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Fantasy Arms Race, Round Two
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<blockquote data-quote="s/LaSH" data-source="post: 789128" data-attributes="member: 6929"><p>If the formians launch an attack, the Cresians are in trouble. And the jinn, for that matter - together, they're outnumbered five to one by creatures the size of ponies. While an experienced centaur might be a match for a basic formian warrior, there are just too many of them - even facing missile fire, the formians would win out through sheer force of numbers.</p><p></p><p>At least, that's the theory, and the Queen is eager to see it in action, being a practical sort. How do the formians cross the ocean? They have a few Auselen transport vessels, but it will take them a while to put together a fleet big enough to accommodate their full legions. Probably months to fell the forests of Ausel and dredge the depths for precious metals. Nevertheless, one legion can be carried on three transport vessels, and Ausel probably has at least fifty transports - so shall we say that an initial pacification force of 16 legions (1296 warriors apiece) is sent over? While that's only slightly over twenty thousand troops, they still outnumber a Tamarch two to one, and Cresia has never been as militant as Ta'jinn, so probably can't expect to field more than twenty thousand troops against the formians themselves.</p><p></p><p>Stempan reinforcements, on the other hand... the idea of battle wagons (portable mini-fortresses) would certainly be in their national character. I expect thirty thousand troops could be mobilised from Stempa, given the numbers from the last round, including support troops like hobgoblins and ogres and clerics. The clerics would be useful in battle, certainly - largely as spontaneous healers, but a force that comes to rely on its healers will probably spend most of its time falling back to the clerics and not fighting, which is awful as far as tactics go. No, clerics are pretty good fighters themselves - I can see them on the front lines, occasionally stopping to heal a comrade, then smashing in another formian. Of course, the clerics are slightly more fragile than the warriors, so each cleric would have an escort of four veteran troopers to keep them safe and screen them when they're casting.</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, while Holy Word would carve a swathe through formian armies, there probably aren't more than a few dozen fighting-age clerics who can cast it. It's seventh level, right on the edge of magic for this scenario. I expect that only heroes will employ Holy Word - but it will be an awesome weapon if the heroes manage to reach the formian fortress on Ausel.</p><p></p><p>Anyway, as things currently stand:</p><p></p><p>A few bands of heroes are exploring Ausel.</p><p></p><p>The formians are setting sail for the mainland.</p><p></p><p>Cresia has had little time to prepare, but they do have excellent scouting abilities... they'll be able to bring their fleet to bear on the formian armada.</p><p></p><p>The formians have a pet dragon.</p><p></p><p>I think that last one is likely to cause the most problems. A dragon, especially one of the great wyrms that lead Ausel, is going to wreak absolute havoc on any battlefield, naval or not. And if the formians decide to use it in a suicide maneuver, they don't really care. (In fact, it's probably using a simulacrum at the formian's order.)</p><p></p><p>We just need to decide what colour this dragon is.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="s/LaSH, post: 789128, member: 6929"] If the formians launch an attack, the Cresians are in trouble. And the jinn, for that matter - together, they're outnumbered five to one by creatures the size of ponies. While an experienced centaur might be a match for a basic formian warrior, there are just too many of them - even facing missile fire, the formians would win out through sheer force of numbers. At least, that's the theory, and the Queen is eager to see it in action, being a practical sort. How do the formians cross the ocean? They have a few Auselen transport vessels, but it will take them a while to put together a fleet big enough to accommodate their full legions. Probably months to fell the forests of Ausel and dredge the depths for precious metals. Nevertheless, one legion can be carried on three transport vessels, and Ausel probably has at least fifty transports - so shall we say that an initial pacification force of 16 legions (1296 warriors apiece) is sent over? While that's only slightly over twenty thousand troops, they still outnumber a Tamarch two to one, and Cresia has never been as militant as Ta'jinn, so probably can't expect to field more than twenty thousand troops against the formians themselves. Stempan reinforcements, on the other hand... the idea of battle wagons (portable mini-fortresses) would certainly be in their national character. I expect thirty thousand troops could be mobilised from Stempa, given the numbers from the last round, including support troops like hobgoblins and ogres and clerics. The clerics would be useful in battle, certainly - largely as spontaneous healers, but a force that comes to rely on its healers will probably spend most of its time falling back to the clerics and not fighting, which is awful as far as tactics go. No, clerics are pretty good fighters themselves - I can see them on the front lines, occasionally stopping to heal a comrade, then smashing in another formian. Of course, the clerics are slightly more fragile than the warriors, so each cleric would have an escort of four veteran troopers to keep them safe and screen them when they're casting. Unfortunately, while Holy Word would carve a swathe through formian armies, there probably aren't more than a few dozen fighting-age clerics who can cast it. It's seventh level, right on the edge of magic for this scenario. I expect that only heroes will employ Holy Word - but it will be an awesome weapon if the heroes manage to reach the formian fortress on Ausel. Anyway, as things currently stand: A few bands of heroes are exploring Ausel. The formians are setting sail for the mainland. Cresia has had little time to prepare, but they do have excellent scouting abilities... they'll be able to bring their fleet to bear on the formian armada. The formians have a pet dragon. I think that last one is likely to cause the most problems. A dragon, especially one of the great wyrms that lead Ausel, is going to wreak absolute havoc on any battlefield, naval or not. And if the formians decide to use it in a suicide maneuver, they don't really care. (In fact, it's probably using a simulacrum at the formian's order.) We just need to decide what colour this dragon is. [/QUOTE]
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