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Prior Thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/997660/
Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Maverick%20Hunter%20Quest
The IRC: suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com, #MHQ
The Twitter: https://twitter.com/HunterCommand
The Recap (thanks to Scarab): http://pastebin.com/wMtuXJM2
Character sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18-L31ukeOd_0XvfqErwY7GogqiwMU8zyIYfXxjTUb-c/edit

You are Captain Anode, and right now there's something you need to do.
>>
First for remember when we thought slow burn threads would mean more frequent threads?
>>
"...One sec, Templar," you tell your new unitmate, a hulking, soft-spoken knightly armadillosaurus. "I need to take care of something."

He inclines his head by way of response, but says nothing. Slowly, almost gingerly, you step through the open door to Overclock Conda's quarters.

The surroundings are... sterile. Cold. Untouched, and uncannily so for it. It looks like any officer of the Fourth might trot in here, tired after a long day and a hard hunt, drop their bag in the corner, and climb into the charger bay for a well-earned rest. Not even the dust has laid claim, yet, and with the impending barracks move, it never will.

But what draws your attention is the blinking red MESSAGE WAITING light. The time stamp is after the attack.

Despite yourself, you hit Play.

MESSAGE BEGINS

"Hey, Conda? This is Baccarat. ... heh, listen to me, leaving a message for a dead man. I'm sorry--well, you know what I mean, it's just..."

He sighs, and even through the light crackle on the speaker, you can tell his speech is labored.

"There's no coming back for us. I know you tried to make me believe otherwise, that we were--that we were fixed, but--well, I'm just glad you didn't live to see this. See Doppler, see it all come out."

He doesn't cough, per se--most Reploids that aren't 'humanized' don't pick up the habit, but his voicebox glitches and he takes a moment to steady himself and let it zero out before he speaks again.

"There's no cure, Conda. It was all bull--it was all a lie. It was all a lie."

You shiver, despite yourself, at the absoltue surety in his voice.

"There is no coming back from this."

He chuckles, voice modulation glitching again, an unpleasant screech of feedback from the terminal's speaker bleeding into the sound.

"So, I figured... before it happens? Before I go--I'm gonna go do something I shouldn't. Take out as many of them as I can. Do some good, so I don't do any more harm. Die hunting, you know? Like you did.

... I'm sorry, Conda. I tried to believe you, I did."

One more, one last, steadying breath.

"See you."

END OF MESSAGE

You sit there for a moment, palm hovering over the terminal, the red 'message waiting' light winking off. ... Before it chirps once and pipes an input to you.

Coordinates.

LAST CONTACT LOCATION: BACCARAT

... You shut down the terminal before you step out of the room, the lights dimming behind you. If he heard anything, Madillo shows no sign of it. He looks at you quietly, waiting for you to break the silence first.

>...Old times. Forget it, let’s go.
>Conda had history I never really learned. But he died hunting.
>>
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>>1171285
No bully!
>>
>>1171293
>>1171293
Aren't you supposed to be kill?

FUCK YES IT'S BACK

>Conda had history I never really learned. But he died hunting.
>>
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>>1171302
Well, if it makes you feel better, I immediately got the thread number wrong, so feel free to mock me roundly. Got it right on the archive, at least, this is thread 74.
>>
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>>1171311
Bravo.
>>
>>1171286
>Conda had history I never really learned. But he died hunting.

So more than one mav produced reploid was recruited. Intradasting.
>>
>>1171293
>Conda had history I never really learned. But he died hunting.

And maybe we could learn it, between missions.

Also, welcome back.
>>
>>1171293
never not bully

>>1171286
>Conda had history I never really learned. But he died hunting.
>>
>>1171286
>>Conda had history I never really learned. But he died hunting.
Welp. This is off to a depressing start.
>>
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So, as always, hello again, all, it's been a spell.

Things are busy--good busy, but busy. I usually keep my personal life out of these threads, but long story short is I got hired in to the job I've been doing as a contractor full-time. Lots of positive changes (LOTS of positive changes, holy shit), but a lot of work to do in the process. Other than that, usual life shenanigans and a couple winter storms to contend with, along with the ongoing project to resurrect the mighty Snowfucker, my noble steed for combatting the wintry wastes of the Beast Coast.

How are you all doing tonight?
>>
>>1171286
>Conda had history I never really learned. But he died hunting.

Right when I go to bed? Really? I'm excited and pissed off all at once!
If you guys end up voting for a movie, I pre-cast a vote for Hot Fuzz.
>>
>>1171408
>How are you all doing tonight?
Past two days of work have been a bit of a shitshow because of a fuckup at the warehouse, but I'm off this weekend so yay lounging around MHQing in between vidya.
>>
>>1171408
I'm pretty comfy.
>>
>>1171286
>...Old times. Forget it, let’s go.

>>1171408
>How are you all doing tonight?
Pretty damn good. Wrapped up the second session of a freshly started roleplay campaign a few hours ago.
>>
>>1171286
>Conda had history I never really learned. But he died hunting.
>>1171408
Not too bad. Got the 4 day off work, so I'm just keeping comfy.
>>
>>1171408
>the ongoing project to resurrect the mighty Snowfucker, my noble steed for combatting the wintry wastes of the Beast Coast.

Piece of advice! Check to see if your public works dept hands out free salt. I just learned this winter that mine does. I went right up there and filled a big ol' bucket. I've always been stingy with the salt, because I had to buy it myself, but NO MORE. NO! MORE!
>>
>>1171493
Oh that's glorious, though I'm not holding my breath. That said, I've got a landlord who should be on deck for any expenses related to snow or landscaping--we negotiated a hair off the rent in exchange for doing it ourselves.

Which is the other thing that happened (relatively) recently, I moved.
>>
>>1171408
IT HAPPENED
WRITING ANODE X WREN PORN GOT HUNTER COMMAND TO UPDATE
>>
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>>1171657
That was kind of impressively ghoulish. And I'm pretty good at coming up with fucked up stuff.
>>
>>1171668
I felt more like Cain Labs when I wrote it, in all honesty.
>>
>>1171657
Wait was this in the last thread or am I missing something?
>>
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>>1171762
No man, I posted it in IRC the other day. I won't post it here.

Okay, fuck it, I'll post it here.

http://pastebin.com/1abJ89Cx
Basically, the day of that snowstorm HC was talking about, everything here in NYC got shut down and I ended up spending the day getting drunk and reading archived quest threads. (Great combination there, by the way.) Thing is, I was sober by the time I actually wrote most of that abomination.

>>1171286
>Conda had history I never really learned. But he died hunting.
So we can actually move on with the quest who am I kidding I've irreversibly derailed it
>>
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>>1171302
>>1171351
>>1171374
>>1171385
>>1171391
>>1171412
>>1171485
>>1171818
“I never really knew Conda,” you say quietly.

Templar keeps his head bowed, either in patience or reverence.

“I think that bothers me the most. I mean, I guess I couldn’t have--why would he tell me everything he had going on? But still--I’m learning more about him after he’s gone than I ever did while he was alive.“ You turn to look at him. “That’s kind of fucked up, you know?”

Madillo is silent a moment before responding. “I know.”

You huff in resigned exasperation. Sounds like there’s another life that’s been lived. You hope, idly, bitterly, that Templar--and you, you suppose--will live long enough to get that story. What was it that cartoonist said? Hunting is needful work, but it’s not good?

“He still died a hunter,” you murmur, more to set it from between your teeth to let it out onto the air. “No matter where he came from, he lived and died like this.”

After an uncomfortable moment of contemplation, you shake it off, turning to leave. “Come on.”

With duty on your mind, your steps bring you to the command room--with excellent timing, as not thirty seconds into your spiel about the pad and navigators and selecting and arming a complement, Gopher winks into existence in a bolt of red and orange. He steps forward, immediately all business, even as he unpins what looks like the latest in a long line of medals from his breastplate. “You done?”

“Just about, yeah,” you say with a salute. “All yours, boss.”

He nods, and then turns to Madillo. “Everything okay so far?”

“It all seems quite in order, Gopher sir,” Templar replies evenly. “With thanks to the good Captain for the tour.”

Gopher chews on that for a minute, before nodding. “Good Captain. Yeah. All right, Anode, I’ll take it from here. Dismissed.”

You turn to go--”Anode?”

“Sir.”

“You seen the news today?”

You blink. “No sir, why?”

“Don’t worry about it, I have it handled. You just do your job.”

Uh. “Yes, sir.”

He steps past you, Madillo filing behind--giving you one last appraising glance--and leaving you in the command room, alone.
>Well, as long as you’re here, whistle up a plan for engaging Mortarphant.
>Okay, you can’t NOT figure out what the hell that last quip was about.
>Other?
>>
>>1171848
>Okay, you can’t NOT figure out what the hell that last quip was about.
We're SO about to have our day ruined.
>>
>>1171848
>>Well, as long as you’re here, whistle up a plan for engaging Mortarphant.
ignore it completely and let it build up and bite us in the ass later.
>>
...What if it involves Schwarz?
>>
>>1171848
>>Okay, you can’t NOT figure out what the hell that last quip was about.
This is going to be important. Also going to suck.
>>
>>1171848
>Well, as long as you’re here, whistle up a plan for engaging Mortarphant.
"I'm gonna call up every 14th officer available, plus Firefly and Sabomole, and see what they have to suggest. I know the OP has a mole-related pun in the thread title, but I want to know if the most obvious course of action will kill us."
Don't word it like that.
>>
>>1171848
>Okay, you can’t NOT figure out what the hell that last quip was about.

"FIFTY-SEVEN BEE BLADERS ARRANGED IN SKY TO SPELL 'COMMAND IS DILDOS', CULPRIT UNKNOWN"
>>
>>1171848

I *really* want to
>Well, as long as you're here, whistle up a plan for engaging Mortarphant.

...but he's right. I just can't NOT.

>Okay, you can't NOT figure out what the hell that last quip was about.
>>
>>1171848
>Okay, you can’t NOT figure out what the hell that last quip was about.
>>
Of all the things I thought I would see after coming home from work, MHQ was not one of them.

great to see this again.
>>
>>1171848
>Well, as long as you’re here, whistle up a plan for engaging Mortarphant.
I desperately want to find out what it is that gopher is dangling in front of us in such a tantalizingly vague way, but we really need to organize this thing.

Besides, I'm sure we'll hear about it later, to an accompaniment of blaring sirens. As usual.
>>
>>1171286

>Conda had history I never really learned. But he died hunting.

Just name drop him near the guy with super double classified background, maybe shake some ploy loose.

I have an unbusy weekend for a change.
>>
>>1171848

As much as it actively pains me to write this,

>Well, as long as you’re here, whistle up a plan for engaging Mortarphant.

I really, really want to know what that thing is about, but I want to not die more.
>>
>>1171848
>Okay, you can’t NOT figure out what the hell that last quip was about.

Can't not take the bait.
>>
>>1171848
>Okay, you can’t NOT figure out what the hell that last quip was about.

My bet: Halcyon announces that all future Hunters will be Bird-types, declares that nothing could possibly go wrong
>>
>>1171848
>Okay, you can’t NOT figure out what the hell that last quip was about.

You can't tell someone not to worry about something and not expect them to find out what it is.
>>
>>1171848
>Well, as long as you’re here, whistle up a plan for engaging Mortarphant.
Nope. Not gonna push the shiny red button.
>>
>>1172467
Aw, but it is so shiny and red! How can you not trust a button like that?

But on a more serious note, depending on the news it might actually be useful for planning with, or if it is something really bad, planning for.
>>
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>>1171848
>HC is running again
Glad to have you back.

Ok, we can either not look into it, let it bother us until we break and check on it or someone tells us; or we look into it, skip all the anxiety and go straight to depression.
Maybe if we keep ourselves busy we can avoid letting the curiosity and dread fester by throwing ourselves into our work. That's healthy, right?
>Well, as long as you’re here, whistle up a plan for engaging Mortarphant.

I suspect our 'human killer' reputation made its way into the wider public eye, and we're getting raked over the coals on the news. Dunno what else we've done to prompt news attention, unless they've just made something us.
>>
>>1171848
>Well, as long as you’re here, whistle up a plan for engaging Mortarphant.
mortarphant is going to fuck us up even without distraction from other issues.

Do you guys think Phantom's up to something in mortarphant's base?
>>
>>1172590
seeing how we just met him probably not. From what I remember from other megaman games is that three mini bosses will pop up in random stages and then we'll see them again some point in the final level(s). If we do bump into someone like phantom it will be... well, not phantom.
>>
>>1172596
I'm just saying, a well-defended base is a good location to get a lot of covert stuff done. The defenses are mostly long-range, and no production is being done, so what's all the empty space being used for?
>>
>>1172596
PHANTOM's a group. The guy from Sabomole's op was named Ink Stylist.

>>1172590
I thought Mortarphant didn't have a base, just a big rock she stands on top of that gives her good lines of sight. There might be a PHANTOM boss room underneath the rock though.
>>
>>1172611
I thought it was a base tucked in a valley.
>>
>>1172614
It looks like
>She operates out of the remains of a 15th remote base, situated on a mesa in Algeria, overlooking a shelled-out town in a valley.
Also I take back >>1171873, apparently 15th is the artillery one, not 14th. Don't bring the pro wrestling division or whatever to our meeting.
>>
>>1171848
>Okay, you can't NOT figure out what the hell that last quip was about.
>>
>>1171848
We're gonna watch the news, and it's gonna suck, won't it?
>>
>>1171848
I READ THE NEWS TODAY, OH BOY
>>
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Good morning, folks. Checking the news takes it (surprisingly narrowly). Writing.
>>
>>1173080
Continue with the story, nigger!
>>
>>1173080
Good afternoon, HC.
>>
>>1171818
On the topic of IRC, there was also this discussion

<Anonymous> Does X have the Hadoken and Shoryuken
<Anonymous> just kidding
<Anonymous> my real question was about pre-Sigma maverick threats
<Cain_Labs> alrighty, well
<Anonymous> Just give me the biggest one
<Cain_Labs> the first really significant threat is referred to as the Eight Crisis
<Cain_Labs> Eight A-Class Threats staging simultaneous attacks
<Cain_Labs> among them, for the first time, Hunters gone rogue
<Cain_Labs> some of them were due to glitches, but others were intentional, which was extremely serious.
<Cain_Labs> The follow-up to that was the Command Crisis, probably the worst pre-Sigma attack. Several Mavericks attacked Hunter HQ together and murdered Commander Thomas Wong.
<Anonymous> I remember him
<Cain_Labs> Resulting in chaos and further Maverick outbreaks, with the original group acting as ringleaders and moving quite deliberately.
<Bisby> I guess he picked the Wong day to come into work
<Cain_Labs> a bit :P
<Anonymous> Alright, I can see how the Hunters accumulated so much firepower now
<Cain_Labs> anyway, the Greek Division had already been tasked to design a Reploid capable of tackling A-Class Threats in multiples with little downtime, so they had an S-Rank ready with Alpha, who was upgraded with command software and sent into the field
<Anonymous> he assembled 5 reploids with attitude
<Cain_Labs> that upgrade made his systems unstable, though, so he resigned and was replaced by a competent but less powerful subordinate
<Cain_Labs> when Beta experienced similar issues in the laboratory environment and Gamma went in the wrong direction with overly ambitious and costly designs that the technology simply wasn't ready for, Cain Labs helped to develop the PPC protocols to manage specifications for a new Hunter commander.
<Anonymous> Gamma was later accidentally killed by a pre-X robot that was spinning around too quickly
<Cain_Labs> lol
<Cain_Labs> not quite.
<Cain_Labs> anyway, as you know, eventually they got themselves a Sigma.
>>
>>1171856
>>1171871
>>1171894
>>1171914
>>1171922
>>1172181
>>1172248
>>1172363
>>1172922


You should probably ignore that.

You should definitely ignore that.

You punch up the central command terminal and switch over to the news.

“--uestion on everybody’s mind is, was this avoidable?”

Over the crawl, the topic of the day on the headlines? UN HOLDS HEARINGS ON HUNTER OPERATIONS IN FRANCE

“Whether we get an answer to that or not, the discussion today in New York was animated, sometimes heated, with all manner of questions raised, ranging from the necessity of international assets used to the qualifications of the maverick hunter in command on the ground.”

They play a clip--with a rather sizeable presentation with some still images of the now-destroyed Erebor. “What we should be asking France--what we should be asking the Maverick Hunters,” a woman (American?) says, “is ‘who receives a thirty million dollar combat platform and uses it as… a crumple zone, a chew toy, to blunt a maverick attack, and why?’”

“I should think we’ve made that plain by now,” a more familiar voice responds, ignoring the raised tone. Standing at attention, arms at her back in a parade rest, Rosé stands at a podium calmly. “Hurricane Wren destroyed it. Erebor is a total loss, and--”

“And you should take responsibility!” Interrupts the other. “With Erebor destroyed and Eriador crippled, there is a question of global defense coverage, and who will account for the loss of it. When these assets are deployed--”

The feed cuts back to the talking head. “At the center of the controversy was Captain Vingt Rosé, in command of the French forces deployed to the region over the last week, refusing any responsibility for the loss of the peacekeeping mechaniloid. Claiming that these machines ‘exist for precisely this,’ and over a scathing two hours, refused to grapple with the question of blame at all, firm in her belief that there was no fault to be had.”

Well. Shit.

“However, her answers were not well-received by an angry review board, who seemed, more than anything, to be looking to address the issue of who would foot the bill. The question turned from French and German involvement in the conflict to the Maverick Hunter contingent deployed from Geneva.”

Well. Shit.
>>
>>1173179
An old, Italian man looks down, eyes cast over his papers as he adjusts his glasses. “Captain Anode, I’m told, has not held that distinction for a month yet. There is the question of the Captain’s credentials on both seniority--and his lack of it--and his design specifications, which fail to identify him as a specialist in any sense on this type of matter. It is my understanding that a hunt like this would most typically be within the purview of the Seventeenth Elite unit, a name that I understand is well-deserved. While we can appreciate the shortage of manpower in light of the attack on Geneva, I feel we must stress that these command decisions should not be taken lightly, and that these missions should not be undertaken lightly.”

