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[andrea]

Well, at least forever frost should help with mud. I must wonder why they are so obsessed with it, since it wasn't even mentioned in battle reports.

[VoidSlayer]

What if they don't have control of the weather, but were just able to predict it to a degree they could take advantage of it.

[Iituem]

Forenia, 917

The Moskurger attempted invasion of Arstotzka's taiga, much like the Arstotzkan invasion of Moskurg's desert, is a complete failure.  Both sides have the armies they send into the respective territories completely rebuffed.  Both the King of Arstotzka and the Sultan of Moskurg decide to pull forces back to their borders until they feel they have a strong enough advantage to push on with enough forces.  The heat and wide open spaces of the desert strongly favour Moskurg, whilst the cold and dense forest of the taiga strongly favour Arstotzka.  Neither can muster sufficient forces to try and push past those advantages for now.

Both sides have drawn back to the plains and mountains respectively.  They will await an order from the design team before they make an advance into the enemy core territory.

The jungle proves indecisive.  With the fanatic fervour of Arstotzka having died down since the prior year, Moskurg has a better showing, but although they seem to have a definite edge in skirmishes, Arstotzka proves themselves highly capable in full battle, with many of their wizards now launching fully-fledged fireballs that explode upon contact with troops, unlike the weaker cousins they have used up until now.  Worse still, their knights charge into battle on horseback wielding lances constructed of some sort of glistening violet crystal that, unlike what one might expect, neither bend nor shatter upon impact.  They are devastating, but during the battle, amidst the pouring rain, lightning strikes begin to fall down upon the Arstotzkan forces, more or less at random but with a bias towards more armoured troops.  The melee would go in Arstotzka's favour but for Moskurg skirmishers thinning their forces before battle is joined.  As it is, Moskurg gains a small amount of ground.


Combat at sea remains a stalemate, with coastal gains returning both seas to parity.

The armies we lost in the desert were returned by ransom and chivalry, though we lost some ships at sea.  We have reinforced at sea and back in the mountains, with extra troops in the plains.  We are back at full capacity.

It is 917, the Design Phase.

Spoiler: State of Forenia, 917 (click to show/hide)

Northern Taiga: 4/4 Arstotzka
Central Mountains: 4/4 Arstotzka
Western Jungle: 2/4 Arstotzka, 2/4 Moskurg
Eastern Plains: 4/4 Moskurg
Southern Desert: 4/4 Moskurg

Northern Sea: Arstotzkan
Western Sea: Disputed
Eastern Sea: Disputed
Southern Sea: Moskurger

[FallacyofUrist]

Yeah, looks like they're doing something to the weather. I wonder what Forever Frost will do to that. Hm. We need something to help take the plains. I do have an idea to deal with their cavalry once and for all...
~~~
Wall of Spikes: This spell creates a low-to-the-ground wall of crystal spikes, oriented more in one direction than another. Cavalry charging at it will likely end up impaled.

[andrea]

While the wall of spike seems useful, perhaps a cheaper/faster wall of fire from a revision may be sufficient? I feel that we need to start working at the weather somehow. They are targeting our people more directly now.

edit: some ideas:
Protection from environment: This spell, cast on an object or person, stabilizes the weather in an area around the target wide enough to cover a squad. the area is roughly dome shaped and moves to follow the target of the spell. Inside the area of effect, temperature is kept at a comfortable 0°C and dissipates all harmful weather effects such as rain, lightning, wind.

Crystal armor This armor is of similar design to our plate armor, but is made of the same material of the crystal lances. It is made to be long lasting, strong and light, providing an improvement over our current armor. Most importantly, its lack of conductiveness deters lightning strikes (note: this more or less requires us to make the stuff is fairly complex shapes and make it last quite a lot. provides several benefits but big risk of failure, I htink)

[10ebbor10]

The melee would go in Arstotzka's favour but for Moskurg skirmishers thinning their forces before battle is joined.

I believe this is called a hint. We need to improve our skirmishing capabilities.

Wandering Mists A redesign of our old mist spell, this still relatively affordable instead allows for the mist to be continously channeled. The enemy can try to blow it away, but in doing so they'd only spread it and further reduce their vision.

[FallacyofUrist]

Crystal armor This armor is of similar design to our plate armor, but is made of the same material of the crystal lances. It is made to be long lasting, strong and light, providing an improvement over our current armor. Most importantly, its lack of conductiveness deters lightning strikes (note: this more or less requires us to make the stuff is fairly complex shapes and make it last quite a lot. provides several benefits but big risk of failure, I htink)

Revisions:

Crystal Armor: By using a several hours-long ritual, we can create a suit of armor, similar in shape and design to the plate armor, but made of durable crystal instead. Though this has the drawback of being scarcer than plate armor, restricting it to our elites, it has the advantage of being more durable than plate armor and being less of a target for lightning.
~~~

The melee would go in Arstotzka's favour but for Moskurg skirmishers thinning their forces before battle is joined.

