Year 1912 AC (After Colonization) Cold Season, Combat Phase
Abberan Advancements
This season our engineers have expanded mining operations in the Coniferous Forest in an effort to supply the expanding fortifications, trenchworks, and bunkers. As a result, the
Coniferous Forest gains an Entrenchment Level (now at 2) and
a second Ore resource, bringing Abbera's total to
4 Ore.
Our expanded mining operation has yielded the following results:
Scythe is now
(CHEAP).
Gorgon is now
(CHEAP).
Sickle is now
(CHEAP), but still restricted by Paladin Deployment, speaking of which...
Paladin Superheavy Armor is now
(VERY EXPENSIVE).
Farmlands Firefight
The Farmlands is a vast flat territory with line of sight blocked only by farmhouses, the occasional town, and lines of trees and fences marking property borders. During the Cold Season consistent snowfall and frozen earth make farming near impossible, though at least roads are well-maintained, making travel fairly easy.
Aren Wagner von Blankenbruck, now Captain of the Order of the Iron Hand
(GM NOTE: You may change the name of his unit if you like, but it's up to you guys to vote on it), sat in the back of the
Kingmaker with three of his
Paladins. They were part of a group in charge of rooting out a particularly stubborn contingent of Endicarians that had forcefully occupied a number of farms that bordered one another. Paladin Lehmann, promoted from Squire, sat at his side, both loosely holding their
Sickles as they waited to dismount.
"One of my Squires scouted ahead yesterday," Lehmann reported, "The Endicarians have been expecting us for a while, so they've had some time to prepare themselves. They've dug a few defensive positions out, reinforced the nearby crossroads, and they are using trucks to ferry men and supplies from elsewhere."
"But why are they here, of all places? They've proven their cunning before, but this seems reckless," Wagner pondered, "Their numbers dwindle and yet they would openly enga-"
Wagner was cut off by a distant drumbeat that hastily revealed itself as artillery as shells began to rain down on the detachment of the Order of the Iron Hand and the accompanying infantry. With no hard cover anywhere nearby Wagner ordered the driver to charge forward into the treeline that marked the boundary of the nearest farm the Endicarians had taken over. The barrage hit a
Faithful in the rear, decimating it and the men inside in a massive fireball. The deafening blasts persisted as the artillery creeped behind them, shrapnel causing a majority of the injuries and fatalities as bits of metal up to the size of a man's forearm tore through the canvas covering the trucks. As the lead
Kingmaker holding the
Paladins broke through the trees it was met with an earth-covered bunker not 100 meters from itself dug into the road and the accompanying machine gun fire. The driver veered off the road to avoid a burst of gunfire, tilting and curving to the right. Rounds met the side armor and a couple punched through. One struck Lehmann in the head, saved only by his helmet.
Wagner laughed and slapped Lehmann's armored leg, "Don't worry, it's good luck!"
An explosion rocked the
Kingmaker and sent it into the snow. The driver turned to the men in the back.
"Dismount! Dismou-" he cried out over a series of echoing impacts before he too was shot in the head, though without a suit of armor for protection.
Wagner stood and kicked open the rear ramp, snapping the bolts and sending it into the ground. The battlefield was chaos. The column had hit a pocket of resistance that they absolutely did not expect. A half dozen machine guns were wreaking havoc on the Abberans, who were only now just beginning to fight back in earnest. The guns mounted on the vehicles provided at least some suppressive fire for the infantry as they deployed
Wickermen to give them some cover. Wagner, Lehmann, Braun, and Franke charged out of their crippled vehicle and began unleashing a torrent of hell from their
Sickles. The
Faithful housing their Squires pulled up using the
Kingmaker as cover and they soon provided increased firepower using both the vehicles and the
Paladins themselves as cover while they tried to advance through the plumes of
Wickerman smoke.
Aren turned to one of his Squires, "Get to a CourierMan! We are mired in shit unless we get some heavy ordinance on these overreaching pricks! This position is ours, but I want everything else dead before we get there! GO!"
