Combat ReportNogrania has elected to push the
Fjords and
Eastern Seas. They have used their Resource Credit for +1 Ore this turn.
Toskesh has elected to push the
Badlands and
Eastern Seas. They have used their Resource Credit for +1 Ore this turn.
Combat in the MountainsNogranian troops prepare themselves for the coming winter and patrol the roads leading into the mountains from the swamps. All is quiet.
Nogrania maintained their hold on the Mountains Theatre! They generate +1 point on their Economic Development Track.
Combat in the BadlandsWith Nogrania’s Resource Credit and the addition of an extra Oil resource from their E.D.T. last turn, they are able to off-set the missing Oil and Ore resources from the U.N. this turn. As a result, most of their equipment is back to pre-ban expense levels. This is good news for the Paradigm, Hippo, and Herald, as well as a few other minor pieces of equipment. Toskesh has likewise used their Resource Credit this turn, but it only affects their Yāngē-class Citadel Destroyer in the Eastern Seas.
Fall in the Badlands sees the temperature drop from “sweltering” to “ambient”, much to the joy of every soldier stuck out in the shade-less terrain. Nogrania is operating more or less at full capacity once more now that their soldiers are re-equipped with Rabid’s and supported by Hippo’s and Paradigm’s. They operate defensively, digging trenches and bunkers into the sun-baked ground and fortifying ridgelines as the Toskesh charge in from the north. Toskesh, now equipped with their own light armor, now actually stands a chance in their assaults. Their
stolen new Piāoqiè guānsī Hexapod Tank-Walker is a match for the Hippo. Both armor pieces can easily kill one another, so it often comes down to skill and luck for each tank-walker. Toskesh has taken to putting troops with "Jin Na" shoulder-mounted rocket launchers and Type-51b Páoxiāo de léi shēng RGL (the 45 mm variant) on the jump-seats, who can quickly hop off and assist in taking down enemy Hippo's when engaged. The ride is much appreciated by the foot-soldiers, who have grown to hate walking around with the heavy anti-tank equipment.
Nogrania, on the other hand, doesn't actually have any anti-tank equipment beyond their Hippo and field guns. It's understandable, since Toskesh has gone almost two years without developing any actual armor, but the sudden shift in battle certainly hurts. Nogrania's Duke howitzers are certainly more effective than Toskesh's Type-51w 'Huā zi' MRRL, both in terms of accuracy and range, and when they can manage it they rake incoming Piāoqiè guānsī's before they engage. The Paradigm actually shows its value in this new combat, being merely Expensive compared to the Very Expensive hexapods. The 4" Duke's mounted on the Paradigm are certainly overkill, but in emergencies they can act as impromptu tank-killers. Even then it's a bit of a toss-up; the Piāoqiè guānsī is equipped with a 25 mm grenade launcher, which can fire rapidly and easily gut the un-armored Paradigms. Battle is often decided by who can get the first shot off. Ultimately tank-on-tank combat leans in Toskesh's favor; they actually have anti-tank equipment they can use to bolster their effectiveness in tank engagements, where most of Nogrania's is their own actual armor and unprotected mobile artillery pieces.
The Rabid being back in the hands of Nogrania's troops certainly helps, but it's matched more-or-less by Toskesh's Xi-52 Dài-I Zha-Buqiang rifles. The Wictor, despite being inaccurate, is just as well equipped for defending emplacements as Toskesh's Type-51b Páoxiāo RGL's are at digging them out (now that the users have some mobile cover and can get in close). The Draft struggles to find a good use for itself, managing to drop small quantities of troops behind enemy lines and aimlessly send NMG fire on troops down below in "drive-by" strafing runs. The Qi-Chu, well-suited for the Type-51w 'Huā zi' MRRL, performs much more effectively at hit-and-run tactics - Nogrania attempts to punish them with Draft counter-attacks, but it's not terribly effective. Operating the Qi-Chu is dangerous, as crews must get well within enemy artillery range to fire, but their high speed means that they can often get out after firing their rocket barrage.
