Combat for 947Arstotzka makes progress reverse-engineering Moskurg's Lucky Strike into their own variant, named "HonestStrike". It's modular, and can be slotted in and out of weapons to improve the long-range accuracy. It's Very Expensive, and requires the user to loudly praise Allah with each shot, but it makes the R1 rifle accurate out to Extreme Range for their Mage Hunters; an improvement over the Medium-Range accuracy that the gun had previously. They had to spend one revision making it cheaper, but the other revision was spent improving their turrets. The Lightning now uses a modified version of their Blastballs spell to pneumatically power the rotation of the clear-crystal turret using a spherical control like in the cockpit. This allows them to turn the turret smoothly, quickly, and allow them to track targets more easily. The guns are all still limited by their bolt-action reloading sequence, but it's a step towards modernization. They chose not to spend their Expense Credit.
Moskurg has spent their design getting their Adamantium closer to the same versatility that Arstotzka enjoys from their crystal. Named "Star Metal", they've devised a way to give the metal ferrous capabilities and glass-like transparency. They were unable to get control over the seven other traits they wanted, and the Star Metal is noticeably more brittle than standard Adamantium. For their revision they attempted to give their Thundergun better ammunition, but didn't get a working version. For their second revision they tried again, and did better. Their induction cannons now use a pointed shell that is a mix between an artillery shell and a modern bomb. It uses a circular hoop on the tail to keep it straight and the shell uses a blast-cap made out of a pressure switch and a Wand of Thunderbolts; it must be latched into place since Moskurg metal-priests can't make screw threads with a tight enough tolerance. They chose not to spend their Espionage Credit.
The Taiga sees some of the most pitched fighting thus far in the war, so we will change things up and start with the Mountains this report.
Moskurg relies heavily on their air power to shell distant strongholds and artillery nests to clear the way for their ground troops, since they're becoming increasingly rubbish against Arstotzka in a straight melee. This is exacerbated by Arstotzka's new powered turrets, which make fly-by assaults on Skyhawks more common. The ability for the guns to rotate smoothly and track targets evenly makes it easy to hit the large and mostly-immobile floating artillery platforms and knock them out of the sky. Moskurgs Skyskiffs do their best, but they can't go as fast as a Lightning at max speed, and their ability to fight is limited solely to short range due to the limited range of the Wands of Thunderbolt and the fact that they have no other offensive air-to-air weapon. They can't catch Lightning's either, since the pilots can't see before they even reach max speed. Then, with the the ability for the Lightning to track targets more easily, they start finding their own fighters getting shot down. For the very first time, Arstotzka is on par in the air.
That being said, Arstotzka still struggles to project their air power when it comes to supporting their troops on the ground. The inefficient previous generation fighter is the only one that can drop bombs, and it's easy prey for Skyskiffs. However, all of Moskurgs air forces can hit ground troops, whether it's a Skyskiff dropping grenades on troops walking up and down the cliffs or Skyhawks shelling enemy positions from far away; not that it's needed for that. While the air-borne artillery platform is handy, the invention of shaped ammo for the Thundergun makes their ground-based artillery accurate enough to thoroughly out-range Arstotzka. Much like the air, the artillery game has begun to favor the other side. The explosive ammo is less useful in the rocky terrain where there's plenty of cover, but it still a deadly tool.
Perhaps the biggest, newest factor in the Mountains is Arstotzka's HonestStrike modules. Snapped into the R1 rifles that the elite Mage Hunter troops use, it makes trudging up any slope a deadly affair for Moskurg troopers. Ambushes are common, and the accurate, deadly, and sneaky weapon rules the mountain peaks. The only downside is that the ambushers always prelude their attacks by loudly declaring their love for Allah, which kind of gives away the surprise of the attack to some extent. With the loss of total air superiority and Arstotzkas new "Super Accurate Guns For Shooting Long Distances That You Can Hold" (also referred referred to as "Sniper Rifles" by some of the users) Arstotzka manages to keep the southerners from stomping back up the mountain side. By using the natural high ground from the mountains, they press into the desert.
