Year 1912 AC (After Colonization) Cold Season, Combat Phase
Salviosi Successes
With our capture of the Plateaus we have found a
deposit of Caelium we can begin to exploit immediately. Our military has begun to dig in in the area as well,
raising Entrenchment to One (1) in the sector. We have also ceased deployment of the SMG-12, deploying the SMG-12a as a complete replacement.
Utilizing a new Caelium deposit has the following results:
Transport Sled,
Armored Sled, and
Kerata lose their
[complex] tags.
Armored Sled becomes
(CHEAP).
Kerata becomes
(EXPENSIVE).
The
SMG-12 has been deemed
(OBSOLETE).
Desert Winters
The temperature difference between night and day becomes more dramatic during the Cold Season. While temperature during the day has dropped only slightly, nighttime temperatures can easily get below freezing. The ocean winds compound the situation, often kicking up sandstorms in their wake. Our men use what little cover they have to protect themselves from the harsh environment.
Plateau Frost
The Plateaus maintain a fairly steady temperature during the Cold Season, though the winds on top of the Plateaus can get pretty harsh. Snow manages to fall fairly regularly here in amounts that wouldn't be a problem if the terrain wasn't so difficult to navigate.
Badlands Brawl
Our push forward began in the Badlands, though thanks to the
Ceramah our forces were effectively organized across all fronts. The Badlands are largely flat, dry, and barren but with areas of rocky crags reaching up from uneven earth and narrow ravines biting into it. A light snow falls on occasion, but rarely comes to more than a dusting. There are few regularly maintained roads headed through the wastes, and those that do see use are in poor condition. Our military was forced to pave their own paths (metaphorically, for the most part) as they searched for a Selicate presence. Scouts were able to eventually locate the Selicate positions, but had themselves been spotted. The Selicate force included a Forward Operating Base, a position with a few pieces of artillery, and a Command & Control center.
The Selicates deployed forces forward of their positions in an effort to halt the Salviosi advance. They were dug into a high ridgeline overlooking a wide area, but the ravines and rolling rocky terrain provided cover for the Salviosi soldiers moving forward in a convoy of
Keratas and the supporting
Armored Sleds and footmobile infantry. The Salviosi forces were attempting to move to a position where they came under fire from marksmen who had taken various elevated positions. SSgt. Antero Sahay's
Kerata took a few hits but nothing managed to penetrate. That didn't mean he enjoyed the experience. The bouncing of the
Kerata and lack of proper trigger discipline in one of Sahay's men led to an accidental weapon discharge that nearly blew a hole in his chin. The
Armored Sleds advancing in the column began to belch rounds to suppress the offending marksmen in the distance, and to good effect even though there was barely more than a muzzle flash visible to the gunners. The high ground, however, gave the Selicate snipers the ability to fire over the cover of the
Armored Sleds and began to tear heavily into the slow-moving column. Eventually the convoy moved into a ravine that provided cover and the
Keratas and the soldiers transported in
Armored Sleds that managed to avoid being shot dismounted their vehicles.
While more scouts were sent to get a lay of the land and idea of enemy composition a series of low booms echoed throughout the valleys and ravines, and continued until the ground above and around the halted column began to explode. The Selicate artillery, though few in number, was perfectly capable of saturating the area with deafening and deadly blasts. A shell wound up falling perfectly down into the ravine and catastrophically destroyed a pair of closely parked
Keratas and the men using it as cover, which included the field officer in charge of the column. This shelling was the first truly experienced by the Salviosi forces so far and had a profound effect on morale and the ability for the men in charge to take command, which is why Sahay took charge and began to organize the attack. Counter-battery support was called in and, while another shell had struck the ravine wall and knocked rubble onto an
Armored Sled, killing everyone inside, the thunderous booms of a larger number of
GA1s and
GA1bs began raining hell down on both the Selicate artillery as well as their ridgeline positions. Soon the rounds stopped falling on the Salviosi though the echo of explosions continued in the distance. The
Armored Sleds and a few
Keratas were manned and moved forward with orders to push the small road up to the forces on the Selicate ridgeline while the bulk of the infantry was to launch a direct assault once they came out of the ravine. A small force was to move around the enemy line and begin assaulting whatever remained of the artillery position and link back up with the main force to assault the Selicate Sector HQ.
