#Turn 3, March 1946, War
##Battle For Karlsland: Berlin
- Use remaining
300 RUto lay down mines.
"So, this is Karlsland? Doesn't look like much."
"Well, private, let's review. First, it got landed on by the Neuroi a couple decades ago. Then, we invaded it back a couple years later. Then, the Neuroi landed on it again and started ripping out the fucking Earth, and now, guess what, we're attacking it, yet again, to try to bomb them all back to the Stone Age, so are you really fucking surprised tha-"
BOOM
"What the Hell was that!? Everyone, of the halftrack!"
Everyone piled out and stared at the scene ahead.
The lead two Sherman tanks and a halftrack now had giant holes burnt right through their hulls.
"Well fuck me."
So far, your mines have worked perfectly, and you've already got reports that the Allied advance is grinding to a crawl as engineers are brought up to find and try to remove the mines.
Eventually, they find out that doing so is next to impossible, at least at their tech level.
So they decide that it's better to lose infantry than to lose vastly more important and expensive tanks and their much harder to train crews.
Needless to say, the Allied infantryman is... displeased with this opinion, but it's not like they have much of a choice.
With the Allies occupied at the front, over a hundred Small Types are sent out to do some damage. When they finally approached the Allied bridges, they sprang into action. Fuel dumps are set on fire, munitions explode, and bridges collapse, taking those crossing them into the raging river. convoys of trucks being loaded up are incinerated in bright flashes of light. Unfortunately, after your hit on the Baltic, the AA gunners are wide awake and very alert, and begin firing almost instantly. All four of your Small Type Groups are brought down, but not before they've done some severe damage to the Allied logistics chain.
It's a week into the human invasion and they're making steady progress, even with the mines. Sadly for them, you've got yet another surprise for them. A surprise that involved a great deal of re-purposed mining drills and earthmovers.
"Boy am I glad to be out from underground." An Infantry Bot exclaims happily. "Yeah, so am I. Let's get this over with."
The humans had finally transported most of the artillery across. That was good news for the Allies.
Your Infantry Bots had a great deal of fortune, and it turned out that they had emerged almost right next to the artillery train. This was bad news for the Allies.
Once again, lasers lash out, wrecking artillery and crewmen alike, spreading panic, and basically causing mass casualties with minimal return fire as your bots sweep through several Allied camps with ease, killing several important officers, including a Karlsland Field Marshall. This continues on for several days of relatively unopposed slaughter until the humans get a group of superheavy tanks to move against you.
"Wow, that's a big one." One Bot notes as the Maus approaches and blasts it to bits with its guns.
"It's in range, fire!"
Hundreds of AT Lasers lash out towards the Maus from the flanks...
Only to be stopped by what is undoubtedly a Magic Shield usually only seen on Witches.
"Uh... is it supposed to do that?"
"No it's not. Hey, how's the turret turning so fas- AIIEEEEEE!"
CONTACT LOST
Results: Human Supply Lines crippled, humans suffer from shortages of vital supplies in Karlsland. Bonus to combat rolls.
Neuroi Casualties: 4 Small Type Flyer Units, 5 Infantry Bot Divisions, 2 Anti-Vehicle Bot Divisions
Human Casualties: 650,000 Infantry, 1,600 Tanks, 2,500 Artillery Pieces, 400 AA Guns, 1 Superheavy Tank, 150 grounded Bombers, 100 Grounded Fighters, Karlsland Field Marshall Walter Model
You've done severe damage to the Allies, but they're still coming, and will reach Berlin soon. You've assembled all your forces and prepared your fortifications as best as possible. The massive operations carried out have turn the area around Berlin into a wasteland, filled with entrenchments and other fortifications. It looks like No-Man's Land from the humans first war with you 20 years ago.
The humans are advancing with their lighter tanks in front, and hordes of mechanized infantry behind. Mobile AA guns cover the Superheavies in the back as they and their escorts prepare to move in to wherever the fighting is thickest.
Your other positions in Karlsland can easily hold against the numbers the humans have sent there, but here the humans have commited a full 2/3rds of their strength, including almost all of their Witches and Super-heavies.
What is your battle plan?
- [ ] Clash of The Titans: Your Ultras and Land Battleships will engage the Super-heavies head on. Even with Magic the tanks should be overwhelmed, though this advance will leave them vulnerable to bombers and flanking attacks.
- [ ] They cannot kill ALL of you!: Send in your hordes in Infantry Bots and some lighter Walkers at the Maus's and T28s. Their weapons aren't designed for anti-infantry combat, but these units will have to run a gauntlet of fire while your big guns battle on the flanks.
- [ ] Death From Above: Send your air units against the Super-Heavies. They'll have to face pretty much every AA gun and fighter the Allies have left, and pretty much every Witch on the field, but it'll be worth it if those monsters don't get to fire a shot.
- [ ] Write In: Maybe you've got a better idea...
