GA tactics

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've heard that it was part of things he mentioned in brief at one of the conventions he was at. I don't have any special insights.

Part of the fun for the GA in taking down the SLN will be the choice of tactics available. Punch it out and prevent word from getting out, Punch it out and chase them out to the hyperlimit and destroy them with escape in sight, punch it out and let them run like cockroaches.

If the SLN is involved in an attack on a charter member of the League and a planetary strike happens, the Eriadani Edict is going to trigger a lot of anger at the SLN. A reason for the MAlign to "help" such a strike happen during an SLN attempt to reconquer Beowulf and allow the MAlign to settle scores. I think the possibility will keep things interesting....

Actually, if the SLN is by inference involved in EE violation within the Core, the Mandarins could easily find themselves on the run from League members afraid of the same happening to their own home systems.

kenl511 wrote:Part of the fun for the GA in taking down the SLN will be the choice of tactics available. Punch it out and prevent word from getting out, Punch it out and chase them out to the hyperlimit and destroy them with escape in sight, punch it out and let them run like cockroaches.

If the SLN is involved in an attack on a charter member of the League and a planetary strike happens, the Eriadani Edict is going to trigger a lot of anger at the SLN. A reason for the MAlign to "help" such a strike happen during an SLN attempt to reconquer Beowulf and allow the MAlign to settle scores. I think the possibility will keep things interesting....

Actually, if the SLN is by inference involved in EE violation within the Core, the Mandarins could easily find themselves on the run from League members afraid of the same happening to their own home systems.

I don't know if the MA is quite ready for the destruction on planetary level, if they were ready to commence on that scale they could have wiped the Manticore system clean before anyone even knew what happened.

I am not saying that the MA is not capable or willing, its more that they don't need that complication to deal with.

kenl511 wrote:Actually, if the SLN is by inference involved in EE violation within the Core, the Mandarins could easily find themselves on the run from League members afraid of the same happening to their own home systems.

It is an obvious Win-Win-Win by the MA.

They kill a whole lot of Beowulfers, and they get killed by their precious SL.

They blow up the SL when people find out what happened.

They destroy the military logistics strategy of the GA, by obliterating the facilities that are supposed to be building the advanced weapons needed to complete new RHN ships or rearm RMN ships.

It seems like a pretty darn compelling strategy if you are a sociopath who doesn't really mind a whole lot of bodies.

Sigs wrote:I don't know if the MA is quite ready for the destruction on planetary level, if they were ready to commence on that scale they could have wiped the Manticore system clean before anyone even knew what happened.

I am not saying that the MA is not capable or willing, its more that they don't need that complication to deal with.

Can they compellingly pin it on a SLN officer? I have no idea how, but it doesn't seem impossible given that destruction of Beowulf's infrastructure was explicitly part of the SLN plan.

This all very interesting and quite enjoyable but I think it is important to paint a picture that most resembles the citizenry of the SL. All nations use propaganda and some more effective than others. I am reminded of the images of Japanese mothers and young women leaping to their deaths when it became apparent an American invasion was going to succeed on Iwo Jima(?). So, I'm thinking how has the Grand Alliance been portrayed? Do perceptions make them the equivalent of ISIS, or something equally repellent?
If America or the NATO alliance actually lost to ISIS would the "people" actually accept that? I would think even home-grown "terrorism" would arise. Remember, for all intents and purposes the SL is akin to a FIRST WORLD long established, great nation. I would expect some resistance by its citizenry. What would that look like in the SL?

David has been quite clear that the MA has prioritized control of the media. Currently this is reflected by the palace guard style reporting. There are exceptions, but they are ALSO MA controlled. In addition the MA controls the SL's censorship organization, though I can't remember what it called.

I suspect the MA has encouraged the hiring of people who's inclination is to support the SL government and to follow the party line without question while congratulating themselves over how clever and independent they are. Kind of like how much of the U.S. Media is....

The general impression I've gotten is that the SL media portrays manticore as savage neo-barbarians, with all the baggage that implies. The objectively much worse Peeps got lots of favorable press, (because they are a Republic, see it says so in the title!) and Manticore got military tech transfers limited only by making threats. This did not endear them to the League.

I have no idea how the Andies are seen.

The MA wouldn't want the SLN thinking there was an unknown out there that would violate Eridani--wiping Manticore would have been a very bad move. Framing the GA for an Eridani violation is quite another matter, though.

Sigs wrote:

kenl511 wrote:Part of the fun for the GA in taking down the SLN will be the choice of tactics available. Punch it out and prevent word from getting out, Punch it out and chase them out to the hyperlimit and destroy them with escape in sight, punch it out and let them run like cockroaches.

If the SLN is involved in an attack on a charter member of the League and a planetary strike happens, the Eriadani Edict is going to trigger a lot of anger at the SLN. A reason for the MAlign to "help" such a strike happen during an SLN attempt to reconquer Beowulf and allow the MAlign to settle scores. I think the possibility will keep things interesting....

Actually, if the SLN is by inference involved in EE violation within the Core, the Mandarins could easily find themselves on the run from League members afraid of the same happening to their own home systems.

I don't know if the MA is quite ready for the destruction on planetary level, if they were ready to commence on that scale they could have wiped the Manticore system clean before anyone even knew what happened.

I am not saying that the MA is not capable or willing, its more that they don't need that complication to deal with.

They would want the frame to be SOLiD. They didn't kill everyone in manticore because they figured out eventually people would put all the pieces together. Not today or next year, but eventually, and the MA thinks long term.

kzt wrote:They would want the frame to be SOLiD. They didn't kill everyone in manticore because they figured out eventually people would put all the pieces together. Not today or next year, but eventually, and the MA thinks long term.

They only need it to be solid against the Sollies. If they fired some missiles from one of stealthy things they used against Manticore from in the vicinity of a GA fleet it wouldn't really matter if the Manties knew someone else fired the shot. The Manties will know what really happened even if they don't see it, the Sollies won't believe what the Manties say about it.