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


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Awning with a human face for the negotiations with the xenophobes seems good. What about the overall plan though? Is it silly to think we will get 3 systems deep or am I underestimating us and we are actually posed to sweep across the sector?
 
The problem I see with [] Admiral Huntress Of The Black Awning is that people of the Duchy may have a problem with surrendering to the Xeno.
You say that like Huntress will be broadcasting her face to every Duchy ship and that they already don't see us as "the White Void" which wants to exterminate them all without hesitation.
Awning with a human face for the negotiations with the xenophobes seems good. What about the overall plan though? Is it silly to think we will get 3 systems deep or am I underestimating us and we are actually posed to sweep across the sector?
Voxx Primus has a force greater than 4 SBGs, but at least half of that, maybe even 2/3rds, will be working for us and shooting the defenders in the back. Then Voxx Secundus just has a single SBG and then Escish has less than a SBG. Although looking at the Warp Routes, Stable and otherwise, we're likely going to need to be ready for at least 2 SBGs worth of reinforcements So we should probably only push to Escish if we can bring at minimum 2.5 SBGs worth of ships there.
 
Hire an actor-diplomat (with military experience) who is ridiculously photogenic to serve as the "Demand Surrenders" Admiral, with a fake rank and a bunch of nonsense rank markings, medals, and etc. For those silly Xenophobes.
"How did you serve in the War of Liberation?"

"I played dress up."

"...so you were a spy?"

"No."

"Did you improve morale for the troops?"

"Also no. They didn't like that I was necessary."

"Dress up was necessary?"

"Life saving."
 
I'm a fan of [] Admiral Huntress Of The Black Awning for a few reasons (with optional actor-addon). We want somebody agressive and fast-

Second to me is [] Admiral K-541 and [] Admiral Elabaster Jakobinius Otruna is last. Dude sounds like a competent sub-admiral but I don't like his style. Or his disregard for the stations we literally spent two actions infiltrating. We need those.

So here's my draft of a plan - EDIT THIS IS NOW OUT OF DATE.
[] Admiral Huntress Of The Black Awning
-[] Hire an actor-diplomat (with military experience) who is ridiculously photogenic to serve as the "Demand Surrenders" Admiral, with a fake rank and a bunch of nonsense rank markings, medals, and etc. For those silly Xenophobes.
-[] The Void Battle of Voxx Primus
The priority for the battle of Voxx Primus is to rapidly pacify the system.
--[] Main Battle Fleet. The Primary battlefleet shall consist of all 5 system Battle Groups available to us, and focus on a rapid attack to catch the enemy by surprise as much as possible. The goal is a rapid and complete destruction of all van Zandt void forces and complete control of the Voxx Primus system to facilitate invasion operations and allow the entire fleet to
---[] Flyssa-class Destroyers The Operation is provided with 15 choirs, each aboard their own Leo-class Vanguard Heavy Cruiser, primarily to blunt the assumed destructive psytech capabilities of the Flyssa-class ships. Use these resources as you see fit.
--[] Lamenter Boarding Operations The Lamenters should focus on rapid, aggressive boarding actions, especially of the ringyards, though if an opportunity to board one of the novel craft is presented, they should take it.
---[] Megafreighters The Lamenters are to detach a company to ensure capture of the three megafreighters 'Trusty Delivery,' 'On-Time Hallowed Foods,' and 'Bulk Discounts Need Not Apply.' Each craft is heavily infiltrated by our forces, but the goal is to ensure that nothing unforeseen occurs and that all three freighters are captured without significant damage.
---[] Ringyards Much of the Lamenters remaining force is tasked with capturing the military Ringyards intact. We have infiltrators ready to disable their shield generators, which should enable rapid teleport-enabled bording.
--[] Invasion Fleet The invasion fleet is to follow closely behind the main battle fleet, with the goal of beginning the ground invasion as quickly as possible without undue risk to our ground forces. We are prepared for the upcoming conflict, they are not.
---[] Independent Operations Task Force If possible, the Chamleons should begin ground landings during the void battle, landing heavy units to catch the defenders by surprise and split the attention of the void fleet.
---[] Task Fleet Alpha The primary trooplift capability of the Federation, Task Fleet Alpha is to occupy the orbitals as soon as they are pacified and begin ground operations. Three Taurus's will split off to proceed to Voxx Secundus if that operation continues, and one more needs to return to Federation space to pick up the last System Army Groups that we don't have trooplift capacity for, but the rest should remain over Voxx Primus to provide orbital fire support unless threatened.
-[]The Void Battle of Voxx Secundus
--[] IF more than two SBGs worth of void combatants are still combat-ready & unneeded to contest Voxx Primus space against remaining Van Zandt units, then an immediate invasion of Voxx Secundus is to proceed.
--[]
This battle should focus on not destroying the infastructure necessary for loading the megafreighters, and facilitating invasion of the three agriworlds.
-[]The Void Battle of Echish
--[] IF more than TWO AND A HALF SBGs worth of void combatants are still combat-ready & unneeded to contest Voxx Primus and Voxx Secundus Space, the invasion of Echish space should proceed.
--[]
The goal of the Echish battle is to destroy void infrastructure and control territory to gain a strategic advantage against van Zandt, not to invade the planet. It is intended that Echish be abandoned in the face of major counterattack if it would be more advantageous to fight that force in Voxx Secundus.
-[]Deep Raids of Van Zandt space.
--[] IF Echish is taken, then all 18 Lupus-Secundus class Torpedo Destroyers from Task Fleet Alpha are released for independent operations deep into Duchy Space, using their stealth and speed to avoid battle with military forces that can threaten them. They are to target void Industry, lay mines on shipping routes and generally make as much of a nuisance of themselves as possible.


