GA tactics

Wouldn't the GA, assuming it sticks to the Harrington plan at least, want to minimize the long term economic damage to League systems?

The greater that the long term economic damage is the greater the remaining anger after the war will be and Honor's plan was based around making sure there wasn't enough leftover anger to lead to the systems of the League banding back together to come for revenge after all.

SharkHunter wrote:Hazarding a guess....

David is on record that a huge number of Beowulfan citizens are not going to survive.

I think that means that the GA's gloves come all the way off, short of Eridani edict violations. At that point, I think the tactic will be "SLN ships, drop your wedges, bubble sidewalls, etc. we take control of your ships and space stations until further notice... Either that or ka-boom plus the slow strangle.

Do not forget that RFC is well known for telling one (true) thing while apparently saying another one. From what is said here, many Beowulfans are going to die, this seems clear. It may not have anything to do with the SL. Do not forget that the MA hate them, and have now both the technical and political occasion to strike them hard (because now the SL will not react against anything that could happen to Beowulf).

Erls wrote:Also, one other short-term tactic you could possibly see the GA doing..

There are what, 500-600 SDs at Tasmania? What would happen to them if a combined force of 200 GA SD(P)s along with another 50+ CLACs showed up? It couldn't take more than 5 or 6 full salvo's to completely obliterate that BF, after which the GA will have effectively destroyed over 50% of Solarian League Wallers in 3 actions (Spindle, Manticore, Tasmania).

The effects of a strike like that on the Core Worlds (who may still believe that their SDF and system forts can protect them) would completely shatter whatever is left of Solly morale and slap the entire League across the face concerning the actual power of the GA.

Best side effect? With the loss of that many additional Wallers it is all but certain that you would see a huge amount of attempted defections from the Verge and Shell protectorates and member planets.

Interesting speculation, and doing something about those 600 ships in Tasmania has to be covered in some way during the next book (IMHO; the MWW may disagree). Trouble is: (1) Does Manticore even know about this fleet? The only thing mentioned explictly in textev is information about Filareta; there is only a 'maybe' reference in Elizabeth's speech to indicate any other attack and (2) We know that Kingsford has sent orders to cancel the attack on Manticore; but that doesn't mean he is just going to let about 40% of his current wall sit out there fat, dumb and happy--since he apparently does have a working brain. So they may not even be there by the time the GA gets a fleet out to Tasmania.

Plus I've been arguing (unsuccessfully) on the forum that the timing is very close, and that the 'follow-on fleet' might already be en-route to Manticore before the change of orders reaches them.

We shall see (I hope) eventually.

SharkHunter wrote:Hazarding a guess....

David is on record that a huge number of Beowulfan citizens are not going to survive.

I think that means that the GA's gloves come all the way off, short of Eridani edict violations. At that point, I think the tactic will be "SLN ships, drop your wedges, bubble sidewalls, etc. we take control of your ships and space stations until further notice... Either that or ka-boom plus the slow strangle.

I don't know of any such statement from David.

If this is a spoiler, it is a really really big spoiler which I do not appreciate at all.

OlorinNight wrote:

Encourage systems that are economically, militarily and politically influential to cede from the League, systems that are already inclined to do so anyway would provide new trading partners to assist Manticore's economic recovery, take away resources from the League and potentially bring allies in to the GA.

That's all very good, but how do you plan to DO it, how do you convince those systems to switch sides without putting pressure on them.
Note that my proposition is leaning into that direction, but with a proposition on how to put enough pressure on some of those systems to convience them to switch sides.

At the moment, most, if not all core systems cannot even imagine that the SL may lose this war. So why should they switch sides to be on the loser side? No, you need to convince them first that victory may not be as sure as it seemed firstly, and that the cost of remaining in the war may be way more than what they are willing to pay.

Actions like murdering an entire government and their families, including little kids, is precisely the kind of thing that will convince a planetary government that they need to pitch in on the side of the devil they know.

I may have missed it, but I do not think anyone suggested that murdering entire governments (and their families!) was a good way to win the war. Anyway, no one in the GA will ever stand for it, so it's not a problem.

Case Lacoon One and Two will do the heavy lifting, with their economies going down the tube many League member systems will be looking for a way out. The Mandarins themselves are worried about corporations Jumping ship because they are loosing money, those corporations could influence the systems they are based in or are influential in to do the same.

Another factor is the fact that the League had three main reasons for existing and at the moment it cannot full fill two of them at all and is doubtful if they can do anything about the third as well.

