Combat for 935This year sees a powerful shift in Arstotzka's artillery equipment. Their HA1's, longer-ranged and higher caliber than their smaller HC1-E's, are now merely Expensive. Before, Moskurg only had to worry about the occasional barrage from beyond their line of sight every once in a while, and even then only a few shells would fall at a time. Now, when the inevitable Green Flare rises up over the horizon, they can expect metal shells to rain from above in furious amounts. Carpet bombers can't kill enough to make a difference, not with falcons scratching at their face and limiting their effectiveness. Ballistas, once the main-stay of Moskurgs assaults, have been limited to sniping the apprentices in the field before they can send off their flares. Assaults are met with a hell-storm of artillery fire. al-Mutriqa does his best, zipping around on carpets and hurling firebombs, but it's not enough. Lightning can't even be used due to the constant freezing, snowy temperatures. Moskurg is forced out of the Taiga easily.
Our Theatre Commander is frustrated with our men dying from Arstotzka's damned cold. It is something we must address if we ever wish to march into their capitol. Their new artillery is dangerous, and it utterly outclasses anything we have. It wouldn't be so bad if we had more air forces that weren't constantly being attacked from bellow - ideally, we'd be able to commence uninterrupted bombing raids night and day. The jungles provide us with the best wood on the carpet, and we can't afford to be pushed back next year. This theatre is your highest priority, and whatever we develop next year must help us here.
Arstotzka regains full control of the Taiga.Arstotzka pushes down from the mountains this year, gaining a section of desert.
Their Minor Towers of Frost make the swelting desert weather bearable, and Moskurgs Divine Desert winds can't repel the cold fast enough. The HA1 artillery has a height advantage, meaning their unbeatable range is even further increased. Moskurg still suffers from diminished carpet effectiveness, and their temperature bonus isn't enough to offset the constant barrage of artillery shells. The warmer temperatures mean their Storm Strike and Hammer of Allah can be used, at least - lightning strikes at random, frying artillery cannons and soldiers as they come down the mountains. It's close, but Arstotzka manages to gain a section. Next year Moskurgs Naval Advantage will make it possible to land behind them and bombard them from the coast, but for now Arstotzkan boots tread on Moskurg sands.
Our Theatre Commander says we'll likely be able to push them back next year, but their artillery will make it difficult. Being able to use our lightning helps a lot, and if we could use it in other theatres again we'd likely have a better chance of winning. Carpets that didn't have to worry about falcons would be ideal, if you could figure out some way of protecting our carpet bombers. This is our home, and the highest priority for our design focus.
Arstotzka gains a section of the desert. They have regained their Metal Bonus from the mountain.The Artillery bonus is even more obvious in the plains.
Flat, open ground is an artilleryman's dream, and though the shells only kill where they hit, there's enough of them that the trenches are constantly under attack. Their fire rate comes in bursts as they're forced to wait for more ammo and water to supply their cannons, but these reprieves don't come often enough for Moskurg. They gain a section of ground, forcing Moskurg to cede their absolute control of the plains.
Our Theatre Commander is dismayed by our loss of artillery control. We
invented artillery support, yet Arstotzka has us completely outclassed! Either we must regain our control of the long-range support game, or find some other way to change the nature of battle in a way that Arstotzka won't expect. You must absolutely consider this your highest priority. Oh, and he asks for his uninterrupted carpet air support back.
Arstotzka has secured a section of the plains.Moskurg ships push the Eastern Seas and Western Seas.
This year, Moskurg rolls out a new, powerful variant of their ships - named the "Sirocco". Made of what wood is left in the jungle, the Sirocco has a hardened hull clad in an unnatural, glowing white metal. These ships are just as fast as Arstotzka's steam ships, and the hull can survive all but the most close-range, carefully-aimed shots from their powerful steam cannons. This, combined with their air superiority, means they are able to beat Arstotzka back a section in the sea in the Eastern coast.
It is a much closer battle in the Western sea, though - Myark is seen standing aboard one of their lead ships, hurling fireballs and firing off cannons with each hand. His falcon single-handedly takes down a flight of carpet bombers, but the real advantage comes from his Wand of True Light - once battles start, it's difficult for Moskurg sailors to stand and fight. They flee more often than not, but even these brief skirmishes go in their favor. They're just as fast as steam ships, and unless the shot hits square cannon rounds will deflect off their armor. Meanwhile, Moskurg ballistas have no problem setting Arstotzkan ships alight, which inevitably sends them to the bottom of the ocean. It's close - very close - but ultimately Arstotzka loses more ships than Moskurg thanks to their new armor and fast hulls.
