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Spoiler Spoiler The MHOG

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Spoiler Spoiler The MHOG
Post by EdThomas   » Wed Oct 21, 2015 8:06 pm

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Ya see, we got these two REALLY big Armies lookin' to come pound us next spring. They're gonna have the winter to build up supplies, train, upgrade their weapons, build up supplies, get real artillery and these interesting new rocket things and build up supplies. So what do we do?

A quick answer might be to build a series of defensive lines that would allow us to pound them, then fall back to the next position. Minor problem with that is the difficulty of digging in frozen dirt.
We know the AOG and presumably the MHOG, are going to move on canals cuz it's easier to move stuff on barges than it is in wagons. They have a problem when they try to move back in to Siddarmark cuz we'll be destroying the canals as we advance to the rear. So how do they move all the stuff they need to eat, shoot, and move if they don't have the barge options?

How does one get (enemy) Armies this large to move where you want them to move so you can pound 'em with your bigger, faster-firing, longer range artillery?
Will the apparently rational Harchongese commanders who've chosen to not follow orders from Zion, still be in command when the snow melts next year?
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Re: Spoiler Spoiler The MHOG
Post by Expert snuggler   » Wed Oct 21, 2015 8:19 pm

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Digging in frozen ground gets easier once you've invented dynamite.

Mining the canals might be better than closing them.

A million soldiers is a million liabilities if they're disaffected. Psyops could involve starting rumors in the ranks. Starting rumors in a wartime army camp is one of the easier things in life.
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Re: Spoiler Spoiler The MHOG
Post by PeterZ   » Wed Oct 21, 2015 9:17 pm

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Yup. Lywysite and AoG POW labor, that'll build quite a few defensive locations. Work 'em hard. They'll at least have enough food, clothing and shelter. Knowing Sharley, she'll probably have Cayleb pay the POWs for the work. The records will be scrupulously honest and accurate,but all workers will be paid upon release.

Local Siddermarkians can act as supervisors as well as workers, if they choose. They'll get paid more of course.

Expert snuggler wrote:Digging in frozen ground gets easier once you've invented dynamite.

Mining the canals might be better than closing them.

A million soldiers is a million liabilities if they're disaffected. Psyops could involve starting rumors in the ranks. Starting rumors in a wartime army camp is one of the easier things in life.
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Re: Spoiler Spoiler The MHOG
Post by Randomiser   » Thu Oct 22, 2015 10:27 am

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EdThomas wrote:Will the apparently rational Harchongese commanders who've chosen to not follow orders from Zion, still be in command when the snow melts next year?


Not if someone can get Mab to waken up and smell the coffee. :twisted:

Perhaps if they threatened some cute little 10 year-old girl, instead of just thousands of Charisian troops he would get on with it. His decisions about who to kill seem to get more and more emotionally driven and less and less connected to rational policy. If you are going to kill any inquisitor in Northern Siddermark, why isn't it Wylbyr Edwyrds, the Inquisitor General, who is driving the brutality of the whole system? (and his successors until one of them gets the message and throttles back on the zeal, if necessary.)
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Re: Spoiler Spoiler The MHOG
Post by Aethor   » Thu Oct 22, 2015 11:06 am

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Randomiser wrote:Not if someone can get Mab to waken up and smell the coffee. :twisted:

Perhaps if they threatened some cute little 10 year-old girl, instead of just thousands of Charisian troops he would get on with it. His decisions about who to kill seem to get more and more emotionally driven and less and less connected to rational policy. If you are going to kill any inquisitor in Northern Siddermark, why isn't it Wylbyr Edwyrds, the Inquisitor General, who is driving the brutality of the whole system? (and his successors until one of them gets the message and throttles back on the zeal, if necessary.)


I second this. Why save these few, and not any of the thousands of others? And why not start killing from the highest ranks of the Inquisition in Siddarmark?

Oh, and the Harchongese army... Owl can guide a SNARC remote into a bag (or barrel or whatever) of gunpowder in the artillery train. Then kaboom. Good luck investigating the scene after that explosion and finding remains of something that was microscopic to begin with.

Wash, rinse, repeat at semi-random intervals, and that army will arrive on the battlefield without gunpowder. Clyntahn will turn on them and execute some of the officers as punishment, which will further destabilize their situation - all to the good from the Charisian viewpoint.
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Re: Spoiler Spoiler The MHOG
Post by Expert snuggler   » Thu Oct 22, 2015 1:00 pm

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The nearest village of civilians would turn into the next Sarkyn, unless Clyntahn learned from that experience.

Kill a leader, someone gets a promotion. Kill the people carrying out the orders, they start questioning their invincibility. What Merlin has done has been visibly shaking morale among the Inquisitors.

Where I'm most likely to be wrong is in regard to the MHOG. Competent leadership is in short supply there. Clyntahn might not look a gift horse in the mouth if a freak accident took out some Thirsk-like officer who was replaced by an incompetent fanatic.

A few carefully staged deaths made to look like fragging would undermine morale.
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Re: Spoiler Spoiler The MHOG
Post by n7axw   » Thu Oct 22, 2015 1:32 pm

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I don't think it will be the allied armies doing the retreating.

The MHOG is huge, but not very mobil...plus they are going to have logistics issues.

While the numbers are impressive, but the only numbers that actually matter are the ones you can actually bring to bear on the battlefield. That is what will become apparent as they seek to come to grips with far more nimble allied armies.

Don
When any group seeks political power in God's name, both religion and politics are instantly corrupted.
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Re: Spoiler Spoiler The MHOG
Post by AClone   » Thu Oct 22, 2015 1:56 pm

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We didn't see anything in fundamental tech development through the summer, once the book got going. I'm hoping that the smokeless powder might be in production enough to allow the development of Gatling guns over the winter. Just a thought.

I'm also wondering if the MHOG might be increasingly irrelevant. Of course, RFC engineered things so that the King Haarald's won't be ready until next book. Still, aside from cleaning up the Gulf of Dohlar, I wouldn't be terribly surprised if they simply lead a convoy of troop transports to sashay straight into Zion.

It's been mentioned again and again now that there are no AOG troops anywhere near the city, and that just has to be a cherry waiting to be plucked. Why bother fighting a couple million Harchongese, no matter how well armed you are?
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