Though dangerous, SSgt. Sahay stood in one of the leading
Armored Sleds so he could observe the battle. He liked this ride much more than the
Kerata - much smoother, and the breeze was nice. This one even had an
LGG-12 to defend itself with. Once Sahay was able to see the ridge the Selicates had been on he was able to fully understand the power of Salviosi artillery. The ridge and surrounding Badlands was pock-marked and covered in freshly exposed earth. Two final shells fell while Sahay watched through binoculars "borrowed" from a scout, each flinging dirt and rock in all directions to devastating effect. It took a few moments for whoever remained on the ridge to compose themselves enough to open fire on the approaching Salviosi. The column needed to endure fire from the high ground as the road they took ran across the steep slope hat led to the ridge before making a tight turn and heading upslope at a harsher angle. While men were being killed in
Armored Sleds and rounds had begun to occasionally penetrate
Keratas, the deafening and sheer volume of fire from the weapons mounted on the
Armored Sleds heavily impaired the Selicate's combat effectiveness and drew fire away from the infantry pushing forward. As the
Armored Sleds advanced upslope their armored sides were able to provide the cover they were designed for, though the lower legs of the men propelling them were now easier to hit, at least relative to how they were earlier.
As the vehicle column approached the crest of the ridge and the Selicate positions the men inside the
Keratas began to open fire, most utilizing the rapid-fire ability provided by the
SMG-12a. But the inside of a
Kerata at this range was hell. Sahay watched, though he couldn't see within, as a Selicate position lit up an assaulting
Kerata. Bullets tore through the sides like tissue paper, and the men inside cut down in a bloody mess. [For visual reference, imagine the initial D-Day landing craft as they dropped their ramps]
The
Keratas were generally abandoned as they provided nothing more than a coffin at closer ranges. The
Armored Sleds however just relied on the men pushing them not falling into a crater or hole - a task made a little more difficult by the intense shelling the ridge received. Sahay's
Armored Sled pushed forward and entered the thick of the battle. The
Armored Sleds, now within comfortable range of their enemies, began to set up and devastate the Selicates in the area around them. While a round occasionally found it's target as he peeked over cover or a lucky grenade fell onto the platform, the
Armored Sleds provided, as odd as it seems, a defensive offensive position, allowing the footsoldiers to advance, which allowed the
Armored Sleds to leapfrog forward and set up again to continue the cycle, steadily forcing the Selicates back relentlessly until they were pushed from their positions in a full retreat.
Unfortunately for the retreating Selicates the Badlands past the ridge and towards their HQ was a vast swathe of flat, dry, cracked land. Not to mention the fact that the second force, finding nothing but corpses, craters, and twisted metal at the artillery position, moved on and were already besieging the Headquarters.
Once the main force linked up with them the men were ordered to hold positions and keep the Headquarters under consistent fire while the
Armored Sleds breached their defensive line of sandbags and dirt mounds. The men aboard the platforms, including the gunners, had orders to keep their heads down and hold fire until they were in position. Antero Sahay checked his
SMG-12a in triplicate as his
Armored Sled approached. Enemy gunfire and shrapnel from hand grenades bounced off the armor plating for the most part, though one close blast launched shrapnel under the skirt and downed one of the men pushing Sahay's
Armored Sled.
Almost as one the
Armored Sleds began opening fire on the close-range enemy positions. While grenades were finding themselves falling onto the firing platforms with frequency, casualties were not as bad as they could have been with the men able to climb out and over the sides. While the fall could hurt and exposed the men to enemy fire, it was better than being on the receiving end of a hand grenade.
