1) With the divine power of Saber at their backs, those fighting in the Battle for the Hume Highway (i.e those currently engaging the PSI 10th Initiate Battalion and the 10th Light Tank Platoon) perform an epic charge against the 10th Initiate Battalion and the 10th Light Tank Platoon and cause them to be utterly obliterated.
2) Send the 1st Fighter Wing to assist New Zealand's airforce in bringing down those UFOs.
3) the Saberist Priesthood will conduct a long-range Servant Summoning ritual to summon the one and only
Da Vinci-chan to sabotage the Psychic Dominator.
6 (13): Regaining initiative, the bikers swarm the disorganized invaders, pushing them on a retreat back to Sydney. 10th Initiate Battalion loses 12% strength, while the 10th Light Tank Platoon loses 15%.
7: Bee-lining for the battlefield takes the pilots into Sydney's interception zone!
ROLL TO DODGE!
3 (2): Nearly blown out of the sky, the crippled Wing is forced to abort back to Canberra for repairs. 1st Fighter Wing suffers -50% strength, -2 combat from field losses, and is uncommandable this turn as it retreats to base.
7: Unfortunately the Majterran ritual to literally summon legions from Hell has thrown the cosmic communication channels into a bit of a mess, and da Vinci cannot be safely dispatched.
13 (11): Selling off the national army into splinter commissions nets the government a sizable lump-sum payout and yourself a diversification to your investment portfolio. Although you were unable to maintain majority share in the new companies, you were able to preserve the status quo under favourable terms. +$375,000 state funds and +$25/turn to personal funds;
Kingston and Nassau garrisons organized into Kingston Security Limited and Nassau Defense Group. Further details in the News section.
DRIVE TO NEW ZEALAND.
Robert Can't will write to the Irish government telling them that as a Citizen of Ireland he requests the aid of his Home Country in pursuing a quest of revenge against the Kiwi Empire.
17: Thank your lucky stars Calais is in the Volksreich's side of Hauts-de-France! With the Chunnel still operational you make the mainland with time to spare, and are now halfway from Zagreb to Belgrade.
12: Of course,
officially condoning an act of aggression against a neutral state is not in Dublin's interest, but the Department of Transport casually mentions that if you can make it to Athens in the next three turns, there's a flight leaving for Bangkok that could just fit a bit of extra cargo...
LET DICE RAIN FROM THE SKIES AND DESTROY THE NONBELIVERS WHOM DARE OPPOSE OUR SIMPLIFIED ROLLS!
20 (+1 [Know the Mods, Know Thyself] +3 [Crowd favourite] -1 [HYK roll bonus] =
20): THE FOOLS HAVE FALLEN STRAIGHT INTO YOUR TRAP! With all Hayekian forces within AoE, you unleash your trump card: Dice Fall
(Everyone Dies)! [81/100]
HYK 1st Libertarian Volunteer Platoon has been converted to Cult of Minimalism! [41/100]
HYK 3rd Libertarian Volunteer Platoon has been destroyed! 2nd Libertarian Volunteer Platoon loses 25% strength, 4th and 5th Heavy Platoons lose 19% and 22% strength respectively and all three units are Pinned and Panicking; 1st Field Gun Crew loses 14% strength and is Suppressed.
1) in her state of confusion and desperation the Empress will create a rift that would enable the forces of Chaos, leaded by Louisa Ferre, to this reality.
2) Bellator will teleport himself to Al-Kharṭūm—Baḥrī—Umm Durmān to help the Faxum Empire against its rebellion by engaging in combat against Corpoate Faxum
3) order the training of warlocks in Marseille to help prepare counter the upcoming struggle with the Heretics Crusade.
1 (3): When you play with fire, expect to get burned. When you deal with demons, prepare to be double-crossed. The first wave of infernal legions is barely out of the gate before the Devil Herself takes your disoriented person captive! "Nothing personnel, kid," she sneers, disguising herself as you to seize control of the Cretan garrison!
2: Lacking any innate magical proficiency of his own, Bellator's only recourse is to transport himself the old fashioned way... and when every compass points north, it can be a little daunting finding one's bearings. Bellator loses 30 hitpoints and 2 mobility from a wearying slog through the Antarctic desert that seems to get him no further from where he started.
18 (16): In a bold departure from form, rather than parcel out your spellcasters throughout your forces, you'll concentrate them into a dedicated formation to maximize their synergy. 4th Warlock Company begins assembling in Marseille, ETA 3 turns.
