Combat Phase of 2211Our burgeoning fleet at A2 sees action with multiple Amaokian vessels this year.
Over A2's barren landscape, the MSS Iliad's radar picked up two Amaokian vessels - their mini-carrier and an ITC. The IMW accompanying the MSS Iliad lacked any kind of radio to communicate with the Iliad, but eventually picked up on the ship's actions through a series of visual cues we quickly developed for the mission.
The battle began predictably. As the Iliad began turning to reach optimum firing angles, Amaok's fleet scrambles its fighters. Three fighters this time - one from the ITC. While this is happening, the IMW is still lagging behind and attempting to catch up.
Two of Amaok's fighters open fire, with three out of four missile hitting the Iliad before it even has a chance to open fire. The Captain of the Iliad attempts to down a fighter, but we just have a missile barely missing a fighter. The missile strikes cripple the Iliad, rendering many of its maneuvering thrusters nonoperational. According to the vessel's Chief Engineer, they simply hit a rather critical fuel tank. There were some casualties, and the Iliad was virtually useless for the rest of the skirmish as it couldn't turn to engage.
With no missiles left, the fighters begin to either turn back or go into the atmosphere. We don't know what exactly they were doing because it was just now that the IMW reached range and unleashed its volley. The missile pod Mk 3 was of huge help here, as the missile swarm was uncanny in its actions. Missiles hit both of the fighters while the rest of the volley headed for their mini-carrier, destroying it with three confirmed hits.
But as the IMW reloads, their final fighter closes in. The fighter ignores the crippled Iliad and instead fires upon the IMW, destroying it before it can retaliate. The fighter escapes into the atmosphere along with another Amaokian ITC picking up troops while the Iliad makes field repairs. But once the repairs are done, we hold control of A2's orbit.
The Captain of the MSS Iliad is really appreciating how sturdy his ship is. Truly, the engineers have outdone themselves. But further upgrades to the missiles would be very useful, as would mroe mobility. Just like last year, the limited firing angles of the Iliad-Class's missiles combined with the ship's lack of mobility severely hurt our combat performance.
The orbit of A2 is under Moerth's control.Moerth loses the IMW.Even as the fighting in orbit was ongoing, Amaokian and Moerthi forces continued to clash on ground.
While the MSS Iliad makes field repairs to its thrusters, an Amaokian transport manages to sneak by and extract one of their Units off the planet. This happens while our own ITC drops off reinforcements. This turns out to be the deciding factor in the battle for A2 this year.
With the numerical advantage flip, we quickly start gaining ground. Amaokian forces consistently put up resistance usually in the form of their battle rifle killzones. But our Commander on A2 has the Suicide Run tactic return. Our forces, now aided by suppressing bolter fire, charge through their kill zones into close-range where we can easily eliminate any resistance. Without any new designs from Amaok, this trend continues for the rest of the year.
The almost-experimental bombardment from the MSS Iliad is present, but is also of little consequence to the battle. Very occasionally, we confirm a bomb hitting somewhere in proximity to their camps and fortifications, but at best it kills an Amaokian squad. The lack of lethality from the bombardments combined with how sparse having a missile hit anywhere near its target makes A2 nothing more than a test bed for orbital bombardment.
Our Commander here still wants some protection from Amaokian long-range fire. Either counter it offensively, defensively, or in some other creative way. The commander doesn't really care. He's not too fond of explaining the concept of the suicide run to new arrivals.
Moerth gains ground on A2. [A: 2/3, M: 1/3]On the earthlike B2, the withdrawal of half of our soldiers puts a dent in the fighting.
As soon as Amaok gains wind off the removal of Unit 3 from B2, their forces start advancing on our fortifications. Initially, they make some headway. Their battle rifles help them engage our defenses on their own terms despite long-range bolter fire while the rest of their forces advance. But our Commander quickly finds a way to start engagements on his own terms. Through the tactical use of stealth and the landscape, our forces start engagements at close or medium range where our bolters reign supreme. In the jungles and forests of B2, our bolts topple trees and even set the occasional fire, routing Amaokian troops. The brush covers our soldiers from Amaokian marksmen.
But despite these advantages, we're still losing land. The guerilla-like fighting keeps them from effectively advancing and our camps and fortifications last days in sustained fighting before falling, but we're still losing. By next year there's no doubt that Amaok will gain land unless something changes.
B2's Commander is questioning the validity of a design focusing on stealth, or some way of countering their short range advantage. Really, there are many things that could be done to improve the situation here, they says in their report.
No side gains ground on B2. [A: 1/3, M: 2/3]Nothing changes in the sea-based fighting on C2. Amaokian forces remain entrenched on the larger islands, and our efforts to retake them are fruitless. Our invading soldiers are simply picked off before they even reach the beaches, and when they do, the remnants are so sparse they're finished off in medium-range battles. Of course, when they try to invade our share of the planet, they're forced into close and medium range engagements where our troops can easily win. Overall, it's a stalemate. And it'll continue to be so until something here changes.
