Darkness Rising - The New Batch

[Nnelg]

Ouch, those guys are tough. *AND* they're going to get two attacks each before our guys around the corner can move again... I recommend for our warriors in the corner not to stop dodging until those golems have used their second attack.

And you guys absolutely have to fall back to the entrance. Only there can we make full use of our superior numbers, our archers, Fort's debuffing, and Melissa. Sticking around to fight is, simply put, suicide.


Oh, and two things, Marbit:

First off, I noticed that we forgot to declare a new stacking order, but you didn't record anything. Well, at this point I think it would only make sense to have everyone in one stack except for our two weakest units, the casters. Certainly I see no reason why anyone in the tunnel should be going unstacked.

Secondly, I think you may need to extend the map to the left a bit. We're going to need more room if we're going to follow the original ambush plan. In case you don't already have an established convention for this, may I suggest that you start the column labels at "ZZ" and count down as you go leftwards? (So, Anex would be at XX3.)


Assuming the naming convention I described above...
Nemo moves to XX6 and veils Melissa to look like she's been heavily wounded (and therefore an attractive target for the enemy to take out on their first attack).

He also (for lack of a better term) orates:
"Chance, move to my side that you may see down the tunnel. Be ready to jinx the first foe you espy in the darkness.
Regus, I grant you permission to mount my steed; she could use a rider who's good with a sword right now. And don't worry, she may be old and cranky but all she ever really does is mewl a lot.
Kilroy, both you and Regus also should hold your ground. Our men in the tunnel are going to need room to fall back, and we need to lure what or whomever lurks within beyond the threshold Whump sundered.
Anex and Rudy, from a spot just before me you should have a clear view along the length of the tunnel. Support each other as much as you can, and fire at will.

[CroverusRaven]

Ok, so we're gonna shout obscenities at them and then back off and wait for them to round the corner?

[Nnelg]

Ok, so we're gonna shout obscenities at them and then back off and wait for them to round the corner?

Effectively, yeah.

Make sure you pull back all the way to the entrance. Don't stop until you're out of move. We want those guys as far out in the open as possible.


Also... Bear in mind though that they have a delayed move/action and combat 10. This means they could potentially get two attacks each on you guys before you've got a chance to move... Which is why I recommend holding your action until the last possible moment, so you can at least keep your dodge bonus. In fact, if the golems hold their actions to wait until you stop dodging, you may be better off just letting the action go to waste so you can get out of there in one piece.

And be careful. If one of the golems moves to L7, (next to Whump) it'll pin WW. Whump (and/or Zed2) will have to use his delayed action to Bull Rush it, in order for everyone to make a clean getaway. This is the only thing you don't want to wait on, because if you Bull Rush before the golem attacks (and is therefore still dodging) it will automatically succeed.

[BLANDCorporatio]

Bear in mind

I certainly have the bears in mind.

Thank you, I'll be here all week, don't forget to tip your waitress.

[MarbitChow]

[Nnelg]

...

I had wondered if there was not some greater power within this complex, but this bodes quite ill...


Do not act rashly out of fear. Carry on with your orders. Whump, prepare your action to Bull Rush anything that moves into the square in front of you. Everyone fall back to the entrance, as planned. If these two sentinels do not give chase, we will all file up and cautiously enter the tunnel.


Edit:
And most of all, do not go on the offensive!

We do not yet know who or what is controlling these golems. It does not appear to be in league with the elves, at least. I want to find out this thing's motivations, and any hope of extracting information from it will be more or less ruined once the fighting starts up again.

[WaterMonkey314]

Kilroy has an odd, inexplicable premonition that perhaps a high-level Dollamancer lurks within... But he's just a simple warrior, not a Predictamancer, so that can't mean a thing, right?

[CroverusRaven]

((I can never pass up an opportunity to roleplay.))

"WHUMP IS WHUMP. WHUMP WHUMPS! WHUMP PET PUPS TILL HEADS FALL OFF! OR TRICKY CAN SHOW SELF. MAKE WHUMPING EASY. OR TALKSIES IF BOSS MAN SAYS SO." Whump would emphasis the end of each sentence by smashing his fists together, creating the oddly distinct whump sound he was named for.

Edit: Now that I say that to myself out loud, I'm trying to place what accent Whump would speak with. Also, is it possible to remove his sword and shield and give him big arms? Just curious.

[Nnelg]

Kilroy has an odd, inexplicable premonition that perhaps a high-level Dollamancer lurks within... But he's just a simple warrior, not a Predictamancer, so that can't mean a thing, right?

Indeed... But remember the original mission: such a being would be a great asset in building an army.

If it will not join us willingly, we shall set it against the elves. If it refuses to cooperate, we shall attempt to capture it. If we can not capture it, we must see if we can trap it. Failing that, even, we must either destroy it or call in reinforcements, somehow...

[Nnelg]

Marbit, is there any way to incapacitate or otherwise capture a unit that we have with us? (Like Whump knocking it out with a nonlethal blow, or something.)

Also, is it possible to remove his sword and shield and give him big arms? Just curious.

In order to make it look right, you'd have to rebuild the body to look shorter and stockier.

