I Have Tasted Command, And I Cannot Give It Up: Lords of Infinity

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Gun Jam: Apr 11, 2015

"The lives of your men are subject to the requirements of the service; no more, no less."
We're too cynical to play nice, but let's not antagonize him.

# ? Jul 18, 2023 18:06

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# ? Jun 9, 2024 16:51

AJ_Impy: Jun 17, 2007; SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?; Yam Slacker

I can offer no assurances, but I will try. Though success or failure in the attempt depends on the enemy.

# ? Jul 18, 2023 21:31

Lord Cyrahzax: Oct 11, 2012

There's a tie between no assurances and the requirements of the service, next vote wins

# ? Jul 19, 2023 15:26

TheGreatEvilKing: Mar 28, 2016

Requirememts

# ? Jul 19, 2023 15:58

Lord Cyrahzax: Oct 11, 2012

"The lives of your men are subject to the requirements of the service; no more, no less."

quote:

For an instant, a look of complete fury flashes across Lefebvre's face, then comprehension, then understanding. "Yes, you are right. My Grenadiers are fine infantry, the finest this country has ever put into the field, but they are still soldiers of the Queen, and if they must be�expended to preserve this country and the Crown which safeguards it, then I could not ask you to do otherwise."

The Grenadier officer's words come out like the pliers of a trained surgeon removing a musket ball from his own wound, sure and certain but pained all the same. When he looks over to where those of his men still on their feet are assembling in a column of companies, it is with both a fondness and a look of profound regret.

"I've always led them in, ever since I took command," he says. "This will be the first time they'll go into battle without me. I would implore you to preserve them, for the sake of the country, if not for my own. The Queen will have need of such men in the days to come, and�"

He shakes his head. "No, no, no," he mutters, addressing himself with a self-loathing condemnation as he looks away. "I cannot ask you for that."

For a moment, he's silent, but when he turns to you again, his eyes are sharp and clear. "Do what you must to secure victory," he finally says, his words filled with equal parts resignation and resolution. "I can ask no more of you."

quote:

The core of your force assembles with all the speed and efficiency of veteran soldiers�which you suppose they all are. Between the Grenadiers and your own Dragoons, you have under you a considerable portion of the army's peacetime strength; and for all of their broadcloth and civilian coats, Reyes' sharpshooters also form up into groups with all the practised motion of men who have long since gotten used to the idea of moving in step with the beat of a drum.

But there are others gathering in the wake of your force as well, hundreds of them: those who form into no companies, and follow no officers, for all that some of them might have been soldiers once. They are, for the most part, those who were rallied by members of the Reform Club, who showed up before the Northern Keep after the fighting had ended. They'd been spared the bitter taste of that action, and by the enthusiasm in their eyes and the brightness of their chatter, it's clear that they mean to remedy the lack by accompanying your own attack on the shore batteries.

They're hungry for action and glory. Perhaps you'll give them the opportunity to have their fill.

quote:

Your force sees nothing of Wulfram's men as it begins its advance past the empty windows of the Kian Embassy and down the wide roads of the Castle Quarter. At the head of your regiment, behind a screen of Reyes' Skirmishers, you and your Dragoons keep a close watch on the deserted streets ahead, as well as the dark cavities of doorways and windows which peer down from each side. You know some of the townhouses you're riding past belong to prominent members of the Wulframite faction, men who even now might be leading militia against the Queen's supporters�or waiting for you and your Dragoons to ride into their prepared ambush.

Yet no shots echo from the windows, no armed men pour out of the walled gardens. If there's anyone at all watching your force pass them by, they're little more than that.

It's enough to make your soldier's instincts verge into the realm of paranoia.

Surely, Wulfram must know that the Queen intends to come for him. Even if he hasn't guessed her intentions, then he must have seen something of the pursuit which dogged him after his reverse before the Northern Keep. Why has he not thrown out picquets? Why has he not posted a rear guard?

Perhaps he means to surrender already? But even then, surely, he would have sent out envoys under a flag of parley.

And yet, even as a light, seaward breeze picks up and begins to lift the powder-fog from the streets, you see nothing that might be construed as outposts or picquets, only a fugitive figure here or there, who quickly make themselves invisible the instant they're spotted.

Saints be damned! Where are they?

quote:

In the end, it isn't until you're within sight of the great bulk of the Shipping Exchange itself that you first see the enemy in arms; but it is not a heartening sight: a company of orange-coated marines, formed up in marching column as they move towards the open main gate of the Shipping Exchange. It seems that your previous efforts to delay the conclusion of negotiations and keep Wulfram's men out of the Exchange have proven of too little effect to be any use�

Or has it?

You quickly notice that while Crittenden's Marines are in the process of entering the Exchange, there are no cries of alarm or sounds of fire coming from inside the building, not even on the side of it closest to you and your forces. You've caught the enemy as they're moving to their new forward position, but before they can occupy it. Which means�

"Reyes!"

The Intendant hardly needs you to elaborate further. He knows what you need from him. With a handful of shouted orders, his screen of Skirmishers splits to either side of the road, taking cover behind doorways and lampposts as they take up their slim, long-barrelled rifles.

Ahead, one of the Marines gives a shout of alarm. They too make ready, turning towards your force and bringing their muskets to bear. Yet at three hundred paces, a smoothbore musket is almost useless�unlike a rifle. When the Marines fire, their shot scatters wide, flying high overhead or skittering off the cobbles and stone walls. When Reyes' sharpshooters return the favour, half of the enemy's front rank seems to tumble onto the street.

But the Marines are no amateurs. They may be out-shot, but they do not intend to be outmanoeuvred. Even as the first company reloads and continues its doomed rear-guard action, a second marches past in double-time behind it, heading for that same Exchange entrance, with another no doubt soon to follow.

