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[Roboson]

Timed Bomb Arrows
Using our knowledge of mathemagics and firery explosions, we design an explosive arrow that doesn't rely on the magic exposure trigger. In fact, it's not even effected by the presence of magic. Instead, they explode several seconds after hitting a target. This allows us to use the arrows against their regular forces in addition to their mages.

Why not just use fireballs instead, which :

A) Can be thrown into anti-magic fields
B) Can be thrown from further away
C) Are far more destructive
D) Don't have friendly fire

Because our longbowmen can't use fireballs.

[10ebbor10]

The arrows are generated by magecraft. Those mages who generated them can be of far more use on the front than making arrows.

[VoidSlayer]

Variable Crystal Weapons:  A more stable version of existing crystal designed to be harder to dispel once summoned and available in multiple formulas to adapt to changing circumstances.  To start out a medium shield, the existing halberd and lances, arrows and a long anti cavalry spear.

The idea is to make a wide variety of hard to dispel crystal weapons then reform our tactics to counter their cavalry rushes.

[10ebbor10]

Variable Crystal Weapons:  A more stable version of existing crystal designed to be harder to dispel once summoned and available in multiple formulas to adapt to changing circumstances.  To start out a medium shield, the existing halberd and lances, arrows and a long anti cavalry spear.

The idea is to make a wide variety of hard to dispel crystal weapons then reform our tactics to counter their cavalry rushes.

Trying to fit 6 design actions into 1 action is going to fail spectacularly.

[VoidSlayer]

The arrows are generated by magecraft. Those mages who generated them can be of far more use on the front than making arrows.

Alternatively, we keep our mages away from the front lines making enchanted weapons and arrows as effective as the fire balls but wielded by replaceable soldiers brave warriors.

[Roboson]

The arrows are generated by magecraft. Those mages who generated them can be of far more use on the front than making arrows.

Wrong. We've always had mages making weapons out of combat. We spent many turns crafting crystal weapons between fights. This is the same thing, and won't cost us battlefield mages. If it did, we wouldn't have had mages last combat phase.

[10ebbor10]

The arrows are generated by magecraft. Those mages who generated them can be of far more use on the front than making arrows.

Wrong. We've always had mages making weapons out of combat. We spent many turns crafting crystal weapons between fights. This is the same thing, and won't cost us battlefield mages. If it did, we wouldn't have had mages last combat phase.

Just because it doesn't cost us all our battlefield mages doesn't mean it won't use some of them. 

Anyway, the timed bomb idea is stupid. I know the GM suggested it, but it's still stupid.

The bombs rely on the absorption of magic to power the weapon, without magic energy absorption, there can be no explosion.

It's completely illogical to make them time based, because without a source for the energy of the explosion, the bomb can not go off.


Besides: If we wanted to use them against common enemies, we can simply cast a mist spell upon the enemy. It's a very cheap spell, and it will reliably trigger all the explosives.

Timed bombs solves an entirely avoidable issue on a rather useless weapon.

[Tyrant Leviathan]

I think a delayed fire ball or some solid defense spell for our mages/commanders is way to go. Also fond of the big fire ball blasting into a rain of smaller upgraded fire balls too.

[Roboson]

The arrows are generated by magecraft. Those mages who generated them can be of far more use on the front than making arrows.

Wrong. We've always had mages making weapons out of combat. We spent many turns crafting crystal weapons between fights. This is the same thing, and won't cost us battlefield mages. If it did, we wouldn't have had mages last combat phase.

Just because it doesn't cost us all our battlefield mages doesn't mean it won't use some of them.

It doesn't. If it reduced the number of mages we had on the battlefield, we would have been alerted to that and we definitely wouldn't have won in the jungle last turn if all our mages were sitting around fletching arrows while their comrades were being stabbed to death.

[Roboson]

Anyway, the timed bomb idea is stupid. I know the GM suggested it, but it's still stupid.