Ok, there's my first draft. I'm going to give @The Laurent and @Alectai permission to modify it if they want. I'm sure I've made some oversights, but this is meant to be a base for the eventual plan. I don't think I'm micromanaging too much, but I'll definitely take feedback on things.

My overall reasoning is that shock and awe will work well for Voxx Primus, where they're not actually expecting an attack. We want enemy surrenders and to capture the stations, so we go with Admiral Huntress of the Void Awakening and tell her to prioritize killing off everything because we want Voxx Primus space to be secure. Hopefully massed fighter strikes will let us hit even ships that are trying to run away.

Then the invasion of Voxx Secundus is going to go off unless we take absolutely crippling casualties in Voxx Primus. We need it, flat and simple. The only reason we don't take it is if trying would actually kill us off completely. Echish is a bit more optional, but it's also a chance to defeat more enemies in detail before they get reinforced, and buys us a better strategic position. So if we can go for it, we should.

And then the deep raids are taking advantage of the ~stealthy destroyer we built to distract our enemies. I would rather have had the Pictor for this, but the Lupus will do fine to drive the Duchy to distraction.
 
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I'm a fan of [] Admiral Huntress Of The Black Awning for a few reasons (with optional actor-addon). We want somebody agressive and fast-

Second to me is [] Admiral K-541 and [] Admiral Elabaster Jakobinius Otruna is last. Dude sounds like a competent sub-admiral but I don't like his style. Or his disregard for the stations we literally spent two actions infiltrating. We need those.

So here's my draft of a plan -
[] Admiral Huntress Of The Black Awning
-[] Hire an actor-diplomat (with military experience) who is ridiculously photogenic to serve as the "Demand Surrenders" Admiral, with a fake rank and a bunch of nonsense rank markings, medals, and etc. For those silly Xenophobes.
-[] The Void Battle of Voxx Primus
The priority for the battle of Voxx Primus is to rapidly pacify the system.
--[] Main Battle Fleet. The Primary battlefleet shall consist of all 5 system Battle Groups available to us, and focus on a rapid attack to catch the enemy by surprise as much as possible. The goal is a rapid and complete destruction of all van Zandt void forces and complete control of the Voxx Primus system to facilitate invasion operations and allow the entire fleet to
---[] Flyssa-class Destroyers The Operation is provided with 15 choirs, each aboard their own Leo-class Vanguard Heavy Cruiser, primarily to blunt the assumed destructive psytech capabilities of the Flyssa-class ships. Use these resources as you see fit.
--[] Lamenter Boarding Operations The Lamenters should focus on rapid, aggressive boarding actions, especially of the ringyards, though if an opportunity to board one of the novel craft is presented, they should take it.
---[] Megafreighters The Lamenters are to detach a company to ensure capture of the three megafreighters 'Trusty Delivery,' 'On-Time Hallowed Foods,' and 'Bulk Discounts Need Not Apply.' Each craft is heavily infiltrated by our forces, but the goal is to ensure that nothing unforeseen occurs and that all three freighters are captured without significant damage.
---[] Ringyards Much of the Lamenters remaining force is tasked with capturing the military Ringyards intact. We have infiltrators ready to disable their shield generators, which should enable rapid teleport-enabled bording.
--[] Invasion Fleet The invasion fleet is to follow closely behind the main battle fleet, with the goal of beginning the ground invasion as quickly as possible without undue risk to our ground forces. We are prepared for the upcoming conflict, they are not.
---[] Independent Operations Task Force If possible, the Chamleons should begin ground landings during the void battle, landing heavy units to catch the defenders by surprise and split the attention of the void fleet.
---[] Task Fleet Alpha The primary trooplift capability of the Federation, Task Fleet Alpha is to occupy the orbitals as soon as they are pacified and begin ground operations. Three Taurus's will split off to proceed to Voxx Secundus if that operation continues, and one more needs to return to Federation space to pick up the last System Army Groups that we don't have trooplift capacity for, but the rest should remain over Voxx Primus to provide orbital fire support unless threatened.
-[]The Void Battle of Voxx Secundus
--[] IF more than two SBGs worth of void combatants are still combat-ready & unneeded to contest Voxx Primus space against remaining Van Zandt units, then an immediate invasion of Voxx Secundus is to proceed.
--[]
This battle should focus on not destroying the infastructure necessary for loading the megafreighters, and facilitating invasion of the three agriworlds.
-[]The Void Battle of Echish
--[] IF more than TWO AND A HALF SBGs worth of void combatants are still combat-ready & unneeded to contest Voxx Primus and Voxx Secundus Space, the invasion of Echish space should proceed.
--[]
The goal of the Echish battle is to destroy void infrastructure and control territory to gain a strategic advantage against van Zandt, not to invade the planet. It is intended that Echish be abandoned in the face of major counterattack if it would be more advantageous to fight that force in Voxx Secundus.
-[]Deep Raids of Van Zandt space.
--[] IF Echish is taken, then all 18 Lupus-Secundus class Torpedo Destroyers from Task Fleet Alpha are released for independent operations deep into Duchy Space, using their stealth and speed to avoid battle with military forces that can threaten them. They are to target void Industry, lay mines on shipping routes and generally make as much of a nuisance of themselves as possible.