Perhaps I just have XCOM on the brain, especially with all this talk of capture, but I'd say something like this is what you're going for:

Spoiler: show

[CroverusRaven]

Marbit, is there any way to incapacitate or otherwise capture a unit that we have with us? (Like Whump knocking it out with a nonlethal blow, or something.)

Also, is it possible to remove his sword and shield and give him big arms? Just curious.

In order to make it look right, you'd have to rebuild the body to look shorter and stockier.

Perhaps I just have XCOM on the brain, especially with all this talk of capture, but I'd say something like this is what you're going for:

Spoiler: show

[bob the 6th]

its a dollomancer that was mentioned a long while ago... I mean, a long long while ago when the main party was talking to the turned elves. Vaugly remember it being a marbit?

anyway, Rudy moves back a square and prepares to allow anexa to move in front of him, if she does he readies to boost her attack and attack what target she attacks.

together rudy+anexa can get her damage to 19, hitting a golem for 11+2d6, or 18ish,+2d6-4, or 3 ish, so 21ish, around half health.

[0beron]

*Far away, Vinny feels a disturbance in the fabric of the universe* hardy har har

[tigerusthegreat]

In my last post I ordered a restack of everyone but the casters.

[MarbitChow]

Also, is it possible to remove his sword and shield and give him big arms? Just curious.

It's no XCom alien, but would this be an acceptable new look?

Marbit, is there any way to incapacitate or otherwise capture a unit that we have with us? (Like Whump knocking it out with a nonlethal blow, or something.)

The makeup of this group can't force a unit to submit, unfortunately. You'd need to Calm them, or have a net, or incapacitate them AND have a healer handy (otherwise they'll just die), or a turnamancer, etc. This group's only option is to shout 'surrender' and hope that they comply.

In my last post I ordered a restack of everyone but the casters.

Noted. Stack information is shown in the Results section, typically. If it doesn't appear there, just remind me and I'll ret-con it and adjust any damage taken or inflicted accordingly.

[Nnelg]

its a dollomancer that was mentioned a long while ago... I mean, a long long while ago when the main party was talking to the turned elves. Vaugly remember it being a marbit?

I'm afraid I haven't gone through the main thread's archives yet. (If I had, I would have no doubt thought of it the second I saw marbits allied with cloth golems.)

Could you perhaps provide a link? (Yes, I know it's a bit meta; but I figure Creeperum would have kept Nemo informed of any known or probable threats in the area.)

It's no XCom alien, but would this be an acceptable new look?

It's actually closer than you think...

Spoiler: show

1994 version of that alien (the Muton):

[bob the 6th]

looking is proving time consuming, will do so later. just, rogue dollomancer hanging around somewhere.

also, if we beat down his units, we could retreate(leaving a force to watch for the caster), and go get the local caster with hippymancy and healing...

[MarbitChow]

Could you perhaps provide a link? (Yes, I know it's a bit meta; but I figure Creeperum would have kept Nemo informed of any known or probable threats in the area.)

Mentioned here in passing while Rolf was talking to the Archons. It's unlikely that King Creperum would have mentioned it to you prior to this, since your mission was to recruit simple mercenaries and it would be exceedingly unlikely that a pair of level 1 units plus a mount would have been able to deal with a high-level caster.

[Nnelg]

Oh well. It's really insubstantial anyways, and doesn't provide me with any sort of insights on the current situation...


EDIT:
For now though, we should carry out the original plan. It could be there's a level 5 caster with an army of cloth golems in there, it could be he's a level 3 with nothing left but these two we see now. If we continue to advance cautiously, we can bugger out if things get too hot.

And on the topic of Meta, nobody outside of the tunnel has had a clear view of what's happened yet. So, unless anyone has any objections... Can we move the game forwards to the next round? If those golems aren't going to advance by themselves, we can start forming up for the assault.

[tigerusthegreat]

Depends on how LOS works in this game. I mean, scouts would report to their commanders what they see, and if they are in my stack I should be able to know that there are enemies in the tunnels, and I could share that info with everyone outside the tunnel (though everyone in the hex should be able to share info).

TBH we have two choices, attack the dogs or not. We can retreat out, wait for them to come out (or our next turn to start and we get refreshed hits), but there's no telling what else might happen (enemy reinforcements move up, more dolls made by the dollamancer, etc).

Attacking the dogs: (best case they are the only two units around) best option is to screen the archers, and place them in the corner of the bend in the intersection. One unit standing between them and the dogs will prevent the dogs from attacking them. Regus placed behind that unit will allow him to attack as well with his spear, should the dogs attack. The dogs have significant hits + defense, and will be hard to kill, but we can focus fire them down without too much trouble (real issue comes from them hitting us, but we have good defense and our front line units can keep dodge up, and zed too's guard or interpose for +3 defense, and my leadership, meaning a unit like wegio would have 16 effective defense against 10+2d6, on average receiving one damage per hit.

Question regarding blocking in this enclosed terrain Do units not adjacent to the archer or target but in between them count as blocking for the shot, and provide a +4 defense bonus?

Question regarding LOS: what squares can see into the N11/12 corridor? would L 10 be able to see into it?