Rockeye
Plausible Engineer
- Location
- Midwestern U.S.
Well, fire ships are a thing. An expensive thing, but desperate times...
Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest
- Thread starter Questor
- Start date
- Location
- Back in Cali
Only reason that zeppelin blew up was because the Germans had to use Hydrogen instead of Helium like they planned.
Asmodemus
Subversive Element
Start simple. Deny the first wave at us. Do what we can to obliterate his forces, make him possibly take pause and rethink matters. Hopefully decide he needs more pony power and seek out those around him to conquer instead. Allow us some breathing room to expand our military options and seek further aid, preferably of magical nature.
- Location
- SF Bay Area
Huh... I just had a thought. You guys think the masks play a component in keeping Sombra's mental control? Maybe if we pry them off the pony underneath can assert their will again?
- Location
- South Africa
That is what I assumed
- Location
- Hell
Problem is doing that in the middle of a fight. Then the follow up problem of boobie-trapped masks because of course Sombra would.
Back to the war, we have to be aware that time is against us. We do not have the tech to survive a multiyear winter. Glasshouses are insanely expensive because of how difficult it is to create glass panels at this level in the quantities we would need.
We likely have until Spring of next year to push him back or we are going to have to deal with famine.
Back to the war, we have to be aware that time is against us. We do not have the tech to survive a multiyear winter. Glasshouses are insanely expensive because of how difficult it is to create glass panels at this level in the quantities we would need.
We likely have until Spring of next year to push him back or we are going to have to deal with famine.
"The Old Gods killed each other until only the court jester was left, laughing over the final rivals' mutual decapitation. His name was Discord."
That is how it work in the show canon.
But you try to rip a mask off someone trying to kill you with actual weapons, while they are completely uncaring of dying whilst attacking.
- Location
- Italy
...it sounds a lot like No Game No Life,where the one who won the war between all the gods and races was, in the end, the god of games.
And he never actually did ANYTHING himself! Really, the humans (weakest of all races) won for him!
("No Game No Life Zero" made me cry. A lot. 10/10, I can't recommend it enough, though watching the 12 ep season helps a lot in appreciating it)
IC we have no reason to try, not during a battle. Too risky.
AFTER we win we might find a few survivors too wounded to move and try removing these helmets (or maybe an explosion removed them for us and they try to surrender/escape).
Or maybe we can tire Sombra enough that he loses control of the army (very unlikely)
I can already TASTE the horror once our people realize we're actually fighting a horde of mind controlled innocent civilians
- Location
- Germany
we could also, accidently, kill them and use their bodies to hold a banquet celebrating our victory. (or is that to dark? [on that point are yaks even omnivores? hmmmmmmmm])
- Location
- Texas
I have a few, just trying to figure out how to expand it.
- Location
- Maryland
The static flamethrowers are tactically immobile. Unlike the cannons and balistae, you can't just pack them up and move them in the middle of battle. The mechanisms are too complex and heavy. Mind you they can shoot a geyser of flames almost two hundred yards, so range isn't too much of an issue.
I'll sort out stats for the troops at some point. For now, operate on this rule of thumb: militia get a slight minus from their dice rolls due to being (relatively) poorly equipped and trained irregulars, Knights get a bonus as elite units, and the Yaks get a bonus against all enemies smaller than they are.
Also, as we witnessed in the battle of Wingbardy, certain qualities of enemies will have an effect on the rolls. You'll see that, when the trolls came out, you received a penalty to the roll based on both the size disparity and their armored status.
I'll elaborate on the blizzard and it's effects in the coming post.
The Winter War: Part 1
- Location
- Maryland
You stand alongside your wife, a map of the Peregrine Mountains placed on a table before you. Gathered around you, shielded from the biting cold by the insulated walls of the command tent, stand the highest ranking individuals in this Army so hastily assembled to defend against the coming onslaught. Army commanders, Militia Sergeants, the three Grandmasters of the Imperial Knightly Orders, Mercenary Captains, and finally, taking up the most space by far, the four Yaks representing their clans' sizable contribution to this war effort.
Needless to say, it's standing room only. Under any other circumstance the sight of so many individuals of varied races standing cheek-by-jowl with each other would be comical. As it is, it's merely a reminder of how desperate the situation is.
Outside sit the countless tents, yurts, and temporary dens of the largest army in living memory, stretching to the horizon, more than fifty thousand warriors of three races gathered together against a common enemy. Despite the sheer number of living souls present, the Camp, practically a small city in its own right, is eerily silent. The cursed blizzard has only intensified with time and your proximity to its point of origin. More than one barrel of water has broken open at the seams after freezing completely, and the troops have been forced to construct bonfires to melt their water supplies and avoid frostbite.