Ok, there's my first draft. I'm going to give @The Laurent and @Alectai permission to modify it if they want. I'm sure I've made some oversights, but this is meant to be a base for the eventual plan. I don't think I'm micromanaging too much, but I'll definitely take feedback on things.

My overall reasoning is that shock and awe will work well for Voxx Primus, where they're not actually expecting an attack. We want enemy surrenders and to capture the stations, so we go with Admiral Huntress of the Void Awakening and tell her to prioritize killing off everything because we want Voxx Primus space to be secure. Hopefully massed fighter strikes will let us hit even ships that are trying to run away.

Then the invasion of Voxx Secundus is going to go off unless we take absolutely crippling casualties in Voxx Primus. We need it, flat and simple. The only reason we don't take it is if trying would actually kill us off completely. Echish is a bit more optional, but it's also a chance to defeat more enemies in detail before they get reinforced, and buys us a better strategic position. So if we can go for it, we should.

And then the deep raids are taking advantage of the ~stealthy destroyer we built to distract our enemies. I would rather have had the Pictor for this, but the Lupus will do fine to drive the Duchy to distraction.

Didn't we take the two Megafreighter actions?
 
Didn't we take the two Megafreighter actions?
Yes, we got that done.

So here's my draft of a plan -
Honestly, I think you're being a bit too specific here. Remember, KISS* is what many militaries like from their planners

*Keep It Simple, Stupid


Also, regarding the Lamenters you're forgetting that we also need to take the Defensive Stations. We may be using their guns, but they aren't ours yet so we should also focus on capturing them before the Duchy either quell the gunnery crew rebellion or just self-destructs the station.
 
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--[] Main Battle Fleet. The Primary battlefleet shall consist of all 5 system Battle Groups available to us, and focus on a rapid attack to catch the enemy by surprise as much as possible. The goal is a rapid and complete destruction of all van Zandt void forces and complete control of the Voxx Primus system to facilitate invasion operations and allow the entire fleet to
---[] Flyssa-class Destroyers The Operation is provided with 15 choirs, each aboard their own Leo-class Vanguard Heavy Cruiser, primarily to blunt the assumed destructive psytech capabilities of the Flyssa-class ships. Use these resources as you see fit.
--[] Lamenter Boarding Operations The Lamenters should focus on rapid, aggressive boarding actions, especially of the ringyards, though if an opportunity to board one of the novel craft is presented, they should take it.
---[] Megafreighters The Lamenters are to detach a company to ensure capture of the three megafreighters 'Trusty Delivery,' 'On-Time Hallowed Foods,' and 'Bulk Discounts Need Not Apply.' Each craft is heavily infiltrated by our forces, but the goal is to ensure that nothing unforeseen occurs and that all three freighters are captured without significant damage.
---[] Ringyards Much of the Lamenters remaining force is tasked with capturing the military Ringyards intact. We have infiltrators ready to disable their shield generators, which should enable rapid teleport-enabled bording.
--[] Invasion Fleet The invasion fleet is to follow closely behind the main battle fleet, with the goal of beginning the ground invasion as quickly as possible without undue risk to our ground forces. We are prepared for the upcoming conflict, they are not.
---[] Independent Operations Task Force If possible, the Chamleons should begin ground landings during the void battle, landing heavy units to catch the defenders by surprise and split the attention of the void fleet.
---[] Task Fleet Alpha The primary trooplift capability of the Federation, Task Fleet Alpha is to occupy the orbitals as soon as they are pacified and begin ground operations. Three Taurus's will split off to proceed to Voxx Secundus if that operation continues, and one more needs to return to Federation space to pick up the last System Army Groups that we don't have trooplift capacity for, but the rest should remain over Voxx Primus to provide orbital fire support unless threatened.
We should probably consider whether or not we want to do something with the Hallowed Cog of Creation.
 