“The public records on the maverick hunter in question found him to be a relatively inexperienced officer, with involvement on several high-profile operations, including the Anchorage, Alaska retirement of Winter Wolfspider that resulted in an avalanche claiming several civilian lives. The Captain, then a Lieutenant, was cleared of any wrongdoing, but not before an investigative suspension.”

Wow, your name up in lights. And a photo of you. Fuck that.

“Anode gained some minor public notice from viral phone footage taken from the defense of a coastal marina, in pursuit of Splashdown Skipjack--”

They play the jumpy phone footage of you throwing Lockon Hunters out into the water, standing at the edge of the docks, long enough to include the distant thump of explosions paired with gouts of water kicked up in a spray.

“Initially his presence had been requested by the United Nations council, but these attempts were blocked by Commander Firestorm Gopher, himself a recent appointee.”

It cuts over once again to the UN floor, though the timestamp suggests it’s much, much more recent--just a few minutes ago. “Captain Anode is not on trial here,” Gopher says. “He is a fully qualified hunter operative, and tasking him on Wren was my decision. Given the damage she was doing, I--and he--have been fully justified in that decision by his results.”

If they didn’t like Rosé’s devil-may-care attitude about eating the blame, they hate that. “You come into our countries, you engage without a moment’s consideration, and then you leave, like--”

“The Maverick Hunters are not on trial here, either,” Gopher booms, suddenly All Business with a harsh glance towards the speaker, who you can feel shrink back. “You have been provided an unprecedented level of intel on a hunt that is less than two days old, fresh into a global conflict. Our analysts are turning over the data as fast as they can process it. And you, right now, are dragging my officer’s name into the light because you want a patsy.”

You find yourself grinning at that, relaxing your grip on the sides of the console you didn’t know you were clenching. Damn, boss.
>>
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>>1173180
“Gopher, a decorated veteran and commander of Fourth Overland’s Japan contingent for four years, was firm in his defense of the Captain, citing his assistance in the transition of command in Geneva. Though he refused to lay or accept any blame for the damage to the UN mechaniloid assets, Gopher adamantly protected his subordinate, telling the panel that if there were any issues with the retirement of Hurricane Wren, they should fall on his shoulders. Captain Rosé, on the other hand, was much more blunt in her defense of the sometimes controversial anti-maverick organization.”

You tap a button and opt to stream a provided clip of her remarks after the hearing.

“Let’s be clear. They don’t care about the cost,” she says, her voice as poised and calm as it was against Wren or in the assembly. “No one’s asking France how much it cost us to put an end to this carnage. No one’s asking Germany. And they certainly aren’t asking the hunters. This is about bad blood and mistrust. Erebor was just a convenient angle for that.”

As a flurry of questions arise, you tab back to the hearing report.

“Lastly, when the question of Captain Anode’s character was raised, Rosé had this to say.”

“Hurricane Wren, by herself and with minimal or no support at all, killed nearly ten thousand people in just under a week,” Rosé states, eyes up and facing the camera. “She destroyed mobile batteries, heavy combat suits, trucks, tanks, and cut aircraft down as they passed. Another hunter, Stillwater Phasian, was incapacitated in less than thirty seconds of direct engagement. He had his arm disabled, repaired, and then severed entirely, and he pressed his attack. Do you know why the Captain is not here to defend himself right now?” She casts a glance around the room. “Because he is currently preparing to hunt the next Hurricane Wren. And the one after that. And the one after that. You’ve asked me to condemn him, but frankly I don’t think he needs my help."
>>
>>1173183

“In her closing statements, Rosé had this to say about the Maverick Hunters themselves.”

“One of my officers, Lieutenant Vingt Blanc, has requested he be given leave from the armed forces to serve with the hunters for a year,” she says, carefully measured. “Learn how they operate, what they do, how they survive. He wants to bring this knowledge home to France, so we are better prepared for maverick outbreak in the future. But he also feels that we--the French--owe them a debt of gratitude, and I am inclined to agree. There is a debt here, but not to the United Nations. And we intend to repay it.”

“The panel will reconvene tomorrow at 9 AM, Eastern Daylight Time, to discuss a motion advising member states withdraw international equipment on loan to France to retask where Erebor would be called into service. This has already met resistance from the German chair, who has demanded a roll-call vote...”

You turn off the screen, leaning back with a long, exasperated sigh. So THAT happened. You find yourself briefly grateful press passes are currently on hold due to the recent attack on HQ, so you can avoid getting jumped by a reporter about something you didn’t even know was going on.

>You know what sounds good right now is ANYTHING ELSE.
>Fuck it, call on Sabomole.
>Other?
>>
>>1173179
>a thirty million dollar combat platform
Not Zenny?

>>1173185
I restate my decision to
>meet with artillery specialists in addition to Sabomole
>>
>>1173185
>Fuck it, call on Sabomole.
At least we've got people batting for us.
>>
>>1173185
>meet with artillery specialists in addition to Sabomole
this sounds neat.

But we're still going in with primarily Anode and the team, right?
>>
>>1173186
I bet America still clings to the dollar like they cling to Imperial inches and Daylight Savings Time.
>>
>>1173185
>Call on Sabomole.
See what he suggests about approaching a mesa with an artilleryphant on it.
>>
>>1173185
>Make a note to send a message to Rosé at some point.
>You know what sounds good right now is ANYTHING ELSE.
>>
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Good to know we're appreciated.
>>
>>1173185
>Note to self: Send Rosé a token of thanks.
>Meet with artillery specialists in addition to Sabomole.
>>
>>1173185
>Sabomole time
Our new boss is a good'un.
>>
>>1173212

This works.


>Note to self: Send Rosé a token of thanks.
>Meet with artillery specialists in addition to Sabomole.

Do you guys have a battle plan?

Megaman Legends Beta Quest GM here. The Megaman quest with really slow updates, salutes you.
>>
>>1173245
At the moment, Plan A is ostensibly
>bring Sabomole
>dig a hole, dig a hole, dig a hole
>pop up right next to Mortarphant and push her shit in
>nofunallowed.jpg
If it turns out we can't dig very quickly or Mortarphant can detect seismic activity/loud drilling noises, we'll have to think of something else.
>>
>>1173185
>Other
Make note to thank the French-bots

Then call the 15th and find out how hard we're going to die this time
>>
>>1173245
>The Megaman quest with really slow updates
So you also run MHQ?
>>
>>1173212
we should thank gopher as well. He'll probably be annoyed by it but still thing we should at least give him a quick thank you for standing up for us.

but yeah
>Meet with artillery specialists in addition to Sabomole.

>>1173245
>battle plan
hoping to just have sabomole dug us under Mammoth's fire zone and right up to her base so we can take her down but I doubt it will be that easy. Easier then playing hot potato with Mammoth's artillery salvos but still not easy.
>>
>>1173255

I run MLBQ

Megaman Legends Beta Quest on Sufficient Velocity.

Is a sandbox quest staring Roll as a thief, although she has not stolen much yet. And the AU nature of the quest let's me plan around a bit. For Example, Roll has a liquid metal armor that she can't take off, Tron is her big sister figure, Volnutt was not found and awaken yet, and one of the rivals is an amesiac prototype Megaman
>>
>>1173185
>>Fuck it, call on Sabomole.
I'm actually pleased by this; the bureaucrats are trying to cause trouble, but our allies and our commander are going to bat for us. I think this'll go a long way in warming us up to him.
>>
There's also the fact that they were more concerned about the loss of just one very expensive weapon platform, and not the tens of thousands of lives lost and all of the equipment, mechaniloids, and vehicles that they were using.
>>
>>1173275
it's politics. We could cure cancer and they'd bitch at us for all the doctors we just put out of business. But yeah, it's actually kinda nice to see the effect we have on the world when we actually do our job. Like that one guy with one leg who we saved from jagwire who gave us a pep talk when we needed it most... he still alive? I think I remember hearing he was still kicking.
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>>1173275

As we said before, Gopher is the right kind of man for the job. He is defending us not because he cares about us, but because we bring results.

Before, going after A+ and S class treats was sabotage or misinformation, now is Gopher sending us against those kind of threats intensionaly.

Don't mistake things, he doesn't feel anything for us, we are just a valuable asset. The mission always comes first for him.

The reason Frog ended wrecked? Because he took personal interest in his subordinates.

Gopher is still sending us on mission were we barely survive.

Oh and I bet that the elephant will have someone else with him.
>>
>>1173285
He found us again at one point and shook our hand, if I wasn't mistaken.
>>
>>1173290
That was pre-invasion though, so depending on whether he was based in Geneva HQ (he signed up to train as a Hunter), he could well be dead. We may want to look him up to check he's still alive. Roy or Ray, I think he was called.
>>
>>1173290
wasn't that during the pep talk he gave us or after dopler's attack?
>>
>>1173283

Sigma got them in their pocket. A rank Hunters cost way more than a weapon platform if they survive for at least five years.

Heck if it wasn't because of how damn easy is to subvert mechanoid programing it would be way cheaper to just use mechanoids to hunt any threat under B rank.

A B+ mechanoid, meaning something stronger than a B rank hunter is cheaper, costs lest maintenance and time and always follows orders. Sadly even a C rank Maverick could subvert them if they have that speciality. And even insulation wouldn't work well if the maverick had like a touch/chain shot virus. Meaning any contact with the enemy would put the mechanoids under the guy control.

ALL YOUR MECHANOIDS ARE BELONG TO US
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>>1173183
>citing his assistance in the transition of command in Geneva.
Also, what's up with this part? Something I'm missing, or is Gopher just bullshitting them to support us?
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>>1173298
You remember when he called you "the good Captain?"

There's two Captains in Overland Geneva right now.
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>>1173298
We haven't been a dick to him and have been completing missions he's assigned without too much bitching.

Compared to the rest of the 4th's old guard, Anode is super helpful
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>>1173298
Possibly actively not giving him shit and doing our best to keep our friends from mutiny. Sometimes you need a guy who knows that much as they may hate a situation you may hand them, it has to be done and they have no other choice but you. Even if it may cost you dearly.
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>>1173300

Great, the other guy is an asshole that will get our bro killed.

But then Emerald is suicidal. Why haven't we made an intervention yet? We might not be a good wordmith but we can just trow the fox and the pilot at him.

"Ouch!"

"What the hell?"

"I didn't mean it literally."
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>>1173312
Em IS the other Captain.
>>
>>1173315
I believe that was the joke
Unless Tango thinks that Rezador is the other Captain
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>>1173315
A suicidal asshole that will get himself killed. So I think Tango is technically correct on that one...
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>>1173317
I was pretty sure the latter is what Tango thought, but perhaps that was a joke I missed. Whoosh, right over my head!
>>
>>1173315
>>1173317

Emerald is kind of an asshole with himself, don't you think?
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>>1173312
Sometimes you gotta let them hit rock bottom before they wake up. Personally, I don't think getting on his case is going to do anything except make him pull harder the other way. Can't reason down the unreasonable.
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>>1173341
Except Rock Bottom in this case is literally a grave
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>>1173341

The problem is, in this case Em is gonna kill himself before that.

Hence why I think we should have the fox and our not girlfriend talk to him.
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>>1173349
I am decently sure our relationship with India is not romantic.
>>
>>1173349
You keep saying 'not girlfriend'. Are you talking about Indy? The woman who's in love with her spaaaaaace-gf and so definitely won't be our girlfriend any time soon, if ever?
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>>1173363
Hence why she is not our girlfriend.
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>>1173367
By that logic, we should refer to all females as our not girlfriend, and all males as our not boyfriend.

... I'm okay with doing this ICly.
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>>1173373
There's a bit more to it than that lad
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>>1173373

That would be way too many people and it would get old fast.

Any way to improve faster? I mean we already have EM beating the shit out of us, should we train with someone else?
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>>1173180
>>1173183
That's actually a lot more positive support for Anode than I would have expected. Looking at it from Anode's point of view, at least. I mean:
>“Hurricane Wren, by herself and with minimal or no support at all, killed nearly ten thousand people in just under a week,” Rosé states
-that certainly puts things in a different perspective. Our having to send a crapton of human soldiers to their deaths, so that we could take our Wren's repair-backup, was thoroughly gut-wrenching. Especially for someone designed from the ground up to destroy mavericks and protect humans.

It's nice to be reminded that other people recognize the difficulty of that decision, and respect it.

It's almost as therapeutic as having an actual therapist to talk to.
>>
>>1173402
TOO SOON
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>>1173403
As soon as Cain Labs reappears, he's going to help kill off Rosé and Blanc, isn't he?
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>>1173403
Don't worry my guy, I've got a replacement therapist for Anode
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>>1173408

Eh, we barelly know them so why bother?

He will probably assist Em with his suicide
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>>1173418
>"So what can you tell me, Doctor Rubberstamp?"
>>"I guess go to the barracks and start drinking? What do you want from me?"
>>
>>1173408
Maybe, if we show no interest in meeting them again whatsoever or make any mention on about them from this point forward, CainLabs will only brutally kill them offscreen for a news update.

>>1173434
Honestly, I'm less worried about Emerald getting killed this arc then I am about him joining Repliforce.
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>>1173408
Oh come now, that doesn't sound exactly like me.

Hello everybody!
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>>1173486
>spoiler
That seems unlikely, as he refused to upgrade his busters so if he does go Maverick he'd be defeatable in his Rock-Paper-Scissor thing.

>>1173513
Hello, satan.
>>
>>1173513
Hi, Satan!
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>>1173513
Quickly, deploy the smooth jazz!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0wzA8qf6bU
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>>1173522
>That seems unlikely, as he refused to upgrade his busters so if he does go Maverick he'd be defeatable in his Rock-Paper-Scissor thing.

It goes deeper than that, though exactly how deep it goes is as yet a mystery. We managed to catch a glimpse of it when Em told us about how he used to actually use his rinkydink buster.

Em is a russian nesting doll of neurosis,
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>>1173556
I really gotta get off my ass and write that flashback mission for you guys. You've got another one for Schwarz you unlocked, too, but God knows where my notes on that are right now.

Also, still plugging away at the update. This thread is gonna be, hopefully, a lot of player-side planning with the individual pieces and parts you're given, rather than a lot of plot movement.
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>>1173580
Is Cath ever going to find out we forgot our own birthday?
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>>1173486

He has too lbrittle armor for that.
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>>1173186
>>1173189
>>1173190
>>1173194
>>1173212
>>1173213
>>1173245
>>1173254
>>1173262
>>1173275
Well, no sense delaying it any further, you’ve got a mission to plan. Navigation sets you up on a linked call, and after a moment, two panels light on the screen, side by side.

The one on the left picks up first--sparse, plain, and stark, with white walls and glaring lights, you see Disruptor Sabomole’s tired face. He manages sort of a half-smile.

“Hey, kid,” he says.

“Hey, Sabomole. You okay? They treating you all right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay,” he says. “Things are good. Good as they can be, anyway.”

A moment later, you get a chime in your ear--a Navigator. “You’ll be connected with Commander Thylacox personally,” he says. “I’ve been asked by his staff to inform you that he doesn’t have time to provide you more than the basics. I’ll put you through to your supporting officer after he signs off.”

“Roger that,” you reply--it doesn’t surprise you, thinking about it, he runs Artillery, which has no presence outside Geneva, on a war footing, and he still wants to give you the time of day.

Sure enough, the screen on the right winks on--presenting a long-toothed, bearded face you saw at the memorial.

“Commander,” you greet with a salute.

He returns it briskly, though his voice is as soft as you recall despite the fierce appearance. “This is Disruptor Sabomole?”

“Yessir,” the digger replies.

“Mm. Iapetus Thylacox. First, thank you both for taking on this operation, and pardon my brevity.”

You nod. “What’s our status?”

He taps a button off-screen, and you’re presented with a small bombardment of data and dossiers.

“To give you the lay of the land, Mortarphant is stationed here, in what’s left of our former base. She has superior elevation, a hardened command bunker, and clear line of sight with which to use superior weapons. She’s had days to gather telemetry data for every inch of her territory, and she’s dug in to dare us to take it back. She has the coastline to the North covered by the navy massing off Malta, so Marine can’t get in to support. That leaves us.”

“Okay…”

“We know she’s being supplied and supported, and she has three satellite positions that are coordinating their fire with her own to keep us from massing ours. More than that, they can provide support for her mesa both on the approach and when you engage. Mortarphant is sturdy enough to take it, and insane enough to try.”

“So we need to take those positions out first,” you note.

“That’s right. The hardest will be the Northernmost, it’s against the sea. The trick will be getting in and back out again quickly. Mortarphant is expecting an attack, and open ground will be a death sentence.”

“Could we tunnel to it?” You ask, eyeing Sabomole, who nods grimly.
>>
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>>1173756
“Maybe, but that’s a one way trip. Mortarphant has more than enough firepower to collapse a tunnel on you, but it would guarantee we knock that one out first.”

“Okay. What about the other two?”

“The Westernmost is nearest to our planned insertion point, overlooking a ravine. You can hit it fast and hard with no time for casualties, but the word will go out fast. The last is Southeastern, installed after Mortarphant turned. It’s up against a cliff, but it still has sight lines to the other bases and Mortarphant’s command post. That one you stand a good chance of digging to.”

“Another thing,” Sabomole volunteers. “I could go off on my own--or under guard, or whatever, and try to collapse one of these sites while you’re elsewhere.”

Thylacox glances off-camera a moment, before he turns back. “I’m afraid I have to leave that to you, from here. Good hunting.”

A moment later the feed skips to a different unit--though lacking the tusks and plated face, a massive optic more than makes up for that on her face. “Major Arc Ukumari,” she greets. “I’ll be commanding our element for this attack.”

You make the requisite introductions and fill her in--fortunately, she’s already been briefed. “One more thing for you to consider. My secondary weapon--effective range 5-10 kilos targeted, half-kilo general--should be compatible with your charge systems,” she tells you.

You nod, thinking it over--having some juice on demand could open up this mission a little more. “How much can you do?”

