#infantry refresher

[salternateunreality2]

The boys when they get sick

Angeal: insists he's fine until it really kicks in, then groans the biggest, baddest, saddest, daddest groans known to man for the next week.

Genesis hires a nurse for him because he refuses to get anywhere near that mess. Angeal feels this is unnecessary, but can't find the energy to argue and lets it happen so as to at least not waste the help. Genesis also offers to read him to sleep OVER THE PHONE, HEWLEY.

He's mega depressed the whole time and rots more than he might if this wasn't how his father had died.

Sephiroth shows up with a vat of specially formulated cafeteria slop because he read that friends bring each other healing soup when they're sick. Angeal thanks him and muscles through eating as much as he can, even though it is vile and he feels queasy. Sephiroth goes away proud of himself for nailing this social interaction.

Zack bounces over, a little nervous, a little too enthusiastic, a little too chatty...but he notices the cafeteria slop, replaces it with what his mom coached him to make over the phone, and promises Angeal the slop will not go to waste. He secretly feeds it to his pet wererats in the slums.

Genesis: it's a national emergency and Angeal has to work from home to tend to him.

Genesis requires fluffed pillows, hand holding, and babying to a truly epic degree. Angeal indulges him because he was there during Gen's sickly childhood: during the scarlet fever that almost killed him, the pneumonia that almost destroyed his lungs, the bug that nearly dehydrated him to death, and many other ailments that always hit little Gen extra hard.

Sephiroth stops by with his vat of slop and Genesis informs him he is kind, but Genesis is too ill to partake at this moment; perhaps later if the spectre of death ceases to whisper his name. Sephiroth asks if the spectre ever calls Genesis her child and Angeal and Genesis raise some eyebrows.

Zack was proactively banned from the premises at the first sniffle, so he sends his trooper friend with Mama Fair's soup and orders to accidentally spill or steal any cafeteria slop. Cloud doesn't know how to act around all these firsts, so he waits until midnight, breaks into the apartment, removes the slop, and leaves the soup. Zack is proud and unsurprised at his cunning, and Angeal is bewildered.

Angeal doesn't question it too hard--cafeteria slop is a health hazard, and if it's gone, it's gone. Plus, he recognizes Mrs. Fair's handiwork and makes a mental note to lecture Zack later and check in on his friendships with the Turks.

Sephiroth: zombie mode.

He's not sick. Being sick would mean reporting to Hojo. He is Not. Sick.

He's fine.

Everything is fine.

Angeal: Sephiroth, why are you telling my ficus that you are healthy?

Sephiroth, still talking to the plant: Sephiroth is fully operational. All systems fucktioning. Go. No maintenance required. Mission reedy.

Angeal: Ok, new mission: sleep on Angeal's couch until you can focus both eyes at the same time.

Sephiroth, still talking to the plant: Mission accepted, thank you Mr. President. *Passes out on the couch for 19 hours, wakes up refreshed*

Zack: makes it everyone's problem, but insists he'll be fine and everyone should stay away. While he sits on the SOLDIER break room couch wrapped in blankets and sniffling up a storm.

It's fine, Angeal, you don't have to make him your super special soup that only you can make because he's so sad and sick. 🥺

Don't worry about it, Sephiroth, the slop can be given to hungry pets in the slums, Zack's just a little too tired right now. 🥺

Genesis, it is a little dramatic to wear a full hazmat suit. Zack's sitting in a public space, not your private office. 😒

Yeah Cloud, that's the best fucking popsicle ever, but don't get too close, Zack might be contagious (after Zack hugs him). 🥹

Cloud: doesn't say a damn thing.

Muscles through infantry work until he passes out and is thrown in medical until he can stand again, then sent out until he passes out a second time.

Zack finds out later and moves heaven, earth, Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth to ask some hard questions about treatment of the infantry staff while force-feeding Cloud soup.

Genesis wants to know why clearly contagious troopers are allowed out of isolation while still clearly contagious. Angeal wants to know why the company is wasting human resources instead of caring for them to prevent rust, dust, and plague. Sephiroth wants to know if Heidegger would like to tour the barracks and discuss things over a hearty bowl of slop.

[mariacallous]

Would the European Union’s eastern front-line states fight back like Ukraine if Russia attacked them? Unfortunately, this is no longer a hypothetical scenario: Hardly a day goes by without a Russian government official or pundit threatening Poland, Finland, or the Baltic states with missile attacks, an invasion, or both. In word and deed, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made clear that he seeks to restore Moscow’s former European empire.

The answer is probably yes, because the countries that have lived under the Kremlin’s rule know from their own long histories what Russian occupation entails. Those memories have been refreshed by today’s carnage in Ukraine, where the massacres of civilians by Russian soldiers in Bucha and Irpin served as a reminder that a loss of territory to Russia is not just a tactical setback, but also a prelude to barbaric violence.

The post-Cold War pretense that Russia would behave in a fundamentally different, more civilized way from its past practice is gone, reviving memories of more distant tragedies. Citizens of the three Baltic states remember mass executions and deportations at the hands of the Soviets in the 1940s, including the nearly 100,000 people who were deported to Siberia in 1949. Poles cannot forget the execution of more than 20,000 military officers in the Katyn Forest by order of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

The list of Moscow’s crimes against its neighbors is long—and that list shapes Central Europe’s strategic posture today. As Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski recently vowed, Poles would “eat grass rather than become a Russian colony again.”

Unsurprisingly, therefore, 80 percent of Finns surveyed in a 2022 poll said that they were prepared to defend their country. That same year, the Warsaw Enterprise Institute found that 66 percent of Poles were eager to come to their nation’s defense, and many are now volunteering for basic training. Residents of other nations from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea are expressing a similar determination to protect their lands and fellow citizens from a Russian assault.

The will is there, but is there a way? It remains uncertain whether there will be enough soldiers to fight Putin’s forces. Europe’s front-line countries may have a much greater recruitment problem than what Ukraine faces now—a problem that goes beyond these states’ already grim demographic trends, which have shrunk their populations by millions of people in recent decades.

What the Russian invasion of Ukraine has made clear is that technology cannot take the place of soldiers in a major land war. They are needed to crew tanks and trenches, move and service artillery, fly planes and drones, and occupy and keep territory. Ukraine, for instance, needs thousands of new soldiers each month to rotate forces, replace casualties, and prevent further Russian advances. Even more would likely be needed (along with regular allotments of Western-supplied ammunition) for Kyiv to go back on the offense and push Moscow’s forces out of the occupied parts of Ukraine. A country’s ability to generate a large and steady stream of infantry is thus essential to deter and, if necessary, defeat a potential invader.

But no matter what they tell pollsters, many citizens of Russia’s potential targets may choose to leave when the prospect of war becomes real. Their westward migration would be much easier than it might have been when these countries were not yet members of the European Union. In addition, there is a demand pull from Western Europe, which faces its own population shortages and need for labor. If these factors are not addressed, the likelihood of an exodus casts doubt over these countries’ capacity to guard Europe’s eastern frontier.

Central Europe is a beneficiary of one of the EU’s greatest successes: freedom of movement. The absence of internal borders between most EU member countries allows an easy flow of people and goods, ensuring the rights of nationals and legal residents to live and work in other EU countries. Short distances, cheap flights, educational opportunities, and cultural affinity have created unprecedented mobility of EU nationals. Equipped with language abilities and fungible skills, many young people from Warsaw, Tallinn, or Helsinki feel more at home in Berlin, Amsterdam, or Barcelona than in their own countries’ towns and villages.

In recent years, many Central Europeans have also acquired second residences abroad. Poles, for instance, have been buying real estate in Spain in record numbers. If their rising prosperity and desire to diversify their savings is one reason, then unease about the future since the return of Russian aggression is likely another. In Spain, after all, they would be safe from errant missiles and artillery duels.

