I acknowledge that their sorcerer trying a blind jump is a risk. But a small one, and one that can be reduced by targeting them first. It's good tactical sense anyway because they are probably the leader.
There are things a whole lot worse then some bullets in the Nevernever. Especially considering how negative of a place they will be jumping from.
But take our time? No. We aren't a scared scavenger trailing behind, hoping to pick up the scraps. We are the hammer, here to trap them against the anvil and crush them between. They are going to be engaging an enemy in one direction. They are going to be taking losses and dealing with that unfamiliar base with unfamiliar hazards while watching out for any lurking opposition. We are going to be the ones who come in from behind and smash them right when they think they are winning.
And if they run (if they even can run with us between them and the exit) then we hunt them down.
There is a time and place for mercy. This is hardly moral crusading. It is merely an elegant method to accomplish multiple goals. Arranging the death of a red court strike team is both helpful for the big picture (these are hardly mooks), and is the most efficient way to accomplish our goal (get the gossamer).
1)Not an issue. Sorcerers are not needed to cross into the NeverNever if you're a Rampire.
2)No. You do not plan on racing through an enemy base. Just the very fact that you dont know the layout would slow you down, let alone the potential for actual ambushes, boobytraps and roaming defensive constructs.
We are fucking tanky, but we have certain glaring weaknesses in our combat suite.
3)I dont agree. I want the bonus XP, but Im under no illusions about how fast Rampires can afford to replace foot soldiers.
And prioritizing the death of a Rampire C.A.T over the potential rescue of civilians or the rescue of what gossamer stockpiles are here is in my opinion, a terrible idea
You only maneuver two enemies into a fight when you can live with the worstcase options, because Murphy has a say.
Alright, I admit I have only read half the books, but this doesn't really line up with what I remember? Can random Red Court vampires really open ways like that? Just, anytime they kill a bunch of people? Especially with that level of ease?
Because doing it underwater and in the middle of combat seems like it would be something that would be challenging for even the average wizard.
I would like to note: All of this seems to be assuming that the Red Court will even win here. Yes they seem to think so, but they aren't omniscient, and chance has it's role to play.
Furthermore all of your plan hinges on us being able to browbeat all the vampires into following us. And yes we have amazing exalted tier social rolls. But it's not mind control. At best we can have them more terrified of us then anything else, but even then that is a very fragile sort of control.
Simply speaking, every extra complication in a plan is a point where it can fail. Teaming up with the vampires introduces a lot of extra complications.
1)Its not shown much onscreen because of the War. But as far as we are shown, yes.
I'll explain.
Red Court vampires are vulnerable to sunlight, and they dont have very many sorcerers; see Dresden's surprise at Bianca being able to use magic. Even six hundred year old warlords like Paolo Ortega had no magic.
Outside of the big fight in Changes, we only ever see two Red spell-users: Bianca St Claire and Arianna Ortega.
Furthermore, only really old Rampires have fleshmasks that can withstand daylight.
So if they need to travel anywhere at speed, they cant just take a plane; its via the NeverNever.
Which means opening Way gates has to be a basic capability.
We do see in Grave Peril that Bianca St Claire's mansion is explicitly a Way entrypoint.
Dresden uses it. And gets ambushed when trying to sneak onto the estate because the Reds know its a Way gate, have used it recently, and are watching it. (Back then Dresden knew fuckall about vampires)
2) There's other examples with the Reds.
Paolo Ortega was present during the final confrontation between Dresden and Bianca in Grave Peril, and escapes from Chicago after Dresden kills off Bianca's entire court in the final battle.
He's once again in Chicago for the second and final time in Death Masks to duel Dresden, and flees to Casaverde to survive the Archive after he cheats at the duel; he was not a sorcerer, and while married to one, he had no sorcerer on staff when he came to Chicago. Yet he brought a hit team with him. By elimination, he could open a Way.
Secondly.
The Eebs show up in Chicago with a hit squad of Red Court vamps, a devourer/Ick demon the size of a bull and no sorcerer on their team in Changes, meaning they travelled the Ways as well. No sorcerer means they had to be able to open the Ways just fine.
3)If the Reds dont win, the Fomor do. And the Fomor are
amphibious.
We arent(yet), nor do we have any ranged attack options or tracking spells(yet). They slip into the water and they are gone.
So yes, Im assuming the Reds win. Else we might as well go home right now.
4)Yes, I am confident we can intimidate them.
Because we literally did it to a vampire in this story arc back in Update 10, so Im confident we can do it to the rest of them.
Its a proven ability which should work just fine against opposition of this level. Backed up by a Sword? Yees.
The only person who I think might be able to resist is the boss, Don whatever.
And if he does and challenges us, we kill him.
Pour encourageur les autres.
