HFQ: Using Merlin's / Owl's "new" 2000 puund bombs

Don't think I've seen anything about this (other than a remark I may have made in another thread about the bombs and their possible uses).

So as we get to the end of HFQ, we learn that Rainbow Waters is building up "the largest possible supply magazines at his current location."

When the time is right, possibly just before the early summer campaign season begins when the Holy Langhorne is still frozen, it might be worthwhile for a bombing run on Rainbow Waters' powder supplies...

Not sure if this falls into Merlin's self-imposed assassination proscription, and he HAS proven willing to use a bomb to sink a galleon in HFQ.

The penetrating power of a 500 pound, 1000 pound, or 2000 pound bomb with (even) a steel nosecone is phenomenal (I speak from personal experience there), so they should easily be able to penetrate any powder bunkers the MHOG has put together.

Or even a nighttime strike on one of the canal locks on the Holy Langhorne...

What say you?

WeberFan wrote:Don't think I've seen anything about this (other than a remark I may have made in another thread about the bombs and their possible uses).

So as we get to the end of HFQ, we learn that Rainbow Waters is building up "the largest possible supply magazines at his current location."

When the time is right, possibly just before the early summer campaign season begins when the Holy Langhorne is still frozen, it might be worthwhile for a bombing run on Rainbow Waters' powder supplies...

Not sure if this falls into Merlin's self-imposed assassination proscription, and he HAS proven willing to use a bomb to sink a galleon in HFQ.

The penetrating power of a 500 pound, 1000 pound, or 2000 pound bomb with (even) a steel nosecone is phenomenal (I speak from personal experience there), so they should easily be able to penetrate any powder bunkers the MHOG has put together.

Or even a nighttime strike on one of the canal locks on the Holy Langhorne...

What say you?

I believe RFC/ Merlin used the bomb on the ships was for assured death to all onboard, and because no crater would be left in the water for investigators to inspect. The dumb bombs components would be lost to the wind and waves and any shrapnel in the bodies could be explained if the fish and krakens did not get to the bodies first. A bomb on land would leave clues.

Now why not assist the artillery a bit with a few random shells being dropped from a cloaked skimmer during an artillery barrage... that could be a whole nother matter.

Merlin feels it is indefensible for him to go around wantonly interfering in the armed struggle using TF technology. At this point that position may not be entirely rational, but it represents his way of keeping himself both sane and able to face himself in the mirror. The reason it is possibly not entirely rational is that he does make some exceptions both for situations that are sufficiently strategically important and for ones where enemy actions sufficiently outrage his sense of justice, but the latter focus on the personal and the local rather than on the strategic. The canal raid is an example of the first category. The rescue of Thirk's family is a bit of both (and the use of the bomb there is possible because he can reasonably expect to hide all evidence of it) His willingness to rescue shoot the Inquisitors who were executing their colleague who helped the little girl in the camp is an instance of the second, because he was quite ready to leave the Inquisitors General, who is driving the cruelty in all the camps, alive. If he is willing to shoot any of the Inquisitors he would do a lot more good by making appointment to that office a death sentence with actual execution of it timed to cause maximum disruption in each case.

Whatever, nothing in the series gives any reason to believe that Merlin is going to change his policy now, so, no, the Mighty Host js not about to have a run of bad luck in its powder magasines anytime soon.

Randomiser wrote:Merlin feels it is indefensible for him to go around wantonly interfering in the armed struggle using TF technology. At this point that position may not be entirely rational, but it represents his way of keeping himself both sane and able to face himself in the mirror. The reason it is possibly not entirely rational is that he does make some exceptions both for situations that are sufficiently strategically important and for ones where enemy actions sufficiently outrage his sense of justice, but the latter focus on the personal and the local rather than on the strategic. The canal raid is an example of the first category. The rescue of Thirk's family is a bit of both (and the use of the bomb there is possible because he can reasonably expect to hide all evidence of it) His willingness to rescue shoot the Inquisitors who were executing their colleague who helped the little girl in the camp is an instance of the second, because he was quite ready to leave the Inquisitors General, who is driving the cruelty in all the camps, alive. If he is willing to shoot any of the Inquisitors he would do a lot more good by making appointment to that office a death sentence with actual execution of it timed to cause maximum disruption in each case.

Whatever, nothing in the series gives any reason to believe that Merlin is going to change his policy now, so, no, the Mighty Host js not about to have a run of bad luck in its powder magasines anytime soon.

It might occur to other people in the Inner Circle to attempt to reason privately with Owl. Nimue also has a mind of her own.

phillies wrote:

Randomiser wrote:Merlin feels it is indefensible for him to go around wantonly interfering in the armed struggle using TF technology. At this point that position may not be entirely rational, but it represents his way of keeping himself both sane and able to face himself in the mirror. The reason it is possibly not entirely rational is that he does make some exceptions both for situations that are sufficiently strategically important and for ones where enemy actions sufficiently outrage his sense of justice, but the latter focus on the personal and the local rather than on the strategic. The canal raid is an example of the first category. The rescue of Thirk's family is a bit of both (and the use of the bomb there is possible because he can reasonably expect to hide all evidence of it) His willingness to rescue shoot the Inquisitors who were executing their colleague who helped the little girl in the camp is an instance of the second, because he was quite ready to leave the Inquisitors General, who is driving the cruelty in all the camps, alive. If he is willing to shoot any of the Inquisitors he would do a lot more good by making appointment to that office a death sentence with actual execution of it timed to cause maximum disruption in each case.

Whatever, nothing in the series gives any reason to believe that Merlin is going to change his policy now, so, no, the Mighty Host js not about to have a run of bad luck in its powder magasines anytime soon.

It might occur to other people in the Inner Circle to attempt to reason privately with Owl. Nimue also has a mind of her own.

Finally what tf tech gets used is up to Merlin. He is the senior tf officer present which establishes his authority for Owl. Nimue is second in the chain of command as her personality in the second PICA is activated later. There is no indicator that Owl would act contrary to that chain of command or that the native Safeholdens are a part of it.

So no, there will be no "reasoning privately" with Owl behind Merlin's back or contrary to his wishes.

Don

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Arguments aside for whether or not Merlin will/should do such a thing, it's far far easier, not to mention more stealthy, to have a remote deliver an incendiary charge and the ammo dump goes boom.

Merlin does not use high tech in any situation where it could be detected. Bombing a ship alone at sea is fine--the ship is lost with all hands, any possible evidence is somewhere on the ocean floor and without scuba gear or sonar nobody's going to look when the exact location is unknown.

He's used a modern rifle for assassination--but left behind evidence that it was simply one of the rifles they have been fielding.

Loren Pechtel wrote:Merlin does not use high tech in any situation where it could be detected. Bombing a ship alone at sea is fine--the ship is lost with all hands, any possible evidence is somewhere on the ocean floor and without scuba gear or sonar nobody's going to look when the exact location is unknown.

He's used a modern rifle for assassination--but left behind evidence that it was simply one of the rifles they have been fielding.

While we are considering the tech Merlin might use, note that the level of tech by which he delivered the bomb that destroyed the ship from which Thirsk's family had been rescued was not TF, but 20th century. He downgraded that way to slip under the notice of the obs iirc.

Don

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