Corporal Ellis Green wipes away a bead of sweat that trickled down his brow. His hexapod is actually squatting in a trench, and only the turret is exposed. This hull-down position is a huge help in Toskesh's most recent assault; a rocket actually left a crater a few meters away, and had they not been held below surface level the delicate limbs would surely have been damaged. "Twenty degrees right, hexapod at three kilometers," he barked. Sure enough, a Toskesh tank-walker was moving in through the shimmering haze, instantly distinguishable from a Nogrania Hippo by the handles welded to the hull. The Hippo boomed as it sent off a 2" shell, and Green watched as the resulting explosion tore apart a few troops who'd hitched a ride on the Piāoqiè. The enemy tank sagged as a pair of its legs went limp, but the turret slowly rotated to face their position. Corporal Green watched as the enemy round came sailing in from the distance. The shell struck through the lightly-armored turret, impacted the ammo supply, and then Ellis Green was no more.
The fighting is close, but ultimately the combat goes in Toskesh's favor.
Toskesh has pushed far enough south to gain a section of the Baddlands! Corporal Ellis Green has been KIA!
Combat in the FjordsNogrania makes a push into the Fjords this year, a task made difficult by the lack of naval support. Toskesh makes good use of their Dogbite and Yāngē to drop rocket barrages on anything even close to the shoreline, limiting Nogrania to assaults further inland. As with the Badlands, their Hippo is no longer a unique advantage, and with Toskesh's dedicated anti-tank weaponry mixed in they suffer for it. Their main advantage is being able to more widely use their longer-range mobile artillery and reinforce positions with copious inaccurate NMG fire, but Toskesh has the area thoroughly locked down. With naval support ensuring Nogrania can't reinforce shorelines, Toskesh can land small groups of troops behind their lines and disrupt their assaults with impunity. Surprisingly, the Draft is able to easily harass ships off-shore; Toskesh is lacking any real AA beyond riflemen, but without any real armament all the Draft can do is exhaust its ammo supply and force sailors indoors, perhaps occasionally knocking out a turret or riddling the unarmored conning tower.
It's not enough, and with the disadvantages stacked against them Nogrania is forced to surrender the assault.
Toskesh has maintained their hold on the Fjords. They have gained +1 point on their Economic Development Track!
Combat in the Eastern SeasIn the Eastern Seas Nogrania's Herald-class Destroyer is back to being Expensive. With the upgraded 4" guns, the Heralds can beat down Dogbite Destroyers any day of the week. The larger and harder-hitting guns are definitely a point in Nogrania's favor, but Toskesh's Yāngē-class "Citadel Destroyer" is a force to be reckoned with. The Heavy citadel can turn away 2" Ironcaster rounds, and even deflect a Duke when properly angled. This gives the ship an unprecedented survivability thusfar unseen in Serouda's naval combat. That's not to say the ship can't be damaged - the bow, stern, and conning towers are virtually unarmored. Despite the dozen Sunrise cannons scattered around the hull, the Yāngē is subjected to withering artillery fire before even getting in range. In battles in which the Yāngē survives, the ship is often crippled. It's not uncommon to find Yāngē-class ships with hasty patches welded all over the ship. Yāngē captains will often order all bulkheads pre-emptively sealed when expecting combat, giving the ship the surprising ability to live through damage that would send any other ship to the ocean floor. In one case a dockyard in the Fjords witnessed what seemed to be a floating scrap heap come limping in, little more than a citadel attached to a pair of screws. But, when the Yāngē
can get in range, it's game-over for any ship it turns its guns to.
Nogrania's Red Herring gains renown for it's high speed and ability to flirt with danger. The Ironcaster doesn't pack much of a punch, but the Herring can surprisingly hold its own against Dogbite destroyers. At close range and one-on-one the Herring can sail circles around a Dogbite, raking the ship with merciless NMG and Ironcaster fire until the unfortunate ship takes enough damage and sinks. The Herring rarely gets to enjoy one-on-one combat, however, so their influence is limited. They tend to work best close to the shorelines in the Fjords, where they can popout of cover and ambush enemy ships easily. Often Herring captains are relegated to keeping Dogbite Destroyers busy while the Heralds turn their 4" Duke's on any Yāngē's in the enemy fleet. The ship has a number of practical draw-backs in combat, however. Without torpedoes, the little patrol ship struggles to get a "killing blow", and often just cripples enemy ships. They're the same expense level as Heralds and Dogbites, so they can't out-number and swarm their targets either. Like the Yāngē, they have a lot of potential they just can't tap into yet.
