This season saw the discovery of a vast well of
Oil in the Desert, and some miners discovered readily available
Ore in The Rupture. The extraction of these resources results in the following:
'Niramata' Mk.II Heavy Mortar becomes
(CHEAP)Legion-Issued Explosives become
(CHEAP)Legion-Issued Explosives Set becomes
(VERY EXPENSIVE)'Rogi' Hunter-Killer Vehicle becomes
(CHEAP)'Mamkirali' Naval Lander becomes
(EXPENSIVE)Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser becomes
(EXPENSIVE)We have also adopted
Sea Wolves, meaning any designs or revisions used to create submersible equipment is effectively one difficulty easier to attempt.
----------------
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. They 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 - our increase in
Mukebaza deployment and the Initharian use of their new
Refocyte Active Sonar, a plate of refocyte that "kicks" a dedicated section of hull to produce a bell-like ring with reflections of the noise picked up by ship-mounted hydrophones. Our
Hetham's advantages see a heavy decline in effectiveness as every Initharian ship is capable of detecting, disengaging, and avoiding our numerous submersibles. Still, their ships don't ring constantly, and this means our submarines still manage to score hits and kills on their ships. Without the ability to effectively hunt the
Hethams the war beneath the waves slides even further into a stalemate - which is admittedly to Initharian benefit, as we'd edged them 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,
Inithar determined the stage for the more decisive surface battles. While their
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 our ships were susceptible to their Destroyer's guns, but in a very limited capacity, and shots at or below the waterline proved largely ineffective. The
Ho'oula's damned advantage was, as always, it's speed, which made zeroing in on them very difficult. Opportunities for their psychotic ramming attempts were rare however, as our
Mukebazas increased numbers and (most importantly) their orders to engage at will as opposed to focusing down flagships meant that ships approaching at ramming speed were targeted and, being on a relatively predictable course, blown away. While submarines near engagements were often detected by Inithar, this did not mean they were completely ineffective, and they often used the distraction of our surface fleet to launch a salvo of torpedoes towards their ships before scurrying away. A couple of Destroyers could break off to stalk and harass the
Hethams, but the firepower required to take down a
Mukebaza necessitated their dedicated effort.
The Initharian
Kaipo'u (1938) and repaired
Kona provided 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 their two ships. In fact, it was these two ships that, thanks to their Refocyte guns, were capable of attaining semi-reliable kills on our submarines when detected before disengaging - something that was admittedly fairly easy as orders were to dive to maximum safe depths once the loud ring of the R.A.S echoed through the water.
The Leviathan, however, continued to prove impossible for them to hunt.
----------------
She'd been lying in wait for days, and had gone far out to sea before turning back to face Harren.
The Leviathan and it's crew had been keeping tabs on naval engagements involving the
Kona and predicted, quite accurately, it's course through The Maelstrom. The
Kona and her Destroyer Escorts had been left unmolested for a number of days, so their guard was down when they'd detected the decoy
Hethams between them and the shore. The majority of the
Kona's escorts left her to hunt down and dissuade the smaller submarines, and left the flagship wide open for
The Leviathan quietly watching and waiting.
She saw her opportunity and launched a full salvo of four torpedoes - two on the
Kona's predicted course and two on odd paths should the Superbattleship alter course. The torpedoes swam undetected by the active sonar as the ships using their R.A.S. were firmly on the opposite side of the
Kona, and
The Leviathan slowly slipped beneath the waves as the Initharian flagship made a slight course adjustment. Perhaps they
had detected the torpedoes, but loitering was a risk none of the crew wanted to take.
The Leviathan was already disengaging when a single massive blast was detected by their passive sonar.
The Leviathan cautiously approached periscope depth and observed the
Kona as it had begun to list to it's starboard side but the seas failed to swallow her. Still,
The Leviathan had bested the
Kona once again. The day would come when the largest of ships would add it's tonnage to
The Leviathan's tally.
