- Pronouns
- He/Him
Your sword and hand cannon are in the truck.
هذه النهاية Thread Two: To Allah We Belong and To Him We Return (Giant Robot Quest)
Usernames
Merc gonna merc ya
Alright, time to cry.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Since that's a fairly important bit, are we able to just keep moving so we're between Qarin and Wamala unless/until we get taken out? Will moving disrupt the barrier too much?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
You're assumed to be moving to be moving to keep yourself between Qarin and Wamala unless you get knocked over/taken out/go switch guns/etc.
Disrupting the barrier is unimportant since Qarin walked around the barrier on its last turn.
(Moving doesn't disrupt the Barrier, which moves with you and guards the same direction it did when you made it. It does, however, make it easier for enemies to approach you from its blind spots.)
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
Hm, do you mean that it always protects that direction, or that frontage? I mean, if we're facing North and project a Barrier, if we turn so we're facing East, does the Barrier turn with us to face East or does it stay facing North?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Remains facing North.
Entropy Judge
Recurring Bouts of Misanthropy
So the more Qarin moves around us, the more we have to reset the Barrier. :/ It would really help if we had (better?) mobility-restriction options.
That's a good combination of statuses!
So does or does not moving to present the barrier to him take stamina points?
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Initial plan, very open to suggestions:
Tang Ying:
[X] Put out the fire (or, y'know, just stand there immobilized. That works too)
Kim Hyun-Soon:
[X] Berserk
Johnathan Alvarez:
[X] Wrath
Umar Ahmed:
[X] Attack with Hammer
Choosing to Wrath this time since our shield trick seems to be running out of steam as Qarin learns that it can be sidestepped.
Tang Ying:
[X] Put out the fire (or, y'know, just stand there immobilized. That works too)
Kim Hyun-Soon:
[X] Berserk
Johnathan Alvarez:
[X] Wrath
Umar Ahmed:
[X] Attack with Hammer
Choosing to Wrath this time since our shield trick seems to be running out of steam as Qarin learns that it can be sidestepped.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It would take stamina. Probably 2, since he's actively maneuvering around it.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Usernames
Merc gonna merc ya
Tang Ying:
[X] Put out the fire (or, y'know, just stand there immobilized. That works too)
Kim Hyun-Soon:
[X] Berserk
Johnathan Alvarez:
[X] Wrath
Umar Ahmed:
[X] Attack with Hammer
[X] Put out the fire (or, y'know, just stand there immobilized. That works too)
Kim Hyun-Soon:
[X] Berserk
Johnathan Alvarez:
[X] Wrath
Umar Ahmed:
[X] Attack with Hammer
Can we use the Wrath to smash him against the shield?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
If you Augmented it a bit you could try, but Qarin's big and strong so knocking him back is hard and even if you succeed that's not going to accomplish a hell of a lot.
Tang Ying:
[X] Put out the fire (or, y'know, just stand there immobilized. That works too)
Kim Hyun-Soon:
[X] Berserk
Johnathan Alvarez:
[X] Wrath
Umar Ahmed:
[X] Attack with Hammer
Well, I don't see a better plan.
[X] Put out the fire (or, y'know, just stand there immobilized. That works too)
Kim Hyun-Soon:
[X] Berserk
Johnathan Alvarez:
[X] Wrath
Umar Ahmed:
[X] Attack with Hammer
Well, I don't see a better plan.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Tang Ying:
[X] Put out the fire (or, y'know, just stand there immobilized. That works too)
Kim Hyun-Soon:
[X] Berserk
Johnathan Alvarez:
[X] Wrath
Umar Ahmed:
[X] Gravity Kick
We might need to dive for the resupply trucks next move, and swap out weapons.
[X] Put out the fire (or, y'know, just stand there immobilized. That works too)
Kim Hyun-Soon:
[X] Berserk
Johnathan Alvarez:
[X] Wrath
Umar Ahmed:
[X] Gravity Kick
We might need to dive for the resupply trucks next move, and swap out weapons.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
OK, so the current system for plans is...unpleasant and not working as intended. As such, new system which will be coming in next update.
Also character sheets are actually ridiculously long for your aces and not necessarily workable with how I'm handling them. Umar's stuff (Provided below because I'm an idiot and forgot to include it in the update) is gonna be...heavily truncated.
New Pilot Abilities:
Umar Ahmed:
Fi Sabilillah!: As a 2 Stamina Action, Umar may roll against his Ghazali Score, opposed by his targets Logic. If successful, the target must target Umar with their next action. This suffers a -20 penalty if the target is in Engagement range with something hostile to them.
Burnout: Umar overloads his Marida's soul-amplifier, resulting in an unfocused release of energy. Everything within Close range of him takes 2*EGS damage. Afterwards his Soul-Field collapses as the Soul-Amplifier recovers from the damage. His EGS is set to 0 for one turn.