The distant orange-clad line disappears behind the smoke of another ineffectual volley, and Reyes' men answer. Another dozen Marines fall. At this rate, they'll be cut to pieces in only a few minutes�but by then, there could be half a battalion of Marines in the upper galleries of the Exchange, pouring down fire on your men from the side.

No, you have to end this now: stop those Marines and drive them back.

A charge.

"Captain Riley! Have your Grenadiers give those traitors the bayonet!"

"Captain Garret! Drive them back, at the gallop!"

"Second Squadron! Draw steel, and with me!"

"Sir Caius! Clear out those Marines with the sabre!"

quote:

As of the Winter of the 618 of the Old Imperial Era:

Sir Alaric d'al Sancroix, Baron Somewhere Awful
Lieutenant-colonel, Royal Dragoons
Age: 46

Current Funds: 400 Crown
Debts: 20203 Crown

Bi-Annual Income (Personal): 270 Crown
Bi-Annual Estate Revenues: 714 Crown

Bi-Annual Estate Expenses: 425 Crown
Bi-Annual Interest Payments: 404 Crown

Total Net Income (Next Six Months): 155 Crown

Soldiering: 20%
Charisma: 46%
Intellect: 55%

Reputation: 34%
Health: 40%

Idealism: 55%Cynicism: 45%
Ruthlessness: 74%Mercy: 26%

You are a Knight of the Red, having the right to wear Bane-hardened armour and wield a Bane-runed sword.

You can speak, read, and write the Antari language.

You have only a little influence among the Royalist Faction.

Your known Royalist loyalties have made you somewhat unwelcome among the Wulframite Faction.

You have some small amount of pull at Grenadier Square.

quote:

Colonel-in-Chief: Her Tierran Majesty, Isobel d'al Rendower
Colonel Commanding: His Grace, the Duke of Cunaris
Quartermaster: Captain Sir Caius d'al Cazarosta

First Squadron
Officer Commanding: Captain Adelina d'al Garret

Discipline: 34%
Morale: 46%
Loyalty: 15%
Strength: 84%

Second Squadron
Officer Commanding: Lieutenant-colonel the Baron Somewhere Awful

Discipline: 50%
Morale: 51%
Loyalty: 38%
Strength: 56%

Third Squadron
Officer Commanding: Captain Arcturus d'al Hawkins

Discipline: 62%
Morale: 57%
Loyalty: 15%
Strength: 40%

# ? Jul 19, 2023 16:05

TheGreatEvilKing: Mar 28, 2016

Caz will waste em

# ? Jul 19, 2023 16:26

Regallion: Nov 11, 2012

i'll do it myself
We are arguably the worst unit in here so might as well not use the actually good units on this simple affair.

# ? Jul 20, 2023 06:01

Dong Quixote: Oct 3, 2015; Fun Shoe

"Captain Riley! Have your Grenadiers give those traitors the bayonet!"

Remember how the marines cut a boat full of sailors and soldiers to shreds in Sabres of Infinity? Send in the grenadiers.

# ? Jul 20, 2023 08:50

Xander77: Apr 6, 2009; Fuck it then. For another pit sandwich and some 'tater salad, I'll post a few more.

Dong Quixote posted:

"Captain Riley! Have your Grenadiers give those traitors the bayonet!"

Remember how the marines cut a boat full of sailors and soldiers to shreds in Sabres of Infinity? Send in the grenadiers.

It's a bunch of bayonet-less infantry on an open street. There are no better uses for horsies (certainly not the fortifications we're about to storm). I'm not sure whether which exact horsies matters...

First. Let's keep our best troop in reserve and our own troop safe until we're forced to engage.

# ? Jul 20, 2023 09:54

HerpicleOmnicron5: May 31, 2013; How did this smug dummkopf ever make general?

did we seriously get four different votes immediately, that�s awesome

# ? Jul 20, 2023 09:59

Yaoi Gagarin: Feb 20, 2014

send Garrett she has the biggest squadron

# ? Jul 20, 2023 10:34

AJ_Impy: Jun 17, 2007; SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?; Yam Slacker

First troop but any of the cavalry are good here. Infantry would take too long.

# ? Jul 20, 2023 10:35

HerpicleOmnicron5: May 31, 2013; How did this smug dummkopf ever make general?

send in caz because if we kill some of his guys we reduce the risk of him killing us

# ? Jul 20, 2023 11:39

Rogue AI Goddess: May 10, 2012; I enjoy the sight of humans on their knees.
That was a joke... unless..?

VostokProgram posted:

send Garrett she has the biggest squadron

Ladies first.

# ? Jul 20, 2023 12:32

Lord Cyrahzax: Oct 11, 2012

"Captain Garret! Drive them back, at the gallop!"

quote:

You catch a glimpse of Garret's expression as you give the order, just before she relays it to her own command. It's a curious thing, eyes sharp and focused, jaw set. You daresay it's the first time you've ever seen her entirely in earnest before.

And it's clear she intends to act as she feels. She knows as well as you that she must move quickly to secure any sort of success. Within seconds, she's leading her command out ahead of yours, sabre drawn, any sense of languidness or amusement gone as the bugles call the advance and she spurs her squadron forward.

Reyes' men cease fire as First Squadron spreads out to take up the whole breadth of the street. Far beyond, the enemy stops firing as well. They're no fools, and they're no amateurs. They know what's coming, and they know just as well that there's little point in wasting time or ammunition firing at targets in the distance when they're very shortly to have marks which they could hardly miss.

First Squadron is at the trot now, and picking up even more speed as it closes the distance. You must imagine they're well within musket range now: a hundred paces, eighty, sixty�

Noise crashes out ahead of you, Crittenden's Marines saving their final volley for last. You hear the screams of dying horses and dying men. But Second Squadron continues into the smoke, their pace unbroken, their spirit undaunted as they close the last few paces, sabres glittering in the afternoon sun.

