In Which Strategical Decisions Are Made In the Pursuit Of Liberation [2/2] Bonedeth 2016/04/27(Wed)20:12 No. 719590 ID: 5869f6
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Now, reader. In order to guide these men. It is best that you be informed of the specifics.

Firstly, these men are all clones. However, these are not your blank slates. Each one of these men were cloned as exact copies of the original. The Original was a young American man of Caucasian skin and mixed ancestry. He was raised middle class, with a strong sense of right and wrong. He is of slightly above average intelligence, and below average physical healthiness.

Now, more importantly, we must describe their equipment.

The thirty men who milled about, waiting for orders or scanning the edge of the clearing were wielding firearms, similar in appearance to the German MP-40. These Submachine guns were quite poor in quality, their only benefit would that these inaccurate, low-caliber weapons prone to overheating were easy to manufacture.

Of course, most Infantrymen preferred to use their more reliable batons or sidearms. Or to pilfer a better weapon from an enemy's cooling body.

Now, each of these men wore a grey-blue field cap atop their heads. And their bodies were clad in large, bulky grey-blue greatcoats.

Though it was early in the summer, the men, in their pride, refused to show any discomfort from the mild heat.

Though, some would admit, in private, behind many closed doors, that concealing so much of their skin was a matter of a crippling lack of self-worth.

Let us turn our attention to the Lieutenant. He is clad in the same grey-blue clothing of his comrades. Though he notably sports white epaulets upon his greatcoat's shoulders.

Let me bestow a vital piece of information, reader.

The lieutenant is a hardened veteran, and can hold his own, provided he is not drowned by raw numbers. In fact, every officer in the I.A.L. from the Sargent to the General, clawed their way up the ladder by taking charge of squads, then companies, then regiments in the heat of combat. No man who wears the ranks of an Officer hasn't earned them in steel and blood.

But, before we continue, we must make our first decision. It is getting dark. shall we:

[A]: Focus our efforts on establishing hasty defenses for the new base.

[B]: Order three groups of men in squads of three to scout the immediate area beyond the treeline. This Order has it's own risks, but knowledge of the surrounding are could be vital.

[C]. Order the squad to ready and move in a Cardinal Direction. This Order may cause you to meet allies (or enemies) just a bit sooner that you'd want.

[D]: (Fill in an Order here)

A note: Every Infantryman's kit includes a personal flashlight, six magazines of ammunition, two cans of food of random content, one bottle of water, and a small box of three vials of morphine.

Set up a base camp surrounding the portal. THEN send out three squads in a single direction, yourself included. If enemies arrive, hold the base but prepare to evac if necessary.

In Which Strategical Decisions Are Made In the Pursuit Of Liberation Bonedeth 2016/04/27(Wed)20:41 No. 719598 ID: 5869f6
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>>719592

It is decided that defenses would be established in the shortest possible time before dark falls. Sadly, despite all the muscle-straining effort, all the result is is a five foot deep, eight foot wide dirt trench surrounding the portal, though experience among the troops from digging countless trenches ensures that the walls are packed solid and excavated neatly. Sadly, there was no time to reinforce the line with sandbags or cover the trenches with tarps or nets.

The night is upon them.

The Lieutenant rounds up nine men, and with flashlights attached to the end of their guns, they begin marching east after the Lieutenant picks a direction at random by reciting Enie-meanie-miney-moe, lacking a better idea.

So they depart, leaving behind the trenches lit by several dull lanterns.

At first, down the dark, path, the group stays close. But despite every Clone harboring a mixture of fear and hate towards the consuming blackness, the lieutenant's instincts scream to spread out and recon a wider area.

And so we make another choice, do we:

[A]: Disperse in a far manner, and move forward with haste. This Order has it's risks, the men could lose each other in the dark and risk ambush from the noise of their speed. However, searching a wide area means that something could be found easier.

[B]: Disperse in a far manner, but move slowly and cautiously, This Order means the men could still lose each other, but the reduced noise means less of a chance of ambush.

[C]: Stay together and move at a normal pace.

[D]: (Fill in an Order.)

