#Wotan Games

[oldschoolfrp]

Sorcerer King, 1986, Wotan Games, designed by Julian Musgrave with Robin Parry box art. Apparently Chessex has a stash of these from 1986, still available through their website.

[howlingaround]

[ Faction Paradox / Doctor Who ] I think I just figured out what the Enemy's identity is. Or at least another candidate next to giant invisible spiders. (Again, I am certainly not the first to point this out, since Faction Paradox has been 20+ and Doctor Who 60+ years around by now, but I didnt find anything with those modern search engines) (Also keep in mind that the enemy in the EDAs and the enemy in BotW are, as I understand, not exactly the same) In my last post I claimed that the BotW mythos mostly centres around the Fourth and Fifth Doctor stories from the classic run. What i forgot to list was the De-mat Gun from the Fourth Doctor story "Invasion of Time" which also appears in BotW as the D-Mat. Except thats not entirely the truth, because weaponised dematerialisation - as a form of execution* - was already used in episode 10 of "The War Games" , a Second Doctor story. (You probably can already guess where this is going.) The aliens that made the War Games - to my understanding - never get named during the episodes, and neither does their home planet. They do however have knowledge about Time Lords, as well as bigger-on-the-inside spacetime machines, thanks to the War Chief, who is a wannabe Conquer of the Galaxy. None of the aliens - who look exactly like humans, and therefore exactly like Time Lords - use proper names, they all use titles. War Chief, War Lord, ... War King. Now the theory that the War Chief is an earlier incarnation of the Master is a popular theory, even appearing in the extended universe and also being contradicted in the extended universe and thats just Doctor Who for ya. But the Wilderness Years was obsessed with using elements from Classic Who and giving them new life, new context, new stories. This doesnt explain anything at all, but nameless aliens with a nameless Homeworld with time travel machines and obsession with warfare ... hmmm. (Essentially this is just the "Time Lords enemy is the Great Houses" theory with 1960s Who but still, maybe this War Game theory is closer to what the original enemy in the EDAs was supposed to be?) Notes: *I dont think that at this point, dematerialisation was meant as "erasure from the time stream", but just literally "as if you never existed" in the sense that there will be no trace of them. I mention this because otherwise it would be too easy to headcanon this as the point where the timeline rewrites itself and the BotW universe takes over and would also make the Time Lords conplete idiots as they create their own enemy by accident. But still fun to speculate about.

[rwpohl]

das experiment, oliver hirschbiegel 2001

[petermorwood]

Interesting post about costume here.

This paragraph in particular caught my attention...

What we think of as “peasant garb” is actually the product of a game of telephone that travels back from Romantic Revival art, and many of those (urban) artists got their idea of what rural peasants wore from opera costumes. The costumers working at the opera were not going out to the country side to take notes on what farmers actually wore, nor did they want to. Opera is show biz, you want it to be evocative, but not ordinary. Their costumes would have been based on what urban folks were wearing, with extra little touches like a shepherds crook to make it look “rural”.

... because it was Wagner's Ring Cycle that gave us horned helmets.

They didn't originate with the Vikings. They originated with the 1876 costume designs for a bunch of operas, and those designs by Carl Emil Doepler still exist.

For reference, all the horny characters are mortals.

Those helmets were probably based on archaeological finds, even though all Northern European examples are, AFAIK and depending on context, either religious headgear equivalent to a bishop's mitre, or ceremonial headgear equivalent to a crown.

In addition, every single one predates the Viking Age by a period ranging from a couple of centuries to a couple of millennia so - makes vague handwave gesture - they're more appropriate for the sorta-kinda mythic Migration Era setting of the Ring than any Vik who ever inged..

Doepler's designs also feature WINGED helmets, worn by immortals like Wotan...

... and the Valkyries.

Something else I encountered when looking for pics to illustrate this was that other clichéd armour error, the boob-plate.

Here's dramatic soprano Karin Branzell wearing one...

...while here's heroic tenor Fritz Vogelstrom also wearing one.

He's singing the role of Siegfried but wearing the costume of Brunnhilde, at least that's how it looks to an operatic Philistine like me.

Anyway...

Winged helmets are even more historically dodgy - no archaeological evidence at all - yet are actually more feasible as working combat helmets.

The difference is that horns, being heavy, need sturdy mountings so a horned helmet both provides catch-points for incoming blows and handles for an enemy to grapple, while a winged helmet does neither. The wings, being light, wouldn't need solid fixtures so would just shear off under a weapon or come off in an enemy's hands.

I'm well aware that other times, places and cultures - Indo-Persia, Poland, Japan etc. - had helmets with wings, horns and all sorts of other stuff, but this is about how the popular image of Vikings that headgear came from opera.

