Sterbelicht - One Sacrifice At A Time Against The Galaxy (40K)

What should your focus for the rest of the Quest be?

  • Mercy (Diplomacy and Expansion)

    Votes: 129 82.7%

  • Ruthlessness (Kick the Duchy in the Balls)

    Votes: 35 22.4%

  • Thule (Yeeni Handholding and Piscarian Cuddling)

    Votes: 62 39.7%
  • Total voters
    156
Voting is open
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While we're waiting for the next dossiers to be written and fishing for potential songs, I do want to brainstorm up some fleet counters to the Duchy. We know that they largely rely on a torp and sniper heavy build, with a bunch of chaff destroyers meant to torpedo dump then run interference while their currently unverified sniper ships (presumably lance boats) finish off the survivors.

They have an Aegis system, which allows their ships to share their shield pool amongst the link ships, which means their smaller craft can actually stick around for a while and be a nuisance. Though, speculation, this is vulnerable to saturation fire since all damage is shared and if it pops, all linked ships are now exposed.

They have a (horribly wasteful) sensor suite which reveals the entire system to them and makes ambushing less effective.

They also have a soft-counter to our strikecraft in the void-pulse -enough to temporarily disrupt them from attacking/defending on pain of death in a fairly wide AOE- and probably enough to get their torpedo spread away.

So first, we'll need a goalie. Something to intercept, bully, and turn away the tide of Duchy destroyers then shoot down any torpedos they are able to get off. It needs to be sturdy enough to stand up against a gaggle of destroyers concentrating on it and have the weight of fire and accuracy to force them to stay at respectful distance. Again I'll propose the Felis Flak Frigate as a possible candidate to fufill this role.
[] Felis Flak Frigate (v1.2) [20DP]
-[] Length - 1.800 Meters (+2)
-[] Width - 450 Meters (+2)
-[] Acceleration - 7 Gravities
-[] Armor - Medium Double Hull (-1)
-[] Shields - Two Arrays
-[] Weapons - 2x Anti-Voidcraft Defenses/2x Light Rotary Macro-Cannon Batteries/1x Light Rotary Macro-Cannon Turret (-10)
-[] Equipment - Armored Lifepods/Superior Gravimetric Engine Calculations/Lattice Hulls/Auto-Loaders/Snapshot Pinpoint Targeting Solutions/After-Burner Macro-Shells (-13)

Second is the Sniper ships. Honestly, without more information on them, counter-sniping is probably our best bet and the Sagi is our go to for that. That said I do want to propose another ship to help that along and possibly also help deal with the Aegis shield problem. The proposed Corona will field a rad-lance in addition to prow lances to help with counter-sniping as well as possibly debuffing the enemy's shield-sharing ability.
[] Corona Light Lance Cruiser (v.1.8) [25DP]
-[] Length - 4.000 Meters (+1)
-[] Width - 500 Meters (+1)
-[] Acceleration - 5 Gravities (-1)
-[] Armor - Medium Double Hull
-[] Shields - One Matrix
-[] Weapons - 1x Medium Fighter Hanger/1x Rad-Lance/2x Medium Prow Lances/1x Large Lance Turret (-16)
-[] Equipment - Pure Lense/Lense Cogitation Matrix Lattice/Advanced Alloys/Tuned Shields/Superior Gravimetric Engine Calculations/Armored Lifepods (-9)

And lastly, because I have spare FP for another Frigate, (yet another) proposed upgrade to the Crux. This time focusing on getting its volume of fire to frankly ludicrous levels as well as adding cluster munitions to help it get past enemy defenses.
[] Crux-Tertium (T) Class Heavy Frigate (v.1.7) [20 FP]
-[] Length - 1.800m (+2)
-[] Width - 450m (+2)
-[] Acceleration - 7 Gravities
-[] Armor - Medium Double Hull (-1)
-[] Shields - Two Arrays
-[] Weapons - 4x80m Torpedos/2x Medium Missile Batteries/2x Medium Missile Turrets (-9)
-[] Equipment - Missile Swarms/Lattice Hulls/Armored Life Pods/Superior Gravimetric Engine Calculations/Macross Missile Massacres/Internal Security Systems/Ship Shrines/Auto-Loaders/Cluster Charge Missile Store (-14)
 
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HeroCooky said:
That's how you are getting fucked over by GW with no AP in spite of your lore. :V
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Wait, don't Hot-Shot Lasguns have AP? They are supposed to be able to harm Space Marines so I think they do.