A note: A major concern among the recon group is to go back before they go too far, or take too long. Too long in the dark could cause some of the group to panic out of paranoia.

D) Wait, don't you have markers? Glow-sticks? Flares?

Trail of bread crumbs.

Drill some glow-sticks into the trees and arrow signs pointing to the base. If you get sick of this area, there's an easy way back.

>>719629

It is suggested that markers be left behind to mark their path, sadly the men have no nails, they do however, have rolls of duct tape.

Ah duct tape. What can't you do?

And so after several minutes of taping the rather dull sticks to the trees with what might be far more tape than necessary, all the while moving forward, the Lieutennant and his men come across what seems to be a small ruined fort.

It must be said, that even in it's prime the fort must have been nothing impressive. The highest point of the walls must have been no more than fifteen feet high, there is also a large hole in the side. One could simply walk through with no effort. There is also what might have been a barracks built into the stone wall on the northern side of the fort.

The lieutenant, moving forward with one step slowly overtaking the other, stops.

He sniffs the air, he sniffs again, and then once more to make sure he isn't imagining it.

Smoke, he smells smoke.

He scans the inside of the fort through the rather large hole in the wall, and he sees something. It's in the Barracks, through a small, empty hole which might have meant to be a window, he can see a very faint glow. It's dull enough in the night that he must strain his eyes to see it, but it is there.

The Lieutenant informs the men, and they tense, ready for whatever may come.

Now reader, one can now take a course of action, however. You must admit that it could be one of two things. It might be a group of bandits, resting after a day of their violent work. Or, it could simply be one or more squatters.

Shall the order be to:

[A]: Creep up quietly to get a better look inside.

[B]: Surround the Barracks and demand a surrender.

[C]: Drop all pretense of stealth and assault the Barracks quickly and brutally.

[D]: (Fill in an Order)

A and B (get most of your troops inside and surround anyone you find). Stealth is an advantage, don't waste it.

In Which Strategical Decisions Are Made In the Pursuit Of Liberation Bonedeth 2016/04/28(Thu)12:09 No. 719660 ID: 5869f6
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>>719655

As the Lieutenant and his men slowly creep towards the Barracks, the Infantrymen, being inexperienced in the matters of stealth, move at a snail's pace, their every movement restrained and halted for fear of making noise.

Nevertheless, despite the odds, the Infantrymen are not given away just yet.

There is no door where one would be, and the dull glow of the fireplace is slightly more visible there, you can see the embers of a dying campfire near the wall farthest of the door.

Several shapes lay immobile around it.

The Lieutenant's hands grip tightly around his personal sidearm, a 32. Caliber revolver, and the men slowly shuffle around the shapes in a wide circle.

One of the figures snorts and shifts restlessly.

The Infantrymen freeze, the Lieutenant's heart stops for a beat.

The moving figure groans softly, then seems to turn and lie still.

The Lieutenant and his men have stopped only a few feet away from them, it can be seen more clearly that there are four figures wrapped in frayed cloaks.

Now comes another choice, dear reader.

Shall the men:

[A]: Forcefully wake the figures at gunpoint.

[B]: Leave the figures be, and quietly return to the base.

[C]: Kill them in their sleep, quietly.

[D]: Violently gun them down, and paint the walls with gore.

[E]: (Fill in an Order here.)

Tie them up with duct tape at gunpoint. Shout if they wake up.

In Which Strategical Decisions Are Made In the Pursuit Of Liberation Bonedeth 2016/04/28(Thu)14:27 No. 719677 ID: 5869f6
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>>719669

The men are quick to drag them from their sleep, though they struggle and shout, they quiet when they realize what has befallen them, and they begin to cower.

They offer little resistance when the Infantrymen tape together their wrists, forcing them on their knees, and keeping their mouths free so that the new prisoners may answers questions.

The first three figures were revealed to be two human men and a woman, all wearing worn leather clothing, offering little protection against the night cold.

The Lieutenant goes to tie up the last small figure personally, with his .32 caliber in hand, he approaches the fourth, shorter figure.

