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Hakazin Plays: Mods for Hearts of Iron 4 (Old World Blues) (ON HIATUS)

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Skellies would probably be best then. If I recall don't we declare war on everything at once at some point? Filling the frontline will be be more important then.
 
[X] The Coven of Blood

Better ten legions armed with bolt-action rifles than a hundred armed with muskets.
 
Frankfawn43 said:
Skellies would probably be best then. If I recall don't we declare war on everything at once at some point? Filling the frontline will be be more important then.
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Yeah, but by then the people we declare on will probably still have a major tech advantage over us and will need every bit of quality to prevent them from just breaking through and encircling our army.
 
[X] The Society Of Bones

The leader of the Dread League is a Necromancer, not a Vampire. As such, I think it is only fitting that the organization representing Necromancy be favored.
 
So...

Sombra's back?

Well, more chaos among our eventual enemies is good.

What's bad is by the time that we bring the Black Crusade onto the Equestrian Continent, someone will likely have come out on top. I don't particularly fancy running face first into a fully mobilized Solar Empire/Changeling Hegemony/Soviet Union/Whatever.
 
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Dread League 3
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    • [X] The Coven of Blood



    Although the Society of Bones more closely matched up with Rosa's interests, the Coven were much more useful in the long term. Vampires had 'merely' superpony capabilities, but those abilities were consistent, unlike the madponies' creations that the Society produced, and the modern world could easily defeat a massed horde. Quality would be needed in order to triumph over the breathers.



    "Chaos struck the local Barding & Neighs today as a number of undead creatures assaulted the bookstore. Although they were driven off with the surprise help of author A. K. Yearling, who was there at a book-signing event, the creatures were reported to have stolen a signed copy of Daring's latest book. Apparently, even undead monstrosities enjoy a good pulp adventure."



    Rosa, now an unofficial member of the Society, quickly got to work. Being on an analytical mind, her focus was on hard capabilities. How strong were vampires? Which of their more specific abilities were fact and which were fiction? What of their weaknesses? Were there any countermeasures?



    Despite her focus, Rosa's studies were interrupted. A powerful surge of dark magic had been noticed by… well, by pretty much everypony in the League. With many of the League's more powerful sorcerers refusing to cooperate with Rosa in wake of her siding with the Coven, it would likely take some time unti-



    Oh.

    Well, that would do it. It appears that the Elements of Harmony had not been as thorough as they had claimed, and the mythical King Sombra had come to reclaim his throne. Never one for subtlety, his return was announced by a massive projection of himself appearing above Crystal City, declaring the 'Return of the King' and the imminent destruction of the usurper Cadence.



    The event has provoked a massive response in the Equestrian government. With government in deadlock over a civil rights crisis, Sombra's return caught them completely by surprise. Princess Celestia has responded by invoking her executive privilege and firing most of the Equestrian General Staff.



    But that's enough of that. Rosa has begun to try to teach the nobility of the modern way. It is… proceeding slowly, but proceeding nonetheless, with certain vampires taking to modern technology like a fish to water. Or, at least, certain aspects of it. Apparently trenchcoats have become very popular amongst the unliving nobility?



    I am relieved, yet somehow... disappointed.



    With the troops mobilized, Equestria moved to intervene against the King of Shadows. With Cadence's forces nearly crushed, the respective armies are approximately equal in strength and size. However, the ponies have not faced a proper war in living memory, and Sombra's dark magic gives him a sizable advantage.

    And on that ominous note, I will end today's update.
     
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    • Okay then.

    Yeah, this could go either way for us. A best case scenario for us, I believe, would be the Equestrians expending most of their strength in crushing Sombra, only to get crushed in turn by the Changelings, who collapse shortly thereafter. Hopefully, that state of chaos would still be in place be the time we mop up Griffonia and turn to our leader's homeland.

    So, I fully expect us to face a fully mobilized Equestria, Crystal Empire, or Changeling Hegemony when we take the Black Crusade to their shores. Somepony will come out on top, and they will not appreciate our goals of omnicide.
     
    Hmm well its just Sombra, it could be far worse. After all not like its Nightmare moon, Daybreaker or Triek are loose and running around.
     
    Shadowhisker said:
    So, I fully expect us to face a fully mobilized Equestria, Crystal Empire, or Changeling Hegemony when we take the Black Crusade to their shores. Somepony will come out on top, and they will not appreciate our goals of omnicide.
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    If we can face against them, it means we got most of our own continent and that'd be a feat already.
     
    No update today, as my cold has reached the stage where it feels like I've got spiders everywhere. However, if you want something entertaining, you can go watch Conquering History Games show off what you guys missed out on in Stalliongrad.

