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[Iituem]

THE LEAGUE

The city-states of the Hadaean Archipelago have often vied for dominance amongst themselves, being far enough removed from the major continents of the world that few outside forces could successfully threaten them with invasion.  Masters of ship, sail and spear, the city-states have fought off the other bronze-wielding nations with ease, though no one state has ever grown powerful enough to reach out beyond the Yellow Sea to strike at the continent.

Then Prince Thaneseus dared to plumb the depths of the ancient Labyrinth beneath Menotos to prove his love to Princess Elena.  Passing many traps and challenges with his band of twenty loyal hoplites, Thaneseus found a great golden seal beneath the Labyrinth, which he removed to bring back as a prize for his Elena.  At that point (the sole survivor tells) the whole Labyrinth began to shake and terrifying creatures spilled out of the walls, cutting down the great hero Thaneseus and most of his hoplites.  A sole survivor, Emenetus, managed to escape with his life and a handful of artefacts from the Labyrinth, making it as far as the next city before he fell to his wounds.  He lasted long enough to surrender the artefacts and tell his tale before he died, but by then the horrors had already begun to surface in the strees of Menotos and capture the city from within.

Only a handful escaped the sack of Menotos, and it seems clear that the monsters, terrifying beasts like giant ants or locusts, have no interest in sparing lives or even taking slaves.  They have devoured every human within and now begin to spread forth to conquer all of the Archipelago - perhaps all of the world.

This threat has finally been enough to unify the squabbling states, and the new League has pooled together its resources to try and fight off the menace of these cthonic terrors.  By spear and shield will these creatures fall - or perhaps by unlocking the power of the mysterious Menoton artefacts.

As the wisest scholars and armourers of the cities of the League, you have been brought together to figure out how best to weaponise these relics, or else how to reform the desperately struggling armies of the League in our fight against the menace from beneath the earth.


Advantages

- Well-established forts and defences throughout the Isles.
- Large, well-trained starting army.
- Varied troops covering all phases of battle.
- Benefit from strategic resources such as Ore and Timber.
- Can use magic.
- Mastery of the seas.
- Benefit from cities.


Disadvantages

- Low reinforcement rate.  Human young take a long time to develop.
- Reinforcements across the seas limited by transport capacity; harder to bring all forces to bear.
- Units typically require multiple resources to be worthwhile; training and ore or timber, as well as manpower.


To play for this faction, post here.  Once you begin playing for this faction, you cannot visit the enemy faction's thread, so stay out of it!  You can reach the Core thread here.

Spoiler: League Initial Units (click to show/hide)

LEAGUE

Units

Slaves      Cost: 1 manpower.  Poor unfortunate souls, these 'draftees' are sent into war without training or even real equipment to plug the holes in the lines.  Extremely cheap, but cannot be counted upon to hold or capture territory, as they will flee unless watched constantly.
Spearmen      Cost: 1 mp, 1 training, 1 ore.  Given leather armour and a bronze-covered shield, these militia forces have gone through some training in the simplest of weapons (but still an effective one).
Skirmishers   Cost: 1 mp, 2 training.  Lightly armoured and lightly equipped with slings and darts, these men have better stamina than most and are mobile, able to attack at short range.
Bowmen      Cost: 1 mp, 2 training, 1 timber.  Unarmoured but equipped with fine shortbows, these archers can engage the enemy at distance, thinning their ranks before the melee closes.
Hoplites      Cost: 1 mp, 3 training, 3 ore.  Well-trained troops armed with spear, shield and heavy bronze armour, these are the shock troops of a League army.  They don't move quickly, but when they get there nobody gets past them.  Unless they go around.
Cavalry      Cost: 3 manpower, 1 ore, 3 training.  Armed with spears and riding light, fast horses, these cavalry form a powerful skirmishing force that can harry foes and take advantage of the less mobile.
Aphrokema   Cost: 1 mp, 10 training, 3 ore.  National Effort.  Costs lots of training, some ore.  Hoplites, but hoplites trained from birth in a gruelling manner that costs the lives of the weaker.  These men are deadly beyond measure and will not break, fighting to the very last man.