The Squire ran off and Aren returned to advancing through smoke in an attempt to come up on a sandbag fortification some Endicarians were firing from. Four pairs of heavy feet crushed snow beneath them as the
Paladins charged the enemy position with the Squires providing covering fire for them. One Endicarian decided not to blind-fire and popped out of cover only to have his nose blown through the back of his skull, convincing the rest to stay down. Aren had a specialized clip added onto his armor to hold his
Sickle in situations like these where the
Draco he had hooked onto his back would prove to be more effective. The
Draco was in his hands when he mantled over the sandbags and accidentally kicked an Endicarian in the head. The
Draco blasted forth once into the torso of another Endicarian before Aren began swinging it's spike at the rest of the terrified squad, swinging upwards with it at one point and getting an Endicaran up through the chin, lifting him to his tippy-toes, though he had died immediately. The other three
Paladins began stomping slowly forward firing their
Sickles in converging arcs while Aren cleaned up his position. Braun advanced a little too far to the left of the group and wound up with a grenade going off just behind him. The blast ruined his backplate and the battery powering his armor, trapping him in his suit as he struggled to move the weight. His Squires tried to reach him but Endicarian gunfire prevented their approach.
"Get to Braun!" Wagner ordered. The three
Paladins endured more gunfire as they moved to aid their brother. When they got to him they heard laughter.
"I'm stuck here and the fuckers still can't get me!" he belted out as the three Paladins formed a wall in front of him for the Squires to get behind and extract him from the suit. A somewhat steady supply of
Wickerman grenades kept the smokescreen thick enough to disrupt enemy line of sight and give the Abberans cover. While Wagner stood there he observed how the battle around him was going.
The Abberan infantry was making progress against the high volume of fire thanks to their smoke cover, and the
Modea proved reliable as always in outshooting the Endicarian bolt-action rifles. It was at this moment as he watched men fighting and dying that he heard an endless series of thumps echo in the distance, followed by a vibration in the ground and explosions in the distance. The barrage from the
Gorgons had begun and had no end in sight.
"Finally free!" Braun shouted a few minutes later.
"Fall back to the
Kingmaker and
Faithful and man one of the
Scythes. And don't get yourself killed," Aren ordered.
"Understood, sir," Braun nodded though disappointment managed to sneak into his tone, likely in response to the order to fall back, not to remain alive.
The three
Paladins and their Squires began to move onto a bunker firing at a number of men pinned down behind their ruined
Faithful. They approached from a blindspot and the
Paladins dropped into the small trench leading into the bunker. One Endicarian went to exit the bunker and was cut down by a
Sickle. The other men in the bunker had no time to react as Aren lobbed a
Wickerman inside. It went off and painful screams erupted from inside the fortification. Lehmann was the first to go in.
"Clear!" he called out.
Another handful of bunkers were cleared in a similar manner as the
Paladins moved to relieve the forces receiving the brunt of the incoming fire. Eventually the Endicarians were left fighting from a handful of foxholes and a sniper in the barn. The
Paladins tasked themselves with taking out the sniper's position while the rest of the infantry focused on the Endicarians hiding in the foxholes. Rifle rounds from the sniper missed the
Paladins as he panicked upon seeing them charge the barn. One round managed to hit Lehmann, who dropped to one knee with a grunt.
"I'm fine! Just a scratch!" he called to the rest of his team. His Squires used him as cover while they removed one of the leg plates to field dress the wound, The round had pierced his armor, but fragmented and only a small shard bit into his shin. It still hurt like a bitch.
The sniper took a shot at one of Lehmann's Squires but hit Lehmann's shoulder instead - without penetrating this time. By this time Wagner and Franke were more than able to accurately fire upon the sniper. Rounds shredded the wood barn giving the sniper cover and when they investigated the barn they found the sniper had somehow fallen out of the loft and onto the ground in a pool of his blood.
The battle wound down and eventually the men were able to reorganize. Aren took command of the farmhouse that was used by the Endicarians while Squires and plain infantry were sent to scout the other positions the Endicarians had occupied. Word came back that all of it was leveled and that if anyone had survived they fled the area before the scouts got there. More importantly, however, was a set of documents Wagner found that revealed the Endicarians were using the massive river flowing through Harren Island to land some men and supplies in the city to combat a small Selicate Empire presence as well as reinforce their positions on the island. A disturbing development, but one that came on the back of a solid, though somewhat costly, success.
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Silence in the Swamps
The Swamps are a series of wetlands with few roads and paths going through them. Plant and animal life both work to complicate life in the sector, which would explain the lack of significant settlements. During the Cold Months the Swamps freeze over, providing solid, if slippery, ground to work with. The muddy ground also hardens, reducing the chances of someone sinking knee-deep in mud before realizing it.
The Swamps were never seen by Endicar as important, so it is fitting that their activity here was limited to observation in case Abberans came through. Which they did, and Endicar barely had the capability to react in the sector. A fireteam of
Paladins attempted to aid in rooting out whatever Remnant forces resided in the Swamp,but their armor proved to be more of a hindrance than anything else.