Whatever you do, it is assumed that your Sonic weaponry and Witches will engage the enemy Witches.
If your air units aren't attacking the Super-Heavies, they'll be hitting the artillery and Allied bombers.
-
Center
- Send the majority of Infantry and Walkers out against the Allied tank forces as the center formation, they are to focus on distracting the super-heavy tanks, and slowing the advance of the other tanks. Infantry are to prioritize survival of Anti-Vehicle Bots, followed by damage to human infantry.
- All Anti-Vehicle Bots are to be embedded in the Infantry and tasked with destroying the human tanks. Several Anti-Vehicle Bot divisions are to be dedicated to distracting the super-heavy tank fire from our fortifications with intermittent attacks demanding their turrets' attention. Focus on damaging their main guns.
- Feign weakness in the lines against the super-heavy tanks, allowing them to advance faster than the rest of the force and get in range of fortification weapons. Pull back slowly to expose human flanks to advances on the flanks.
- Fortifications are to direct only limited fire against the super-heavy tanks, in order to give them false confidence in their shield effectiveness against fortification weapons
- When majority of super-heavy tank forces are in range of sonic weaponry, use sonic weapons to cripple the super-heavy tanks through crew damage.
- Reserve use of fortification sonic weapons only for countering a major Witch offensive or the super-heavy tanks, unless sonic weapons have already been revealed by one of our forces.
-
Flanks
- Ultra Heavy groups are to advance along each flank with light Infantry and Walker support, as a screening force.
- One Land Battleship is attached to each flank with 2 Neuroi Witch MK 1, held in reserve.
- Flanking parties are to advance and perform flanking attacks on human main battle group.
- Reserve Neuroi Witches and Land battleships will sortie when human Witches move out, or super-heavy tanks are engaged by the Ultra Heavy groups.
-
Air
- Small Type Flyers are in reserve against Human air attacks. Sortie after AA goes down to lure Witches into range of Large Type Flyers.
- Medium Type Flyers are to prioritize destruction of Human AA at all costs, with a secondary priority of artillery. If successful in objective of AA destruction, pull back to support center and reduce losses.
- Large Type Flyers are in reserve to reinforce the center and protect the fortifications if they take too much damage. Sortie Large Type Flyers if Witches join the engagement, prioritizing taking down Witches with sonic weapons.
You hurl your infantry and most of your Walkers out to the center of the battle. A mass of black and red takes up positions in front of your fortifications and begins opening fire. Against them is a massive mechanized force of Tigers, Panthers, Pershings, and a variety of other tanks from who-knows-how-many nations. Shells unload at your forces, who reply back in kind, savaging the human forces, and your Bots do an excellent job of being ablative shields. This exchange of fire, with your forces supported by powerful Fortifications, clearly favours you, and the Allies begin to deploy their Super-Heavies. 79 Massive, magic-enhanced vehicles power through your lines, as your infantry fold back as according to plan, with a few lasers bouncing harmlessly off the shields.
Even so, the Super-Heavies quickly prove their worth, and your frontline forces are operating at 50% strength, and still being hit.
The air-to-air battle goes very well in some places, and absolutely terribly in others. Your Small Types fall upon the devastated human Fighters and Bombers like the Grim Reaper, and the entire Allied air forces are almost wiped out with minimal losses.
On the other hand, when your Medium Types attack the Allied AA, they discover the other speciality of the Super-Heavy Tank.
Every time your Flyers unleash their weapons, the magical shields deflect almost all of the damage. You realize that most AA guns have at least 2 Super-heavies within shield range. One shields, other recharges, and it's devastating on your Mediums, even more so as the Witches nearby attack. A full 4/5ths of your Mediums are wiped out by the AA guns before you manage to do enough damage to satisfy you, and most of the survivors are so badly damaged they have to withdraw. You even lose many of the Large Types you were forced sent in to support them in an attempt to bring down the AA!
You deploy your flanking forces. Dozens of Ultras supported by a thin screen of bots and walkers advance. Lasers lash out again and devastate the human flanks before the humans play another trump card.
"Open Fire!"
Artillery. The human artillery you were never able to destroy thanks to that damnable shielded AA. Thousands of shells unload into your flanks, raining death upon the thin screens like they're flies to be swatted. Rockets smash your bots and lighter Walkers to pieces, and shells tear into your Ultras. Against such a murderous barrage even they can't stand up for long. In a matter of minutes over half of your Ultra Heavies are destroyed, and the human flanking forces take advantage and attack the damaged remainder, who never got close enough to use their Sonic Weapons.
You don't have a choice. You commit your Land Battleships early. The towering low-grade military units push slowly onto the battlefield.
Now it's your turn to slaughter. Massive Laser Cannons open up on the humans. Tanks, Super-heavy or not go down in droves all across the battlefield. The murderous volleys of fire incinerate thousands with every blast. The Allies quickly realize the situation is turning against them and send in the Witches. You respond in kind, much to their horror.
