Combat for 935This year sees a powerful shift in Arstotzka's artillery equipment. Their HA1's, longer-ranged and higher caliber than their smaller HC1-E's, are now merely Expensive. Before, Moskurg only had to worry about the occasional barrage from beyond their line of sight every once in a while, and even then only a few shells would fall at a time. Now, when the inevitable Green Flare rises up over the horizon, they can expect metal shells to rain from above in furious amounts. Carpet bombers can't kill enough to make a difference, not with falcons scratching at their face and limiting their effectiveness. Ballistas, once the main-stay of Moskurgs assaults, have been limited to sniping the apprentices in the field before they can send off their flares. Assaults are met with a hell-storm of artillery fire. al-Mutriqa does his best, zipping around on carpets and hurling firebombs, but it's not enough. Lightning can't even be used due to the constant freezing, snowy temperatures. Moskurg is forced out of the Taiga easily.
Our Theatre Commander is very pleased with the cheaper artillery. Better ammo would improve the effectiveness of the device, but he's more concerned with Moskurgs flying carpets. Better falcons would do a lot to preventing the (admittedly infrequent) bombing raids.
Arstotzka regains full control of the Taiga.Arstotzka pushes down from the mountains this year, gaining a section of desert.
Their Minor Towers of Frost make the swelting desert weather bearable, and Moskurgs Divine Desert winds can't repel the cold fast enough. The HA1 artillery has a height advantage, meaning their unbeatable range is even further increased. Moskurg still suffers from diminished carpet effectiveness, and their temperature bonus isn't enough to offset the constant barrage of artillery shells. The warmer temperatures mean their Storm Strike and Hammer of Allah can be used, at least - lightning strikes at random, frying artillery cannons and soldiers as they come down the mountains. It's close, but Arstotzka manages to gain a section. Next year Moskurgs Naval Advantage will make it possible to land behind them and bombard them from the coast, but for now Arstotzkan boots tread on Moskurg sands.
The Theatre Commander is pessimistic about our chances in the desert. Moskurg has naval superiority and a temperature bonus, and we will likely lose the desert next year. If we could freeze them out, it'd go a long way to eventually marching into their capitol.
Arstotzka gains a section of the desert. They have regained their Metal Bonus from the mountain.The Artillery bonus is even more obvious in the plains.
Flat, open ground is an artilleryman's dream, and though the shells only kill where they hit, there's enough of them that the trenches are constantly under attack. Their fire rate comes in bursts as they're forced to wait for more ammo and water to supply their cannons, but these reprieves don't come often enough for Moskurg. They gain a section of ground, forcing Moskurg to cede their absolute control of the plains.
The Theatre Commander is confident in our ability to take back the plains with our new plentiful artillery cannons. Better ammo would be welcome, but he's disappointed there's no effective way to use our soldiers in combat with their new vanish-proof crystal weapons. Being able to advance our men without fear of their out-dated ballistas cutting our men down would be fantastic, but he has no clue what sort of weapon would let us do that.
Arstotzka has secured a section of the plains.Moskurg ships push the Eastern Seas and Western Seas.
This year, Moskurg rolls out a new, powerful variant of their ships - named the "Sirocco". Made of what wood is left in the jungle, the Sirocco has a hardened hull clad in an unnatural, glowing white metal. These ships are just as fast as Arstotzka's steam ships, and the hull can survive all but the most close-range, carefully-aimed shots from their powerful steam cannons. This, combined with their air superiority, means they are able to beat Arstotzka back a section in the sea in the Eastern coast.
It is a much closer battle in the Western sea, though - Myark is seen standing aboard one of their lead ships, hurling fireballs and firing off cannons with each hand. His falcon single-handedly takes down a flight of carpet bombers, but the real advantage comes from his Wand of True Light - once battles start, it's difficult for Moskurg sailors to stand and fight. They flee more often than not, but even these brief skirmishes go in their favor. They're just as fast as steam ships, and unless the shot hits square cannon rounds will deflect off their armor. Meanwhile, Moskurg ballistas have no problem setting Arstotzkan ships alight, which inevitably sends them to the bottom of the ocean. It's close - very close - but ultimately Arstotzka loses more ships than Moskurg thanks to their new armor and fast hulls.
The Theatre Commander is very alarmed. Moskurg has out-classed our ships in a single turn, and we MUST do something to level the playing field before they gain control of the ocean. Armored ships of our own would be ideal, or even air forces to strike back at Moskurg from above.
Moskurg gains ground in the Eastern and Western Seas. Expense Credit!!!The trader eagerly accepts a Fog-O-War ship, amazed by how it moves without sails or oars. He's more hesitant to accept the crate of crystal weapons, but after assuring him it won't vanish like last time he loads it aboard his ship. He and his men wave goodby as the two ships disappear over the horizon.
We have gained an Expense Credit.
It is 936, the Design Phase.Northern Taiga: 4/4 Arstotzka, 0/4 Moskurg
Central Mountains: 4/4 Arstotzka, 0/4 Moskurg
Western Jungle: 0/4 Arstotzka, 4/4 Moskurg
Eastern Plains: 1/4 Arstotzka, 3/4 Moskurg
Southern Desert: 1/4 Arstotzka, 3/4 Moskurg
Northern Sea: 4/4 Arstotzka, 0/4 Moskurg
Western Sea: 1/4 Arstotzka, 3/4 Moskurg
Eastern Sea: 1/4 Arstotzka, 3/4 Moskurg
Southern Sea: 0/4 Arstotzka, 4/4 Moskurg
Broadsword: An iron age classic. A double-edged blade designed for speed, flexibility and force. Requires training to wield, can be used one or two handed. Removable pommel for throwing.Cheap.