Sahay popped over his cover and saw their
Armored Sled was positioned past the enemy's first line and began opening fire on the men with a significant lack of cover from his direction. He noted that a sweep from the
SMG-12a was much, much more effective than the original, though part of him missed being able to pour a whole clip out in a ridiculously short time-span. The rest of his men and the
LGG gunner all opened fire as well. Nearby exposed Selicates were cut down or scattered, while the few buildings constructed in the HQ had walls too thin to keep the occasional round from penetrating, especially once the volume of fire had begun to shred and splinter the wood. Eventually pockets of the Selicates began to surrender, as those who fled did so into the unkind wastes of the Badlands (and the iron sights of many a
Senapang.
While Sahay rummaged through an office in the Headquarters he came across a folder with some disturbing information:
The Harren Fortress-City was currently collapsing upon itself, metaphorically, as both Selicate and Endicarian forces (Endicar being Abbera's parent state) used the river to bring supplies and men to the city to reinforce those within it's walls that were willing to fight for their respective sides.
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Rolling Hills Rebellion
If the Lowlands provide a splash of green amid a sea of brown and beige, the Rolling Hills provide a surge. Grass covers the land and the occasional tree juts out over the hills. In the dry Cold Season the grasses begin to die, but the rains during the Hot Season provide for the life there enough to keep it from becoming an extension of the Badlands. The occasional river running off from the Volcanic Range flows through the hills before trickling and dying out in the Badlands.
The hills, being quite literal greener pastures relative to what most Salviosi are familiar with, held a number of small towns and villages that the Selicates had persuaded to fight against the "invading" Salviosi in return for their own identity as a small independent (puppet) state. In truth this was likely a delay tactic given the intel discovered in the Badlands, but had to be dealt with none-the-less. The villagers, being a militia and not a professional military, had waited until the Salviosi were approaching before putting up resistance. This gave the Salviosi the ability to set up as they pleased, encircling the defenders using
Armored Sleds and
Keratas (which were thankfully a little more resistant to the poor quality of weapons given to the rebels). While the defenders began their fighting in earnest, they were clearly out-classed, out-manned, and out-maneuvered, and so must wound up surrendering with a relatively small amount of bloodshed. This outcome pleased the Merchant Lords, as these lands provided a large portion of the food Salvios didn't import, and loss of land and the men to maintain them would have been as crippling as a successful revolt.
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Violence in the Volcanic Range
The Volcanic Range is considered the womb of Harren Island, and some scientists believe that some crackpot theory called "continental drift" in conjunction with the volcanic vents beneath Harren is responsible for the formation of Iava and Bryor as well (
Link to Map for Reference). The mountains are sprinkled with lovely hot springs and deadly gas vents, and the range itself is practically impassable on anything other than foot. Magma flows freely from a number of vents, and two massive volcanic mountains reach up above the rest, active but currently at rest. The mountains are also lousy with a massive system of caves. The Cold Season sees snowfall across the range which increases with altitude. The area is prone to avalanches thanks to the buildup of snow and the steep mountain faces and cliffs. The winds lash painfully at higher altitudes, and men who aren't completely covered can easily see loss of limb, and life in extreme cases.
A single encampment of Selicates rested on the face of one of the active volcanoes, defended only by a light contingent of infantry. They didn't need many more however, as the narrow passes and steep cliffs increased their defensive efficacy exponentially. They were, however, unfamiliar with the region, and a handful of Salviosi soldiers had grown up in these mountains. As a result they knew which caves had exits elsewhere, and which ones would lead the Salviosi to the encampment without resistance. These soldiers led squads through the tight, very hot cave systems and into positions overlooking the Selicates without their knowledge.
A single group of men would have been enough to put down the encampment from any of their positions, but the combined assault from above, behind, and all around from a number of caves they originally thought led nowhere but now held dozens of enemies had overwhelmed them. Unlike the forces in the Badlands though the Selicates here refused to surrender, instead being cut down to the man by a pair of
LGG-12s brought through the caves as well as the small arms from the infantry. The Salviosi managed to take the position without a fatality among them thanks to their familiarity of their homeland.