“You’d need a target painter to light yourself up, and even then, it’s a long-range arc pylon,” she replies. “I can probably get you as many as 8 or 10 strikes, but that assumes Mortarphant won’t have countermeasures--and she will. At that range, all she needs to do is put out something else to act as an attractor. Don’t expect it to work more than once.”

Briefing data:
4th Overland contingent:
Captain Anode (Retiring officer, commander)
Support:
15th Artillery contingent:
Commander Iapetus Thylacox (advisement)
Arc Ukumari (adjutant, commanding 15th complement)

Primary objectives:
Retire Barrage Mortarphant (A-class, S-class artillery)
Disable secondary batteries (3x)

Assets:
15th Artillery
Disruptor Sabomole (detention center)
>>
>>1173763
Disposition:
15th is pinned by superior counterbattery fire, massed from several prime locations and chiefly Mortarphant herself. Mortarphant is positioned atop a central mesa that was a former 15th Artillery outpost. Supporting this fortified position are three secondary batteries of missile and mortar mechaniloids with light officer contingents. These positions can and will fire on any target in range, in support of Mortarphant directly. To avoid a constant rain of fire during the primary engagement, these positions need to be neutralized.

Mortarphant's command center is hardened and has a commanding view of the environs--once the forward team has been detected the counterattack will be swift and brutal.

Secondary battery one is at the top of a defile that may be a choice avenue for approach--it will let you quickly neutralize one battery, but the others will likely receive ample warning.
Secondary battery two is at the far side of the operational theatre, relatively exposed but sheltered by protected coastline on one side. Waterborne maverick forces off Malta make this avenue inadvisable.
Secondary battery three was employed by Mortarphant after turning, and is shielded from artillery by the high cliff it was built under. It has the least footprint on the operating zone, but has full lines of effect to the other batteries and to Mortarphant's mesa.

Disruptor Sabomole is available to provide assistance on this mission. Data suggests he could either provide a subterranean infiltration route to the cliffside battery, or he could be tasked to sap one of the remote artillery positions.
15th itself will be tasked exchanging volleys after go-loud, trying to keep the primary attack team covered as long as possible. Once all three secondary batteries have been disabled, they will be able to engage Mortarphant directly despite her superior range and position. The hope is that with her focus split between Overland and Artillery, she will be vulnerable for direct engagement.

Primary insertion point will be the remains of a village that Mortarphant has destroyed. The remains of buildings will provide some cover, but mechaniloid patrols have been spotted. From there, Overland can task for either the Western or Southern secondary battery.

Detection is almost a certainty, so a fast-moving strike force is advised. Mortarphant has had days to prepare telemetry for every inch of her territory, and will be able to bring down overwhelming fire on extremely short turnaround. Artillery advises that no officer take any approach that will leave them without shelter.

You may attempt to requisition support in personnel, equipment, and mechaniloids based on 4th’s and, to a lesser extent, 15th’s availability.

>Plan.
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>>1173769

distract elephant woman by having the army go after the bateries while we tunnel next to her with the mole?

Also what's stopping us from destroying those sats?
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>>1173769
Can we ask Sabamole which would be easier for him to hit and trash if he goes on his own (or under light guard)?
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>>1173769

Can Fox Soulfire hack the satellite feeds the enemy?
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>>1173780
>Also what's stopping us from destroying those sats?
Artillery fire. Mortarphant and the secondary batteries all have line of fire on each other, and Mortar is crazy enough for Danger Close.

>>1173769
>Have we got explosives powerful enough to take down the secondary batteries from below? Assuming there aren't high grade seismic sensors in place, we could rig a site to blow (probably the tricky one by the sea), position to hit the second, trigger the boom, then hit the next one manually.
>>
>>1173769
I'm thinking if we can knock out SB3 first we can get ourselves some solid shelter and possible FOB where we can see how things develop after the initial assault.
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>>1173819

The sats are in orbit, she is grounded and doesn't have that kind of range to shot our forces if they are in LEO.

I am talking about the sats not the reception equipment.
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>>1173829
"Satellites" refers to "satellite bases," not actual satellites. They're all in Libya in the area surrounding Mortarphant's command bunker on the mesa.
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>>1173769
When they mentioned being able to cleanly take the hardest one, the northern one and it being one way. What's to stop us from rigging it to blow and using demo charges once we get back out through the tunnel?

Timing the assault on the north with that, we'd probably be able to take the western one quickly leaving the last one. Which seems like a prime target for our digger friend.
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>>1173834

Can't we interfere with their reception then? They are getting their telemetry data from something is the sky, unless is a bunch of orbital flying capable Mavericks is way easier to take that out than the bases.
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>>1173865
***stupid cellphone keyboard***
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>>1173769
By the sounds of it, we need to make sure the enemy has no means to cause direct fire on more than one point. Taking out the satelites is important to face her. If all three sites are attacked at once, she will have to pick and choose. Sabomole can likely dig out of the way, and if we have a means to rush in, either through tunnels or bike, we could have a chance.
Way I see it, we take two, sabomole takes three, artillery support and some mechanoids take 1. With a ride chaser we can make the fast track to the main zone. The battle starts once we are noticed either way.
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>>1173769
>Secondary battery one is at the top of a defile
Western
>Secondary battery two is at the far side of the operational theatre, relatively exposed but sheltered by protected coastline on one side.
Northern
>Secondary battery three was employed by Mortarphant after turning, and is shielded from artillery by the high cliff it was built under.
Southeastern

We start somewhere around the Southwest, it looks like.

Best option to me seems to be going for the Southeastern battery first - it covers the other two batteries. If we can be juuust stealthy enough to take it out first without getting hammered, the remaining batteries will only have Mortarphant herself to give them supporting fire. That would be ideal.
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>>1173841

The enemy wasn't created to have seismic sensors, why not risk the underground option? There is no way we can get close enough otherwise.
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>>1173876
>ride chaser
There's a good chance whatever equipment we take out isn't coming back. We need to figure out how to not get ded by India for blowing up more of her chasers.
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>>1173769
>Disruptor Sabomole is available to provide assistance on this mission. Data suggests he could either provide a subterranean infiltration route to the cliffside battery,

Ooh, that. That's what I meant by stealth. (didn't read that properly the first time over) That would be perfect.

I'd rather not send Sabomole off on his own, desu. Not that I'm suspicious of him, but he's basically a civilian reploid pressganged by mavericks. It wouldn't feel right to just throw him into a live combat zone, against an S-ranked artillery maverick, no less, without any major support.
>>
I assume Sabo is guaranteed clear of viral infection or any other sort of potential compromise? Not to be Twitchy McNoided, or anything, but it'd really suck pretty hard if a Mav long-con was being pulled on us or if the viral load somehow had a delayed onset, and he turned mid-mission.

That said, assuming he's in the clear, would it be possible to dig the tunnel to the Northernmost battery, then wait before attacking and have him go under guard/with support to the Southeastern, then launch a simultaneous attack?
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>>1173904
While I heartily agree about not throwing him into live combat, the whole point of having him along is that by tunneling we can avoid combat until the parts where we have to. He doesn't need a full fireteam if all he's doing is planting a bigass bomb underneath a base for us.
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>>1173769
I really want to hit the North first, since its open area and thus going to suck the worst, but the only way to pull that off looks to be tunneling with Sabomole, who I'd rather use to hit the Southeast by himself while we take another (probably West).

We should definitely only use Sabomole to take out one of bases and then get him out of the combat area; Mortarphant's going to catch on to the trick quickly and I don't recall him being super zippy above ground. Plus he's a civilian.

Can we call up the UN and see if they'll lend us the remaining dragon? We might be able to use its scrapped remains for cover or something.
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>>1173880

Why not have Foxfire mess with the data the enemy is getting? Like add a virus or something?

Not to mention telemetry data is from satellites in the sky, why not find which
ones the enemies are likely to be using? Satellities go around the world so to have usable data all day you need several.

Guys honesty why not use Foxfire when this is ABOUT DATA?

Granted not take her on site but make her run interference or something.
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>>1173915
>Can we call up the UN and see if they'll lend us the remaining dragon? We might be able to use its scrapped remains for cover or something.
And that's how the entirety of the UN had a collective heart attack from one phone call.
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>>1173928
The telemetry is already gathered, Mortarphant has the firing data for every inch of the battlefield, all she needs is a mechaniloid with some mk 1 telescopic optics to tell her where to point the hurt.
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>>1173931

Guys.

Wanna know the elephant weakness?

Can't do close combat!

Is a mass bombardment type, right?

We just need to get close enough.

And no we cannot use the mole for a solo mission too risky.

We are not 100% sure that he doesn't have a deathswitch. We are talking about a GENIUS PROGRAMMER here.
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>>1173769
I don't like having to take the North (seaside) one after the enemy is alert. That would pinch our engagement between the navy and the bases in the one site with the least cover. It's a death sentence attacking over land, right? So don't.

Spend our tunnel on North 1 with Sabomole under guard, and maybe take along chasers for their escape. Because it will need to be a fast escape, as far away from the tunnel track as possible.

Meanwhile, we can time his undermining to our attacking not West 2 but Southeast 3. Yes it's further out, but leaving it for last would mean having to run directly towards it.

And for goodness' sake get Foxfire to do something productive when the attack begins. I know she's not listed as an asset, but maybe she can beam K-pop into enemy audio.
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>>1173960

Then why are hitting the bases? Distraction or what?
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>>1173974
Because the bases can fire on Mortarphant's position and she is both sturdy enough to take the hits and crazy enough to order them.
>>
So from what I can gather, once we take out one battery, the others will notice and put countermeasures into place. So once we take out the first battery (two if Sabomoe is working separately), the third will be really goddamn hard to deal with.
If that's the case, I can think of three options for the third battery.
>1. 15th contingent blows up the battery. With fewer batteries active, they might be able to focus fire on one target.
>2. Capture a battery and use it to bombard another, then nope the fuck right out of there. Having 3 different dash systems could help here. We would also have to know how to operate artillery, however.
>3. Arc Ukumari destroys the beachside battery. The secondary batteries won't be as well-equipped as Mortarphant, and the salt and moisture in the air will act as a conductor.

>>1173756
How does he smile if he doesn't have a mouth?

>>1173974
So they don't blow us up while we're trying to engage Mortarphant
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>>1173968
And! Arc Ukumari sounds like a free capacitor charge that we need only call. If I'm reading it right, she's our Overwatch Ana. If we (Anode) take out Southeast 3 before West 2, we'll be proceeding away from the cliff, an obstruction that might block her boosting.
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>>1173988

India is right, if they had not totally wrecked the space program we could take down the bases from orbit since the Elephant cannot reach LEO.

But well...

Let's save the Mole to get close to her, okay?
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>>1173763
>“You’d need a target painter to light yourself up, and even then, it’s a long-range arc pylon,” she replies. “I can probably get you as many as 8 or 10 strikes, but that assumes Mortarphant won’t have countermeasures--and she will. At that range, all she needs to do is put out something else to act as an attractor. Don’t expect it to work more than once.”

A Chaff Rocket might work, to attract long-range lightning to us. Big metal cloud, nice and conductive. Also a huge bullseye for Mortarphant, so... yeah. Fisting our own cloud of shrapnel can be our emergency-recharge Plan B, for when the shit really hits the fan.
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>>1173988

And why we can't cordinate a simultaneous attack in all three bases? We don't have enough troops?
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>>1174010
We could, but holding off Mortarphant at the same time might be painful. Still,

>Call up Arc Ukumari and see if her primary weapon is also electrical.
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>>1174037

Get someone to go with Sabamole since he is still under arrest, it will cover our ass legally. It has to be someone at least B rank, right? An A rank would be better but Em is busy with his suicide plan.

If we split it would be...

Us in a base.

Sabamole plus company in another.

Army in the third?

And attacking the three bases at the same time would mean that Mortarphant would have to pick targets and if she attacks the bases she is fucking herseft over.

Without the bases and with less telemetry data she will be an easier target.

Damn too bad Em is too brittle to attack one of the bases otherwise we could do all at the same time.
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>>1174060
The problem is that any overland assets would be travelling, well, over land. Above ground. The LAST place you want to be when in view of multiple artillery platforms. The moment any massed army force makes a run on any platform, they'll get blown to kingdom come, and I don't think chasers or anything of the sort will escape predictive fire from Mortarphant. Remember, she's got telemetry and logistics on this entire theater, so there's no way she's going to miss her fire. We need to play this safe and can't allow anyone to be out in the open.
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>>1174079
Or if anyone ever has to be in the open, don't present a massed target.

If we send Sabomole and a couple handlers to take out the North base from underground, they have a nonzero chance of escaping quick-like over land while she slams the open ground everywhere up there, looking to collapse the tunnel.
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>>1174106

But that still leaves two bases. And risks losing the Mole for our plan of facing her.
>>
Does Mortarphant or the satellite platforms have any ack-ack in place?
>>
So would Maverick forces notice the tunnels being dug, or would only assaulting the bases trigger an alarm?
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>>1174168
I thought having him take out one of the bases -was- our plan for facing her.
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>>1174106
Sabomole's plan was to plant explosives directly underneath a battery's position, which shouldn't put him into too much danger either.
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>>1174193

Considering that it would be quite stupid to hace forces ubderground when their boss loves mass bombarment. We are likely to pull it on the first try.

Hence why I wanted others to face the bases while we go for the elephant, at the same time, forcing her to pick targets.

And the Mole still needs company, who we sent with him?
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>>1174193
You don't know. Bear that in mind when electing your plan of attack.

>>1173798
You can. I'll save up some questions and, if needed, do a round of ask-answer to give Anode more intel.

>>1173815
No, she's in Weissritter hands and unavailable.

>>1173819
Sabomole can handle the sapping on his own, explosives won't help any since you only get (at most) one surprise tunnel.

>>1173841
You'd need to visit it to lay those charges.

>>1173865
The data is already in hand.

>>1173883
You don't know that.

>>1173913
Insofar as you can possibly know, yes.

>>1173915
Oh man, that would go well, in the Cain Labs definition of well.

>>1174009
Artillery can and will provide you with something to paint yourself for a zap.

>>1174175
Yes.

>>1174238
You'd most likely send a small contingent from your forces. Which, again, you have options on, once we know more broadly what you're planning.
>>
>>1174253

While things tend to not go as planned. The Elephant sounds like a maniac.

And aboveground is suicide, a single shot and we are dead. We are way less sturdy than reinforced buildings.

And even a clonemole is less scary than mass bombarment without a place to take refuge.
>>
>>1174253
My definition of "well" is the same as everyone else's.

Big deep hole in the ground, usually filled with water.
>>
So I'm leaning towards a three-pronged attack, which I'm going to call Plan Cerberus because it sounds cool

A) Dispatch sabomole to dig a tunnel to the cliff overlooking base 3, significantly above it. Not all the way through it - leave a couple inches of stone right at the end. Virtually all seismic detection methods are directional. I'm willing to believe there's a chance they'll look for attacks from BELOW, but who is going to look for a burrowing attack from ABOVE?

Leave a team in place, waiting for a signal.

B) Sabomole then leads a team underground to hit base 2 (northern coastline).

C) Synchronized with the attack on base 2, a lightning assault hits base 1 (top of the defile), a big beefy reploid breaks through the thin layer of stone above base 3, and they drop in to take out the arty there.
>>
>>1174381
I like this plan.
>>
>>1173769
I think we should hit battery one hard and fast without support, then go for battery two while artillery fires on battery three.

From there, we get sabomole's help to tunnel skip directly to Mortarphant. If the way back gets collapsed, Sabomole can collapse any path of mechaniloid reinforcement from battery three and what will remain of battery one.
>>
>>1174381
It's a good plan, but I'm not too keen on sending in Sabomole in a complete combat role.
>>
>>1174253
>You don't know. Bear that in mind when electing your plan of attack.
Fun!

>>1174381
Alternately, we could lay explosives in the tunnel above Base 3 and try to trigger a rockslide. I also still think lightning (if you're talking about Arc) would work better against Base 2.
>>
>>1174402

Hence why we sebd someone else with him.

We really should have hired our demoman earlier - -
>>
>>1174253
could we send Sabomole to collapse the supply lines instead, when/if we find them during the mission?

>>1174409
how heavy could Sabomole's firing guard be that they could take a base, anyway? We're not talking about just B/C class hunters, are we?
>>
>>1174444

Let's seitch to the bomb and escort plan for Sabamole then.
>>
We're in Northern Algeria, which is quite fortunate; this is one of the most earthquake-prone areas of Africa (there have already been at least five earthquakes reported in Northern Algeria this month).

HC confirmed we haven't seen the mavs shelling the shit out of any random areas around the combat zone, which (to me) indicates that they likely don't have a lot of seismic sensors, or if they do, they don't respond to them immediately.
>>
>>1174487
The other option is that their sensors are sophisticated enough to tell the difference between geological events and a tunneler.
>>
>>1174502

That's very hard without specialised equipment. Is way more likely for them to have a clonemole.
>>
>>1174457
Actually on second thought, maybe C-class with a couple B class might make the cut.

>>1174253
But is that the kind of firepower available to us?
>>
>>1174539

What's wrong with the bomb idea and having domeone go with him?
>>
>>1174564
I like the bomb one to trigger a rockslide on base 3
>>
>>1173769
>>Plan.
Nonconventioanl approach #1:
Have the 15th fire us in. They're outranged, yes, but Anode can leap from the apex of the shot and get More Range to land, presumably, at the desired satellite for a Flashy Entrance.

Nonconventioanl approach #2:
Impromptu Trench Tactics. Have the 15th support our approach with artillery shells that make deep, vertical holes that can be used as artillery shelter, and we can dive/dash in between them. Again, range limited, but the bonus here is where this works, we can move a lot more forces through this channel.

These might be able to be combined with split diversions or whatever, too.
>>
>>1174728
>#1
Clay pigeon shooting

>#2
>Using trench warfare against it's own hard counter

Good ideas
>>
>>1174728
2 i don't see happening.