The last figure is cowering beneath a cloak far too large for it's size, with one hand gripping the revolver, the Lieutenant forcefully tears away the covering to reveal the one cowering underneath.

It is not human.

The last figure is revealed to be a Kobold. Though even most Kobolds are far more intimidating than this one. It's nose appears to take up more than half it's face, and it's eye's are small coal-black things glistening with tears.

It whimpers, and, squeezing it's eyes tight, curls into a ball and holds it's arms protectively above it's head.

The Lieutenant thought it both adorable and pitiful. He did not bother to tie it up.

At the end of it all, they had taken four prisoners, all that needed to be done was for them to be questioned. And, perhaps, lead back to the camp at the Portal.

Now comes another choice. What shall be done first, dear reader?

Shall the Lieutenant:

[A]: Question the prisoners why they are here, then escort them back to the camp.

[B]: Escort them back first, then question them.

[C]: Order the men to wait a while and secure the Barracks.

[D]: (Insert an Order.)

Note, reader, that the assumed 'Kobold' is actually one of their less intelligent, yet far more benign sub-race, the 'Cutebolds'.

Secure the Barracks. If anything happens you'll want a secure location to fall back on.

Questions for the prisoners while you are waiting for base upgrades:
1. What are the local factions in this region?
2. What is the highest level of technology your people have discovered?
3. What are you doing here?
4. Where did you stash your loot?
5. Any structural weaknesses in this place we should know about?

>>719695
The men are quick to work at attempting to secure the building, though the Barracks is no larger than the average suburban home, there are several closets built into the walls that were likely used for storage.

They are empty, and seem to have been so for quite some time.

Several rotting tables are shifted to barricade the only entrance, and several iron braziers indoors are filled with small bits of wood and strips of discarded cloth and lit with matches.

The barricade and added light helps everyone inside relax just a little, taking off the edge caused by the cold and the dark.

The Lieutenant questions the first three prisoners, the humans. He squats down in front of the first kneeling man, who is just slightly older than the other two. The Lieutenant, very slowly and politely, who they are and why they have taken residence here.

The man clenches his teeth and responds:

>'W-We are but refugees. We are all that is left of our village, after the Imperials razed it.

The Lieutenant asks if the Imperials are the enemy of their kingdom. The man, with a pained look, responds.

>'They ARE our kingdom. Or, at least, they were. An Imperial regiment was passing near our village to the southeast, and their commander caught wind of how we traded freely with those Cutebold folk, when they marched into the village center demanding why, we couldn't understand! Those Cutebolds are harmless, even a bug smaller than my hand would scare them out of their wits! They weren't happy with that, and they just started slaughtering everybody and calling us traitors as they burned our homes!'

The Lieutenant's brow creases in worry, and asks if the Imperials have always been this xenophobic.

>'U-Uh, things used to be far more peaceful around these parts, but a few years ago, SOMETHING happened in the capital, Valsted. And suddenly every lady and lord suddenly started frothing at the mere suggestion of being friends with anyone not human.'

They are but refugees, torn from their homes.

Further questioning reveals the 'cutebold' to possibly be the last of the tribe the townspeople were trading with, no doubt slaughtered like the Village was.

One can only take pity, the refugees are not even armed, and have little food to speak of.

The Lieutenant orders the prisoners cut free. They appear quite grateful. They are told to stay here however, for their own safety. The agree, however reluctantly.

Now comes another choice, for the rest of the men back at camp must be informed.

Shall the Lieutenant:

[A]: Order one man to carry the information back

[B]: Order two men to carry the news back. Giving a higher chances of the runners reaching safety.

[C]: (Insert Order.)

Order HALF your men to carry the information back. They are to add even MORE conspicuous markers on the way back. Leave a skeleton crew at the fortress and make preparations to construct a path from the fortress base to the portal base, preferably underground with reinforced metal.

And PLEASE watch out for traps.

In Which Strategical Decisions Are Made In the Pursuit Of Liberation Bonedeth 2016/04/29(Fri)19:31 No. 719881 ID: 5869f6
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>>719841

The Orders are given, and five men make their way back towards the Portal with all due haste.