And went all over the place... :->

[gandalfsalt]

How Ragnarok Predicts Veilguard Endings

What can the norse myth of Ragnarok tell us about ending of the Veilguard? I think it can predict some major themes and plot developments.

Veilguard’s soundtrack is likely inspired by Richard Wagner and his epic fantasy work The Ring Cycle. Not only are there striking musical similarities, but the album covers use similar symbolism. 

The Ring Cycle is a series of 4 operas based on Norse mythology, and it shares themes and plot elements in common with the Veilguard and Dragon Age more broadly. The Ring Cycle tells the story of the god’s downfall due to their desire for power, corruption, and greed, which is represented by a cursed golden ring of power.

The fourth and final installment of the cycle is the opera Gotterdammerung, which is German for Ragnarok, or the end of the world in norse mythology. Gotterdammerung culminates in the end of the god’s rule and influence, and the emergence of a new world driven by human and mortal choices. The Veilguard is the fourth installment of the Dragon Age franchise, and I think it will also represent the end of an old cycle and the birth of a new era. 

Giant Wolves Eating Gods

A central figure in Ragnarok is the giant wolf Fenrir, who’s name was probably inspiration for Fen’Harel. Fenrir is responsible for destroying the order of the gods. During Ragnarok, Fenrir devours Odin, the all-father and leader of the gods. Solas’s knife that can probably kill gods as well as tear down the veil is referred to as “the wolf’s fang.”

During one of the trailers, we see Solas in his Fen-Harel wolf form leaping up to take a huge bite out of Elgarn’nan. Like Odin, Elgar’nan is the head of the elven pantheon and referred to as the all-father. And like Odin’s counterpart in ring cycle, Wotan, Elgarn’nan becomes a power hungry despot. 

Things do not end well for Fenrir, unfortunately, because even though he’s successful in taking down the gods, after he devours Odin, he’s killed by one of Odin’s children who rips his jaws apart. Are we going to see Ghilan’nain take out Solas? It could be a possibility on one of his paths. 

A Symbolic Spear

As head of the gods, Wotan heads down a path of corruption and destruction in his quest to accumulate power. His rule and the order of the gods, along with its corruption and descent into tyranny, is represented by Wotan’s spear. We know Andruil’s spear is probably going to play a role in the game, and I think it may serve a similar symbolic purpose. 

We see in his new tarot card image that Solas is holding what may be Andruil’s spear - What does it mean that Solas is holding a symbol of the god’s oppressive power and corruption? It could foreshadow a bad path for Solas, or represent how in his quest to save the world from the gods, he has in fact become just like them. Just like the other Evanuris, in his quest to tear down the veil Solas has accumulated godlike power in pursuit of his goals, and he’s willing to make sweeping unilateral judgements and decisions on behalf of millions. 

We know one of the final achievements is called “The Dread Wolf Rises” and we’ll likely be facing off against Solas during the endgame. It’s possible that Solas becomes like the Evanuris no matter what path we choose and we’ll have to face him. I don’t think that means he won’t have a good path or chance at redemption based on our choices, but I think it might not come until the very end. Which brings us to my next point...

Redemption through Self-Sacrifice

In the ring cycle, the curse of the ring is only broken through an act of self-sacrifice motivated by love. The heroine Brunhilde, a valkyrie and former servant of the gods, takes it upon herself to return the ring from where it came, ending its cycle of destruction and corruption. I think the possibility of redemption through love and sacrifice is going to be a big theme in the Veilguard, and we could see it play out with Solas’ and Morrigan’s arcs. Love in this context doesn’t need to be romantic love, it can apply to platonic love, familial love, and companionship as well. I know it’s unlikely we’ll see Keiran, which is really unfortunate, but if we did he could have an interesting role to play here.

Brunnhilde’s sacrifice represents the undoing of the god’s original sin, and marks the end of the gods' reign which allows for the possibility of a new, uncorrupted world to emerge. When I think about Brunhilde’s sacrifice, I immediately think about Morrigan and Solas. This kind of self-sacrifice would be a full circle, cycle-breaking moment for both of them. I personally wouldn’t want to see Morrigan sacrifice herself because Morrigan isn’t complicit in the gods misdeeds, whereas I think Solas is. I do think Solas was probably manipulated and exploited to a certain extent, but I think we’ll find out he’s done a lot wrong of his own volition that he’ll need to answer for. I personally can only see redemption of Solas through his death. 