1.....
>Air Dash
>Raikousen
>Jump Jets
>At least one of these is time-based as opposed to "gotta land on ground"-based
.....it's still crazy, but at least it will look good.
>>
>>1174728

Too big distance, we will get shot down.

This is a teamwork mission.

We should have never formed a team if we wanted more solo missions.
>>
I think that whatever plan we go with, if we go with Sabo we should talk with him a bit before battle. Feel him out, get him a little prepared for the fray, whether that means a pep talk, or just a bit of counseling, or what.
>>
>>1174739
The rocket he rides in, but not the multi-dash Anode afterwards. Artillery is mostly area saturation, not point defense, and with the amount of speeds involved even point defense with perfect telemetry will catch an air-dashing anode leaping off the apex point of a ridden rocket. Even hitting the rocket would be hax (but not hax I'll put past mortarphant), but hitting an Anode launching from the rocket? Not even hax will get that.
>>
I have the best plan:

Paint a large red X inside their range somewhere. Stand in the middle of it. What will happen, assuredly, is that X will see the X-Signal and beam down to help you.
>>
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>>1174796
Don't tempt me. If I get drunk enough, I'd do it.
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>>1174796
Are you insane!?

We don't have time to make an X-signal, we need to make a Z-signal. Commander Zero will surely complete this mission faster!
>>
>>1174381
This is sort of what I was thinking. Throw in a bit of >>1174407 and you have the makings of a plan.

Make a tunnel to a point above Base 3 and lay explosives. Then Sabamole digs to under Base 2 in an effort to sap it directly. He needs to move carefully, in case of Seismic senors. Then Anode starts the assault himself by lightning assaulting Base 1. If all goes well, Anode can wipe out Base 1, Sabs deals with Base 2, and Base 3 gets crushed by a rockslide.

If all goes well.

The problems inherent in this plan are if the enemy has good seismic senors. Underground tunneling seems like an obvious weakness to prepare for. A rockslide may fail to crush Base 3, I don't know how tough the mechaniloids there are. And then Sabamole gets trapped under Base 2 while Mortarphant opens fire, trying to crush any tunnels. Though if ANode hops on a ride chaser and tries to rush her, this may get her attention.

I need to think about this a bit more.
>>
>>1174816
>Are you insane!?

Yes.
>>
>>1174812
>New plan, get alcohol to HC.
>>
>>1174857
Oh please, by all means do. I'll be over here writing up the consequences of pulling X away from his own assignments to catch rockets with his face. Don't mind me.
>>
>>1174844

And I will name the next monster in my quest after you.
>>
Let's call in a mercenary.

I hear Dynamo is reliable.
>>
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>>1173769

I'd suggest that Sabomole, with guards (for his protection, not supervision), sap the most defensible position, while we strike one and a joint force strike the other.

Everyone is talking about mole burrowing to two locations, that will take a while, time we may not have.
>>
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Okay, so--

Overall plan is as follow, yes/no:
1: Deploy Sabomole to dig a tunnel to satellite base three, then retask to sap base two.
2: Have Anode hit satelltie base one in time with strikes on the other two.

Is this, loosely, what you want to attempt?
>>
>>1175972
I wanted sabomole to set long fuse bombs on base 3 to trigger a landslide

While the escort and later Anode does the heavy lifting for base 2. Sabomole is mainly in base 2 for tunneling again.
>>
>>1175972
I'm all with having him sap Base 3, but Base 2 is going to be a bitch. After thinking it over some more, that one is really hard to get to. But I really don't know how to deal with that one without having somebody out in the open, which is suicide.

Speaking of which, does Anode just rush the central base after the satellites are destroyed?
>>
>>1175991

We can go over the feasibility of a tunnel vs rockslide at 3 with our allies, along with working out the force composition for the simultaneous assaults on 1 and 2.

That sound good, HC?
>>
>>1176000
Well, that's part of what you need to plan. The short version is yes, the long version is whatever you can do to mitigate that. In theory, with the three batteries down, 15th can move in to counterfire on Mortarphant's position and reduce the heat coming down on Anode--or at least take it onto themselves, permitting his approach.

Again, as with your plan, don't assume too much of the disposition. You know what the hunters know. The quality and caliber of maverick forces and tactics, you have to try to guess.
>>
>>1175972
That sounds about right. We should maybe ask Sabo how long it'll take him to do that diggin', but yeah.
>>
>>1176000

If we leave the predug tunnel incomplete (or otherwise conceal the entrance for 3) we should be able to deliver a strike force to 2 underground directly with mole without alerting them that tunnel 3 exists.
>>
>>1176022
I agree with this

>>1176029
I also wonder how this wasn't the first thing we asked him
>>
>>1176041
Set up some bombs and have mechaniloids trigger them later?
>>
>>1176000
>>1176023
Any way we can reduce visibility when going for the Northern base (artillery sized smoke grenades or something?) It'd at least make it harder for Mortarphant to

>>1175023
Is Red Alert a thing yet? They seem reasonably disposable for this kind of mission.
>>
>>1176408
Extended timers would be quieter. No need to have detectable communication if you set them to explode 2 hours later.

>>1176549
My guess is that they're mainly composed of Repliforce remnants and therefore not big yet, but that's headcanon
>>
>>1175972
I'm not so sure. This plan puts a lot of emphasis on everything going off all at once. It doesn't leave much room for mistakes and unforeseen problems, like if one of the bases is more fortified or takes too long to blow up.

Anode should be hitting satellite base 2 (coast) or 3 (cliff), since those sound like the toughest nuts to crack. Our support in the 15th would be best used hitting base 1 (defile), what with the easier approach and more open sight lines for their artillery specialty.

I'd be more comfortable if Anode waited in Sabomole's tunnel by Base 3. If there's any sign that Sabomole has been detected heading for Base 2 (ie, the bunker busters start to fly), then everyone springs into action. Anode crushes the cliff base, 15th goes for first base (OH MY), and we leg it overland to assist Sabomole in busting up the coastal one. Flashily, if possible, to draw Mortarphant's fire away from our squishier, less mobile allies.

>>1176022
A rockslide plan isn't likely to go far. Mortarphant isn't going to have a base set up where a rockslide could take it out. Her artillery could trigger one too easily.

Then again... maybe that's the whole point? A rockslide also makes a great trap for a Hunter, after all. We'd need more information, to know, and we can only really know by going there.

The number of times I have misspelled Mortarphant as Mortarpants today is amazing. Brain, please, work with me here.
>>
>>1176650
Mortarpants sounds like an amazing failure of a proof-of-concept reploid.
>>
>>1176669
>the name stems from an incident where she was talking to someone and a bunch of mortar rounds fell out of her pocket
>>
>>1176669
Satan approves of this. I think you're onto something!
>>
>>1176782
Do I? I didn't know I'd even been consulted.
>>
>>1177046
>Cain Labs
>C ain L abs
>Lain Cabs
Are you actually god in a taxi?
>>
>>1176748
Well if I can make MHQ lewdfics I can make this
>>
>>1177091
MY GOOD SIR
>>
so this is probably a stupid question, but one of the bases is up against a cliff right? Instead of stormitng the place, could we just have our digger buddy drop the cliff on it?
>>
>>1177936
... Take a page from Wile E. Coyote, huh? I can get behind this.
>>
>>1177936
that's the rockslide plan
>>
ah, so it is. never mind then.
>>
>>1176650
I agree the core plan seems good but we need to plan for the obvious contingencies in any event anode needs a ride chaser either so he can blitz to the center or make his mad dash in case of a screw up and sabmole needs one so he has a speed option to ex filtrate in. Other thatn that we need plans for early detection. Also If i am up to speed the plan is bomb the cliff tunnel to the cost and kick ass and mortar the hell out of 3. What are thoughts on bombing both the cost and the cliff and making a blitz for the center all at the same time?
>>
>>1178447
I would pay good money to see Sabomole trying to balance on top of a ride chaser.
>>
>>1178447
problem with ride chaser is that the Bravely Broken would be completely screwed. It'd be either stay in base 1 or get bombarded to bits.

I feel that expecting 2 bombings to go well is too much.
>>
>>1178544
If I recall, the overall sentiment had been not to deploy them on this mission. There are other hunter assets.

Of course, if you guys want to, you still can.
>>
>>1178447
Squats. Do em.
>>
>>1178552
Personally I think it's better if the Bravely Broken stay out of this op.
>>
>>1178552
oh. Like, not at all? I thought the whole point was that we can't afford to keep not bringing them places for the really tough shit.

Were they supposed to be Sabomole's escorts?
>>
>>1178575
Mortarphant is a specific blend of 'fuck berets'. The approach alone is a run across an artillery field, where anything resembling a near miss is probably STILL close enough to ruin a beret's day.

MAYBE once we actually engaged Mortar, the berets would be useful, but until then they're just casualties waiting for the shell to land.

Possible plan amendment: Have a group of lighter-armored units on standby for an air drop once Mortar is sufficiently distracted for such a drop to be successful.
>>
>>1178575
Re: Tough hunts, it was, but you were also outfitting them to take on greater challenges with better equipment. Part of the plan (again, if I remember right, it was two threads and 47 years ago) was to let them train on the first EAS system you purchased and practice with their combat shields before they go into the mix.

As for an escort for Sabomole, plenty of mechaniloids or hunter enlisted could help there, and if you're just looking for minders instead of a strike team, you could go with a faster pack.
>>
>>1178447
We definitely need some contingencies for when Mortarphant reveals she's working with Phantom #4 or whatever major thing we don't know.

For Anode we've got Ukumari's lightning cannon, I also agree we should bing a Ride Chaser because mobility is going to be our next best option over cover.

Sabomole should definitely have an escort, not as sure about Ride Chasers for them since they'll be in tunnels most of the time. We should check to see if we can get some mechaniloids designed for digging, either to help Sabomole tunnel or as a distraction in case Mortarphant has a way of detecting seismic activity.

Honestly this plan needs one more good distraction, something that can draw Mortarphant's fire for a bit when someone gets delayed or caught out of position. Problem is all I can come up with is mechaniloids: can we requisition a Metool Suicide Squad?
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>>1178618
Do we have any kind of psych profile for Mortarphant?
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>>1178657
>>1178657
You know she was calm, gentle, and intelligent before she went maverick.

Since turning, she has been, for lack of a better term, ballistic, attacking wildly and relentlessly with heretofore unseen viciousness. Her mesa and its overlook are depopulated.
>>
>>1178668
Must have been repressing a lot of anger. On the plus side, it should be easy to goad and annoy her over open comms to put her on tilt, Spider-Man style.

On the other hand, if she's already pissed and doing this hot, we can't guarantee pissing her off more will affect her judgement any harder than it already is, but it might at least draw her fire. Maybe we can have the 15th shell out MORTARPANTS or something in the dirt.
>>
>>1178668
>I swear to god, if I get one more pizza delivery prank call on the battle net I AM SENDING THEM THAT PIZZA
>>
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>>1174253
“Okay,” you say. “Three sites to hit, and odds are good they’re on alert as soon as one goes down. Sabomole, how long do you think it would take you to tunnel through that cliff?”

“Through it?” He taps his nose. “What’s it gonna be, top-layer sandstone, limestone? Ah, not long, but they’d probably notice. Ten, fifteen minutes? If I went quiet, half hour to an hour..”

“What if we can get him in sooner?” Ukumari asks. “Maybe we can try to send him ahead with a scout team… unless you’re thinking--”

“No, no,” you say, and you notice the palpable relief on Sabomole’s face. “Not to attack. Just to get that tunnel--almost--dug through over the cliffside position. Then, we either set explosives and drop the whole thing on them, or we attack through the tunnel when we hit it.”

Ukumari frowns. “That still leaves one, if you blow it at the same time you hit another.”

“That’s where the timing comes in. Sabomole, after you dig the tunnel, you go off and sap the furthest one out, we hit the one at the top of the defile at the same time. Do you think you can do that?”

“I…” you seem him waver. “...I, yeah, I think so. I’ll try. I want to help.”

“What about getting him out?” You ask. “Can you drive?”

“I can dig,” Sabomole offers. “If I’m dropping ‘em from under I don’t even need to surface.”

Ukumari folds her arms. “Cold comfort, if Mortarphant puts her guns on him.”

“That’s what we’re for. Can 15th get Mortarphant’s attention, if we have to?”

“If we have to. Setting up before those satellites are down is going to put a lot of hurt on us, Captain.”

You think back to Thylacox’s speech about the issues 15th is facing. “Not if they have to split their fire. I’m pretty good at making myself obnoxious.”

“What about you, then?” Arc asks. “Once you’re in range, they’re not going to let up until they’re gone or you are.”

“I can move pretty quickly, especially if you can give me a jump-charge. I figure I’ll hit the defile base and then make straight for the mesa.”

The artillerywoman mulls that over. “Don’t expect more than one or two zaps before they catch wise, but… yeah, I think it will work, especially if you have a Chaser. So, is it a plan? We get ready to roll in outside the op zone while Sabomole infils. You go in through the village and hit the defile, that’s our go?”

You shrug. “It’s a start, at least.”

“How do we send him in?”

>Call up Advance. If he runs into trouble--or causes it--they’ll handle it.
>Ask for Recon. They can get him in without getting seen.
>Contact the Rangers. They’ll cover ground the fastest.

And, of course, any alterations or details you want to specify, go ahead.
>>
>>1178887
>Call up Advance. If he runs into trouble--or causes it--they’ll handle it.
>>
>>1178887
>Call up Advance. If he runs into trouble--or causes it--they’ll handle it.
>>
Recon. This plan hinges almost entirely on Sabo's earthmoving not being discovered early on.
>>
>>1178887
>Call up Advance. If he runs into trouble--or causes it--they’ll handle it
>>
> Ask for Recon. They can get him in without getting seen.
>>
>>1178887
>Ask for Recon. They can get him in without getting seen.

He needs to be as stealthy as possible for his part to work.
>>
>>1178887
>Ask for Recon. They can get him in without getting seen.
>>
>>1178887
>Ask for Recon. They can get him in without getting seen.
>>
>>1178887
>Ask for Recon. They can get him in without getting seen.

He's not a fighter, but Advance won't do much good if they're being bombarded. And the Rangers' speed won't be very helpful if they're spotted.
>>
>>1178887
>Ask for Recon. They can get him in without getting seen.

Sneaking mission, etc.
>>
>>1178887
I want to say advance but Recon should also be able to handle most threats, and will also be able to avoid a lot of threats without raising alarms.
>>
>>1178887
>>Contact the Rangers. They’ll cover ground the fastest.
Rangers are guerilla, right? They'll avoid open combat but won't be helpless in an ambush.
>>
>>1178887
>Ask for Recon. They can get him in without getting seen.

If he runs into trouble on approach, the plan is basically fubar already.
>>
>>1178887
>Contact the Rangers. They’ll cover ground the fastest.
seems like a good middle ground. Sneaker then the 1st and less squishy then the 2nd. Plus if things do go to shit and Mortarphant starts trying to collapse the tunnels having someone who could haul everyone's collect asses out of their quick could be a god send.
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>>1178887
>Ask for Recon. They can get him in without getting seen.
>>
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>>1178887

>Call up Advance. If he runs into trouble--or causes it--they’ll handle it.

Remember, teamwork is key to success in a mission
>>
so do we have a plan for if things go wrong and some of the satellite positions stay up?
>>
>>1180074
What do you mean, 'if' things go wrong?
>>
>>1180074
Rule number one of GMing Shadowrun: something must always go wrong.
>>
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>>1180074
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>>1180074
i think it depends on the position. if it is the coast we leave the 15th to decide if they want to deal with it and how on the fly but we will try to tank its fire while we engage mortophant. if it is the cliff the 15th should tackle it instead of try to shake out and disrupt mortorphant directly the final post should be at our desecration to relieve the 15th or tank it and head for the primary. If two stay up IDK if all three we should just call the engagement a loss and try again.
>>
Say. If we call in Advance, is it possible we could get Cathode to run with us? It's been some time since we've worked in tandem. If ever?
>>
>>1180464
We wouldn't even be close to each other, though. Unless Cathode can call thunderstorms to remote charge us, I'm not sure if you could call it "tandem".
>>
>>1180535
She can charge us, that's part of her design.
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>>1180540
Again, not close. She's not the goddess of the battlefield like Arc is.

Anybody we called in would be going with Sabomole, not with us.
>>
>>1180540
She can only do so in close proximity with line of sight.

Arc Ukumari seems to be our goddess of indirect charging.
>>
>>1180557
Right, thought anon meant with us, not attacking another site. My reading comprehension is fantastic.
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>>1180568
I....can see how I could have worded that better.
>>
>>1178887
>Contact the Rangers. They’ll cover ground the fastest.

Recon would be good for keep everything going as planned, but since no plan survive's first contact with the enemy, I'm worried they won't have the firepower to keep Sabomole safe. Advance seems like the exact opposite, Rangers should be a good middle ground.
>>
>>1181524

>Contact the Rangers. They’ll cover ground the fastest.

Just to make things clear, we are still honna blow up one of the three sites, right?
>>
So Hunter Command tells me I get to hector the thread. I am ever so pleased.

Any questions for me, while I'm hovering?

Incidentally, this was raised in quest thread general, I believe, but I figured I'd pop the answer in here so it would be official: as regards the manga-only character Marti, she's currently not canonical to the MHQ verse.
>>
>>1182385
>Currently

So that means it's subject to change?

Either way, thanks for the clarification. I asked that who knows how long ago, and I'd actually forgotten about the question until you just mentioned it.
>>
>>1182385
Is spider actually good at gambling, or is it just his motif?
>>
>>1182385
Metool, mettaur, or methead?
>>
>>1182385
What's the Weissritter's deal? I get they're elite assholes, but who established them and for what?
>>
>>1182489
IIRC a bunch of rogue Hunters that went full vigilante
>>
Think it'd be a good idea to take a mechaniloid deployment with us? Maybe some Drimole-Ws?
>>
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>>1182385
Was Overclock Conda viral? The flashback to when he was rescued made it seem like he wasn't, but I'm not so sure after reading Baccarat's message.