The second reason why Europe’s front-line states may have a recruitment problem if Russia attacks is that much of Western Europe would be more than happy to accept large numbers of young people from their eastern neighbors, even if the migration was induced by war. Western Europe’s own labor shortages—and the prospect of large numbers of skilled young migrants who are considered easy to integrate—would be as much of a motivation for Western European generosity as solidarity with a country under attack, as suggested by the reaction to the influx from Ukraine in nations such as Germany.

Europe’s demographic trends are by now familiar: The continent’s working-age population has been shrinking for 13 years, now down by almost 10 million people—from a peak of 270 million in 2011 to roughly 260 million now. Today, the worker shortage is acute. Out of the 27 EU countries, 19 have shortages of bricklayers, truck drivers, nurses, and other skilled laborers. At the end of 2023, three-quarters of small- and medium-sized European businesses reported that they were failing to find needed labor. Germany alone is set to lose as much as 10 percent of its working-age population over the next decade. Europe is aging fast and losing tax-paying citizens—a threat that, to countries farther from Russia, feels as existential as the threat of war in the east.

It follows that many EU countries would be more than happy to absorb working-age people escaping front-line states under attack. Instead of being an economic burden, these war refugees would be a boon to Europe’s labor-deprived economies.

What’s more, many countries across the West face military recruitment problems. There is simply a shortage of people willing to serve and fight if needed. Poland now plans to train Ukrainian citizens of conscription age living on its territory for potential deployment in Ukraine. But this would also create a precedent for establishing a foreign fighting force on Polish territory, which other states could follow as a way to replenish their demographically shrunken forces. In the past, it has not been unusual for a country to have military brigades or even divisions composed of foreign citizens from war-torn nations.

From a political and societal perspective, it will also be easier for Germany, France, or Italy to take in European refugees who have connections across the continent, share a similar culture, and are generally eager to integrate. For European politicians, this could be a way to promote immigration without the political backlash that was visible in the recent EU parliamentary elections, where parties campaigning against the current trend of mass migration from Africa and the Middle East polled a record share of the vote.

The EU’s front-line states, if under attack, may therefore face a soldier shortage considerably more dire than the one facing Ukraine. It is hard to have a nation under arms if the bulk of the nation can easily leave. Of course, the affected countries could always institute border controls to keep recruits from fleeing, which even EU law allows. But unless there is a firm and detailed plan, these kinds of controls would take days, if not weeks, to put in place—and they would likely be met with an outcry in Brussels and Western European capitals, since they would contravene one of the EU’s proudest achievements. And by definition, any plan implemented only as a last resort following an attack would come too late to deter Moscow from attacking in the first place.

As war-waging Russia advances westward, European countries on the front line need to plan how to retain their own people. The ability of an EU member to fight will depend on the timely imposition of border controls, but even more on the patriotism of its people. Like the Ukrainians now, many front-line Europeans will fight for their nation—and for their nation’s place in a free Europe. But if their fondness for other parts of Europe trumps the sense of duty to their country, then they may choose to enjoy the benefits offered across the continent rather than face the Russian armies on their native lands.

One of the tasks for Europe’s front-line countries is, therefore, to sustain a vibrant patriotism. Only a deeply shared sense of nationhood can overcome the temptation of an easy and comfortable exit—and engender a willingness to sacrifice. Without cultivating this sense of patriotism and duty, Europe’s front-line states may face a soldier shortage that they haven’t bargained for.

[kurthsleftboot]

🔮FEH BANNER HOPES PREDICTIONS 🔮

SEPTEMBER 2024 NEW HEROES - BINDING BLADE

feh oc, either pjazdi (?) or new reginn

attuned lillina - probably red cav mage

ascended cecila ? - probably mage (personally, i want ascended sue)

5 star elffin - inf colorless/blue mage, refresh skill

instant demote - probably wolt, could be anyone

ghb - jahn

OCTOBER 2024 HALLOWEEN SEASONAL

veyle might be the leader of a harmonic - probably colorless dragon, infantry

rafal - 5 star red dragon infantry/armour

almedha - 5 star green mage, infantry

demote could be a random engage character, i hope its pandreo tbh lol

tt unit - nasir, colorless/blue inf dragon. PLEASE INTSYS IM BEGGING YOU

[silverxxs-world]

World tag team champions match

FTR vs The Infantry 

Basketball nigle

Bless you

Nigel what

It’s actually refreshing to see the infantry

This is a good match I just don’t know what to say

Ong that was close almost infantry win

Dax’s headbutted cash

Shatter machine for the win

[fehtism]

hi! could I ask what your ideal build for a legendary azura would be? :)

here's a high investment (you asked for ideal) build for legendary azura focusing on scoring high in arena when she's the bonus legendary! the B duel flying skill is required in the A slot for her to score high. Firestorm dance in the C slot allows her to have canto as well as further buffing any allies she refreshes with gray waves II. soaring guidance allowing warping for infantry and flying allies synergies well with gray waves II increasing movement for infantry and flying allies. aether is only there for scoring purposes, she is generally not intended to see combat.

if you want to use her in aether raids and do not care for arena scoring feel free to replace firestorm dance 3 with wings of mercy 3 which is generally a cheap skill.

B Duel Flying is a skill on Erinys who is in the standard pool. It is unfortunately not on any other unit.

Firestorm Dance 3 is currently only on spring triandra but it will be the remix skill of mythic triandra and you can get it from a copy of her during the remix and refine banner coming up.

Soaring Guidance is unfortunately only Summer Ivy currently but will likely be released on other units later. Other options are guidance 4 from rearmed tana or a skill like joint drive speed or joint drive attack. she could even run a rein or hold skill in her c slot.

The Aerobatics seal is intended to increase her mobility.

Thanks for the ask and hope this helps!

[cherrypikkins]

NonNG+ Maddening Run Verdant Wind Route - Blood of the Eagle and Lion (and Deer)

Sometimes you just have to trust the coin flip - like I did when dealing with Dimitri, who can counter-attack from any distance and can instantly kill your strongest units in the process.

Drama and war crimes continue as we take on Dimitri and Edelgard once more on Gronder Field.

Highlights below:

Here is the team I brought and how I used them:

Brought along Great Knight Sylvain to tank Dimitri's cavalry units coming from the rear, since they will one-shot any mages who are not across the bridge. Also used to tank monsters along the way to Edelgard. Greatly helped by the Seiros Shield.

Trickster Byleth w/ Rapier+ to deal with the heavy units on the hill. Foul Play was also used to switch places with other units as needed - usually to transport units in danger to safety or to send more effective units to given location.

Wyvern Lord Hilda who is carrying Freikugel but prefers to use her humble Mace+ instead. Used to gambit stun the Kingdom forces and crack open heavy units like nuts. Has Alert Stance+ and Evasion Ring and so can blink tank like it's no one's business.

Barbarossa Claude with Critical Ring). The reason I give Hilda the highly effective Ashes and Dust gambit instead is so that Claude can quickly follow up to Enclose units that are not stunned. As such, they are usually on crowd-control duty.

In particular, Claude was able to deal with Ingrid in two turns this way - Enclosed on the first and crit on the next. It had to be done.

With Dimitri, it was a complete gamble, based on the screenshots on top. But given that he was going to one-shot every last one of us if not stopped, Claude had by far the best chances with a 54 to crit.

Claude, who had a lot to do on this map, also had the honor of completely disrespecting Hubert with a ballista crit.

Poor Hubert. He's had a terrible run. But there's always Enbarr, which is coming up in a few maps.