This results in Heavy Cost in Developed Areas and Moderate Cost in Undeveloped Areas.
Gravity Kick: When above an opponent, you may take a 3 Stamina Action to drop onto the enemy and use the falling damage you would normally have taken as the damage for an attack. You not take any falling damage from this attack, but for every kilometer you fall you take a -10 penalty to the to-hit roll. If you miss the target, you fall prone. If you have some means of maneuvering while airborne you may ignore this penalty and make the attack at a +10 bonus.
Aegis: Umar may spend EGS to increase his Armor against a single attack. Every Ghazali Point he spends increases his armor by 2.
Ace Mubarizun (Two Handed Melee): Umar Ahmed is capable of a variety of maneuvers while wielding a two-handed melee weapon, including forcing enemies to move, knocking them prone, piercing armor, battering through Soul-based defenses, striking with impossible precision to great effect, and unleashing devastating flurries of blows.
To Smile is Charity: Allies in Engagement range use Umar's bravery skill instead of theirs if Umar's is better, in addition they are better at assisting one another in combat.
More will be revealed when it comes up.
New Robot Abilities:
Sandstorm Sultan:
Sultan's Wing: Sandstorm Sultan has true flight at supersonic speeds. In addition, it can augment a fall, hitting the ground from any height (Including 'Orbital') in a single turn. Moving between normal range bands only ever costs 1 Step. Sandstorm Sultan can reach Orbit under its own power for 6 steps over two turns, but this incurs a Moderate cost and reduces Sandstorm Sultans Ghazali Efficiency by 15% for the rest of the fight.
Soul-Reactor Frame: Melee attacks made in Sandstorm Sultan have +3 Breach
Pilot Rankings and Robot Generations:
Pilots:
Pilots are separated into rough experience levels. At each experience level Pilots gain new abilities and specializations that give them new options in combat, or simply make them better with their existing options. Pilots can advance to Trained purely through training, but must actually be deployed repeatedly to advance further. In addition, some pilots may have other requirements for ranking up, and there may well be consequences to only deploying your most experienced pilots at all times.
Ace: The Elite of the Elite. These pilots have fought and slain many Ma'Jooj. They have incredible abilities on the battlefield and may well be capable of taking on Ma'Jooj solo. Becoming an Ace is more than just a kill-count, and successfully reaching their ranks is an honor held only by a few. There isn't much improvement in the realm of combat to be found once you're reached this rank. Your pre-existing aces are: Umar Ahmed, Usman Usman.
Veteran: These pilots are experienced combatants with several kills under their belt. They're proficient combatants in a Marida with a well-developed skill set and the rigors of combat have become normal to them. Your pre-existing Veteran is: Khadijah Khan
Regular: These pilots are extensively trained and very possibly blooded combatants. They're skilled combatants in a Marida with a basic toolbox of skills, though they aren't quite innured to the rigors of combat. Your pre-existing Regulars are: Amina Usman, Dirk Manderly.
Recruit: These pilots are green, minimal training and little-to-no experience on the battlefield. They have minimal skills and little idea of what they're doing and as a result combat with Ma'Jooj is incredibly dangerous, terrifying, and lethal for them. Your pre-existing Recruits are: Johnathan Alvarez, Raj Rai, Kim Hyun-Soon, Tang Ying
Marida
Marida are also separated into generations based on how 'modern' they are. Old robots tend to be less impressive and more...buggy than more modern bots, while Modern bots occasionally have odd requirements to unleash some of their capabilities.
Unique: These Marida were bizarre one-offs, made of living metal or vat-grown Ma'Jooj or something else that didn't quite make it to mass production, but also allowed them to change and shift themselves as time goes on. Some of these Marida simply keep themselves updated to modern standard, some change functionality based on their pilot, some are just kind of weird. Your Unique Marida are: Mameluke Overrun, Starlight Corsair
Prototype: These Marida are beyond the cutting edge, brand new test-beds that use technologies no other Marida really have access to. They tend to have truly amazing features and only get given to veteran pilots. You don't have any Prototype Marida.
Modern: These Marida are the cutting edge of proven giant robot technology. They tend to be reliable, powerful, and filled with useful features. However, they don't function at full capacity for their new pilots. An acclimatization period, and often enough combat experience, is necessary to discover their full range of abilities. Unless otherwise noted, your Marida are Modern.
Obsolete: These Marida are ancient, four to ten years old. Though technically viable combatants, they're generally improved upon in every way by Modern Marida. However, unlike Modern Marida, Obsolete Marida start with all of their features unlocked and acclimatization is unnecessary. Sandstorm Sultan is Obsolete.