The Theatre Commander desperately wants to impress upon you the importance of naval support. If we controlled the oceans - ALL of the ocean, all around Forenia - Arstotzka wouldn't be able to compete with us! We'd be able to land forces behind their lines. The armored ships was a good start, but he asks for even better ships to keep Arstotzka from ever being able to match us. He doesn't care how you do it, you
must ensure we don't lose this advantage - the seas are your highest priority.
Moskurg gains ground in the Eastern and Western Seas. Expense Credit!!!The trader starts off waveringly on the War Pegasi, but after a bit of practice he's zooming around the harbor like a pro. Clearly very impressed with the carpets, he buys a crate-load of the enchanted fabric and we carefully explain how to keep them enchanted and working. He and his men wave goodbye as they disappear over the horizon.
We have gained an Expense Credit.
It is 936, the Design Phase.Northern Taiga: 4/4 Arstotzka, 0/4 Moskurg
Central Mountains: 4/4 Arstotzka, 0/4 Moskurg
Western Jungle: 0/4 Arstotzka, 4/4 Moskurg
Eastern Plains: 1/4 Arstotzka, 3/4 Moskurg
Southern Desert: 1/4 Arstotzka, 3/4 Moskurg
Northern Sea: 4/4 Arstotzka, 0/4 Moskurg
Western Sea: 1/4 Arstotzka, 3/4 Moskurg
Eastern Sea: 1/4 Arstotzka, 3/4 Moskurg
Southern Sea: 0/4 Arstotzka, 4/4 Moskurg
Sabre: Officer weapon. A single-edged blade that favours cavalry combat over infantry combat. Requires training to wield, one-handed. Expensive.
Spear: General infantry weapon. Essentially a dagger on a long stick. Very cheap, requires minimal training to use. Can be used double-handed, or single handed with a light shield. Cheap.
Halberd: An axe, a hook, and a spear all rolled into one. Does well against armor and in formation. Cheap
Buckler: General infantry equipment. A small iron shield, held in one hand. Only protects a small area, but can be wielded alongside a shield. Moderate cost, requires training to wield properly. Cheap.
Pavise Shield: A large, thick, high-quality shield to guard against arrows. Can be staked into the ground, or slung across the shoulders. Needs both hands to use while on the move. Very Expensive.
Padded Armour: General infantry armour. Very cheap, just layers of cloth, but doesn't protect against much. Well ventilated in hot conditions, though. Cheap.
Scale Mail: Officer armour. Scales of steel on a leather backing. Expensive, but lighter than chain mail. Expensive. Obsolete.
Elite Lamellar Armor: All-purpose armor. Worn over padded armor. Thin plates of steel sewn together with leather thongs, backed by more leather. High quality, decent protection against arrows and melee attacks. Cheap.
Recurve Bow: General infantry weapon. A light bow composed of laminated wood and horn, curved backwards to provide more force. Inexpensive enough to equip many troops with, with very reasonable medium range and power. Can be wielded by horse archers.
Bodkin Arrows: Arrows with needle points. Can reliably penetrate plate armor at point blank range. Can penetrate less reliably further away.
Arabian Horse: A light riding horse, from short-lived Iberian settlers in the past. Very fast and maneuverable, but not too strong. Expensive.
Horse Breeding Program: Mass amounts of horses available. Tend to do poorly in the desert, and aren't quite as high quality as the Arabian Horses. Cheap.
Lances: Essentially a heavily upgraded spear. Has a tendency to splinter after the first use. Cheap.
Sailing Ship: Wind-propelled wooden ship. Fast, requires minimal crew, cannot carry many passengers, but does carry at least one wizard - so long as they don't make puns. Very Expensive.
Sirocco: Ships made from lightweight and hardy junglewood and clad in glowing Adamanitium armor. Much more resilient and faster than Arstotzka's ships as of 935.
Ballista: Large siege weapon. Can fire javelins or stone shot great distances accurately. Reliable enough for consistent use. Can be mounted on ships. Wheeled. High-quality siege engineers.Expensive.
Firestorm ammo: Pots filled with Alnnar Almuqaddasa - "Holy Fire". Bursts into sticky flame on impact. Incredibly lethal, incredibly dangerous. Nearly impossible to extinguish. Normal Cost.