Sniper Petra who has Hunter's Volley and also Lethality from her time spent as an Assassin - first used to deal with Imperial Fliers and then to help untangle the furball of Kingdom and Imperial infantry units.

Bow Knight Leonie with The Inexhaustible and an Accuracy Ring to help clean up the cavalry units tanked by Sylvain and the swordmaster units stunned by Hilda.

Gremory Lysithea with Thyrsus to melt down cavalry and heavy units. Her adjutant is Lorenz - I like to imagine that they fight over / take turns / share Thyrsus between them.

Dancer Marianne with Blutfang to refresh turns, provide support, and do extra damage where needed.

Bishop Linhardt to keep everyone healthy and warp Felix further up the hill.

Speaking of whom, War Master Felix has Brawl Avo+20 as a result of mastering War Monk and so can blink tank right next to Hilda. Was able to take on the hill solo including dealing with the Petra and Bernie clones. Since he has Healing Focus, getting temporarily stuck on a burning hill was no problem.

For dealing with Edelgard, I used Stride on the group in preparation for a swarm. Felix had other plans and took her on solo. Sometimes you just have to gamble for those crits and crest proc.

... All in all, the Kingdom army is the main problem of this map. The Bernie Ballista will purposefully silence and heavily damage your mages so will be tempted to take the hill. While this can be done, killing too many Imperial guards right off the bat will trigger Dimitri's rampage early. You want to get your fragile units well across the bridge before then, because the Sylvain clone + mounted units have the Passage ability, meaning they can slip past any unit to get to your squishy mages. Cross the bridge, leave behind your best tank, and immediately have a plan to deal with Ingrid who will charge in to greet you.

Don't be afraid to use gambits on the Kingdom forces as needed. Dimitri, in particular, cannot be gambit stunned.

Once you have dealt with the Kingdom army, the rest of the map should be a bit more straightforward. It helps to know well ahead the problems that will arise and have a plan to deal with them as they come.

Good luck!

[squadron-goals]

It is getting serious!

30 July 1914

The mobilization order has just come. All officers are recalled to their regiments by telegraph. Boelcke and I leave. I still have my mobilization order as an observer. The comrades looked sadly after us. They have to stay behind at school to finish training. But with this operation it can still take months, and by then everything will probably be over? … I'm supposed to report to Großenhain. I interrupt my journey in my garrison in Wittenberg. The streets were black with people. My regiment had to leave the next day: it belongs to the flying brigade. I was only allowed to stay a few hours. I say goodbye to everyone. Who knows if I will ever see any of the dear old comrades again ... Everyone is so sure about a victory! I love flying and yet, what I would have given to be able to go out with my old, dear regiment! O proud regiment, you will fight true to your principles, true to your traditions! You are, after all, a Margravian regiment, a true German core troop, and you have never failed! ... The glass of champagne that I quickly downed as I said goodbye to my comrades tasted quite bitter, a few furtive tears had fallen in ... .

1 August 1914

The farewell to my garrison was still trembling inside me when I arrived in Grossenhain. The journey was terrible. The general state of war moved everything. The trains were overcrowded. I was glad that I was able to come at all. How I longed for my comrades! But the sense of duty drove away all softness, now it was time to be hard on yourself! I didn't see anxious faces anywhere, only seriousness and determination: suddenly we were like one big family: the strangeness that usually hangs over people who don't know each other was completely stripped away. You talk to each other as if you have known each other for a long time. The personal disappears, the community comes to the fore. National sentiment had finally broken through: the love of Germany! O glorious fatherland, you will not perish as long as you still have such sons, as long as you are still able to awaken such deep feelings in everyone! Because now everything is understood, therefore, despite all the excitement, an uplifting calm over everything! At the overcrowded stations, everything waits patiently for hours, No murmur disturbs the calmness. Here in Großenhain everything is deserted and quiet. I still couldn't sleep in my hotel room ... I leaned out of the window. A glorious starry sky arches over the outwardly quiet earth. I dreamt: I let my whole life pass me by. At such an hour, everyone thinks with particular fervour of everything they love. My parents and siblings, I have not seen them! They won't sleep either and be thinking of me now too! But they know that I now belong only to my country, to my people! My home village, my beautiful forest! How I love it all! ... Where will fate throw me now? Will we pilots live up to the challenge? We still have too little practical experience in flying, we are still too young ... The stars are fading. Day is coming. Life begins again ... Ringing of the bells! Seriously admonishing and yet also liberatingly joyful ... Densely packed crowds stream to the church. The German people feel their God again, know that only in God rests true human strength, that faith alone gives strength to weak people in times of need. We will be strong, for God and the law are with us! ... A battalion of infantry passes by. What a joyful and refreshing sight! Singing, flowers in their buttonholes, bayonets flashing on their rifles! Invincible in hope! The market fills up. Men of older age with suitcases in their hands: the last reserves of the Landwehr! Eyes sparkling with joy despite the seriousness. The external differences disappear. March off. Singing. Soldiers ... There is a knock, I snap out of my pondering. My orderly! Duty calls.

7 August 1914

I'm writing this in the compartment. Finally we have finished loading. I boarded the tran two hours ago, I couldn't wait. There are a lot of people outside and comrades who are leaving after us. We're the first of the Fliegertruppen to get close to the enemy, hurray! I almost forgot: my old regiment, my dear 20s, are supposed to have fought heavy battles before Liège, heavy losses! Poor, good fellows! ... Two days we are on the train, endlessly long and yet it is beautiful! Everywhere we are cheered on. There are flowers and refreshments everywhere. Everyone wants to give us something, even the poorest one doesn't want to be left behind ... We ate and drank and smoked our way through Central and West Germany in the truest sense of the word ... Finally we are approaching our final destination. Hours of waiting before the entrance. Military transport after military transport waiting to be unloaded. The evening sky was blood-red. The muffled rumble of the guns in front of Liège gave us an inkling of the hard work that was about to begin.

[ask-mortarion-the-death-lord]

I am stuck in an eternal battle of loving tau battlesuits especially the stormsurge and loving those funky lil tau auxillaries like the kroot and vespid.

as such, i think if the t'au get a large range refresh at any point what i would want to see would be among other things

a 'multi unit battlesuit kits' instead of a bunch of separate highly distinct battlesuit kits. a] it feels flavourful as standardization is an important aspect of t'au logistics b] it frees up room for more distinct non battlesuit kits by standardizing the battlesuits a bit reducing future workload [and opens up the possibility of future new battlesuits using upgrade sprues instead of having to build entirely new models] c] more room for interesting personal customization on the modelling end

as for the kinds of battlesuit kits as it were that come to mind, what makes the most sense to me is an 'infantry battlesuit kit' for things like the stealth suits or crisis flavoured stealth suit alternative, a 'battlesuit kit' for things like the crisis suit itself, a 'nova battlesuit kit' where we move things like the ghostkeel and broadside to sit along with the riptide, and a 'ballistics [or heavy i suppose] battlesuit' kit for things like the stormsurge or a hypothetical superheavy stealth suit [which would be rad as fuck].

then for the auxillaries, i think the best strategy there would be focusing on a select few auxillaries to really pimp out [as in you could run entire armies of just them] instead of spreading things out too thin in that regard.

kroot and vespid are obvious starting points in that regard, and since they can use a lot of stuff from the t'au list to fill certain holes like transports then it just comes down to what each army needs with some exception for flavour

kroot without including imperial armour and legends roll with shaper [leader] kroot hounds, kroot carnivores and kroot farstalkers [troops] and the krootox [troop ride thing?] and seeing as they're one of the t'aus biggest partners id give them a bit more bulk of options then other t'au allied auxiliaries.