First Gen: These Marida were among the first created by their respective organization. They're ancient, obsolete, near-useless on a modern battlefield. They tend to have all sorts of teething issues that came with Gen One Marida. You don't have any First Gen Marida in your party, and they're unlikely to be piloted by anyone besides allied NPCs.
Also character sheets are actually ridiculously long for your aces and not necessarily workable with how I'm handling them. Umar's stuff (Provided below because I'm an idiot and forgot to include it in the update) is gonna be...heavily truncated.
New Pilot Abilities:
Umar Ahmed:
Fi Sabilillah!: As a 2 Stamina Action, Umar may roll against his Ghazali Score, opposed by his targets Logic. If successful, the target must target Umar with their next action. This suffers a -20 penalty if the target is in Engagement range with something hostile to them.
Burnout: Umar overloads his Marida's soul-amplifier, resulting in an unfocused release of energy. Everything within Close range of him takes 2*EGS damage. Afterwards his Soul-Field collapses as the Soul-Amplifier recovers from the damage. His EGS is set to 0 for one turn.
This results in Heavy Cost in Developed Areas and Moderate Cost in Undeveloped Areas.
Gravity Kick: When above an opponent, you may take a 3 Stamina Action to drop onto the enemy and use the falling damage you would normally have taken as the damage for an attack. You not take any falling damage from this attack, but for every kilometer you fall you take a -10 penalty to the to-hit roll. If you miss the target, you fall prone. If you have some means of maneuvering while airborne you may ignore this penalty and make the attack at a +10 bonus.
Aegis: Umar may spend EGS to increase his Armor against a single attack. Every Ghazali Point he spends increases his armor by 2.
Ace Mubarizun (Two Handed Melee): Umar Ahmed is capable of a variety of maneuvers while wielding a two-handed melee weapon, including forcing enemies to move, knocking them prone, piercing armor, battering through Soul-based defenses, striking with impossible precision to great effect, and unleashing devastating flurries of blows.
To Smile is Charity: Allies in Engagement range use Umar's bravery skill instead of theirs if Umar's is better, in addition they are better at assisting one another in combat.
More will be revealed when it comes up.
New Robot Abilities:
Sandstorm Sultan:
Sultan's Wing: Sandstorm Sultan has true flight at supersonic speeds. In addition, it can augment a fall, hitting the ground from any height (Including 'Orbital') in a single turn. Moving between normal range bands only ever costs 1 Step. Sandstorm Sultan can reach Orbit under its own power for 6 steps over two turns, but this incurs a Moderate cost and reduces Sandstorm Sultans Ghazali Efficiency by 15% for the rest of the fight.
Soul-Reactor Frame: Melee attacks made in Sandstorm Sultan have +3 Breach
Pilot Rankings and Robot Generations:
Pilots:
Pilots are separated into rough experience levels. At each experience level Pilots gain new abilities and specializations that give them new options in combat, or simply make them better with their existing options. Pilots can advance to Trained purely through training, but must actually be deployed repeatedly to advance further. In addition, some pilots may have other requirements for ranking up, and there may well be consequences to only deploying your most experienced pilots at all times.
Ace: The Elite of the Elite. These pilots have fought and slain many Ma'Jooj. They have incredible abilities on the battlefield and may well be capable of taking on Ma'Jooj solo. Becoming an Ace is more than just a kill-count, and successfully reaching their ranks is an honor held only by a few. There isn't much improvement in the realm of combat to be found once you're reached this rank. Your pre-existing aces are: Umar Ahmed, Usman Usman.
Veteran: These pilots are experienced combatants with several kills under their belt. They're proficient combatants in a Marida with a well-developed skill set and the rigors of combat have become normal to them. Your pre-existing Veteran is: Khadijah Khan
Regular: These pilots are extensively trained and very possibly blooded combatants. They're skilled combatants in a Marida with a basic toolbox of skills, though they aren't quite innured to the rigors of combat. Your pre-existing Regulars are: Amina Usman, Dirk Manderly.
Recruit: These pilots are green, minimal training and little-to-no experience on the battlefield. They have minimal skills and little idea of what they're doing and as a result combat with Ma'Jooj is incredibly dangerous, terrifying, and lethal for them. Your pre-existing Recruits are: Johnathan Alvarez, Raj Rai, Kim Hyun-Soon, Tang Ying
Marida
Marida are also separated into generations based on how 'modern' they are. Old robots tend to be less impressive and more...buggy than more modern bots, while Modern bots occasionally have odd requirements to unleash some of their capabilities.
Unique: These Marida were bizarre one-offs, made of living metal or vat-grown Ma'Jooj or something else that didn't quite make it to mass production, but also allowed them to change and shift themselves as time goes on. Some of these Marida simply keep themselves updated to modern standard, some change functionality based on their pilot, some are just kind of weird. Your Unique Marida are: Mameluke Overrun, Starlight Corsair
Prototype: These Marida are beyond the cutting edge, brand new test-beds that use technologies no other Marida really have access to. They tend to have truly amazing features and only get given to veteran pilots. You don't have any Prototype Marida.
