This season saw the discovery and extraction of deposits of
Ore in the Deadwood, and we unearthed a significant sum of
Refocyte in the Rimefields. Mining operations for both were underway before the Cold Season set in, resulting in the following:
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle becomes
(CHEAP)M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle becomes
(CHEAP), but does not completely replace the
Nima due to the slight delay in firing not sitting right with many soldiers
'Wikiwiki' Armored Carrier becomes
(CHEAP)G1 'Alanui becomes
(VERY EXPENSIVE)Ho'oula-class Destroyer returns to
(CHEAP)A5 'Io becomes
(CHEAP)We have also adopted the
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship, meaning any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
----------------
Combat Phase, Cold Season 1938 AC
The
Eastern Maelstrom remains, barely, in Initharian control as neither side focuses more effort into the rough waters there. We continue to have
Very Minor Control in the region.
The
Western Maelstrom however sees a sharp uptick in combat, and the naval engagements here are very much unlike those in the East. The constant storms continue as always, and visibility remains low here as it does in the East Maelstrom. Two things make the fighting here swing wildly from the hit-and-run ambush tactics of the last season - Embral's increase in
Mukebaza deployment and our own deployment of
Refocyte Active Sonar. The Embralish
Hetham scourge sees a heavy decline in effectiveness as every Initharian ship is capable of detecting, disengaging, and avoiding the numerous submersibles. Still, our ships don't ring constantly, and this means submarines still manage to score hits and kills on our ships. Without the ability to effectively hunt the
Hethams the war beneath the waves slides even further into a stalemate - which is to our benefit, as they'd edged us out in that regard last season.
As with the last season, both navies devoted their resources to contesting the same portion of sea. Without the ability to set a massive ambush,
we determined the stage for the more decisive surface battles. While our
Ho'oulas guns could punch through the
Mukebaza's decks, achieving reliable plunging fire at the close engagement ranges the Maelstrom afforded was difficult. The hulls of their ships were susceptible to our Destroyer's guns, but in a limited capacity, and shots at or below the waterline proved largely ineffective. The
Ho'oula's saving grace was it's speed, which made zeroing in on them very difficult. Opportunities for ramming were rare however, as the
Mukebazas increased numbers and (most importantly) their orders to engage at will meant that ships approaching at ramming speed were targeted and, being on a relatively predictable course, blown away. While submarines near engagements were often known about, this did not mean they were completely ineffective, and they often used the distraction of their surface fleet to launch a salvo of torpedoes towards our ships before scurrying away. A couple of Destroyers could break off to stalk and harass the
Hethams, but the effort required to take down a
Mukebaza necessitated dedicated effort.
The
Kaipo'u (1938) and repaired
Kona provided the much-needed heavier weapons during engagements where they were available. Both were difficult targets for
Mukebazas to kill, and the
Hetham fleet was unable to get the jump on our two prized ships. In fact, it was these two ships that, thanks to their Refocyte guns, were capable of attaining semi-reliable kills on the submarines.
The Leviathan, however, continued to prove impossible to hunt. The only reason we know it was present in the Western Maelstrom was because we were able to identify the locations of the submarines in the East that engaged our forces there, while a number of ships sunk in the West were fired at by seemingly nothing.
----------------
"TORPEDO PASSED BY FORE! WE'RE UNDER FIRE!"
"TORPEDO STARBOARD! TORPEDO STARBOARD! BRACE FOR IMPACT!"
Shouts and cries came from the deck of the rain-slick deck of the
Kona, which had only now realized it was engaged in combat. It's Destroyer Escort had seemingly dropped the ball, and while they were searching for potential submersible contacts in the waters off their portside towards the coast, they'd managed to miss this one.
A massive geyser of water rushed upward and over the side of the
Kona as the torpedo struck true. Some crew nearby on the deck that had been rushing for anything to hold onto as far from starboard as possible fell from the impact felt throughout the ship. Water rushed into the man-sized hole blown into the hull of a section of Crew Quarters while they attempted to evacuate and seal the bulkheads. A number of crew had been resting and while a few were killed outright, more of them succumbed to drowning as they could not escape fast enough to keep from endangering the rest of the vessel.
The ship listed slightly as it attempted to disengage an enemy they couldn't see. Sonar operators rang frantically in an effort to detect the submarine responsible, only to come up with nothing. For the second season in a row, the
Kona was forced to limp back to port - under her own power this time, at least. A handful of
Ho'oulas scoured the area in vain as whatever had struck the flagship had been quick to vanish.