"Tierra and Victory! Dragoons! Dragoons! The Queen's Dragoons!"

quote:

Under normal circumstances, the Marines might have seen your men off. There may be few chances to grow accustomed to the idea of facing a cavalry charge whilst aboard ship, but Crittenden's Marines are still line infantry in close order, with bayonets fixed. They're equipped and arranged expressly for the purpose, something which both they and your Dragoons know.

Yet under normal circumstances, they wouldn't have already been picked half-apart by sharpshooters, they wouldn't be so exposed to fire, and they wouldn't be so heavily outnumbered.

You have little doubt that at least some of your enemy endeavoured to stand their ground when Second Squadron rode over them, but given how quickly the fighting ends, you doubt they were able to stand for very long.

Of course, they don't sell their lives cheaply. That becomes clear enough once you ride up with the rest of your force. The street is littered with bodies of Marine, Dragoon, and horse alike. You count at least a dozen of your own lying dead or wounded upon the cobbles�a monstrous toll for so brief a clash.

But it is one which has been paid. The street is yours now, and soon, the Shipping Exchange will be too.

quote:

"Well then," Captain Garret remarks as she peers through her field glass. "I suppose that makes the Duke of Wulfram's intentions clear enough."

You nod in agreement as you look through your own telescope, your eyesight probing through the thinning powder-smoke as it's pushed away by the seaward breeze, towards the emerging outlines of Crittenden's fleet�

�and the vast flotilla of boats laden with people as they row from the docks to the waiting ships.

"They must must have started as soon as they retreated to the shore batteries," Cazarosta notes as he stands impassively next to you. "The Marines at the Shipping Exchange were less intended to inflict losses or serve as an earnest point of defence than to simply delay us, to win them time to evacuate."

"drat me, if that's the case, why do we not ride out and stop them?" Blaylock growls as he too watches the ongoing evacuation, his knuckles clenched white around the brass tube of his own field glass. "Every minute we waste up here will mean another minute for those traitor bastards to get away! And every one of them that gets away will be able to raise rebellion somewhere else!"

"Because not all of them are evacuating." Sandoral replies, his own field glass directed not at the distant spectacle of Wulfram's evacuation, but at a far closer object. "Look at the shore batteries."

Sure enough, the low stone fortifications of Aetoria's shore batteries are still swarming with armed men: Marines, dismounted Cuirassiers, even great swarms of Wulframite militia, all of them piling up makeshift barricades, cleaning weapons, and passing out ammunition.

In other words, preparing for an assault.

"So long as Wulfram holds some portion of the shore batteries, he may cover the majority of the docks with fire and prevent us from moving troops freely into the docks," Reyes adds, a sour look on his features. "They were designed that way by Edmund II's engineers, specifically to prevent an opposed landing. I suppose the principle works just as well for an opposed embarkation, too."

"Then we must assault each one of the shore batteries in succession to stop Wulfram's evacuation, something which Wulfram and his advisors must know as well," Sandoral concludes. "No wonder he seems so intent upon defending them."

You suppose there's nothing for it then. If you're to stand any chance of stopping Wulfram here, then you'll need to take the shore batteries as quickly as possible.

Which only leaves the question of how�

Questions:

"If we assault each shore battery simultaneously, we could end this much quicker."

quote:

As it stands, the assumption has been that you would assault each of the shore batteries in sequence, one after the other. It would be a hard, grinding affair, doubly so because Wulfram would be able to concentrate his forces on the battery then being assaulted, rather than being forced to cover every approach. However, if you were to assault every part of the shore batteries at once, you would not only be able to move more quickly, but you would also pin down the enemy at every angle.

There's a risk involved, of course, but given the current situation, surely it would be a lesser hazard to try and end Wulfram's evacuation quickly and destroy as much of his strength now, rather than commit to a slow approach which would almost surely allow the enemy to escape with no small portion of their fighting men and materiel?

Some of your officers nod; they're evidently thinking the same thing. Others�

"We don't have the numbers," Garret points out. "If we assault the batteries in sequence, we may concentrate our own forces and use the relatively confined approaches to our advantage. Assault them all at once, and we will be spread thin�"

"And vulnerable to being flanked," Reyes interjects grimly. "We don't know how many of Wulfram's men are still in the city. If we extend ourselves to assault every battery at once from the landward side, we will be showing our backs to them. If we are surprised from the rear, we will be too spread out to regroup."

"Or do anything else, for that matter," Captain Riley adds. "On an open field, we could communicate with flags or rockets. Here, with so many buildings in the way? We would have to communicate by galloper, and one finds that hard enough without having to navigate through the sort of maze the lower docks are like."

You nod. You cannot help but frown, but you nod nonetheless. Under normal circumstances, any one of those reasons would be enough to make a sensible officer put paid to such an approach. With all three, not even a madman would countenance such a plan.

One at a time, then; you suppose you have no better options.

"Once we take the shore battery guns, could we not use them to drive off Crittenden's fleet?"

quote:

"Why not?" Blaylock asks. "There'd be no need to take the whole line of batteries when we could reduce the whole fleet to kindling with just one of those monster guns, and they're already pointed the right way, ain't they? Can hardly evacuate an army without any ships, can they?"

Sandoral nods. "The guns in the northern and southern sections wouldn't have the angle, so we'd still have to capture the centre section, but that's still better than being obliged to take the whole lot, surely?"

But Riley and Reyes are both shaking their heads. "That presumes we're able to take a gun in any condition to be fired," the Intendant replies. "If the batteries are in danger of falling, then Wulfram's men will surely spike them�any officer with the presence of mind would give instructions to that effect�Castermaine certainly would, if Brockenburg doesn't."