Arstotzka gains a foothold in the Desert.Artillery makes all the difference in the Plains to the east.
As it has for every year since Moskurg brought ballistas to battle, artillery decides who advances in the plains. The Thundergun is now accurate enough to shell enemy trenches, although only out to Beyond Line of Sight. It can hit out to BLOS+1, but accuracy drops off at that range and without the exploding shells it would barely be a factor beyond determining the distance between trench lines. Still, that doesn't stop Arstotzka Anti-Mages from crawling across the lines in suits made of grass and dirt to use their new, more accurate guns. They can reliably hit at only Extreme Range, and the Mage Hunters go without armor to reduce their noise and profile, but it is enough to keep Moskurg soldiers from lifting their heads over the edge of the trenches. At least for Moskurg the trenches are nice and dry; for an Arstotzkan soldier crouched in the trenches criss-crossing the land ahead of their Towers of Frost, "dry" is a foreign concept. It rains non-stop, and during the winter it snows.
When it comes time to move across no-mans land, Moskurg must stockpile ammo for a few weeks before hand. Then, they shell non-stop for days preceding the assault, and finally use close air support to cover their men as they charge across the blasted landscape. Arstotzka attempts similar tactics, but their inferior bombers and artillery range means they must rely almost entirely on the superiority of their troops to win the engagement. It's not enough; especially considering Moskurg rules the coast and can raid their backfield with impunity. Trains frequently don't arrive with much-needed ammo, troops, and weapons. The fact that Arstotzka can afford to liberally reinforce their lines with HAC-1's and R1 rifles is their greatest asset in this theatre, but they can't exactly use that to advance and when they're getting attacked both from the front and back their single-fire guns can't keep the enemy away. The Protector, which has struggled for years with fragile wheels, primitive transmissions, and obsolete weapons, can't even be used to protect troops part-way across the field like it had before. Thunderguns rip them to shreds with artillery barrages, and the exploding shells shatter more fragile components and chip away at the thicker parts. By the end of the year Arstotzka's lines are overrun and Moskurg presses up another section of the Plains.
Moskurg gains another section of the Plains.The Taiga, much like the Jungle down south, grows into a minefield of splintered and wrecked trees.
Moskurg struggles getting enough ammo up north to keep their Thunderguns supplied, but when the things fire it's definitely worth it. Tornadoes carve swaths through the trees and frozen swamps, sending whole tree branches through troop lines and toppling wooden forts. Arstotzka knows the land better and can frequently surprise Moskurg by sneaking their artillery closer under tree cover or by lying in wait beneath the snow until the southerners pass over. This is a real problem, and it's made more difficult by the fact that the dense tree cover makes their close air support less effective; it's still by far more effective than Arstotzkas though, especially thanks to their floating artillery platforms (which are periodically shot down). Melee's still go firmly in Arstotzka's favor, but the tree cover makes their HonestStrike-boosted R1's less effective at sniping. Sniping missions involve their Mage Hunters hiding up in the trees in full-white clothes and hitting Moskurg soldiers when they think they're safe.
Surprisingly, the Phoenix sees itself being used here, and only here. When they can manage to keep the giant ships alive, Moskurg will pass over tree lines and set the forest alight. It's useful for smoking out hidden Arstotzkans and clearing ground for open battles, but the giant tankers of Alnnar are juicy targets for Lightnings.
Myark and al-Mutriqa, age-old enemies with gray beards and wrinkled faces, meet once again on the battlefield in the frozen north.
It's close, but ultimately Moskurg manages to gain another section of ground. Troops mix Alnnar into their drinks in an attempt to keep themselves warmer despite their temperature-controlled Adamantium and mutter darkly about the white devils who hide in trees.
Moskurg gains another section of Taiga. Myark has been wounded and will be unable to fight next year.In the frozen northern seas, battles are fought and won in the air.
