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Anti naval Rakurai strikes

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Anti naval Rakurai strikes
Post by imperatorzor   » Thu Jul 23, 2015 2:54 am

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This is something I've been thinking about. It would make sense form the perspective of Clinton and his associated assholes to send Rakurai agents against the ships of the ICN. With the navy being expand and having a constant need of new sailors, it would be fairly easy to have some guy join up with the Charisian Navy and when the ship is out at sea go down to the hold with a jar of lamp oil and a match, throw the jar onto some bags of rice or a pile of rope with a lit match and set the ship ablaze and have it burn down. If he is real lucky he can do the same thing in the magazine and blow it up. Such efforts have far less chances of being detected than getting a lot of gunpowder, getting it into a public space and blowing it up and will directly hit the Empire's strongest assets. More over even if said attempts are thwarted it would have an adverse effect on the navy's morale.

Zor
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Re: Anti naval Rakurai strikes
Post by Morden   » Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:20 am

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clyntahn isnt really thinking of effectiveness. he doesnt truly want to win as quickly as possible. he wants to win by spreading as much wrath and death as possible against anyone whom he dislikes or considers a threat and he wants people to know he did it.

blowing up a few ships simply wouldnt do the job and he would worry when owls remotes simply started detonating their own gunpower supplies within their own ships.
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Re: Anti naval Rakurai strikes
Post by Dilandu   » Thu Jul 23, 2015 1:06 pm

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I doubt that would be usefull. Yes, a few strikes may be effective, but there are too few Rakurai agents to make significant difference. And after a first few attacks, it woudn't be too hard to make safety control over the crews.

If they managed to get Rakyrai agent onboard KH's... yes, THIS may make the difference. But i doubt it would be possible. The crew for KH's would be chosen with great consideration - not only because of the safety, but because there are very few charisian seaman that have any expirience with all-mechanical warships!
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Re: Anti naval Rakurai strikes
Post by Loren Pechtel   » Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:14 pm

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Morden wrote:clyntahn isnt really thinking of effectiveness. he doesnt truly want to win as quickly as possible. he wants to win by spreading as much wrath and death as possible against anyone whom he dislikes or considers a threat and he wants people to know he did it.

blowing up a few ships simply wouldnt do the job and he would worry when owls remotes simply started detonating their own gunpower supplies within their own ships.


The possible sabotage from OWL would mean nothing to Clynthan because he has no idea OWL is out there.
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Re: Anti naval Rakurai strikes
Post by Duckk   » Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:38 pm

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Loren Pechtel wrote:The possible sabotage from OWL would mean nothing to Clynthan because he has no idea OWL is out there.


He'd know something is up, because ships don't spontaneously explode all that often. He's perfectly capable of recognizing a statistical anomaly and concluding it was the result of hostile action. Hell, he's already paranoid enough to have done that with perfectly natural events, such as the unlucky gunpowder explosion in LAMA.
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Re: Anti naval Rakurai strikes
Post by imperatorzor   » Thu Jul 23, 2015 6:38 pm

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Morden wrote:clyntahn isnt really thinking of effectiveness. he doesnt truly want to win as quickly as possible. he wants to win by spreading as much wrath and death as possible against anyone whom he dislikes or considers a threat...

Well the Imperial Charisian Navy definitely falls under that category.
blowing up a few ships simply wouldnt do the job and he would worry when owls remotes simply started detonating their own gunpower supplies within their own ships.

That's not Merlin's style, especially since it makes Clinton and his inquisitors go after scapegoats.

Zor
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Re: Anti naval Rakurai strikes
Post by OrlandoNative   » Sat Jul 25, 2015 6:56 pm

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imperatorzor wrote:
Morden wrote:clyntahn isnt really thinking of effectiveness. he doesnt truly want to win as quickly as possible. he wants to win by spreading as much wrath and death as possible against anyone whom he dislikes or considers a threat...

Well the Imperial Charisian Navy definitely falls under that category.
blowing up a few ships simply wouldnt do the job and he would worry when owls remotes simply started detonating their own gunpower supplies within their own ships.

That's not Merlin's style, especially since it makes Clinton and his inquisitors go after scapegoats.

Zor

Actually, that would be a really, really good tactic. Nothing would destroy the NOG's morale faster than having sailors grabbed by the Inquistion for even the most minor infractions, which would be what would likely happen, since the chance of them finding one of Owl's remotes is virtually nil. After all, the Inquisition *can't* accept any explanation that implies God is against them. And their Writ says that the "dark side" can't overcome those who are good. So if there were a number of unexplainable incidents, they'd have to take it as being done by saboteurs they just hadn't found. Then they'd tear the navy apart trying to find them. In the end, the NOG would end up being a small, impotent force, since it would probably end up as ships entirely crewed by intendants quickly trained to be sailors. The ICN would then no doubt eat it for breakfast.

I've not seen anything to imply the Charisians are against scapegoating in principle. Remember, they let the Group of Four think that Gorjah had let slip the plans for the original invasion of Charis, even though he didn't. What they *don't* do, however, is get someone in trouble over doing something they consider *right*; like Thirsk getting the letters out when the Inquisition grabbed his prisoners.

The ICA and the ICN are killing enemy soldiers and sailors in job lots - and you can't say *all* of those folks are diehard Loyalists; so I doubt they'd be all that upset if their enemies sabotaged themselves.
"Yield to temptation, it may not pass your way again."
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Re: Anti naval Rakurai strikes
Post by chrisd   » Sat Jul 25, 2015 11:56 pm

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Now when I saw the title to this thread I thought of the "real" (OBS) Rakurai.

That would be REALLY effective against any naval formation, particularly NoG if it could be "provoked".

It should also have a VERY profound effect on the "Loyalist" forces as their own beliefs would suggest that God and Langhorne were against their stance vis-à-vis Charis.
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Re: Anti naval Rakurai strikes
Post by Brigade XO   » Sun Jul 26, 2015 8:28 am

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If you have a particularly effective Church naval officer you could consider using the recon skimmer to drop a hefty container of napalm on it in the open sea one dark night. There is nothing -so far- that indocates that any of the Temple equipment or anything orbital is looking or would notice something like that. Major fires at sea on wooden ships full of gunpowder don't seem to allow for siginifcant forensic investigation- big smile.
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Re: Anti naval Rakurai strikes
Post by OrlandoNative   » Sun Jul 26, 2015 12:31 pm

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chrisd wrote:Now when I saw the title to this thread I thought of the "real" (OBS) Rakurai.

That would be REALLY effective against any naval formation, particularly NoG if it could be "provoked".

It should also have a VERY profound effect on the "Loyalist" forces as their own beliefs would suggest that God and Langhorne were against their stance vis-à-vis Charis.


Only if the bombardment packages are very maneuverable. A ship *moves*. A sailing ship may not move in a straight line. Even a steamer can zig and zag. While such a projectile is *very* effective on land because of blast effect - like the old saying, "close" counts for hand grenades, nukes, and kinetic strikes; it would only have that same effect in shallow water at sea. Otherwise, if it hit - devastating, but if it missed, just a splash. Maybe a large splash, but it's fairly likely that if it misses it will be either to the prow or stern, the two places ships are designed to take big waves from.
"Yield to temptation, it may not pass your way again."
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