HeroCooky said:
You can engage in successful diplomacy with the Free Duchy, so integrating the Ashan after being good buds and bullying them via culture and religious subversion is a thing you can do.
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Yep, just what I thought. Also something I hope we can do with the Shipwright's Alliance, the Black Ash Clan and the Black Cat Company (Croaf Hegemony can eat shit).
Crafter of War said:
Is there anything preventing us from just shooting the null-net?
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Probably it being made purely of psychic null energy and not something you can just shoot. Doubtful even psychic powers could work on it.

HeroCooky said:
Medium-Long to Long-Extreme.
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Speaking of the Torpedoes, just want confirmation on this but can our fighters intercept and destroy them?
 
Kpatrol88 said:
They also have a soft-counter to our strikecraft in the void-pulse -enough to temporarily disrupt them from attacking/defending on pain of death in a fairly wide AOE- and probably enough to get their torpedo spread away.
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HeroCooky said:
Medium-Long to Long-Extreme.
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Okay, this means that the null net isn't actually a counter for fighters. It's a counter for large, conventional ships with an ideal range shorter than medium-long range.

Because a fighter can fly around, a big heavy cruiser can not.

I fear we may have to consider the Leo's functionally useless for this war, or at least heavily diminished. They're pretty short ranged, and they do not have the speed to escape a null net (and we basically don't have any anti-psytech defenses, so I doubt a Leo can tank it.).
 
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Crafter of War said:
Is there anything preventing us from just shooting the null-net?
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It is made out of energy.
BigBadBob7070 said:
Wait, don't Hot-Shot Lasguns have AP? They are supposed to be able to harm Space Marines so I think they do.
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That's also how you are getting shafted by James Workshop. :V
BigBadBob7070 said:
Speaking of the Torpedoes, just want confirmation on this but can our fighters intercept and destroy them?
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They can, but then they aren't shooting at enemy ships/escorting your bombers.
 
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    • 773.M42 - Mashan Temple Authority And Ashan Families Intelligence Report
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    • Mashan Temple Authority Intelligence Report
    Notice: This Report has been flagged with the [Unreliable] Warning.​

    1) Basic Economics
    1.a) Trade
    The Mashan Temple Authority (hereafter shortened to MTA) maintains a trading and transportation fleet consisting of at least ~150 unique ships noticed by our traders keeping logs, with an estimated ~1000-2000 ships possible as they claim to hold over 94 systems with 134 colonized/inhabited celestial bodies. Their primary imports/exports consist of luxury goods such as art, religious paraphernalia, and everything related to reading and writing, with books from the Federation selling out before a trader has even managed to dock at any station within their Border Region. Compared to other found sapient species, their food industry is miniscule compared to their population size due to their primarily silicoid nature.

    A notable quirk of their species is the use of spheroid-shaped ships instead of most species' typical "pencil" shapes. When asked, the Mashan often profess confusion as to why anyone would not use spheroid designs due to the "obvious advantages" the ball shape offers.

    An estimated ~100 military vessels are located within Sub-Sector 621, though they are slowly drawing them away to "other, more pressing, borders," as official news and questioned Mashan state. On that note, the withdrawal of most military assets to Ultima Sigritta in Sub-Sector Archwan, aside from native SDF from the Temple-Glimmering Border, has led to increased trade between the Avethread-Terrore-Lethysan triangle.