The fighting was even last year, and Arstotzka's powered turrets make the biggest difference in the air. Thus they are able to shoot down airships faster than Moskurg can sink their boats, and manage to barely regain a section of coastline.
Arstotzka regains a section of shoreline in the Northern SeasResearch Credit!!!The fighting in the north is often isolated, regulated to sudden, viscous stabfests and one-sided gunfights, when the forest isn't being obliterated by fire or artillery barrages. As such, the fight between Myark and al-Mutriqa has few existing survivors and reports of the encounter are vague and conflicting. al-Mutriqa refuses to speak of the conflict out of respect for his enemy, and Myark is too badly wounded to give a coherent report. Whichever side gives a more epic report of the event (as the need for moral is more important than the need for an honest retelling of events) will gain a
Research Credit, where two dice will be rolled for each trait of their next Design Phase and the higher of the two will be taken.
It is 948, the Design Phase.Northern Taiga: 2/4 Arstotzka, 2/4 Moskurg
Central Mountains: 4/4 Arstotzka, 0/4 Moskurg
Western Jungle: [color=red0/4 Arstotzka[/color], 4/4 Moskurg
Eastern Plains: 1/4 Arstotzka, 3/4 Moskurg
Southern Desert: 1/4 Arstotzka, 3/4 Moskurg
Northern Sea: 3/4 Arstotzka, 1/4 Moskurg
Western Sea: 0/4 Arstotzka, 4/4 Moskurg
Eastern Sea: 0/4 Arstotzka, 4/4 Moskurg
Southern Sea: 0/4 Arstotzka, 4/4 Moskurg
Sabre: Officer weapon. A single-edged Adamantium blade that favours cavalry combat over infantry combat. Requires training to wield, one-handed. Expensive.
Spear: General infantry weapon. Essentially an Adamantium dagger on a long stick. Very cheap, requires minimal training to use. Can be used double-handed, or single handed with a light shield. Cheap. Obsolete.
Halberd: An axe, a hook, and a spear all rolled into one. Does well against armor and in formation. Cheap
Buckler: General infantry equipment. A small Adamantium shield, held in one hand. Only protects a small area, but can be wielded alongside a shield. Moderate cost, requires training to wield properly. Cheap.
Pavise Shield: A large, thick, high-quality shield to guard against arrows. Can be staked into the ground, or slung across the shoulders. Needs both hands to use while on the move. Very Expensive.
Padded Armour: General infantry armour. Very cheap, just layers of cloth, but doesn't protect against much. Well ventilated in hot conditions, though. Worn under armor. Cheap.
Scale Mail: Officer armour. Scales of Adamantium on a leather backing. Expensive, but lighter than chain mail. Expensive. Obsolete.
Elite Lamellar Armor: All-purpose armor. Worn over padded armor. Thin plates of Adamantium sewn together with leather thongs, backed by more leather. High quality, decent protection against arrows and melee attacks. Adamantium is tailored to the temperature of the theater being fought in, preventing soldiers from freezing to death. Cheap.
Recurve Bow: General infantry weapon. A light bow composed of laminated wood and horn, curved backwards to provide more force. Inexpensive enough to equip many troops with, with very reasonable medium range and power. Can be wielded by horse archers.
Bodkin Arrows: Arrows with needle points. Can reliably penetrate plate armor at point blank range. Can penetrate less reliably further away. Now with Adamantium tips!
Arabian Horse: A light riding horse, from short-lived Iberian settlers in the past. Very fast and maneuverable, but not too strong. Expensive.
Horse Breeding Program: Mass amounts of horses available. Tend to do poorly in the desert, and aren't quite as high quality as the Arabian Horses. Cheap.
Lances: Essentially a heavily upgraded spear. Has a tendency to splinter after the first use. Cheap.
Sailing Ship: Wind-propelled wooden ship. Fast, requires minimal crew, cannot carry many passengers, but does carry at least one wizard - so long as they don't make puns. Very Expensive. Obsolete.