Both sides - Amaok and us - have withdrawn soldiers from C2, leaving the ratio of forces still roughly the same.
The Commander on C2 has heard about the possibility of a vehicle useful here. They'd
really really like it if you did that.
No side gains ground on C2. [A: 1/3, M: 2/3]On C1, our soldiers begin setting up camp and securing the planet without a problem. As long as we hold C2, there shouldn't be any complications at C1. In a couple of years, the place will be ready to mine at.
Moerth gains ground on C1. [A: 0/3, M: 1/3]Amaok does something questionable, though. Before we started to gain land again at A2, Amaok landed soldiers on A1. Of course, now they're stranded and cut off from their supply lines, but they're still uncontested on the planet itself. Central Command isn't exactly appreciative of this development. Stamping it out should be easy, as without a direct line to Amaok, their forces are prime and vulnerable targets. We could easily wipe them out as long as they don't suddenly retake all of A2 next year.
Amaok gains ground on A1. [A: 1/3, M: 0/3]Yggdrasil SS-01A: A large space station equipped to handle a semi-permanent crew of 10 for 1-year durations and a temporary worker crew of 100 for 1-month durations. It has four arms - two ports for shuttles and loading/unloading supplies and two dry docks for vessels built similar to the Iliad-Class Destroyer. The station cannot produce or refine any kinds of materials and gets all construction materials pre-made from the surface, limiting what can be built, but provides excellent conditions and amenities to use those supplies to build vessels. A semi-modular design allows for new parts or modifications to be constructed in orbit. Requires a production line, but grants 1 Spaceship-only Production line.
Expense: 1x
Resources: None
Interplanetary Transport Craft: A primitive “shuttle” capable of carrying a unit and basic equipment to another planet. It’s quite large, and built completely in space. Docked to it are SSTO rocket shuttles designed with just enough fuel to carry things to/from planetside and return. However, the lack of large empty spaces in the shuttle and craft as well as limited fuel in the rocket shuttles means it can’t carry “heavy” things. The ITC relies on efficient chemical engines for thrust and powers essential systems via solar panels. While it can still carry units, the ITC cannot carry any item with a minimum weight above 1 CU.
Cargo: 4 CU
Expense: 3x
Resources: Metal, Exotics
Interplanetary Makeshift Warship: A converted ITC with an armament of 16 missile tubes located at the front of the vessel, near the command and crew module. Lacks a dedicated radio and operates via couriers and standing orders, and can't receive essential combat data and telemetry. Missiles are loaded in manually (by hand) by the crew, and the ship only has space for roughly 32 missiles - enough for two volleys. The missiles have only minor course correction capabilities and mostly rely on the aim of the pilot, and have minor destructive capabilities but still enough to completely destroy an unarmored ship and heavily damage lightly armored ships. A notable percentage of fired missiles remain unarmed after firing and are duds. Has light armor reinforcing the ship's structure, making it resistant to most small arms fire and capable to not fall apart because of one damaging event. Targets enemies through a combination of basic radar, optics, and gets general areas to look in from routine courier intelligence reports from Moerth.
Expense: 1x
Resources: Metal, Exotics
Iliad-Class Destroyer: A vessel a bit larger than the ITC equipped with 4 missile pods (1 missile each) and 48 missiles. The missile pods have a firing angle of 30 degrees in front of the ship. Reinforced hull along with redundant printed electronics radically increase the ship's survivability, guaranteeing the ability to "tank" at least one low-yield missile in a spot, with another partially crippling (or destroying it) if in the same spot, and if a 3rd missile impacts the same site, the ship will be destroyed. Inefficient and buggy chemical thrusters make the Iliad-Class slower than the already-slow ITC. A long-range radio allows for sending and receiving of basic messages to and from Moerth as well as relaying messages to and from ground forces on the orbited planet. A radar suite has only the practical range of human eyesight, but is always-on, reliable, and constantly scanning the entire proximity around the ship.
Expense: 1x
Resources: Metal, Exotics
Missile Pods Mk 3: A missile with integrated printed electronics allowing it to intelligently evaluate and grade potential targets based on limited sensor data - namely radar. The missile can intelligently choose targets based on how likely a successful hit is, how dangerous the target is, how vulnerable, and other factors. However, the missile retains the same mediocre maneuvering and propulsion systems as its predecessor and thus is still notably inaccurate and has very limited maneuvering, meaning it still must be pointed at the target in order to have a chance of hitting. Practically, its new features can improve performance in combat as it better chooses targets that it has better odds at being effective against. Doesn't require a production line.