Apprentices   Cost: 1 mp, 20 training.  Capable of casting Lesser spells.  Can cast up to 3 spells.
Mages      Cost: 1 mp, 50 training.  Capable of casting Greater spells.  Can cast up to 5 spells, including Lesser spells.

Biremes      Cost: 20 manpower, 10 training, 50 timber.  Passenger Capacity: 50 manpower.  Combination cargo ship and battle ship.  Limited passenger capacity, but reasonable ranged combat with bows and a ram.

Ballistae   Cost: 6 manpower, 20 training, 10 ore, 10 timber.  Negates siege bonuses, some extreme-range anti-personnel effects.  [Siege stat counteracts fortification bonuses on a flat level.]

Palisades   Simple palisades for defence, on a natural hill.  A level 1 fortress.
Walls      Stable stone walls, built high, to defend cities and towns.  A level 2 fortress.
Keeps         Constructed wooden castles with stone supports, typically within a larger wall.  A level 3 fortress.


Technology

Bronze Working         -   The League is most familiar with the art of smelting and shaping bronze from copper and tin.
Slave-Farmed Smallholds   -   Agriculture is farm-based, with high productivity from slave labour, although technological advances are limited.
Shipbuilding         -   The League is particularly capable at crossing the sea, even compared to the nations of the Continent.
Architecture         -   The League has a functioning understanding of architecture and construction, allowing it to build up to Level 3 Fortresses (Keeps).
Family Education      -   Close-knit groups of kin or kith are responsible for training and educating their own.  Knowledge is preserved, but the quality of troops and scholars alike is highly variable.
Militia Service         -   Armies are nominally part time, but citizen militia can spare time to train and prepare for battle without draining the resources a professional army would.

Spoiler: League Initial Budget (click to show/hide)

League Budget

10% of League manpower from all cities is devoted to constructing and staffing ships.

Ships      10%      (Biremes)
Skirmishers   10%
Bowmen      5%
Hoplites   10%
Cavalry      5%
Ballistae   5%
Mages      5%      (3% Apprentices, 2% Mages)
Aphrokema   5%      National Effort
Spearmen   45%
Slaves      Excess Manpower

Spoiler: Initial Map (click to show/hide)

Before we send our troops forth to fight the horrors of Menotos, we must examine the Menoton artefacts.  We can derive two Lesser Spells from these artefacts, and one Greater Spell.  But which have we derived?

Spoiler: Starter Spell Options (click to show/hide)

Lesser Spells

Shield:  Renders a protective shield around the caster to deflect missiles and blows.
Obscuring Mist:  Cloaks troops in a cloud of fog, better concealing them for ambushes.
Detect Ambush:  Gives a sixth sense to the mage for ambushes and physical traps.
Daze: Befuddles an enemy squad, making them easier to kill.
Magic Missile: Direct long-range attack, producing bolts of force on par with a squad of longbowmen.
Burning Hands: Creates a wide spread of fire, but only directly in front of the mage.
Silent Image: Creates a simple, static image.  Can be used to set up traps or prepare ambushes.
Colour Spray: Stuns or disables squads, especially in an ambush.
Wave of Fear: Unnerves enemy foes, sapping their resolve in a fight.
Magic Weapons: Hardens and balances melee weapons.
Expeditious Retreat: Doubles the speed of the enchanted, marginally improving their evasion and allowing them to charge.


Greater Spells

Protection from Arrows:  Diverts the path of arrows and similar long-range projectiles.
Webs:  Sticky webs immobilise a squad, rendering them easy to kill.
Summon Swarm:  Conjures facsimiles of wasps to sting foes to death before they close to melee.
Detect Thoughts:  Limited short-range surface reading telepathy allows mages to anticipate enemy movements.
Sleep: Sends enemies to sleep, provided they can be caught in an ambush.
Charm: Temporarily convinces enemies to fight for your side; but only works in close range.
Flaming Sphere: Creates a slow-rolling ball of flame that burns whole squads that cannot get out of its way.
Disguise Self: Creates the shell of an illusion around a mage, allowing them to appear to be a worker drone.
False Life: Consumes the bodies of the dead to heal injured fighters, regardless of their injuries.
Blindness: Blinds soldiers, weakening melee troops and severely debilitating ranged fighters.
Darkvision: Allows the enchanted perfect vision in darkness.