----------------
While the enemy's increased presence on the surface has proven to be an issue, our dedicated efforts to combating (or at least evading) their
Hethams have resulted in losses we can plan around and account for. Of course
The Leviathan proves to be a terrifying menace, and our prime suspect in the attack on the
Kona, but it was not enough to deter our advances. The
Mukebazas proved to be quite the opponent, and while they were capable of inflicting a number of losses on our Destroyer Fleet, we were able to dictate engagements (for the most part, barring that damned
Leviathan). While our naval advantage isn't
amazing, as we have difficulty clearing the enemy fleet from the seas,
Inithar attains
Light Control of the W. Maelstrom.
----------------
While our forces were recovering from the failed landings at the Mudflats and building up for an assault on the South Peaks, the Embralish launched their own attack on our territory in the
North Peaks. Our forces had prepared positions along the few passes amid the cliffs bordering the strait, with minimal effort of their own thanks to the old Abberan positions still carved out of the mountains. Our navy patrolled the waters around the treacherous mountain range and tied up the Embralish surface ships supporting the vessels making the trip loaded with men and munitions. Their submersibles proved to be of little assistance, as they couldn't support the landing itself and could be (relatively) safely ignored. While a number of craft similar to our own used in the last season approached the limited landing areas, they had mixed among them a significant number of
"Mamkirali" Naval Landers. Their open-topped cargo compartments held up to 22 soldiers and were protected by light 10mm armor. The command cabin was forward and protected by twice the amount of armor. Two
Musakilas mounted in the back allowed the vehicle to provide some light support for it's troops as well.
With the terrain too treacherous for heavier vehicles, and most passes too narrow for them to navigate anyways, our infantry were tasked with defending the landing areas without much in the way of heavy weapons. Limited naval support was available though, and a handful of ships loitered close enough to the landing areas to provide bombardment against the approaching Embralish while the majority of the fleet tied up the
Hethams and engaged the
Musakilas trying to target said supporting destroyers. The
Kaipo'u (1939) and it's Destroyer Escort were also available for assistance, and were able to practically shut down attempted landings north of the strait.
Without much support from invasions along the flanks, the Embralish went all-in on the landing areas closest to them. The
Mamkiralis made their true potential known when they came ashore, pushing forward on a pair of treads. While they provided hardened points to fight from, they were unable to carry troops through the passes that led to the defenses our soldiers occupied. They also proved vulnerable to the
Haaheo family of weapons and their Refocyte rounds. The bullets imparted enough force to turn the inner hull of the landing craft into shrapnel, if not blow a hole clear through it. Embralish soldiers, shouting, screaming, smiling, and bloodied would pour out of their landing craft and attempt to charge the heavily-defended passes without pause. While the debut of their
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar firing 105mm shells proved helpful in hitting some positions when they found somewhere to set them up, and the toxic LIE shells they utilized more than capable of clearing a trench while the smoke shells provided some screening for their troops, the old hardened positions required a bit more effort to break through.
Still, some Embralish units managed to bypass our lines, where they deployed a number of
LIES. These satchels of explosives similar to the original
LIEs, contained 3 HE, 3 Frag, and 2 Chem devices, were much more reliable, and their explosives more potent. They also came with a variety of triggers, though they did lose the ability to throw them like grenades. These
LIES could be put on timers, triggered by tripwires, set off by pressure plates (though the minimum weight seemed fairly high, with the first devices discovered but not triggered by infantry walking right over them), and manually activated via wire and detonator. These
LIES proved very dangerous among our rear echelon, though with faltering support from the amphibious landings the Embralish were unable to capitalize on the backline chaos.
Without the flash or sound of gunpowder to give our defenders away, the enemy had a very difficult time dislodging our troops in the rain-battered mountains. Their weapon's better range was mitigated by our lines being set up within effective firing range of the landing areas, and the tight quarters of the passes and defenses maintained the negation of their clearest advantage. Without any form of vehicle support available past the landings, the fighting between infantry was rough but rapid, and often in favor of our defenders.
Recovered and captured Embralish
Mamkiralis revealed the reason their soldiers were so willing to charge our lines, and why some of them disembarked with wide grins: it utilized a
Wellquartz device in the engine to induce euphoria among the inhabitants of the crew compartment - while pumping fumes into it at the same time, which explained the open top.
Our defense went well thanks in part to our Navy's ability to stymie the Embralish forces push north through the Maelstrom, even if they were unable to provide much direct support. Our lines were not infallible, and continued incursions may compromise our ability to effectively defend from further dedicated amphibious assaults, but for the time being
Inithar has successfully defended the North Peaks. ----------------
While they swatted us back last season, we proved just as capable of holding our ground, if not moreso. With the Cold Season coming to a close, so has the first year of conflict. Already we feel too much time has passed without so much as probing
The Pact positions, but the Embralish prove to be a pervasive threat that must be dealt with.