personally id give the kroot a second leader option if nothing else, a kroot shaman to act as a psyker unit whos gimmick would be stealth and moblity psychic toys to get the kroot to the fight. another possible kroot 'leader' idea would be a single unit kroot assassin/elite fighter kinda model to contrast against the shapers role as a commander. kroot carnivores could probably be retooled as a 'kroot kinband' to cover the three least genetically unusual variants of the kroot kindband that we officially know of. namely carnivores, stalkers and hunters, which in essence are your kroot tactical marines, kroot assault marines and kroot devastator marines if they were snipers. by pooling them all together ya give the player room for some wacky unit loadouts depending on what they equip and leave more room for wackier genetic kroot variants. from there ya have of the kinbands we know of, headhunters acid spitting kroot who could be the 'elite kroot' infantry option and the vultures winged kroot for some speedy lil 'fast attack' buggers. from there what makes the most sense to me would be defensive but slower heavy weapon kroot genetics. farstalkers function fine though i would bump them up to an elite kroot infantry option like headhunters myself. kroot hounds also function fine i feel as speedy chaff. the krootox meanwhile just needs to be made a much bigger boy so he can act as the mobile artillery platform that punches you to death he clearly wants to be. after that i think adding the knarloc riders and greater knarlocs into the main army just makes sense if were rounding out the kroot portion of things, and i also think adding some appropriately kroot vehicles well not essential would if nothing else be really fun. say a kroot hovercraft transport, a kroot 'ball tank' [ie a tank sized kroot warsphere] and a kroot aircraft that would be on speed.

then the vespid. vespid only have the vespid stingwings as things stand so they'd need a lot more fleshing out. what i'd give em would be

vespid queen as a leader option, seeing as how vespids are based on wasps to some extent, their females have been stated to be bigger, and wasp queens are bigger then wasps i think it'd be rad for the vespid leader option to be a big vespid queen that doubles as a commander and a terrifying combat blender [a vespid hive tyrant as it were]. if thats too much you could have a 'vespid strainlord' as a smaller command unit instead/as well? vespid stingwings kinda double as a 'fast attack' unit ontop of being the main vespid unit, so to expand on their roster i think it would be most prudent for an elite vespid troop and a heavy weapon vespid troop. alternatively the stingwings could be the elite vespid troop option with a less expensive but less powerful alternative. as they already move as fast as vehicles they dont really need a 'bike' like option, and a transport vehicle can be kinda redundant for em. instead they could get some fun monsters say a big ol dragonfly monster thing [emphasis on dragon], smaller flying pet things like how the kroot have kroot hounds, and a kinda big vespid monster boy [vespid brute? idk] finally though they could some vehicle options to emphasize how they're an advanced race on their own. their starships are described as stalactite like and considering their role, they could sport a single unique vehicle transport in the form of their own vespid brand drop pod that deep strikes, and idk, something like the hammerfall bunker a static defense/shooting piece.

[e350tb]

Sicily ‘43: The First Assault on Fortress Europe by James Holland

Spare a thought for the Italians. For all that Second World War historiography has obsessed with conflict between the US and the British, relations between the Axis were infinitely worse. The Germans treated the Italians - indeed, as they treated their other European allies - with such barely concealed contempt that it beggars belief. Of course, on the internet, ‘Italy Bad’ is a bit of a joke - in real life, the consequences of this contempt were very real for Italian soldiers and civilians; and while the enslavement of Italian prisoners and the massacre of Italian citizenry were in the future in the summer of 1943, the Axis conduct of the defence of Sicily clearly show an alliance in its death throes.

James Holland is an extremely talented wordsmith, and it shows through in Sicily ‘43, which intertwines ‘top down’ (that is, generals and commanders) and ‘bottom up’ (soldiers and civilians) history quite skilfully. This is a very accessible book that treats its subjects with appropriate sympathy, and it brings to life the myriad problems of fighting a campaign in rugged terrain without modern roads vividly. While much has been made of the ‘race for Messina’ (which as Holland demonstrates was mostly in Patton’s head) and the apparently plodding advance of the Eighth Army, the sheer difficulty of dislodging German forces from hill after hill is made abundantly clear. It seems every major town in the northeastern corner of Sicily had to be wrestled out of Axis hands, and with armour difficult to employ in Sicily, it was largely up to the infantry to do the wrestling. With this in mind, it becomes remarkable that the Allies managed to capture the island in just thirty-eight days - and to do so while consistently taking less casualties, even against crack Fallschirmjagers. (Air and artillery superiority certainly play a part here, but its still worth noting.)

A large part of Holland’s thesis in this book is that the Allied commanders - in particular Sir Harold Alexander, who gets particular praise - have been a bit hard done by by historians, and that for the most part, the Invasion of Sicily was well planned and well executed. I haven’t read enough about Husky to comment on that (although there’s probably a Cornelius Ryan book on the subject), but he makes his case for the Allied leadership well - with the notable exception of the airborne landings, which come in for a lot of criticism. Considering the results, and particularly what happened to the gliders of the 1st Airlanding Brigade, it’s very hard to argue with him.

I’m sure a lot of people could find fault with Sicily ‘43, especially if they’re not Alexander fans, or if they wanted a ‘harder’ campaign history, or if they think it’s a bit too reactive to the Ryan/Hastings version of history. Personally, I recommend it. It’s an excellent overview of the campaign from all sides, with a good choice of viewpoints from the ground. It’s certainly an excellent refresher after reading about the Gallipoli Campaign.

[girlsofprey]

A really important point! Also, Star Wars itself was a deliberate meditation on Joseph Campbell's hero's journey, which was extensively influenced by the psychoanalytic traditions of Jung and Freud, as well as classical mythologies from several cultures.

Tropes, aesthetics, and structures are shared, often culturally transcendent aspects of storytelling that proliferate throughout time, space, medium, etc. The idea that anything is truly original is a flawed premise. Take another Lucas production, Indiana Jones. The ruggedly handsome adventurer did not originate there, nor did the the action/adventure film, nor did the "Nazis are the bad guys and we have to fight them however we can" film. These were not unknown concepts by the 80s, in which Raiders of the Lost Ark was produced and distributed. And yet, Indiana Jones still feels original. It feels refreshing. But in the end, it's just a reinvention and reconfiguration of tropes.

Similarly, fantasy, science fiction, space operas - none of that was new in '77, when A New Hope premiered. The idea of a chosen one? Been there, done that (literally, that stuff is BIBLICAL, and those weren't even the origins of the trope). The son is destined/prophesied to kill the father? Somebody wave at Freud and tip your hat to Oedipus while you're out there. Beyond that, Wells, Verne, and Burroughs had entrenched ideas of existential threats and the meaning of life within their adventure stories. The Time Machine, Dune, John Carter of Mars, From The Earth to the Moon... all of these came first. Of course they were influential to the plot, tropes, structure, world-building, and aesthetics of Star Wars. As was real life history - it's a well-known fact that the Galactic Empire and its Stormtroopers are aesthetically (and somewhat ideologically, if in a fairly simplistic sort of way) based on the Nazis, and the name stormtrooper literally comes from the WWI (not Nazi, but yes, German) term for German infantry shock troops. Their tactics and aesthetics were also based on the Soviet Union, or at least the idea of it with which Lucas was familiar. [Henderson, Mary S.; Mary Henderson (1997). Star Wars: The Magic of Myth. New York City: Bantam Books. ISBN 978-0-553-37810-8.]

The beauty of media, of literature, of stories, is that every piece converses with the next, within and across genres. They play together, play against each other, build and tear down and build and tear down, invert, subvert each other, etc, etc. I could write an entire thesis on the significance of intertextuality in creating iconic pieces of media (but I won't, at least not today). But the fact is, nothing is original, and everything is connected. And that, my friends, is the most beautiful thing of all.