[Felissan]

PTW

[Khan Boyzitbig]

Lesser spells:
(1)Magic Missile: Khan Boyzitbig
(1)Daze: Khan Boyzitbig

Greater Spells:
(1)Webs: Khan Boyzitbig

I'll Open with this idea, hit from afar and then disorientate and hinder.

[Jilladilla]

Lesser spells:
(1)Magic Missile: Khan Boyzitbig
(2)Daze: Khan Boyzitbig, Jilladilla
(1)Magic Weapons: Jilladilla
Greater Spells:
(2)Webs: Khan Boyzitbig, Jilladilla

Would prefer Magic Weapons here myself, could open up more potent or widespread weapon enchantment. We'll always have much more soldiers than mages after all.
Of course, debilitating the enemy would further enhance the effectiveness of our soldiers, so I'm on board there myself.

[stabbymcstabstab]

Lesser spells:
(1)Magic Missile: Khan Boyzitbig
(3)Daze: Khan Boyzitbig, Jilladilla, Stabby
(2)Magic Weapons: Jilladilla, Stabby
Greater Spells:
(3)Webs: Khan Boyzitbig, Jilladilla, Stabby

While i would prefer magic middle over daze, no need to the everything up.

[Taricus]

Lesser spells:
(1)Magic Missile: Khan Boyzitbig
(3)Daze: Khan Boyzitbig, Jilladilla, Stabby
(3)Magic Weapons: Jilladilla, Stabby, Taricus
(1)Expeditious Retreat: Taricus
Greater Spells:
(3)Webs: Khan Boyzitbig, Jilladilla, Stabby
(1)False Life: Taricus

They're going to outnumber us in a short while, so we may want to gear our spells for it. Pair Magic weapons and Expeditious Retreat and we can make hoplites that charge as fast as a knight without having to worry about the horse dying and whatnot. Throw in false life and every kill they make will sustain our forces, especially since we will be making a LOT of kills.

[Iituem]

The League, 300

The Aphrokemae, our elites, have been sent to reinforce the 2nd Front, near Kydessos.  Because Kroton and Sybylos are nearby, they are reinforcing the 1st Front directly, which is receiving the lion's share of new recruits, while the 3rd Front is receiving the least, despite having many more cities nominally sending reinforcements towards it - we can still only bring in and supply 300 recruits per year to that front.  At our current rate of expenditure, we expect 3 more biremes to be ready this coming year, supporting 150 additional men.

Our scholars have determined the spells Daze, Magic Weapons and Web.  Although we have not yet dedicated enough of our budget to support fully-fledged mages capable of casting Web, we have sent an 'apprentice' level caster to the 1st and 2nd Front; it is expected that they may be able to support our skirmishers in ambushes, as well as directly in melee by enchanting our spears.

Now our council has convened to discuss what we can do to improve our chances, particularly with regards to improving our weaponry, tactics, or perhaps modifying or even creating spells.

Current Reinforcement Strategy:  We are reinforcing Front 1, Front 2, and Front 3 equally.  Front 2 is receiving our National Effort, the Aphrokemae.  Of the 9190 men we can raise for war, only 3809 reached the front this year.  We have a total naval transport capacity of 900 men, split between our three fleets.  Our three fleets are reinforced equally from our shipyards.

It is now the Design Phase.  You have 5 dice remaining.

Spoiler: League Current Status (click to show/hide)

==The League==

Production: 661/1500 ore, 955/2100 timber, 1137/1148 training
Manpower: 4088/45950 {9190/turn}  {3809 reinforced last turn.}