Garret frowns. "I don't suppose there's any easy way to un-spike them, is there?"

"If it were easy, it wouldn't be so regularly resorted to," the Grenadier answers with a somewhat apologetic look. "As far as I understand, un-spiking a gun would require a cannon foundry's tools, and the larger the cannon, the more involved the task. For the shore guns, it would take a week, if not more."

A shame, then. Too much to hope for, perhaps. Part of you imagined that there might be some half-secret artillerist's trick which could un-spike the guns, but you suppose there are no such simple solutions in reality.

It seems that if you're to stop Wulfram's evacuation, you shall have to do it the hard way.

"Intendant, how much covering fire could your Skirmishers give us from here?"

quote:

Reyes looks one way, then the other as he rubs his chin with his off hand. "Quite a great deal, I could imagine. From here, we could have clear fields of fire which put us within range of half, if not two-thirds of the length of the shore batteries."

An encouraging answer. Assaulting the shore batteries will be difficult regardless of your advantages, but it would certainly be made easier if a force of rifle-armed Skirmishers were able to cut down the enemy from above while you sent the main thrust of your force up from the street. Indeed, with the sort of accuracy Reyes' sharpshooters possess, you suspect that they might even be able to pick off individual targets�say, officers and sergeants�at ranges which would be considered impossible for muskets. The thought of the enemy's defense collapsing as its commanders are cut down from three hundred paces cannot help but fill you with a rather vicious sense of anticipation.

But Reyes shakes his head. "There's only one problem, sir." He motions you closer and drops his voice low enough so that only you can hear. "The men won't do it."

"Saints above, why not?"

"If you leave us here while the main force assaults the shore batteries, we'll be anchoring your extreme flank," the Intendant explains. "They will be isolated from support, exposed; if any remaining Wulframites in the city should attempt an attack, they will come here first, and�" He takes a shaky, shuddering breath. "My men will not allow themselves to be exposed in such a matter, not after what happened on the River Kharan."

Of course. You remember what had happened then; you were there, holding the Dragoons in reserve as Cunaris commanded the right-most brigade of the Duke of Havenport's army. Reyes and his Experimental Corps of Riflemen were supposed to screen the extreme right flank, out of any immediate danger. But Prince Khorobirit and the Antari knew of a river crossing which had evidently been missing from any of Havenport's maps. They sent four hundred Church Hussars against Reyes and his Rifles and had almost wiped them out. No wonder Reyes and his men are so hesitant to place themselves in a position they might see as similar. The spectre of annihilation haunts them, and will continue to do so until it is dispelled.

"This is not Antar, and I am not the Duke of Havenport," you reply, as firmly as you can. "You will have protected positions, the advantage of height, and a means by which to signal us quickly."

"Any position might be isolated and stormed with sufficient numbers," the Intendant protests. "If they do�"

You don't let the man finish. Instead, you put your hand on Reyes shoulder. "Do you trust me?"

"I�" He lets out a sigh. "Yes. You've been honest enough in all your dealings with me. Yes, I trust you."

"Then trust me now. Your. Men. Will. Be. Safe. Here." You look into his eyes. "And if there's even the slightest sign of danger, I will ensure that your position is made secure at soonest possibility."

The Intendant looks down, then back up. Then he nods, slowly. "Then I take you at your word, sir. If you give the order, I will do all I can to see that my men follow it."

You give one last nod before turning back to the rest of your assembled officers. That is all you can ask of him.

"Very well, let us see to the disposition of our forces."

quote:

It is customary, you think, to have a map for occasions like this, where the outlines of a battle are set and the great movements of its participants are planned, but however detailed, no chart could compare to the view which already greets you from atop the roof of the Shipping Exchange. With the smoke blowing out ever further to sea, you can make out almost every detail of the nearest set of shore batteries, even without the benefit of your telescope.

You can see the makeshift barricades set up by the defenders of the first set of batteries, blocking off the narrow staircases leading up to the gun platforms from the street. You can see the glimmering steel of the dismounted Cuirassiers lined up behind them, their horses already being led to the docks, where they're waiting to be embarked.

And you can already see the boats pulling back from the waiting ships of Crittenden's fleet, coming to whisk away yet another portion of Wulfram's strength to safety, to carry them far from your reach, where they may regroup, recover, and raise fresh rebellion against the Crown.

At least, unless you're able to put a stop to the evacuation, and soon.

Your forces are already formed up in the wide boulevards below. The Grenadiers, standing by company in their ordered ranks of burnt orange. Your own Dragoons, arranged by troop and by squadron. The street militias, still fractious and unruly, but formed up by their leaders into something which might have passed for quiet and order before the eyes of anyone but a seasoned soldier.

When you say the word, they'll go forward, but before you do that, you have a whole range of obstacles to consider first. Given the narrowness of the approach, only one force will be able to assault the batteries at a time, and once you've committed to the attack, you shall have to press on until every part of the batteries are taken without interruption, lest the Wulframites be given time to prepare fresh defences. That means you'll have to make any last-minute preparations now. Anything that might secure your advantage or weaken the enemy must be done whilst all your senior officers are still assembled on this roof.

Because after that, there will be no stopping until the whole of the shore batteries are taken.

It's time to put Reyes' sharpshooters in position to cover the shore batteries.

If we could organise the militias properly, they may prove more effective.

No more delays. It's time to launch the assault!