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With no shortage of skilled engineers and soldiers we have managed to take control back over the middle swathe of land on our half of the island. While some of the flaws of our recent advancements have been made apparent, we still have time to fix them before we push the Fortress-City and into Abberan territory. To aid in our future endeavors we now seek to utilize a fairly new advancement out of Königschön: the aeroplane. While some of us don't see a future in warfare using these machines, perhaps you can prove us wrong. So for the
Design Phase we will give you
two designs: we
request one design be an aircraft while
the other is to be a large emplaced weapon. The construction of our first aircraft should give us the ability to check on our opponents and get an idea of their forces and plans,
granting one Espionage Credit with Special Rules that will be covered in the Revision Phase if you decide to construct such a vehicle. The creation of a large emplacement meant to be added to our fortifications will grant you
one extra Revision in the Revision Phase. The emplacement designed this turn will also be subject to special rules: cost will only be calculated by the variety of resources used (1-2 for Cheap, +1 for each level after that) and will be deployed in any sector with an Entrenchment of 1 or more.
The fact that there is fighting in the Harren Fortress-City already is mildly disconcerting, but we have more important tasks at hand: namely the capture of the Savannah and South Peaks in preparation for our securing of the crossing, then eventual push into the Fortress-City itself.
As for rumors this season, the Abberans have apparently created some sort of boat or an ark, as well as new harvesting equipment for their expanded pastures.
IT IS NOW THE DESIGN PHASE.Infantry
Senapang Pattern Rifle: A 110 cm, 4 kg dark wood masterpiece. 7.7mm rounds are fed via 5-round stripper clip into the 10-round internal magazine, which can also be loaded with rounds individually. It has an adjustable rear sight with 100 meter increments. It also has a bayonet lug and comes with a bayonet. Padded for operator comfort, extremely dependable and reliable. The Senapang outclasses many rifles of our time. Costs 2 Ore and 2 Wood. (CHEAP)
SMG-12 Sub-Machine Gun: Essentially a low-powered hand-cranked personal Gatling Gun fired from the hip and fed 10mm pistol rounds through a box magazine under the weapon. Difficult to aim, as there is a crank mounted on top of the thing. Occasionally fails to load chambers, resulting in the nickname "The Stuttergun". Still, it's a big step in personal automatic firearms. Costs 4 Ore and 2 Wood. (OBSOLETE)
--SMG-12a Sub-Machine Gun: Replaces the crank system with an open bolt blowback system, with the added benefit that it can actually be aimed. Rate of fire drops but reliability increases. Costs 3 Ore and 2 Wood. (CHEAP)
M2 Dispersion Grenade: A fantastic incendiary weapon. Effectively a canister on a stick that explodes in a burst of heat and molten metal. The sudden burst of wilting heat causes intense burns out to three meters while the flying molten Gavrilium can inflict serious wounds out to ten. Costs 1 Ore and 1 Gavrilium. (CHEAP)
GGG-12 Gavrilium Gatling Gun: A tri-barrel gatling gun that uses a small GavEngine to rotate the barrels. Fires up to 600 rpm with a range up to 2200m thanks to the 7.7G rounds which use a GavPowder load. A heat sink helps provide equilibrium between the heat caused by the Gavpowder load and the freezing caused by the depletion of Gavrilium rods in the engine. Uses a dial to adjust rate of fire. Effective and reliable. Costs 5 Ore and 4 Gavrilium, making it (VERY EXPENSIVE).
--LGG-12 Light Gatling Gun: A GGG-12 without the Gavpowder. Range drops to 1500m but Rate of Fire is increased to a possible 1200 RPM. Is also much lighter, allowing it to be redeployed very easily by a crew. Can also be deployed with a small artillery carriage. Costs 4 Ore and 2 Gavrilium. (CHEAP)
GA1 Cannon: A 150mm piece of artillery that uses a mixture of cordite and powdered Gavrilium to fire rounds fairly accurately to six kilometers but potentially out to nine if accuracy isn't really a factor. The barrel warps from extended use so teams are asked to restrict themselves to six rounds at a time before needing to cool for an extended period. Costs 5 Ore and 3 Gavrilium. (EXPENSIVE)
--GA1B Cannon: By modifying the powder, barrel, and alloy used in the GA1's construction, the GA1B can fire 5 rounds a minute accurately up to 10km. The use of Chemical Compounds in the powder formula complicates things. Costs 4 Ore, 2 Gavrilium, and 1 Chemical Compounds. (EXPENSIVE) [complex]
"Mountain" Myomer Lifting Kit: A reinforced canvas suit with cords of myomer muscle running across it powered by a small GavEngine in the back. Allows users to lift 250kg. Sees most of it's use in a support role and not on the front line. 2 Gavrilium, 2 Myomer. (CHEAP)
BSU: The Berani standard uniform is made of light cotton dyed khaki. A wide brim steel helmet offers some protection, and leather patches on the elbows and knees provide a level of comfort and protection when kneeling or leaning on something. The uniform has a large number of pockets, belts, and satchels made of cotton webbing in order to carry large amounts of equipment such as ammo and grenades. Entrenching tools are provided to all soldiers.