Modern: These Marida are the cutting edge of proven giant robot technology. They tend to be reliable, powerful, and filled with useful features. However, they don't function at full capacity for their new pilots. An acclimatization period, and often enough combat experience, is necessary to discover their full range of abilities. Unless otherwise noted, your Marida are Modern.
Obsolete: These Marida are ancient, four to ten years old. Though technically viable combatants, they're generally improved upon in every way by Modern Marida. However, unlike Modern Marida, Obsolete Marida start with all of their features unlocked and acclimatization is unnecessary. Sandstorm Sultan is Obsolete.
First Gen: These Marida were among the first created by their respective organization. They're ancient, obsolete, near-useless on a modern battlefield. They tend to have all sorts of teething issues that came with Gen One Marida. You don't have any First Gen Marida in your party, and they're unlikely to be piloted by anyone besides allied NPCs.
Tang Ying:
[X] Put out the fire (or, y'know, just stand there immobilized. That works too)
Kim Hyun-Soon:
[X] Berserk
Johnathan Alvarez:
[X] Maneuver to keep the barrier between ourselves, Qarin, and the outpost, between outpost and Qarin if all three aren't possible.
---[X] Attack with Wrath if Umar gets the full attention of Qarin.
Umar Ahmed:
[X] Gravity drop.
I don't know if attacking with wrath is the best idea. Our primary objective is still to defend the outpost,, and Umar is entering the battlespace right now, but may need a turn to get Qarin attention. Plus Qarin is currently pissed at us, meaning we kinda want to avoid getting killed. Once Umar is fully in the battlefield it'll probably be safe to drop the barrier but until then I would want it up and between the outpost and the fire spewer, as the VIPs still need 3 turns.
Umar should probably gravity drop kick considering he can maneuver (full flight capabilities unless sandstorm is a different mech) meaning he probably can hit. Also would probably instantly get the full attention of Qarin onto Umar, which is what we want so the other people can calm down/ stop being on fire/ evacuate/ be range support.
[X] Put out the fire (or, y'know, just stand there immobilized. That works too)
Kim Hyun-Soon:
[X] Berserk
Johnathan Alvarez:
[X] Maneuver to keep the barrier between ourselves, Qarin, and the outpost, between outpost and Qarin if all three aren't possible.
---[X] Attack with Wrath if Umar gets the full attention of Qarin.
Umar Ahmed:
[X] Gravity drop.
I don't know if attacking with wrath is the best idea. Our primary objective is still to defend the outpost,, and Umar is entering the battlespace right now, but may need a turn to get Qarin attention. Plus Qarin is currently pissed at us, meaning we kinda want to avoid getting killed. Once Umar is fully in the battlefield it'll probably be safe to drop the barrier but until then I would want it up and between the outpost and the fire spewer, as the VIPs still need 3 turns.
Umar should probably gravity drop kick considering he can maneuver (full flight capabilities unless sandstorm is a different mech) meaning he probably can hit. Also would probably instantly get the full attention of Qarin onto Umar, which is what we want so the other people can calm down/ stop being on fire/ evacuate/ be range support.
Witness! Qarin! (Part Five)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Witness! Qarin! (Part Five)
"Hit it as hard as you can, you only need to hold for a little longer."
"I'm not sure how well that's going to work-"
"Thirty seconds, Pilot Alvarez. Insha'allah you can do it."
A stream of lava hits Marauder Valiant's left arm, turning it to slag that runs freely down the mech's side. The fires wracking Valiant's body intensify, Tang Ying's face goes sheet white, but he grits his teeth and raises his gatling cannon with his good arm in an attempt to draw a bead. Kim gives a bestial yell, mimicked at ground-shaking volumes by Shockwave Cascade, and charges in again. Qarin's soul changes in reaction. Solidifes. Becomes visible even to the naked eye, and Shockwave's blows simply slide off. Qarin's head swivels towards her and you yell a warning as it spits. She doesn't seem to hear you or register your voice but she hops backwards, dodging the blast but leaving nothing between you and Qarin.
Qarin bulls forwards, throwing its supersonic haymakers. You pull backwards, evading one blow, then another as you refocus and weaponize your soul. The mindset is difficult, nothing like the sims. Repurposing everything that makes you who you are into a killing tool isn't something to be done lightly, and as you desperately dodge you're increasingly unsure that you're capable of it outside of the sims.
