It's only just beginning but this quest is already proving to be quite nice! And I enjoyed the battle format! A nice little change from the usual styles. I can't wait for the next part! Keep up the good work lad!
(Side note: Are sidestory's ok? Its fine if not, just curious is all, have a good one!)
It's only just beginning but this quest is already proving to be quite nice! And I enjoyed the battle format! A nice little change from the usual styles. I can't wait for the next part! Keep up the good work lad!
(Side note: Are sidestory's ok? Its fine if not, just curious is all, have a good one!)
[x] A Scout Sentinel, equipped with a missile launcher. (Cost: 55 Requisition)
-55 Requisition (103 -55 = 48 Requisition)
"Something fast enough to keep up with infantry, but still capable of bringing heavy firepower in a pinch," you listed out with a hum. "We sorely lack anti-armor capabilities at the moment, so anything fitting that category would be much welcomed."
Frucht nodded and put a hand to his chin in thought. Then his finger moved to tap against his comm-bead, relaying an order. A few minutes later, the sound of rapidly moving servos filled your ears and you watched a Scout Sentinel bound up to the two officers. Its legs whirred and lowered to allow the control chamber to reach your level. The hatch on top opened and the pilot emerged, curiously still wearing a gas mask despite the sealed cabin. You supposed that with how toxic Armageddon could reportedly get, it was better to be safe than sorry.
They saluted while the captain explained, "This is Corporal Seltz. I'll be putting him under your command for the time being. I trust you can find a use for him and his missile launcher."
"That I can do," you promised and turned to the pilot. "Do you have any issues following the commands of a commander from another regiment?"
"Not in the slightest," replied Seltz with a shake of the head. "I lost my comrades in a skirmish with the rebels the other day, but I would appreciate it if you still used my old squad callsign in the field. I fight on in my comrades' memories, Major."
The Armageddon soldiers looked at you expectantly, perhaps a test of how you'd react to this break in protocol. But honestly, you wouldn't begrudge a man of his honor, especially from a bond through battle. "What would that be?"
"Ghost-3." You nodded and patted your chest in an unspoken vow. "My gratitude, ma'am."
"Scintillia knows very well the weight of such devotion, especially one born of such noble camaraderie. We all spill blood in the name of the Emperor, wherever we are from," you emphasized. "I'll see to it that my officers also respect your callsign. In fact, I'll direct you to them now-"
A squawk burst through the assembled officer comm-beads now that had all tilting their heads. The instructions were clear though and you sighed, shaking your head. "My apologies, but we are summoned. Head up that street there, talk to the one in charge of tossing tubers. Sergeant Raou will see to it that you have whatever you need."
The Sentinel pilot made the sign of the Aquila before lowering and closing the hatch. The walker was on the move a moment later while Frucht raised an eyebrow to ask, "Tossing tubers?"
"Because using real grenades is too much for training."
"I see. Too expensive."
"No, too dangerous. You wouldn't believe how many throw the pin instead."
Both you and him then made haste to headquarters and entered the converted city building. It looked like you were the last ones here, and the captain gave a single nod before moving to join the rest of the staff from Armageddon. You yourself moved to align with your fellow Vaulters, idly checking to make sure your wig was still in place in front of all these distinguished individuals. There was only a brief moment to do so before the Lieutenant General appeared, striding to the front of a command table. When they had confirmed everybody was present, the room's lights dimmed as the illumination was replaced with the green holograms coming from the valuable device.
A servo skull hovering nearby helpfully projected additional information while Meryln began the briefing. "Military intelligence has good and bad news. Let's begin with the important discovery- the rebel hideout has been identified through orbital observation. It's an old fortress in the mountains, one that happens to dominate the range and sits at an intersection of the various routes through." There was a rendition of the fortress now, a mysterious structure that was neatly tucked away and shielded by the crags. "They likely have all their stolen equipment and vehicles here. Destroy it, and the rebels are without the gear to continue their uprising."
"So do it. Bomb the mountains into a plain," an Armageddon officer callously remarked, earning a few looks from the others. You were sure you were among them. "I mean, with the permission of the planetary authorities, of course."
"No need to be that rough!" A fellow admonished with a shake of the head and pointed at the skies around the fortress. "We control the air, we can do saturation bombing without resulting to naval weapons." That earned another reaction, this time of approving grunts from more commanders.
"Unfortunately, we have already tried both," revealed Meryln and the hologram updated with depictions. There was silence when rounds came in from orbit, only to be absorbed by a sudden shield. Meanwhile, miniature aircraft soaring through suddenly were struck out of the air and collided into the mountains.
"Throne on Terra," you softly swore before you could catch yourself.
