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Leave the center; take the cannoli.

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Leave the center; take the cannoli.
Post by Tonto Silerheels   » Thu Dec 10, 2015 12:36 pm

Tonto Silerheels
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I was reading page 131 of Hell's Foundations Quiver, and am having trouble understanding what the light mortars are doing. In particular, one sentence declares that the light mortars started on the outermost barns and houses. Then a sentence in the next paragraph declares that they worked their way outwards. Doesn't that leave the center unmolested? If you start on the outside and work outward, aren't you already finished? What am I missing?

It occurs to me that one sentence may be referring to the light mortars and the other to heavy mortars. Or one may be referring to light mortars loaded with explosive only and the other to anti-personnel loads. Anyway, what are your opinions? How did the battle against Ste. Esthyr's Abby proceed?

~Tonto
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Re: Leave the center; take the cannoli.
Post by captinjoehenry   » Thu Dec 10, 2015 12:41 pm

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I believe that the heavy mortars worked their way out while the light ones hit the buildings. Now another possibility is that the light mortars targeted the buildings on the edge of the town while other light mortars worked their way out.
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Re: Leave the center; take the cannoli.
Post by EdThomas   » Thu Dec 10, 2015 2:52 pm

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captinjoehenry wrote:I believe that the heavy mortars worked their way out while the light ones hit the buildings. Now another possibility is that the light mortars targeted the buildings on the edge of the town while other light mortars worked their way out.

The actual defensive positions would be outside of the buildings. Firing on the houses first only makes sense if the scout/snipers had observed that the bulk of the troops on watch stayed inside the warmer buildings with only a portion of the force actually in the bunkers doing the watching. Starting there and moving out to the bunkers seems reasonable.

My recollection is that the heavies fired on the town starting with the buildings around the square. Time to dig out the Kindle. :)
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Re: Leave the center; take the cannoli.
Post by Tonto Silerheels   » Thu Dec 10, 2015 6:50 pm

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Ed Thomas wrote:

The actual defensive positions would be outside of the buildings.

That would normally be the case, but due to the low temperatures and lack of winter uniforms the Army of the Sylmahn at Ste. Esthyr's Abby was forced indoors.

Firing on the houses first only makes sense if the scout/snipers had observed that the bulk of the troops on watch stayed inside the warmer buildings with only a portion of the force actually in the bunkers doing the watching.

There would be another way it would make sense. The light mortars surrounded Ste. Esthyr's Abby on three sides. By starting on the outside limits of the town, they forced most of those fleeing to flee toward the town center where they could be killed. Of course, their only alternative was to flee away from the city, there to freeze to death.

Starting there and moving out to the bunkers seems reasonable.

Ah, yes. I do recall that there was some kind of structure near the trenches where soldiers could hold up away from the weather.

My recollection is that the heavies fired on the town starting with the buildings around the square.

That's my recollection as well. I recall Baron Green Valley chose one particular square, ostensibly because it was easily identifiable, but actually to decapitate the defenders.

~Tonto
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