You can do both actions here, but they will cost time. So like before, vote for the number of actions and then your preferred action.

quote:

As of the Winter of the 618 of the Old Imperial Era:

Sir Alaric d'al Sancroix, Baron Somewhere Awful
Lieutenant-colonel, Royal Dragoons
Age: 46

Current Funds: 400 Crown
Debts: 20203 Crown

Bi-Annual Income (Personal): 270 Crown
Bi-Annual Estate Revenues: 714 Crown

Bi-Annual Estate Expenses: 425 Crown
Bi-Annual Interest Payments: 404 Crown

Total Net Income (Next Six Months): 155 Crown

Soldiering: 20%
Charisma: 46%
Intellect: 55%

Reputation: 34%
Health: 40%

Idealism: 55%Cynicism: 45%
Ruthlessness: 74%Mercy: 26%

You are a Knight of the Red, having the right to wear Bane-hardened armour and wield a Bane-runed sword.

You can speak, read, and write the Antari language.

You have only a little influence among the Royalist Faction.

Your known Royalist loyalties have made you somewhat unwelcome among the Wulframite Faction.

You have some small amount of pull at Grenadier Square.

quote:

Colonel-in-Chief: Her Tierran Majesty, Isobel d'al Rendower
Colonel Commanding: His Grace, the Duke of Cunaris
Quartermaster: Captain Sir Caius d'al Cazarosta

First Squadron
Officer Commanding: Captain Adelina d'al Garret

Discipline: 34%
Morale: 46%
Loyalty: 15%
Strength: 76%

Second Squadron
Officer Commanding: Lieutenant-colonel the Baron Somewhere Awful

Discipline: 50%
Morale: 51%
Loyalty: 38%
Strength: 56%

Third Squadron
Officer Commanding: Captain Arcturus d'al Hawkins

Discipline: 62%
Morale: 57%
Loyalty: 15%
Strength: 40%

# ? Jul 20, 2023 17:10

Xander77: Apr 6, 2009; Fuck it then. For another pit sandwich and some 'tater salad, I'll post a few more.

Both.

Edit - let me clarify. Wulfram was probably on the first boat out - he may be an idiot, but his advisors would surely have bundled him off. There's nothing to be gained from zerg rush. We want as few of our people to die in exchange for as many as possible of Wulfram's.

So we want to save as many militia members as possible because of that, because more bodies between us and having to charge into danger is better, and because they're civilians and we're vaguely idealistic.

Xander77 fucked around with this message at 21:46 on Jul 20, 2023

# ? Jul 20, 2023 18:45

Dong Quixote: Oct 3, 2015; Fun Shoe

1, Sharpshooters only

# ? Jul 20, 2023 19:08

AJ_Impy: Jun 17, 2007; SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?; Yam Slacker

1, Sharpshooters.

# ? Jul 20, 2023 20:15

Jaguars!: Jul 31, 2012

Dong Quixote posted:

1, Sharpshooters only

# ? Jul 20, 2023 21:21

Yaoi Gagarin: Feb 20, 2014

Xander77 posted:

Both.

Edit - let me clarify. Wulfram was probably on the first boat out - he may be an idiot, but his advisors would surely have bundled him off. There's nothing to be gained from zerg rush. We want as few of our people to die in exchange for as many as possible of Wulfram's.

So we want to save as many militia members as possible because of that, because more bodies between us and having to charge into danger is better, and because they're civilians and we're vaguely idealistic.

Even if Wulfram has fled - in fact, especially if he's fled - we need to destroy as much of his force as possible before they escape.

1, Sharpshooters

# ? Jul 21, 2023 01:10

Xander77: Apr 6, 2009; Fuck it then. For another pit sandwich and some 'tater salad, I'll post a few more.

VostokProgram posted:

Even if Wulfram has fled - in fact, especially if he's fled - we need to destroy as much of his force as possible before they escape.

If there's one thing that is sure to destroy as much of the force as possible, it's running dick-first into prepared fortifications.

Oh, we want to destroy the other force?

# ? Jul 21, 2023 14:04

HerpicleOmnicron5: May 31, 2013; How did this smug dummkopf ever make general?

Xander77 posted:

If there's one thing that is sure to destroy as much of the force as possible, it's running dick-first into prepared fortifications.

Oh, we want to destroy the other force?

Their ships will sail out if we�re too slow. Naval power is going to be HUGE, since ships are much harder to replace than just a few peasant lives. We have no shot at Wulfram, but his conspirators? Plus, if they start coming under fire from their own shore batteries, the chances of chaos aboard their ships will be near certain.

AJ_Impy posted:

1, Sharpshooters.

# ? Jul 21, 2023 14:18

Lord Cyrahzax: Oct 11, 2012

It's time to put Reyes' sharpshooters in position to cover the shore batteries.

quote:

Reyes hesitates when you give him the order. For a moment, you fear the Intendant is about to offer some last-minute objection. For a moment, you suspect he's working up the nerve to deliver one. But in the end, he offers nothing of the sort. He simply salutes and heads down the stairs to tell his men, still assembled in the Exchange courtyard below.

It takes only a few minutes to come to the conclusion that convincing the Intendant had been the easy part. Watching from your high vantage point, you daresay that the men themselves are being far more stubborn about the matter than their commander. But Reyes has their trust, to a far greater extent than you have his, and armed with your promises, he evidently makes some headway. One by one, his Skirmishers nod their assent, and at long last, they head up the stairs.

They come onto the roof in almost complete silence, as if they were already stalking their far-off prey. Some of them fix you with strange looks as they pass by. Perhaps they remember you from the day you rode to their rescue on the banks of the Kharan. Perhaps they're wondering if you mean to hold to your promises, or if you mean to prove their leader a liar for relying upon them.

Whatever their thoughts, they pass without a word as they find positions along the stonework of the Exchange roof. Some place rolled-up blankets and jackets and rest their slim-bodied rifles upon them. Others crouch behind stonework or chimneys, with the stillness of statues. From such positions, they'll be able to cover all but the furthest stretches of the shore batteries with deadly, accurate fire from above.

