Ok, it's time to assess things. If this was like betting on the outcome of football games, I'd have lost my shirt! But I did get some things right...
XofDallas wrote:
Nine (9) Gloriously Foolish Predictions for HFQ (with subparts, of course):
1. (1st half of HFQ): With respect to St. Zhana, Fairkyn and Ohlahrn in turn:
a. BGV flanks the town and straddles its supply routes, taking out any semaphore towers along the way and rebuilding them;
b. BGV scout snipers identify all storage dumps and housing for AoG troops in each city (should be easy, they should be the only buildings left). Under cover of bad weather or night, BGV shells those buildings in a mortar attack, then withdraws to the west, leaving a platoon and a mortar squad at each town to destroy supplies, additional buildings, etc. and to harass any remaining AoG troops. Said platoons set their camps about 10 mi west of each town, and interdict any supplies. Their objective is to destroy/interdict supplies, shelter and clothing, and let General Winter do the rest of their work for them.
c. At least one town enjoys good weather, so BGV has scout snipers quietly take any semaphore stations up to 40 mi west of that town before attacking, so no smoke or fires are noticed by intact semaphore stations, keeping the element of surprise.
d. BGV manages to surprise Guarnak and take it, then pushes troops south to some point where the terrain makes it easy for him to block any forces coming from Sylmahn Gap, thus trapping them and cutting off their supplies.
e. BGV sends another force north to surprise and take the town of Hyrdmyn as well.
f. BGV receives reinforcements and supplies by sea through Ranshair and through the New Northland Canal and the Guarnak/Ice Ash Canal, while repairs on the latter go apace, so the need for overland supply routes (or portions of routes) diminishes.
g. BGV destroys Wyrshym's remaining forces.
h. (By end of summer) BGV starts marching on Five Forks.
Results: I got a large part of this right, except I didn't think big enough. BGV uses these tactics for both Fairkyn and Guarnak itself, but uses far larger forces to bottle up the far larger forces he's trapped. He does destroy Wyrshym's army, while Kaitsworth's is also destroyed - not because BGV bottled it up, but because Stohnar's forces trapped them all on their own.
1 of 1 (essentially) right. Interesting note, though: Clyntahn's antics with respect to both Wyrshym and Kaitsworth remind me so much of Hitler's meddling with respect to von Paulus at Stalingrad.
XofDallas wrote:
2. (Second half of HFQ): CE launches a surprise assault on the Salthar Canal ...
4. (About halfway through HFQ): The CoGA attempts to move the southern half of the Harchongese Army and/or its supplies to support Dohlar through the Gulf of Tanshar (Similar to how CE moved troops through Raven's Land). The CE western navy jumps all over this ...
6. (About halfway through HFQ):An attempt is made to capture/assassinate Sharleyan in Chisolm. ...
7. (Second half of HFQ): A similar attempt is made on Daivyn's life, and almost succeeds. ...
Missed badly on all of these. It's clear there will be an uprising/attack of some sort in Chisolm at some point in the future, but it may or may not occur while Sharlyean is there.
In addition, Desenair has effectively dropped out (for good?), thus rendering capturing the Salthar Canal, as a defensive move, unnecessary. As a means of simplifying logistics, however, it's still a sound idea offensively. It will happen - the question is, when?
Regardless, I've gotten 1 of 5 right at this point.
XofDallas wrote:
3. (First half of HFQ): Merlin and Nimue read and translate Kohdy's Journal. The coded entries reveal that the Societies of Chihiro/Schueler/Langhorne are who he is going to meet, and that if he doesn't return, it is because of them. ...
5. (First third of HFQ): CE forces move north from Thesmar and take Alykberg, trapping Ahlvarez's forces. They are captured, while Ahlverez escapes.
8. (Halfway through HFQ): One of the concentration camps is liberated. ...
9. Mabb Winds up killing two more sets of Schuelerites, in each case leaving messages for Clyntahn. Word gets out to the Scheulerite priests first, then to the nobility in all Temple-controlled lands, then to their military leaders, then to their troops.
I got 3 and 5 half right. Regarding 3, the Journal was read, revealing a lot, but not revealing secret caches or passageways. Regarding 5, Alykberg was taken, but Ahlverez was not trapped. It remains to be seen what happened to him.
8 and 9, I essentially got correct.
Final score: 4 of 9.
It was a fun exercise! It's also one reason we so eagerly await publication day!
I'm sure you've all been having fun these past few days. Ahh... life is grand...!