Sirocco: Ships made from lightweight and hardy junglewood and clad in glowing Adamanitium armor. Much more resilient and faster than Arstotzka's ships as of 935.
Ballista: Large siege weapon. Can fire javelins or stone shot great distances accurately. Reliable enough for consistent use. Can be mounted on ships. Wheeled. High-quality siege engineers.Expensive.
Firestorm ammo: Pots filled with Alwathnayu Mukafa'a - "Heathen's Reward". Explodes into sticky flame on impact. Incredibly lethal, incredibly dangerous. Nearly impossible to extinguish. Cheap.
Heathen's Reward: Alwathnayu Mukafa'a, a variant of Alnnar Almugaddasa. More reactive to open flame, tends to expand rapidly.
Fire and Thunder: Even more explosive Alnnar. Less flames, more boom. Can be put in an iron shell to cast fragments at enemies, although the fuse can be finicky.
Thundergun: Large siege weapon. Can fire rounded iron cannon balls through an Adamantium tube. Uses a series of copper coils to accelerate the ammo. Requires a 36-wand battery for each firing event, and uses a set of vacuum tubes to time the coils. Accurate out to Beyond Line of Sight. Expensive.
The Pheonix: A giant tank of Alnnar, propelled into the air by dozens of Adamantium War Pegasi Scrolls. Requires multiple wizards to keep running. Armor is thick enough to withstand 14 mm's up to Medium Range. Features a turret on the bottom to spray the Alnnar on the poor fools below. Slow, highly explosive, but absolutely terrifying. Very Expensive.
Wand of Heroism: Makes a squad fight beyond human levels. A National Effort.
Moskurg's Apprentice Gramary for Inter-magical Competency: Trains some apprentices to Wizard-level. Does not provide more mages. National Effort.
Alsamma Safina: Sirocco, stripped-down and packed with War Pegasi for lift. Requires multiple dedicated mages to keep the carpets enchanted and in sync. Very Expensive. Obsolete.
Skyhawk: An Adamantium airship, with two ballistas and four jet engine clusters for lift and movement. Very Expensive.
Adamantium: Divine metal summoned from the aether. Comes in workable copper-soft and forge-able steel-hard ingots. Temperature can be permanently set. Cheap.
Teletalk: Short-ranged psychic communication between mystics. Enough beacons can be produced to outfit an army. Expensive.
Wand of Thunderbolts: Glass wand, painted with zinc and copper. Adamantium core. Good for a single modestly-powerful blast of lightning. Cheap.
Staff of Tubikh Rrahim Albarq: Area-of-affect spell. Prevents all magic from being cast within field of effect out to Long Range. Spell contained within a staff of ivory, field of effect controllable. Produces a glow. Expensive.
Dispell Enchantments: Dispells enchantments on items, including standard crystal weapons. Expensive.
Pegasus: Charmingly named, enchanted carpets. Levitate, can be pushed around with Gust of Wind. Limited height, duration, speed. Typically rolled up and equipped with a saddle. Has pretty tassels. Expensive.
War Pegasus: An even faster, higher, tamed version of the Pegasus. Requires each scroll to be broken-in before it can be used in the field, but now has its own form of locomotion. Enchantments now last longer. Made of Adamantium. Cheap. Obsolete.
Adamantium Jets: A rudimentary jet engine, made of concentric Adamantium tubes. High thrust. Cheap.
Skyskiff: A two-seater Adamantium canoe. Equipped with two Adamantium jets. Very fast, thick armor. Cheap.
Detect Ambush: Reveals non-magical ambushes prepared by enemy troops or physical traps.
Lucky Strike: Magical guidance makes a squad shoot or strike true far more often than usual. Expensive.
Detect Thoughts: Read the mind of an enemy commander to determine their tactics ahead of time. Expensive.
Zen Inception: By putting enemy soldiers in a zen-like state, we can use their minds as a relay system to read minds further away. The spell is easy to disrupt, but simple to use.