These are the 3 ways I see Ragnarok influencing the ending of the Veilguard. The Ring Cycle has other influences on Dragon Age and the Veilguard that I see, especially parallels between the blight and the ring’s curse, so if you want me to get into those let me know in the comments!

[mooneln0ne]

I compiled and made a bunch of questions you can ask a One piece fan! (An ask game if you will..) Ranging from simple questions to interesting questions that can have the person you’re asking start thinking or start getting creative!!

1. Who is your favorite strawhat?

2. Do you prefer the Eng dub or the Jp dub?

3. Who is your favorite Shichibukai?

4. Who are your favorite side characters in the series?

5. What is your favorite arc so far?

6. Which is your favorite filler arc? (If you have one)

7. Which one of the One piece Movies are your favorite?

8. If you were a Strawhat, what role would you provide to the crew (Navigator, Chef, Shipwright, etc)

9. What is your favorite fight scene in One Piece and what made it memorable for you?

10. Who do you think is the most underrated character in the series, and why do you think they deserve more attention?

11. Which non-Straw Hat character would you love to see join the crew?

12. What is your favorite arc in the series, and what makes it so special to you?

13. (Excluding the Strawhats) Which is your favorite pirate crew in the series?

14. If you were to have one of the devil fruits in the series, which one would you have?

15. What devil fruit do you find fascinating and want to see more of?

16. If you were to make fake devil fruit, what would you call it and how would it work? And what would happen if it awakened?

17. What race do you wanna be from one piece? (Fishmen, Merfolk, Mink, Shandian, Wotan, Tontatta, Giant, etc)

18. (Excluding the Strawhats) What pirate crew would you want to join?

19. If you were hypothetically brought in the world of One piece, would you be a Pirate, Marine, Revolutionary, or stay as a civillian?

20. What Island would you rather live in One piece? (You can choose what era of the island you live in)

21. Imagine you have the opportunity to design a completely new island in the Grand Line. What would it be called, what unique features or challenges would it have, and what kind of treasure or secret would be hidden there?

22. If you were tasked with creating a spin-off series focused on one character's backstory, whose backstory would you choose, and what aspects of their past would you explore in detail?

23. If you were a pirate captain in the One Piece world, what would be the name of your crew, and what would be your Jolly Roger symbol?

24. If you were to write a filler arc for One Piece, set in a non-canon location, what would be the premise, the new characters introduced, and the overarching storyline that the Straw Hat Pirates would navigate through?

25. If you were a Yonko, one of the four most powerful pirates in the world, what would be your territory and how would you maintain your influence and control over it?

26. If you had the power to rewrite the outcome of a major battle or conflict in the One Piece series, which battle would you choose and how would you change the outcome?

27. You are given the chance to create a completely new race or species in the One Piece world. Describe their physical characteristics, cultural traditions, and any special abilities or powers they possess.

28. If you were a pirate that managed to catch the Government’s eyes and offered to be Shichibukai (Warlord of the Sea) would you agree or no?

29. If you met Oda in real life and he told you that you can only ask him one question, what would you ask (and how do you think would he reply to you?)

30. If you could change the role or backstory of ANY character in the series, which character would you choose and how would their altered narrative impact the overall story?

[ahordeofwasps]

Six Sentence Sunday

I've been tagged by the spectacular @talesofsorrowandofruin! Thanks for the tag! I'm going to share the last six sentences (plus a few extra to finish the paragraph) from Crying Wolf.

But first, the no pressure tags! I'll be tagging @revenantlore, @winterandwords, @loopyhoopywrites, @mary-is-writing, @emelkae, and open tag!

Now, onto Crying Wolf!

“Hey,” Theo answered, barely looking up at him. His attention was on the lobster. Wotan didn’t blame him. The way it smelled with melted butter was divine. He had to say something. Something that wouldn’t give himself away. He was still in love with the idea and not the man. He had to say something to change that. They say love is a game, but the only game Wotan knew that fit it was the kind where he didn’t know any of the rules and all his plays were random, made in blind desparation.

Crying Wolf taglist: @sarandipitywrites

[shotofstress]

Is telling when some white ppl say "We have culture" and then proceed to speak about consumerism, their household traditions or of drinking chocolate milk, talking to ppl (no joking, literally someone said that), and singing at the bar.

No traditional art, no songs with cultural meaning, no games, no traditional clothing nor traditional food, no dances and traditional music, no shared pain, no historic joys nor wounds, no stories, legends nor mythology, no vestige of anything older than 100 years, no indigenous roots, etc.

That's how you usually know that this white ppl will threat other white ppl as "exotic" or other terrible way like that for having culture, like when the British Empire created the concept of "Near East" among others and all that bc they couldn't deal with people that looked like them (and yet "not enough", they do, and they don't too, you know), but were at the same time "too similar" to the uncivilised non-white people.