"My thoughts, and that of the strategists as well," your superior idly added with a shake of the head. "It was a remarkable surprise that such a defensive emplacement exists, especially with such capacities. But no matter. We will simply adapt and use ground troops to assault the position."
This declaration made several shift worryingly, and it did not escape Meryln's notice. Quickly, they began to lay out the factors that certainly made this challenging, and how to tackle them. "The rebels still have a sizable armor presence that will certainly stymie any assault through any way in. They'll be able to setup and surround any breakthrough, meaning that we need to be rid of it." They looked up to meet the gazes of the Armageddon officers. "This is where the 407th comes into play. Using the pretense of a logistics convoy going between cities, we will lure out the rebel armor from their defenses and force them into battle on the plains. This should be a rematch that I think you'll be eager for."
"How can we be sure they'll take the bait?' Frucht quietly pointed out.
"They'll need supplies, ammo, and a quick victory to bolster their forces. It would be too tempting to resist, the opportunity to raid a convoy, especially if it appears only lightly defended. The forces stationed here in the city will be in charge of this initial bait, while those heavy elements elsewhere will make up the hammer when the bait is taken." The map morphed into a simulation of the anticipated battle on the plains, where rebel armor elements were being lured out into a trap set by the Steel Legion. Nearby, the servo skull helpfully displayed the command vehicle that would lead the ambush. "I trust in a straight fight, the Tread Knights will not lose."
The officers from Armageddon chorused affirmatives, some even offended at the idea of their famed armor losing to this rabble. Meanwhile, you had to fight back the smile from the idea of a stealthy Baneblade. Then another brought up a question. "What will the other regiments do in the meantime?"
The hologram refocused back on the fortress, specifically focusing on an area not far from it that should hopefully be a safe staging point. "With their armor out of place, whatever is left should be weak enough for us to assault head-on. The 59th Moebian have already insisted on the honor of making the attempt, and they've certainly earned it after their performance at the power plant. They won't be able to count on their Valkyrie support until those anti-air emplacements but they've reassured me they have other surprises up their sleeves." Merlyn sniffed. "I daresay that something about a few choice vehicles being missing from Back by Forty's stock could provide the answer."
Once again the servo skull provided helpful context in the form of the 'missing' manifest. The Taurox may not exactly be a visually appealing vehicle, but it boasted the firepower and speed to break through a surprised enemy line for the passengers within to get to work. From what you've heard about the Penitents, that very well might just be the opportunity they need. That explained the role of another regiment, leaving only one more left to be discussed. "What of the 99th Grenadiers?"
Meryln turned to you and spoke, "The 99th Grenadiers will be supporting both engagements from our staging area in the mountains. Half our forces will move to support the 407th by destroying the escape routes the rebel armor could flee through, to trap them out of their fortress. The other will remain on reserve and on standby in case an emergency should arise with any situation," they commanded and pressed a button on the command table. It dialed out and now demonstrated, with some flickering, the full deployment plan of Oster-1.
Officers studied it intently, memorizing details and committing them to memory. A few even began to mumble between themselves, volunteering for various roles and assignments. This was noted by the Lieutenant General, who knew the soldiers fought best where they wanted to be. You pressed your lips and considered where best to suggest your unit to.
[ ] [Objective] Destroy the Escape. Fifth Battalion will move in once enemy armor is confirmed to have taken the bait and walked into the trap. They'll collapse the mountain routes to block the retreat for the rebels to force them to face Armageddon.
[ ] [Objective] Contingency Force. Fifth Battalion will be on standby to help respond to any complications or issues that arise. It's almost guaranteed for something to go wrong in a plan of this scale, so don't expect to sit around for nothing.
- Of minor note, forgot to list that pretty much everybody has Frag Grenades. I mean, yeah, it's in the name, but it's good for actual bookkeeping.
- Also on that note, didn't realize that Sergeants actually begin with only a Laspistol- the melee weapon is optional, but because Battlescribe is oriented around actual competitive games, it forces you to take one. Think I'm just going to dump the program at that point and freeball it. Way more fun. We'll keep the chainswords for now regardless.
[ ] [Objective] Destroy the Escape. Fifth Battalion will move in once enemy armor is confirmed to have taken the bait and walked into the trap. They'll collapse the mountain routes to block the retreat for the rebels to force them to face Armageddon.
"Ghost-3." You nodded and patted your chest in an unspoken vow. "My gratitude, ma'am."
"Scintillia knows very well the weight of such devotion, especially one born of such noble camaraderie. We all spill blood in the name of the Emperor, wherever we are from," you emphasized. "I'll see to it that my officers also respect your callsign. In fact, I'll direct you to them now-"
The Sentinel pilot made the sign of the Aquila before lowering and closing the hatch. The walker was on the move a moment later while Frucht raised an eyebrow to ask, "Tossing tubers?"