These reasons are:
1) Protection from external threats and commerce protection from pirates.
2) Facilitate trade amongst its members
3) Stop/Prevent internal fighting between members and neighbors.

The SLN can still prevent stop infighting between members as long as neither side is supported militarily or technologically by the GA.

So since many member systems might be looking for a way out the GA should be more than willing to accommodate them. But the first step should be to destroy major SLN fleets while trying to kill as few people as possible, because the SLN units are no danger to the GA as a whole, sure them may corner a few GA ships and kill them at a horrible price to themselves but they are more than equal to the task of forcing any system that wants out to stay in.

So once the GA removes the SLN as a threat and starts to tighten the grip on the crippled League economy thought commerce raiding more and more League members will start to rethink their siding with the League. Provide an offer of protection for systems that leave the League and provide convoy protection to and from those systems and many will jump ship. We are talking about systems populated by people who were self centered for centuries, believing the league is the biggest and strongest nation in existence, the pinnacle of humanity etc... suddenly the League losses about 1/4 of their entire active SD strength while inflicting a little damage to a few ships and destroying some LAC’s oh and lets not forget that they slaughtered 3 destroyers while they were stood down. Then the League looses its economy with the withdrawal of the Manticore Merchant Marine, and if the GA pushes further and takes out more merchant ships then they face a simple choice stay with the league and face economic ruin and potentially end up as someone’s subject when a neighborhood dictator pops up or declare neutrality/join the GA and get economic recovery, trade security and potential to decide your own future.

SWM wrote:

SharkHunter wrote:Hazarding a guess....

David is on record that a huge number of Beowulfan citizens are not going to survive.

I think that means that the GA's gloves come all the way off, short of Eridani edict violations. At that point, I think the tactic will be "SLN ships, drop your wedges, bubble sidewalls, etc. we take control of your ships and space stations until further notice... Either that or ka-boom plus the slow strangle.

I don't know of any such statement from David.

If this is a spoiler, it is a really really big spoiler which I do not appreciate at all.

I believe Hutch Posted it after hearing it from David in Chattanooga - and Yes, it's a big spoiler and should be marked as such so those who don't want to know don't see it(yes, there are some people like that here on the forumn, believe it or not) .

It's not going to be the League who causes those ten million casualties, guys, It's going to be the MAlign. And given the hints we have been given by RFC, my own speculation is that it will be the result of biological warfare.

What happens to the League is a side show. The way the story line is bendng, the real enemy is the Alignment.

Don

Hazarding a guess....

SharkHunter wrote:David is on record that a huge number of Beowulfan citizens are not going to survive.

I think that means that the GA's gloves come all the way off, short of Eridani edict violations. At that point, I think the tactic will be "SLN ships, drop your wedges, bubble sidewalls, etc. we take control of your ships and space stations until further notice... Either that or ka-boom plus the slow strangle.

SWM wrote: I don't know of any such statement from David.

If this is a spoiler, it is a really really big spoiler which I do not appreciate at all.

Theemile wrote: I believe Hutch Posted it after hearing it from David in Chattanooga - and Yes, it's a big spoiler and should be marked as such so those who don't want to know don't see it(yes, there are some people like that here on the forumn, believe it or not) .

Yes, I did post something like this, with the thread header saying SPOILER in big letters and I specifically asked people (some of whom have done so) to show it as a spoiler so that people like SWM wouldn't be caught out. And Shark Hunter didn't, so a James T. Kirk "Double Dumb-Ass" on him.

I apologize SWM, I don't like spoilers any better than you, have had a couple of the Ring of Fire books spoiled for me due to that, and am avoiding Flints's sites until A Parcel of Rogues is released so I get no spoilers there.

But I did try; and note to others, RTFM!!! from the original thread! MARK SPOILERS AS SUCH!!!

SharkHunter wrote:Hazarding a guess....

David is on record that a huge number of Beowulfan citizens are not going to survive.

I think that means that the GA's gloves come all the way off, short of Eridani edict violations. At that point, I think the tactic will be "SLN ships, drop your wedges, bubble sidewalls, etc. we take control of your ships and space stations until further notice... Either that or ka-boom plus the slow strangle.

What? Where?!

Zakharra wrote: What? Where?!

See my post above; it was labeled a "SPOILER" and was supposed to be marked that way...and wasn't. Apologies since I made the first "Spoiler" thread, and Shark Hunter needs to make his own mea culpas.