This reminds me too how some usa and british ppl (thus the media they produce and affects the ppl that consume it too) sees scottish, irish and welsh ppl as magic half faeries coming from the "untamed lands of the north" or even as "good uncivilised". Not forgetting how some time ago I saw a ton of irish people being tired of the fetichization of Hozier at hands of some of his fans and speak about how this is terrible common and how they are portrayed in media. I'm not even begin with "vikings", the whole fascism surrounding that and the victorians lying time and time again and the adoption of that fantasy fic as truth, and giving a shit about colonialism and the indigenous ppl still being displaced and killed while cosplayers of the show vikings see themselves as children of wotan.

Fuck up that ppl prefer to lie and/or adopt consumerism, capitalism and upper class lifestyles as culture than admit how colonialism and capitalism don't gives them the culture that they see the groups they hate have nor will they care about the people they invaded and still invaded, nor care about the indigenous people of the territories they occupied.

[bugbearsandbookends]

Let's Unbox: The Devil's Dandy Dogs

“The Devil’s Dandy Dogs" is Monte Cook Games' prep storytelling game in which you’re a dog sent to fetch a soul for the Devil. But that’s not all: Satan wants to hear the story about how you got the job done, so make it a good one.

I’ve not played it yet, but I’m in love with the concept and was on board as soon as I heard about it. I was already familiar with the “real” devil’s dandy dogs of English folklore, said to be a pack of hellish hounds led by the shade of a sinful priest, Dando, who met the devil while hunting on the sabbath. (Dando is only one of many legendary identities of the huntsman said to lead the Wild Hunt—see also Wotan, Hern, and Satan himself.)

When I saw that the game used a set of Tarot-like cards as a storytelling device too, well, it was as good as sold. It also didn’t hurt that I’m a big fan of the designer, Shanna Germain and the company itself. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the unboxing, and if you get a chance, go look into the Wild Hunt. It’s a fascinating legend.

[issela-santina]

yeah I think these two baritones on the left would go on dates, preferably tabletop gaming, where the (bari)tension between each other would go off the charts. Loge would have to chaperone them on occasion because they're that unhinged, Donner is busy cozying up to Froh, Freia has an apple orchard to take care of, and Fricka isn't willing to babysit her husband who has ADHD in a time long before the meds were invented

Das Rheingold, Teatro alla Scala, 2024. From left to right: baritones Michael Volle and Ólafur Sigurðarson respectively as Wotan and Alberich, and tenor Norbert Ernst as Loge, whose hair looks like a cherry. Loge holds the red rope tying up the captured Alberich who is on his knees, holding onto Wotan's spear and looking at the allfather as if pleading.

I am willing to wait years just to see how this staging's Wotan and Alberich outbitch each other in Siegfried

also making Wotan look like he should be in an Evanescence concert is a nice touch

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Der Ring des Nibelungen: Das Rheingold (Bayreuth, 1980): Reactions, Part II

let us continue!

okay this set change is cool

and the interlude is even cooler

down the…fire escape? did they have those in 1876?

that is not a helmet that is a chain mail veil

✨capitalism✨

…so it has a gold detector

same power structure, just reversed

oh it’s the panopticon

annnnnnnnnnnnnnnd there it is

this is the worst argument ever

just gotta say that so far, everyone in this is a really committed actor, which is something i ALWAYS appreciate in a production

i mean he IS pretty smart

fair enough!

okay that trick was actually REALLY cool

just a little guy!

GOT ‘IM!!!

and now to reverse the process from the last interlude

smart move, wotan

okay but COULD you actually???

first recorded instance of amazon same-day delivery

i mean, technically you only said you wanted to keep the ring

uh YEAH, because YOU were the one who took it??? we’re not talking about hypotheticals here

in fairness, it’s not like wotan is actually planning to give the ring back to the rhinemaidens

oops

i rest my case

AND THERE IT IS

i mean it was stolen from the RHINEMAIDENS, so it’s gotta go back to THEM really

this is a lovely musical moment

world’s highest-stakes game of jenga

i love how they’re allowing them to keep the wrapping on the gold lol

this guy is just trying his best and i respect that

oh THAT is some bs

uh oh

ooh boy

spooky times

but how often do opera characters actually do that

“fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine :/“

okay then

well that escalated quickly

nice effects!!!

he’s not impressed

and in they start to go…

…but the rhinemaidens are still upset…

…but they still go in anyway!

“this isn’t over yet, everyone”

and indeed it is not, but 1 part down, 3 to go, see y’all soon for my first-ever die walküre!!!