The driving snow impedes visibility, and the freezing winds make any flight more than a few dozen feet above the ground a dangerous proposition. Rumors persist of a Gryphon who flew as high as he could, convinced that, since hot air rises, he would be able to simply fly above the cold. They say he plummeted back to earth like a stone and shattered like an icicle, his body frozen solid. You're sure these are just rumors, especially since you've received no official reports of such an event. Still, it serves as a warning, and a reminder. Until this storm clears up your troops might as well be grounded. Your greatest strategic advantage over your flightless opponents has been effectively removed due to their meteorological meddling.
You've just relayed the latest intelligence from Ravenburg's agents to all the unit commanders. The mood is grim. Even with all of your preparations and Yak reinforcements, the invaders still outnumber you two to one. Even worse, you're facing an army led by a dark magic user of absurd power. You have no idea what kind of tricks or horrific spells he has in his repertoire, but you know that defeating him will be the most difficult and most important task of this war.
Thankfully, your scouts had some good news to deliver. You know exactly where the Army of Darkness (as some in the rank-and-file have been referring to them) will arrive. The Redstone Pass, a relatively narrow gap between the mountains, one of the only passes large enough to accommodate a force of such size.
The only question is, what to do with this information?
Battle Plan
[ ] City Defense: The City of Lanner is the settlement closest to the Redstone Pass, and the likely first target of the invaders. If you move your army there, you can take advantage of the stone walls of the city, as well as the other defenses built up by the citizenry over the past few weeks. It will also give you another day or two to prepare before the enemy arrives. However, this strategy will allow the invaders to march through the Redstone Pass uncontested, and if you retreat you will be abandoning the city to a fate potentially worse than death.
[ ] Rapid Entrenchment: Move your army into the pass to block the enemy's advance. It's your best chance to prevent them from actually entering your heartland and threatening your population centers, and the narrow front would remove some of the enemy's advantage in numbers, preventing them from flanking or encircling you. You'd only have time to establish hastily built defenses: trenches, earthen berms, a wooden palisade, some subterranean explosives, nothing like the high stone walls of a proper fortress. But it might just be enough to halt the invasion.
[ ] Sudden Ambush: There's another option. If you place troops all along the pass in hidden positions, you might be able to launch a surprise attack and hit the enemy column before they realize you are present or have a chance to form proper battle lines. A simultaneous strike from both flanks along the full length of the Pass could catch the enemy between a hammer and anvil with nowhere to escape. But this is a risky gambit. It involves splitting your army in half and placing them along the entire length of the pass. Even if everything goes perfectly, units will be out of communication with each other, and there's a chance the enemy could rally faster than you'd like. You also wouldn't be able to establish overt fortifications, relying on your soldiers and their ability to attack quickly. And if the enemy should detect you before the trap can be sprung...well, you better hope they don't. It's risky, but it's worth consideration at least.
[ ] Write-In
Needless to say, it's standing room only. Under any other circumstance the sight of so many individuals of varied races standing cheek-by-jowl with each other would be comical. As it is, it's merely a reminder of how desperate the situation is.
Outside sit the countless tents, yurts, and temporary dens of the largest army in living memory, stretching to the horizon, more than fifty thousand warriors of three races gathered together against a common enemy. Despite the sheer number of living souls present, the Camp, practically a small city in its own right, is eerily silent. The cursed blizzard has only intensified with time and your proximity to its point of origin. More than one barrel of water has broken open at the seams after freezing completely, and the troops have been forced to construct bonfires to melt their water supplies and avoid frostbite.
The driving snow impedes visibility, and the freezing winds make any flight more than a few dozen feet above the ground a dangerous proposition. Rumors persist of a Gryphon who flew as high as he could, convinced that, since hot air rises, he would be able to simply fly above the cold. They say he plummeted back to earth like a stone and shattered like an icicle, his body frozen solid. You're sure these are just rumors, especially since you've received no official reports of such an event. Still, it serves as a warning, and a reminder. Until this storm clears up your troops might as well be grounded. Your greatest strategic advantage over your flightless opponents has been effectively removed due to their meteorological meddling.
You've just relayed the latest intelligence from Ravenburg's agents to all the unit commanders. The mood is grim. Even with all of your preparations and Yak reinforcements, the invaders still outnumber you two to one. Even worse, you're facing an army led by a dark magic user of absurd power. You have no idea what kind of tricks or horrific spells he has in his repertoire, but you know that defeating him will be the most difficult and most important task of this war.
Thankfully, your scouts had some good news to deliver. You know exactly where the Army of Darkness (as some in the rank-and-file have been referring to them) will arrive. The Redstone Pass, a relatively narrow gap between the mountains, one of the only passes large enough to accommodate a force of such size.
The only question is, what to do with this information?
Battle Plan
[ ] City Defense: The City of Lanner is the settlement closest to the Redstone Pass, and the likely first target of the invaders. If you move your army there, you can take advantage of the stone walls of the city, as well as the other defenses built up by the citizenry over the past few weeks. It will also give you another day or two to prepare before the enemy arrives. However, this strategy will allow the invaders to march through the Redstone Pass uncontested, and if you retreat you will be abandoning the city to a fate potentially worse than death.
