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
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. Obsolete.
Combat Armor: Crystal battle armor. Features a clear visor with no easy way for arrows to penetrate. Lightning rod allows user to survive a single blast of lightning. Cheap.
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. Obsolete.
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 nickel etchings to manage heat. Cheap.
Internal Detonation Engine: An experimental new engine that uses two cylinders and timed PSF-C guided by a complicated circuit and cooling system. A little bit smaller than the Steam Engine, but with a higher output. Expensive.
SPB "Fog-O-War": Boat using two steam engines for power. Slightly faster than Moskurg ships. Tends to sink after the first hit. Expensive. Obsolete.
AS-SPB2-Crystalclad: Boat using a crystal hull, two steam engines, and three HC1-E's. More resilient, higher firepower, and just as fast as the Fog-O-War. Deck tends to be slippery. Equipped with a single HAC-1 for point-defense. Can be out-fitted with HA1's. Cheap.
Protector: The worlds first APC/tank. Rolls around on wooden wagon wheels, powered by an IDE, made mostly out of crystal. Equipped with an HAC-1 and HC1-E. Can carry a few soldiers. Expensive
ASAF-F43 Interceptor: 1,200 AAAethergems strapped to a blastball producing pad. Features an enclosed cockpit and ball gunner made of crystal glass. Incredibly unstable, heavy, slow, and explosive. Expensive. Obsolete.
ASAF-F44 "Avenger": Improved version of the Interceptor. Uses an expensive, dangerous Aether Reactor and a KPD Mk.2 engine for lift. Features an enclosed cockpit and ball gunner made of crystal glass. Unstable, heavy, and slow acceleration. Very Expensive.
ASAF-F45 Lightning: Improved version of the Avenger. Uses a stable Aether Reactor and a KPD Mk.3 engine for lift. Features an enclosed cockpit and a ball gunner made of glass. Reasonable acceleration, high top speed, reasonably stable. Cannot drop bombs. Expensive.
Wand of True Light: Seeds doubt in enemy minds. Theatre-wide effect. Moral penalty. National Effort.
AS-STV-1 "Restless": Steam train. Crystal structure. Can carry troops and supplies to the front line. Little power, but can pick up to the speed of a horse in gallop. Very Expensive.
Magegems: Magical batteries. Comes in A, AA, and AAA forms. The AAA battery should be able to power a couple flares. An AA battery should be able to power a SPSF-C all by itself, and an A battery should be able to power a regular PSF-C. Three A batteries can power a single PSF in all its glory. Made of a special crystal-glass with nickel banding. Does not lose charge. New D-level gem equal to two A-level gems can be recharged in 5 minutes. Cheap-Very Expensive.
Aethergems: Essentially a circuitry, anti-magegem, and wire setup that attaches to a magegem. Replenishes a magegem automatically at 3 minutes for A gems, 2 minutes for AA gems, and 30 seconds for AAA gems. Can "double up" on gems for +1 expense and reduced lifespan. Cheap.
HA1: Arstotzkan heavy artillery. Fires at beyond line-of-sight range. Requires three apprentices to operate, plus loading crew. Uses nickel circuitry to cool the cannon. Breech-loaded. Made mostly of crystal. Cheap.
Blastshells+R: A hollow shell, in which a circuit-gem core can be inserted into before firing. Provides extended (albeit less accurate) range, out to BLOS+1. Cheap.
Blastshells+E: A hollow shell, in which a circuit-gem core can be inserted into before firing. Provides explosive capabilities to the shell upon landing thanks to a fragile limiting AAA gem in the tip. Cheap.
Blastshells+R/E: A hollow shell, in which a circuit-gem core can be inserted into before firing. Provides both extended range and explosive capabilities, albeit less accurately. Cheap.
HA1-b "Mundane": A variant of the HA1 for mundane use. Features 3 A-level Aethergems that can be slotted in and out and specialized firechamber to produce PSF-C's on command. 1 round per 3 minutes. Expensive.
HC1: AKA the "Extreme-Range Hybrid Cannon". Arstotzka's first cannon. Uses a fireball 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. Made mostly of crystal. Breech-loaded.Cheap.
Equalizer: Anti-magic shell. Dispells all magic around it. Difficult to produce and fire, dangerous to use. Expensive.
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.
AS-HAC-1: An all-crystal small-caliber cannon. Swivel-mounted. Breech-loaded. Aimed through horse-hair crosshairs. Relatively short reload time. Uses a "bolt action" for loading. Circuit-cooled. Cheap.
AS-R1 Hybrid Rifle: A cannon you can hold! Made out of crystal, circuit-cooled, breech-loaded, bolt-action. A single AA-level Aethergem allow non-magic users to use it, provided they replace it with each shot. Uses just the fireblast for propulsion rather than steam. Reaches Extreme Range, but inaccurate past Medium Range. Cheap.
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 Mk2: A workshop that produces crystal items cheaply, permanently, and with a mild brittle factor. Crystals can repair microfractures, eliminating the need for maintenance. Larger facility allows 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. Now made with pre-inscribed marble blocks.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.
HonestStrike: A scroll-type module that can be appended to most anything. Improves the accuracy of the weapon, to an extent. Requires the user to loudly praise Allah to work. Very Expensive.
Anti-Mages: Mage hunters equipped with R1's, 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.
Powerful Streamlined Fireball: Hurls small balls of fire that explode on impact. Devastating against massed troops. Cheap.
Small Powerful Streamlined Fireball: Smaller fireballs, for firing cannons and guns without water. Cheap.
Flare: A small, harmless fireball. Comes in many different colors. Cheap.
Blind-Flare: Very bright variant used to blind enemies. Cheap.
Blastball: Referred to with a "-C" appending, allows a regular fireball to exert mainly expansive force. Good for explosions, but not terribly lethal on its own. 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. 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 - [Arstotzka] {COMPLETED} (Read 394579 times)