[oldschoolfrp]

Sorcerer King -- Sorcery and bloodshed in a treacherous struggle for the ancient kingdom (ad in Adventurer magazine #5, December 1986, for Wotan Games' board game of war between mages and their fantastic followers, with Robin Parry box art)

[cyclist-of-guilt]

I'm going to say something that will sound insane to you probably at first but stick with me here okay? ring: the legend of the Nibelungen actually IMPROVED some parts of the original opera mkay? it did some things BETTER (...at least the first game I think the second is just trash and honestly Siegfried deserved better even though in the opera he's an insufferable brat).

the best example for the improvements for me is honestly alberich, which yes what an original take but hear me out: in the opera, alberich only ends up stealing the rhinegold because he can't get that rhinemaiden pusspuss so he's like "whatever I'll just steal the gold then I can BUY bitches >:(" and you know the whole time the rhinemaidens insult him and tell him how ugly he is...and well...wagner was an antisemite so a lot of it boils down to "OH MY GOD HE HAS DARK CURLY HAIR??? DISGUSTING!" which yeah- uncomfortable. and you know I feel like despite the silly moments cryo made alberich more threatening and way less of an anti-semitic caricature. in the game the RHINEMAIDENS approach him, offering him...their time and he rejects them because from the first moment on his goal is power and control (...marina and the diamonds moment). he's actually a way more timeless villain that way and comparable to evil people in our own world- like seriously the mines in Nibelheim and an amazon warehouse are basically the same thing right? it also captures the initial message of ring better that capitalism and authority are bad, as much as wagnerians try to deny that.

it's honestly a shame that ring 2 was such a fuckup because believe it or not the original game had potential and worth and I would've loved to see how the story ACTUALLY continues. in general Arxel tribe's thing of taking these old stories that everyone has grown tired of and giving them a new, fresh approach is just so neat and it's a shame that...they stopped being good at it HIHGSGSUI

anyway sorry for the long ask I have a ringworm in my brain

Nah anon I was thinking the same. Removing antisemitic context (I mean there are some hints of it but I guess he kinda looks like the austrian painter too) of Alberich was great move on their part. Hope Wagner in hell is seething that bunch of ppl are now thinking character based on his racial caricature is the coolest villain.

Tho I'm still not getting Alberich the proletariat take.

I wish there was any info about how they were planning the sequel to be. What's up with Isha, the galactic war, entire twilight of the gods etc? I would give as much for that info as for design documents of faust Also designs in 2 are such a downgrade Wotan probably got it worst.

[loosealcina]

RICHARD WAGNER'S DAS RHEINGOLD AT LA SCALA, NOVEMBER 7, 2024

Alas, gloomy spirits here… I’m fully aware that a grumpiness warning attached to a report on Das Rheingold—a mere (if rather massive, and already crucial) prologue to Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung—is no ordinary grumpiness warning. It’s truly a quadruple grumpiness warning. Or a two-year grumpiness warning, as well (given this Ring is set to add two pieces in 2025, and come complete in 2026). Still, I need to issue it right away. My short yet comprehensive review is: not great. If you don’t think you’re in the mood for boring, redundant remonstrances, that will do. (This is your chance to slip away). In fact, when I look into it, I don’t believe I’ve got a long list of doléances or something about this Rheingold; it’s more of a lone, gigantic void at the dead center of David McVicar’s production: the unequivocal lack of interest in presenting and/or exploring an individual/original/organic take on Der Ring des Nibelungen. The staging was all but strictly limited to a plain, mechanical re-enactment of what the libretto explicitly describes. If you factor in the complexity, the multi-layered richness, and ultimately the innumerable possibilities that come with a work like Das Rheingold, this kind of approach is bound to result in a stark letdown. I did find it interesting that all the gods and goddesses appearing on the stage—namely Wotan, Loge, Donner, Freia, Fricka, etc.—were wearing odd, nocturnal, positively unique womanly (I’ll say that again for the sake of clarity: womanly) dresses. And arcane masks.