    SANDERS GANG BEST GANG

     
    Hakazin said:
    No update today, as my cold has reached the stage where it feels like I've got spiders everywhere. However, if you want something entertaining, you can go watch Conquering History Games show off what you guys missed out on in Stalliongrad.

    SANDERS GANG BEST GANG

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    holy shit this is literally that simpsons clip


    This is the best HOI4 twist since Red World's 'Bernie Sanders does 9/11'.
     
    tankdrop24 said:
    holy shit this is literally that simpsons clip


    This is the best HOI4 twist since Red World's 'Bernie Sanders does 9/11'.
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    Oh, I know. If you want a laugh, look over some of the old posts for invisitext. You might find it illuminating.
    Hakazin said:
    RIGHT. Forgot to spell it out in the original post, but [X] The Supreme Soviet Supports Altidiya will lock you into the Dark Wing path.
    SANDERS GANG BEST GANG


    This is the Dark Wing path. It does not look terrifically entertaining.
    SANDERS GANG BEST GANG
    Think very carefully before you pick it.
    SANDERS GANG BEST GANG
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    Also, updates will be delayed for another day. I've got a bit of a scheduling conflict this afternoon, but I promise you'll get a extra-big update over the weekend.
     
    Dread League 4
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    • Where we left off, the Equestrians had just declared war upon Sombra's forces, despite being likely outmatched.



    Of course, such petty distractions are hardly worthy of Rosa Maledicta's time. Instead, she has decided that many of the Coven's policies on 'recruitment' are outdated and should be done away with. Turning a pony requiring three different approvals from higher-ranked Coven members? Only allowing the turning of griffons from 'established bloodlines'? Nonsense! The main issue facing that of the Coven of Blood is that of replenishment, and they insist on crippling themselves with arcane traditions.



    Meanwhile, it appears that the Arcturian Order is taking the opportunity of the legislative chaos to undergo reform.



    The Crystal War was the last straw for the Commonwealth of New Mareland. Already in the process of undergoing Patriation from their motherland, the war was seen by many as an attempt by Celestia to quash dissent. A declaration of independence was drafted, signed, and presented to the Governor-General, with New Mareland dropping out of the war soon after.



    With muskets now being manufactured and adopted by our undead hordes, the next step towards a modern military is that of developing a working cannon design.



    In less savory news, the Society of Bones has removed themselves from the council. Although the minor necromancers can hold things together for now, and the Coven's thralls can compensate for the loss, the loss of the Society's expertise has crippled our ability to raise truly massive hordes. This betrayal will have to be dealt with in time.



    However, there is an alternative. Despite their unsightly appearance, the League's population of Ghouls are as capable as any living pony. This relatively unusual capability has resulted in ghouls becoming a thriving middle class in Magehold, doing the work thralls and lesser undead are unable and the vampires and necromancers are unwilling to do. Investing in their success will likely pay off.



    The Crystal War drags on. Although Sombra's magic provides him an edge, one thing he did not count on was Equestria's sheer industrial capacity. The Dread League has been keeping a close eye on events, with Rosa using the Shadow King as a working example of why her programs of modernization are required.



    With the increasing amount the League is relying on the ghoulish population, it appears that they have decided to organize to get what they refer to as 'a fair share of flesh' from the rest of the League. This "Ghoulish Workers' Union" would, in effect, become a new faction on the Dread Council.

    For some reason, Rosa is inordinately amused by the idea, and has given her official support to the GWU.



    As it happens, the existence of the GWU offers a solution to the issue of the Society's flight. Ghouls were regularly employed as assistants by many of the Society's members, and have some knowledge of how the Society tended to function. Giving them access to the old libraries will allow them to uncover some of the knowledge hidden within, with the only requirement being that the Ghouls are given access to the arcane methods by which more ghouls are made.
     
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    • Once again, the Aquileans have risen up in revolution. This is good for us. After all, the more of the living that kill each other, the less we have to kill ourselves.



    Despite the Equestrian-aligned Queen Velvet returning to the Olenian throne, Equestria is still in the midst of the Crystal War, and thus was unable to intervene when Queen Chrysalis moved to invade the county. Despite the poor odds facing the country, Velvet is apparently eager to fight the invaders.

    Meanwhile, it is increasingly obvious that Sombra's magic could not win the day on it's own. Barring a miracle, he is likely to be crushed and banished a second time.



    With our manpower issues alleviated, it is time to begin proper preparations for the coming Dark Crusade. A number of promising wraiths have been tamed and now serve us without question as generals for our armies.