--[] IF Echish is taken, then all 18 Lupus-Secundus class Torpedo Destroyers from Task Fleet Alpha are released for independent operations deep into Duchy Space, using their stealth and speed to avoid battle with military forces that can threaten them. They are to target void Industry, lay mines on shipping routes and generally make as much of a nuisance of themselves as possible.
I think this is too risky, could work, could be throwing ships away.

So the 18 Destroyers would also need 2 Andromedas or Rustbuckets with their Choirs, which we are always short on. The Lupus-S has never been tested in battle(1) so we don't know how effective the stealth is really, our other stealth ships have had Choirs to assist I believe. If they are in Secundus/Eshich they can support the damaged fleet and lay a half decent defensive minefield, we'd need 30 of them to get a minefield significant to an SBG(2) which we will have in a few turns. If we had to deal with a raiding fleet like this it would be a single additional line in the Military Action as we move our main force to the primary goal.

1: 4. It wasn't tested. It watched ~9k strike craft nuke a gaggle of ships without ever reaching engagement range.
2: Also, somewhere around ~30 Lupus, or ~10 dedicated Designs for minelaying.

I'll try to update my checklist as a plan but I'm busy today, anyone is free to reuse or copy from it if they want.

Longer version of what I think we need to accomplish with the war action split up into tasks. I don't know what details need to make it into a war plan, pick and choose if you want to use anything.

Not sure if this usefully mixes with the Triggers but eh I already wrote it.

- Destroy enemy fleet in Primus system
- Hijack Defence Stations and Heavy Freighters - take intact
- Start assault on Hive worlds​
- Destroy enemy fleet in Secundus system
- Start assault on Agriworlds - take intact​
- If sufficient SBG strength left, destroy fleet in Eshich System
- Prepare defensive line in Eshich, repel Voxx Reinforcements
- Else, prepare defensive line at Secundus, repel Voxx Reinforcements​

-Using SAGs to garrison/occupy after winning control may be unnecessary, do we have something like PDF that come to do that stuff?
-The caveats like 'Lamenters can determine what to send and use SAG assistance, use Chamleons for covert insertion if appropriate, etc' might be unnecessary and cluttering up the list, I'm not sure what is below our level of abstraction.

Void Force Tasks
1. Send 5 SBGs and Lamenters to take Voxx Primus, Rustbuckets bring Fleet Alpha. Bring full ground forces in Taurus and Chamleon.
i. Focus getting the Lamenters and any additional boarders to the Defence Stations to hijack them. Taking them functional enough to turn against the enemy fleet is ideal but priority is neutralizing them.
ii. Be wary of mystery ships and take them out ASAP but don't take any extra risks to do so.
iii. Be cautious of Null-Net, prepare to dodge and use a loose formation without leaving neighbouring ships unsupported.​

2. Move Fleet to conquer Secundus. Form defensive line here if Eshich fleet looks too challenging.
i. Priority is Agriworlds must be taken fully functional.
ii. Secundus system must be taken and held, this is the bare minimum of systems we need to control.
iii. Board and hijack Secundus Defense Stations if it seems feasible.​

3. If SBGs maintain sufficient strength, move on to take Eshich system.
i. Leave a patrol if needed for Primus/Secundus if left over enemy ships raiding is a concern. Possibly Alpha Fleet.
ii. Prepare to repel reinforcements from other Voxx Systems.
iii. Taking control of their Civilized World might strain Primus/Secundus ground army or lower Development early.
iv. Jam their communications to prevent them leaking info.​

4. Prepare defensive line in Eshich or Secundus systems to repel Voxx Reinforcements and Van Zandt incursions.
i. Use mines, start building defensive and/or resupply stations if able.
ii. Perhaps send propaganda saying we had to end the torturous conditions of the Hives and won't push further into Breskal, rep Star Child and the sweet life we have.​

Ground Force Tasks
1. Revolutionaries - Start the stuff we've been preparing to do in sync with the Fleet attack. Someone can make this sexier.

