Hey. Name your ships. It's not fun writing "The captain of IMW #1 ..." in reports.
Combat Phase of 2209Something happened to our IMW as it orbited B2 this year.
Courier reports from it appeared to stop at around the same time our ground forces at B2 noticed inbound Amaokian transport shuttles from orbit. Supposedly, some of our troops saw something vaguely resembling a winged fighter descending with one of the Amaokian shuttles. We can only assume it was destroyed in action by some Amaokian weapon. Ideally, it would have managed to do some damage to the forces intercepting it, but we ultimately don't know. If there was a battle, we have no witnesses to it whatsoever.
Consequently, it would appear enemy forces on B2 have become fully equipped with their combat rifle. But a few days after the events in orbit, our ITCs were able to distribute their shipments to forces planetside without issue.
The Orbital Zone of B2 is now Conflicted.Moerth has lost IMW #1. This vessel will be unavailable next Combat Phase.On the ground, our soldiers are ecstatic to use their new gun. Seeing the enemy soldiers that were winning last year literally explode is apparently a huge morale-booster, though psychologists at Central Command are a
tad concerned with the aftereffects.
Their battle rifle is still a very competent weapon. At long ranges, our forces are forced to run through their battle rifle fire in order to close into medium range where our Bolters are actually effective. Amaok was
not expecting this when our Commander first used this tactic, but it's become a regular battle strategy. We have the numbers to simply run our soldiers and engage with Bolters with only a small percentage of casualties. The casualties
are actually quite high, but the reinforcements make them a much smaller portion of our actual forces.
Central Command is also evidently
very annoyed at the fact that not everyone is listening to that mandatory Bolter training session. We have numerous reports of troops trying to use their Bolters in close-quarters combat and blowing their hands and/or legs off. Morale slightly lowers when they get the routine announcement after a courier arrives that they must attend an even longer
improved training session because yet another recruit managed to remove one of their limbs from their body. But most of our soldiers are smart enough to put away their Bolters and use pistols instead at close range. Here, our pistols maintain their slight advantage as they have for years and we come out ever so slightly ahead.
Many soldiers are killed by Amaokian snipers hidden in the growths native to B2. Use of hidden "snipers" is a growing tactic this year as Amaok realizes they should
probably avoid medium range and our now-famous "suicide runs". But for the most part, we have them on the move backwards. Unfortunately for us, their advantage at long-range and general victories last year have allowed them to keep their zone
for now.Our Commander here is quite happy with the new Bolters. They expect territorial advancements next year, and are happy with any new helpful designs from Moerth to make sure they keep advancing.
Neither side has gained ground at Planet B2. [M: 1/3, A: 1/3] During the nights of A3 and C3, our troops begin to evacuate. Shuttles from the ITCs bring down Bolters and come back up filled to the brim with troops. The soldiers remaining on the ground make use of the Bolters to prevent Amaokian soldiers advancing on our camps and evacuation sites just long enough to finish the evacuations. Eventually, the process is complete and our soldiers are brought to new planets.
With us gone, Amaokian forces have stayed at A3 and C3 and we can only assume they'll finish securing the planet and building resource extraction infrastructure over the course of 2210.
Amaok has gained ground at A3 and C3. [A: 3/3] If they hold it for another year they will gain access to the resources here.At A2, our previously-evacuated soldiers begin an invasion.
The Amaokian forces here are a bit strange - they wear a type of armored spacesuit which we've never seen before. Ultimately, it has a small influence on the battles as our Bolters go right through the armor. Though the armor does make our Bolters slightly less useful as the minor amounts of shrapnel created by bolts are blocked by the armor.
Enemies here are only equipped with pistols, which gives us a decisive advantage. We do to them this year what they did to us last year. They desperately attempt to get within range but our Bolters literally blow them apart as they attempt to do so. In close range, our Mk 1.1 Printed Pistols are helpful but their armored suits do give them the advantage. It isn't anywhere near enough, however, as everywhere else our Bolters dominate the battlefield.
A2's Commander believes that keeping this pressure on will steadily win us A2. But their armored spacesuits actually seem like a good idea - why don't we have that?
Moerth has gained ground at A2. [M: 1/3, A: 2/3]We continue demolishing enemy forces on C2, even without the improvised intraplanetary transport we used an ITC for last year.
Amaok transports don't visit C2 this year, leaving us with an even bigger advantage thanks to the Bolters. The battle here becomes more of a game of hide and seek. Once we locate enemies hiding on one of the islands, it's a matter of getting soldiers their before they leave the island. With just their pistols and our bolters, we're left with a
huge advantage.
We gain tentative control of the entire planet this year, but the remnants of the Amaokian Unit are still hiding out in islands. We have good reason to believe that Amaok could try to evacuate their soldiers here next year. But unless they bring in extra firepower to cover their evacuation, we should still be able to wipe out the rest of their Unit here.
Our Commander is completely confident in the "battle" here. Though they still want some water vehicle. There were a lot of complaints of using what basically amounted to sea-based dinghies this year.
Moerth has gained ground at C2. [M: 3/3, A: 0/3] If they hold it for another year they will gain access to the resources here.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
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
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. Prohibitively inaccurate at long ranges and dangerous to use at short ranges.
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 Unclaimed
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: 1/3
C1 - 1 Metal Unclaimed
C2 - 1 Exotic A: 0/3, M: 3/3
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 (0/1)
Production Line 7: Jormungandr Bolter (0/4)
Production Line 8:
Production Line 9:
Production Line 10:
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, Jormungandr Bolter, Printed Pistol Mk 1.1
Location: B2
Unit 2:
Equipped X112 Spacesuit, Jormungandr Bolter, Printed Pistol Mk 1.1
Location: A2
Unit 3:
Equipped: Jormungandr Bolter, Printed Pistol Mk 1.1
Location: B2
Unit 4:
Equipped: X112 Spacesuit, Jormungandr Bolter, Printed Pistol Mk 1.1
Location: C2
Unit 5:
Equipped: X112 Spacesuit, Printed Pistol Mk 1.1
Location: C2
Transports
Interplanetary Transport Craft #1: Unassigned
Interplanetary Transport Craft #2: Unassigned
Interplanetary Transport Craft #3: Unassigned
Combat Vessels
Interplanetary Makeshift Warship #1: Under construction
Author
Topic: Planetary Arms Race - Moerth, Strategy Phase 2212 (Read 38111 times)