There's a tweet that's gone viral where a person laments realizing that Star Wars "ripped off" Dune, and how learning all the elements Star Wars took from its inspiration tainted it. And I think it shows how poisonous the emphasis on originality in art can be. Because yes, it's wonderful when art makes something new, but it's also wonderful seeing how art plays on what came before, and the conversations it has with its predecessors.

There's going to be a lot of people talking about how much of an impact Goku from Dragon Ball Z has made on fiction in the wake of Akira Toriyama's recent passing, and all the characters who were inspired by him and his story. But Goku himself is derivative - he's inspired by the Monkey King from Journey to the West, one of the first novels ever written. He's far from the first character inspired by the Monkey King, either, and also far from the last.

None of this makes Goku's impact any less than it is. None of this decreases how Goku's story has inspired countless imitators. Just as Toriyama created a new icon from imitating what he loved about Journey to the West, so did Toriyama inspire countless artists to make their own iconic works with his take on the Monkey King's archetype. Goku is, in many ways, the heir to a legacy that spans back to the 16th century, and likely beyond - because I doubt the original Monkey King was formed in a vacuum.

We're taught to think that originality and imitation are opposites that cannot coexist, but they're not mutually exclusive. One can follow in another's footsteps and still take a new journey with its own unique twists and turns. The great works of art are not spawned in the absence of inspiration - they are in conversation with what came before and what will come after.

[kingkuru]

Whats on the menu at the bushy trench

Menu

Burgers & Sandwiches

The M.R.E. Burger ("Massive Ration of Excellence") – A double-patty burger loaded with bacon, cheddar, a fried egg, and a special "combat sauce."

The Sergeant Sloppy Joe – A hearty, messy sloppy joe with smoked brisket in a tangy house-made sauce.

The Bunker Buster – A fully loaded pulled pork sandwich with crispy fried onions, BBQ sauce, and coleslaw.

The Recon Reuben – Corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island on grilled rye.

The Tankbuster Patty Melt – A beef patty smashed between Texas toast with caramelized onions and American cheese.

Charlie Cheesesteake 

Blue Falcon Burger

Tacos & Wraps

Tactical Tacos – Three street-style tacos with a choice of smoked brisket, grilled chicken, or fish, topped with fresh slaw and a spicy "mission sauce."

The Ranger Wrap – Grilled chicken, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and ranch dressing in a spinach tortilla.

The Black Ops Burrito – A massive burrito stuffed with pulled pork, mac & cheese, and crispy fried onions.

Entrées & Specialty Items

The Infantry Platter – A combo plate featuring a bit of everything: wings, brisket, fries, and onion rings.

Mess Hall Meatloaf – A classic, hearty meatloaf served with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Field Rations Fish & Chips – Beer-battered fish served with crispy fries and house-made tartar sauce.

G.I. Mac & Cheese – Creamy, baked mac & cheese topped with crispy bacon or pulled pork.

Sides & Appetizers

Foxhole Fries – Loaded fries with cheese, bacon, and jalapeños.

Grenade Poppers – Jalapeño poppers stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon.

Bunker Bites – Deep-fried cheese curds served with spicy dipping sauce.

Camouflage Coleslaw – A colorful mix of classic and vinegar-based slaw.

Desserts

S.O.S. (Sweet Overload Sundae) – A massive ice cream sundae with brownie bites, caramel drizzle, and whipped cream.

The M.R.E. Brownie Bomb – A rich, fudgy brownie topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.

Tactical Tiramisu – A coffee-flavored Italian classic, perfect for keeping your energy up.

Drinks

The Drill Sergeant (Spicy Bloody Mary) – A bold and fiery Bloody Mary, served with a bacon garnish.

The Paratrooper Punch – A fruity but strong rum-based cocktail.

Battle Brew (House Beer Selection) – A selection of craft beers or a house lager.

The Commander’s Old Fashioned – A whiskey classic with a cherry and orange twist.

Mission Mojito – A refreshing mint and lime cocktail.

[maximuswolf]

Its time for these AAA game studios to stop being afraid to cover certain "controversial" wars. Games like Call of Duty have no excuse to be running out of ideas.

Its time for these AAA game studios to stop being afraid to cover certain "controversial" wars. Games like Call of Duty have no excuse to be running out of ideas. I mean Call of Duty is a prime example of video game companies, especially for FPS games, are just running out of ideas at this point. I mean you have 2 wars that have been barely touched and would be a big refresher if a video game company grew a pair and risked centering their game around the Vietnam war or the early 2000s war in Iraq/Afghanistan (circa 2004-2008). I get it some bad shit happened in those wars but bad shit happens in every war. I mean for God's sake CoD WW2s campaign portrayed the holocaust, MW 2 let you mow down innocent civilians in an airport, and you have the GTA games which are literally about committing crimes! Sure some games have had small sections portraying these wars as a side story or flashback and even DLC but never the whole story. Side note indie games dont count for the record im still talking AAA studios like Ubisoft, EA, Activision etc. And even when a game company tries it always seems like they are dancing around it instead of fully committing. Like for example: a story will take place in the middle east and instead of fighting an actual enemy in that area you fight some made up middle eastern private paramilitary force that is funded by some kind of russian black ops group with like some private spec ops mercenaries from China with some unrealistic goal like world domination instead of just fucking making the enemies like the Republican Guard/Al Queda, Taliban stuff like that where you dont need to spend months trying to figure out some crazy elaborate story. And as for the good guys enough with the special forces operators and made up rag tag groups of special forces dudes in plain clothes with plate carriers, helmets and heavily modified weapons who are coming out of retirement for "one last hurah to save the world" and just have a good story following a basic infantry battalion of 11 Bravos in normal issued gear (no backwards hats, big beards, or plate carriers with some lame patches on them that say like "lets roll" or some shit) with normal standard issue weapons like M4s and M16s and the only attatchments being an ACOG scope, foregrip, and maybe a flashlight/laser combo. And have the story vibe be similar to COD ww2s campaign which has been the best war campaign ive played in years. Same standards go for a veitnam war game no guys in red bandannas dual wielding pistols taking on like 20 vietcong just have normal infantry dudes taking out vietcong in conventional warfare. No excuse to be so obviously running out of ideas for shooters when all these game companies have barely touched these gold mines of content! Submitted July 14, 2024 at 03:03AM by nrizzo24 https://ift.tt/cLuomF2 via /r/gaming

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

An aspiring bartender:

Can someone at that bar teach SH how to open a stuck shaker? He is seldom able to provide precise origins for most drinks—which ironically he prepares.

French 75 Cocktail

The French 75 is amongst the most popular champagne cocktails we have ever known. A pure and beautiful amalgamation of bright citrus flavour with a base liquor of gin or cognac, this could be a perfect cocktail for literally any occasion.

When Charles Dickens visited Boston, way back in 1867, he liked to entertain the literary lions of the town in his room at the Parker House with “Tom gin and champagne cups,” as an 1885 article about the hotel claimed. A Champagne Cup is bubbly, sugar, citrus and ice. Add Tom gin, as that story seems to indicate, and you’ve got something perilously close to the French 75.

Indeed, the combination of gin and Champagne was a popular one with gents of a certain class. According to their contemporaries, it was a favourite of Queen Victoria’s son, Edward, the Prince of Wales. The combination of cognac and Champagne was just as well-known, if not more so; as the “King’s Peg,” it was a standard served in the eastern parts of the British Empire.

Rudyard Kipling, in his short story, "At the End of the Passage," also notes the existence of "King's Peg," where the whisky is swapped out for cognac, and the soda water is transformed into champagne.