Letting mysterious costumes—in this case, designed by Emma Kingsbury—do (a large part of) the talking is actually a nice, pretty uncommon idea as far as my experience is concerned. But the way it was done here was the definition of an interrupted path. I can’t say I was blown away by the orchestra conducted by Alexander Soddy either. Their performance was often sounding a bit rushed, as if they had been in a hurry. At the same time, their own Rheingold was sort of dragging by—it was remarkably slow in terms of storytelling. I suspect that, had they lingered a little longer within virtually every single bar, this rendition would have proven to be much quicker, nimble on its feet, and possibly over before anyone knew. (Since we’re in a Richard Wagner environment, this hardly qualifies as a big paradox). As for the cast of actors/singers, it sure featured a number of strong, classically pleasant voices. I’d name Ólafur Sigurdarson (Alberich), Jongmin Park (Fasolt), Olga Bezsmertna (Freia), Okka von der Damerau (Fricka), and Svetlina Stoyanova (Wellgunde). However, in the presence of a full materialization of Das Rheingold, there’s something awkward about going, this voice was good. And this one. And this one. It feels like putting aside, or rejecting altogether, the very notion of Gesamtkunstwerk. In order to give you a worthy finale, I’ll leave the floor to an excerpt from the extended, fateful, and fairly rough conjugal confrontation Wotan and Fricka happen to get into (Scene 2; as translated by Frederick Jameson): «Ranging and changing love all who live;/forgo that game, then, I cannot!»

[durianinspectors]

Happy Daze

Prologue

"DIU command, this is Codename Pípíxiā. My infiltration route through the Tohaa settlement is stalled. I'm pinned down between two sentry guns and taking heavy fire from a mimetic sniper wearing a porkpie hat. Requesting urgent assistance!"

"Pípíxiā, this is Hsien Yue Fei. We have a plan to get you moving and we're on our way to you. Let's go!"

The Durian Investigation Unit has been infiltrating undercover resources onto 1777 Du-ε. One of the infiltrating agents has blundered into a Tohaa sentry position and needs fire support, but a shadowy individual has chosen to exploit the situation to plan an ambush and counter-infiltrate their own agent. The identity of the mimetic sniper turns out to be all too familiar.

Overview

This is a game against my long-time narrative campaign opponent Obadiah, who has played as noir cube detective Jager Nadim in Wotan, Asteroid Blues, Durgama and Shattergrounds.

Mission: Blockade Runner

Forces: ISS (YueFei23) versus Tohaa (Nehemiah) (300 vs 340 w/ BAMS reinforcements)

Deploy First: Tohaa

First Turn: ISS

ISS List in Army

This is a fairly straightforward list, with three 3-man fireteams. The Deva, Taowu and Celestial guard make up one really fun little team that carries an MSV spitfire, smoke grenade launcher and template/viral surprises. Taowu disguised himself as Adil Mehmut. Hsien Yue Fei had a choice of a bounty hunter sniper, CSU and Xi Zhuang to link, depending if he wanted to defend or attack. The Dakini and pheasant offered chain of command in case the Hsien went down and some solid firepower.

Tohaa List in Army

We decided to play all the BAMS extras, and Nehemiah made the unconventional (to me) choice of playing a Tohaa 340pts reinforcements list against my 300 points of ISS. This would leave me with an early lead trying to steal the central console, but a dangerous counterpunch to deal with later in the game. To toughen up his main group he included a couple of Kaeltars with Symbiobombs and Symbiomates.

Deployment

Nehemiah chose deployment and I set up to go first with my Dakini set up on the left flank and Hsien Yue Fei on the right flank. Both flanks had some madtraps (foreshadowing!) and the ninja hid in the middle to score the console. The Deva team set up in the center to be able to put smoke where it's needed, attack and score centrally and hopefully alpha strike something juicy.

Nehemiah counter-deployed the Dakini link with LeMuet, buffed for surviveability with a Symbiomate and a Kamael Paramedic in case he went down. The Dakini don't have visors and LeMuet ignores their mimitism, so the risk of engaging him directly with would be too high. A libertos guarded the central avenue with a mine covering the console and a hidden clipsos. On his right flank, a team with an MSV spitfire Gao Rael, Sukeul and Makaul threatened an attack run. On his left, a Kerail Preceptor was primed to run down the flank and pick up his HVT. After reviewing what was on the table, I also learnt about the nasty surprise that would land on me mid-game - a Draal, Igao and some nasty template slinging buddies.

Turn 1

"Le Muet, is that you in the hat? Stand down! This is Hsien Yue and the DIU. We can place you under retainer again if you cooperate with us." "Hrh, No! Lou says he'll give me a record contract if I work for him again. Everyone will hear my songs. You can ���� off!" <Several DA rounds slam into the wall by Agent Pípíxiā>

"Get me out of here, I felt that last one!"

Top of 1 - ISS

Xi Zhuang and the Pheasant Agent deploy madtraps into the midfield, breaking and reforming the Dakini link to avoid fire from Le Muet. A TO camo token shuffles carefully around the obvious mine in the midfield. The defensive turrets spin around to discover it, activating the madtraps and glueing themselves out of the game.