Then Qarin punches you in the legs. It feels like someone took a baseball bat to your knees for a few rounds. One of your shins bruises instantly, and you suppress a scream as your legs begin to burn. You nearly fall, but years of freerunning and the like with Sam kick in, you turn the tumble into a roll and come back up swinging. Your barrier, useless in its current position, dissipates and fear and pain are replaced by simple, single-minded Wrath. Anger at what it did to Kim, anger at what it did to you, anger at what it did to Tang, anger at what it is trying to do, for ruining your day, for the existence of Ma'Jooj in general. You are, suddenly, angrier than you've ever been in your life
You step forwards, molten armor dripping from your legs, and slam a fist into Qarin's solidified soul, pitting your very beings against each other. It buckles. His buckles, then flickers as it absorbs the blow. You can feel his surprise, then anger as he throws another punch your way. You pull backwards, too slow, only for Shockwave to leap forwards and punch it away from you.
"Success," says Baibars, "Here comes the cavalry."
There's a flash of black and gold, trailed by red, in the sky above. An audio channel opens, Umar's voice broadcasting loud and clear. "Umar Ahmed, Sandstorm Sultan, striking Fi Sabilillah!" yells Umar, then Qarin's engulfed in an explosion. You see Shockwave drop to all fours and brace itself as the shockwave rolls over it, then you're forced back a step and a half as you're engulfed by the shockwave and dust cloud. There's a massive shattering sound, you feel Qarin's soul break, then shrink in recoil from the injury.
When the dust clears a massive Marida, easily a head-and-a-half taller than Penitent, stands in a deep crater with Qarin. It's black with splashes of white, blue light glows past cracks in its armor, a golden crest adorns its forehead, and a massive red scarf trails behind it. It wields a titanic hammer in both hands, striking Qarin with vicious efficiency as streams of Lava splash off of its soul. A huge section of Qarin's torso explodes away from it in a shower of gore, you get a glimpse of something deep in its body, a small, black organ scarcely larger than your cockpit, before it regenerates the wound with impossible speed and starts limping away from Outpost Wamala.
Sandstorm Sultan turns back towards you. Umar gains a video-screen to accompany the audio. He looks worried, incredibly so, and brightens up immediately when he sees that you're all alive. "I wasn't too late. You're all alright," he says, "Alhamdulillah. Please, try to stay behind me here on out, and yell if you need help. Ya Akhi, what's our plan from here?"
Right, next update is going to be the last in this fight, and in the name of my sanity we're moving to a much looser system for plans and shit here on out. Give a rough outline of your plan and what you're trying to accomplish, I'll do my best to carry it out over multiple turns, we'll have fewer updates and hopefully they'll flow more smoothly. Also Imma go back to cutting out the Turn Summaries and just stick with fight summaries.
Qarin is Legging it, give me a plan for the rest of the fight:
[ ] This is a clusterfuck, let it run. You need to recoup. (Try to calm down Shockwave and Kim and call this a victory)
[ ] Yes, letRei Umar do it. (Umar goes for a solo takedown, John tries to bring Shockwave and Kim out of Berserk)
[ ] Stick to ranged combat and try to bring it down before it escapes. (Read the fucking option you nitwit.)
[ ] Write-In
Turn Summary
Tang Ying fails to douse himself. Attack of Opportunity hits his left arm. Catches fire again. Critical Momentum rises to +3, Arm is Vaporized, Tang Ying gains stress, strain, Ghazali Score. EGS is now 5.5.
Qarin swings and misses at Johnathan
Kim Hyun-Soon swings but Qarin activates its Absolute Defense (Resilient Barrier), which negates the barrage without issue. Shockwave Cascade burns a little. Qarin hits with an AoO but Kim evades.
Qarin Punches Johnathan. Critical Hit, Penitents Legs are Smouldering, John Synch-Disrupts for +5 and gains 2 Strain. Johnathan is On Fire. His EGS is now 9.3.
Umar delays his Orbital Drop in the hope that the Absolute Defense will drop soon.
Johnathan uses Wrath, the Absolute Defense absorbs it, losing 1 Power.
Qarin punches Johnathan, but Johnathan successfully evades!
Umar drops and uses Gravity Kick on Qarin, destroying his Absolute Defense! Qarin's Defense is shattered and he now only gains 1 ATP per round. Umar's status as an Ace allows him to make an Attack of Opportunity whenever an opponents Absolute Defense is broken! He deals a Critical Hit for 11 Explosive Damage to Qarin's body, destroying it. Qarin uses his only Intercession to negate the hit! Qarin's critical momentum raises to +3.
Qarin decides that this probably isn't finishing in his favor, begins attempting to retreat. He moves into Close Range.
Fight Summary:
Tang Ying: Marauder Valiant, acting Initiative: 11. Stamina: ⅓ Armament: 300 CM Gatling Cannon. Refit: 440 CM Mark 1 Railgun. 1 Fatigue, 2 Strain, 2/35 Stress Critical Momentum: +3. Is on fire.