Though cocktail historians are unsure of the French 75's exact origin—some trace a cocktail of gin, champagne, sugar and citrus back to the 1860s—everyone agrees that one strand of its DNA points directly to a combination of cognac and champagne that used to be known as the "King's Peg." Those roots inform the swap-in for Grand Marnier, adding richness and complexity to this cocktail, and a pop of vibrance from the orange liqueur.

However, the popular story of the provenance of the French 75 (Soixante Quinze) is that a British Army Officer named George Clappison stationed in France at that moment. It was he who made this less potent cocktail. He put together the key ingredients at their disposal – London gin from home and the local champagne – to create a punchy drink, which he named after the iconic French M1897 75mm artillery gun. When the soldiers returned to their home, they brought the recipe along and since then, there has been no looking back, and the drink's fame was sealed in cocktail history.

The Canon de 75 modèle 1897 is the source of the name of the cocktail. The Canon de 75 modèle 1897 is still used in France on ceremonial occasions.

Some legends also claim that this champagne-based cocktail was invented somewhere in the 1920s at the New York Bar in Paris—later Harry's New York Bar—by a Scottish barman from Dundee Harry MacElhone, and was originally called 75th Infantry. MacElhone began working at Ciro's Club in London after World War I and years after in 1923, he took it over and it became one of the world's most famous cocktail bars.

Harry’s A B C of Mixing Cocktails – Harry McElhone – C.1920’s

The cocktail gained popularity at New York City's famous Stork Club. This recipe was republished with the name "French 75" in The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930), which helped popularise the drink.

Harry's New York Bar in Rue Dannou, Paris's opera district in the 2nd arrondissement.

When the formula of gin or cognac, Champagne, lemon and sugar got the moniker of the fast-firing, accurate French field gun that had become an icon of victory in World War I, it suddenly took on a new cachet. As the British novelist Alec Waugh dubbed it, “the most powerful drink in the world.”

THE FRENCH 75: 1920s The British novelist Alec Waugh dubbed it “the most powerful cocktail in the world” and he was only half referring to its potent combination of liquor and champagne.

A few cocktails are mentioned in films, but, we're going to look at the French 75. This cocktail It's one of the most sophisticated and refreshing cocktails around and was referenced in the Oscar-winning film “Casablanca” in 1944.

It gained popularity through this Hollywood classic, where Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman's character regularly sipped on the cocktail in the nightclub. The French 75 seems to be the ultimate coping mechanism at Rick's Cafe for both sides of the battle.

Early in its life, this classic cocktail was made with cognac. Gin quickly overtook it as the most popular base, and London dry is the preferred style of gin.

Those are not your only choices: The French 76 uses vodka, the French 95 features whisky, and almost every spirit (including tequila) has been used in this drink over the years. No matter which liquor you choose, the best French 75 is made with top-shelf brands and fresh juice No matter how this cocktail came into existence, there was nothing that could replace it. You can make this cocktail by following these simple steps!

French 75

INGREDIENTS:

.5 oz Lemon juice

1 tsp Sugar

2 oz London dry gin or cognac

Champagne, chilled

Glass: Champagne flute

PREPARATION:

Add the lemon juice and sugar to a shaker and stir to combine. Add the gin and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a Champagne flute filled with cracked ice. Fill slowly with Champagne.

Note: The original French 75 cocktail recipe is not made with ice.

It's surprising how the French 75 cocktail is so popular outside of France. Yet look around the cocktail menus in most bars around Paris and elsewhere in France and, chances are, you'll not even see it listed!

#French75 #SoixanteQuinze #George Clappison #HarryMacElhone #75thInfantry #Ciro'sClub #London #WorldWarI #Harry'sNewYorkBar #Paris #Champagne #cognac #Britisharmy #EdwardPrinceofWales #King’sPeg #cocktail #BritishEmpire #AlecWaugh #novelist #film #Casablanca #At theEndofthePassage #story #RudyardKipling #FrenchM1897 #artillerygun #75mm

[gamecrag]

The Gloomspite Gitz are a chaotic and eccentric army composed of various subfactions of twisted and deranged creatures, including grots (goblins), troggoths (cave-dwelling trolls), and squigs (bouncing fungal creatures). Sporting a distinctive and quirky visual design that sets them apart from other factions in the game. With their vibrant colors, bizarre models, and eccentric themes, they offer a refreshing and unique aesthetic for players and hobbyists. The faction offers a wide variety of unit choices, each with its own playstyle and tactical options. From hordes of goblin infantry to hulking trolls and unpredictable squigs, the Gloomspite Gitz allow players to build diverse and flexible armies that can adapt to different strategies and opponents. As you can tell, this is an attractive army for any fantasy player. With so many models, it can be difficult to choose the ones you want. This list is designed to show you the best models available, so you can save valuable time, and money! 10) Gobbapalooza Datasheet The Gobbapalooza is a coven of grots who offer cunning tactical tricks for the army. The unit has several advantages, including the ability to buff friendly Gloomspite Gitz units with improved hit and wound rolls for melee attacks, as well as the ability to poison enemy units. Additionally, the Gobbapalooza has a variety of abilities that can be used to disrupt enemy movement and strategy. Overall, the Gobbapalooza is considered one of the best units in the Gloomspite Gitz army due to its versatility and ability to support other units 9) Mangler Squigs Datasheet Mangler Squigs are giant, bouncing balls of teeth, claws, and spines that can cause massive damage to enemy units. They have a powerful ability called "Monstrous Rampage" that allows them to make extra attacks after charging, and they can also deal mortal wounds to nearby enemy units when they charge. In terms of stats, they have a high number of wounds and a decent save, making them difficult to take down. They can take out enemy units quickly, especially when buffed by other units like the Loonboss on Giant Cave Squig. Lots of mobility and the ability to move over terrain also make them useful for flanking and attacking vulnerable enemy units! 8) Stabbas Datasheet Stabbas are a core battleline unit that can be fielded in large numbers. Stabbas are armed with either Pokin' Spears and Moon Shields or Stabbas and Moon Shields, and up to 3 in every 20 models can replace their weapon with a Barbed Net. Stabbas have the "Grot Shield" ability, which allows them to ignore wounds and mortal wounds on a roll of 6+ if they are within 3" of a friendly Moonclan Grot Hero. They are an affordable battleline option that can be used to screen other units, hold objectives, and deal damage to enemy units. The Barbed Nets that can be taken by some models in the unit can also be used to slow down enemy units and prevent them from charging or retreating 7) Fungoid Cave-Shaman A Fungoid Cave-Shaman is armed with a Moon-sickle and can attempt to cast one spell in your hero phase and attempt to unbind one spell in the enemy hero phase. Additionally, they are accompanied by a Spore Squig that attacks with Vicious Teeth. Fungoid Cave-Shamans also have the "Mouthpiece of Mork" ability which allows them to come up with cunning plans to help the Gloomspite Gitz army. Fungoid Cave-Shamans are relatively cheap and can be used to cast spells that can buff friendly units or debuff enemy units. Their "Mouthpiece of Mork" ability can also be used to generate additional command points that can be used to activate other abilities or reroll failed dice rolls. For keeping your army topped up, they can even be used to summon other units onto the battlefield! 6) Sneaky Snufflers Datasheet Sneaky Snufflers are a small, elite unit of Grot fungi harvesters armed with Moonclan Stabba and a Moonstone Shiv.