Wand of Heroism: Makes a squad fight beyond human levels. A National Effort.
Adamantium: Divine metal summoned from the aether. Comes in workable copper-soft and forge-able steel-hard ingots. Expensive.
Teletalk: Short-ranged psychic communication between mystics. Enough beacons can be produced to outfit an army. Expensive.
Staff of Tubikh Rrahim Albarq: Area-of-affect spell anchored to the caster. Prevents all magic from being cast within a short range. Spell contained within a staff of ivory, field of effect controllable. Produces a glow. Expensive.
Dispell Enchantments: Dispells enchantments on items, including standard crystal weapons. Expensive.
Pegasus: Charmingly named, enchanted carpets. Levitate, can be pushed around with Gust of Wind. Limited height, duration, speed. Typically rolled up and equipped with a saddle. Has pretty tassels. Expensive.
War Pegasus:[/b] A faster, higher, tamed version of the Pegasus. Requires each carpet to be broken-in before it can be used in the field, but now has its own form of locomotion. Very Expensive.
Detect Ambush: Reveals non-magical ambushes prepared by enemy troops or physical traps.
Lucky Strike: Magical guidance makes a squad shoot or strike true far more often than usual. Expensive.
Detect Thoughts: Read the mind of an enemy commander to determine their tactics ahead of time. Expensive.
Zen Inception: By putting enemy soldiers in a zen-like state, we can use their minds as a relay system to read minds further away. The spell is easy to disrupt, but simple to use.
Gust of Wind: Evokes physical force to create a heavy gust of wind, sufficient to disperse fog and most minor concealment, as well as disperse irritating swarms. Expensive.
Cyclone Shield: Protects the beneficent from most arrows and some blows with a sheath of wind. Expensive.
Storm Strike: Summons heavy rain and winds over the course of a day. Expensive.
Clear Weather: Negates inclement weather within the given area. Nests within Storm Strike for protection.
Hammer of Allah: Induce lightning from summoned storms. Strikes indiscriminately, so can't be used in "danger close" situations.
Spear of Allah: Call down an individual bolt of lightning to target enemy commanders. Difficult to control, has a tendency to hit the caster as often as not. Our mages refuse to use it.
Tubikh Rrahim: Area-of-affect spell centered around the caster. Prevents all magic from being cast within a short range. Cheap.
Dispell Enchantments: Dispells enchantments on items, including standard crystal weapons. Expensive.
Divine Desert Winds: Sends warm desert air north. Does not reach the taiga. Warms the area by one "level". Very Expensive.
As inspired by the "Behavior Rule" attached to Sensei's new Arms Race thread, I've decided to adapt them to Wand Race. Most of these are blatantly copied from his thread, and I expect them to be followed. After running this game for a few weeks now and following the last Arms Race, I'm aware that they're prone to attracting bad attitudes. Keeping the game smooth, on schedule, and argument free is probably a greater concern of mine than whatever you are arguing about: I expect you to be mature and adopt the same attitude.
1. Don't be salty! If at any time you find yourself having an urge to mouth off at another player, step away from the keyboard, go outside, and take a breath. Seriously. Players who repeatedly get angry or passive aggressive will be asked to leave. If you have an issue with the way the game is being run, DO NOT expect a tantrum to get you what you want.
2. Keep in mind that I am not a historian, so there will sometimes be mistakes and inaccuracies. Even in the best of circumstances, minor inconsistencies are a common occurrence. If some piece of equipment is imbalanced/unrealistic, I might consider changing it if you bring it up once -AND ONLY ONCE- and politely state your argument. However, I will err on the side of consistency with my own game, I do not like to go back and change things. Sometimes it is more important to simply keep the game running smoothly than other concerns.
3. Do not accuse me of being biased. Do not accuse me of being biased. I put a lot of effort into being objective and fair and being accused otherwise is pretty fucking irritating. On multiple occasions this has nearly derailed the game and made me want to abandon it all together. I have absolutely no more patience for this, and if you do it YOU WILL BE BANNED.
4. Do not spy on the other team's private thread. Trust me, playing fair is more fun for everyone! If you suffer from a lack of self-control and cannot stop yourself from spying, keep it to yourself. Do not use it to metagame. And do not post what you saw in the central thread. This has happened multiple times now, and if you do it you will be banned with no warning.
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Topic: Wands Race - [Moskurg] {COMPLETED} (Read 186661 times)