With renewed focus and energy, the NCR opened up a new front in the Mojave. Determined to prevent a complete breakdown of the army, the NCR brass promised every conscript who were forced to fight a voluntary discharge. Due to the high casualties accosted each victory, each hard-fought battle seemed like a loss no matter the outcome.
However, setback after setback caused the overall morale to plummet and led to many deserters among the NCR forces. Wave after wave of NCR troopers were continually expended to break the Brotherhood’s back. Unable to attain a decisive victory in direct warfare, the NCR generals were hoping the Brotherhood would be unable to sustain a prolonged conflict. Soon the NCR had to stray from conventional battle tactics and adopted a new strategy… attrition.
Though they were severely outnumbered by the NCR, the Brotherhood was determined to win the war.
At the start of the war, the NCR was crushed in nearly every battle.The Brotherhood of Steel had access to far superior technology, as well as being more rigorously trained and disciplined. That war lasted for decades and each victory for the NCR came at a very high cost. The NCR in the Frontier are mostly comprised of veterans and conscripted soldiers from the NCR-Brotherhood War.