Combat in the Long Night is brutal, quick, and dependent on powerful force multipliers to gain an advantage against opponents whose equipment is on par with your own. Item quality won't win a battle, troop quality and intelligently assigned equipment will.
There are several broad types of fighting units to be classified as, listed below. An -EX in the ID denotes veterancy. Duelist- A unit specialized in swords, axes, and other slashing weapons. Used to flank opponents, target specific enemies, and generally dance about the battlefield. Vanguard- A unit specialized in hammers and maces, crushing weapons. Used to batter through enemy lines. Control- Spears, whips, polearms. Melee weapons with range and reach. Used to hem in foes and dictate control of the battlefield. Skirmish- Shotguns, pistols, and handcannons. Lightweight ranged weapons with melee attachments, used as an opening salvo before closing to melee. Trooper- A unit using middle-ground, fast-firing ranged weapons like carbines and rotorguns. Used to put out high volumes of munition into the air and screen for advancing melee forces. Support- Dedicated ranged units making use of heavy ranged weapons like rifles, snipers, and cannons. In an era of impossible armors, high-speed jousts, and functional shields, they will quickly be overwhelmed by melee, so protect them.
In addition to physical attacks, many creatures can fight using weaponized malware, and defend themselves through firewalls manifested in response to perceived threats. For more information about the specifics, check the Digital Programs section. To deal with these issues, you have a few options. You can teach an N-life or Transcendent being mass firewall programs so they periodically bestow defenses on targets, you can purchase a firewall drone which grants a longer-lasting firewall offering basic protection, or you can manufacture consumable datachips, which can be consumed to grant protection as well. If a character is flashing white, it means they are protected by a firewall. If they are flashing red, it means they are being digitally attacked. The bigger the size of the flashing symbol, the stronger the program is.
Understanding the utility of various weapons is vital. In this world, the differences in the material quality of weapons and armor are negligible in all but the rarest cases. Thus, all conflicts come down to skill, stats, body, and equipment loadout. As a general rule, crushing attacks work best against armored humanoid opponents, while larger foes are better matched against piercing weapons, and swarms of smaller creatures should best be dispatched with slashing weapons. But thanks to weapon attachments, there’s room for variety. An axe with rocket-assisted strikes can cause damage through armor through the force of its blows alone, for example. For melee weapons specifically, war-type weapons, those used in one hand, allow you to equip shields. Great-type weapons require two hands, but have strikes which are ten times as powerful. When it comes to ranged weapons, volume of fire can winnow away an opponent's armor or bodily integrity, but there are plenty of monsters out there that don't care about a bunch of small holes being punched through them. More powerful, slower-firing ranged weapons would be more effective in such cases, especially if that thing is armored on top of its natural resistance. Armor loadouts offer similar tradeoffs. The heaviest gear you can get provides greater odds of avoiding damage, but slows you down. Weaker armor leaves gaps, but frees you to act swiftly.
They don't work against anything that can think. Megabeasts, nightcreatures, and invading soldiers won't be fooled by a pit trap or hidden sawblades. Wild animals will, however. If you encounter an existential threat, you'll need to either send troops to fight it, or hide and hope something else kills it.
In this era, there are countless ways to abandon your humanity. Simply developing an N-core is one way, but turning yourself into a titanic weapon of war is another. The creation of such entities is mandatory for all successful civilizations, as their presence can serve as a potent force multiplier to an otherwise mediocre military. Small forces supplemented by powerful individuals can hold their own against far more numerous opponents that lack them. Of course, there's no guarantee that the other side won't have powerful units of its own. It is recommended you prioritize the cultivation of such individuals as soon as you can. Due to the costs involved, it is unlikely that your entire population can be converted, so prioritizing your most favored or important individuals is the surest route to success.