----------------
While our increased presence on the surface has proven to be somewhat beneficial, the Initharian's dedicated efforts to combating (or at least evading) our
Hethams have resulted in a significant drop in effective submersible attacks. Of course
The Leviathan still proves to be quite the vessel, but it was not enough to deter their advances. The
Mukebazas proved to be quite the fighters, and while they were capable of inflicting a number of losses on their Destroyer Fleet, Inithar able to dictate engagements (for the most part, barring
The Leviathan of course). While their naval advantage isn't
amazing, as they have difficulty clearing our fleet from the seas and practice evasion more than anything,
Inithar attains
Light Control of the W. Maelstrom.
----------------
With Initharian forces recovering from their failed landings at the Mudflats and slowly building up for an assault on the South Peaks, we launched their own attack on their territory in the
North Peaks. Their 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. The Initharian navy patrolled the waters around the treacherous mountain range and tied up our surface ships supporting the vessels making the trip loaded with men and munitions. The
Hethams proved to be of little assistance, as they couldn't support the landing itself and could be (relatively) safely ignored. While a number of basic landing craft similar to those fielded by Inithar approached the limited landing areas, they had mixed among them a significant number of
"Mamkirali" Naval Landers.
With the terrain too treacherous for heavier vehicles, and most passes too narrow for them to navigate anyways, our landers were loaded solely with infantry. The enemy's Naval superiority led to a small number of losses among our transport fleet, and some of their ships were capable of providing limited fire support. The
Kaipo'u (1939) and it's Destroyer Escort proved to be quite the obstacle and forced us to abandon the landings further north, focusing more on the opportunities available to us along the Strait.
The
Mamkiralis proved effective at their task of bringing troops ashore, as the Initharians seemingly lacked heavy weapons support. While they provided hardened points to fight from, they were unable to carry troops through the passes that led to the defenses the Initharians soldiers occupied. They also proved vulnerable to the
Haaheo family of weapons and their Refocyte rounds. The bullets imparted enough force to cause significant spalling, if not blow a hole clear through the relatively light armor of our
Mamkiralis. Still, Embralish soldiers, shouting, screaming, smiling, and bloodied would pour out of the landing craft and attempt to charge the heavily-defended passes without pause. While the debut of the
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar firing 105mm shells proved helpful in hitting some positions when we 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 our troops, the old hardened positions required a bit more effort to break through significantly.
Still, some of our units managed to bypass their lines and deployed a number of
LIES. These
LIES proved very dangerous among their rear echelon, though with faltering support from the amphibious landings we were unable to capitalize on the backline chaos and fear of advancing.
Without the flash or sound of gunpowder to give their defenders away, we had a very difficult time identifying and dislodging Initharian troops in the rain-battered mountains. Our weapon's better range was mitigated by their 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 our infantry's 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 the defenders.
Our assault went poorly thanks in part to their Navy's ability to stymie our attempted push north through the Maelstrom, even if they were unable to provide much direct support. Their lines were not infallible, and continued incursions may compromise their ability to effectively defend from further dedicated amphibious assaults, but for the time being
Embral has failed to assault the North Peaks. ----------------
As we rebuffed their advances last season, they have returned the favor. 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 Initharians prove to be a pervasive threat that must be dealt with.
We have also attacked the Initharians for the first time in the war. As a result, we may choose a trait from the following by the end of the Strategy Phase for this turn:
Lasting Impressions: Our units, even when losing, prove effective at penetrating the enemy lines. We can capitalize on this by dedicating resources to the development of deployable traps and equipment meant to disrupt their rear lines - something that may be beneficial on the defensive as well. Mines, barbed wire, and traps of all sorts have their difficulty reduced by one level.
Old World Blues: The Initharians are keen on using Abberan successes to their advantage. With engagements at close range, and plenty of fighting within trenches and bunker complexes on the horizon once
someone manages a foothold, we've decided to dedicate manpower and resources to developing Close-quarters weaponry not unlike that used by our tunnel rats at home. Close-Quarters weaponry has it's difficulty level reduced by one tier.
Note that any reductions in design difficulty
will not stack, so don't try to subvert things and make some sort of Shotgun Submarine thinking it'll be an easy task.
You have a single Design to use as normal.