President Trent Curtis will announce a new plan in a major speech given in Capital to streamline the bureaucracy of Country by consolidating several departments that cover similar areas while also expanding them as to better respond to any requests, crises, and other activities that said departments cover.
19 (20): Expanding the bureaucracy to fill the shortfall left by the shrinking bureaucracy is just the sort of common-sense thinking needed to cut the red tape and invest in taxpayer services! Mr. Perez argues that the government has merely made the appearance of action without actually doing anything; you counter that having done nothing, you
have, in fact, accomplished everything! Trent Curtis gains 5% approval; gain policy
Expanding the Shrinking Bureaucracy: +2% net revenue, +3 public sector happiness, +1 Action.
Action 1: Train up A Battalion of Storm Commandos for use in covert operations.
Action 2: Intensify forward firepower onto the Mutator!
3 (6): Spotting what look like some veteran U.S. commandos on exercise In the mountains, you press-gang them into a special black ops task group... only to learn they were actors on a shoot for the unnecessary sequel to a garbage 2007 war-"comedy". -$50,000 state funds; Delta Farce assembled in Wellington at 80% strength.
17 (17): Focusing all power to weapons, the
Revengeance blows out another 18% integrity, but at the cost of depleting its shields, which the Boomer squadrons move to exploit.
ROLL TO DODGE!
4 (8): Surface-to-air missiles punch out 6% of the hull's integrity.
Action One: We must support the garrison in Port Stanley! Task Force Turner will immediately turn south to relieve (or as it may be,
liberate) the islands.
Action Two: Excalibur is
somewhere, god damn it! Keep looking. If it's not in Tintagel, try Wales.
Action Three: Send Lapis on towards Langley, see if we can't do some damage to Christos there. Maybe even find some Agency secrets!
18: All ahead full! Deviating course, the fleet makes for the Falklands with all due haste, gaining a +3 bonus to initial contact.
19 (20): Using her government credentials to bypass the usual motorway gridlock folly, Pearl and Indy reach Snowdonia National Park in record time. The good news is: they don't have to go searching each separate lake for it; someone's already dredged it up! The bad news is: that someone is the Nazis, and they're getting away!
ROLL TO DODGE!
6 (12): Catching the guards by surprise, they ambush a Waffen-SS infantry section for 15% damage as Excalibur is loaded onto a long-range U-boat.
12 (14): Arriving at the base, she finds it effectively unguarded and an A-10 squadron inexplicably grounded. Having managed to infiltrate the perimeter undetected, she gains +1 stealth while on site.
Secure the surroundings of Moskva. Time to finish the job of the Great Khan.
9: The 4th and 5th Cavalry Divisions take up position on the city outskirts, but the Voronezh and Penza garrisons refuse to deploy.
Double A loses 1 strength as his muscles atrophy from inactivity.
Mathalamus suffers 5 damage from exposure to the elements.
Dublin Over Before it Began?
The eleventh-hour conference intended to prevent Mediterranean tensions from exploding into all-out war has not even taken attendance, yet Greek and Egyptian delegates now threaten to pull out. The governments have blasted Majterre's "blatant and contemptuous double-cross" in breaking the naval blockade by physically displacing the fleets half-way across the world. In a joint statement, Athens and Cairo declared that further negotiations are "demonstrably pointless if Paris cannot even commit to the most basic auspice of a cease-fire." Observers fear formal declarations of war are imminent.
Chaos and Confusion in the Öst-Mittelmeer
Concurrent with the abrupt disappearance of the naval blockade, a massive storm of supernatural property materialized above Crete in what appears to be Empress Esther's latest reactionary machination. Reliable contact with the island has been lost and the status of the rogue empire's wrecker dragon remains unclear, however scattered reports suggest a rapid buildup of land forces in Iráklion well in excess of the known garrison. While talk of a proverbial eye of the storm may be too on-the-nose for our readership, the consensus appears to be that the Cretan crisis is entering a new and even more unpredictable phase.
Esther Solomon has been imprisoned by Louisa Ferre! Esther is immobilized with a -4 penalty to all physical actions, and is restricted to a single Personal Action until the deception is exposed!
BRITISH EVENT: With Friends Like These
Having done everything it can to mediate a resolution, London has been thoroughly embarrassed by Majterre's utter disregard for good-faith diplomacy. While nominally allied through the marriage of Harry and Artemis, government advisors point out Britain has no
formal foreign policy obligations, and with the prospect of a major war now dangling over the continent, there is considerable public support to cut all ties to the demonstrably dishonourable régime.
