“The more a general is accustomed to place heavy demands on his soldiers, the more he can depend on their response.”

Karl Von Clausewitz​

Welcome to the 7th developer diary for March of the Eagles. We've already gone over the how’s and whys of making war. Now the time has come for you to choose those that will lead you to victory. Be sure that you do so with care.The situation calls for extensive knowledge in leadership and how to choose which of the leaders at your command will serve what purpose in the war you find yourself in.As expected, generals are used to lead armies and admirals are used to lead navies. A leader’s traits and attributes govern how skilled he is. Attributes are constant, but new traits can be acquired and old upgraded through experience. The skill of a leader determines how good he is at performing different strategies and tactics in combat.The commander in chief of an army serves as the reserve leader, using his skill to decide when to commit troops from the reserves to a flank or withdraw troops from a flank to the reserves. The offensive and defensive capabilities of the reserve leader will also give a bonus to troops in all the fighting flanks.Leaders have three attributes: offensive skill, defensive skill and maneuver. Paying close attention to these may be the difference between defeating an army twice your size or getting crushed.The Offensive attribute gives a bonus when you are attacking an enemy. This bonus applies to any military actions that uses armed force in an aggressive manner in order to occupy territory, gain an objective on the battlefield or map, or achieve a larger strategic, operational or tactical goal. On the battlefield, offensives are largely conducted as a means to seize the initiative in a confrontation between opponents.Defense is about combating attacks on your armies and territory so the Defensive trait gives a bonus to any army defending your country/provinces. The bonus does not apply until your armies are attacked.The Maneuver attribute is probably the most significant one in a long campaign. A general's maneuver score affects his army's movement speed and the rate of attrition it will suffer. Maneuver represents those tactical moves, or series of moves, that can improve or maintains an army's strategic situation in a competitive environment, or even to avoid a hard situation. In battle, Maneuver also governs how good the leader is at changing phase to his own favor in combat and is a vital attribute for those generals commanding the reserves.A Trait is permanent bonuses or skill that augments a general's attributes in specific ways and in certain situations. Traits can only be gained by seeing the fire of battle. Leaders are assigned to armies or naval forces and then any success that leader sees has a chance to generate a Trait for those in command. This reflects the rapid education of generals on Napoleonic battlefields as the art of war changed so quickly compared to what had gone on before. Traits are a way to further specialize generals and admirals, if you want to make the most out of your men.For a little bit of eye candy, each Leader in March of Eagles is represented by a unique portrait, instead of simply a generic head with a funny hat. This may help you recognize your favorites or maybe realize which of these handsome men is better off staying at home.That’s all from me this week!Hope you know have the knowledge to bring out the best in your leaders and choose the men you want to command your troops.Next week we talk about Combat and Combat Tactics.