The blackness nearly swallows them as they go into the thick treeline, save for the ever-fading beams of their flashlights.

Unfortunately, while the Lieutenant and his men technically have the areas of the Portal and the Ruined Fort under I.A.L. Influence, they will not be able to commence with heavy upgrades, such as rebuilding the walls of the Fort, or wiring modern lighting throughout the Fortress until the total forces of the I.A.L. reach at least Company strength of about [100] men, and their respective equipment in order to have the manpower to carry out advanced upgrades.

However, it is no doubt that the runners are bound to take the news back towards the portal. Then perhaps 4th Army High Command that in which the 33rd Light Infantry is organized into will be able to spare a minimum of another thirty men.

Gaining Company strength will also give passive bonuses to I.A.L. forces. For example, such as squad level portable radios, and the addition of vital upgrades such as the construction of advanced Triage Centers.

For now, the Lieutenant must make the best of his resources. Right now, dear reader, the Lieutenant can offer his full attentions to but one thing, which will give a permanent, passive bonus to him or his troops.

The Lieutenant may focus on:

[A]: Coordinate with what is left of his men to secure all they can of the Ruined Fort.

This will give the bonus of [Advanced Squad Level Tactics]. Which will greatly improve how well the Lieutenant and his men will work together in a hazardous situation, however, this bonus will be rendered null if the Lieutenant is in immediate command of more than thirty men.

[B]: The Lieutenant will attempt to gain the trust and support of the locals, starting with the refugees sheltering with the squad.

This will bestow the bonus of [Native Loyalty]. This bonus will grant the Lieutenant both greater charisma, and the ability to defuse violent situations in the future. [Native Loyalty] can also give access to a powerful Infantry Unit earlier than usual, the [Local Volunteer Militia], a Squad of thirty assorted Locals who can serve as Infantry best suited to a defensive role, such as serving as an active Garrison in an I.A.L. controlled city.

[C]: The Lieutenant can focus all efforts on reinforcing the defenses all around the Ruined Fort.

This will grant the [Hunker Down] bonus, which will allow for greatly improved chance of survival when fighting on the defensive. This affects the Lieutenant and all troops under his immediate command.

B. The fort is stable and we're expecting reinforcements soon, focus on refugees.

>>719966

The Lieutenant decides to attempt to gain the trust of the refugees.

To accomplish this, he and two of the Infantrymen decide to share their food with them.

The first man is given a can of chicken noodle soup, with bits of carrots.

The second man is given a can of sweet corn.

The woman is bestowed a can of cranberry sauce.

The Cutebold is given a pack of plain animal crackers.

The refugees are grateful for being given the food.

They cannot open them however, and the Lieutenant's face heats up in embarrassment due to forgetting this fact.

The issue is quickly solved however, with the genius tactic of'applying knife to one side'.
And thus, the refugees are even more grateful. The woman comments how the food is far better than what they could scrape around for while huddling in the Fort.

While the human refugees huddle around the central campfire, the Cutebold shuffles up to the Lieutenant, and, sniffling, holds up the pack of animal crackers which it completely failed to open or tear in any way.

The Lieutenant bravely saves the Cutebold from starvation by heroically tearing open the befuddling pack of food.

In thanks, the Cutebold smiles and wraps it's arms around the Lieutenant's leg, before squeezing tightly.

A warm feeling blossoms in the Lieutenant's chest.

The [Native Loyalty] bonus has been earned.


After so long, the refugees begin to drift off under the Lieutenant's watchful eye. He dozes off sporadically, with a dozen minutes passing each time he nods off into sleep, before forcefully jerking himself back to wakefulness.

When morning comes, it is almost a blessing.

It also heralds the return of the squad of runners the Lieutenant sent to the Portal. This time however, they are lugging a portable radio, explaining it is a direct line to High Army Command.

No time is wasted setting it up.

The news received is both good, and very very bad.

The good news is, that High command has given the Lieutenant Emergency Authority to assemble and arm Local Militia units, a Privilege normally granted to those the rank of Captain.

The other piece of good news is that High Army Command may send a specialized squad of thirty men. What squad type it will be is the Lieutenant's choice.