Kroton [League]: [City] 3665 population, 3 base food, 92 training
  Sends 733 manpower to League Node 1.  Grew by 434 last year.
Sybylan Woods [League]: 1 base timber
Sybylos [League]: [City] 2443 population, 2 base food, 61 training
  Sends 489 manpower to League Node 1.  Grew by 289 last year.
Epidaea [League]: [City] 2515 population, 3 base food, 63 training
  Sends 503 manpower to League Node 4.  Grew by 715 last year.
Nippi [League]: [City] 2443 population, 2 base food, 61 training
  Sends 489 manpower to League Node 3.  Grew by 289 last year.
Nippan Woods [League]: 4 base timber
Kydessan Woods [League]: 2 base timber
Kydessos [League]: [City] 3354 population, 4 base food, 84 training
  Sends 671 manpower to League Node 2.  Grew by 954 last year.
Latada [League]: [City] 2515 population, 3 base food, 63 training
  Sends 503 manpower to League Node 5.  Grew by 715 last year.
Paphessan Mines [League]: 2 base ore
Paphessos [League]: [City] 2973 population, 2 base food, 74 training
  Sends 595 manpower to League Node 5.  Grew by 241 last year.
Antespiae [League]: [City] 2515 population, 3 base food, 63 training
  Sends 503 manpower to League Node 5.  Grew by 715 last year.
Samai [League]: [City] 4460 population, 3 base food, 112 training
  Sends 892 manpower to League Node 5.  Grew by 362 last year.
Dorytos [League]: [City] 5946 population, 4 base food, 149 training
  Sends 1189 manpower to League Node 5.  Grew by 482 last year.
Chersera [League]: [City] 2973 population, 2 base food, 74 training
  Sends 595 manpower to League Node 5.  Grew by 241 last year.
Arteiros [League]: [City] 2515 population, 3 base food, 63 training
  Sends 503 manpower to League Node 6.  Grew by 715 last year.
Lissona [League]: [City] 1677 population, 2 base food, 42 training
  Sends 335 manpower to League Node 6.  Grew by 477 last year.
Borolis [League]: [City] 2973 population, 2 base food, 74 training
  Sends 595 manpower to League Node 6.  Grew by 241 last year.
Cumida [League]: [City] 2973 population, 2 base food, 74 training
  Sends 595 manpower to League Node 6.  Grew by 241 last year.
Theros Isle [League]: 3 base ore

League 1st Front
  23 skirmishers
  12 bowmen
  15 hoplites
  8 cavalry
  1 ballistae
  1 apprentices
  0 mages
  232 spearmen
  1424 slaves
1350 manpower spent, 23 skirmishers, 12 bowmen, 15 hoplites, 8 cavalry, 1 ballistae, 1 apprentices, 0 mages, 232 spearmen, 1424 slaves reinforced.

League 2nd Front [National!]
  6 aphrokema
  15 skirmishers
  7 bowmen
  10 hoplites
  5 cavalry
  1 ballistae
  1 apprentices
  0 mages
  146 spearmen
  894 slaves
848 manpower spent, 15 skirmishers, 7 bowmen, 10 hoplites, 5 cavalry, 1 ballistae, 1 apprentices, 0 mages, 146 spearmen, 894 slaves reinforced.

League 3rd Front
  12 skirmishers
  6 bowmen
  8 hoplites
  4 cavalry
  1 ballistae
  0 apprentices
  0 mages
  119 spearmen
  728 slaves
690 manpower spent, 12 skirmishers, 6 bowmen, 8 hoplites, 4 cavalry, 1 ballistae, 0 apprentices, 0 mages, 119 spearmen, 728 slaves reinforced.

League 1st Navy  [300 transport capacity]
  6 biremes
307 manpower spent, 1 biremes reinforced.

League 2nd Navy  [300 transport capacity]
  6 biremes
307 manpower spent, 1 biremes reinforced.

League 3rd Navy  [300 transport capacity]
  6 biremes
307 manpower spent, 1 biremes reinforced.

Spoiler: Front Report (click to show/hide)

1st Front

Hive 1st Front
  27 soldiers
  600 workers
800 manpower spent, 27 soldiers, 600 workers reinforced.

League 1st Front
  23 skirmishers
  12 bowmen
  15 hoplites
  8 cavalry
  1 ballistae
  1 apprentices
  0 mages
  232 spearmen
  1424 slaves
1350 manpower spent, 23 skirmishers, 12 bowmen, 15 hoplites, 8 cavalry, 1 ballistae, 1 apprentices, 0 mages, 232 spearmen, 1424 slaves reinforced.