>>1182508
You're thinking of Los Mortales, the guys the Weissritter invited back.
>>
>>1182426
> So that means it's subject to change?

I don't know that I'd interpret it that way, but I'm not talking in absolutes on this. Largely cause it's just not significant enough.

>>1182459
> Is spider actually good at gambling, or is it just his motif?

Make a wager against him and find out!

>>1182476
> Metool, mettaur, or methead?

I've always said Metool. I think HC backs me up on that.

>>1182489
Weissritter are just one of a few adjunct branches that operate outside of traditional Hunter unit structure. In their case, the Weissritter started off a little bit as a vanity project and a little bit as a practical countermeasure against the kind of decapitation strike that took out Commander Wong. As PPC Reploid Commanders rolled out, however, their role supporting and advising the Maverick Hunter Commander became more ceremonial, while their duties safeguarding the human oversight council became more important. As a visible symbol of the international oversight committee, the Weissritter organization became a way for companies to show off in the hope of securing contracts or just solidifying their prestige, either as multinationals or via their home countries, who would tender contracts to produce a Weissritter so that they could brag about it. There was also not a small amount of concern that not having a national Weissritter could make a country with a member on the council appear weak.
>>
>>1182702
Also is the weird wooden sound effect Phasian's attacks make more like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfBf-ksVwPQ or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1wcuoxs4mU? I want to know just how weeaboo she is.
>>
>Recon

Seems to be the best option - if we get seen we'll have to pivot to a different strat.


Cain, do the hunters have an intelligence or black ops division?
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>>1182746
>do the hunters have an intelligence or black ops division?

Black ops is Unit 0, I'm pretty sure.
>>
>>1182649
> Was Overclock Conda viral?

I don't beliiiieve so, I'll have to check with HC to confirm his intent there.

>>1182728
> the weird wooden sound

From what I've been able to find poking around on the web, it sounds most like a single sharp kotsuzumi strike.

>>1182746
> do the hunters have an intelligence or black ops division?

I'll have to talk to HC to see what your security clearance is.

I will point out that you've seen one Hunter on screen with no known unit and a fairly suspect skillset.
>>
>>1182889
...Grach?
>>
>>1183000
Well, I meant someone well-understood to be integrated into the highest levels of Hunter activity, but with no specified unit.

Anyhoo, it being late, that's me out for the evening. If I spot any questions during free time tomorrow I'll take a kick at them.
>>
>>1183000
I think he means Madhouse Crucifer
>>
>>1183024
I thought by "on screen" he meant Arc, who we've literally only met via video chat.
>>
>>1183024
What exactly IS a crucifer? Google leads me to believe it's either somebody who holds a cross, lettuce/cabbage/broccoli, or a sort of anemone.
>>
>>1183132
If I'm remembering properly, one of Hunter Command or Cain Labs said in IRC that he was another bat.
>>
>>1182811
Unit 0 is "Fuck collateral damage, this maverick needs to die NOW."
>>
>>1183263
Well yes, but I thought black ops were also in their purview. 0th is the "Shinobi Unit" because they specialize in immediate results. It need not mean they always work with a splash.
>>
>>1183008
I was wondering, who's responsible for the art of the Mavericks HC posts during our fights with them?
Like >>1173756, for instance.
>>
>>1183132
>>1183184
Aegis Garm referred to Madhouse as a frog during their Christmas adventure. A quick use of internet leads me to believe he's based on a Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
>>
>>1183132
>>1183184
>>1183431
I've got it. Madhouse is so crazy, he thinks he's several animals at once.
>>
>>1183310
I recall from one of he holiday flashbacks that Schwartz got turned down from making a top-secret unit to do deniable missions.

Which means it probably exists and he or Diamond have now faked their death and joined it.
>>
>>1183770
wasn't there a group called the black coats or something like that. You got one of those kick ass trench coats that Schwartz always wore when you join I believe.
>>
>>1183770
>>1184035
Black Coats were more of a S Rank hangout area since, as they say, you can build an A or a G, but you can't build an S. And honestly, who says no to the group of highly skilled and armed hunters?
>>
>>1182489
Building on what CL said, the Weissritter were initially founded by, perhaps unsurprisingly, Weisshund. They were stolen right out from under him, and from his interactions with Schwarz, it's believed that was one of the driving factors that saw him join Sigma in the rebellion.

>>1182649
As far as anyone knows, Conda wasn't viral, but he was a rehabilitated maverick. There are others, of several stripes. Baccarat just decided after seeing Doppler that turning back was a when, not an if.

>>1182593
Good thinking, and Drimoles are fairly top-of-the-line. Look at mechaniloids from X1-3 and you can ask for some to see if 4th has them. 15th has some of their own.

>>1182746
16th R&D deals with most hunter intel. Recon and to a much lesser extent assist with gathering it, as well.

As for black ops... well, you'll see, I hope.

>>1183320
That would be a lifelong friend of mine, who's taken to going by ELK for these threads.

>>1183431
Madhouse is indeed a peeper. He's also one of CL's designs, and without spoiling the surprise, I'll say he's a reference that it took me a good long time to realize, and made me like him more when I did.

>>1183770
That was Garm's proposed 18th Unit being rejected, whose entire deal would basically be taking the sturdiest hunters around and throwing them willfully into suicide missions to stay behind and die while other assets could escape.. Officially their existence would have been for extreme environment operations, like "fighting in an active volcano" or "field trip to the moon's surface."

>>1184035
>>1184042
The Blackcoats are an informal club of sorts, formed of every S-rank, living or dead. They're pragmatic and have no real rank protocol--one Blackcoat is as good as another, regardless of their rank. As part of their pragmatism, they don't work to bury the names or deeds of members who have gone maverick, choosing instead to focus on the realities of their work and that someday one of their fellows may need to take care of them.

Every S-rank is offered an invitation and is thus technically a member, but some don't choose to partake. Zero, for instance, has a black coat waiting for him up on the walls of the Hangar that he has no real plans to wear. With X twice stretching the bounds of the ranking system during times of crisis and indications from the Doppler War suggesting the same, Crucifer is on record joking that they should just make him a new coat every year.

Right, on my way to work, will be shooting to get at least one post in each night.
>>
Drimole-Ws would probably be put to best use in the cliffside ambush. Maybe a Mole Borer too but those seem way too noisy. We blow the cliffs, send out a stream of fast ground mechaniloids out the hole, like Roaders, Spikys, and Bladys, then follow them up with our assault and some Drimole-Ws, possibly digging out of other spots in the cliff face. While it's tempting to have some artillery bots stationed at our dig-outs as fire support, anything sitting still makes for too good a target, and should therefore be expected to take heavy losses. We might also consider sending out some hi-speed flying enemies, such as Metal Wings or Tubamails.
>>
>>1184110
Drill Wayings would be good to help reinforce tunnels.

Barrier Attackers would make good mobile cover.

Drimole-Ws are still the best option for digging I see, only other option seems to be Dig Labours and I think they count as people similar to the Axe Max.

Agee with Roaders, but as escorts for Anode as it looks like a lot of this mission will be on a Ride Chaser.
>>
Expendable air assets might be useful

More importantly, Anode has an excuse to kill off millions

of Goddamn bats!
>>
>>1184155
Yeah, if we could get bats to allahu akbar into incoming ordinance that'd be incredibly useful.
>>
>>1184054

After this X should be permanently be labelled an A rank with the footnote that his performance may vary depending on equipment and armor. And that even when he is not wearing a special armor his skill alone makes him an A rank.

"Ranks? Kid, ranks aremere threat assessment, they are not 100% accurate. I have seen a bunch of C ranks kill an A rank by using her weakness and preparing the terrain first even if they barely made it. And I have seen yourself hit way over your weight. Emerald should have been downgraded to B by his refusal to upgrade but his skill and swords are good enough that he keeps the A rank... for now. I mean, I get losing family hurts, but going suicidal in the middle of a war is going to hurt more than just himself. If it wasn't because of the loses we got, he would be on forced leave." Random Hunter guy who dies in a mission after saying this.
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>>1184054
>it's believed that was one of the driving factors that saw him join Sigma in the rebellion.
GOODFUCKING JOB HALCYON
I WAS MAD ALREADY BUT NOW I'M MADDER
>>
STANDARD REMINDER TO UPVOTE THREAD.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Maverick%20Hunter%20Quest

Your service is needed, citizens!
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>>1184394
>Thread not found error
Wut
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>>1184417
The enemy managed to hack us! This was absolutely not an example of bad linking.
- message brought to you by the Ministry of Truth

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Maverick%20Hunter%20Quest
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>>1184417
Yeah that's been happening a lot lately when you try to update it from the tags page.
>>
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>>1184801
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>>1184823
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Okay, back home. Had to get my car battery replaced. Will try to get a post out tonight.
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>>1185213
...What the hell is that webm, that's absolutely terrifying.
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>>1185757
It's Gomeisters.

>>1178887
You turn to Sabomole’s screen. “We’re counting on you getting in undetected,” you note, “especially if we’re sending you in first.”

He looks aside briefly, eyes contemplative, before looking back in silence, waiting for you to finish.

“So let’s see if Recon can get you in, nice and quiet.”

“Yeah, that makes… yeah,” he says hesitantly, before he looks back up at you, voice small. “So you’re not sending me in to fight?”

“No, no, I wouldn’t do that to you,” you insist, and he visibly slackens with relief. “I’ll take care of it. With luck you’ll be in and out before the bombs drop.”

“No disrespect, but luck’s something I ain’t exactly had a lot of lately,” he says. “But… thanks, boss.”

“Supposing he does run into trouble,” Arc interjects, lightly critical but not quite harsh. “What do we do?”

“I think that will have to depend on when, where, and how,” you reply with a frown, trying to piece it out. “I hate to say ‘we’ll see if it comes up,’ but...”

She gestures loosely with a claw. “No, I understand. If Artillery is free, we can counterfire on the positions targeting him, otherwise you may need to intercept.”

“If he can’t get out on his own,” you note. “He’ll have Recon and he can dig.”

“Just keep it in mind,” she warns. “Though from what I hear of your record, you don’t really need a lecture on things not going to plan.”

“I have a degree in unexpected outcomes,” you reply wryly, offering them both an assuring grin. “So what are we doing for disposition?”

“When we’re ready to bring the noise, I’ll pack heavy,” she says. “You worry about fast movers and maybe a complement to hit one of the sites, or at least keep it busy. Hard to fire on your zero when a scriver is pecking at your shins.”

“I think no plan for a fast getaway will work without a Ride Chaser,” you nod. “I’ll need one, as will any other Reploids on this op.”

“I concur,” she says, “but run lean. Air isn’t an option, either for attack or evac. With eyes and AA supporting from the coast, plus Mortarphant herself, Air Cav won’t even get close before they’re knocked out of the sky.”

Plus, there’s Seventh’s own condition to consider--they got hit hard. “Anything we can do to help mark targets?”

Ukumari grins toothily. “I AM a gunnery officer, Captain. When we go loud we can drop the sky on something, and by myself I should be able to knock out any vulnerable target in just a couple of volleys.”

“That’s when you’re uncorked, though.”

She frowns. “Mm. Plus, Mortarphant was a former officer--and a friend. She’ll recognize my weaponry. That will cut down on the amount of charge I can give you before she takes steps to answer it.”
>>
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>>1185889
“So I need to choose between a little more gunnery and a little more jolt, got it. We’ve got some decent options here--what’s the plan if I get busted early?”

“Well, we can push in from the edge of the engagement zone and distract the gunnery with our own. That should at least let you get out alive. If they catch wise too early, we may need to scrub the whole thing.”

Oof. “That bad, huh?”

“Barrage Mortarphant was among the strongest shooters we had on our roster, and that’s including the late Kiloton.”

“I worked with him, once.”

“I know--he wasn’t authorized to use his signature weapon on that hunt, because they were trying to preserve--” She side-eyes Sabomole. “--Valuable on-site assets. Kiloton’s weapon was the Atomic Sniper. It was what it sounded like.”

“Are you--”

“Dead serious. A one-kiloton micro-shell that he could drop on a thumbtack from yesterday. But even he couldn’t put out the kind of damage Mortarphant can.”

“What do we do once we get close, against all that?”

“Up close, she’s not your problem, you’re hers,” she says. “You can’t really build for the ranges she operates from and still have a close-quarters combatant--that’s what we had Flares Firefly for. Tell her I said hello, by the way.”

“Will do. So, is it really going to be that easy?”

She snorts. “I doubt it. She’s maverick, now--assuming she hasn’t been modified in any way, she’s still heavily supported and a lynchpin for tying down a great deal of global assets. She’ll be well-protected, and if those secondary bases are still up, they’ll be ruining your day.”

>Any other questions or strategic elements to discuss?
>Other?
>>
>>1185900
What's Sabomole's record for sapping and/or high-speed tunnelling? It can help establish a timetable.
>>
>>1185958
Sabomole gives a timetable here >>1178887 and mentions that digging times depend on the material he's digging through, not unlike in Dwarf Fortress, and how much noise he wants to make, so his previous records might not be relevant.
>>
I think we're as ready as we're gonna be.
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>>1185900
Any intel on their supply lines, or thoughts on where it might be? Sabomole might just accidentally dig into one.
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>>1186106
Considering how much artillery cover the Mavs have, plus their control over sea travel, don't you think they'd probably be above ground?
>>
>>1185900
>>1185900
>Any other questions or strategic elements to discuss?

"One last question to cover everything. What can the offshore navy dish out?"
>>
>>1184211
I *will* stipulate that, in fairness, Halcyon is a symptom moreso than a cause. When countries engage in penis measuring, you WILL eventually end up seeing a giant dick.
>>
honestly, with how pissy everyone is about the hunters I'm surprised that we haven't seen non-hunter A or S class combat reploids. Since it really seems the only answer to an A class or up is another A class, or a nuclear strike. I mean yeah they could go nuts, but so can hunters.
>>
>>1186709
But we have, haven't we? Like the Chinese tiger guy and a couple others who showed up to Frog's retirement party. The French incest reploids could have also been A-rank.
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>>1187055
huh, I totally thought they were just hunters who were from those countries. looking back on it, they probably are actually in their armed forces. Guess I forgot that we are only seeing a slice of the picture here.
>>
>>1186709
>>1187068
One of our targets, Broadside Yamatoad, is an S-Rank from the British Navy.
>>
man I need to learn how to read better.
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>>1185900
Can't think of anything that hasn't already been mentioned.
>>
>>1187068
You've dealt with international officers a few times. Drift Danphe, from the Saetos operation, was a Nepalese Armed Forces officer.

Several major international players also have G-rank Reploids, though the hunters as a single organization have the "most," between the Weissritter and your oddballs like Striker "shoot the boss in the face" Cobra.

>>1186709
Bear in mind that ranking and classing are themselves hunter nomenclature. Other nations have their own scales and standards--Grach had to get assessed as "probably a B" by intel after he entered custody. They certainly have equivalents.
>>
so just a quick run down of the plan then

Mole is going to dig a tunnel into a cliff over one of the 3 sites we need to hit but stop just before it collapses then dig another tunnel under another of the 3 sites to sink it at the same time we drop the cliff on the first site while the 15th bomb the hell out of the last site. Then after all 3 places are gone we're going to ride right up to where mortarphant is like a fucking kamen rider and kick her ass?

so is that everything or did I mess something?
>>
>>1188538
You forgot that something will go wrong at every point and all of us will die.
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>>1188559
That's part of the plan.
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>>1188559

We cannot prepare for everything at most we could tell the army about the invisible Maverick and to take something to detect it.
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>>1186709
Funny story, Canada was actually working on developing an S-Rank production model for their own military. It was looking pretty damn good too.

...in first generation.

Of course politics got in the way, cost overruns due to politics slowed things even more, and, well...

Anyway, NOW they're out and a vital part of the Canadian military, but the Cardin L1 series can't be called S-Rank by current understandings of that measure.
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>>1188559
So Standard Operating Procedure. We really have to state that in our plans these days?
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>>1188809
>making
>s-rank
Whaaaaaaaa
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>>1188955
If your objection is what I think it is, it's not a phrase meant to be taken 100% literally.
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>>1188955
>>1189069
Man, I bet Schwarz had this conversation all the time.

>>1184054
Actually just thought about this: so Tanker would've also been a Blackcoat, or at least invited? I'm guessing he didn't join because it wasn't Fight Club enough for him.
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>>1189294
Per blackcoat policy, he was invited.
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>>1185900
>Any other questions or strategic elements to discuss?
Does Ukumari have a contingency if the 15th gets caught in close quarters (i.e. Mortarphant having her own tunnel ninja ambush or something?) We may need to devote some mechaniloids to cover them otherwise.
>>
>>1186350
>>1190038
“Has there been any indication of what we can expect from that maverick navy?”

“So far, they’ve just been building numbers, fending off our probes,” Ukumari explains. “A few skirmishes, but nothing to write home about. They’ve mined the seas and deployed heavy mechaniloids underwater.”

You nod. “So Marine’s out. What about offshore bombardment?”

“No signs of it yet, but I wouldn’t rule it out--especially against a well-entrenched artillery commander. They’re definitely packed to the gills with AA, though. I’ve seen some reports cross my desk about their gunnery.”

“Why, though?”

She shrugs. “Air has always been a critical component of naval war capability, particularly force projection. More than that, though--I think they know how hard they hit the 7th in the attack, and plan on capitalizing on it.”

You chew on that one, until--”You think they’re going to have fighters and bombers?”

“They’d be stupid not to, but the question is whether they’re ready yet. They’ve got the ships, but we’ve got the satellites, and there’s been no indications they have so much as a squadron ready yet. They’re still defensive, which means they’re not ready to move.”

“They may not even need to,” you note bitterly, wondering if the Fourth’s savaging might be why you’re looking at a hellish infantry assault barring the way to several critical objectives. “They’re doing plenty just holing up and drawing us out.”

She nods enthusiastically. “That’s what I want to hear, Captain, some solid critical thinking.”