Annul the Marriage: Exploiting legal loopholes and circumstantial irregularities in the marriage ceremony, the British government declares Harry and Artemis are
not, in fact, properly wedded, terminating the union with immediate effect. While a largely symbolic gesture of neutrality to countries not preoccupied with hereditary matchmaking, Majterre is certain to read this as a major affront and future diplomacy under the Solomon dynasty may never recover. Replace
Royal marriage to the House of Solomon with
Celebrity Breakup: -5 diplomacy with Majterre.
Garfield in: Royal Rescue: Conversely, Artemis may be your last recourse to turn this ship around: encouraging her to declare her mother incapable and assert her claim to the throne, London effectively backs a coup attempt in the hope she can enforce a saner government.
Artemis Solomon will launch a coup attempt at turn's end with a +5 bonus to roll; replace
Royal marriage to the House of Solomon with
The Huntress' Coup: +3 diplomacy with, -3
casus belli v. Artemis' faction and vice versa, +4
casus belli v. aggression on Artemis, +4 to claim leadership of the rebels if Harry succeeds Artemis; +5% support for Conservatives, +3% support for Imperial Party; Majterre gains +3
casus belli v. Britain.
Supporting Artemis will be read as opposing the Heretics' Crusade.
Pax Britannica: While Crete is a lost cause, you may yet be able to leverage enough influence to prevent neighbour countries from inciting a continental war, though they will consider it an enabling of Esther's bellicosity. -5% support for Labour, e350tb loses 10% approval; gain policy
Misguided Mediator for 20 turns: +2 diplomacy and -2
casus belli with Majterre, -3 diplomacy with the Volksreich and European Federation; barring severe provocation, neither country will join an offensive war against Majterre for this duration.
Wait and See: It's too early to make a decisive call on foreign policy. No effect.
Crusaders Make Landfall
Defying expectations, Jeanne d'Arc did not dispatch for Crete, but has forced a landing in southern France, apparently exploiting the international backlash against the dragon's failed containment to open a second front. The landing was not without complication, however, as a cascade of navigational errors briefly brought the transports into direct line of fire of Majterran warships, inflicting moderate damage to the expedition before it could disembark. While the main rebel navy has engaged the fleet, the landing craft remain penned and the ground forces have lost substantial logistical equipment; Paris will no doubt seize on the delays to ready itself for war.
City militias mobilized across Mainland France for -1 economy locally and -6% wealth taxable; Majterre gains +3 combat v. the Heretics' Crusade for the next three turns!
Tempers Flare in the Reichstag
Parliament is in chaos after the controversial Magische Rechte Partei forced the countermand of nationwide border drills, claiming the government was acting unlawfully in issuing orders to the armed forces without prior notification to the House. The Minister of Defence dismissed the charge, stating the action was firmly within her discretionary power as a matter of operational secrecy, however Sylvanian politicians claim the exercise was intended as the prelude to a unilateral invasion of Majterre itself. The dispute has touched a national nerve, with critics of the MRP charging the affair is an attempt to undermine the government in the midst of a regional crisis, citing the recent Drakenhof Memo fiasco as proof it is acting in the interests of foreign agents. While there is little love for Paris or the MRP, other parties have seized on the confusion to advance legitimate concerns over the unclear official state policy regarding Majterre.
Volksreich der Frau gains policy Foreign Policy Debates: -2 statecraft, -4 to starting or joining a war, -1 defence v. foreign influence; Majterre gains +2 combat v. the Volksreich for 5 turns; Linke ↓2%; KSP ↓3%; Spartakus ↑1% FDP ↑1%; CDU ↑1%; MRP ↑2%.
Pirates Seize Swedish Ship
Shortly after entering Skagerrak, a Swedish container ship was accosted and boarded by Viking raiders. Transmissions from the vessel suggest there were no fatalities, but the crew and cargo are now firmly under the pirates' control. The reactionary government in Stockholm has issued a confusing denouncement of Köln, claiming the Volksmarine should have intercepted the attackers earlier; Köln has fired back, stating that as the southern Norwegian coast is technically currently classified as international waters, it was Stockholm's responsibility to safeguard its shipping, especially given it had prior knowledge of the pirates' movements. In a subsequent address, the South Swedish government made a cryptic statement that it was investigating measures to guarantee future safe access.
