Combat for 924After Arstotzka's push from last year, they've managed to maintain their momentum, despite our best efforts.
Skirmishes see Moskurg deploying a new, deadly weapon this year - arrows, with their metal tips filed down to a needle point. Once again their caltrops do nothing to stop us as we charge into their camp in the dead of night, the lead rider holding aloft an ivory staff that snuffs out magic all around it. Our horse archers use our new arrows to deadly effect; at nearly point blank range, the dreaded needle arrows punch through steel plate to dig into flesh beneath.
Well. At least, some of them do. The arrows have a tendency to crumple if they hit a particularly thick section of armor, and when they do penetrate they're not always lethal. Still, they dig into the flesh beneath the steel when they do punch through, wounding men in armor. The narrow arrows do less damage to unarmored men than regular arrows, but their soldiers aren't happy to have over-sized sewing needles shot into their midst. Despite being less lethal than Arstotzkan ashwood arrows, this frightening new weapon causes discontent amongst their men.
Their skirmishes go equally well, unfortunately - our men still aren't used to the cold weather Arstotzka has foisted upon them, and time and time again they let their guard down. They punish us severely for it, riding in with their plentiful heavy calvary and laying about where they can. Their foot archers creep into range before sniping into our encampments, and before we can organize a counter attack they're gone. Skirmishes are more or less even this year, with neither side doing more damage than the other.
The melee's have increased in lethality, however. Moskurg needle arrows tend to dig into Arstotzka wooden shields at medium range, and at close range they can cause superficial wounds that hamper their mens fighting capabilities. Of course, at all ranges our arrows tend to find their way into eyeslits and armor gaps thanks to lucky strike. Arstotzkan arrows return the favor when they can find their way through the wind and rain, punching through our thin Lamellar Armor. Our inexperience with armor crafting shows. Despite outfitting each man in a coat, the armor us frequently rusted and too thin to stop longbow arrows inside of long range. It's not particularly adept at melee combat, either - a single blow will tear it to shreds, causing the threads to snap and leaving the soldier open for a second attack. Even though it's utterly, utterly inferior to Arstotzkan armor, it does give our men more flexibility and buys them a few extra seconds of life.
A frightening new development has occurred; our wizards, already prime targets for Arstotzkan archers, are being cut down with alarming frequency. Our mages cloak themselves in whirling cyclones of wind when not casting, but they must eventually drop their shield to cast their lightning and lucky strike. When they do, they are quickly shot down - with the ruthless efficiency of trained killers. Without al-Mutriqa to pick up the slack, we are pushed back another section in the jungle. Those who surrender to Arstotzka are brutally, mercilessly executed in plain view.
Things do not go well for Moskurg.
The Theatre Commander is haggard from lack of sleep. He stays up at night, pouring over battle plans to give our men some advantage over the enemy. He urges you to fix the problems with the Lamellar Armor, as it's not doing enough to keep our men alive. He also asks if there's any way you can improve the bodkin arrows - they're a much needed weapon, but their inconsistency is hampering our ability to fight at long range.
But - and perhaps most importantly of all - you
must do something about our mages getting snipped before they can cast. He doesn't care how you do it, or what the cost is. We cannot win this war if we lose continue to lose them.
Arstotzka gains ground in the jungle.With no new advancements to be used on the seas, neither side makes advancements here.
The Theatre Commander points out that he could deploy troops behind enemy lines, if he could disperse the enemy fleet. Better coordination, or a better offensive weapon would give us the edge we need on the high seas.
Neither side makes coastal gains in the Western Sea.Revision Credit Results: Moskurg: 2 reports + (1d4 = 1) = 3
Arstotzka: 3 reports + (1d4 = 1) = 4
Arstotzka has compiled a more thorough report of the incident regarding al-Mutriqa and Myark, and gains a revision credit for this coming year.
al-Mutriqa suffered his injury fighting a rearguard action. Cooly, he lead a counterattack on the flank of a squadron of enemy heavy cavalry, spoiling their formation with a blast of strong wind, and standing in the middle of a formation like a mountain rising from the sea, protected by his shield of holy wind. Our fine soldiers were able to defeat the disrupted formation, bringing down their horses and slaughtering the then helpless soldiers. After the charge was stopped, the retreat was then safely and professionally conducted, with us losing few troops. At this point, the enemy archmage arrived, and al-Mutriqa boldly closed the range, in order to use Tubikh Rrahim to prevent the enemy from launching fireballs. While dueling the enemy mage, another Arstoskan soldier managed to reach al-Mutriqa, and al-Mutriqa was only able to wound the enemy soldier before getting stabbed in the ankle by the wounded man. Only after holding off the enemy mage for long enough so the retreat could be conducted, did al-Mutriqa notify high command of the wound he has sustained.
A chill wind blows through the jungle, a thick mist driven forth upon it. The Black Phantasms ride through it, unflinching as always. The enemy tower is in sight. They shall put an end to this heretical weather.
Suddenly arrows whistle out from the darkness. Dark riders fall from their saddles, a pained grunt escaping their normally silent lips. More arrows rain down- only to be blown aside by a sudden gust. One of the riders throws off his cloak, revealing himself to be non other than al-Mutriqa, his bright robes and glittering scale lighting up the night. Like a loyal hound, lightning is at his beck and call, raining down around -but never on- the Black Phantasms. The Arstotzkan archers who are fortunate enough not to be hit by the bolts of plasma are unfortunately illuminated by them, allowing the sinister horsemen to charge into the underbrush and cut them down with their wicked scimitars.