That, of course, introduces the lovely thought that you might be facing an attempt to depopulate the already-hampered fighting units, rather than just achieve strategic objectives. You look back at Sabomole, who’s remaining queasily silent as you and the Artillery officer spitball doom and gloom back and forth. “Were you briefed on Sabomole’s…?”

“The interloper? Yes, the charts just hit my desk this morning,” she says. “Are you expecting interference?”

“It’s worth taking into account. Plus, we’ve seen the mavs try the same trick we’re about to use. What if your position gets hit directly?”

She grins toothily. “I believe we call that ‘danger close,’ Captain. I may not be Mortarphant, but I can survive singing my hair a little.”
>>
>>1190154
“I’ll try to keep some fast-movers available to support, if it comes to that,” you reply. “Won’t serve us much good out in the open to get spotted, anyway.”

“Appreciated,” the bear replies. “We’ll focus on scouting and gunnery, though we have some fast movers of our own for intercept. If nothing else they can soften a frontal assault long enough to glass it. I’m more worried about getting a cohesive strike force across open terrain in one piece.”

Hrm. “Could you make us some cover? You wouldn’t need to be in range of the mesa, just in range of us.”

“It’s a thought,” Ukumari replies musingly. “There will be some favorable terrain here and there, we haven’t seen any minelaying outside of the first few kilometers around their positions.”

“Short answer, be flexible, try not to stand under any shells,” you note. “Got it.”

She chuckles at that. “You’re in the wrong unit, Captain.”

>Okay, it sounds like things are as good at they get. End the call and go spend a few hours before the mission begins.
>One more thing… (Specify?)
>Other?
>>
>>1190161
>You’re in the wrong unit, Captain.
why does everyone always say that?
>>
>>1190185
Clearly because we belong in the Fifth
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>>1190161
>Okay, it sounds like things are as good at they get. End the call and go spend a few hours before the mission begins.
It's the middle of the night, right? Get some sleep.
>>
>>1190161
>Okay, it sounds like things are as good at they get. End the call and go spend a few hours before the mission begins.
It's. Mother. Fuckin'. Movie. Night.

>>1190185
Because Anode is doing a good job being a generalist.
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>>1190161
>Okay, it sounds like things are as good at they get. End the call and go spend a few hours before the mission begins.
>>
>>1190161
>As long as she has no other concerns/suggestions...
>MOVIE SIGN
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>>1190232
>>1190278
How'd I forget
Go watch movies
>>
>>1190161

"Have you seem my usual colateral damage? Either I cause a lot of damage or the enemy does and I get the blame. And is not like I will get a transfer even If I ask, not at least until the big bad wolf is deal with and whoever is behind him gets his ass handled by X."
>>
Okay, so... I'm too lazy to actually check on this in the archives, but I think I remember somewhere several threads ago that there was like... one or two lines where X considered asking Anode to transfer to the 17th? It was after we had our first teamup with X himself.

I could be super fucking wrong, though.
>>
>>1190422

I think you are dreaming bro.
>>
>>1190422
Nope.

He asked Schwartz to, if you're mixing things up.
>>
>>1190422
I think you might be confusing it with X's standing offer to-
>>1190491
Ninja'd
>>
>>1190491
>>1190494
Yeah, I figured as much.
>>
I think reassuring Sabomole would be a good idea.
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>>1190574
Agreed. Things don't go wrong in every mission. Just, uh.
Actually, have we ever had a mission where everything went right? Or even vaguely close to right?
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>>1190586
Skipjack? Apart from the being torn apart thing.
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>>1190586
Our track history isn't all that bad, it's not like we've ever died or anything.

Oh wait, Saetos.
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>>1190586
There was that time we attended art class
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>>1190586
Nothing went wrong with Jagwire
Skipjack went down smooth
Wolfspider went according to plan until everybody died
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>>1190586
That one op where we helped X save a bunch of hostages and the Philosopher there didn't try to kill us
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>>1190586
The prank against Seven went off wonderfully.
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>>1190586
We drew on Diamond's and Sapphire's faces and they didn't kill us.
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>>1190330
So what you're saying is Shinobi would be a perfect fit because they go hand in hand with high collateral, right?
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>>1190759
Anode doesn't do collateral damage as a matter of course.
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>>1190828
He just did enough in his very first mission to make up for the next two seasons.
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>>1190843
You mean his second mission against Guns Wallaby, where he *broke the Enigma Cannon* to take him down?
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>>1190828
I never said he was the cause, per se. Just that it always pops up no matter where he goes.
>>
>>1190851
I remember that mission. I find it funny that we're the direct cause of one of two major fetch quests in X5.

You guys think we'd get forcibly drafted to help if we somehow manage to blunder our way to the point in time where X5 takes place? I mean, we DID bust up the cannon in the first place.
>>
>>1191392

If we survive that long it will be a miracle.
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>>1190627

Everything went wrong with Jagwire. It's just that it went wrong before we got there and it didn't hide and take us by surprise. Not Jagwire's style.
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>>1191492

We should atart to carry a recording device or something like that to our fights.
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>>1191432
Losing an extra life notwithstanding, we have been extraordinarily lucky thus far. I wouldn't be surprised if we do survive to that point.
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>>1191432
We wouldn't be the official Last Man Standing if we weren't a survivor.
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>>1191720

Please reread the last threads, thank you.
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>>1190161
>Okay, it sounds like things are as good at they get. End the call and go spend a few hours before the mission begins.
>Movie time!
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>>1191746
Okay, we've been lucky where it really counts, then.

Point is, we have a shot at making to that far down the timeline.
>>
>Barrage Mortarphant (A-class)
>Known weaponry: Blaster Shell, Command Strike. Mortarphant is built for command and control of multiple mechaniloid assets, and designed around long-range bombardment.

If we manage to hit her with a Chaff Missile will it shut down her ability to send and receive signals?
>>
>>1193356
We'd have to get pretty close, or unload all the chaff in a generous sphere around her.

Even then, that just keeps the small fry away rather than impact her fighting ability.
>>
Clearly when we get to Mortarphant we should just Super Arm up and chuck the bitch King Bob-Omb style.
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>>1193356

Mechanoids are smart enough to hit us anyway. But it would impair her long range. And on their own the mechanoids would be kind of stupid.
>>
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I'm going to be a bastard and not update tonight, will shoot for a double tomorrow. Thread will probably loiter long enough to get a little more time in by Friday, too.
>>
ON SABOMOLE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF BETRAYAL
I believe the Mavericks blew their load with the attempted decapitation strike on Geneva, playing all of their closely-held cards in one gambit. It is unlikely that there is a new Seven at play behind the scenes, unless someone was brought in after the fact, either from another base, or in Los Mortales, or something else. Security in Geneva is now tighter than rubber pants on a sumo wrestler; precautions will have been taken against this. Assuming this, the Mavericks had no way of knowing Anode specifically would be sent after Sabomole. Sabomole and, despite his many capabilities, Ink Stylist, are poor matches against Anode's electric attacks and OPAL sensors. Their plan was not to trap Anode specifically, but rather to lead any Maverick Hunter moving to intercept Sabomole off the track from the AEGIS facility. Two of the likely outcomes from this would be either the hunter retires Sabomole after a wild goose chase, or Sabomole retires the hunter. Coming upon the facility and discovering Ink Stylist and the existence of the PHANTOMs were most definitely not planned for, and neither was Sabomole coming to our aid and literally saving our lives. If this was a long con, the payoff would have to be far better than taking out even a few Maverick hunters to be worth it. Furthermore, Sabomole is either taking acting lessons from a master inbetween his dig jobs, or he's what we see; a civilian reploid eager to help strike against the forces that took his family, but nervous about having to see actual combat. Additionally, making your Maverick mole a literal mole named Disruptor Sabomole would be both the ballsiest and the stupidest move in the history of skullduggery. It is possible that Sabomole is viral in some way, but it's not likely that the Powers That Be would allow us to take him on a mission of any importance if they detected anything, and so soon after losing an attack, anyone sent to escort/mind Sabomole would be well aware of the risks and ready to handle him if he turns in the middle of digging. It is possible that Sabomole will turn against us as later, possibly as a video of his crew being killed is sent to him. Possibly it will only embolden him against Mavericks. Only time will tell; this is a factor ultimately beyond our control, but any talking we can do now may save pain in the future.
>>
That was a bit of a wall.

ON WHAT HAPPENS IF WE'RE SUSSED OUT AND POSSIBLE PRECAUTIONS AGAINST
There are ways to detect underground activity, either with signals from reploids or mechaniloids or through seismic activity. We know this from both the Saetos and Sabomole ops, and this is why we have collectively chosen to go with 2nd for Sabo's infil; no other unit will be better suited to masking our approach. Ink Stylist got away, and the enemy will know that Sabo has turned; the Mavericks should not, however, know who is on our roster and who we are after next. For all they know, Sabomole is being held prisoner still, not being used as an asset against them. We still should not drop our guard. Our approach should be slow and steady until death starts raining down, and then a blitz of co-ordinated action once the signal is out. Given Mortarphant's unstable mental condition, she will not in all likelihood be concerned about collateral damage or friendly fire, but our two... Three? Multi-pronged attack plan should mitigate the effectiveness of focused fire. Casualties are unavoidable, but will hopefully be minimized; upon exposure, we should consider goading Mortarphant in some way to focus her fire upon us, rather than the 15th. Would it be tasteless to ask the 15th her sore spots?

How long can a reploid survive beneath the dirt and rock if it collapses upon them, assuming they aren't immediately destroyed by the force of it coming down? How difficult is it to extricate a reploid trapped in this fashion? These are questions that we hope not to have to discover the answers to. Any group with Sabo should be reasonably safe, if he doesn't turn. It's not likely that the enemy has prepared a specific defense against an underground approach with tunnels of their own; their recourse upon detecting us will be to blow the tunnels to shit to either collapse them on us, or to expose an entrance they can send forces into. The first we can't really do anything about; the solution to the second will just have to be to fight our way through.
>>
>>1194842
>Additionally, making your Maverick mole a literal mole named Disruptor Sabomole would be both the ballsiest and the stupidest move in the history of skullduggery.
X4 had a double agent literally named Double.
>>
ON PHANTOMS
We know little about the PHANTOMs, except that Ink Stylist is one, and that there are possibly at least three of them. My hypothesis is that they are some manner of Maverick covert unit, using the activity of other, exposed Mavericks to mask their own true objectives. I think it unlikely that we will encounter one during the Mortarphant op, but it can't be ruled out entirely.

We should assume that PHANTOMs are, at the very least, A-ranks. Though they are covert, the demeanor of Ink Stylist suggests that they are not entirely professionally-minded; if Stylist had any operational sense, he would have kept his arrogant mouth shut while he was fighting us. Instead, he was overconfident, giving us information in the expectation that we would never live to share it. The PHANTOMs are not infallible.
>>
>>1194859
Good point and well made.
>>
I was wondering if now or later I could get a list of anodes general attributes like relative firepower, durability, mobility, in comparison of other A class reploids of the time. To better help with deciding on upgrades, as well as general curiosity.
>>
>>1190161
“Any odds on scrambling her linkup with her mechaniloids?” You ask, looking over Mortarphant’s dossier one last time.

“Unlikely,” Arc says. “You might get momentary disruption of their firing patterns, but they’ll not shut down if they lose contact with her… and she might have them programmed to just keep bombarding their last known coordinates.”

“Terrific,” you reply dryly. “And she was the nice one, before this?”

The artillery officer shrugs. “Weren’t they all? Though…” Her professional demeanor flickers, just a tad. “She wasn’t like this. Not even a little. When this call is done, I want to put you through to someone else, Captain.”

“Uh… all right.” You turn back to Sabomole. “How about your end? Anything else?”

“Nothin’ I can think of,” he replies. “Believe me, I’ve been tryin’.”

You frown, before exhaling through your nose and putting an end to Serious Time, deciding to give the luckless digger some civvie time. “You’re sure you’re all right, Sabomole?”

He chuckles morosely. “Not really no. After it was all over, I just kinda… turned to mush, for a while. The hunters here have been real nice with me, real patient. But now… now, I’m still just kinda… hard to believe it all happened, you know? I still can’t believe it. I wonder if that’s--”

“It’s normal,” you interrupt. “I assume they mined you--”

“Ow,” Ukumari interjects dryly.

“--For intel?”

He nods. “Gave ‘em everything I could. ‘s the least I could do, after what I did. I know, I know--” He holds up a claw--still massive, but without the bulky and cruel-looking maverick ‘enhancements,’ far less lethal and unwieldy. “Now they’re trying to tell me it weren’t my fault. I still feel bad for the Germans, they promised me they’d tell ‘em I said I was sorry, but--I’m workin’ on it, I promise.”

You nod, relenting. “I guess that’s the best any of us can hope for.”

His expression brightens, just a bit. “Well, hey, actually, there was one thing I wanted to tell you--aside from thanks again.”

“No problem--and yeah?”

“Somethin’ I asked your suits if I could share, they gave me the go ahead. I didn’t really know this, but y’know how they give hunters codenames?”
>>
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>>1197479
It takes you a moment to realize ‘they’ means ‘mavericks’ and wonder if that’s yet another layer on the misery onion that is Disruptor Sabomole. “Yeah. Mine’s Double A, why?”

He chuckles, a little more lightly and freely than before. “That Ink guy, he had a different name for you. Least, I think it was you. When I described ya to him, he sent that back to whoever he was talkin’ to, and they had some back and forth.”

You can hardly wait, though you have a greasy, unpleasant feeling you bet you know just who Stylist was talking to. “Yeah”?”

“Nowadays? They’re calling you Livewire.”

… Heh.
>Okay, may as well get this all out at once, Ukumari.
>Arc, can you put me through to your friend later?
>Other?
>>
Let's hear Arc's friend out.

Also, let's make a note after this mission to check out Baccarat's last known coordinates, or task someone we trust to do it for us, time permitting. I get the feeling it's not something we want to do hours before a mission in case we run into some kind of trouble.
>>
>>1197484
> Get it all out at once
>>
>>1197484
>Okay, may as well get this all out at once, Ukumari.
>>
>>1197484
>>Okay, may as well get this all out at once, Ukumari.
>>
>>1197484
>Okay, may as well get this all out at once, Ukumari.
>>
>>1197484
>Okay, may as well get this all out at once, Ukumari.
>>
>>1197484
>>Okay, may as well get this all out at once, Ukumari.

livewire's cool
>>
>>1197484
>Okay, may as well get this all out at once, Ukumari.
So they give you a joke name at first but if you keep on keeping on they start to give you a real code name? Guess they figure that if you're actually going to stick around for awhile it might be better for moral to know your allies are getting beaten by someone who sounds threatening and makes it sound like more of an achievement if you take him down then someone with a joke codename. Good to know we're moving up in the world.
>>
>>1197748
Em's was Little Man if I remember right so it isn't that.
>>
>>1197748
Or whoever Seven is giving code names to the Phantoms just really likes Bruce Timm.
>>
Cathy's not missing, right? Because that's where my mind went when I heard "Live"wire. It's been a while since I've read the previous parts.
>>
>>1197484

"And I haven't gone with the Mortal Kombat Scorpion chain attack yet... that one would be quite good if you add electricity."

Yea Anode would totally go for it if he gets the right weapon data.

>Okay, may as well get this all out at once, Ukumari.
>>
>>1197484
>Okay, may as well get this all out at once, Ukumari.
>>
>>1197853
He kinda can already with Jagwire's.
>>
>>1197998

It lacks a piercing option. And is not conductive of electricity as far as I remember.

The Scorpio's chain option would both pierce light armor and conduct our electric attacks.
>>
>>1198006
it is not "AP" but it dose do damage and it isn't super conductive or superconductive but it dose transmit electricity. IIRC to add either of those is a zenny based upgrade but we have a lot of options for those.
>>
>>1198006
More like X2's Strike Chain then? We could probably get ourselves some of that tasty, tasty VWES data if we wanted.
>>
>>1198051

Mortal Kombat Scopion chain attack that pierces the enemy, add electricity to that.

Yes Strike chain plus electricity would work.
>>
>>1198076
Imagine putting some charge towards the Mass Shriver at the same time and basically hammer-tossing a hefty electrified opponent into a far-off crowd of enemies, or just using them as a morning star on closer ones. Maybe not realistic until we know what it can really do and how much strength our T. Coil has... But it's a nice thought.
>>
>>1198103

Eh no, I am talking about something that's literally a chain. Less flexible, stronger, metalic and conductive to our electricity.

Is basically better to get it new that to modify any of the variable weapon data we have already.

Plus once we upgrade it we could use it to suck electricity out of targets with a drain attack.
>>
>>1198123
Cont.

The Scorpion chains would work better as integrated weapons, I wonder if the have space in our arms for them? Or do the busters take all the avaliable space?
>>
>>1198123
>>1198160
...
Save for the less flexible part that is exactly a possible upgrade path for the Tension Coils.

If we can get energy drain/vampire data we can easily apply it to give the Tension Coils a drain attack, but we don't have the data.

We also lack an armor penetrating harpoon, but we already have most of the "Scorpion Chain" base in the Tension Coils.
>>
>>1198123
>>1198179
>Drain attack

Considering Anode saw Jagwire draining a generator powered by the life energy of reploids in order to heal himself, I highly doubt that he will be okay with turning his coils into a drain attack.
>>
>>1198179

Still think it would be better as an integrated weapon. That way we could already do it as we would be less restrictive in the data we need and we wouldn't run out of ammo
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>>1198247
I'm sure that's nothing he couldn't get over with a little therapy.
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>>1198247

How about an electricity drain attack then? Quick recharge here we go! And it woyld only wirk on other electricity themed reploids, machines, power lines and so on.
>>
>>1198326
>>1198253
Well, two options there, ultimately. One is we make the tension coil part of something that we work towards integration over time on, expanding ammo count and spending funds on it until it is more something of our own than Jagwire's. As for vampiric draining attacks, still have trouble seeing Anode as the type after Art Class.

Now alternately, we could make a project with Em about something like a whip dagger, or some flail monstrosity, and go from there to beam harpoon and the like.
>>
>>1198541
>>1198179
I'd prefer if we had it separate from the T. Coils.