---

2nd Front

Hive 2nd Front [National!]
  10 unknown drone types
  23 soldiers
  510 workers
680 manpower spent, 23 soldiers, 510 workers reinforced.

League 2nd Front [National!]
  6 aphrokema
  15 skirmishers
  7 bowmen
  10 hoplites
  5 cavalry
  1 ballistae
  1 apprentices
  0 mages
  146 spearmen
  894 slaves
848 manpower spent, 15 skirmishers, 7 bowmen, 10 hoplites, 5 cavalry, 1 ballistae, 1 apprentices, 0 mages, 146 spearmen, 894 slaves reinforced.

---

3rd Front

Hive 3rd Front
  27 soldiers
  600 workers
800 manpower spent, 27 soldiers, 600 workers reinforced.

League 3rd Front
  12 skirmishers
  6 bowmen
  8 hoplites
  4 cavalry
  1 ballistae
  0 apprentices
  0 mages
  119 spearmen
  728 slaves
690 manpower spent, 12 skirmishers, 6 bowmen, 8 hoplites, 4 cavalry, 1 ballistae, 0 apprentices, 0 mages, 119 spearmen, 728 slaves reinforced.

Spoiler: League Budget (click to show/hide)

League Budget

10% of League manpower from all cities is devoted to constructing and staffing ships.

Ships      10%      (Biremes)
Skirmishers   10%
Bowmen      5%
Hoplites   10%
Cavalry      5%
Ballistae   5%
Mages      5%      (3% Apprentices, 2% Mages)
Aphrokema   5%      National Effort
Spearmen   45%
Slaves      Excess Manpower

Spoiler: League Units (click to show/hide)

LEAGUE

Units

Slaves      Cost: 1 manpower.  Poor unfortunate souls, these 'draftees' are sent into war without training or even real equipment to plug the holes in the lines.  Extremely cheap, but cannot be counted upon to hold or capture territory, as they will flee unless watched constantly.
Spearmen      Cost: 1 mp, 1 training, 1 ore.  Given leather armour and a bronze-covered shield, these militia forces have gone through some training in the simplest of weapons (but still an effective one).
Skirmishers   Cost: 1 mp, 2 training.  Lightly armoured and lightly equipped with slings and darts, these men have better stamina than most and are mobile, able to attack at short range.
Bowmen      Cost: 1 mp, 2 training, 1 timber.  Unarmoured but equipped with fine shortbows, these archers can engage the enemy at distance, thinning their ranks before the melee closes.
Hoplites      Cost: 1 mp, 3 training, 3 ore.  Well-trained troops armed with spear, shield and heavy bronze armour, these are the shock troops of a League army.  They don't move quickly, but when they get there nobody gets past them.  Unless they go around.
Cavalry      Cost: 3 manpower, 1 ore, 3 training.  Armed with spears and riding light, fast horses, these cavalry form a powerful skirmishing force that can harry foes and take advantage of the less mobile.
Aphrokema   Cost: 1 mp, 10 training, 3 ore.  National Effort.  Costs lots of training, some ore.  Hoplites, but hoplites trained from birth in a gruelling manner that costs the lives of the weaker.  These men are deadly beyond measure and will not break, fighting to the very last man.

Apprentices   Cost: 1 mp, 20 training.  Capable of casting Lesser spells.  Can cast up to 3 spells.
   Spell List:  Daze, Magic Weapon, -
Mages      Cost: 1 mp, 50 training.  Capable of casting Greater spells.  Can cast up to 5 spells, including Lesser spells.
   Spell List:  Daze, Magic Weapon, -  //  Webs, -

Biremes      Cost: 20 manpower, 10 training, 50 timber.  Passenger Capacity: 50 manpower.  Combination cargo ship and battle ship.  Limited passenger capacity, but reasonable ranged combat with bows and a ram.

Ballistae   Cost: 6 manpower, 20 training, 10 ore, 10 timber.  Negates siege bonuses, some extreme-range anti-personnel effects.  [Siege stat counteracts fortification bonuses on a flat level.]

Palisades   Simple palisades for defence, on a natural hill.  A level 1 fortress.
Walls      Stable stone walls, built high, to defend cities and towns.  A level 2 fortress.
Keeps         Constructed wooden castles with stone supports, typically within a larger wall.  A level 3 fortress.