The captured vessel was bound for New Zealand with a large cargo of industrial steel as part of a recently-ratified trade agreement. Our comrades in Norrland-Sápmi who have accused Stockholm of imperial intent have voiced public opposition to the deal, claiming Wellington's diplomatic guarantees will embolden South Swedish bellicosity in the region.
In related news, coastal raids have been reported near Edinburgh and Le Havre, however local authorities state the pirates should be dispatched without undue effort.
Namibian Leader "Sick of Winning"
Praising the recent victory against the American fascists, Comrade Premier Omega issued a series of tweets in which she questioned whether the Antonopoulos terrorists have any resolve left for the fight, stating "We're winning on all fronts, winning on all theaters, FUCIN's getting sick of winning!", and described President Christos' dereliction of leadership in the midst of the war as "Sad!". While her allies' efforts have not achieved such decisive breakthroughs, the recent arrival of the Volksarmee expedition to the continent and planned Venezuelan intervention in the U.S. southeast will undoubtedly stretch remaining resistance too thin to mount an effective defence. Köln will neither confirm nor deny whether a veteran special forces operative has joined the Namibian garrison in D.C. to finish off the fascists' upper government.
Feminist Union of Communist–Internationalist Namibia is now an NPC.
Presidential Subroutines Engaged
With no conscious input for some time now, President CivCube's cybernetic augmentation has fallen back to automated response protocols in order to preserve a basic standard of governance (as well as physical survival). Critics express grave concern about letting their country be run by an automatic pilot, although others contend it's been on autopilot for a long time. Regardless, this comes at a fortuitous time, as select Australian commandos have arrived in Mbuji-Mayi to assist the Congolese war effort against the treacherous Psi Corps.
CivCube Action Hour Congo is now an NPC.
Lab Accidents Rock Baghdad
The misguided Liberal technocrats have suffered another stumble in their struggle against fascist fundamentalism, with reports of major lab accidents throughout the besieged city. While details have not been forthcoming, there are suggestions the labs were investigating some sort of sonic weapon to rescue the flagging combat operations in the south. While damage was minimal and immediate casualties confined to the prototypes, the sudden and sweeping loss of vital infrastructure will likely stymie the so-called Supreme Brain's scientific pursuits for some time.
Government Forces Retreat from Khartoum
Privately-operated media outlets from the plutocratic Faxumite splinter state report that the siege of the Khartoum Triad has lifted, with government forces in retreat to the north and east. Only recently-seized in the empire's Sudanese expansion, the region hosted the largest mechanized garrison, which defected wholesale at the civil war's outbreak. While loyalist forces continue a northward march following the reconquest of Addis Abeba, its progress has been hampered by lack of motorization, and given the flamboyant emperor's uncharacteristic silence on Twitter, observers speculate the coveted supersoldier programme has yet to be safely resumed.
Militaires sans frontières
In the latest display of capitalist degeneracy, the plutocratic Caribbean government has sold off portions of its armed forces to private contractors. Two companies in Kingston and Nassau are now offering their mercenary armies for hire worldwide, assuming all responsibility for training and equipment in exchange for regular monetary payment proportionate to the conditions of the mission. Such units cannot be expected to follow direct orders from the hiring country, but will undoubtedly perform steadfastly where pay is high and terms are favourable.
Notes from the GM
Those of you that followed the chat shortly before last turn's roll call can guess what I'm about to say. Any competitive setting is going to see friction; IOT is no exception. I've had my fair share of player salt back while running R2D; I can take it in stride.
I
cannot accept players going after each other.
R2R is a game of strategy, but it is also a game of chance, moreso perhaps than any other game on this forum. Circumstances can change on a dime. Even the best intentions can yield disaster through no fault of the instigator,
as we've seen. This is
not the sort of game to get worked up over, certainly not to the point of flaming people because the RNG spiralled out of their control.
I will only say this once: if this game is causing you grief, you are free to remove yourself at any time. As per the OP,
fun is mandatory. Anyone not having fun may be evicted without notice.
With that said, a quick word on Corporations: while unlike J.K. Stockholme's power hiring
mercs PMCs is not a free action (at least while they’re NPCs), you can dictate the contract and payment with reasonable expectation of it being carried out as written provided the offer isn't unfeasible. Absent clear end goals, a contract will continue in perpetuity either until you terminate it or you can no longer pay. A company's general performance fluctuates based on its profitability; PMCs with higher Estimated Value will be able to train new troops and replace losses faster than ones struggling to break even, but will also leverage a premium for their services.
Orders due November 18.
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