Printed Pistol Mk 1.1: A basic pistol that’s created via advanced 3d-printing techniques, making it very cheap. Unfortunately, its benefits stop there. It’s uncomfortable to use, inaccurate, works at short ranges, and fires very weak rounds. Fortunately, these rounds are still enough to puncture the basic suits and unarmored clothing used by soldiers on the field. Very light. The Mark 1.1 offers marginally better ergonomics and noticeably improved reliability. It still suffers from every other drawback of the Printed Pistol, and is still somewhat unreliable.
Weight: 1 CU = 10x
Expense: Unlimited
Advanced Jormungandr Bolter: A relatively large infantry rifle designed for full deployment, using miniature missiles as its rounds. Surprisingly easy to use, and can easily pierce through current armor and is likely future-proof in terms of armor piercing to some degree. Very effective anti-infantry weapon and even has very minor area of effect. The Advanced model incorporates basic circuitry in the bolts, including a timer to allow deactivation of a bolt's payload at close range and limited manipulation of course at long range. Rather inaccurate at long ranges, and the bolts are no longer explosive at close range.
Weight: 1 CU = 4x
Expense: 4x
Resources: Metal
X112 Space Suit: A bulky space suit originally designed for the vacuum of space. It’s relatively flexible compared to spacesuits used by earlier space agencies such as NASA, but greatly restricts agility. Its complete lack of armor doesn’t help either. Luckily it’s cheap to produce.
Weight: 1 CU = 3x
Expense: Unlimited
Kevlar Armor & Uniform: Very basic thin-layered and light-weight partial Kevlar armor. Not even a helmet is included. This armor was originally used for security personnel sent with the colonies. It cannot be used in conjunction with regular armor. The facilities for producing Kevlar are still very limited in the colonies, making this armor a luxury.
Weight: 1 CU = 5x
Expense: 1x
Resources: Metal
Radio: Communications are done via basic radio systems. However, the size required means units would have to lug expensive radio systems to planets with them in order to communicate with Central Command back at their homeworld.
Weight: 2 CU = 1x
Expense: 2x
Resources: Metal
Akhsoyrtam Printers: Upgraded industrial 3d printers on Moerth allow for more detailed and fine manipulation of 3d-printed items. Originally planned to be able to build the components for more 3d printers, but preciseness of manufacturing was deemed too imprecise to accomplish this task.
PlanetsA1 - 1 Metal A: 0/3, M: 1/3
A2 - 1 Exotic A: 2/3, M: 1/3
A3 - 1 Metal A: 3/3, M: 0/3
B1 - Nothing Unclaimed
B2 - Nothing A: 1/3, M: 2/3
C1 - 1 Metal A: 1/3, M: 0/3
C2 - 1 Exotic A: 1/3, M: 2/3
C3 - 1 Metal A: 3/3, M: 0/3
Production Line 1: Interplanetary Transport Craft (3/3)
Production Line 2: Printed Pistol Mk 1.1 (Unlimited)
Production Line 3: X112 Space Suit (Unlimited)
Production Line 4: Kevlar Armor & Uniform (0/1)
Production Line 5: Radio (2/2)
Production Line 6: Interplanetary Makeshift Warship (1/1)
Production Line 7: Jormungandr Bolter (0/4)
Production Line 8: Iliad-Class Destroyer (1/1)
Production Line 9: Yggdrasil SS-01A
Production Line 10:
[SV] Production Line 11:
Items covered in [brackets] aren't fully deployed, and the Unit must be sent the design again successfully to fully deploy the item. Partially deployed items still cost an expense level, and attempting to fully deploy it does not cost any expense levels.
Unit 1:
Equipped: Kevlar Armor, Advanced Jormungandr Bolter, Printed Pistol Mk 1.1
Location: B2
Unit 2:
Equipped X112 Spacesuit, Advanced Jormungandr Bolter, Printed Pistol Mk 1.1
Location: A2
Unit 3:
Equipped: X112 Spacesuit, Advanced Jormungandr Bolter, Printed Pistol Mk 1.1
Location: A2
Unit 4:
Equipped: X112 Spacesuit, Advanced Jormungandr Bolter, Printed Pistol Mk 1.1
Location: C2
Unit 5:
Equipped: X112 Spacesuit, Printed Pistol Mk 1.1
Location: C1
Transports
Interplanetary Transport Craft #1: Unassigned
Interplanetary Transport Craft #2: Unassigned
Interplanetary Transport Craft #3: Unassigned
Combat Vessels
Interplanetary Makeshift Warship #1: Under Construction
Iliad-Class "MSS Iliad": Unassigned
Iliad-Class "MSS Aeneid": Unassigned
Author
Topic: Planetary Arms Race - Moerth, Strategy Phase 2212 (Read 38073 times)