    1.b) Shipbuilding
    Their ship total production capabilities are unknown, but the ownership status of their shipyards is not. All shipyards are owned by the state, with only non-warp yards operated by independent organizations or wealthy individuals for a multitude of reasons ranging from in-system economic and resource exploitation, pleasure yachts, or inner-system transport vessels.

    Classifying their military vessels is more difficult due to their unorthodox shape, but their sizes still follow specific observed roles and conventions. Their toroidal expansion points are not counted for their size. Destroyers have a radius of 160m, Frigates of 400m, Light Cruisers of 1000m, Heavy Cruisers of 2.500m, Grand Cruisers of 4.000m, Battleships of 7.500m, and one propagandized example of a 15.000m radius Grand Archive ship. However, it is unclear if the vessel is a singular example, the start of a new, if likely extremely rare, class, or even of military nature at all.

    The MTA predominantly uses Lances for its armaments, though it tends to have a token strike craft force on every military vessel.


    2) Socio-Economics
    The MTA ensures a broadly equal quality of life for its citizens as the Federation, if different in their needs due to their differing psychology and physiology. One notable divergence is that writing and access to books are an enshrined right for their citizens, and a lack thereof has often caused periods of unrest within their societies.

    They lack the stratified class system (within their species) usually associated with authoritarian societies, with no difference in their ability to rise to the highest ranks of government being made for the offspring of common laborers or highly placed religious figures. However, backgrounds in theological fields are a prerequisite to do so, as is continued observation and dedication to religious ceremonies, iconographic creation, and sermons. It is improbable that they will be easily swayed to the side of the Star Child without long-term efforts on conversion.

    Non-Mashan, however, are delegated to Second Class Citizens. This, in all fairness, only prevents them from journeying to the Archive Worlds (translators note: Archive Worlds can also be read as Home, Origin, Soul Rest, Home of the Mind, and Place of Remembrance) and taking any office that would put them higher than their Planetary Councillor equivalent. However, it should be noted here that a Mashan excretes a slightly toxic substance when alive, which, in low quantities, merely leads to unpleasant itches for a human before increasing the risk of cancer, bone cancer in particular, and skin inflammation for long-term exposure. Sometimes, literally, if skin contact is made long enough. This, naturally, makes co-habitation difficult, especially as all Mashan universally regard human sweat as unpleasant to be around due to its salt content.

    Their education system is far more thorough than that of the Federation. Citizens are expected to complete, at minimum, 30 years of schooling, though that is lowered to 15 for humans. Further educational tracks are encouraged and propagandized. All citizens, even humans, must write at least one 200-page book before graduation.

    Their primary currency consists of minted/shaped copper, silver, gold, platinum, and jade coins, which increase in value by a factor of x1000 per rank. A silver coin's value is equivalent to a day's labor within the Federation.

    Law enforcement works similarly to the Federation, though a heavy emphasis is placed on communal self-policing. Law enforcers are only called in to resolve unresolvable disputes, put away criminals for trial, or respond to violent alterations.


    3) Corruption
    No visible/noticeable Chaos Corruption was noticed. Mundane Corruption likely exists in negligible amounts.


    4) Propaganda
    Their propaganda focuses on getting its people educated, visiting religious ceremonies, engaging with religious organizations, reading and writing books, creating art, and joining the military when they feel a need to make their way in the galaxy.

    As far as we can determine, their enemies are several Human and Minor Xenos Polities which are engaged in a low-level propagandistic fashion, yet the "Cleansing Rain," an omnicidal Xeno race similar to an ancient myth of a water elemental seeking to "cleanse" the early Mashan of their bodies, is the most focused upon. Their propaganda outright states that these Xenos will be fully eliminated once the war is won, as they are psychologically incompatible with "civilized society."




    Ashan Families Intelligence Report
    Notice: This Report has been flagged with the [Dysfunctional State] Warning.​

    1) Basic Economics
    1.a) Trade
    The Families possess around ~80 unique ships, alongside another ~50 military ships ranging from Destroyer to Light Cruiser size. All of them are, in one way or another, owned by at least three people, four funds, seven corporations, and ninety-eight interest groups who throw lawsuits at each other like candy at children during a parade.