It's the sort of advantage which most officers in your position could only pray for, but it is one you still have to put into action. With every passing minute you spend in preparation, the Wulframites are free to continue their evacuation unmolested.

How much more time can you afford to allow them?

One action won pretty handily, so:

No more delays. It's time to launch the assault!

quote:

The time for preparation is over.

You've exhausted every practickal means of making your force ready for the long, hard fighting that is to come. Your counterpart standing opposite you atop the shore batteries has no doubt done the same. You can see some of the results of his work from your vantage point atop the Shipping Exchange: heightened barricades, carefully guarded approaches, cunningly positioned cross-fires. Every moment you've spent on strengthening your position has been similarly spent by the enemy, and you have little doubt that should you continue to delay, they will only continue to reinforce their position.

At least there aren't so many of them as there were before. That's plain enough to see. Where the whole of the Wolf's Head Cuirassiers had been waiting dismounted behind those barricades not so long ago, only a relative handful remain: a third maybe, perhaps even only a quarter.

But even that is no consolation. If the Cuirassiers are being withdrawn, then it could only mean that Wulfram's evacuation must be well advanced. It's yet another reason to eschew further delays and distractions, yet another reason to set your own plans into motion and begin the assault.

Only one question remains: what part of your force is to open the attack?

quote:

The Cuirassiers will be a hard enemy to fight, that's for certain. Outnumbered though they may be, any disadvantage they might derive from being out of the saddle will surely be made up by the strength of their positions. Their discipline, morale, and loyalty to their chief will stand them in good stead either way. They were once the best cavalry in the army, and perhaps still presume such a dignity. You'll certainly need to handle them carefully.

That's why you've reassembled your officers atop the roof of the Shipping Exchange once again, both to maintain a clear view of the situation that you're faced with, and to take stock of your own forces�to determine which one will be best suited to face Wulfram's own personal guard.

The Grenadiers would be the natural choice, of course. Running determined defenders out of fortified positions is practickally their speciality. Yet they've already had a long day of hard fighting. Even after some last-minute reshuffling, their companies are still heavily understrength, and the men within them still almost on the verge of exhaustion. Without conceit or bombast, Captain Riley assures you that they'll be more than capable of beating back the Cuirassiers. However, you receive no such guarantees as to their condition after they do.

Then, there are your own Dragoons�trained to move and fight on foot, they should have an advantage over the Cuirassiers, in theory. Yet they too have been worn down by the day's events, and only those in the regiment who were with you at Kharangia have any experience at all regarding the assault of a fortified position. In the end, your Dragoons may yet be able to overcome the enemy through sheer skill or energy or bloody-mindedness, but there's no question that your men will take heavy losses in doing so.

That only leaves the militias. The least organised, least disciplined, least equipped of your forces�but also the most numerous. You cannot say how much confidence you might have in such a force. They may make for an impressive sight now, but you know far too well how even the largest force of irregular forces may be put to rout or destruction by a better disciplined, better-handled opponent. If you send the militias up against Brockenburg and his men, they'll be slaughtered�and even if they're able to overwhelm the Cuirassiers through weight of numbers, it would only be over the bodies of their own dead.

They're not ideal forces for a situation such as this, but that's the nature of battle. One is never given precisely the right tools for the job at hand. One can only pick the one he thinks will do the work.

And hope that he has chosen rightly.

"Send in the militias."

"Commit the Grenadiers."

"Order the Dragoons to dismount and attack."

quote:

As of the Winter of the 618 of the Old Imperial Era:

Sir Alaric d'al Sancroix, Baron Somewhere Awful
Lieutenant-colonel, Royal Dragoons
Age: 46

Current Funds: 400 Crown
Debts: 20203 Crown

Bi-Annual Income (Personal): 270 Crown
Bi-Annual Estate Revenues: 714 Crown

Bi-Annual Estate Expenses: 425 Crown
Bi-Annual Interest Payments: 404 Crown

Total Net Income (Next Six Months): 155 Crown

Soldiering: 20%
Charisma: 46%
Intellect: 55%

Reputation: 34%
Health: 40%

Idealism: 55%Cynicism: 45%
Ruthlessness: 74%Mercy: 26%

You are a Knight of the Red, having the right to wear Bane-hardened armour and wield a Bane-runed sword.

You can speak, read, and write the Antari language.

You have only a little influence among the Royalist Faction.

Your known Royalist loyalties have made you somewhat unwelcome among the Wulframite Faction.

You have some small amount of pull at Grenadier Square.

quote:

Colonel-in-Chief: Her Tierran Majesty, Isobel d'al Rendower
Colonel Commanding: His Grace, the Duke of Cunaris
Quartermaster: Captain Sir Caius d'al Cazarosta

First Squadron
Officer Commanding: Captain Adelina d'al Garret

Discipline: 34%
Morale: 46%
Loyalty: 15%
Strength: 76%

Second Squadron
Officer Commanding: Lieutenant-colonel the Baron Somewhere Awful

Discipline: 50%
Morale: 51%
Loyalty: 38%
Strength: 56%

Third Squadron
Officer Commanding: Captain Arcturus d'al Hawkins

Discipline: 62%
Morale: 57%
Loyalty: 15%
Strength: 40%

# ? Jul 21, 2023 16:07

McTimmy: Feb 29, 2008

quote:

They were once the best cavalry in the army, and perhaps still presume such a dignity. You'll certainly need to handle them carefully.

Well let's be fixing that.

"Order the Dragoons to dismount and attack."

# ? Jul 21, 2023 16:23

Rogue AI Goddess: May 10, 2012; I enjoy the sight of humans on their knees.
That was a joke... unless..?

Commit the Grenadiers.

We have guarantees that they will get the job done, and their condition afterwards is Lefevbre's problem, not ours.

# ? Jul 21, 2023 21:20

BraveLittleToaster: May 5, 2019

Commit the Grenadiers.

