Combat for 940This year sees Arstotzka get a new weapon they've been working on finally on the field. Known as the "AS-R1", it is simply a small cannon that a man could hold in his hands. Using mainly crystal for construction, a long, thin metal handle is used to activate magic stored in the attached A-level magegems, activating a magical circuit that fires off a new type of fireball in the combustion chamber, which then propels a small shell out of the barrel. Braced against the mages shoulder, it can reach out to Extreme Range, but struggles to hit a target at Medium Range. Still, it's merely Expensive, smaller than a longbow, has a higher velocity, and can be used by a non-mage for an extra expense level. It is their first foray into magical spells made usable by non-mages, and yet another step into the world of firearms. Due to advancements made in the development of this weapon, their cannons no longer require water to operate, lessening the load on their crystal train and increasing the rate of fire of all their weapons.
Additionally, they unveil the next evolution of their armor: Combat Armor. Constructed entirely of crystal and with a more robust degree of protection, it features a clear crystal faceplate. Without eyeslits or gaps in the armor, it's virtually impenetrable to arrows. It comes with a steel antenna that runs from the head down to the right foot, in order to route electricity away from the more vulnerable internal bits of the soldier wearing the armor. The antenna is destroyed after being struck, but it means the soldier can at least survive being hit once now. Antennas are relatively cheap, so six are put on every Crystalclad ship.
Moskurg has surprised everyone by diversifying their weather magic with yet more weather magic. The next natural evolution of their wind spell, the "Zephyric Destruction" is a powerful tornado that can be cast by a single mage. Able to reach Extreme Range, the tornado has been amped up in power through a revision and is alarmingly lethal in areas with high amounts of debris - such as the jungle, taiga, and to a lesser extent the Mountains. It's not very lethal in the plains or desert unless it directly passes over an enemy soldier, but could possibly capsize a ship on the ocean. Due to the high amounts of wind involved, this spell can't be cast by mages flying on the airships or carpets.
They also tweak their Adamantium to give themselves greater control over the pre-set temperature of the conjured metal. Able to be mass-set by a mage over an hour-long ritual, their armor now promises to keep the soldiers warm in cold weather. Only the severely negligent have a reason to freeze to death any more - the metal can be set from freezing to boiling temperatures, permanently. They make a set of cook-ware for their camp cooks, much to the common soldiers happiness.
Arstotzkas combat armor shows mixed results in the jungle.
No more maneuverable than their previous plate armor, it is at least a bit lighter. Combat once again sees the resurgence of men slogging across no-man's land to meet the enemy in combat. The lightning rods tend to explode into a fine, super-heated vapor when struck, often knocking over the soldier hit. Much to Moskurgs surprise, these men will get up and continue on, with rarely more damage than a crack along the armor where the antenna had been attached. When meeting with Moskurg troops they once again have the upper hand, as their clear-crystal visors give a greater degree of visibility than their previous eye slits. Still, no soldier survives getting struck by lightning twice, and Firestorm grenades prove to be just as effective as before. Combat Armor clad soldiers either suffocate or boil to death when engulfed in the sticky flame, and out-dated ballistas (though fewer in number due to Moskurgs strained supply of apprentices and wizards) can still punch a bolt straight through the breastplate of the armor. Regardless of the short-comings of the armor, it proves to give them a slightly better edge at both reaching their enemy and for actually winning in the melee.
More useful is Arstotzka's new waterless cannons. Without needing to wait for water to be supplied, a cannon can be reloaded much more quickly with no reduction of firing velocity. This helps bump the lethality of their HA1 despite having non-explosive ammo, but more importantly benefits their HAC-1 anti-air cannon. An apprentice can now get more shots out per minute, which tends to cut down War Pegasi riders when multiple cannons are firing at once.
Moskurgs new tornado manages to pick up the slack where their lightning left off, however; in the jungle, a common branch on the ground becomes a ballista bolt when picked up by the Zephyr. Charges are often proceeded by multiple tornadoes spinning across the ground towards Arstotzkan lines. It manages to also make HA1 rounds more inaccurate, if they pass through or near the tornado, but accuracy has never been a major issue as their volume of fire isn't diminished. The new spell proves to be much more effective than their now-nerfed lightning, but unfortunately must be cast by mages on the ground as the turbulent air is not conducive to fliers. The Airship is usually fine, though, able to stand off at a distance and continue picking at Arstotzkan lines with lightning and ballista shots even during the tornado rampage.