    All ships are unique designs. There is no standardization. They are nuts. Their logisticians have staged at least 467 rebellions and breakaway polities. Forty-two of them are still around and in a deep and bitter feud with each other over naming rights.

    Most of their ships are used to ferry all manner of goods, but finished goods, illegal narcotics, weapons, and children's toys are their primary imports/exports.


    1.b) Shipbuilding
    Their ship production capabilities are anarchic to the extreme, with at least eight groups vying for legal or illegal ownership of any yard or a component thereof. The fact that they are capable of producing any ship is a testament to the skill of their yard workers...ability to defend themselves long enough to finish a project before the higher-ups fight over another one.

    The sizes of their Destroyers and Frigates are [All Of The Above], with armaments ranging from rams to a cannon that shoots green beams that disintegrate hit targets. Their ability to operate in any coordinated fashion can, at best, be called sub-par.


    2) Socio-Economics
    The Ashan Families are heavily split into different factions that only hold to one principle: "We fight amongst ourselves, but if anyone pokes one of ours? Beat that fucker bloody and take their organs to the nearest Grey Market."

    Worker's Unions, Criminal Gangs, Mafia Syndicates, Corporate Holdings, Banks, Governmental Strongholds, Mercantile Guilds, and a perplexed group of possible Xenos/possible Abhumans/possible Science Experiments Gone Horribly Wrong/Right that have formed a Naked Free Commune in Conar are all examples of the forces that exert political influence amongst their people.

    Quality of Life can be considered "poor" across the board, with only the High Classes of the Ashan Families able to maintain a standard of living equal to Federation High Classes.

    Their education system is highly dependent on which faction you belong to and what rank you hold within that faction.

    They are either a Hyper-Capitalistic Disgrace, Anarcho-Communists, Anarcho-Capitalists, or Free Market Socialists depending on who is asked, the time of day, the number of shots fired into the air during the conversation, and the amount of goods stolen from your pocket while you weren't watching for thieves.

    Their "Law Enforcement" consists of whatever forces the various groups deem sufficient to keep "order" around and within their territories.


    3) Corruption
    No visible/noticeable Chaos Corruption was noticed. Mundane Corruption can be summed up with "Yes."


    4) Propaganda
    Look. There are somewhere of around ~7k different individual factions belonging to 18 general movements themselves subscribing to 3 typical guidances. If you want a stance to be heard, you will likely find 900 more pushed into your skull by the nearest scam artist that already picked you clean and took a shit in your pants. Just to fuck with you.



    Next Intelligence Reports:
    (6-Hour Moratorium)
    [] Shipwright's Alliance and Stellar Growth
    [] Eldar - (Lone Wave) and the Republic of Asharru

    Further Questions:
    [] (Write-In)
     
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    • Damn the Ashen families are a hot mess I really feel like they'd be a good target for that propaganda action to work on if we ever get it completed that is.
     
    HeroCooky said:
    The Mashan Temple Authority (hereafter shortened to MTA) maintains a trading and transportation fleet consisting of at least ~150 unique ships noticed by our traders keeping logs, with an estimated ~1000-2000 ships possible as they claim to hold over 94 systems with 134 colonized/inhabited celestial bodies.
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    They are a fair bit bigger than us in size. Hot damn.
     
    Doing some kind of knowledge exchange with the Temple Authorities seems like it might be worthwhile.
    Could get us some neat research, and maybe get some use out of those publishing houses we created.

    Either than, or heresy.
     
    10ebbor10 said:
    Doing some kind of knowledge exchange with the Temple Authorities seems like it might be worthwhile.
    Could get us some neat research, and maybe get some use out of those publishing houses we created.

    Either than, or heresy.
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    It would be nice but I specifically want to steal this policy from them

    HeroCooky said:
    One notable divergence is that writing and access to books are an enshrined right for their citizens, and a lack thereof has often caused periods of unrest within their societies.
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