This chain thing is sounding more and more like a heavier option, and that's not bad. We only need to hit once to drain and/or use a mechaniloid as a flail. I just want to keep the speed of the T.Coils as a separate option.
>>
>>1198773

Hence why I want the piercing electric chain to be an integrated weapon instead of Variable weapon data. We ran out if soace in our legs but we should have some in our arms, right?
>>
>>1198795
Not necessarily. We have our conduits, two tier charge, kinetic coils, slave circuit for upping lifting ability, and a slot for our Lance in our arms, as well as the T. Coil spool attachment. From there, HC also made note some time ago after I had asked about it that a system with physical existence would be the kind of thing you have to get used to existing on you, to the balance of it and more. Part of why I bring up potentially aiming to modify and incorporate the Coil-we have previously expressed interest in deweaponization in the sense of removing the blade, which let's be honest, is already seeming to lose ground. With that, there was also a variable head option. So, with those two in mind and an understanding that the coil is likely a stronger version of the strike chain, we could modify it's combat abilities to be more true to us, more a piece of us than that whackjob. Possibly by enhancing conductivity and tensile strength, as well as the variable head to harpoon people as you put it. Mind you, I am saying this since we put a lot into it as is.
>>
>>1198855
I thought all the crap we've put into so far was to turn it into a grappling hook/claw shot like devise to help us zip around more and make our sister jealous because we could pull off a better batman then her.
>>
Double A was good, but Livewire is even better. Curious to know when it changed.
>>
>>1198914
I'd guess after Doppler ripped out our wires.
>>
>>1198870
Yeah, we only put in the zipline so far. Meant it more as we know the prices for this, but have no bloody clue where they start with a scratch build and even then it may be bulkier and more costly than this option. I just don't explain so well in the middle of the night.
>>
>>1198855

The big advantage of the chain being real instead of a weapon data projection is that we don't use a variable weapon data slot . Granted we would only have two, one by arm and we would need to get some charge first. But even without the charge it would be a decent close to midrange weapon, remember how hopeless we were without our lance?

And once we do the electricity drain upgrade it will become more useful.
>>
>>1198870
Mounting the wire spool allowed retraction of the Coils so that we can reuse them without ammo consumption. Motorizing the spool allows fast enough retraction that we use it as a zipline. This also pretty much permanently installed the T. Coils.

Only limiting factor that prevents us from doing a "Get over here!" is the contact head isn't strong enough to hold onto anyone around our weight class who tries to resist. Lighter things we could easily do this to but we can take those out with other weapons.

>>1199104
...It be more like replacing the VWES system/Buster with a new integrated weapon. We can't really add any new internal weapons because that room is already filled.

>remember how hopeless we were without our lance?
Not hopeless. We still have our busters and our Lightning is both melee and ranged even without a conduction unit like the lance.

Short of it is a integrated chain isn't going to give us anything we do not already have access to or can already potentially develop our current weapons into. There is no really difference between "a chain" and the Tension Coils.

>>1198914
It might have gradually developed due to how much we use the Coils. They are becoming one of our signature tools alongside our electricity.
>>
>>1199119

Are you sure we don't have more space in our arms? The GM only said our legs were full. And our arms only have the busters right, does that take the full space in the arms?
>>
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>>1199600
You did just install the Mass Shriver, the name which Cain Labs STILL wants my blood over.

No goddamn regrets.
>>
I sort of came up with an objectives list. It's a little cluttered, but I'm having some trouble keeping up with all the irons we got in the fire right now. I'm sure there's some other stuff we have to do too that's been kind of lost in time.

TO-DO LIST
IMMEDIATE
Retire our targets. Obviously.
Investigate last known coordinates of Baccarat. He said he was going to "die hunting". That means he's going after Mavericks, right? Depending on how long it's been since the attack, he's probably dead, but it bears investigating.
Actually read the news instead of just looking at headlines. Figure out who that scientist that died in the Moloch attack was. There was a whole bit of rubble-posting in one of the Wren threads, so it doesn't seem inconsequential...

ONGOING
Get jet parts/data for India. If we can leverage any of our connections to support her project, that'd be best Foxfire, our own VWES data, maybe call the French or Germans? Wren would have gone a lot smoother with the Radical Squadron or whatever at our back.
Train and kit-out our fireteam and fulfill our duties as Rangemaster. We've been doing pretty good on this, actually.
Figure out what a Captain is supposed to be doing, exactly.
Keep Em from going insane in the membrane. I have no idea how to go about this, but he's headed for a bad time if he keeps on like he is.
Get closure on Schwarz, maybe? Not necessarily go hunting for him if he's turned, but is it out of the question to hit up Crucifer, learn some stuff?
Brush up on strategic and tactical thinking Strategy and tactics being different things entirely; strategy is undertaken before the battle, tactics during. We've done okay so far, and we may not have time for in-depth schooling in the middle of a war, but anything we can glean should be useful.
Stew over mysterious messages. These are clearly important, and we should be paying more attention to them. Who's sending them?

LEAST CONCERN
Learn about cyberspace and replibrains. Those seem like big deals; just not IMMEDIATELY big deals that our brushing up on will affect in any big way.
Hit up the rest of the Robot Museum if we have some time, maybe see who makes the figurines so we can order up the rest of our electronic forebears. Those who don't learn history are doomed to repeat it.
Commission awesome custom-fit biker jacket with Benjamin Franklin's skull on it, two crossed keys, lightning bolts, and burning kite, put our rank and Space Shuttle Door Gunner patches on. Ride the lightning.
>>
>>1199741
Add another to the LEAST CONCERN:

Track who's working on that Yjoblahblah thing, the one that Foxfire used to buff her moves. If that things gets out, it would be good to know when, or which targets just became REALLY hard if it got exploited by the Mavericks.
>>
>>1199807
This is a wild/educated guess, but I think it's the research that'll be the precursor to Axl and New Generation Reploids. I don't know how long off that actually is though; I never played X8, and X5-7 had a hard time sticking in my mind.

I also think that it's what South Korea (Just Korea?) got in a tizzy about with intellectual property in one of the news bitties (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_dragon )
>>
>>1199837
to be honest, that only makes it more important.

Remember Redips? Lumine? Having a paper trail of everyone involved in their construction would help a lot.

....err, assuming you don't know who those are, basically every New Gen reploid that isn't Axl has been some bad mojo. They go so far as to copytransform into Sigma, multiple of them.
>>
>>1199837
Working off of that, Foxfire may be modelled more specifically after a kumiho, and we should be wary of her seducing us and then eating our robot liver.
>>
>>1199741
Regarding the weird messages, I plan to go through and compile everything we have so far on them, and see if there's anything we've missed. I would have pointed us to Baccarat if it wasn't important, so that's certainly a priority.

Aside from that, he fact they knew about an unopened message on Conda's computer and knew Dodo's designer was at the bar while we were (access to security cameras? Tracking our datapad?) suggests major security implications. If HQ finds out we were getting all this and didn't report it, we'll be in serious shit. Might be working adding some extra security to our datapad, just in case.
>>
>>1199844
It'd be pretty nice, definitely, but I imagine Halcyon is gonna be pretty damn protective of this thing. For all we know, by not going after Foxfire later on when she may have been fully infected, we've already subverted history.

Still. It's definitely not something we can just ignore; it's just that I can't think of a really good way to approach it effectively without getting rebuffed, hard.
>>
>>1199856
hence the LEAST CONCERN
>>
>>1199866
Good point.
>>
>>1199741
>Get jet parts/data for India
clearly we must salvage Erebor and Eriador and make dragon jets
this will in no way cause further media backlash as people argue whether that's a good use of resources, etc.
>>
>>1199920
You know what I'm MOST concerned about?
Eventually, the mavs are going to realize that everybody trusts humans. And when they do, they're going to start taking advantage of that HARD.
>>
>>1200171
By doing work on Grach-tier human-like reploids and sending them against hunter assets? By installing bombs into human hostages and then releasing them, detonating them once they've been rescued? Or infecting them with terrible bio-engineered plagues that lay dormant for a few weeks before horrible, horrible death?
>>
>>1200197
I was thinking more "Hey meatbag. We have your wife. See, here's the ring you gave her and the finger you put it on. Now do what we tell you or you'll be single."
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>>1199739

And what does that do again?
>>
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>>1200468
Spend capacitor charge to get a sudden, enormous burst of physical strength.
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>>1200502

Why we voted to get that if we fight using weapons anyway? We aren't Tanker and if we ever face him again I prefer to shot him with powerful weapons.

And superstrength that only lasts a few seconds seems kind of stupid when it will be useless to face most of our enemies and we invested a lot in super speed to avoid getting hit and move faster than our oponents in the first place.

And is not like it would help while using the lance or a sword anyway.

Not to mention a recent "upgrade" made harder to get a recharge by kinetic energy.

So yeah that upgrade was a ton of money down the drain for something that might be useful once or twice at most.
>>
>>1200538
Well, the easiest answer is "Because Anon voted for that." But I'll spell out the basics, just the same:

Because it works barehanded or with handheld objects, including your melee weapons. Anode gets into melee a lot, and he's at best a bit above average in terms of raw physical strength--nothing special, certainly, not to purpose-built combat machines. Swing for the fences with 5-10% charge thrown into Mass Shriver, though, and you're looking at some pretty serious business.

Second, I'll remind you that at the beginning of season 2, Anode had the option to select a deeper resevoir, or a throttled release that gives him far greater control over capacitor expenditure. Blowing a bunch of capacitor charge for a few seconds of super strength might not be a favorable trade, but it synergizes with the ability to get exactly as much out of it as you need and minimize waste. Keep Anode's overall toolkit in mind.

Super speed wasn't an option, and the closest thing to it (Blueshift dashing) was purchased with cash using the same technology that went into the Shriver. As for the shielding upgrade, sure it diminished your direct ability to gain charge, but you also have the (upgraded) K. Coils and a rather extensive increase in your staying power in combat, that's only going to get better. Anode was kind of a freak build, relying on armor over shielding. Now that he has both, and the shielding can be improved significantly, you could turn him into a pretty damned impressive tank. Side note, some weapons are more or less effective on armor versus shields.

As stated above, you'll get benefits from using a melee weapon with super strength.

And as has been stated several times in MHQ history, there are no dud upgrades in MHQ. You get shinies that help the players customize what Anode can do, and then you can develop them further (see turning T. Coil from a more harmful Strike Chain into his Batman Button). Think less about what your upgrades can't do, and start thinking about what they can. The mavericks have a pretty impressive deck. Each card we deal you is designed with that in mind. There's no "winning" and "losing" option--there's your abilities and what they will be strong or weak against. That's why Schwarz urged you to be a generalist--so you don't put all your eggs in one basket and come up short when you need your trump card.

Remember that.
>>
>>1200538
For an out-and-out slugfest, yeah, it'd be stupid to use it that way without a regular source of recharge.

Which is why we're not gonna use it that way. It's a utility power. Lift up rocks and huck 'em... Pick up a crate and block off a doorway... Tension coil something and then yank it down? Maybe we could look into judo lessons, if we ever get into the unenviable position where we have to shoulder-toss an elephant or something.

Admittedly it wouldn't have been what I would have voted for either, simply because I think we've got too much stuff using capacitor charge as is, but it's hardly a waste of money.

(That said, how much charge would we generate running in place for an hour? How much do we leave with when we go out to missions? Do we plug into a wall, or get any from our charger pad, or anything like that?)
>>
>>1200643
>How much do we leave with when we go out to missions
I can't recall if it's because we can't matter compress with a charge or because the matter compression process discharges us, but teleporting zeros out our charge last I was aware.
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>>1200668
Man. That K. Coil has really done some work, then.
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>>1200674
I don't think we've actually used an outside electrical source to charge ourselves since we got them.
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>>1200783
I'm likely missing a few, but haven't we used outside sources like, three times ever?

The powerplant with Chaff way at the start, that time we jammed our hand into an oversized zap gun, and when sabomole gave us a boost during the Stylist fight.
>>
>>1200783
>>1200798
It's come in useful, but it's not unusual to find few power sources in the field.

IF ONLY THERE WAS A HUNTER THEMED AROUND GATHERING ELECTRICITY FROM THE SKY TO CHARGE US.
>>
>>1200798
think we also sapped some juice off some broken machinery back when we we're running for our lives when shiva or whatever his name was when we were part of that maverick base raid so we could keep dodging his fuck your shit nuke lasers.
>>
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>>1197511
>>1197523
>>1197550
>>1197573
>>1197598
>>1197642
>>1197734
>>1197853
>>1197863
“May as well get all my ducks in a row, here. Put me through, Ukumari.”

She nods. “We’ll reconvene to get the attack in order. Sabomole, you’ll be contacted soon. If you have any questions, speak to your handlers. Good hunting, Captain.”

With that, the call disconnects, the two screens merging back into one, before flickering back.

At first, you think it’s Sabomole’s feed again--the same stark lighting and lack of decor. But as the camera focuses, the contrast raises, and the glow of the lights becomes harsh, the kind of ultraviolet sterile that makes hospitals creepy.

And, mounted on the wall a good twenty feet from the camera, is a head.

“Hello,” the head says placidly. “You are the officer from the Fourth?”

Uh. “Yyyyyes,” you say hesitantly, hearing it in your voice.

The head opens its eyes, and that helps frame the whole thing--you see it now. A trunk, two wide ears, like satellite receivers. Tubes where there might be tusks… capped with what look like hazard-painted plugs. “I am Enfillade Shellephant,” the head says, the voice finally registering--soft, gentle, and … distressingly undistressed.

“You’re a head,” you offer intelligently.

“Yes. You are retiring my sister.”

You shake off the surprise. “...Yeah. Yeah, I am. I’m Anode.”

“Nice to meet you, Anode,” she replies, unperturbed. “Command has determined that the connection that the two of us share could be a viral transmission hazard, and has decided the safest course of action will be to quarantine me until we can be sure the threat is done.”

You force down the outrage at her casual declaration--that is so fucked up--and try to focus on the practical. “You share a connection?”

The head… well, doesn’t nod, but her eyelids droop where her lack-of-neck can’t. “We were designed to interlink and direct fire from multiple weapons platforms, coordinate our attacks, and offer pinpoint bombardment with unparalleled strategic awareness. I had been stationed in our base in Nigeria, up until my sister’s madness.”

You can’t bear it any longer. “Are you in any pain?”

She eyes you carefully. “No. I am not distressed, Captain, you should not be either. I agree with the decision.”

“At first I thought maybe I was talking to Rho,” you confess. “I mean--why am I talking to you, Shellephant?”

“I requested it. After evaluation, it was approved. This war has already been a costly one,” she replies evenly. “And it has only just begun. This will be more of a march than a marathon. I can tell you are already feeling the strain.”

You immediately check the urge to quip back with a rhyme about ‘brain.’ “Yeah…”
>>
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>>1201004
“My unit--the 15th--has not fared well. In times of crisis, Mortarphant was like a mother to them all. And now… I do not recognize her. All she had was rage and hate, before I shut the line. We lost Kiloton. Flares Firefly was assigned to your unit, because we have so few left who would need her. Warhead Wisent was declared missing in action, I was just informed today. Turmeric, and Accel Orca, our Commander, turned alongside Mortarphant.”

>Yeah, there’s not all that much left for us to do the shooting with. Smart, dirty play they made.
>I feel you. It’s rough all over sister--I just got a reminder of our lost myself.
>Other?
>>
>>1200798
Also in the underground factory, while fighting Shiva. Broken computers and conveyor belts.

Cathode too, a bit after that, against Snipey McMurderaxe.

We absorb charge all the time when we get the chance. Problem is, we're frequently out in the wild where there is no infrastructure, or in civilian areas, where blowing out circuit breakers and causing brownouts is precisely the sort of thing Command gets uppity about.

I fully expect, when we finally take on Yamatoad's navy, we'll be eating into ships' power systems like Asgardian termite on crack.
>>
>>1201012
>Is there any message you want me to bring to....what's left of Mortarphant? An epitaph, perhaps, to recognize what she used to be.
>>
>>1201012
>(sigh) I really wish that wasn't a running theme but everyone's been hit in some form or another because of this war. Can I expect those two to be their with Mortoarphant or do you think they'd be pulled somewhere else?
>>
>>1201012
God... what do we even say to that?
All I can think about is Cathode now.
Shit. Uh. Uhhhh. This, I guess:
>I feel you. It’s rough all over sister--I just got a reminder of our lost myself.

>>1201029
Yeah, this too. This is good.
>>
>>1201012
>I feel you. It’s rough all over sister--I just got a reminder of our lost myself.
>>
>>1201012
I'm not feeling either of these options but I can't think of anything to say in particular. It's true that things are pretty bad, and everyone has lost.

Maybe wait and see what she's getting at exactly.
>>
>>1201012
>>1201068
Just had a think on it, and realized exactly what we should say.

>I... have a sister, too. Built from the ground up, to work together.
>>
>>1201182
>I... have a sister, too. Built from the ground up, to work together.

Yeah, that is perfect.
>>
>>1201088
I suppose the best thing would be to sympathize without being patronizing. Letting her know we share the pain without making a contest of it, and showing optimism. Maybe mention that we met Kiloton and Wisent, briefly?
>>
Yeah, fuck it, change my vote to

>I... have a sister, too. Built from the ground up, to work together.
>>
>>1201012
>I... have a sister, too. Built from the ground up, to work together.

"I can't pretend to know what her being another Hunter's target would do to me, and I know I wouldn't be able to handle being locked up after the Fourth got gutted like this. So if the 15th needs Mortarphant gone to get you back in the fight, then I'm your huckleberry."
>>
>>1200636

The upgrade made the workaround of recharging using kinetic energy useless and added a money sink since nowadays we just have to buy those damn bateries.

Let's get Em to make us a sword or a knife. One with it's own power source.

And the lance is quite big, why it doesn't have it's own power source or a permanent rechargeable battery integrated to it at least?

Then we could recharge it before misions and have one or two shots ready before hand at the very least.