Hsien Yue Fei discovers an antipersonel mine laid by a Libertos. The Deva shoots it away as her haris team takes a path to the right of the central church building, into a smoke cloud prepared by Celestial Monitor Zhou.

"Le Muet engaged, his Symbiomate is dead at least."

The Deva team shoots Le Muet from inside the smoke, though he's saved from real damage by throwing his Symbiomate under the bus. Getting rather ambitious, "Adil" moves outside the smoke cloud to prepare to threaten the Kerail Preceptor. Disturbed by the nearby gunfire, a Kaeltar Specialist pops up and aims a boarding shotgun at him. As the Deva is still visible to Le Muet, this locks the fireteam in an annoying position.

Adil breaks out of the fireteam and dodges to get back in the smoke, revealing that he is Taowu... which triggers a Symbiobomb attack from the Kerail. [ A cunning dodge-reset fork! Agh! Taowu is put dogged and somehow the Kaeltar manages to dodge prone again. The Deva shoots LeMuet unconscious, leaving herself and Celestial Zhou in a very exposed position as the orders for the group run out.

Hsien Yue's Haris reforms to include the Bounty Hunter Sniper. The Pheasant's Dakini team also reforms and gains assisted fire on the sniper from the EVO Pangguling.

A Ninja dodges out of camo to score the central console.

Bottom of 1 - Tohaa

Annoyingly, Le Muet is successfully revived by the Kamael Paramedic.

The Gao Rael & Makaul team advances towards midfield to shoot at the Ninja. The Ninja manages to survive, dodging and using the console to block incoming fire from the triad.

There's nowhere good to hide though and the Liberto manages to lay a mine and kill the Ninja with his shotgun.

The Surda, Libertos and Kerail surround the Deva and Celestial Guard. Moving through the building the Libertos is sent dogged by a shot from Celestial Zhou but knocks her unconscious in return. As there aren't many orders left, the Deva manages to survive the Surda's pulzar by failing guts into contact with the dogged libertos, judging that it's less likely to kill her than incoming shooting from the Kerail.

A Clipsos reveals itself by the central console and kills the Bounty Hunter Sniper with a surprise shot from a combi rifle.

Turn 1 ends with a tie, we each scored 1 point on the central console.

Turn 2

Top of 2 - ISS

Shuffling around a little on top of his perch, the Dakini Multi Sniper guns down the Gao Rael.

Reforming his fireteam with Xi Zhuang, Hsien Yue Fei takes the table center, ignoring the mimetism on the Clipsos and the Sukeul Commando and removing them from the game.

In a textbook bit of police work, the Deva shoots the Kerail's Surda and moves back to the table center, successfully convincing Agent Pípíxiā to follow her.

Hsien Yue Fei, Xi Zhuang and the CSU drop a madtrap and take up a position around the central console, worried about comms chatter they're receiving about incoming reinforcements.

ISS score a second point on the central console, though Nehemiah's reinforcements team is about to drop.

Bottom of 2 - Tohaa

Silently appearing from tunnels and rappelling down from holes in the cavern ceiling, a second group of Tohaa appear around Yue Fei and his team in the midfield, attacking as soon as they appear.

A Kauri midget starts by firing tiny nanopulsers at Yue Fei, Xi Zhuang and the CSU, immediately getting covered in a gluey hug from the madtrap. Yue Fei dodges gracefully and drops prone [as key ops he dodges on 17s ] but Xi and the CSU are knocked out by buzzing nanobees.

"Ahaha, it is I! Artichoke Lou! At last, I step out of the shadows of the food service industry to claim my rightful place as the saviour of the Tohaa race!"

Laughing maniacally, Artichoke Lou, Draal Saboteur plants a dazer on the roof of the central building.

The movement on the roof tips the Deva off that an Igao is creeping up on her and she rounds the corner to stare it down.

The Igao charges into combat and the Deva just has time to fire off he nanopulser before getting sliced in half. The Igao is incapacitated by prickly nanobots.

As her rescuer goes unconscious and a nanobot field slows her movements to a crawl, Agent Pípíxiā starts to wonder if she's going to get out of there alive.

Utilizing what remains of the orders in the first group, the Kerail Preceptor runs down a flank and shepherds a strangely familiar-looking CSU towards the ISS deployment zone.

Lou climbs down from the building and spends a couple of orders shooting at Hsien Yue Fei, who takes a wound, but makes impressive use of his Key Ops bonuses and dodges onto the central console. The Kerail makes a dash forwards shooting down a Kuang Shi on the right flank and Yue Fei hits it with a Multi Marksman shot, but only succeeds in killing another Symbiomate.