"Because using real grenades is too much for training."
"I see. Too expensive."
"No, too dangerous. You wouldn't believe how many throw the pin instead."
A servo skull hovering nearby helpfully projected additional information while Meryln began the briefing. "Military intelligence has good and bad news. Let's begin with the important discovery- the rebel hideout has been identified through orbital observation. It's an old fortress in the mountains, one that happens to dominate the range and sits at an intersection of the various routes through." There was a rendition of the fortress now, a mysterious structure that was neatly tucked away and shielded by the crags. "They likely have all their stolen equipment and vehicles here. Destroy it, and the rebels are without the gear to continue their uprising."
"Unfortunately, we have already tried both," revealed Meryln and the hologram updated with depictions. There was silence when rounds came in from orbit, only to be absorbed by a sudden shield. Meanwhile, miniature aircraft soaring through suddenly were struck out of the air and collided into the mountains.
"They'll need supplies, ammo, and a quick victory to bolster their forces. It would be too tempting to resist, the opportunity to raid a convoy, especially if it appears only lightly defended. The forces stationed here in the city will be in charge of this initial bait, while those heavy elements elsewhere will make up the hammer when the bait is taken." The map morphed into a simulation of the anticipated battle on the plains, where rebel armor elements were being lured out into a trap set by the Steel Legion. Nearby, the servo skull helpfully displayed the command vehicle that would lead the ambush. "I trust in a straight fight, the Tread Knights will not lose."
[ ] [Objective] Destroy the Escape. Fifth Battalion will move in once enemy armor is confirmed to have taken the bait and walked into the trap. They'll collapse the mountain routes to block the retreat for the rebels to force them to face Armageddon.
[ ] [Objective] Contingency Force. Fifth Battalion will be on standby to help respond to any complications or issues that arise. It's almost guaranteed for something to go wrong in a plan of this scale, so don't expect to sit around for nothing.
Both options are fine, cutting off the escape does make sense but at the same time, acting as a reserve force could improve the overall campaigns chance of success, you never know what those rebels could be hiding.
So in the end, I vote for the second option.
[X] [Objective] Contingency Force. Fifth Battalion will be on standby to help respond to any complications or issues that arise. It's almost guaranteed for something to go wrong in a plan of this scale, so don't expect to sit around for nothing.
[X] [Objective] Destroy the Escape. Fifth Battalion will move in once enemy armor is confirmed to have taken the bait and walked into the trap. They'll collapse the mountain routes to block the retreat for the rebels to force them to face Armageddon.
[X] [Objective] Contingency Force. Fifth Battalion will be on standby to help respond to any complications or issues that arise. It's almost guaranteed for something to go wrong in a plan of this scale, so don't expect to sit around for nothing.
[X] [Objective] Contingency Force. Fifth Battalion will be on standby to help respond to any complications or issues that arise. It's almost guaranteed for something to go wrong in a plan of this scale, so don't expect to sit around for nothing.
Always interested in a wargaming quest, onwards to glory.
[x] [X] [Objective] Contingency Force. Fifth Battalion will be on standby to help respond to any complications or issues that arise. It's almost guaranteed for something to go wrong in a plan of this scale, so don't expect to sit around for nothing.
Scheduled vote count started by Celeshiro on Nov 19, 2024 at 12:22 AM, finished with 7 posts and 7 votes.
[X] [Objective] Contingency Force. Fifth Battalion will be on standby to help respond to any complications or issues that arise. It's almost guaranteed for something to go wrong in a plan of this scale, so don't expect to sit around for nothing.
[X] [Objective] Destroy the Escape. Fifth Battalion will move in once enemy armor is confirmed to have taken the bait and walked into the trap. They'll collapse the mountain routes to block the retreat for the rebels to force them to face Armageddon.
[X] [Objective] Contingency Force. Fifth Battalion will be on standby to help respond to any complications or issues that arise. It's almost guaranteed for something to go wrong in a plan of this scale, so don't expect to sit around for nothing.
You made your suggestion and Lieutenant General Merlyn noted it without comment. Perhaps a more choleric or zealous leader would make some snide remark about cowardice by volunteering to be in the rear, but your superior knew you well enough otherwise. If you had a feeling that Fifth Battalion was going to be more effective as an emergency response team, then they trusted your instinct.
Though it went without saying that you did hope you were wrong.
