Welcome to Gaia! ::

Arrakis watched the three knights clustered together with a smile that had a notable cast of amusement. He was glad to see there were already clusters of camaraderie within their ranks. That would help glue them together for the tasks ahead. And even though the knight with the shield was very quiet, that didn't... necessarily bother Arrakis. While it might make things more difficult, he couldn't say he blamed him. As long as he was reliable, that was all Arrakis could really, honestly, ask of him.

Though he did wish he had something more than "hey, you!" to call him, especially if at any point they were going to be practicing things like tactical drills.

He had smiled at Joy, appreciating her support, and had admittedly tried not to meet Ignatius' eye. There was a note of regret that he wouldn't be able to get to know the redhead any further than he had, really, that there was a time limit in place. But... that was how it was going to be, and Arrakis would not have been able to put aside his duty in order to change that.

"Are we all here?" he inquired after a moment, looking around. Was there really that few of them? A scant half-dozen... Well, it was going to have to do. He would do his best to make sure it did. Remembering what Joy had just said, he looked over the assembled knights, specifically over their weapons. "We're the shielding force for the offensive teams," he reminded them. "And I'd like us to be as interlocking as possible. I know we have a wide range of abilities, and I want us to be able to complement each other." Another pause to glance over them and their weapons. "Any questions?"

Arrakis was infinitely more glad at each blue knight that showed up than he was any kind of bothered by their lateness. Which was to say, he was not bothered much at all. As long as they got there, he was happy. He gave a warm smile and a nod in greeting to the small girl and listened attentively to her question. Her weapon was impressive, he had to admit, looking it over when she gestured with it. Despite her small size, he had every faith she could use that weapon. She wouldn't have it otherwise, right?

"Something like that," he replied. "We shouldn't be staggered one-by-one, as that would put gaps in our own defenses, which would do no one any good. But I would like those of us with longer-range weapons," Arrakis gestured to Abbi's pole-arm, Ignatius' pike, Milo's blade, "to be flanked by those of us with shorter weapons," he gestured to himself and the very stoic knight with the sword and shield. "As we're more suited to anything that might get past the longer weapons.

"But if you have a longer-range weapon and a shield," he gestured to Noemi and her shield and trident, to Joy and her shield and spade staff, "then I'd like you to be on the outside of those of you with longer weapons without a shield, between them and those of us with shorter weapons. The idea is that shorter weapons are more agile and more suited to the outside to prevent anything from getting past the longer weapons, but if something does get past us then the next knights it encounters need to have something to protect themselves. If you have a shorter weapon and a shield," he gestured back to the stoic knight, "then to be on the outermost portion as you combine both increased defense and increased agility.

"And if you have a true ranged weapon," an indication towards Ignatius' throwing axe, "please don't hesitate to use it regardless of where you are in the line. Just keep in mind the risk of any necessary retrievals." He took a breath, hoping that what he was saying was making sense to the other knights. "So, essentially, Ignatius, Milo, and Abbi in the center. On one side of them, Joy, on the other, Noemi. Then on the outside of that, you and me," he nodded to the knight whose name he still didn't know. "I do not have a shield, but don't worry about that, as there aren't enough of us to have a full complement, unfortunately.

"If we at any point end up fighting with a barrier on one side, such as a wall, then we should shift our formation accordingly. At that point, Ignatius, Milo, and Abbi closest to the barrier, with Noemi and Joy on their side, then me, then him." Arrakis wasn't stupid; if he had the option, he was certainly not going to make himself unnecessarily vulnerable given his lack of shield. "If we encounter heavy waves, those of us without shields need to fall back between those of us with them, regardless of weapon length, and use what we can of their cover. After all," he gave a grim chuckle, "while our first job is to protect the offensive regiments, we do no good if we ourselves fall and leave them open and vulnerable. Any questions?"