2. Lamenters focus on taking the Defence Stations and Heavy Freighters, coordinated with inserted rebels and using any SAG assistance as they require.
i. Heavy Freighters must be taken fully functional, Lamenters can determine necessary force.
ii. Taking Stations functional enough to turn against the enemy fleet is ideal but priority is neutralizing them.
iii. When targets taken, leave occupying SAG force and move Lamenters on to assaulting Hive cities or enemy fleet at their discretion.​

3. SAGs/War-Pack boarders assist Lamenters as best determined by them in this initial phase.

4. When void above Hive worlds is controlled enough, start assault landings on Hive world.
i. Use minimum 20 SAG force, use as many Sag/War-Pack/Lamenter as long as it leaves enough forces to keep reinforcements held in reserve to give relief to any heavily pressed forces and switch out exhausted regiments, and forces for occupying and controlling Defense Stations/Agriworlds/Heavy Freighters (if needed).
ii. Use orbital support from Taurus' or covert insertion by Chamleons as deemed most appropriate by generals/local commanders.​

5. As soon as fleet battles above Primus and Secundus allow, land ground forces on Secundus by Taurus or Chamleon as appropriate.
i. Priority is that Agriworlds are taken fully functional, enemy forces taken out quickly to prevent sabotage.
ii. 5 War-packs per world with SAG support as needed, when ground battle is won switch out with SAGs that can garrison/occupy and maintain full agricultural production. Move War-Packs and any excess SAGs to join assault on Hive world.
iii. Begin relieving conditions for workers, giving them support while maintaining production.​

6. Settle in for long ground war, use Taurus', Chamleons, Fleet ships as needed for orbital support and repositioning, supply/reinforcement line to core systems.
i. Try not to allow any forces to be destroyed, switch them out with reserves and allow to recover.​

32 SAG, 31 War-pack = 63 SAG/WP
Min 20 SAG to Voxx, 40+ tasked there eventually so regiments can alternate
- this may be outdated w War-Pack effectiveness and Templars + Servo-skulls upgrades
- Logisitical Armour gives a 10 SAG buffer of Hivers before we start losing our SAGs
15 War-Pack to Agriworlds, 18 to Voxx; once Agriworlds taken move all WP to Voxx

QM says War-Packs more effective in concentrated heavily defended areas like Agriworlds, Hives too I imagine. 5 War-Pack = effective as 20 SAG

Occupying forces: 1 SAG per Agriworld, 1 SAG per Freighter, 1-2 garrison Stations = 7-11? or more as needed?
- Not sure if these necessary
 
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I know the discussion has kind of moved on, but I'd like to make a case for having Admiral Elabaster Jakobinius Otruna in overall command. I'll start by explaining why I'm not a fan of either Admiral K-541 or Admiral Huntress Of The Black Awning.

[] Admiral K-541
Daughter of a long line of captains and admirals, K-541 has more than a few legacies to live up to. She also has more than a few hundred years of collected experience to draw upon, and her foster parent was as eager to teach the then-young girl all they could as K-541 was to learn all knowledge given to her. Now an adult of 78 years, she yearns to burn another memory of her lineage into the void and does so with unparalleled efficiency, every metric of ship under her command memorized and ready to be utilized in the coming fight.
Most concerned with: Ensuring fleet cohesion, formation, and the liberation of Voxx Primus.
Least concerned with: Enemy casualties, surrenders, or morality.
Flaw: Tends to get lost in the hard numbers of battle.

K-541 specifically comes from a long line of captains and admirals. She represents what I personally consider to be a possible worrying trend within any military: nepotism and the growth of an officer "aristocracy." Of the three, she is also the only one to not have any mention of being promoted by merit and service. Lastly, I get the impression she is not quite flexible enough to respond to rapidly changing situations and surprises by the enemy. Ensuring fleet cohesion and formation are all well and good (especially given our reliance on carriers and protecting them), but that focus might come at the cost of not responding appropriately to exploit a hole or weakness in the enemy's formation. Her stated flaw and not being concerned with morality or enemy surrenders/casualties speak for themselves.

[] Admiral Huntress Of The Black Awning
A Kil'drabi captain freshly changed into their female sex. She advanced to the position of an admiral after her previous command over the Battlecolony Paths We Year expired and a new generation took over. She was promoted by High Command due to her merit and a long line of duty, having earned commendations against pirates, Chaos, and within the ubiquitous wargames of the Admiralcy. Notably aggressive in her tactics, she is often a favorite of any Thule under her command due to her leadership style of boisterous command and daring fights, which has made her more than one enemy for those valuing professionalism above the force of personality.
Most concerned with: Killing the enemy and having rock-solid morale.
Least concerned with: Being professional and by-the-books.
Flaw: Utter drama-queen.