The bad news is that there has been a logistical fuck-up of CATACLYSMIC proportions. And the rest of the 33rd Light Infantry will be delayed for an unknown amount of time, necessitating giving the Lieutenant Emergency Authority, as well as the additional thirty men.

Now, reader comes yet another choice, this time you shall choose what type of infantry squad comes through the portal, each Type of squad has it's own strengths and weaknesses.

Shall the Lieutenant requisition:

[A]: A squad of Combat Engineers, who are armed with shotguns and Incendiary Grenades. They are also able to set up defences more quickly than other Infantry, however, Combat Engineers lack the means to fight armored threats, and things like heavy vehicles and tanks, as well as large Dragons, will tear them apart.

[B]: A Riot Squad. These heavy armored infantry are designed as a counter to mass attacks by light infantry, such as Spearmen or sword or mace-wielding Footmen. Armed with metal reinforced shields and steel batons, Riot Squads are twice as effective while garrisoned in I.A.L. controlled cities, however, Riot squads almost completely lack any ranged weaponry besides sidearms and stun grenades.

[C]: A CHEMWAR squad. CHEMWAR squads are heavy Infantry clad in Kevlar-reinforced NBC suits and are armed with White-Phosphorus grenades and Flamethrowers modified to alternate between Napalm and Mustard Gas. These squads are called in to violently cleanse areas raved by Viral and Biological outbreaks that cause mutations in flesh, either living or dead. However, CHEMWAR squads are far less effective against anything not biological or piloted by living beings, such as Robots, or stone Golems.

Important: Imperials are hyper-racist, we've established that intel from the refugees. What do the imperials consider heretical in terms of magics and various technological pursuits?

If the enemy has sufficient siege weaponry and automated defenses, choose option A. Otherwise, go with C.

>>720071

An Inquiry from the Lieutenant only seems to draw blank looks at the concept of automatic defenses, though the younger man admits that the Imperial Magi Corps' veteran troops often utilize Golems of various elements in combat, however, without the Mages to direct them, the Golems will simply fall apart.

The Cutebold speaks up, saying that it had seen a 'Metal Man' on horseback. It had to be explained that the Metal man was, infact, an Elite Knight.

Questions about siege weapons drew the common answers, Ballistae, Siege Towers, Trebuchets, Barrels of powder for blasting holes in walls and such.

After thinking on his choices for a while, the Lieutenant relays to High Command the Order for the CHEMWAR squad.

The response is immediate, and the CHEMWAR squad will arrive within hours, that is, without counting the time it will take for them to arrive at the Fort.

Now that that is out of the way, the Lieutenant may focus on another item of interest, that is, how High Command has given him the honor of being able to round up Volunteers to form a Local Militia squad.

Of course, the only locals around who trust the I.A.L. enough are the four refugees. The Lieutenant could simply ask them to join, and the Militia Squad would only exist on paper, however, the Lieutenant could also send for several men to search for more refugees, then gaining their trust with enough of them could allow the Lieutenant to form a full Squad.

So, the Lieutenant could give the order to:

[A]: Ask the four refugees to Volunteer, and the Militia squad would only be combat-ready when other Locals join.

[B]: Give the Order to send out men to search through the forest for refugees, this may take most of the day, but the more refugees the men can find mean the possibility of being able to muster a full Squad of Militia.

[C]: (Fill in an Order.)

Ask the refugees where the other survivors from the village and the Kobold settlement might have fled, then set up scouting teams to locate these areas and recruit survivors.

>>720269

The refugees, cannot remember very clearly in their terrified flight from their burning village, but anyone else who might have survived would possibly have flocked to long-standing rumors of an Ancient wellspring, said to heal even the most grievous wound by drinking the blessed waters. The older man comments that several adventuring parties have come across it in their never ending search for glory, and it is said to be in the deepest part of the western woods at the base of the tallest mountain of the Skygrace Ridge, which separates the southern farmlands from the barren deadlands. The Western Deepwoods are also the most dangerous part of the forest itself, but the refugees agree that it is most likely where any other survivors might have fled to, despite the risk.