Kim Hyun-Soon: Shockwave Cascade, acting Initiative: 10. Stamina: 0/3. Armament: Inbuilt Pilebunkers. Refit: Hyper-Exothermic Gauntlets. Destroyed: Pilebunker Spear. Strain: 1 Critical Momentum: +2. 9/25 Stress. 1 Injury. Is On Fire. Is Berserk.
Johnathan Alvarez: Righteous Penitent. Acting Initiative: 9. Stamina: 1/3 Armament: 240 CM Mark 3 Assault Rifle. Refit: Tesla Sword and 300 CM Handcannon. Fatigue: 1, EGS 9.3. Critical Momentum: +1. Is on fire.
Umar Ahmed: Sandstorm Sultan. Acting Initiative: 10. Stamina: 0/3Armament: Payload Hammer. Refit: None.
Enemy Forces:
Qarin. Stamina: 1/4 -2 Strength. Absolute Defense: Resilient Barrier (Absorbs all attacks until de-activated. Attacks that do more than four damage reduce Power by 1. Resilient Barrier de-activates when Power reaches 0) . Absolute Defense Broken. 0/1 Intercessions remaining. Critical Momentum: +3.
Cost: 12
Relational Ranges:
Qarin is at Long Range to Outpost Wamala
Qarin is at Tactical range to Marauder Valiant, Close Range to Righteous Penitent, Sandstorm Sultan, and Shockwave Cascade
Objectives:
Ensure that Outpost Wamala is not destroyed until VIPs are Evacuated (2 Turns Left)
Repulse or Slay Qarin
Bonus Objectives:
Ensure the survival of Outpost Wamala
Immobilize Qarin (Failure)
New Pilot Abilities:
Umar Ahmed:
Fi Sabilillah!: As a 2 Stamina Action, Umar may roll against his Ghazali Score, opposed by his targets Logic. If successful, the target must target Umar with their next action. This suffers a -20 penalty if the target is in Engagement range with something hostile to them.
Burnout: Umar overloads his Marida's soul-amplifier, resulting in an unfocused release of energy. Everything within Close range of him takes 2*EGS damage. Afterwards his Soul-Field collapses as the Soul-Amplifier recovers from the damage. His EGS is set to 0 for one turn.
This results in Heavy Cost in Developed Areas and Moderate Cost in Undeveloped Areas.
Gravity Kick: When above an opponent, you may take a 3 Stamina Action to drop onto the enemy and use the falling damage you would normally have taken as the damage for an attack. You not take any falling damage from this attack, but for every kilometer you fall you take a -10 penalty to the to-hit roll. If you miss the target, you fall prone. If you have some means of maneuvering while airborne you may ignore this penalty and make the attack at a +10 bonus.
Aegis: Umar may spend EGS to increase his Armor against a single attack. Every Ghazali Point he spends increases his armor by 2.
Ace Mubarizun (Two Handed Melee): Umar Ahmed is capable of a variety of maneuvers while wielding a two-handed melee weapon, including forcing enemies to move, knocking them prone, piercing armor, battering through Soul-based defenses, striking with impossible precision to great effect, and unleashing devastating flurries of blows.
To Smile is Charity: Allies in Engagement range use Umar's bravery skill instead of theirs if Umar's is better, in addition they are better at assisting one another in combat.
More will be revealed when it comes up.
New Robot Abilities:
Sandstorm Sultan:
Sultan's Wing: Sandstorm Sultan has true flight at supersonic speeds. In addition, it can augment a fall, hitting the ground from any height (Including 'Orbital') in a single turn. Moving between normal range bands only ever costs 1 Step. Sandstorm Sultan can reach Orbit under its own power for 6 steps over two turns, but this incurs a Moderate cost and reduces Sandstorm Sultans Ghazali Efficiency by 15% for the rest of the fight.
Soul-Reactor Frame: Melee attacks made by Sandstorm Sultan have +3 Breach
"Hit it as hard as you can, you only need to hold for a little longer."
"I'm not sure how well that's going to work-"
"Thirty seconds, Pilot Alvarez. Insha'allah you can do it."
A stream of lava hits Marauder Valiant's left arm, turning it to slag that runs freely down the mech's side. The fires wracking Valiant's body intensify, Tang Ying's face goes sheet white, but he grits his teeth and raises his gatling cannon with his good arm in an attempt to draw a bead. Kim gives a bestial yell, mimicked at ground-shaking volumes by Shockwave Cascade, and charges in again. Qarin's soul changes in reaction. Solidifes. Becomes visible even to the naked eye, and Shockwave's blows simply slide off. Qarin's head swivels towards her and you yell a warning as it spits. She doesn't seem to hear you or register your voice but she hops backwards, dodging the blast but leaving nothing between you and Qarin.