They have the ability to harvest fungi from the battlefield to enhance the abilities of nearby friendly units. Devouring these fungi from the battlefield will grant nearby friendly units additional attacks or a ward save. This ability can be used to enhance the damage output or survivability of other units in the army, making them a valuable asset in many Gloomspite Gitz army lists. In addition to their unique ability, Sneaky Snufflers are also a relatively cheap unit that can be used to fill out a Gloomspite Gitz army list and provide additional support to other units 5) Troggoths Datasheet Troggoths are massive, lumbering creatures that come in various forms, including Fellwater Troggoths and Rockgut Troggoths. They have a high number of wounds and a good save characteristic, making them a tough cookie to defeat. In terms of offense, they have a variety of attacks, including throwing boulders and slamming enemies with massive stone mauls. Of course, they are quite a large target and will be focused down by enemy ranged fire. However, if you can get the Troggoth into melee combat, it will absolutely shred enemy units! 4) Fanatics Datasheet Fanatics are frenzied, spinning Grot fanatics that are armed with a chained ball and are able to cause significant damage to enemy units. They can be deployed on the battlefield hidden inside other Grot units, and then released to charge into enemy units, causing significant damage with their spinning ball and chain attack. Fanatics can be absolutely devastating to enemy infantry. A good roll can decimate an entire unit! Just be careful though, as the fanatics can backfire and hit your own units instead... 3) Squig Hoppers Datasheet Squig Hoppers are mounted on squigs and armed with spears, and they have the ability to jump over enemy units, making them a highly mobile unit on the battlefield. Being able to maneuver across the battlefield at high speed is perfect for this faction. Ambushes and flanks will significantly increase your chances of victory. Be aware of the Squig Hoppers' lack of defensive prowess, though. They are super weak to ranged fire or lots of enemy melee attacks. 2) Skragrott, The Loonking Datasheet Skragrott, The Loonking, is a hero unit in the Gloomspite Gitz army in Age of Sigmar. He is armed with Da Moon Onna Stikk and is a powerful wizard, able to cast 2 spells in your hero phase and attempt to unbind 2 spells in the enemy hero phase. He can be used as a powerful wizard to cast spells and debuff enemy units, or he can be used in combat to deal damage with his weapon and unique abilities. One of Skragrott's most powerful abilities is his command ability, "The Hand of Gork", which allows you to pick a friendly Gloomspite Gitz unit within 12" of Skragrott and move it as if it were the movement phase. This ability can be used to quickly reposition units and take advantage of unexpected opportunities on the battlefield! 1) Loonboss on Mangler Squigs Datasheet So, so many benefits to choosing this model: Unique Mount: The Mangler Squigs are gigantic, savage creatures that serve as mounts for the Loonboss. These squigs are characterized by their frenzied nature, massive size, and destructive power. They add a visually striking and imposing presence to the battlefield. Powerful Combatant: The Loonboss on Mangler Squigs is a formidable combatant, excelling in close combat engagements. The unit possesses a high number of attacks, delivering devastating blows to enemy units with its spiked ball and gnashing teeth. It has a strong potential for dealing damage and can carve through enemy lines. Speed and Maneuverability: The Mangler Squigs are incredibly fast and agile, allowing the Loonboss to cover ground quickly and reach key targets on the battlefield. This speed grants the unit the ability to engage in hit-and-run tactics, disrupting enemy formations and exploiting weaknesses in their lines.

Command Abilities: The Loonboss on Mangler Squigs often possesses unique command abilities that benefit nearby units. These abilities can range from granting bonuses to hit rolls, improving the unit's resilience, or enhancing their offensive capabilities. Such abilities make the Loonboss an invaluable leader, boosting the overall effectiveness of the Gloomspite Gitz army. Flavorful and Quirky: The Gloomspite Gitz as a faction have a distinct and eccentric personality, and the Loonboss on Mangler Squigs embodies this character. With its wild appearance, unpredictable behavior, and chaotic nature, the unit represents the zany and unorthodox playstyle often associated with the Gloomspite Gitz. Lore and Narrative: The Loonboss on Mangler Squigs has a background story within the Age of Sigmar lore, contributing to the rich narrative of the Gloomspite Gitz faction. It is portrayed as a cunning and cunning leader, leading his mangler squigs into battle and spreading the influence of the Gloomspite Gitz across the Mortal Realms. Overall, I'm sure you can see why it's the best Gloomspite Gitz unit in Age of Sigmar!

[ajentmm]

July 2023 Refine Theorycraft

July is here. It’s the big one three (and the other guys). Prepare for the worst. Also, at this point, I’m gonna be briefer with this cuz I got other games to play.

Chrom: Crowned Exalt

Lvl. 40 5 ☆ 41/42/26/34/25 Max Invest 49/50/33/42/32

Randgríðr: Effective against flying and armored foes. Grants Atk+3. If foe's HP = 100% at start of combat, neutralizes penalties on unit and inflicts Atk/Def-6 on foe during combat.

To Change Fate! - Close Counter - Lull Atk/Def 3 - Rouse Def/Res 3 / Blue Feud 3

To Change Fate! II: Moves target ally to opposite side of unit and grants another action to unit. Grants Atk/Def+6 and [Bonus Doubler] to unit and Pair Up cohort (if any) for 1 turn and inflicts [Isolation] on unit and Pair Up cohort (if any) through their next action, and also, if used during turns 1 through 4, grants Special cooldown count-1 to unit and target ally. (Once per turn only. Does not stack.)

It’s Legendary Chrom. He’s here to change fate by repo-ing an ally, getting another turn, and getting Atk/Def+6, Bonus Doubler, and Isolation. He’s bulky, he ready with distant counter, and he’s popping both fliers and armors. Can you beat him with a speedy mage? Yes, but not if he attacks first with a self-refresh. Chrom was the first legendary after a run of bland legendary that can’t be beat with Auto-Battle, and required thinking. Which is why we hated him. Now . . . . well there’s three other Chroms that do the same thing and it’s not as special anymore. It’s not so much he got powerkepted, just that he is obligated to get a remix, so they made him as good as these new versions.

Randgríðr: Effective against flying and armored foes. Grants Atk+3. If foe initiate combat or foe's HP > 75% at start of combat, neutralizes penalties on unit and inflicts Atk/Def-6 on foe during combat.

At start of combat, if unit's HP ≥ 25%, inflict penalty to foe's Atk/Def-X during combat (X = 4 + number of [Bonus] and [Penalty] effects active on unit × 2, excludes stat bonuses and stat penalties), and also, if [Bonus] is active on unit, unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack.

Okay, so, I just stole form B!Chrom (again), and we are now inflicing made Atk/Def debuff on the foe, making magic attacks suck, and physical attacks do 0 damage, thus making the foe not follow-up, less of an issue. They I just gave him the guaranteed follow-up up if he isn’t low health, and he got the bonuses he would get from “Changing Fate”. This would result in Atk/Def -14, but if you gave him more keyword buffs, or the foe is just dropping a dictionary of keywords on your team, he will get stronger. It’s not as good as copying the [Bonus] from allies like B!Chrom can do, but L!Chrom is an infantry unit, he can get NFU in other ways.

Bramimond: The Enigma

Lvl. 40 5 ☆ 39/40/27/21/35 Max Invest 47/48/34/28/43

Void Tome: Grants Atk+3. At start of combat, if foe's Atk ≥ 50 or if [Penalty] is active on foe, grants Atk/Def/Res+5 to unit during combat. At start of combat, if foe's Spd ≥ 35 or if [Penalty] is active on foe, unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack.

Luna - Atk/Def Push 4 - Lull Atk/Res 3 / Atk/Res Tempo 3 - Impenetrable Void

Impenetrable Void: Disables skills of all foes excluding foe in combat, inflicts Atk/Spd/Def/Res-5 on foe, and reduces the percentage of foe’s non-Special “reduce damage by X%” skills by 50% during combat *.