War Axe: Can be used as a tool in a pinch, this is a single-handed weapon that does well against heavily armoured foes. Can be used with minimal training. Cheap.
Wooden Shield: General infantry equipment. Couples well with an axe, cheap, easy to replace. Works best in heavy melee. Can be used with minimal training. Cheap.
Hide Armour: General infantry armour. Cheap, thanks to the plentiful sheep in the taiga. Turns aside weak blows. Cheap. Obsolete.
Gambeson: A leather armoring doublet designed to go with plate armor. Helps protect against arrows.
Chain Mail: Officer armour. Expensive, due to the steel required. Very effective against most weapons. Expensive. Obsolete.
Plate Mail: General infantry and officer armour. So well designed it costs surprisingly little to make. Normal cost.
Longbow: General infantry weapon. Difficult to find wood and requires a lot of training, but long ranged and powerful. Cheap.
Shire Horse: A heavy riding horse. Survives and rides well in cold weather. Powerful charge. Normal Cost.
Longship: Oar-rowed wooden ship. Slow, but sturdy, and can carry large numbers of landing troops. Very Expensive.
Steam Engine: A highly expensive and enormously heavy steam engine. Uses a steam turbine to generate power. Uses PSF's and a steam recycler with enchanted gold etchings to manage heat. Expensive.
SPB "Fog-O-War": Boat using two steam engines for power. Slightly faster than Moskurg ships. Tends to sink after the first hit. Very Expensive.
Wand of True Light: Seeds doubt in enemy minds. Theatre-wide effect. Moral penalty. National Effort.
Magegems: Magical batteries. Comes in A, AA, and AAA forms. A is the largest, and could possibly power a couple flare spells. AAA is the smallest, and could maybe power some sort of time-keeping device. Cheap-Very Expensive.
HA1: Arstotzkan heavy artillery. Fires at beyond line-of-sight range. Requires three apprentices to operate, plus loading and water crew. Uses nickel circuitry to cool the cannon. Expensive.
HC1: AKA the "Extreme-Range Hybrid Cannon". Arstotzka's first cannon. Uses a fireball and steam to propel a fist-sized iron ball Long-Range. Inaccurate, but can be loaded quickly. Has a tendency to crack. Cheap. Obsolete.
HC1-E: The Elite version of the HC1. Fires at Extreme-Range. Uses rifling, ballistics, and an overall better and more consistent design. Utilizes enchanted nickel etching for barrel cooling. Advanced barrel manufacturing makes them cheaper. Cheap.
Equalizer: Anti-magic shell. Dispells all magic around it. Difficult to produce and fire, dangerous to use. National Effort.
HC2: A failed attempt to upgrade the HC1 with auto-cooling barrel and ambitious steam recycler. Explodes or breaks after every shot. Very Expensive. Obsolete.
Arzotskan Academy for Adequate Apprenticeship: Basic magic training for apprentices. Allows them to be more useful on the offensive. Very prestigious. Actively recruits new apprentices.Expensive.
Crystalworks: A workshop that produces crystal items cheaply, permanently, and with a mild brittle factor. Expensive.
Wand of Fireballs: Hurls fireballs at a distance, able to destroy whole squads at a time. A National Effort. Obsolete.
Minor Towers of Forever Frost: Small, complicated towers that have to be assembled in place and requires the skill of several wizards to operate. Creates a very powerful cold evocation and then channels it directly into the air, consistently lowering temperatures within a radius of about fifty miles. Can induce snow in the jungle during the winter, freezing rain in the summer. Very Expensive.
Anti-Magic Charm: A magically enchanted quartz crystal. Hums loudly in the presence of magic, and prevents magic from being conjured inside the very limited range. Expensive.
Anti-Magic Bomb Arrows: Arrows that explode on contact with magic into red-hot, razor-sharp crystal shards.
Magic Lance: Conjures a set of lances for a cavalry squad. Thick enough not to break on use. Cheap.
Magic Axe: Conjures a set of long axes for officers. Cheap.
Dogwood Wand: Wand that allows the user to accelerate the growth of a patch of plants to an area and height equal to their own height. Wands are cheap to make, but don't last very long. Cheap.
Anti-Mages: Mage hunters equipped with longbows, anti-magic charms, anti-magic arrows, falcons, and the best armor we can give them. Excel at sniping enemy mages.
Obscuring Mist: Cloaks a squad in a fog cloud, hiding their numbers and equipment, and making them harder to hit at range.
Variant (Channeled Fog): A denser form of Obscuring mist, continuously generated.
Summon Swarm: Conjures a swarm of stinging wasps to harass foes. Expensive.
Variant (Fire Wasps): Conjures stinging wasps that can start small fires. Expensive.
Webs: Conjures a sticky web, immobilizing an entire squad and preventing them from moving. Very Expensive.
Fireball: Hurls fireballs at a distance, able to destroy whole squads at a time. Damaging side effects harm morale. Very Expensive. Obsolete.
Minor Fireball: Smaller version of fireball. Doesn't cause collateral damage, but doesn't explode on impact. Expensive. Obsolete.
Streamlined Fireball: Hurls small balls of fire that explode on impact. Devastating against massed troops. Cheap.
Flare: A small, harmless fireball. Comes in many different colors. Cheap.
Firewall: Creates static walls of fire. Long casting time, concentration sustain. Very Expensive.
Crystal Caltrops: Jagged crystals designed to lay in the grass and catch enemy troops unaware. Good for defense. Normal Cost.
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 - [Arstotzka] {COMPLETED} (Read 392717 times)