Huntress Of The Black Awning is a great choice for exploiting weakness in the enemy and being aggressive in general. I would love to have her in command of the vanguard, or even the reserves where she can come in fresh and hit the enemy hard when they've been weakened. I am very hesitant about her being in overall command, however, given that it is noted she is considered not just a drama queen, but an utter drama queen. That doesn't inspire much confidence in me that she can work effectively with her direct subordinates or take their concerns/suggestions/insight into serious consideration. My fear is that she would ignore calls for caution from her subordinate admirals in situations where maybe they have a better grasp of the tactical situation, resulting in avoidable casualties.

[] Admiral Elabaster Jakobinius Otruna
Born on Diablo Major in Quintura Diablo, Elabaster Jakobinius Otruna had an upbringing typical of those born in the Federation Core Worlds. Ten years of school starting at 5, three years of self-chosen social service to enter military service at eighteen as an officer candidate, with merit and professionalism earning him a steep rise in ranks, earning him his first command, a Libra-Quartus Light Carrier, at 28. Utterly despised by the local Thules due to his constant drills and disliked due to mandated harsh training for the entire crew by the same, both components nonetheless were distraught to see their captain leave when he turned 44 to ascend as Flotilla-Admiral, and then Konteradmiral within three years due to meritorious actions against a band of Pirates seeking to plunder Monresast. Has since risen to the rank of Admiral by way of service.
Most concerned with: The Flyssa-Class' unknown capabilities.
Least concerned with: Keeping enemy void-infrastructure intact.
Flaw: Harsh trainer and honorable demeanor.

Elabaster Jakobinius Otruna, in my eyes, is the exact sort of officer you would want in overall command of a large operation against a peer opponent like we find ourselves in. He has risen through the ranks through merit, maintains a level of professionalism that is expected and needed from the position he holds, and is aware of and giving caution towards unknown elements of the enemy's fleet. He may be least concerned with keeping enemy void infrastructure intact, but in my mind that's with the intention of keeping our own forces intact and casualties as low as possible, which feels like the correct trade off. And lastly, I'm gonna be perfectly honest and just say that his flaws are not flaws at all. We've known we were going to be fighting against the Free Duchy for, what, a century by now? Harsh training is what keeps crews alive, especially when preparing for a coming war against a peer power. The fact that the crews under his command (the ones who actually had to serve under his training) were distraught to see him go speaks volumes to how they actually viewed him as their commander. This isn't an officer who was training his crews because he's an asshole, he was training them because he doesn't want them to die. That's who we need in overall command.
 
K-541 specifically comes from a long line of captains and admirals. She represents what I personally consider to be a possible worrying trend within any military: nepotism and the growth of an officer "aristocracy." Of the three, she is also the only one to not have any mention of being promoted by merit and service. Lastly, I get the impression she is not quite flexible enough to respond to rapidly changing situations and surprises by the enemy. Ensuring fleet cohesion and formation are all well and good (especially given our reliance on carriers and protecting them), but that focus might come at the cost of not responding appropriately to exploit a hole or weakness in the enemy's formation. Her stated flaw and not being concerned with morality or enemy surrenders/casualties speak for themselves.
K-541 isn't a case of nepotism, she's a case of eugenics. Note the "foster parents" and the numerical name, she wasn't raised by a family with naval influence, she was cloned in one of our cloning center from a gene line that includes many captains, and thereafter groomed for command.

Kinda similar to the Thule system.

And lastly, I'm gonna be perfectly honest and just say that his flaws are not flaws at all. We've known we were going to be fighting against the Free Duchy for, what, a century by now? Harsh training is what keeps crews alive, especially when preparing for a coming war against a peer power. The fact that the crews under his command (the ones who actually had to serve under his training) were distraught to see him go speaks volumes to how they actually viewed him as their commander. This isn't an officer who was training his crews because he's an asshole, he was training them because he doesn't want them to die. That's who we need in overall command.
You're ignoring one of the two flaws.

Flaw: Harsh trainer and honorable demeanor.

Our military strategy is relying on cheating like hell, which might get complicated if the guy goes all honorable on us.
 
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Tried quickly to rewrite this. So its the Ringyards we infiltrated to make sure the Lamenters can board, not the Defence Stations? Or both? I thought it was the Defence Stations giving that 2+ SBG force.

This still seems too complicated, might be better to simplify sections. If we take Eshich, the world might be a hard nut to crack as it was a Fortress world, so it could take a significant chunk of army away from Primus. But if we give them a decade or more to fortify, it could be even harder.