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE.The Rupture: 3 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 2 Wellmaterials
The Mesas: Ore, Pact Caelium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Badlands: Pact Gavrillium, Empty, Pact Caelium (2/3 Nodes)
Desert: Oil, Empty, Pact Gavrillium (1/3 Nodes)
Volcanic Range: Empty, Pact Caelium, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
Burning Hills: Pact Caelium, Empty, Empty (1/3 Nodes)
The Wastes: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
South Peaks: Pact Gavrillium, Pact Gavrillium, Empty (2/3 Nodes)
Southern Stormlands: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes), Heavy Pact Presence
The Mudflats: Empty, Empty, Empty (0/3 Nodes)
E. Boiling Seas: Total Control
W. Boiling Seas: Total Control
E. Maelstrom: V. Minor Initharian Control, Pact Fortress In Strait
W. Maelstrom: Contested, Pact Fortress In Strait
Ore: 4
Oil: 3
Wood: 2
Wellmaterial: 2
Land
Samarata 1902: A 7mm bolt-action rifle with a 5-round box magazine effective out to 1000m. Light, reliable, and can utilize a variety of sights. Costs 2 Ore and 2 Wood. (CHEAP)
Mk.III Musakila Machine Gun: An 8.5mm automatic machine gun utilizing 20- or 40-round box magazines. Rate of fire is sacrificed for an effective range of 1200m. Costs 4 Ore. (CHEAP)
Niramata Mk.II Heavy Mortar: A 105mm mortar utilizing HE, Smoke, and LIE Shells. Rifled barrel gives solid accuracy out to it's max range of 4km. Costs 5 Ore. (CHEAP) (LIE Shells[E])
Havezara-108 Mk.IV: A 108-mm artillery piece on a split-tail carriage and easily towable with a barrel that can be pulled back to reduce profile. Reliable and effective. Currently fires HE rounds out to 16km. Has a gun shield for some protection. Costs 6 Ore. (EXPENSIVE) (Lie Shells[VE])
Sikari Mask Mk.III: A gas mask/wellwood flute that resembles a bird's face. Evokes a stronger emotional response than the old flute. Costs 4 Wellmaterials. (EXPENSIVE)
Legion Issued Explosives: A 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. L.I.E. is unreliable in every sense of the word. Costs 4 Ore and 4 Oil. (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 (set to 200kg), timer, and electrical wire. Loses grenade functionality but greatly increases reliability. Costs 7 Ore and 4 Oil. (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. Costs 6 Wellmaterials. (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: An open-topped 4 crew vehicle with a 50mm cannon, hits speeds around 45km/h, and is protected by 30mm front armor and 20mm of armor everywhere else. Has a pintle-mounted machine gun. Fast and agile, more than adequate for heavier hit-and-runs. Cost 5 Ore and 3 Oil. (CHEAP)
Sea:
Mamkirali Naval Lander: A large tracked amphibious transport capable of transporting 22 soldiers or, currently, a single Havezara and crew. 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. Costs 5 Ore, 3 Oil, 4 Wellmaterials. (EXPENSIVE)
Hetham-Class Submarine: The Hetham is 77m long and is capable of going 12 knots surfaced and 6 submerged. It is armed with 4 bow and 2 stern torpedo tubes and can carry 20 torpedoes, and comes with a single 80mm deck gun. Utilizes WellSonar for improved detection abilities and has basic communication equipment. The engine room has a WellSap coating to dampen noise. Costs 3 Ore, 3 Oil, and 4 Wellmaterial. (EXPENSIVE)
Mukebaza-Class Heavy Cruiser: The Mukebaza is a 186m long ship utilizing 4 propellers powered by 4 steam turbines to give the ship a 30-knot speed. It is 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 and has basic communication equipment. Costs 5 Ore, 4 Oil, and 3 Wellmaterials. (EXPENSIVE)
The Leviathan: The submersible flagship of the Great Fleet. Massive, dependable, and 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 thanks to a pair of internal hulls running the length of the ship as well as three more specialized internal hulls. Always a (NATIONAL EFFORT).