Commander Zhao De stands at the bridge of his brand-new Yāngē-class ship. The boat has a staggering amount of firepower, or at least more than any sailor on Serouda was used to. He'd loudly lamented to his superiors about how the 50 mm guns would barely be considered secondaries for any other navy, but he supposed he'd just have to do his duty as a sailor and make do with what he had. His task force consisted of the Yāngē and about a half-dozen Dogbites. In the distance the jungle-port of Nogrania loomed into view; their target. If they could successfully blockade the port, then they could cut off some of the resources flowing into the capitol. Commander De gave the order and the taskforce steamed forth.
Dylan McFinnigan wrapped an arm around the barrel of his Ironcaster as the ship plowed through a stiff wave. He shook his head and a spray of seawater landed on the deck. He was just an Ensign, for now. Fresh into the navy after his bout in the Olympics, to "inspire the men". He could certainly do that - the meaty pythons he had for arms could lift and load four-inch shells all day long. But for now, he was aboard Nogrania's newest ship, the Red Herring. Toskesh was making a push for their capitol's port, and they couldn't allow that. Black smoke from oil-fired boilers rose above the horizon ahead as the Nogranian fleet sailed to meet their enemy.
The Herring blasted through the wake of the Yāngē, and McFinnigan furiously cranked the Ironcaster to keep it aimed at the enemy ship. One of the Yāngē's turrets slowly swiveled back to meet them, and both barrels blasted simultaneously at the tiny gunboat. A pair of gysers erupted on either side of the Herring, dousing the crew and causing one of the Wictor NMG's to jam. McFinnigan finally got the Ironcaster into position and fired, sending the shell straight into the stowed MRRL amidship the Yāngē. Commander De lurched forward as the rocket artillery cooked off, blowing through the superstructure and nearly cracking the ship in half. The twin screws angrily churned to a halt and began dragging in the water. De turned his attention from the Heralds in the distance to the Herring on the starboard side.
"Hard to port!" Now just gliding through the water, the Yāngē's rudder shifted left and the ship followed, giving the four turrets on the starboard side the time they needed to load and bring their guns to bear. They fired one after another, all missing but one. The eighth shell caught the Herring square in the broadside, cooking off the ammo supply and flipping the ship onto its side. McFinnigan flew free and splashed into the water, disappearing from view.
With that threat now thwarted, Commander De turned his attention to the remaining Heralds and Herrings in the enemy fleet. There weren't many left, and they were close enough now that the Dogbites stood a chance. The Yāngē would likely have to be scuttled, but it'd done its job. Toskesh had succeeded in their push, and the Nogranian port would be blockaded.
Other News:Poland adopts Communist-imposed Constitution, based on the 1936 Russian Constitution. The Russian text of the Constitution was reviewed and 'corrected' by Joseph Stalin himself, and later translated into Polish. The Polish people are thankful to Mighty Stalin for helping them with their Constitution. Puerto Rico becomes a self-governing commonwealth of the United States. As a result of the Cairo Fires earlier this year, the Free Officers enact a coup, forcing King Farouk I of Egypt to abdicate his throne. The Egyptian monarchy is abolished soon after and anti-British hostilities are re-ignited. West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer signs a reparation pact for the Jewish people. Ernest Hemingway publishes "The Old Man & The Sea" and the first KFC opens in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Theatre Progress:Mountains:
Nogrania - 3/Toskesh 0
Badlands:
Nogrania - 2/Toskesh 1
Fjords:
Nogrania - 0/Toskesh 3
Eastern Sea:
Nogrania - 0/Toskesh 5
Jungle:
Nogrania - 3/Toskesh 0
Frozen Swamps:
Nogrania - 0/Toskesh 3
Nogrania: Level 3, 1/4 -> Unique Resource
[color=000099]Toskesh[/color]: Level 1, 2/3 -> Ore
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Topic: Arms Race: Iron Behemoths - Toskesh - GAME OVER (Read 47277 times)