# ? Jul 21, 2023 21:25

TheGreatEvilKing: Mar 28, 2016

Grenadiers

# ? Jul 21, 2023 21:50

AJ_Impy: Jun 17, 2007; SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?; Yam Slacker

Grenadiers. We gave no false assurance.

# ? Jul 21, 2023 23:59

Dong Quixote: Oct 3, 2015; Fun Shoe

McTimmy posted:

Well let's be fixing that.

"Order the Dragoons to dismount and attack."

# ? Jul 22, 2023 01:40

sullat: Jan 9, 2012

Mob

# ? Jul 22, 2023 05:50

Yaoi Gagarin: Feb 20, 2014

Grenadiers

# ? Jul 22, 2023 06:15

Xander77: Apr 6, 2009; Fuck it then. For another pit sandwich and some 'tater salad, I'll post a few more.

Rogue AI Goddess posted:

Commit the Grenadiers.

We have guarantees that they will get the job done, and their condition afterwards is Lefevbre's problem, not ours.

# ? Jul 22, 2023 12:27

Lord Cyrahzax: Oct 11, 2012

"Commit the Grenadiers."

quote:

After the day the Grenadiers have had, after the action they've sustained and the casualties they've endured, you wouldn't be entirely surprised if they responded to your orders with a certain hesitance, some sullenness, or even insolence.

Yet when Captain Riley goes down to the street to inform them of your intentions, they form up in their companies with an efficiency and a steadiness which would have done a machine credit. With a discipline which wouldn't be out of place on a parade ground, they fix and charge bayonets�and although a good portion of their number already bear bandaged wounds, they begin their advance with all the snap and sharp-eyed enthusiasm of a unit freshly rested.

The Cuirassiers are ready for them�or at least, as ready for them as they might well have been. No doubt, they're reminding themselves that it is they who may yet have the numbers, that they are better rested, better positioned, better protected by both their barricades and their armour�

And yet, it is the Grenadiers who specialise in this sort of work, in pushing aside such advantages with naught but discipline, steel, and fire�and to see the unbroken ranks of burnt orange approach them, you suspect that there are some amongst the Wulframite cavalry who are thinking the exact same thing.

And it is they who fire first.

The volley is almost perfect, a simultaneous flash and thunder of half a thousand carbines and pistols, blanketing the barricades in a sudden bank of smoke. You see half the first rank of Grenadiers crumple and fall�and you see those behind march over them as if they were little more than driftwood. The time to tend to the wounded comes after a battle, after it has been won in victory. Until then, the only correct response to the enemy's killing fire is to answer.

And answer they do.

quote:

The Grenadiers deliver their own volley at a range of barely twenty paces, the first line of companies emptying their bayoneted muskets into the enemy with a crashing thunder accompanied by the ringing undertone of a hundred lead balls ricocheting and punching through steel breastplates and helmets.

And that's when the second line of companies rushes forward, muskets held under one hand as they slip through the files of the first company with near-perfect timing. Their free hands wind back as they clear the first line, hundreds of little iron dots arcing through the air to land amidst the barricades.

Silence for a moment. The Grenadiers halt, bracing themselves for what is to come. The Cuirassiers scramble to free themselves from the cover they had not a moment ago stuck so close to. They know what's coming�and so do you.

Absently, you cover your ears.

quote:

Creation shatters as hundreds of grenades go off in rapid succession. Even with your ears plugged and three hundred paces away, it sounds as if a battalion volley has just gone off behind your ears. The air ripples with the force of it, even as the Wulframite barricades disintegrate under the concussive flashes of fire and smoke.

The Grenadiers do not hesitate. The instant the last grenade goes off, they're rushing forward, Captain Riley at their head. You can see their mouths opening as they close the last few paces. You cannot hear them over the residual roar of the grenades, but you know what they're saying all the same.

"Tierra and Victory! Kill them all!"

quote:

It's over in only a few moments.

Few of the defenders were left on their feet after the first exchange of volleys. Almost all of the rest had been put paid by the grenades that followed. All that remained to meet the Grenadier charge was a small scattering of dazed, bleeding men, barely fit to stand, let alone fight. A few manage to retreat through the makeshift bridges leading to the next section of the Shore Batteries, but they pull the bridges out from behind them. They hold out no hope for the fellows they left behind: they're either dead, dying, or surrendering.

Leaving this part of the shore batteries wholly under your control, and the Grenadiers victorious.

quote:

The first section of shore batteries is firmly under Royalist control by the time you're able to get to it. Already, the dead are being cleared away, the wounded�or at least, your wounded�are being tended to. Around them, swarms of men are moving down each gun platform, securing both the massive cannon themselves and the shot lockers, powder magazines, and covered passages that accompany them.

Soon, the report comes that all stores of powder and shot are secure. The guns are also intact, though it comes as perhaps no surprise to learn that their vent holes had been spiked by the retreating Cuirassiers�which means if you're to end Wulfram's evacuation, it will have to be through more direct means.

There's no question as to what those means shall be, and there's no question that the force to do it will be in for a difficult challenge, indeed.

For a moment, you consider taking the next set of shore batteries the way you had the first, with an assault from the street. But the problems with such an approach become obvious almost immediately: to reach the closest of the street approaches, any attacking force would have to expose themselves to enfilading fire from the Wulframite-held batteries on their approach�you doubt that any force you have in your possession would be able to do so and still successfully carry the position.

Which means you only have one real way forward: the same way by which your enemy just made their retreat.