I might not be able to work on this again until much later, feel free to use modified versions.

@HeroCooky
1. Can we estimate how many SAGs/War-Packs it would take to conquer the Eshich world?
2. Does this plan follow the If/Then guidelines well enough?

Summary of Priorities
- Destroy enemy fleet in Primus system
- Hijack Defence Stations and Heavy Freighters - take intact
- Start assault on Hive worlds​
- Destroy enemy fleet in Secundus system
- Start assault on Agriworlds - take intact​
- If sufficient SBG strength left, destroy fleet in Eshich System
- Prepare defensive line in Eshich, repel Voxx Reinforcements
- Else, prepare defensive line at Secundus, repel Voxx Reinforcements​

[] (Write-In the leading High Admiral)
-[] Admiral Huntress Of The Black Awning
-[] Hire an actor-diplomat (with military experience) who is ridiculously photogenic to serve as the "Demand Surrenders" Admiral, with a fake rank and a bunch of nonsense rank markings, medals, and etc. For those silly Xenophobes.

---[] Maybe use Elabaster Jakobinius Otruna for this, he seems to fit the profile? 'Honourable' trait might get in the way, this could be maybe be rewritten to have someone acting as Diplomatic Liaison to interface with Imperial cultures for surrender and if they assume the human Admiral is in charge who are we to correct them...

-[] The Void Battle of Voxx Primus
--[] Send 5 SBGs and Lamenters to take Voxx Primus. Rustbuckets bring Fleet Alpha then rejoin Evac Fleet. Bring ground forces as in the Trigger Plan.
--[] Main Battle Fleet. Attack in full force and speed taking advantage of surprise and the infiltrator actions.
---[] i. Prioritize getting the Lamenters, using any forces they deem necessary, to the Ringyards to hijack them. Taking them functional enough to turn against the enemy fleet is ideal but priority is neutralizing them.
---[] ii. If the Heavy Freighters are in Primus, Lamenters also focus on boarding and hijacking them, priortize taking them fully functional.
---[] iii. Once Ringyards and Heavy Freighters are in control, Lamenters can move on to attacking Voxx Primus or joining Void Battle as they judge best.
---[] iv. Be wary of the Flyssa-class Destroyers and Hallowed Cognition, prioritize them as targets and focus fire but don't take any extra risks to do so.
---[] v. Be cautious of Null-Net, prepare to dodge and use a loose formation without leaving neighbouring ships unsupported.
---[] vi. When void battle over Primus is won, move onto Secundus as soon as possible. If there are a token force of evading/fleeing enemy ships delaying this, leave a small but superior force such as Alpha Fleet to deal with them and move main forces to Secundus.
---[] vii. Ground forces start assault on Voxx Primus as soon as approach is clear. Use orbital support from Taurus' or covert insertion by Chamleons as deemed most appropriate by generals/local commanders.

-[] The Void Battle of Voxx Secundus
--[] Move Fleet to conquer Secundus. Attack in full force and speed. Secundus system must be taken and held, this is the bare minimum of systems we need to control.
---[] i. Priority is Agriworlds must be taken fully functional. Invading War-Packs are to start ground assault as soon as possible.
---[] ii. If the Heavy Freighters are in Secundus, then Lamenters focus on boarding and hijacking them, prioritize taking them fully functional, then move on to Primus or Fleet battle as they decide.
---[] iii. Board and hijack Secundus Defense Stations if it seems feasible.
--[] If Main Battle Fleets have taken heavy casualties or if Eshich fleet looks too challenging, then form defensive line here and prepare to repel Van Zandt Reinforcements
---[] This might be if Fleet reduced to 2 SBGs or less. Scouts observe Eshich and Admiral makes judgement if Fleet can conquer Eshich system with minimal damage.
--[] Else, move Main Battle Fleet on to conquer and fortify Eshich.
---[] i. Leave a patrol if needed for Primus/Secundus if left over enemy ships raiding is a concern. Possibly Alpha Fleet.

-[] The Void Battle of Eshich
--[] Fleet observes the System when they arrive:
--[] If Eshich fleet resistence will be easily overcome, then attack in full force and speed. Fortify system and prepare to repel Van Zandt.
---[] i. Taking control of their Fortress-turned-Civilized World might strain Primus/Secundus ground army or lower Development early. Refrain from ground assault but break any infrastructure that could threaten orbit, jam their communications to prevent them leaking info.
--[] If Eshich fleet will put up significant resistance and meaningfully degrade Fleet strength, then return to Secundus and form defensive lines.