Arstotzka's new rifle sees an odd use; though envisioned as a weapon that all their troops will one day wield, it is currently used exclusively by their Mage-Hunters for assassinations and wizards for anti-air emergencies. Mage-Hunters typically crawl through no-mans land on their bellies, both their crystal armor and crystal weapons rubbed with tar, dirt, and grass to help stay out of sight of Moskurg air patrols. Once in range, the rifle shows its superiority over the long-bow through one simple fact: you don't need to stand up to use it. Mage-Hunters get as close to Medium Range as they can, take careful aim, and simultaneously take out commanders and wizards in a single volley. With no steam cloud or movement required on their part, their often unseen and unheard beyond the report of their rifles. The bullets even punch through pavise shields with ease. Getting back is much harder, however - Moskurg air patrols are very thorough, and once caught the elite troops are often doused with firestorm shells and die a horrible, messy death. Still, the assassinations take their toll.
The advantage is still in Moskurgs favor, however, as their control of the adjacent oceans means they get to choose when and where they can launch surprise invasions against Arstotzkan lines. Able to stay out of range of HA1 artillery and move faster than the troops on land, they often sneak behind Arstotzkan lines and wreak havoc. Supply lines suffer, and it's not uncommon for the Restless crystal train to not show up at all as the train tracks are an easy target for sabotage. The naval advantage makes a large difference here.
Though they're no longer immune to lightning, Arstotzkans soldiers at least now can survive a bit longer before death comes for them. Tornados have now overtaken lightning as the #1 cause of death for Arstotzkans, and though their assassinations are quite brutal on Moskurg wizards, commanders, and moral, Moskurgers are no longer freezing to death thanks to their heated armor. Charging across no-man's land is still pretty lethal for both sides despite their new armor, and though the HAC-1's can now fire more rapidly they still require time to reload. Moskurg manages to push Arstotzka back a section, though only barely and largely due to the destructive capabilities of their tornadoes when given plenty of debris to throw around and their naval advantage.
Moskurg gains a section of jungle.In the mountains, Moskurgs tornadoes have a harder time.
Though they now have rocks and the occasional tree to throw at enemy troops, the uneven terrain makes controlling the tornado - or even keeping it alive - quite difficult. The terrain benefits Arstotzkan snipers here even more, who occasionally even take shots of opportunity at the low-flying carpet bombers overhead. Arstotzka still has the artillery advantage here in the mountains, and with Moskurgs diminished carpet bombing, lightning, and tornados, they are eventually forced to concede the mountains.
Arstotzka gains control of the mountains. If they hold it for a turn, they gain the metal bonus.With less debris in the plains, the tornadoes generally require going directly over enemy troops to inflict casualties. Likewise, Arstotzka's Mage-Hunters have a harder time sneaking close to enemy lines in the wide open, flat terrain. The increased rate of fire of Arstotzka's HA1's has started to put strain on their supply lines, even despite the fact they no longer require water. This is exacerbated by al-Mutriqa personally leading raids on enemy supply lines, leading the way with his Wand of Heroism and Black Phantoms entourage. When the cannons fall silent, it's often due to a train being blasted while carrying a supply of shells. Normally when this happens, Arstotzka can simply out-wait their opponents, knowing they'll all eventually die of the cold, which is not the case any more. Battles must be fought and won, and on the rare occasions troops actually meet it's Arstotzka who has the upper hand, despite Moskurg dropping firestorm shells and blasting about with their Spear of Allah. Their new R1 rifle can punch through Moskurg Elite Lamellar Armor with ease, thanks to the large bullet and the relatively close range it's used at. It suffers due to the fact that the rifle can be shut off by Moskurgs anti-magic fields, though there's fewer now due to their mages being used elsewhere and getting assassinated by Mage-Hunters.