We have also defended from the Embralish for the first time in the war, and successfully! As a result, we may choose a trait from the following by the end of the Strategy Phase for this turn:
Eyes and Ears: The need for detection equipment of all sorts has proven most valuable in our fight against the Embralish. We have dedicated efforts to advancing various fields involving observation equipment, resulting in one level of reduced difficulty for any dedicated efforts for such designs. While SONAR is a prime example, there are many more ways to detect people, places, and things that we can, and should, utilize.
Bringing Up The Rear: Our distinct lack of support on the ground for our forward forces could prove to be our downfall. As a result, manpower and resources have been dedicated to producing equipment capable of providing aid to our front from the (relative) safety of the rear. Indirect fire weaponry, transport vehicles, and various auxiliary equipment that will have a direct effect on combat will have their effective difficulty reduced by one level.
Note that any reductions in design difficulty
will not stack.
You have a single Design to use as normal.
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE.The Rimefields: 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 3 Refocyte
Taiga: Refocyte, Pact Caelium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
The Barrens: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
The Deadwood: Ore, Empty, Pact Gavrillium (1/3 Nodes)
The Frosted Heights: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Frozen Marshland: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Tundra: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
North Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Northern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Iceplains: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
W. Frozen Ocean: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: V. Minor Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Light Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 3
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Refocyte: 4
Land:
M1 'Nima': The Nima fires 8mm rounds from a 10-round box magazine. It has an effective range of 425m while being almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. The rifle is 75cm long and weighs 3.6kg. Costs 2 Wood and 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: A 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing a refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Cost saved on caps is currently negated by cost of high-purity plates and batteries. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
-M2.1 'Haaheo-B' Rifle: A 7kg version of the Haaheo sans bipod. The rifle is balanced with the battery mounted forward of the receiver. Length of the nickel thread reduces charge time of firing plate, though not devastatingly so. Costs 2 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': An 8mm Light Machine Gun that utilizes a 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Has an effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Initharian Expeditionary Force Uniforms: Two uniforms designed for the environments offered by Harren. They don't stand out in comparison to other uniforms. The sloping helmets have a crested ridge running along the top of the helmet from front to back meant to easily identify what military fellowship one belonged to. Worn by all Initharian soldiers.
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions thanks to it's Supercharged Coilengine which has coil uptime dramatically improved with the use of the suspension to charge auxiliary batteries for it. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. The bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. Costs 4 Ore and 3 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
G2 Alanui: Our first true armored combat vehicle. Uses AP and Refocyte rounds, though AP suffers from a lack of muzzle velocity from the refocyte firing mechanism and should only be counted on working in extremely close quarters. Has 50mm armor on all four sides and the turret, 20mm up top, and 15mm beneath. Can travel at speeds of 50km/h. Comes with two Kakalas for extra protection. Costs 6 Ore and 6 Refocyte. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Sea:
"Armored" Civilian Craft: Seafaring craft barely better than what we can scrounge up, consist of what we can scrounge up with a few metal plates bolted on. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: The Ho'oula is a 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of Supercharger Coilengine-powered propellers. It is armed with 4x2 120mm guns and 4x2 50mm flak guns as well as two aft torpedo tubes and a mine track. Armor is light enough that getting hit by ship-based weaponry will likely take it out of the fight. This is mitigated in part by the Ho'oula's dominant speed and agility. While lightly armed, it also has a Refocyte Bow akin to the Kona's. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: The Kaipo'u is 250m long and can reach speeds of 28 knots thanks to it's Supercharger Coilengines powering four propellers. It is armed with 5x1 300mm cannons and 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons along with a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor is complemented by 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Has a basic electronic and radio suite. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. Costs 6 Ore and 7 Refocyte. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
INFS Kona: A superbattleship that literally defined an era of naval combat. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannons, 16 2x180mm Refocyte Guns and some 50mm flak. Well-armored, fairly quick, and agile for it's size. Has a coverable refocyte prow. Refocyte guns use shells of varying purity based on requirements for the rounds. Uses Refocyte Active Sonar. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT)
Air:
A5 'Io: The 'Io is a single-pilot elliptical-wing monoplane. It can reach speeds of 650km/h with the Supercharger Coilengine. The aircraft suffers from vibrating issues during high-stress maneuvers. It is armed with six 8mm machine guns - three on each wing. Armor is practically nonexistent past the metal used for the frame and a 10mm plate beneath the pilot in order to maximize speed. Has a basic radio. Costs 3 Ore and 4 Refocyte. (CHEAP)
Special:
Unique Resource - Refocyte: A metal that in it's base state stores energy applied through impact until a threshold is reached, where it will deliver the entirety of the stored force at the point of impact. An uncharged piece resembles silver and will become a dark green as it charges. Twisting and compressing rods into coils leaves them slowly unfurling with force relative to their gauge and the tightness of the coil. Purification to varying levels manipulates the capacity of the metal. Rubber negates the charge/discharge effects of impact. Nickel transfers charge between pieces. Refocyte expending charge will absorb energy from connected nickel/refocyte while charging said refocyte will transfer energy into the nickel/refocyte.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines that utilize coils of refocyte to produce mechanical energy. A battery utilizing a rubber casing and nickel transfer plate can increase a coil's uptime before needing re-coiling while also increasing energy output for a limited time.