Gust of Wind: Evokes physical force to create a heavy gust of wind, sufficient to disperse fog and most minor concealment, as well as disperse irritating swarms. Expensive.
Cyclone Shield: Protects the beneficent from most arrows and some blows with a sheath of wind. Expensive.
Storm Strike: Summons heavy rain and winds over the course of a day. Expensive.
Wrath of Allah: Calls upon Allah to allow lightning to rain down, even in snowy weather. Multiple mages allow faster casting of Storm Strike.
Clear Weather: Negates inclement weather within the given area. Nests within Storm Strike for protection.
Hammer of Allah: Induce lightning from summoned storms. Strikes indiscriminately, so can't be used in "danger close" situations.
Spear of Allah: Call down an individual bolt of lightning to target enemy commanders. Requires line of sight to target. Can be used in "danger close" situations.
Zephyr of Allah - Zephyric Destruction: Tornado cast by a single mage. Very powerful, goes out to Extreme Range. Lethal with debris, less lethal otherwise. Can pick up a soldier, if it passes directly over him. Expensive.
Heretics' Downfall: Greater control over lightning. Can 'persuade' lightning to travel down certain paths despite easier paths being available.
Winds of Ruin: A variant of Storm Strike. Allows the casters to lend their intent to the storm, allowing it to blunt the range of enemy artillery and cast weather attack spells beyond line of sight. Very Expensive.
Tubikh Rrahim: Area-of-affect spell centered around the caster. Prevents all magic from being cast within a short range. Cheap.
Dispell Enchantments: Dispells enchantments on items, including standard crystal weapons. Expensive.
Divine Desert Winds: Sends warm desert air north. Does not reach the taiga. Warms the area by one "level". Very Expensive.
Antichronic Reverbramancy: A trance that focuses on the branching nature of time. Locates "chokepoints" in the branches, where things will happen. Can only detect cataclysmic, nearby events, like artillery barrages, usually within 10-30 seconds. Tends to cause mages to be lost in the flow of time. Cheap.
As inspired by the "Behavior Rule" attached to Sensei's new Arms Race thread, I've decided to adapt them to Wand Race. Most of these are blatantly copied from his thread, and I expect them to be followed. After running this game for a few weeks now and following the last Arms Race, I'm aware that they're prone to attracting bad attitudes. Keeping the game smooth, on schedule, and argument free is probably a greater concern of mine than whatever you are arguing about: I expect you to be mature and adopt the same attitude.
1. Don't be salty! If at any time you find yourself having an urge to mouth off at another player, step away from the keyboard, go outside, and take a breath. Seriously. Players who repeatedly get angry or passive aggressive will be asked to leave. If you have an issue with the way the game is being run, DO NOT expect a tantrum to get you what you want.
2. Keep in mind that I am not a historian, so there will sometimes be mistakes and inaccuracies. Even in the best of circumstances, minor inconsistencies are a common occurrence. If some piece of equipment is imbalanced/unrealistic, I might consider changing it if you bring it up once -AND ONLY ONCE- and politely state your argument. However, I will err on the side of consistency with my own game, I do not like to go back and change things. Sometimes it is more important to simply keep the game running smoothly than other concerns.
3. Do not accuse me of being biased. Do not accuse me of being biased. I put a lot of effort into being objective and fair and being accused otherwise is pretty fucking irritating. On multiple occasions this has nearly derailed the game and made me want to abandon it all together. I have absolutely no more patience for this, and if you do it YOU WILL BE BANNED.
4. Do not spy on the other team's private thread. Trust me, playing fair is more fun for everyone! If you suffer from a lack of self-control and cannot stop yourself from spying, keep it to yourself. Do not use it to metagame. And do not post what you saw in the central thread. This has happened multiple times now, and if you do it you will be banned with no warning.
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Topic: Wands Race - [Moskurg] {COMPLETED} (Read 204261 times)