    Sombra has fallen. Celestia gave some moving speech about the light 'always triumphing over the dark' while our agents scoured Crystal City for any knowledge that Sombra may have discovered.



    The lesson of the Crystal War is obvious to us. Magic may be of use, but it is nothing compared to a modern, industrial army. To this end, we will begin to build proper factories and staff them with the undead, thralls, and ghouls of the League.



    The Olenians have fallen to the Changeling onslaught, with Queen Velvet exiled to Equestria for the second time in her life. This time, however, Equestria is awake and active, and will likely not tolerate further expansion from the Changelings.



    The Aquileans have succeeded in their 'Revolution', with the king not likely to return again, what with him being dead and all.



    Rosa's research has found new and interesting uses for blood magic. Previously a difficult and lengthy process, binding the wills of thralls to their vampiric overlords was rarely done precisely, often damaging the thrall's mind in the process. Rosa, with her outside perspective, managed to refine the process to a point that a thrall's capabilities are actually strengthened by the binding. Even the most conservative members of the Coven are impressed.



    The Arcturians have chosen a new Headmaster, and luckily for us they have chosen a soft-hearted populist. Our victory will be assured if this is the opposition.



    …

    Apparently the ponies of New Mareland are morons. Actual morons. And as this update has gotten a bit long, I will leave it here for today.
     
    I would have thought that would be obvious when they declared independence rather than oppose a dark lord that if he somehow won would enslave them without a second thought.
     
    Dread League 5
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    • It appears that the Griffons can occasionally manage to see past the ends of their beaks. An attempted coup by Marshal Highhill was stopped, and Nova Griffonia appears to now be on the road to democracy.



    Queen Chrysalis, meanwhile, appears to be letting her own propaganda get to her. Equestria is going to squish the Changelings like… well, like bugs.



    Let it never be said that you can't teach a dead dog new tricks. Rosa's successes have convinced even the most stubborn holdouts among the Coven, and the midnight aristocracy has begun to modernize.



    I'd suggest a change in localisation for this event if Equestria's already gone through the Crystal War. They've already had a massive war a year or so ago, I imagine that they wouldn't be surprised by a second one.



    Rosa's studies into blood magic have continued, with the discovery of techniques allowing one to tie the land itself to one's will. Enemies who trespass upon our soil will be drained of life, rendered weak and helpless against our might.

    In addition, the changes sweeping through the Coven as a whole have forced a massive change in their political structure. With their previous informal governance falling apart due to the masses of new, fledgling vampires making their will known, the old guard has decided to scheduled elections for an official leader of the Coven of Blood. Having a final authority for political disputes, it is still unknown at this time who the position of 'Monarch of Blood' will fall to.



    With both countries fully mobilized and prepared, neither the Changelings nor the Equestrians have been willing to commit to a first strike. The war currently plays out on the seas, with the Lunar Fleet and the Changeling Armada battling to control the waves.

    The declaration of a second major war in as many years has shaken the trust of the Ponies in their Alicorn protectors. The lack of major fighting has allowed the pro-democratic movement to act with impunity, and it looks likely that a referendum on the princessdom will be scheduled for the near future. The ponies will likely demand change of some sort, but in what form is unknown.



    However, the Changelings chose the week before the referendum to properly begin their attack. With the threat of Changeling invasion drowning out other factors, the referendum resulted in a pro-Princess landslide, at least for the duration of the war. Celestia magnanimously agreed to invite many members of the republican movement into the government, which has quieted the opposition for now.



    The coming election in the Coven has presented an opportunity for Rosa. If she were to become a vampire herself, she could present her own candidacy for the position, and effectively take total control over the Dread League. Never one to settle for the merely good, however, she has decided that the only suitable method for her transformation would be via the legendary Chalice of Blood, which has been lost for centuries. Giving a blanket approval to the numerous industrial plans that have reached her, Rosa Maledicta has focused her efforts singularly on locating the resting place of the Chalice. Immortality would be hers!



    After months or research, Rosa narrowed down the potential locations to the most likely candidate. The last Queen of the Dead had sealed the Chalice away to keep it from the Arcturians during the Dread Empire's collapse a thousand years ago. The castle was still there, in the north, waiting for someone to enter. Packing light, Rosa set out to the location where the castle supposedly rested.



    Riddles. Why did it have to be riddles? Rosa is tempted to simply blast the door down, but trying to bypass a puzzle never worked out for Daring Do. She could try anyway, but she also could just answer the riddle.

    [ ] Answer with Death
    [ ] Answer with Taxes
    [ ] Answer with a titanic magical blast!
     
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    • [X] Answer with a titanic magical blast!

    Because you can't be a true evil overlord without blowing something up with magic.
     
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