Technology

Bronze Working         -   The League is most familiar with the art of smelting and shaping bronze from copper and tin.
Slave-Farmed Smallholds   -   Agriculture is farm-based, with high productivity from slave labour, although technological advances are limited.
Shipbuilding         -   The League is particularly capable at crossing the sea, even compared to the nations of the Continent.
Architecture         -   The League has a functioning understanding of architecture and construction, allowing it to build up to Level 3 Fortresses (Keeps).
Family Education      -   Close-knit groups of kin or kith are responsible for training and educating their own.  Knowledge is preserved, but the quality of troops and scholars alike is highly variable.
Militia Service         -   Armies are nominally part time, but citizen militia can spare time to train and prepare for battle without draining the resources a professional army would.


Spells

Lesser Spells

Daze: Befuddles an enemy squad, making them easier to kill.
Magic Weapons: Hardens and balances melee weapons.


Greater Spells

Webs:  Sticky webs immobilise a squad, rendering them easy to kill.

Spoiler: Initial Map (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Reinforcement Paths, 300 (click to show/hide)

[Jilladilla]

Hmm... Mages use a ton of training... Perhaps we should spend our first design to increase that? Training income is based at least somewhat on education, and what we have currently is families passing down their knowledge within the family. Surely we can do better than that!

Would help with elite units too.

[Nirur Torir]

We have 7 timber resources, creating 2100, 700 each (1145 unused). We can immediately double that with colonization, giving us ~3245.
We sent out 3136 unarmed people this turn.
Nevermind. We can't afford to arm the overwhelming numbers of people who want very much to be anywhere else.

I agree that we need training first, since we're bleeding our cities dry with slave-soldiers. Which path are we taking? I can think of three: 1) Starting a mage school, then broadening out from that over a few turns, probably only reducing the training cost of mages initially, 2) Taking our veterans off the front to serve as trainers, or 3) Start out with a broader school system, which will probably have a bigger result when finished, but take more time to actually do anything.

[milo christiansen]

Posting to spectate.

[Khan Boyzitbig]

2nd and 3rd fronts are going to be hard pressed. And we need more mages. And our navy simply cannot cope with the number of troops we need to move.

I suggest we design a multi-purpose school and training facility (to build in our cities). Might be a good idea later to revise the Bireme for transport purposes.

[Jilladilla]

Hmm, yeah a school of combat (and maybe very basic magic?) would be the logical start of an education system, especially in our current situation, would it not? Someone write that up, my few creative juices aren't flowing today.

[Nirur Torir]

I propose a single academy, in Kydessos or Dorytos. (Kydessos, a large city close to front 2, could really use it. Dorytos is our largest city, but is over water.)

The academy will be a sort of finishing school for our elites and company leaders, to ensure some level of standardized training. Injured or old veterans who can no longer fight will serve as trainers. The school will also have a section where mages will train. The combined facility will allow them to better train in coordinated action, and get the troops trained basically familiar with the magic that will be helping them.

As space permits, the school will also train the locals who will be serving in the military.

A single school will let us more quickly get something working, hopefully getting us actual mages faster, and possibly making elites easier to train. After it is working, we can roll them out nation-wide.

[stabbymcstabstab]

Sounds like a plan, through I would prefer to make a generalized school for our people to make as many slaves into spearmen as possible since we need to make a actual professional army as quickly as possible and trained conscripts are a good start.

[Jilladilla]

The academy will be a sort of finishing school for our elites and company leaders, to ensure some level of standardized training. Injured or old veterans who can no longer fight will serve as trainers. The school will also have a section where mages will train. The combined facility will allow them to better train in coordinated action, and get the troops trained basically familiar with the magic that will be helping them.

As space permits, the school will also train the locals who will be serving in the military.

Sounds good, if we go for a single school, I would recommend Dorytos, as Kydessos.... Is kind of really close to the front... Wouldn't want the city with our only school to get overrun... And looking at the map... I really, really don't think we are intended to hold the line at the start. Only mitigate the damage until we can muster our full might, at which point we'll have an actual fight, instead of a fighting retreat.