Refocyte Bullets: High-purity steel jacketed Refocyte bullets capable of punching holes in light armor and causing spalling. Always considered available for any weapons with the tag (Refocyte Bullets) at one Expense Level higher than the weapon itself.
Refocyte Active Sonar: A slightly modernized active sonar system utilizing a refocyte plate kicking against steel and picked up by hull-mounted hydrophones. The ping echo allows the sonar operator detection ability out to 5km. Adds a cost of 1 Refocyte to naval designs it is utilized in.
Traits:
A Sea of Colors: The Initharians have communicated through atypical means for millenia. This manifests as a keen ability to learn and utilize nonverbal communications on the battlefield as well as provide a number of difficult codes to crack when communicating verbally. This provides a small bonus to troop organization as well as a bonus to communication and communications equipment-related designs.
Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. As a result, a new Marine Fellowship is identified and will receive the proper support and resources befitting an official fellowship. Any designs or revisions used to create equipment for amphibious landings and the Marine forces performing them will be one difficulty lower.
Samarata 1902: 7mm bolt-action rifle, 5-round box magazine, effective out to 1000m. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for effective range of 1200m. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[E])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. (EXPENSIVE)
Sikari Mask Mk.III: Gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. (EXPENSIVE)
Legion Issued Explosives: Satchel of 8 dirty pipe bombs that rarely work and when they do are often suboptimal. Blasting cap sets off a volatile compound that also causes severe damage to mucus membranes. Seem unreliable at best. (CHEAP)
-Legion Issues Explosives Set: A satchel of 8 pipe bombs (3HE, 3Frag, 2Chem) compatible with a variety of triggers including a pull-pin, pressure plate, timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Strings of Motion: Specially-made string instruments using a variety of Well-based materials to produce an effect of mildly quickening the body. Military use sees armies covering a bit more ground than one would expect. (VERY EXPENSIVE)
Legionary "Terra Nova Expedition" Uniform: A tough uniform that comes in one of three colors with hot and cold weather variants. Basic kit includes a machete, gas mask, excellent boots, and smooth shades. Helmet is shaped like a rimmed dome. Worn by all Embrallish soldiers.
Rogi Hunter-Killer Vehicle: Open-topped 4 crew vehicle armed with 50mm cannon and pintle-mounted machine gun. Hits speeds around 45km/h. 30mm front armor, 20mm of armor everywhere else. (CHEAP)
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers. Forward cabin has a cupola to provide Commander with 180 degree FoV and protected by 20mm armor. Cargo compartment is protected by 10mm armor and is left uncovered due to fumes from the engines venting into it. The pipes also transport Wellquartz noise from a mechanism installed in the engine, boosting mood of troops within. Has two rear-mounted Musakilas. (EXPENSIVE)
Hetham-Class Submarine: 77m long, capable of 12 knots surfaced, 6 submerged. Armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes. Comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. (EXPENSIVE)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines with a 30-knot speed. Armed with 3x3 200mm guns, 4x2 120mm guns, and 10x2 20mm AA guns. Armor consists of 80-150mm at the belt, 80mm at the deck, and 100mm on the conning tower. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities. (EXPENSIVE)
The Leviathan: Submersible Flagship. Massive, armed with 32 torpedoes and four 25mm autocannons. Can stay asea for nearly a year. Cramped, but well-stocked. Uses a variety of wellmaterials to improve it's sonar systems while making itself practically invisible to them. Survivability is improved due tp a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Unique Resource - Wells: Wells are strange, relatively poorly understood subterranean environs housing any number of forms of cave-adapted life whose parts can be used to manipulate the world through sound. Their use is widespread throughout the Embralish Empire.
-Wellquartz: A material that seems to emit a frequency of noise that causes euphoria when rubbed against.
LIE Shells: Shells used for indirect fire that disperse a highly lethal chemical cloud. Available at one Expense Level above LIE on any weapon tagged (LIE Shells), with current shell cost in brackets for easy reference.
Trait - Well Of Knowledge: The Embralish Empire is always very well informed on their opponents. While the means is not always know, it is almost always spot-on. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Sea Wolves: Their submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome. It seems we will have to interrogate an Embralian if we are to find out exactly what this means. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Author
Topic: Mechanized Warfare: Inithar Thread / Final Phase, 1941 Cold Season (Read 38349 times)