Qarin bulls forwards, throwing its supersonic haymakers. You pull backwards, evading one blow, then another as you refocus and weaponize your soul. The mindset is difficult, nothing like the sims. Repurposing everything that makes you who you are into a killing tool isn't something to be done lightly, and as you desperately dodge you're increasingly unsure that you're capable of it outside of the sims.
Then Qarin punches you in the legs. It feels like someone took a baseball bat to your knees for a few rounds. One of your shins bruises instantly, and you suppress a scream as your legs begin to burn. You nearly fall, but years of freerunning and the like with Sam kick in, you turn the tumble into a roll and come back up swinging. Your barrier, useless in its current position, dissipates and fear and pain are replaced by simple, single-minded Wrath. Anger at what it did to Kim, anger at what it did to you, anger at what it did to Tang, anger at what it is trying to do, for ruining your day, for the existence of Ma'Jooj in general. You are, suddenly, angrier than you've ever been in your life
You step forwards, molten armor dripping from your legs, and slam a fist into Qarin's solidified soul, pitting your very beings against each other. It buckles. His buckles, then flickers as it absorbs the blow. You can feel his surprise, then anger as he throws another punch your way. You pull backwards, too slow, only for Shockwave to leap forwards and punch it away from you.
"Success," says Baibars, "Here comes the cavalry."
There's a flash of black and gold, trailed by red, in the sky above. An audio channel opens, Umar's voice broadcasting loud and clear. "Umar Ahmed, Sandstorm Sultan, striking Fi Sabilillah!" yells Umar, then Qarin's engulfed in an explosion. You see Shockwave drop to all fours and brace itself as the shockwave rolls over it, then you're forced back a step and a half as you're engulfed by the shockwave and dust cloud. There's a massive shattering sound, you feel Qarin's soul break, then shrink in recoil from the injury.
When the dust clears a massive Marida, easily a head-and-a-half taller than Penitent, stands in a deep crater with Qarin. It's black with splashes of white, blue light glows past cracks in its armor, a golden crest adorns its forehead, and a massive red scarf trails behind it. It wields a titanic hammer in both hands, striking Qarin with vicious efficiency as streams of Lava splash off of its soul. A huge section of Qarin's torso explodes away from it in a shower of gore, you get a glimpse of something deep in its body, a small, black organ scarcely larger than your cockpit, before it regenerates the wound with impossible speed and starts limping away from Outpost Wamala.
Sandstorm Sultan turns back towards you. Umar gains a video-screen to accompany the audio. He looks worried, incredibly so, and brightens up immediately when he sees that you're all alive. "I wasn't too late. You're all alright," he says, "Alhamdulillah. Please, try to stay behind me here on out, and yell if you need help. Ya Akhi, what's our plan from here?"
Right, next update is going to be the last in this fight, and in the name of my sanity we're moving to a much looser system for plans and shit here on out. Give a rough outline of your plan and what you're trying to accomplish, I'll do my best to carry it out over multiple turns, we'll have fewer updates and hopefully they'll flow more smoothly. Also Imma go back to cutting out the Turn Summaries and just stick with fight summaries.
Qarin is Legging it, give me a plan for the rest of the fight:
[ ] This is a clusterfuck, let it run. You need to recoup. (Try to calm down Shockwave and Kim and call this a victory)
[ ] Yes, let
[ ] Stick to ranged combat and try to bring it down before it escapes. (Read the fucking option you nitwit.)
[ ] Write-In
Turn Summary
Tang Ying fails to douse himself. Attack of Opportunity hits his left arm. Catches fire again. Critical Momentum rises to +3, Arm is Vaporized, Tang Ying gains stress, strain, Ghazali Score. EGS is now 5.5.
Qarin swings and misses at Johnathan
Kim Hyun-Soon swings but Qarin activates its Absolute Defense (Resilient Barrier), which negates the barrage without issue. Shockwave Cascade burns a little. Qarin hits with an AoO but Kim evades.
Qarin Punches Johnathan. Critical Hit, Penitents Legs are Smouldering, John Synch-Disrupts for +5 and gains 2 Strain. Johnathan is On Fire. His EGS is now 9.3.
Umar delays his Orbital Drop in the hope that the Absolute Defense will drop soon.
Johnathan uses Wrath, the Absolute Defense absorbs it, losing 1 Power.
Qarin punches Johnathan, but Johnathan successfully evades!
Umar drops and uses Gravity Kick on Qarin, destroying his Absolute Defense! Qarin's Defense is shattered and he now only gains 1 ATP per round. Umar's status as an Ace allows him to make an Attack of Opportunity whenever an opponents Absolute Defense is broken! He deals a Critical Hit for 11 Explosive Damage to Qarin's body, destroying it. Qarin uses his only Intercession to negate the hit! Qarin's critical momentum raises to +3.
Qarin decides that this probably isn't finishing in his favor, begins attempting to retreat. He moves into Close Range.