Unfortunately, all that can be politely coaxed out of the Cutebold is that it simply fled and ran until it collapsed from exhaustion when the Imperial's mounted Knights tore through it's village. It tears up upon realizing that it might be the last of it's tribe, and clings to the Lieutenant for comfort.

The Lieutenant holds the Cutebold close, his chest filling with a fiery determination.

Now that the information has been gathered, the Lieutenant must make a choice.

Shall the Lieutenant order:

[A]: To wait for the CHEMWAR squad to arrive, and to leave the Regular Infantry with the Refugees before departing to the Deepwoods with the CHEMWAR squad.

[B]: To escort the civilians back to the Portal, and leave the Ruined Fort to be reclaimed another day, before departing.

[C]: Send the Infantry squad numbering the nine you brought with you, and stay to protect the refugees.

[D]: (Fill in an order.)

>>720555
Send the civilians to the portal during daytime, secure the fort with a skeleton team, and wait for CHEMWAR units to arrive while your idle units do minor scouting in groups of five. If the deep woods are occupied then you'll want flamethrowers to start a controlled fire and burn a path straight to the wellspring.

In Which Strategical Decisions Are Made In the Pursuit Of Liberation Bonedeth 2016/05/25(Wed)20:44 No. 725982 ID: 14e4c5
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>>720560

Upon being given orders, five Infantrymen gather together with the refugees, before setting outwards to the portal.

Though hesitant, the Lieutenant assures them that they will be treated well when they arrive.

They set off with all due haste. With the morning's light shining through the trees.

The Lieutenant and the remaining four men do their best to gather old, rotted furniture scattered around the Ruined Fort and place them in key positions to maximize defense.

Every other hour, two men go and search the woods surrounding the Fort in a hundred meter radius.

Barring local wildlife, there is little of interest save a wooden wagon that had been abandoned recently. Though it has been long stripped clean of anything useful.

Several hours pass with little of note, and the CHEMWAR squad arrives just past noon.

They relay that the refugees have been delivered safely, and that the Infantrymen escorting them are shortly behind them.

The Lieutenant gives the order for the Infantry to hold the Ruined Fort, and he sets off with the CHEMWAR squad towards the Deepwoods.

The Lieutenant has gained a new piece of equipment! A reinforced Gas Mask is added to the Lieutenant's inventory. This advanced Gas Mask is made with a sturdy materiel on par with kevlar, and is linked by a tube to a medium-sized metal tank on the Lieutenant's back. It can hold up to two hours worth of air. It will be needed if the CHEMWAR squad uses their Chem-thrower's Mustard Gas function.

It takes hours, and by the time the Lieutenant and the thirty men near the entrance to the Deepwood, it is evening.

Past an entrance consisting of a long 'corridor' of trees curving slightly inwards, an unnatural darkness hangs over the Lieutenant and his men.

Though light still peeks through the trees, the close they come to the Deepwoods, the darker it gets.

Farther inward, the Lieutenant can see very little. As it is pitch black past a certain point.

Had they no flashlights or electric lanterns, going in would certainly be suicide.

Nevertheless, despite the pitch slowly surrounding them, and the unnatural sounds of howling and slithering and god-knows-what ahead of them; The Lieutenant and his men are Determined to find the other refugees and see them to safety.

The only question is how to go about it.

Will the Lieutenant Order:

[A]: A slow, cautious advance. Though the refugees might be in danger, getting killed won't help them any.

[B]: 'Damn the monsters! Full speed ahead!' The refugees must be rescued, and every moment could mean finding a scared group of civilians, and a mass grave.

[C]: (Fill in an order.)

C) Steady jog. You'll want to run but at a speed that allows combat readiness in seconds. Your troops are now equipped to deal with large packs of beasts, as long as they aren't trained and/or commanded.

Your Chemwar squad should be trained for anti-beast combat (what with all the wildlife fleeing from forest fires and all), so in the event of a beast attack have them throw their flashbang grenades followed by a clean sweep of fire toward any beast not looking straight at them, with two simultaneous attacks on each hunting predator.