The battle is decisively in the Phantasms's favour when a new source of light appears- a stream of fireballs cuts through the night, blowing up trees, rocks, and occasionally a horse and its rider. al-Mutriqa turns towards the source, and spots the by-now familiar face of his rival lurking amongst the foliage.
"Coward! Lurk no more in the darkness, my friend, for the light is here to bring you salvation!"
Myark rolls his eyes at this predictable spiel, but emerges nonetheless. The Phantasms are busy fighting archers and other Arstotzkan soldiers, leaving the two wizards to once again fight alone. They size each other up; Myark in his humble garb, al-Mutriqa in his opulent robes. al-Mutriqa seems to have a new piece of equipment; an ivory staff, covered in fine engravings. Myark regards it suspiciously, but has no time to make a comment before al-Mutriqa charges forth, golden mace raised high.
He quickly conjures a wall of flame between them, bringing al-Mutriqa to a halt just before the eldritch flames.
"Are you so desperate to avoid redemption, brother? Is it not written, 'Fear not the righteous man, for his embrace brings you closer to me.'?"
It may well be written in Moskurg's heathen texts, but it matters little to Myark, who starts summoning a massive fireball to finally end the annoyance that is his rival. He pours ever more power into the spell, until the flickering orb is almost a meter wide. al-Mutriqa, meanwhile, makes no efforts to flee.
"Now it ends", the grizzled mage whispers.
"Now it ends", al-Mutriqa replies, and raises his staff.
Myark prepares to launch the fireball and incinerate his rival, but moments before he does al-Mutriqa finishes muttering under his breath with a shouted "TUBIKH RRAHIM"
With that, the fireball disappears, along with the firewall, the mists, and the unnatural chill. Myark stares at the space between his hands where a fireball once sat, dazed, almost too late to notice the oncoming al-Mutriqa. Just in time he raises his sword to block the downwards swing of the shining mace. The weapons bounce off each other with a clang. Myark staggers under the force of the blow, but maintains his footing. al-Mutriqa is already winding up another swing, and he prepares to summon a crystal axe- remembering just in time how fruitless that would be, and raises his mundane weapon to block the blow instead. Another clang, and once again Myark shudders as the force of the impact runs up his arm.
"Heed my words, man of the north! Only from god comes salvation forth!"
Myark grits his teeth. al-Mutriqa is annoying enough before he starts reciting battle-poetry. He must end this soon, before the incessant chanting drives him insane.
He dodges the next blow, then lunges forth with his own weapon. al-Mutriqa knocks it away, dancing backwards. Myark presses the attack, but is blocked time and time again.
For what seems like hours (but is more realistically five-ten minutes) the two duel, locked in an eternal struggle where neither has the advantage.
Then Myark stumbles- just for a moment, but a moment is all al-Mutriqa needs. He swings wildly- and has his blow knocked away effortlessly, for it was naught but a feint on Myark's part. The spartan spellcaster strikes whilst his opponent is (for real) off balance, striking them in the chest with the pommel of his sword. al-Mutriqa gasps, winded, and Myark wastes no time in laying into him, blow after blow raining down upon the majestic mage. Several make contact, severing the scale covering al-Mutriqa's body, until he is bleeding profusely. A particularly savage blow sends the mace spinning out of al-Mutriqa's grasp, and the wizard falls backwards into the mud.
Myark stands over his prone rival, sword aimed at his neck.
"Any last words?"
"Qad 'illah yurhim ealaykum*", replies al-Mutriqa.
"Heathen nonsense", snarls Myark, and raises his sword for the finishing blow.
...and then spins around to instead block the strike of one of the Black Phantasms, whose scimitar deflects harmlessly. A second rider appears, then a third, and soon Myark is forced to retreat, as the horsemen surround their leader protectively. He spits one last insult at the bleeding wizard, then backs off into the jungle, returning to his tower.
Northern Taiga: 4/4 Arstotzka
Central Mountains: 4/4 Arstotzka
Western Jungle: 3/4 Arstotzka, 1/4 Moskurg
Eastern Plains: 4/4 Moskurg
Southern Desert: 4/4 Moskurg
Northern Sea: Arstotzkan
Western Sea: Disputed
Eastern Sea: Moskurger
Southern Sea: Moskurger
Sabre: Officer weapon. A single-edged blade that favours cavalry combat over infantry combat. Requires training to wield, one-handed. Expensive.
Spear: General infantry weapon. Essentially a 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.
Buckler: General infantry equipment. A small iron shield, held in one hand. Only protects a small area, but can be wielded alongside a shield. Moderate cost, requires training to wield properly.
Padded Armour: General infantry armour. Very cheap, just layers of cloth, but doesn't protect against much. Well ventilated in hot conditions, though. Cheap.
Scale Mail: Officer armour. Scales of steel on a leather backing. Expensive, but lighter than chain mail. Expensive.
Lamellar Armor: General infantry armour. Worn over padded armor. Thin plates of steel sewn together with string. Is comparable to Scale Mail, but easier to make and maintain. 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.
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.
Wand of Heroism: Makes a squad fight beyond human levels. A National Effort.
Teletalk: Short-ranged psychic communication between mystics. Enough beacons can be produced to outfit an army. Expensive.
Staff of Tubikh Rrahim: Area-of-affect spell centered around the caster. Prevents all magic from being cast within a short range. Spell contained within a staff of ivory. Expensive.
Dispell Enchantments: Dispells enchantments on items, including standard crystal weapons. Expensive.
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.
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. Difficult to control, has a tendency to hit the caster as often as not. Our mages refuse to use it.
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.
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Topic: Wands Race - [Moskurg] {COMPLETED} (Read 203798 times)