Fight Summary:
Tang Ying: Marauder Valiant, acting Initiative: 11. Stamina: ⅓ Armament: 300 CM Gatling Cannon. Refit: 440 CM Mark 1 Railgun. 1 Fatigue, 2 Strain, 2/35 Stress Critical Momentum: +3. Is on fire.
Kim Hyun-Soon: Shockwave Cascade, acting Initiative: 10. Stamina: 0/3. Armament: Inbuilt Pilebunkers. Refit: Hyper-Exothermic Gauntlets. Destroyed: Pilebunker Spear. Strain: 1 Critical Momentum: +2. 9/25 Stress. 1 Injury. Is On Fire. Is Berserk.
Johnathan Alvarez: Righteous Penitent. Acting Initiative: 9. Stamina: 1/3 Armament: 240 CM Mark 3 Assault Rifle. Refit: Tesla Sword and 300 CM Handcannon. Fatigue: 1, EGS 9.3. Critical Momentum: +1. Is on fire.
Umar Ahmed: Sandstorm Sultan. Acting Initiative: 10. Stamina: 0/3Armament: Payload Hammer. Refit: None.
Enemy Forces:
Qarin. Stamina: 1/4 -2 Strength. Absolute Defense: Resilient Barrier (Absorbs all attacks until de-activated. Attacks that do more than four damage reduce Power by 1. Resilient Barrier de-activates when Power reaches 0) . Absolute Defense Broken. 0/1 Intercessions remaining. Critical Momentum: +3.
Cost: 12
Relational Ranges:
Qarin is at Long Range to Outpost Wamala
Qarin is at Tactical range to Marauder Valiant, Close Range to Righteous Penitent, Sandstorm Sultan, and Shockwave Cascade
Objectives:
Ensure that Outpost Wamala is not destroyed until VIPs are Evacuated (2 Turns Left)
Repulse or Slay Qarin
Bonus Objectives:
Ensure the survival of Outpost Wamala
New Pilot Abilities:
Umar Ahmed:
Fi Sabilillah!: As a 2 Stamina Action, Umar may roll against his Ghazali Score, opposed by his targets Logic. If successful, the target must target Umar with their next action. This suffers a -20 penalty if the target is in Engagement range with something hostile to them.
Burnout: Umar overloads his Marida's soul-amplifier, resulting in an unfocused release of energy. Everything within Close range of him takes 2*EGS damage. Afterwards his Soul-Field collapses as the Soul-Amplifier recovers from the damage. His EGS is set to 0 for one turn.
This results in Heavy Cost in Developed Areas and Moderate Cost in Undeveloped Areas.
Gravity Kick: When above an opponent, you may take a 3 Stamina Action to drop onto the enemy and use the falling damage you would normally have taken as the damage for an attack. You not take any falling damage from this attack, but for every kilometer you fall you take a -10 penalty to the to-hit roll. If you miss the target, you fall prone. If you have some means of maneuvering while airborne you may ignore this penalty and make the attack at a +10 bonus.
Aegis: Umar may spend EGS to increase his Armor against a single attack. Every Ghazali Point he spends increases his armor by 2.
Ace Mubarizun (Two Handed Melee): Umar Ahmed is capable of a variety of maneuvers while wielding a two-handed melee weapon, including forcing enemies to move, knocking them prone, piercing armor, battering through Soul-based defenses, striking with impossible precision to great effect, and unleashing devastating flurries of blows.
To Smile is Charity: Allies in Engagement range use Umar's bravery skill instead of theirs if Umar's is better, in addition they are better at assisting one another in combat.
More will be revealed when it comes up.
New Robot Abilities:
Sandstorm Sultan:
Sultan's Wing: Sandstorm Sultan has true flight at supersonic speeds. In addition, it can augment a fall, hitting the ground from any height (Including 'Orbital') in a single turn. Moving between normal range bands only ever costs 1 Step. Sandstorm Sultan can reach Orbit under its own power for 6 steps over two turns, but this incurs a Moderate cost and reduces Sandstorm Sultans Ghazali Efficiency by 15% for the rest of the fight.
Soul-Reactor Frame: Melee attacks made by Sandstorm Sultan have +3 Breach
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[X] Yes, let Umar do it. (Umar goes for a solo takedown, John tries to bring Shockwave and Kim out of Berserk)
-[X] Also try to put out the fires.
Umar's statted for melee, and he can actually do a good amount of damage to Qarin. We, on the other hand, are currently on fire. I don't think we'll be the difference between taking it down or not, whereas calming down the Berserk should be actually useful.
-[X] Also try to put out the fires.
Umar's statted for melee, and he can actually do a good amount of damage to Qarin. We, on the other hand, are currently on fire. I don't think we'll be the difference between taking it down or not, whereas calming down the Berserk should be actually useful.
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