Archimedes Defense
No canonical tactical doctrine called the 'Archimedes Defense' appears anywhere in Red Rising or its sequel series. The provided source text details events from Light Bringer, a 2023 novel by Pierce Brown set after Dark Age, focusing on characters like Darrow, Lysander, and Atlas. It describes specific battles over Phobos, the liberation of Io, and the construction of an interstellar generation ship by Regulus 'Quicksilver' Sun. While the source mentions advanced warfare, orbital fleet battles, and the use of biological weapons like Eidmi, it never references a strategy named after Archimedes or any doctrine utilizing sunlight as a weapon in this manner.
- Origin
- Non-Canonical / Fan Invention
- Primary Users
- None in Canon
- Tactical Focus
- N/A (Fictional Concept)
- Historical Context
- The 'Unification Wars' predate the Society's formation; no such doctrine was use
Lore & Background
It describes Lysander transforming the Morning Star into the Lightbringer and his subsequent alliance with Atlas to create a false Obsidian leader named Volsung Fá. The text mentions specific military actions such as the battle over Mars where thousands died, the bombing of Callisto by Fá's forces, and the use of Eidmi, a biological weapon capable of eliminating any selected Color.
In Their Own Story
Eight months after the Republic lost Mercury, Darrow and his soldiers hid on Marcher-1682 before returning to Mars. On Venus, Sevro bombed dockyards to rescue Darrow and Cassius from Apollonius. Lysander, celebrated as Mercury's savior, defied Atalantia by preaching that Golds must defeat the Republic on Mars to reclaim their role as shepherds. This led to a massive battle over Phobos where Kavax and Cicero were gravely injured, and Virginia was forced to retreat. Later, Atlas revealed himself as the puppet master behind Volsung Fá, decimating the Rim's fleet at Kalyke and killing Dido and Helios. The conflict escalated when Lysander's forces massacred Ascomanni in the Garter and devastated Io using Eidmi as a threat. Throughout these events involving fleets, duels on Europa, and the trial by Athena, no mention is made of an 'Archimedes Defense' or any strategy utilizing mirrors to focus sunlight.
Reader's Guide
The text details how Darrow recruited the Daughters of Athena and the Volk Obsidians through trials and duels rather than static defensive doctrines. It notes that Quicksilver built a generation ship as insurance against total war consumption, not as part of a specific named defense system. Readers looking for tactical information must rely on the described events of fleet battles, planetary sieges, and character-driven alliances found strictly within this text.
Did You Know?
- Lysander au Lune transforms the Morning Star into a ship called the Lightbringer.
- Regulus Sun, known as Quicksilver, has built an interstellar generation ship containing non-Color Homo sapiens children to escape the Solar System.
- Atlas reveals he is behind Volsung Fá and possesses a biological weapon named Eidmi that can eliminate any selected Color on any planet.
- Lysander kills his friend Cassius Bellona after Cassius attempts to destroy Eidmi, which Lysander wants to control to ensure peace.
More in Lore, History & Myths
Related in Red Rising
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