What the Hell are these things? How'd the Neuroi get them? You frantically unload your magazine at one before spiralling out of the way of several Laser blasts.
You scream for your squadron to support, and receive no answer. Just silence, then screams.
How? No, no they can't all be dead. Your friends, your family, you sisters, how can they be gone?
You have to stop them, you have to kill them all. They all deserve to die for what they've just done.
You roar, rushing into the formation. One goes down, then another, then another before you feel pain. You try to spin around for another attack.
... Somethings wrong. Why can't you fly? Why are you falling? Where are your legs?
It was certainly an unwelcome surprise for them. Human Witches v.s. Neuroi Witches, and this time at least, Neuroi proved superior. Nearly every witch is killed, and a few are even knocked unconscious by stasis beams and taken back to the Hive, all for the loss of a single Neuroi Witch Squadron.
That should have decided the battle right then and there. The humans had just seen their greatest weapon crushed with ease, the survivors taken prisoner, and even with the frontal battle going decently, they have no chance with the Land Battleships on the field. A few ran. They all should have run.
Should have. But by every deity, no they didn't.
You manage to catch an officer roaring.
"Soldiers of Karlsland! Look around you! Do you see what these invaders have done to your homeland? Look! Look at the glorious legacy the Fatherland has given you! All ruined, all destroyed by the Neuroi! They have slaughtered us! They have murdered your fathers, your mothers, siblings, sons, daughters, infants in the mother's womb! Ancient monuments, sacred cities, priceless memories! All of Karlsland, RUINED!"
"We are homeless, damned, and now doomed! But we still have one thing! YOU ARE SOLDIERS OF MANKIND, AND YOU WILL NOT LET THESE INSULTS, THESE BARBARIC CRIMES, GO UNAVENGED!"
"FIGHT! FIGHT TO YOUR LAST BREATH! FIGHT UNTIL YOUR BODY IS A RUIN!"
**"KILL!
THEM!
ALL!" **
The humans go berserk. Over a million charge forward, screaming cries of vengeance, guns blazing, heedless of losses, with all that remains of their armour following in their wake. Your center, which had been pulling back to allow your Land Battleships to attack, is now swamped with humans. Mad-eyed soldiers shoot and throw explosives at anything they come across. Frantically your Sonic Emplacements activate, and humans die a horrifying death as their internal organs are liquefied. The next waves doesn't care. The now exposed emplacements are blasted by the remaining Super-Heavies, while other move in to hold off the Land Battleships long enough for more damage to be done.
You've never seen anything like it. Your infantry and walkers in the center are torn to pieces by the humans, as is your entire fortification line. You stare in shock as reports come in of human soldiers shrugging off wounds that should have been lethal, and reports of Ambient Energy in said humans spikes. The humans have been utterly devastated, of course, and now your Large and Small Types move in to slaughter, but there are simply too many humans, and with the AA shielded in the early stages, too many guns that can be pointed at the sky.
The humans turn to the flanks. More reports of Ambient Energy come up, even as the human numbers dwindle. Still more Neuroi fall, Ultras and Walkers and Bots alike wrecked by the insane soldiers. This should be impossible, every calculation you've ever made says that the humans should have broke and ran, and even if they didn't, they should have been slaughtered by mass firepower.
But that isn't happening. You can see the evidence with your own vision. Finally, the artillery stops as your Large Types finish it off, the crews staying and firing until their guns melted, their mass, incessant firepower, along with a suicidal charge from every remaining tank, having brought down a Land Battleship. The last human on the field dies, and you've won, barely.
The battle for Karlsland is finally over. With their main force gone, the humans across Karlsland begin to retreat. You do severe damage, but many escape back across the Rhine, safe under a powerful blanket of reserve forces and AA. You live to fight another day.
But at what cost?
Human Casualties: All forces at Berlin. 42% of other forces.
Neuroi Casualties: 36 Infantry Bot Divisions, 7 Anti-Vehicle Bot Divisions, 25 Neuroi Walker Groups, 9 Small Type Flyer Groups, 20 Medium Type Flyer Groups, 7 Large Type Flyer Groups, 9 Ultra-Heavy Groups, 1 Neuroi Witch Mark 1 Group.
Suez Casualties: 1 Land Battleship, 3 Ultra Heavy Groups, 18 Walker Groups, 43 Infantry Bot Divisions, 15 Anti-Vehicle Bot Divisions
###Results:
- Neuroi Forces in Karlsland crippled
- Severe Human losses have put the Allies on the defensive
- Huge-ass salvage pile: 10,400 RU
- Total annihilation of Witches in invasion has devastated Allied Morale
- Loss of Field Marshall Model severely cripples Allied Leadership
- REMEMBER BERLIN!
- Multiple captured Witches
- Several Human Super-Heavies captured intact (Crews less so)
- Discovery of human male soldier ambient energy capability
- Neuroi conclusion on humanity: Insane.