The matter of crossing the gap betwixt your section of the shore batteries and the next is not a complicated one. The makeshift bridges�really little more than improvised gangplanks�which the Cuirassiers had retreated over would only take a few minutes at most to replace, and once you get men across the gap in numbers, the matter may well be settled quickly; the enemy left the barricades along that approach weak, defended only by what seem like street militias. Yet the prospect of getting men over the gap in the first place is the real difficulty. Any crossing bridges would have to be placed in the open, and while the Wulframite militias may be disordered, they're also quite numerous�and you don't doubt that even a poorly drilled, poorly equipped enemy will inflict substantial losses upon any force approaching them in the open, across a set of narrow and uncovered passages.

But it will have to be done.

The only question is, who is to do it?

quote:

With your forces now gathered around you, it seems easy enough to make a quick examination of their component pieces:

You have little doubt that the Grenadiers still possess sufficient strength and spirit to take the next set of batteries, despite the heavy action they've sustained so far. Yet you know as well as they that they're no more proof to musketry than any other man�and that to send them on the attack now would expose them to a considerable amount of enemy fire. They may well be able to take the enemy's positions, but they shall surely bleed heavily for it.

Then, there are your Dragoons. Though they lack the specialised training or equipment the Grenadiers possess, and although the day's action hasn't left them in pristine condition, your regiment still retains much of its fighting strength, and even if they lack bayonets and muskets, let alone hand grenades, their discipline and equipment should still give them the upper hand over the enemy ahead�though they'll surely suffer heavy casualties in the approach.

Lastly, there are the street militias, the only force which could possibly match the enemy before you in sheer numbers, if nothing else. Any attempt to employ them in the assault will necessarily be a matter of attrition, two mobs of ill-trained, ill-equipped civilians battering at each other with improvised weapons until one of them gives way. It'll be a gamble, and not necessarily one which your militias can win. Looking from one side to the other, you can barely see any real difference betwixt one and the other. No disparities in weapons or in order�and if there is any in number, then it's beyond your ability to notice. Even if your militias maintain their tenuous cohesion through the enemy fire of the approach, they may not prevail in the ensuing melee. Even if they do, the losses they take would be sure to be horrendous, perhaps unbearable.

But it's clear that if you're to settle this matter, someone will have to bear them�

Call the militias forward and send them in.

Commit the Grenadiers.

Bring up the Dragoons and send them across.

quote:

As of the Winter of the 618 of the Old Imperial Era:

Sir Alaric d'al Sancroix, Baron Somewhere Awful
Lieutenant-colonel, Royal Dragoons
Age: 46

Current Funds: 400 Crown
Debts: 20203 Crown

Bi-Annual Income (Personal): 270 Crown
Bi-Annual Estate Revenues: 714 Crown

Bi-Annual Estate Expenses: 425 Crown
Bi-Annual Interest Payments: 404 Crown

Total Net Income (Next Six Months): 155 Crown

Soldiering: 20%
Charisma: 46%
Intellect: 55%

Reputation: 34%
Health: 40%

Idealism: 55%Cynicism: 45%
Ruthlessness: 74%Mercy: 26%

You are a Knight of the Red, having the right to wear Bane-hardened armour and wield a Bane-runed sword.

You can speak, read, and write the Antari language.

You have only a little influence among the Royalist Faction.

Your known Royalist loyalties have made you somewhat unwelcome among the Wulframite Faction.

You have some small amount of pull at Grenadier Square.

quote:

Colonel-in-Chief: Her Tierran Majesty, Isobel d'al Rendower
Colonel Commanding: His Grace, the Duke of Cunaris
Quartermaster: Captain Sir Caius d'al Cazarosta

First Squadron
Officer Commanding: Captain Adelina d'al Garret

Discipline: 34%
Morale: 46%
Loyalty: 15%
Strength: 76%

Second Squadron
Officer Commanding: Lieutenant-colonel the Baron Somewhere Awful

Discipline: 50%
Morale: 51%
Loyalty: 38%
Strength: 56%

Third Squadron
Officer Commanding: Captain Arcturus d'al Hawkins

Discipline: 62%
Morale: 57%
Loyalty: 15%
Strength: 40%

# ? Jul 22, 2023 16:32

AJ_Impy: Jun 17, 2007; SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?; Yam Slacker

Militias. The Grenadiers did their job and we've seen what our lot are like against a bunch of rowdy citizens.

# ? Jul 22, 2023 16:58

Rogue AI Goddess: May 10, 2012; I enjoy the sight of humans on their knees.
That was a joke... unless..?

Lord Cyrahzax posted:

You have little doubt that the Grenadiers still possess sufficient strength and spirit to take the next set of batteries, despite the heavy action they've sustained so far. Yet you know as well as they that they're no more proof to musketry than any other man—and that to send them on the attack now would expose them to a considerable amount of enemy fire. They may well be able to take the enemy's positions, but they shall surely bleed heavily for it.

Rogue AI Goddess posted:

Commit the Grenadiers.

We have guarantees that they will get the job done, and their condition afterwards is Lefevbre's problem, not ours.

Second verse, same as the first.

# ? Jul 22, 2023 18:39

Xander77: Apr 6, 2009; Fuck it then. For another pit sandwich and some 'tater salad, I'll post a few more.

Militias. Morale + for general being nearby, morale + for friendly unit winning recently, morale + for fighting equal opponents.

# ? Jul 22, 2023 18:59

Gun Jam: Apr 11, 2015

Militia.
Can't let an opportunity to send cannon fodder go to waste.

# ? Jul 22, 2023 19:06

sullat: Jan 9, 2012

Militia the enemy must be close to their pre-set kill limit.

# ? Jul 22, 2023 19:32

BraveLittleToaster: May 5, 2019

Militia.

# ? Jul 22, 2023 19:33

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Jun 9, 2024 16:51

Dong Quixote: Oct 3, 2015; Fun Shoe

Militia

# ? Jul 23, 2023 09:41

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > I Have Tasted Command, And I Cannot Give It Up: Lords of Infinity

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