The Endicarians here were forced to fight a guerilla war, taking one well-aimed shot before running off, or setting an explosive charge and hoping someone was close enough when it blew. There were few confirmed kills by Abberan forces, but one day the Endicarians just...stopped. It is presumed they pulled back to the Fortress-City, having stalled the advance for long enough at that point.
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Mounting the Snow-Capped Mountains
The Snow-Capped mountains have peaks reaching high into the air that are covered in snow almost year-round. They consist of lines of mountains with wide valleys in between where run-off from the mountains flows into the lower lands around it. The Cold Season here is especially harsh, with blizzards and storms dominating the landscape.
Luckily, we know the Endicarians love to hide in their caves, and so our forces kept an eye out for them. Any time a cave was discovered a
Paladin and his Squires led a squad into it to check for enemy presence. The Endicarians in the sector managed to avoid conflict until late in the season when they, seemingly, ran out of supplies. The Endicarians were unable to live off of the land and so had to resort to attacking the Abberans and attempting to steal their supplies. This went very, very poorly. The Abberans, realizing the Endicarian predicament, set themselves up in a nice wide valley covered in snow. A group of Endicarians attempted to assault the position but were met with cup-launched
Wickermen followed by sweeping fire from the
Scythes (a very fitting name in this circumstance). The Endicarians coming down the mountain were now forced to run headlong into devastating fire or run upslope and be shot in the back. Eventually the Endicarians fell or fled, and soon their presence in the Snow-Capped Mountains faded away.
------------
Thanks to exemplary efforts all around we have taken back the middle third of our half of Harren Island. We will continue our advance forward to the North Peaks and Plains in the Hot Season, but first we should capitalize on an advancement recently made elsewhere in the world. The "aeroplane" has potential as a future weapon of war, though many are skeptic. This Design Phase we give you two Designs to work on with requests for each: we ask that
one design be an aircraft while the other is a
large emplaced weapon. The construction of our first aircraft should give us the ability to check on our opponents and get an idea of their forces and plans, granting
one Espionage Credit with Special Rules that will be covered in the Revision Phase if you decide to construct such a vehicle. The creation of a large emplacement meant to be added to our fortifications will grant you
one extra Revision in the Revision Phase. The emplacement designed this turn will also be subject to special rules: cost will only be calculated by the variety of resources used (1-2 for Cheap, +1 for each level after that) and will be deployed in any sector with an Entrenchment of 1 or more.
Enemy activity in Harren City concerns us, but for now we must focus on more pressing matters. Good luck, ARES.
News from Salvios mentions erratic behavior and an appreciation for winter recreation.
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE.Infantry
ARA Model-1911A "Modea" Self-Loading Rifle: The first Self-Loading Rifle to see combat, the "Modea" is 4.5 kg and a meter in length. It fires 7.92x57mm rounds fed into the weapon by a 12-round en bloc magazine. It has variable sights and is effective to 400 meters. She's packs a punch but suffers from unreliable internal components. The end of the barrel is lightly threaded to allow attachment of a cup launcher. Costs 2 Ore and 2 Wood (CHEAP)
ARA Model-1911C "Draco" Trench Gun: A 4kg, 80-cm long 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun. Only jams on on occasion, and the butt spike breaks off after a handful of uses. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Ore. (CHEAP)
ARA Model-1912MG "Scythe" Heavy Machine Gun: Utilizes the same 7.92x57mm rounds used by the "Modea". Fires 80-round belts that can be linked together for sustained fire. The barrel rarely overheats even at it's 650 rpm fire rate, but is somewhat inaccurate. Carried around in weight-negating cases. Costs 5 Ore and 3 Caelium. (CHEAP)
--ARA Model-1912PMG "Sickle" Personal Machine Gun: A lightened version of the Scythe meant for use with Paladin Superheavy Armor. The carrying case is replaced with two crystals embedded in the weapon itself. Has a pistol grip, vertical grip near the barrel, and a deployable bipod. Has reduced range and accuracy compared to the Scythe, but not by much. Costs 4 Ore, 3 Caelium. (CHEAP), but usage is tied to Paladin deployment.
ARA Model-1911APG "Wickerman" Incendiary Grenade: A 15-cm long White Phosphorus grenade. The grenade has 15m area of effect, an 8 second fuse, and a dud has never been encountered. Costs 1 Ore and 1 Chemical Compounds, making it (CHEAP), but is considered [complex] until we have access to Chemical Compounds.