Vehicles (I guess?)
Transport Sled: A small platform used primarily to transport our machine guns and artillery, though it can aid in the general moving of supplies. Costs 2 Ore, 2 Gavrilium, and 1 Caelium. (CHEAP)
Armored Sled: A mobile man-driven armored firing platform utilizing Caelium Steel with a mounted G3-12 or LGG-12 that requires two men to maneuver from within. Can carry four additional passengers. Costs 3 Ore, 2 Gavrilium, and 2 Caelium. (CHEAP)
ArC-12b "Kerata" Armored Car: A barely-functional troop carrier that acts as little more than mobile cover, and can be outran by a soldier on foot. Bounces wildly when going over uneven ground. Has been unofficially dubbed Errata. Costs 5 Ore, 2 Gavrilium, and 2 Caelium. (EXPENSIVE)
Support
VTR-12 "Ceramah" Radio: Cumbersome wireless communications equipment with a range of 1.5km. A step in the right direction for reliable long-range communication.
Components
Gavrilium Engine: An engine run by extracting electromagnetic energy from Gavrilium rods and converting it to mechanical energy. Much more powerful and cost efficient than standard combustion engines. The engine's only flaw is overcooling in very cold environments as the rods freeze as their stored energy depletes, seizing the engine and shutting it down. The Depleted Gavrilium rods must be handled with proper protective equipment. Glows blue. Adds 1 Ore to the price of the base vehicle design and converts Oil cost into 1/2 the cost in Gavrilium
Caelium Steel: A Caelium-Steel alloy weighs half as much as similar volumes of steel without losing durability. Designs utilizing Caelium Steel adds 1/2 the cost of Ore in Caelium for any cost associated with the replaced steel.
Specialty Resource
Gavrilium: A wondermaterial with many unknown qualities. So far we know that low applied heat produces a slow burn with results similar to coal, a sudden explosive force agitates it until it becomes a molten blob, electromagnetic energy can be drawn from it, and depleted gavrilium has a dangerously low temperature.
Caelium: A metallic substance capable of affecting gravitational fields. When a current is applied it rises above the ground at a level proportional to the strength of the current, and will move if tilted. Can be used to make alloys with other metals.
Myomer: A synthetic fiber that mimics biological muscle, but with a much greater power-to-weight ratio.
Chemical Compounds: Represents the industry required to maintain a high demand of chemicals.
Salvios: 3 Ent., 2 Ore, 2 Oil, 2 Wood, 2 Gavrilium, 2 Myomer // 100% Control (Radio Coverage)
Lowlands: 1 Ent., 1 Ore (1/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Desert: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Plateaus: 1 Ent., 1 Caelium (1/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Badlands: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Rolling Hills: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Volcanic Range: 0 Ent., (0/3 Resources) // 100% Control
Ore: 3
Oil: 2
Wood: 2
Gavrilium: 2
Myomer:: 2
Caelium: 1
Chemical Compounds:: 0
Radio Coverage: Radio Coverage improves the ability to effectively defend a sector based on efficacy of the design.
Enhanced Fortification: Due to advancements in Salvios a sector can be brought to max Entrenchment with a Revision. Max Entrenchment Level has also been raised to four (4).
Poll
2 (14.3%)
Author
Topic: Industrialized Warfare: Salvios Thread / 1917 A.C. Cold Season (COMPLETE) (Read 100388 times)