I believe this is called a hint. We need to improve our skirmishing capabilities.

Wandering Mists A redesign of our old mist spell, this still relatively affordable instead allows for the mist to be continously channeled. The enemy can try to blow it away, but in doing so they'd only spread it and further reduce their vision.

Let's save that for the revision phase.

[10ebbor10]

Our Plate mail is already the result of what was basically a bag of 6's, with all the revisions and a regional bonus thrown on it. You're only going to see marginal improvements from using crystal. And remember, the crystal disappears after a while.

Given that we haven't done this fancy crystal stuff before, we're never going to get something better than what we already have.

Anyway, here's an idea.

Distance Channeling What if a wizard could cast a spell, not from where he was standing, but from a place closeby, safely behind enemy lines. Enemy forces, could suddenly think themselves, surrounded, as fireballs rain upon their flank. Shields become useless, as the fireball materializes within.

Or, I think we can afford this now;

The Arzotskan Academy for Adequate Apprenticeship  : Basically, get formal education for our wizards, and increase the number we have.

[stabbymcstabstab]

+1 to Wall of Spikes since the only other ideas I got are better suited to revisions.

[andrea]

well, ebbor, I admit I share many of your doubts about the crystal armor. Although there is a value in making those semi-permanent ( as in , making our summoned crystal last more than 24 hours).

Both your proposal are very interesting. Distant channeling can have many useful uses...
But I am still very ocncerned about their growing weather control.

[Roboson]

One of our biggest issues is their horse archers. Wall of spikes wont do anything about them. I would prefer we go for mundane caltraps or crystal caltraps. That would help with both the horse archers and their calvary.

[RAM]

The Arzotskan Academy for Adequate Apprenticeship  : Basically, get formal education for our wizards, and increase the number we have.

+1!!!
I never vote for my own ideas!

Military academy: Formal training for our soldiers and a way to drag our best soldiers kicking and screaming away from Valhalla...

I feel that permanent crystal should be possible...

Crystal horse: An animate crystal in the form of a horse to be ridden into battle. Has basically no will, so actions other than standing must be constantly directed by its rider and only lasts a couple of hours.

Crystal boar: A body of crystal that charges and gouges at anything that moves within its vision.

Resist magic enchantment: a magic cast upon a spell or object that directly opposes any hostile magic that directly influences that spell or object.(The lightning might be the result of a ridiculous understanding of complex friction interactions and not magical itself, same goes forthe wind, but it seems worth a shot...)

Magic storage crystal: Already described, a method of storing magic in a crystal for later use.

[andrea]

Resist magic enchantment: a magic cast upon a spell or object that directly opposes any hostile magic that directly influences that spell or object.(The lightning might be the result of a ridiculous understanding of complex friction interactions and not magical itself, same goes forthe wind, but it seems worth a shot...)

Personally, I bellieve that the lightning itself is not magical, but a consequence of summoned storms.

[10ebbor10]

But I am still very ocncerned about their growing weather control.

We could mess with them using our cold spell. Cool down the clouds, and you get a blizzard, not a lightning storm.

+1 to Wall of Spikes since the only other ideas I got are better suited to revisions.

Why though?

We have walls of fire. Spikes walls are pointless.

[andrea]

Sure, our cold spell could help. At the very least it will disrupt their plans, but I am not sure it will work that well. Either way, our men will fight better in a blizzard if they have a protection from the environment, won't they?

anyway, for the sake of not voting my own,

The Arzotskan Academy for Adequate Apprenticeship  : Basically, get formal education for our wizards, and increase the number we have.

+1

the wall of spike is not that useful. As I said and as ebbor reiterated, it does nothing that the wall of fire doesn't do already, except perhaps being cast faster. But we can revise that without spending a design.
caltrops are somewhat interesting, but I am not sure why they would bring more utility than a wall of spike? maybe cheaper?
Crystal animals seems extremely compelx