Ultimately, the fact that lightning can't kill with every strike (though it still has a profound effect if a mage uses the Spear on the same target twice), the fact that the tornado has less debris to pick up, and the fact that the increased fire rate of HAC-1's push raiding War Pegasi riders away means Moskurgs forces suffer. Likewise, HA1's suffering from al-Mutriqa's raids, the relatively little impact of the R1 in this theater, untouchable Airships standing off and plinking away at their lines, and the fact that their superior troops must stomp through killing fields before being able to kill their counterparts means that Arstotzka's forces suffer.
At the end of the day, it's Moskurgs ability to land troops behind Arstotzkan lines that gives them the advantage. Arstotzka might have been able to push them back, but without a way to stop incursions from the coast their lines are ragged and bent and they must concede anther section of plains to Moskurg.
Moskurg gains a section of the plains. The lightning-rods and faster-firing HAC-1's prove to be game-changers on the open seas.
Moskurg was already struggling to sink the Crystalclad ships with their out-dated ballistas, relying heavily on lightning strikes and War Pegasi to keep the ships suppressed. The lightning rods do a good job of keeping the lightning from hitting troops immediately, buying time for the ships to either get out of range or shoot down the carpet-bomber casting the spell. The Alsamma Safina is still virtually immune to anything the ships down bellow can throw at it, standing out of range and spamming their accurate Spear of Allah until the lightning rods are gone or until the crew dies, but the Sirocco has a much harder time. Inferior to the the Crystalclad in both armor and weaponry, they're used exclusively to sink suppressed Crystalclads and to launch carpet-bombers. The sea is mostly a deadlock, but Myark manages to push the advantage in Arstotzka's favor. Surprisingly accurate with the R1, he excels at shooting down the fast-moving War Pegasi even at Long Range, and his Wand of True Light can make the weaker-hearted Moskurg sailors turn tail. The tornadoes are harder to use on the open sea, and though Moskurg manages to capsize a few Crystalclads it's not enough.
Arstotzka manages to push Moskurg out, reclaiming their northern seas - the balance of naval power has shifted towards Arstotzka once again.
Arstotzka regains control of the Northern Sea. Research Credit!!!It has come time for you heir to complete their education and move from an Apprentice-level mage to a Wizard-level mage. However, in order to "officially" receive the title of "Wizard" they must make some advancement in the field of magic. For many, this is a rather minute advancement; a slightly streamlined piece of magical circuitry, or a better interpretation of the Word of Allah. This task is known as a "Thesis", and your heir must go through the arduous task of researching and writing it.
Of course your heir will gain the title whether they are worthy or not; it would not do for the future leader of the kingdom to remain a lowly apprentice. That being said, they're actually quite magically skilled so failure on their part is unlikely, but still your Sultan is worried. There are some who grumble that your heir is unfit to lead as she is female, and her destructive and chaotic nature (learned from al-Mutriqa) makes her unfit to rule and unreliable as a leader. Perhaps this Thesis is a chance to show dissenters (a group supporting Hayat's younger brother, despite the line of succession going to the oldest child) the legitimacy of your heir as the future Sultan? He has asked you to guide young Hayat with her research.
Whichever side writes a more competent Thesis for their heir will gain a
Research Credit for the next turn (2 rolls for each Effectiveness, Cost, and Bugs, highest roll picked. Penalties and bonuses still apply to rolls). Limit 1 submission per person, limit 750 words per submission. Sides will vote on the Thesis to submit.
It is 941, the Design Phase.Northern Taiga: 4/4 Arstotzka, 0/4 Moskurg
Central Mountains: 4/4 Arstotzka, 0/4 Moskurg
Western Jungle: [color=red1/4 Arstotzka[/color], 3/4 Moskurg
Eastern Plains: 2/4 Arstotzka, 2/4 Moskurg
Southern Desert: 0/4 Arstotzka, 4/4 Moskurg
Northern Sea: 4/4 Arstotzka, 0/4 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 Alnnar Almuqaddasa - "Holy Fire". Bursts into sticky flame on impact. Incredibly lethal, incredibly dangerous. Nearly impossible to extinguish. Cheap.
Wand of Heroism: Makes a squad fight beyond human levels. A 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.
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 anchored to the caster. Prevents all magic from being cast within a short 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:[/b] A faster, higher, tamed version of the Pegasus. Requires each carpet to be broken-in before it can be used in the field, but now has its own form of locomotion. Enchantments now last longer.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.
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.
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.
Behavior Rules. Please Read.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.