ARA Model-1911ART "Gorgon": A standard, reliable piece of 155mm artillery. The round and a bag of propellant are sealed using an interrupted screw breach, and the weapon can fire effectively out to 10km. Uses a hydraulic system to manage recoil. Costs 5 Ore. (CHEAP)
Uniforms for the Massed Infantry: The Abberan uniform consists of cotton undergarments, grey gabardine wool pants and jacket, and a collarless cotton button-up shirt. The jacket has multiple convenient pockets and a foldable collar. Super snazzy jacket buttons hold an image of a crown, and a dark blue crown on the shoulders is used to identify allegiance. Comes with a leather belt and boots. Binoculars are handed out as necessary. Holsters and ammo pouches have flaps on top to keep out the weather. Padded steel helmets are standard issue, as are water-resistant canvas backpacks used to hold the soldier's basic kit. The helmet can be strapped to the back of the pack while traveling.
ARA Model-1912ARM "Paladin" Superheavy Armor: Thick shaped plates of armor attached to an exoskeleton with a soldier strapped inside. The plates of armor have a coating of Powdered Caelium negating part of the effects of gravity on them. As a result, the 50kg suit only weighs 15kg for the purposes of the force needed to move it. Plates can be dislodged by gunfire and "powered down" to normal weight, though improvements to the frame and cabling have reduced this occurrence drastically. A battery in the back has a life of one hour before needing to be replaced by one of two "Squires" assigned to assist the "Paladin". A green-yellow glow can be seen through small spaces in the armor. Costs 7 Ore and 4 Caelium. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Vehicles
ARA-1912MP-T "Faithful": A reliable 4-wheeled truck with a closed cab and covered bed. Can sit eight men and equipment, though up to twelve can be crammed in if the Scythe mounted on a truss behind the cab goes unmanned. Has a top speed of 25km/h. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Oil. (EXPENSIVE)
ARA-1912MP-APC "Kingmaker": A hovering troop transport utilizing a Gavrilium Generator for power. Holds 12 men plus Driver, Passenger, and Scythe Gunner. Armor is 2-4mm thick, providing some protection. Turbine motors on the bottom of the Kingmaker are susceptible to damage, and the vehicle controls like a boat, drifting slowly to a stop unless the Caelium is powered down. This makes dismounting a choice between damaging the belly of the craft (where everything important is housed) or risking ankles. Loads slow her down, but it can reach 30km/h when empty. The Generator is protected by a K-Wool shroud. Costs 4 Ore, 3 Gavrilium, 3 Caelium, and 1 Kinetic Wool. (VERY EXPENSIVE) [complex]
Support
ARA Moddel-1912RAD "CourierMan" Radio: Cumbersome wireless communications equipment with a range of 1.5km. A step in the right direction for reliable long-range communication. Costs 6 Ore. (EXPENSIVE)
Components
Gavrilium Generator: A generator that uses pressure to induce a piezoelectric response in Gavrilium rods. Can replace conventional engines in most cases where power must be provided. Negates oil cost related to powering a design, but adds a slightly reduced cost in Gavrilium.
Specialty Resources
Caelium: A green crystalline supermaterial that we currently know reacts with an electrical current to suspend itself in the air at a level related to the amount of power flowing through it. Providing current to a Caelium Powder coating will reduce weight of the metal it is attached to, while a pure crystal form of Caelium is capable of creating an object with an internal field capable of negating up to 65kg of weight when powered.
Chemical Compounds: Chemical Compounds have a variety of potential uses in combat, and so facilities must be dedicated to the production of the compounds we require.
Gavrilium: An element that can be burned to produce energy much like coal, but with greater energy output. Light pressure forces a piezoelectric response.
Abberan Royal Kinetic Sheep: Sheep whose wool is capable of dispersing kinetic energy across it's surface. Higher-grade wool is able to dissipate a larger amount of force.
Abbera: 3 Ent., 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 2 Caelium // 100% Control (Radio Coverage)
Coniferous Forest: 2 Ent., 2 Ore (2/3 Resources) // 100% Control (Radio Coverage)
Wooded Mountains: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Woodlands: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Farmland: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Swamps: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Snow-Capped Mountains: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Ore: 4
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Caelium: 2
Abberan Kinetic Sheep: 2
Chemical Compounds: 0
Gavrilium: 0
Radio Coverage: Radio Coverage improves the ability to effectively defend a sector based on efficacy of the design.
Poll
3 (15%)
Author
Topic: Industrialized Warfare: Abbera Thread / 1917 A.C. Cold Season (COMPLETE) (Read 79726 times)