-[] Prepare defensive line in Eshich or Secundus systems to repel Voxx Reinforcements and Van Zandt incursions.
---[] i. Use defensive fleet formations, mines, start building defensive and/or resupply stations if able.
---[] ii. Perhaps send propaganda to Eshich world and Breskal systems saying we had to end the torturous conditions of the Hives and won't push further into Breskal, rep Star Child and the sweet life we have.
 
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Emergency Interruption
I'VE JUST NOTICED I DIDN'T GIVE THE ENEMY FLEET NUMBERS!

PRIMUS (Stronger than an SBG x3):
42x Cobra Destroyers
4x Flyssa Destroyers
22x Falchion Frigates
19x Shatterpoint Heavy Frigates (3x Macro-Cannons)
11x Sword Frigates
9x Dauntless Mk1 Light Cruiser
8x Lancer Light Cruiser (1x Prow Lance, 1x Lance Battery, 1x Lance Turret)
52x Light Monitors (Destroyer Equivalent)
38x Medium Monitors (Frigate Equivalent)
11x Heavy Monitors (Light Cruiser Equivalent)
2x Ultra-Heavy Monitors (Heavy Cruiser Equivalent)

SECUNDUS (Stronger than an SBG x1):
13x Cobra Destroyers
9x Shatterpoint Heavy Frigates (3x Macro-Cannons)
6x Dauntless Mk1 Light Cruiser
7x Light Monitors (Destroyer Equivalent)
5x Medium Monitors (Frigate Equivalent)

ECHISH (Weaker than an SBG):
12x Cobra Destroyers
2x Flyssa Destroyers
5x Falchion Frigates
2x Shatterpoint Heavy Frigates (3x Macro-Cannons)
5x Light Monitors (Destroyer Equivalent)
3x Medium Monitors (Frigate Equivalent)
 
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1. Can we estimate how many SAGs/War-Packs it would take to conquer the Eshich world?
2. Does this plan follow the If/Then guidelines well enough?
1. At least twenty if you need it taken quickly. A mix of any applies.
2. Yeah, I see nothing wrong there.
... How is 20 destroyers, 11 frigates, and 3 light cruisers stronger than an SBG?
My finger slipped on the 3 LC and 6 DD, they should be 6 and 9. Also this takes into account the Void Shield Link, the unknown Psytech capabilities of the Duchian Navy, and the QM feeding you not so subtly OOC information to make sure you don't run into that system with less than what is needed to win.
 
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My finger slipped on the 3 LC and 6 DD, they should be 6 and 9. Also this takes into account the Void Shield Link, the unknown Psytech capabilities of the Duchian Navy, and the QM feeding you not so subtly OOC information to make sure you don't run into that system with less than what is needed to win.

Got it, thanks for the clarification!
 
2 Andromedas or Rustbuckets with their Choirs
My intention wasn't to give them choirs. They'll have to slowboat between systems, but that's fine. I don't expect to see any of them back for a decade and that's fine.

Be cautious of Null-Net, prepare to dodge and use a loose formation without leaving neighbouring ships unsupported.
This is definitely micromanaging.

If the Heavy Freighters are in Secundus, then Lamenters focus on boarding and hijacking them, prioritize taking them fully functional, then move on to Primus or Fleet battle as they decide.
We double-action infiltrated them. I don't think we need any more focus on the freighters.
 
1. My intention wasn't to give them choirs. They'll have to slowboat between systems, but that's fine. I don't expect to see any of them back for a decade and that's fine.
This is definitely micromanaging.
We double-action infiltrated them. I don't think we need any more focus on the freighters.
1. Seems like they'd spend more time traveling than attacking then, making their impact more questionable. They also don't have on-board supply or anything to help them on long operations. I think we shouldn't split off forces when our SBGs will be hurting.
2. Fair.
3. Double action put it at high chances of working, I want it as close to guaranteed as possible. Don't have the Cooky quote at hand. I think it at least needs a mention in the plan.

I do agree with like +90% of your plan.
 
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Yeah that's be a major issue with her, anyone who sees her may say "welp we're fighting to the death against this filthy Xeno" or whatever. Making it harder for surrenders to happen which is why I'm inclined to the other two for at least Voxx Prime given that's the important target here.

I feel if we have a human or a mechanicus type in charge at Voxx Prime it'll make surrenders slightly more possible and thus one less ship we have to fight.
Do they interact directly with her, or do they speak to special envoy/adjudant/whatever Smith?
Or even a fucking Spacemarine with their change in position.
I'VE JUST NOTICED I DIDN'T GIVE THE ENEMY FLEET NUMBERS!
When i saw the notification i assumed that shit had hit the fan and we needed to make split-second (vote open for a few hours) decisions.
 
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