The day came and Fifth Battalion once again boarded the Valkyries provided from the 59th Moebian, just with an additional passenger this time. Corporal Seltz joined you in the same aircraft, his steed neatly tucked up with folded legs and attached to the bottom of the transport craft. He was still wearing his gas mask even when the passenger compartment sealed moments before take-off.
He noticed your curious look and his shoulders slumped slightly. "I was the only survivor of my old squad because the enemy thought me dead at a glance. Hard to say they didn't have good reason to believe so, with an ammunition cook-off in my cabin."
That earned a wince and you inclined your head. "My apologies. I don't mean to pry." In the silence that followed, you threw up an attempted platitude, "It sounded like a fierce fight otherwise. But the Emperor must have plans for you otherwise if you survived."
"I suppose so." told the soldier from Armageddon. "Let's hope that after today, I don't have to start adding makeup onto my mask if that gets ruined too."
A snort from Croix nearby helped defuse the atmosphere and you sat back in your seat, letting some of the tension bleed out of your body. You turned your head to watch the passing landscape out of the side watching the open fields morph into mountainous terrain. If you had flown over the bait convoy that Captain Frucht was a part of, you missed it. Maybe you could get a view otherwise from the landing spot coming up ahead.
Unlike before, this wasn't a hot drop and so the Valkyries took their time in unloading their passengers. Your officer coat flapped about you from the fierce wind kicked up by their engines and you had to place a hand against your headpiece to keep it from flying off. Soldiers meanwhile got immediately to work, taking out shovels from their packs to begin digging the planned forward operation base of this stage of the plan. Sandbags were soon being hastily stacked behind ditches while tents of various purposes were set up.
Not everybody who disembarked though were committed to building the temporary headquarters. The ragtag lot that made up the Penitents were already forming up and moving into position around the rebel fortress. They hid and waited, some reported observations of vehicle movement passed up as a confirmation the enemy had taken the bait. A little while later and you could actually see the flashes of light in the distant fields where a vehicle battle was joined.
That was the signal to begin and the order was given. Moments later, the hopefully final suppression of the rebels began.
Almost immediately you knew things had gone wrong when word came through of an intense resistance from the opposition. It was far more than the Penitents had been expecting, even after their shock and awe Taurox rush. Still, they persisted in their attack while you quietly ordered your units onto ready status as quick as possible, just in case.
Then it came. "Starcrest. The attack has stalled, and the 59th Moebian need backup." ordered Merlyn through the comm-bead. "I'm deploying Fifth Battalion to assist."
You saluted. "How can we help?"
"The Penitents have identified the area where the anti-air fire is coming from. Take control of those batteries, it should allow their Valkyries to provide the necessary close air support to break the rebels. Hold them as long as you can, and try to weather the enemy counterattacks best you can. Every moment its not firing at our aircraft is another chance for the 59th to breakthrough!"
"Understood, Lieutenant General. We'll strike as soon as we're ready!"
Briefing: The enemy's anti-air emplacements have been identified. Take to the field and seize control of them for as long as you can to support the battle. Beware enemy infantry, they seem determined to protect their hideout and are breaking out heavy weapons to do so. You are attacking and will go first.
Victory Points (VP): The victory objectives at (Sector 1 E3) and (Sector 4 D6) grants 10 VP each at the end of each turn for the side that controls them The victory objective at (Sector 2 H3) is grants 20 VP at the end of each turn for the side that controls it. - Secondary Objective: Every allied unit in Sector 2 adds one VP at the end of each turn. Every enemy unit in Sector 3 adds a VP at the end of each turn.
-[ ] Breach Cover (2 CP). Let's see how well the tuber practice went. A target enemy does not gain Cover saves until the end of the Shooting phase.
-[ ] Over the Walls (2 CP). Glory to the first to kill! Infantry may reroll their Charge roll.
-[ ] Hold Still Heretic (3 CP).The Moebians are ready to redouble their efforts to draw attention away from you. Use at the start of the enemy turn. They suffer a -1 to Reinforcement rolls this turn.
-[ ] Take Cover (1 CP). All Troopers, hit the dirt! A targeted unit gains a +1 Cover save until end of Shooting phase.
-[ ] Inspired Orders (1 CP). In the Guard, follow the one with the most stars. An officer can immediately issue an additional command after their last one.
-[ ] To the Last (1 CP). Prove yourself worthy of the pin, Sergeant. An infantry squad may roll using a d3 instead of d6 in the Morale phase.
-[ ] Loose Grenadiers (1 CP). Ready grenades! Hurl! An infantry squad may use all Grenade weapons instead of only one when in Shooting or Overwatch.
-[ ] Experienced Eye (1 CP). Show them why experience matters over rank, Veterans. A Veteran squad in the Shooting phase increases -1 AP to all their weapons.