[ ] Rapid Entrenchment: Move your army into the pass to block the enemy's advance. It's your best chance to prevent them from actually entering your heartland and threatening your population centers, and the narrow front would remove some of the enemy's advantage in numbers, preventing them from flanking or encircling you. You'd only have time to establish hastily built defenses: trenches, earthen berms, a wooden palisade, some subterranean explosives, nothing like the high stone walls of a proper fortress. But it might just be enough to halt the invasion.
[ ] Sudden Ambush: There's another option. If you place troops all along the pass in hidden positions, you might be able to launch a surprise attack and hit the enemy column before they realize you are present or have a chance to form proper battle lines. A simultaneous strike from both flanks along the full length of the Pass could catch the enemy between a hammer and anvil with nowhere to escape. But this is a risky gambit. It involves splitting your army in half and placing them along the entire length of the pass. Even if everything goes perfectly, units will be out of communication with each other, and there's a chance the enemy could rally faster than you'd like. You also wouldn't be able to establish overt fortifications, relying on your soldiers and their ability to attack quickly. And if the enemy should detect you before the trap can be sprung...well, you better hope they don't. It's risky, but it's worth consideration at least.
[ ] Write-In
Doomed Wombat
Let's go Darling!
- Location
- Dancing on wires!
We have sappers IIRC.
Can we sabotage the pass? Bring it down on his army's head?
- Location
- Maryland
Planting explosives is one of the actions available to you, yes. But remember, you don't have remote detonators, just fuses, and primitive ones at that.
- Location
- Earth
I like this idea. Maybe bring the walls down on the middle of their army so we can fight them piece-meal?
Doomed Wombat
Let's go Darling!
- Location
- Dancing on wires!
Worst comes to worst we've got these guys to set em off.
Hard to think of a more glorious way to die, exploding and crushing thousand of enemies beneath rock and snow.
- Location
- Germany
Not that helpful.
We kill a few hundreds, or even thousands, and then the still superior army will find other way. Maybe one less advantageous for us.
Since we can't break the moral having them in a funnel like that is a gift we shouldn't squander on a one-shot.
Better to grind them up then and there until Sombra is forced to do something for which he might have to show himself.
[X] Rapid Entrenchment: Move your army into the pass to block the enemy's advance. It's your best chance to prevent them from actually entering your heartland and threatening your population centers, and the narrow front would remove some of the enemy's advantage in numbers, preventing them from flanking or encircling you. You'd only have time to establish hastily built defenses: trenches, earthen berms, a wooden palisade, some subterranean explosives, nothing like the high stone walls of a proper fortress. But it might just be enough to halt the invasion.
Doomed Wombat
Let's go Darling!
- Location
- Dancing on wires!
Why?
Sap the path, and entrench.
If things seem to be going tits up, blow it. Fingers crossed this'll cut off the army letting us retreat, or close off Sombra's escape path if things go well.
- Location
- Italy
so we need volunteers to stay back and start the explosions.
Now who's more likely to escape quickly enough or survive the avalanche/rockslide? I'd say gryphons as they can fly away, but there is this storm in the way...
Can Diamond Dogs dig fast (and deep) enough to escape? Maybe prepare a small tunnel?
I'm pretty sure they'd prefer living though
Well, the "sabotage pass with explosions" can easily be combined with an ambush. We leave most of our army beyond the pass, and wait until half/part of the army has passed to have volunteers explode everything.
Then we have an army splitted in two, and a few thousands dead. We could then ambush the ones that got separated once BEYOND the exploded part, without having a number disadvantage
- Location
- Australia
[X] Rapid Entrenchment: Move your army into the pass to block the enemy's advance. It's your best chance to prevent them from actually entering your heartland and threatening your population centers, and the narrow front would remove some of the enemy's advantage in numbers, preventing them from flanking or encircling you. You'd only have time to establish hastily built defenses: trenches, earthen berms, a wooden palisade, some subterranean explosives, nothing like the high stone walls of a proper fortress. But it might just be enough to halt the invasion.
- Location
- United States
[X] Rapid Entrenchment: Move your army into the pass to block the enemy's advance. It's your best chance to prevent them from actually entering your heartland and threatening your population centers, and the narrow front would remove some of the enemy's advantage in numbers, preventing them from flanking or encircling you. You'd only have time to establish hastily built defenses: trenches, earthen berms, a wooden palisade, some subterranean explosives, nothing like the high stone walls of a proper fortress. But it might just be enough to halt the invasion.
Sappers should work, then. They just have to stay low when flying away.
Doomed Wombat
Let's go Darling!
- Location
- Dancing on wires!
They're supposed to be suicidal soI'm pretty sure they'd prefer living though