ISS score a third point here, with the Key Ops on the console.

Turn 3

Top of 3 - ISS

The situation is dire, with a wounded Hsien surrounded by Draal and Kosuil. Yue Fei in a position to score a classified and rescue Agent Pipixia, but if he moves off the central console or dies he also gives away that fourth point. Doing nothing would be the smart choice.

First, a Kuang Shi tries to run up and deal with Lou, but he misses and is flash-pulsed by a Kaeltar. Pheasant Wang advances his Dakini team on the left flank and gets a bead on Lou outside cover with the Dakini hmg. Unfortunately, Draal are excellent at dodging and Lou avoids all the shots, zipping into cover out of LoF of the Dakini. The Kaurii triumphantly shakes itself free of madtrap glue and is promptly executed by fire from the Dakini. At this point, Hsien Yue Fei places glory before prudence and tries to shoot the Draal himself. He fails to wound Lou and goes unconscious to a shot from the Kosuil's boarding shotgun, forfeiting the last point for holding the console.

Bottom of 3 - Tohaa

A Makaul pops out of the coffee shop on the left flank and burns both Dakini Tacbots with his flamethrower. Revealing admirable presence of mind Pheasant Wang neatly puts a boarding shotgun round between the Makaul's eyes.

The Kosuil does something incredibly vigilant near the table center.

Adding insult to injury, the wretched Draal Saboteur runs to the downed Hsien and attempts to steal his cube. Not so fast, Artichoke Lou!

Pheasant Wang levels his shotgun a second time and puts a single critical shot into Artichoke Lou, knocking him out. Tinbot Gǒu makes Hsien Yue Fei's cube secure and the ISS perform a tactical withdrawal before anything else can go wrong. For a second, Pheasant Wang is confused that one of the Corporate Security Contractors appears to be wearing a new fabric pattern on her miniskirt, but assumes it must be some kind of mimetic color shifting fabric and congratulates her on her survival.

Tohaa secure the HVT, pick up the Vigilance Classified, held the console in turn 1 and pick up 4 points for getting their HVT to my DZ. 7 OP to my 3.

Tohaa wins!

Tohaa 7 OP, 113 VP remaining - ISS 3 OP, 47 VP remaining

Post Game Analysis

It will take me a few games before I figure out an effective way to defend against a reinforcements counterattack with ISS. I regret not sending a lone CSU to take the central console in turn 2, which perhaps could have kept Hsien Yue Fei relatively save for turn 3. My poor strategy aside, if the Dakini or Kuang Shi had been able to tie down or shoot Artichoke Lou on turn 3, I might still have been in a good spot to tie or win this game. Hsien Yue Fei was in a position to take me to 7 OP, which all went south when he got hit by the Kosuil. Rather than infiltrating Agent Pípíxiā into Dewey, she was left staggering around in a Dazer field. Meanwhile, the Tohaa managed to counter infiltrate a totally not suspicious CSU into the DIU. I hope that doesn't cause any trouble.

Epilogue

From: Mei Kumae, CEO Jīyuán Unlimited Corporation To: Hsien Yue Fei My Dear Hsien Yue, Congratulations on your latest successful resurrection. I am excited to remind you that the Jīyuán Unlimited Corporation remains absolutely indebted to you following your heroic exploits defending the Jīyuán Open-Pit Site on Novyy Bangkok. As a gesture of our good will we have made sure that a supply of pre-prepared LHOST bodies, replacement components and silk are at your disposal. Your new Tinbot, which you have designated Gǒu, contains advanced subroutines for cube backup and recovery. You can fight on assured that your immortality is now underwritten by our substantial resources. By absolute coincidence, I have a few small errands in the planetoid cluster which might benefit from your specific expertise and documented bravery. A shipment of ungraded, frozen Monthong Durian was accidentally shipped to our Khurland base and has been forwarded on to you for inspection. Please take careful, personal receipt of this precious cargo. If you deem it of acceptable quality and freshness, we request that you personally deliver it to the Sterling Forge and Rocaworks offices on LuY as a gesture of our friendship. We were rebuffed in our last round of negotiations to start our own mining operation on the planetoid, but perhaps they will be more flexible now that they have labor disagreements disrupting their productivity and operational security arrangements. I do hope that nothing happens to further disrupt smooth running of their ammonia mines. We look forward to working with you to secure and advance the StateEmpire's role in the Human Edge territories. Best regards, Mei Kumae Jīyuán Unlimited Corporation

[void-knight96]

Artwork of two teamates from on of my DND Games, Brian the Ranger (Got her leg 'healed' by a Hag and Wotan the Barbarian (In his Cowboy Phase)