the fact that Rome's military success came from its incredibly well drilled legionaries and use of formations. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_97bb943d | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_97bb943d | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Gladiator | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_97bb943d | |
| Onrushing Army / int_9ead863 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_9ead863 | comment |
Ultimate Epic Battle Simulator can have armies numbering well into the hundreds of thousands duking it out, which naturally means that individual unit AI seems to be a very low priority. Consequently, the only thing armies can really manage by themselves is to run in the direction of the closest enemy, then begin attacking the moment the enemy is in range until they are dead. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_9ead863 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_9ead863 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Ultimate Epic Battle Simulator (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_9ead863 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_a660fd96 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_a660fd96 | comment |
In Avengers: Endgame, the combined force of the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and an army of Wakandans, Asgardians, and Sorcerers, charge against Thanos and his army in an even and epic clash, breaking down to showcase just about every Avenger in action. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_a660fd96 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_a660fd96 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Avengers: Endgame | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_a660fd96 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_b3710362 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_b3710362 | comment |
In the first assault on the city in Troy, the Greek army does this... And gets stopped cold by the Trojan phalanx, before a Rain of Arrows sends the survivors back to the ships. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_b3710362 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_b3710362 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Troy | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_b3710362 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_b86b5220 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_b86b5220 | comment |
Typically averted in Spartacus: Blood and Sand, with the Romans frequently using a shield wall, necessitating the rebels to use some sort of additional tactic such as ambushes or catapults. The Grand Finale seems to play it straight with both sides charging right at each other, only for the rebels to stop and hold leading to the Romans falling into a Pit Of Spikes. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_b86b5220 | featureApplicability |
-1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_b86b5220 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Spartacus: Blood and Sand | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_b86b5220 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_bcadd7cb | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_bcadd7cb | comment |
Warhammer 40,000: The basic ork strategy is to run at the enemy while yelling and shooting. Justified in that the standard ork soldier is seven feet tall, tough enough to survive most small-caliber weapons, and have the numbers for such a strategy to be viable (and their biology requires orks to die to create more down the line). Tyranids do something similar, but applying It Can Think by sending genetically-designed Cannon Fodder first (they don't even have digestive systems since they aren't meant to survive the battle) to ensure the defenders waste their ammunition before sending in the bigger monsters. |
|
| Onrushing Army / int_bcadd7cb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_bcadd7cb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Warhammer 40,000 (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_bcadd7cb | |
| Onrushing Army / int_c0eae17 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_c0eae17 | comment |
In the Total War series, this trope is generally a very bad idea despite the trope picture (Total War: Shogun 2). Though charging units have a bonus when they make contact and not charging in an open field battle loses out on this bonus, flanking the enemy causes a significant penalty that is definitely worth doing instead of just running at the enemy head-on. Furthermore, lots of units (especially pikemen) have the "charge defence" trait that only works when they stand still and nullifies a head-on charge. The AI in earlier games was fond of this trope, however, as it was really easy to code. From Total War: Rome II and onward in the series, a "bracing" bonus exists for infantry units that are standing totally still and facing toward enemy units to help reduce the damage an enemy's charge against them will cause. A variety of units in these later entries can also have a bunch of other bonuses to encourage averting this trope again enemy units which have a more fearsome charge than them, such as negating charge bonuses entirely as previously mentioned, doing more damage against charging adversaries while braced, or even completely reflecting an enemy's charge bonus right back onto them (especially good against cavalry, of course). |
|
| Onrushing Army / int_c0eae17 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_c0eae17 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Total War (Video Game) | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_c0eae17 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_c511c682 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_c511c682 | comment |