Bramimond was the first unit to introduce what we now call Feud (Oh yeah, L!Chrom has that now). This disabled all manner of Drive Skills that could grant a butt load of effects, from NFU, Tempo, and even “Life Unending” (Thanks Fallen!Maria, I guess). So, the enigma that invented these needs some more bells and whistles. How about Damage Reduction Reductions? It’s the hip new thing. After that, Bramimond can use their high increase Def/Res to tank better than the rest of these DR users, and get a guaranteed follow-up if you were too fast anyway. But what else?

Void Tome: Grants Atk+3. At start of combat, if foe's Atk ≥ 50 or if [Penalty] is active on foe, grants Atk/Def/Res+5 to unit during combat. At start of combat, if foe's Spd ≥ 35 or if [Penalty] is active on foe, unit makes a guaranteed follow-up attack and prevent foe from making a follow-up attack.

If unit's HP ≥ 25%, grant Atk/Def/Res+4 to unit, inflicts Atk/Res-X on foe (X = 4 + number of [Bonus] and [Penalty] effects active on foe × 4; max 16; excludes stat bonuses),neutralizes foe's bonuses to Spd/Def (from skills like Fortify, Rally, etc.), and reduces damage from foe's first attack by 40% during combat.

Might as well give them full breaker. I know they would fast enough to just be using NFU, but for the few units that can use it, like Armors or Calvary and Fliers on Enemy Phase, this will work. Then, to follow the theme of removing the foe’s will to live, I added Lull Atk/Res 4 to their weapon, modified to copy Summer Shamir’s weapon, since they got a new B slot anyway. And let’s, add the DR, for good luck.

Idunn: Dragonkin Duo

Lvl. 40 5 ☆ 46/37/26/37/38 Max Invest 54/45/33/44/46

Zephyr Breath: Effective against armored foes. Grants Res+3. If a bonus granted by a skill like Rally or Hone is active on unit or if unit is within 2 spaces of an ally, neutralizes unit's penalties and inflicts Atk-6 on foe during combat, and foe cannot make a follow-up attack. If foe's Range = 2, calculates damage using the lower of foe's Def or Res.

Iceberg - Sturdy Stance 3 - Vengeful Fighter 3 - Goad Dragons

Duo Button: Grants Def/Res+6 and the following status to unit and allies within 5 rows and 5 columns centered on unit for 1 turn: "Neutralizes 'effective against dragons' bonuses and 'effective against armored' bonuses."

Here’s Spring Idunn, with her dou partner Fae. The first Idunn was both a tough nut the crack, and a nutcracker, so her new one is bringing the same armor effectiveness and neutralizes of penalties with her. And her Duo button gives her immunity to her own weaknesses and passes it to her armored and dragon friends.. it is only one turn, so you will need to kill the effective weapon user on the turn you activate it. If there is no one there, you can just activate it on the first enemy phase encounter, as it still give Def/Res. Now, what I found with this version is that she wasn’t as tanky as I expected, likely due to the button, and NFU being so common. So I thought, what’s something that Tiki and Halloween! Duma have? Decharging Special cooldown. But we did just get Rhea with an inheritable version of this skill. What else could we do? Well if she has Vengeful Fighter, she can’t use the other dragon exclusive b skills. Let’s put ‘em in here.

Zephyr Breath: Effective against armored foes. Grants Res+3. If a [Bonus] is active on unit or if unit is within 2 spaces of an ally, neutralizes unit's penalties, inflicts Atk/Res-6 on foe during combat, and foe cannot make a follow-up attack. If foe's Range = 2, calculates damage using the lower of foe's Def or Res.

If foe initiates combat or if foe's HP ≥ 75% at start of combat, inflicts Atk/Res-X on foe during combat (X = 11 - foe's max Special cooldown count value × 2; min 3; if foe does not have a Special skill, penalty = 3), reduces damage from attacks during combat and from area-of-effect Specials (excluding Røkkr area-of-effect Specials) by 40%, and also, if unit's Atk > foe's Res, deal damage equal to 25% of unit's Atk minus foe's Res.

With this refine, Idunn will be a great counter to low cooldown sweeper, with or without Snear. She can get Atk/Res -15 on a foe with 1 cooldown, or -9 minimum. The reduced Res with also make the check of Dragon Wrath more reliable. And instead of Dragon Wall, I just put 40%, no Res check needed. If I was to do “Reduce damage by 20% of Def or Res” I would have to pick for the player which to invest in, and I want to give them more freedom to invest in both stats.

Kempf: Conniving General

Lvl. 40 5 ☆ 42/33/33/27/26 Max Invest 50/41/41/34/33

Venin Edge: Grants Def+3. After combat, if unit attacked, deals 10 damage to target and foes within 2 spaces of target, and inflicts status on those foes preventing counterattacks through their next actions.

Aegis – Fortress Res 3 – Savage Blow 3

You’ve fallen right into my trap! In America!

Kempf is here to take your enemy phase privileges with a sword that flashes the foe and deal 10 out of combat damage. There’s not much outside of that. Now, we did just get a GHB staff unit that can inflict “flash” of foe’s at the start of combat, we need to amp him up.

Venin Edge: Grants Def+3. At the start of turn 2-4, inflict status that “prevents unit’s counterattack” on nearest foe within 4 tile radius of unit through their next action. At start of combat, if unit's HP ≥ 25%, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+4 to unit during combat. After combat, if unit attacked, deals 10 damage to target and foes within 2 spaces of target, and inflicts "prevents unit's counterattack" on those foes through their next actions.

At start of combat, if foe's HP ≤ 99% or if any [Bonus] or [Penalty] is active on foe, grant Atk/Spd/Def/Res+4 to unit, inflicts Spd/Def-X on foe (X = number of [Bonus] and [Penalty] effects active on foe × 4; max 16; excludes stat bonuses and stat penalties), and neutralizes foe's bonuses to Spd/Def (from skills like Fortify, Rally, etc.) during combat.

So, I’ve updated the main effect to give him and nearby allies the main benefit of his “after combat effects” at the start of combat. It’s only on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th turn, and it works like Menace, so the closest foe Kempf can attack gets flashed, so those are the ones he should attack. And if he does attack that foe, he gets the other benefit, that same modified version of Spd/Def Lull 4 from Summer Shamir. It’s only going to give him -4 Spd/Def, thanks to the rest of his weapon, meaning you need to attack or get attacked by foe’s that are charged up with bonues, inherit skills that inflict more penalties (like Fatal Smoke), or team up with allies that inflict these penalties. Using his allies to weaken the foes, just so he can get the kill, is definitely in character with Kempf.

Perceval: Knightly Ideal

Prized Lance: Accelerates Special trigger (cooldown count-1). At start of combat, if it is unit’s first combat in player phase or if foe’s HP > 75%, grants Atk/Spd/Def/Res+4 during combat and inflicts Special cooldown charge -1 on foe per attack. (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.)

Enable [Canto (Rem.+1)] If unit initiates combat or unit is not adjacent to an ally, grant Atk/Spd/Def/Res+4 during combat, neutralizes effects that prevent unit from making a follow-up attack, and grant Special cooldown charge +1 to unit per attack.

Gerik: Desert Tiger

Desert Tiger Battle-axe: If unit’s HP>=25%, inflict Atk/Spd/Def-5 on foe during combat, and also, if unit’s Spd > foe’s Spd -1, foe cannot counterattack.

If unit is within 3 tile radius of an ally, grant Atk/Spd +6 and grants Special cooldown charge +1 and deals damage = 15% of unit’s Spd per unit’s attack during combat. (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.)

Ross: His Father’s Son

Father’s Son Axe Hand-me-down Hackett: Mt.8 Grants Spd+4 Inflicts Def/Res-5 Unit attacks twice. (Even if foe initiates combat.)

If foe initiates combat or foe’s HP >75%, grant Special Cooldown charge +1 to unit per foe’s attack. (Only highest value applied. Does not stack.)