-[ ] Vaulter Precision (1 CP). Chosen and Blooded! A Vaulter unit gains a +1 to Hit for the Shooting phase this turn.
-[ ] Fate Point (1 CP). Sometimes, the gods are amused. Reroll a friendly dice roll.
-[ ] Indomitable Bravery (2 CP).The time to run is gone, now is the time to stand. A unit automatically pass a morale test. Must be activated before a morale test.
-[ ] Heroic Intervention (2 CP).Acts of daring are at home on the battlefield. A unit led by a character within 3" of a friendly unit in a fight may join in the Fight phase.
-[ ] Counter Charge (3 CP). Meet the enemy with equal fury in close combat. A targeted unit strikes first in the Fight phase after an enemy has charged. Must be activated on enemy charge.
- As a reminder, you actually start with 3/4 CP this battle due to having an Armageddon ally. Guess you definitely wanna get value of that.
- Another reminder is that controlling an objective requires being in the tile or being in an adjacent tile, so it's possible to contest if opposing units are near point-blank range. Troops gain priority in that, so consider that.
- The full black tiles/hex is impassable terrain/walls. So not only can units not move through it, it's also blocking line of sight. Let's see how that shakes up your tactics.
- The tiles in blue are your deployment zone for this battle, but note this: the Scout Sentinel has the ability to move immediately upon the start of the battle! I've added how you should mark that out already in the deployment plans if you want Ghost-3 to already be moving ahead.
If I may ask, but does ghost squad (The sentinel with a missiles launcher) have access to frag missiles, or are they strictly krak missiles? Just want to be sure before making a plan.
If I may ask, but does ghost squad (The sentinel with a missiles launcher) have access to frag missiles, or are they strictly krak missiles? Just want to be sure before making a plan.
They hid and waited, some reported observations of vehicle movement passed up as a confirmation the enemy had taken the bait. A little while later and you could actually see the flashes of light in the distant fields where a vehicle battle was joined.
Briefing: The enemy's anti-air emplacements have been identified. Take to the field and seize control of them for as long as you can to support the battle. Beware enemy infantry, they seem determined to protect their hideout and are breaking out heavy weapons to do so. You are attacking and will go first.
Victory Points (VP): The victory objectives at (Sector 1 E3) and (Sector 4 D6) grants 10 VP each at the end of each turn for the side that controls them The victory objective at (Sector 2 H3) is grants 20 VP at the end of each turn for the side that controls it.
- The tiles in blue are your deployment zone for this battle, but note this: the Scout Sentinel has the ability to move immediately upon the start of the battle! I've added how you should mark that out already in the deployment plans if you want Ghost-3 to already be moving ahead.
So, how many tiles can Scout Sentinel move? And what does the symbol on the Delta enemy mean?
For the plan, we should start in the middle and move quickly to capture the objective in S2 H6 to suppress the enemies in the north, and move units from there to take the other two objectives.
My current plan is to hit the enemy hard and hit them fast and seize that center objective, and then we can use our reinforcements (Presuming the die are in our favor) to secure the side objectives while shredding any rebel that dare try's to get past our line of fire and also.
Though I must warn, I don't think I wrote the plan the right way, this is my first time writing a plan in this style before, still I'll post it when the time comes and some folk can hopefully point out what I got wrong in making it. If all else, I'll denote myself to the roll of advisor and side story writer. Let us hope the Emperor (Dice) are with us!
It's to represent the enemy pushing the overall attack back by throwing their forces against your ingress. Meanwhile on the opposite side, the more you have in enemy territory, the more you have 'pushed' into their defenses by drawing their focus.
Scout Sentinels have a move of 9" regularly, which translates into three tiles without choosing to Advance. The symbol Target Delta has is the one used for Heavy Support units, which range from heavy weapons teams to battle tanks. In this case, it's the former.
The symbol Target Delta has is the one used for Heavy Support units, which range from heavy weapons teams to battle tanks. In this case, it's the former.
I'll just say upfront that they're using Heavy Stubbers. It's still nasty in volume, but they can only wound Sentinels on a 5+. Again, still nasty when you're tossing about a lot of dice, but even if they were Heavy Bolters the Armageddon doctrine actually prevents them from knocking off your 4+ armor save.
It's all going to depend on how you deploy and position them in the end because that missile launcher is pretty nasty in its own way. And-
I just check, what the- THE MISSILE LAUNCHER HAS A 48" RANGE. That's 16 tiles...
Could we get an informational post that includes details of the units we have; range, weapon damages, amount of things like grenades, skills, speed, etc.?
Whatever could go wrong? 