The inhabitants of a certain Gallic village in Asterix (as well as the eponymous hero and his buddy Obelix by themselves when abroad) do this regularly to the Roman army, the unfortunate recurring crew of pirates, and whomever else they may end up fighting in the given album. Justified in this case by Panoramix's magic potion giving them superhuman strength (plus of course the Rule of Funny). | |
| Onrushing Army / int_c511c682 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_c511c682 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Asterix (Comic Book) | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_c511c682 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_c59abec0 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_c59abec0 | comment |
Braveheart plays with this. There are Screaming Warrior charges, sure, but there's also archers, cavalry, and Irishmen deployed in various battles before they get to that bit. During the climax of the Battle of Stirling, the Scotts, right after trapping and slaughtering the English cavalry, meet head on with the incoming English infantry, complete with alternating shots of both armies rushing and screaming. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_c59abec0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_c59abec0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Braveheart | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_c59abec0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_cc8fd137 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_cc8fd137 | comment |
The climactic battle of The Last Samurai. After enduring several volleys of gunfire, Katsumoto and his men manage to divide the Imperial Japanese army with columns of fire, pelt the stranded half with arrows, before rushing them on foot. The Imperial army, for their part, also meet them head on, having a slight range advantage with their guns until the samurai close the distance. Then there's the final cavalry charge, which consists of Katsumoto, Algrene and any surviving samurai pushing as far as they can through the Imperial Army's lines until they're brutally stopped by machine gun fire. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_cc8fd137 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_cc8fd137 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Last Samurai | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_cc8fd137 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_d4d2054b | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_d4d2054b | comment |
Big Trouble in Little China. The Chang Sing and Wing Kong secret societies line up facing each other (a "Chinese Standoff"). When one of the Wing Kong members yells, they charge to attack each other. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_d4d2054b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_d4d2054b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Big Trouble in Little China | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_d4d2054b | |
| Onrushing Army / int_e4d5575 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_e4d5575 | comment |
In the final battle of Warcraft (2016), the two armies hurl themselves at each other with complete disregard of formations. It could be that, with the humans being in a canyon, there was quite literally no other tactic possible than to go forward, but this still doesn't excuse lack of even the most basic shield-wall while it's made very clear their orc adversaries are individually far more mighty. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_e4d5575 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_e4d5575 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Warcraft (2016) | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_e4d5575 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_eb9e3429 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_eb9e3429 | comment |
Done in The Mummy Returns. We see lots of this trope in flashback, and toward the climax it's also done with the Medjai versus the army of Anubis. Partially justified, since Anubis warriors are dog-headed monstrosities and possibly not smart enough to use strategy. | |
| Onrushing Army / int_eb9e3429 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_eb9e3429 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Mummy Returns | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_eb9e3429 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_f1da64b5 | type |
Onrushing Army | |
| Onrushing Army / int_f1da64b5 | comment |
The Lord of the Rings The prologue of The Fellowship of the Ring features mindlessly rushing Orcs against more disciplined Elves. The Return of the King: The Rohirrim's charge against the Orcs at Minas Tirith. One really big line of horses coming at full speed on the Orc army, whose volleys of arrows do little to impede the cavalry charge before they're all swept away by a literal equine tidal wave. The Rohirrim attempt the same strategy against the line of Mûmakil covering the Orcs' retreat, but fail hard due to the Oliphaunts' sheer size and are left scattered. Not too long after the Rohirrim are nearly spent, Aragorn's group joins the fray with the Army of the Dead, bullrushing any and all resistance on the fields. The final battle between Aragorn's force and the combined, very much larger force of Mordor plays this trope even stronger; with the need to distract Sauron's gaze away from Frodo and the Ring, Aragorn simply charges forward and his army follows suit, despite being completely surrounded by the Black Gate's army. |
|
| Onrushing Army / int_f1da64b5 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Onrushing Army / int_f1da64b5 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Lord of the Rings | hasFeature |
Onrushing Army / int_f1da64b5 |
The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.
Copyright of DBTropes.org wrapper 2009-2013 DFKI Knowledge Management. Imprint. - Thanks to Bakken&Baeck for hosting. Contact.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.