Air:
Mk.II Baza Fighter: The Baza is a gull-winged single-propeller aircraft capable of speeds of 380km/h. It has two machine guns in the nose and carries two 50kg bombs. Armor is practically nonexistent. Costs 3 Ore and 3 Oil. (CHEAP)
Special:
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.
-Wellquartz: A mineral found within wells that evokes a range of blissful feelings with intensity dependent on the tone.
-Wellbronze: A metal capable of detecting sound and responding with vibration. Electrical current focuses the detection cone and increases sensitivity and clarity.
-Wellvine Sap: A plant extract that can be processed into a resin capable of absorbing and nullifying sound.
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.
Traits:
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. Any credit can be replaced for an Espionage Credit, and espionage rolls gain an extra roll. A small bonus is also applied to rolls for designs related encryption, decryption, and infiltration.
Sea Wolves: Our submersible fleet has proven itself to be lethal and fearsome, and more resources have been dedicated to our submersible fleet. Submersible ships and related designs and revisions are one difficulty lower.
M1 'Nima': 8mm rounds, 10-round box magazine semiauto rifle. Effective range of 425m. Almost perfectly silent save for the sound of the refocyte firing mechanism striking and triggering the rounds. 75cm long, weighs 3.6kg. (CHEAP)
M2 'Haaheo' Heavy Rifle: 9kg, 100cm long 8mm rifle utilizing refocyte battery-charged refocyte plate to fire rounds (some refocyte) out to 850 meters. Functional against light armor with the use of Refocyte bullets. Has bipod and scope. (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. Unknown properties involving refocyte lead to reduced RoF. (CHEAP) (Refocyte Bullets)
M1 'Kakala': 8mm Light Machine Gun, utilizes 30-round box magazine or 80-round pan magazine that feed into the top of the gun. Effective range of 500m and is practically silent save for the rapid clapping of metal-on-metal firing the rounds. (CHEAP)
Wikiwiki Armored Carrier: A lightly armored, very fast, very durable civilian truck turned military transport. Can reach 130km/h in perfect conditions due to "Supercharged Coilengine" with batteries charged via some suspension mechanism. Cab houses a driver and gunner for the pintle-mounted Kakala on the roof, while the bed has seating for eight. Bed can be covered by a cloth or hard cover. Capable of towing equipment if necessary. (CHEAP)
Ho'oula-Class Destroyer: 105m long ship propelled up to 50 knots by a pair of "Supercharger Coilengine"-powered propellers. Armed with 4x2 120mm guns, 4x2 50mm flak guns, two aft torpedo tubes, mine track. Armor practically nonexistent. Also has a "Refocyte Bow" used to plow into targets covered by a rubber sheet when not in use. Seems to have a basic electronic and radio suite. (CHEAP)
Kaipo'u-Class Battleship: 250m long, reaches speeds of 28 knots thanks to "Supercharger Coilengines" powering four propellers. Armed with 5x1 300mm cannons, 10x2 120mm Refocyte cannons, and a handful of 50mm flak and Kakalas. 200-300mm belt armor, 300mm conning tower armor and 80mm deck armor. Seems to have a basic electronic and radio suite. (NATIONAL EFFORT)
INFS Kona: Inithar's flagship and superbattleship that led to "Kona-type" referring to extremely large combat ships. Has a 2x300mm conventional cannon, 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. The first Kona-type vessel. Always (NATIONAL EFFORT).
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. The Initharian's in-depth work on the material has seen it introduced into every spere of life.
Supercharger Coilengines: Engines utilizing Refocyte Coils in some manner along with refocyte batteries to act as superchargers. Practically silent.
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 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 very good detection abilities.
Trait - 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. We'd need to interrogate an Initharian to find out what exact effect this has on our conflict. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Trait - Acknowledged Marine Fellowship: The importance of trained and equipped Marines in this war is clear. We'd need to interrogate an Initharian to find out what exact effect this has on our conflict. (READ: prod them on discord to let you know, don't try to capture one in-game)
Author
Topic: Mechanized Warfare: Embral Thread / Final Phase, 1941 Cold Season (Read 23968 times)