The bombs rely on the absorption of magic to power the weapon, without magic energy absorption, there can be no explosion.

Our current bombs do, but not the one's I proposed.

Edit:

Anyway, the timed bomb idea is stupid. I know the GM suggested it, but it's still stupid.

The bombs rely on the absorption of magic to power the weapon, without magic energy absorption, there can be no explosion.

Our current bombs do, but not the one's I proposed.

[Roboson]

Whoops, double post.

[VoidSlayer]

Fireball arrows - Arrows that can be shot by normal archers which detonate in a fireball effect when they hit.  Maybe use cheap gems to hold magic and our knowledge of the fireball spell to enchant the arrows.

And how about this change:

Variable Crystal Weapons:  A more stable version of existing crystal designed to be harder to dispel once summoned by tying it to a specially made gem amulet and available in multiple formulas to adapt to changing circumstances.  It uses a single type of base gem amulet to create the weapon which many of our soldiers can be given.  To start, have it able to summon the existing halberd and lances.

Every soldier gets a weapon gem amulet that mages can then summon weapons to, eventually making many different types.

Earth Elemental Control - Construction - Allows us to make hardened fortifications magically, like the labor of hundreds of workers very quickly.  Once created, the structures are mundane earth and stone, having been built using local materials.

Make the open plains not so open any more, operating from under the ground rather then the sky.

[10ebbor10]

Our current bombs do, but not the one's I proposed.

Okay then, let's look at the proposal on it's own merits.

1) Can it be countered :
       - Yes, by Moskurgian shields
       - Yes, by Moskurgian armor
       - Yes, by ranged Moskurgian siege weaponry
       - Yes, by Moskurgian Wind Spells
       - Yes, by Moskurgian Anti-magic wands
       - Yes, by Moskurgian "lucky strike" archers.
2) What will it accomplish :
       - Negate some Moskurgian Armor
       - Negate some Moskurgian shields
3) Can those be accomplished easier
       - Yes, by all means.

Designing the Moskurgian arrows plays straight into their strength

Especially after the GM said this.

You know what?  No, they don't detonate in anti-magic fields. Just remember, you asked for this.

This is, quite clearly, a threat. A threat, which will likely mean that next turn the Moskurgians could have deployed an anti-magic field that renders the arrows useless.

Arrows combine all our weaknesses
- They have to fly through the air, so they can be intercept by Moskurgian wind spells
- They rely on Magic, so they can be interrupted by anti-magic
- They have trouble penetrating armor, so the Moskurgian armor or shields can render them useless.

Fireball arrows - Arrows that can be shot by normal archers which detonate in a fireball effect when they hit.  Maybe use cheap gems to hold magic and our knowledge of the fireball spell to enchant the arrows.

Even worse.

1) Relies on fireball spells => All eggs in one basket
2) Relies on arrows => Moskurgian wind manipulation
3) relies on magic => Moskurgian anti-magic

It doesn't. If it reduced the number of mages we had on the battlefield, we would have been alerted to that and we definitely wouldn't have won in the jungle last turn if all our mages were sitting around fletching arrows while their comrades were being stabbed to death.

Only Sith deal in absolutes

Is it so hard to understand that a group of some people may not include all of them?

Even then, there's plenty of issues to be had with the design. Primarily that it is but an incremental improvement on a non-issue. Our archers have had no mentioned trouble in dealing with the enemy :

our arrows and newer fireballs hit with devastating effect

Meanwhile, you're ignoring that Moskurg is getting a terrain advantage, getting a naval advantage, getting an anti-wizard advantage, and getting an extra-long range advantage.

[evictedSaint]

Crap, I forgot to write up the duel.  al-Mutriqa was wounded and requires a year to recover.

[VoidSlayer]

I thought our mists were totally useless so far?

What about using the design phase to make the steam engines actually work to move boats fast and the revision phase to add obscuring mists to the tower of frost?