Honesty is electricity, why are the bateries we buy disposable?
>>
>>1201554
>The upgrade made the workaround of recharging using kinetic energy useless
Less effective is not the same as useless you nonce.
>>
>>1201554
>The upgrade made the workaround of recharging using kinetic energy useless and added a money sink since nowadays we just have to buy those damn bateries.

The shielding upgrade increased survivability in exchange for a decrease in charging efficiency, we still charge with the K. Coils but do so slower as we are taking less damage.

We do not /need/ to buy the batteries, but they make a good back up for when we need more juice and would do so even if we did not have the shields.

>Let's get Em to make us a sword or a knife. One with it's own power source.

We have two. The Ascent Lance and the Misericorde both are independently powered. In the hands of others the Ascent Lance is an a anti-plasma polearm, Anode can also transmit electricity through it. The Misericorde is an armor-piercing dagger.

>And the lance is quite big, why it doesn't have it's own power source or a permanent rechargeable battery integrated to it at least?

We can augment the Lance with our capacitors we are not powering it. Otherwise others could not borrow it.

>Then we could recharge it before misions and have one or two shots ready before hand at the very least.

As mentioned elsewhere the electricity is drawn from Anode's capacitors and being channeled through the lance.

>Honesty is electricity, why are the bateries we buy disposable?

Because those batteries are high energy quick draw storage containers that burn out when we draw power from them. They are basically personal W-tanks. The rechargeable E-tank is considered highly classified and the rechargeable W-tank has yet to be developed.
>>
Ask her what kind of defenses mortarphant would have against a midnight HALO entry.

1) Know they enemy

2) If mortarphant is listening in she'll be looking to the sky, not the ground.
>>
>>1201830
I don't think Mortarphant is going to be listening in on a conversation between you and a quarantined reploid who's been stripped down to only a head.
>>
>>1198103
Heh
>>
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>>1201865
>>
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>>1201865
>>1201876
That's good shit.
>>
>>1201876
>>1201865
>>
>>1201830
Besides, it is really likely her defense is good vision, better aim, and the ability to snipe from other countries. That said, the idea of Anode being shot out of a satellite rail gun would be humorous.
>>
>>1201012
>I... have a sister, too. Built from the ground up, to work together.
>>
>>1201865

I hope you realize that you are now obligated to do one for the rest of Anode's happenings.

Like his affair with the Enigma cannon.
>>
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>>1201865
>>1201876
Absolutely glorious.
>>
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>>1201865
>>1201876
Bless your heart. I'm crying here.

Bless your shitposting heart, you've given me so many possibilities with that weasel.
>>
>>1201029
>>1201182
>>1201217
>>1201287
>>1201469
You find your response faltering before you can even muster it. Like the funeral, you’re suddenly given a cold and uncomfortable reminder that not everyone is as lucky as you are. … and you may not be lucky forever.

“I’ve got a sister too,” you say quietly. “In the First. Tandem unit, built to work together.”

Shellephant’s eyes remain steady on yours. “You understand, then.”

“I think so. As much as I can, anyway.” As much as you hope you’ll ever have to. You look down at your feet for a moment, away from the flickery comm terminal. “If there’s anything you want me to say to her--or what’s left of her…”

“Thank you, Captain, but I’ve made my peace. Whatever she is now, it runs contrary to everything she ever was. My sister is dead, and the best thing we can do for her is preserve the memory of who she really was. But… there’s more to it than that.”

You look back up. “Go on.”

“Fifteenth needs this,” she says, tone slow and heavy. “Closure. Resolution. To put her to rest. 15th is very close-knit, and Mortarphant was a mentor figure. Morale is low. I’ve tried to help, but like you, they are dismayed by my condition. To my great frustration, I cannot help them in this state.”

“I can’t blame them,” you admit. “Artillery’s always been good to me. I worked with Kiloton and Wisent.” Some distant, unpleasant corner of your mind hopes that the latter is dead, and not worse, for his sake as much as yours. “What I’m saying is… I’ll try to help. I just don’t know how.”

“Respect, courtesy, and time afield,” Shellephant says. “Simple fellowship and support. If all goes well, when this is done, I can be cleared for duty again, and we can all try to put Doctor Doppler behind us.”

The gravity and the poise she carries, even (perhaps especially) reduced to nothing but a mounted head on a wall, strangles your cynical comeback in your throat. Instead, you nod.

“Thank you for listening, Captain. Be safe.”

You cut the line, momentarily picturing the feed on her end turning to static and abandoning her to the glaring lights of her prison cell, and her own thoughts.
>Go check on someone. You just got a reminder of why that’s important. (Specify)
>Beeline the bar, get a movie going and forget your woes until it’s time to go shoot them.
>Other?
>>
>>1202635
>Inform the peasants it's MOVIE TIME
>Call Cath and invite her too, see if she brings The Bat
>>
>>1202635
I'll back this >>1202644
>>
>>1202644
I'm down for this
>>
>>1202644
Fourthing this.
>>
Did we ever give Cathode her birthday present?

If not, now might be a good time, if she's not off hunting.
>>
>>1202689
I'm not sure I want to give her the gift anymore, considering the thing is bat-themed...
>>
>>1202817
Hey, we put a lot of effort into threatening Em to make that!
>>
>>1202644
Fifth'd.

I don't know where he's being held, but can we retrieve Sabomole? If he's willing to put his life on the line for us, I say he gets to come to movie night, too. A room full of hunters definitely counts as Under Armed Guard.
>>
>>1202869
Seconding Sabomole, if possible.
>>
>>1202635

The Misericorde barely counts as a sword is a single hit attack weapon.

And we do need something that's not Variable Weapon Data to use in case we get separated from our lance again. That seord we used that time was borrowed from Em, is not ours.

How about a pair of metalic sai for piercing and draining electricity? Sai are piercing weapons after all.
>>
>>1202644
drowning our woes in friends, booze, and some good movies then? I APROVE!
>>
>>1202902
The ice is single shot between recharges, but the Miserecorde is otherwise a standard high beam saber (i.e. a weaker version of the Z-saber).

>How about a pair of metalic sai for piercing and draining electricity? Sai are piercing weapons after all.

...Sai are blunt (don't let TMNT tell you otherwise). We also lack energy drain data or the money to request another copy of Jagwire's data.
>>
>>1202956
Shorter, not weaker.
>>
>>1202971
think the biggest difference besides length is that Zero's saber is a hi-beam with a much bigger power supple so he can keep the blade on like if it was a low beam instead of flicking it on and off between attacks so it get's the best of both worlds. the power of a hi beam and the long lasting durability of a low beam.
>>
>>1202980
Actually it was previously discussed that a lot of Zero's skill when it comes to using his saber is how he only has it powered on when he's actually swinging to conserve power. I'd have to go digging back through threads but it was discussed during sparring with iirc with either Schwartzhund or Emerald.
>>
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>>1203010
Correct. It does also happen to be a pretty damned high quality saber.

Basically, you know how Zero swings it in X4-6? Slash and stow, fast combos. As this is still SNES-era, he more favors giant heavy swings with it on the heels of his busters, all of which clean house.
>>
>>1203069
>>1202956

But doesn't the sword become useless after we use the freezing attack anyway?

And sai are sharp on the tip hence piercing weapons. The rest of it are blunt.
They were used for defence and piercing attacks.

We don't need energy drain data since we are just going to drain electricity and that we can can do already.

The sai being conductive to electricity would make it faster.
>>
>>1203118
>But doesn't the sword become useless after we use the freezing attack anyway?
It does not. It remains a hi-beam saber.
>>
>>1203118
Due to modern armor and shielding, you're not going to get guaranteed punchthrough with a piercing weapon--blades both alloy and beam can cut Reploids, but the shields have to be weakened or some other aspect in play, and even then it's usually points of articulation (see: boomerang cutter on Launch Octopus and Flame Mammoth's arms/trunk, and Sting Chameleon dropping from his ceiling tongue grab on hit rather than lose it).

You COULD design a defensive sai, but Anode's already not exactly a master with either of his current sidearms, you might want to narrow up your focus on those.

And no, the misericorde does not cease to function after the LN reservoir is depleted, it just reverts to a normal hi-beam knife.
>>
What's Rhodes been up to?
>>
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So interesting fact about Zero, if we were to take his frame timing literally.
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>>1202635
Assemble your crew and watch something silly. And try to give Cathode her present.
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>>1203294
Over the course of time which he starts to rely on his three hit combo he becomes 33% faster, dropping from taking 36 frames in x5 (the name of my last file was me getting files confused) to complete it to 24 in the Zero series. Age didn't slow him down any.
>>
>>1202644
yup
>>
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Does it take any kind of authorization to beam off of base? We might need it, to get to Baccarat's last location later.

Can we tell where it is by the coordinates?
>>
>>1202635
Can we invite Rho to the movie showing? I don't know how that would work or if Rho's got enough personality to enjoy things, but I'm betting it doesn't get invited to a lot of things.
>>
>>1203693
Rho's probably busy doing war stuff.

...My ID keeps resetting and it's weird, I ain't doin' it on purpose, I swear.
>>
>>1203701
Mine's kept changing over the last few days, glad I'm not the only one.
>>
>>1203217

Didn't we redesign it because we had used a cheap civilian junk to start with? Or that has not happen yet?

How much to switch the hardware to military grade with Em help?

Bfore Em kills himself with his current suicidal actitude of course.

Emerald wanted to make a copy of our lance modified for himself, too bad he forgot when he got hit by depression and guilt.
>>
>>1203309

You know that in the Zero series he is using a different body and that Omega is the one with the original, right?

So in Zero he is faster but not as powerful.

Might be because his new body was designed to use a Saber while his old one wasn't.
>>
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>>1203741
You had it upgraded to military grade. It was already done. Also, Em did not want to make a copy of the lance for himself, he offered to tune up the misericorde because he wasn't thrilled with the first version's results. That option is still on the table.
>>
>>1203791

Then what did he want to make that he got inspired to due to the lance?
>>
>>1203118
>And sai are sharp on the tip hence piercing weapons. The rest of it are blunt.
>They were used for defence and piercing attacks.

No, that is a western misunderstanding. Sai are traditionally blunt tipped. you can poke with them but they are not intended to pierce flesh.

>We don't need energy drain data since we are just going to drain electricity and that we can can do already.

We can absorb electricity not drain it. We can't pull electrical energy out of a closed system, just absorb any electrical energy leaking or being projected out.

>The sai being conductive to electricity would make it faster.

Not really. We would not charge faster touching a live wire with a metal Sai than we would touching it barehanded.
>>
>>1203841

Okay so we should look for an electricity drain ability then because at some we will need it. And since a lot of stuff runs using electricity like simple mechanoids, the lights of an enemy base, machines and so on...
>>
>>1203791
I definitely think we should take him up on this offer, sit down with him while he works, shoot the shit. If he keeps going the way he is, it's gonna be a bad scene.

Also, I hope Gopher won't be too upset that we didn't sugarcoat things with Templar.
>>
>>1203859

Yes. And also have certain pilot talk to him. And the fox too if we can.
>>
>>1203838
Only thing I remember him being interested in regarding Anode's lance was the Phase upgrade. I always figured he didn't go through with it because of his upgrade hang ups.

>>1203856
I will just for the sake of being a devil's advocate, point out that Hunter leadership may not be thrilled with Anode furthering his electric vampire nature. Also the one time Anode did something like that (draining the generator Spin Jagwire used to heal) it messed with his head pretty badly and he was a little repulsed by the idea.

Also, might be able to get something workable by looking into Launch Octopus' data.
>>
>>1203856
iirc, it's... bad mojo and sorta of soft-taboo. At least it was in season 1. In season 2 and the bad footing, him grabbing a downlooked upon Drain ability can probably be tolerated more?
>>
>>1203890
>I will just for the sake of being a devil's advocate, point out that Hunter leadership may not be thrilled with Anode furthering his electric vampire nature.

It was self-healing that was worrying Hunter leadership not energy drain.

>Also the one time Anode did something like that (draining the generator Spin Jagwire used to heal) it messed with his head pretty badly and he was a little repulsed by the idea.

That was because the "generator" Jagwire was drawing from was still living human and reploid victims.

>Also, might be able to get something workable by looking into Launch Octopus' data.

Most recent version of reploid drain data we have access to would be Jagwire.
>>
>>1203890

Is electricity not life force and it would basically just be an upgrade of an existing ability.

He probably wanted to create a sword with that ability, he makes new swords all the time.

Whatever happened to that shield creating glove?
>>
We've got a lot of people we should be keeping up with.

Did we ever properly thank Stillwater?
>>
>>1203294
>>1203309
>>1203765
Do note that the MMZ saber is a completely different saber.

It's classified as one of the Ten Shining Weapons(of which we only really know of 6: X', Zero's, and each of the Guardians), and can do way more than the average saber including all those weapon transformations. It also spends a lot more time "on" in general to manage most of its functions. Zero's combos change to take advantage of not needing to minimize usage.
>>
>>1204884
Also interesting is how Model Z and Model ZX revert to shorter on cycles.
>>
>>1204884
Yes. But I was pointing out how Zero new body is made to use a Saber and doesn't include a buster unlike his original body. In fact the charge function of the guy is basically just using the Saber as a power source.

Interesting, the body he has in the Zero series lacks any in build weapons.
>>
>>1205180
Could be, but Omega was inconsistent with his saber combos.

His normal 3-hit combo was properly staggered to be about as fast as the X4 combo, but he also had a superfast combo that hit so quickly I think the saber actually had trouble keeping up and dealt less damage.
>>
>>1204533

There are tons of stuff we should be doing.

*Make an intervention to Emerald.

*Get Em to upgrade our Misericorde.

*Make the Fox help us in a mission.

*Sent an e-mail or call to Frog to see how he is doing.

*Recluit and or train a demolition expert for our team.

*Go into missions our team can take and or train them so they can take B ranks or lower on their own. Let's start by sending him on a C class mission on their own. The reward won't be much but it will be a good training exercise.
>>
>>1205205

That was because Omega was viral like how Zero in X5 powers up for a few seconds at 100% infection.
>>
>>1205249
>viral
doesn't that only heal and make him invulnerable for a short time? I don't recall anything about speedups.
>>
>>1205310

When Zero attacked Sigma upon waking up, he was full viral and quite fast and only lost due to a system crash and lack of maintenance.

So yes the virus might affect speed.
>>
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>>1203765
Oh well aware. In fact I have a whole folder dedicated to Omega artwork. The Zero series is my fetish.
>>
>>1203938
Electricity kinda is a reploid's life force. Just from a highly advanced energy source, mind. Anyway, the easiest way to drain is to just cut a thing open with our existing weapons and then shove our hand in directly. That said, it is a grisly way to murder a fellow reploid, mav or no, but you may want to consider a giant length hi beam punching knife or something
>>
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>>1205371
I maintain to this day that the only real way to clear MMZ3 is to no-hit Omega, Z-saber only, Final Destination.
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>>1205460
I still need to resecure a copy of ZX to fight him in there.
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>>1202644
>>1202647
>>1202648
>>1202668
>>1202869
>>1202946
>>1203297
With that grim business aside, you have one last, most important task to attend to before you embark on your next mission.

Motherfucking MOVIE NIGHT.

Cathode’s out, unfortunately--”in repairs,” you’re told, immediately followed by a hasty “nothing critical.” Small favors, you guess. Still, damn. At this rate, you might have to mail her present to her. Though then again, maybe you’ll be a few dorms apart in this new shared barracks deal they’ve got going on.

The scope of it hits you again, and you feel very small as you make the walk back to your quarters, footsteps through empty corridors a match for your fingers brushing the movie cases on the shelf minutes later.

This place is full of history, you realize. History you’re never going to fully appreciate or understand, a legacy you never learned for a past you never owned. Somewhere around here, Frog caved in his boss’s chest and took command for almost a decade. On some terminal somewhere on base, Seven was relaying everything you did to his handlers on the other side. Out on the field, a greasy black smear might be all that remains of Overclock Conda. You might still trip on a piece of Dash Dodo stumbling out of the bar. It’s dizzying, the more you think of it--you’re one little part of an impossible whole you cannot possibly expect to match. And now whatever history you might have lived up to is going to be pulled up to blow away.

You’re not all that big on symbolism, you tell yourself, but suddenly the idea of these barracks being torn down, for good or ill, feels a lot heavier on your shoulders than it did. You feel you should pick a movie for the occasion. Spider and Flares will be there, Templar might too. Max is probably the oldest thing left on base, maybe the sole historian who could help you fill in the years you missed. You look through your collection for something fitting for the occasion for both the new and the old. Something whimsical but bittersweet, a story of moving on and last goodbyes.

What you give them is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

The bar is about as tame as a bunch of drunks crowded around a TV screen can be, and though you know all the beats of the story, this time you find yourself interested in the background setting, the Chicago of centuries past, looking for the familiar and the archaic.

You’re surprised, then, when Gopher gets your attention with a hand on the shoulder and motions you to follow him to the exit.
>>
>>1205427

Eh no, it has been specifically stated in this quest that a Reploid life force is different from mere electricity.

>>1205460
>>1205525

I am the only one who things Zero 4 should have been Zero 5 and we missed a game because reasons?

If the main inspiration for the Megaman series was " TimeBokan" and Astroboy, the main inspiration for the X series was "Neo Human Casshern."

Sure Megaman has stuff from Casshern but the darker tone of the X series is way more like Casshern. Ironically the last remake of Casshern, "Casshern Sins" is called by fans "Megaman Zero the anime."

I don't recommend Casshern Sins, go watch the original Neo Human Casshern if you can find it.
>>
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>>1205675
And that's the ballgame, I'm afraid. Danke schoen for reading, and as usual, we will hope (despite long, long prior history) that I can run within a few weeks instead of a month or two.

I'll be around to talk until the thread drops off the board.
>>
>>1205687
I mentioned in the IRC that I was thinking about those in-character Q&As you guys used to do. What are the odds we could get another?
>>
>>1205687

Is there is a cult or something that blames X for everything, since Reploids are based on him? Or the rotten tomatoes just go to Doctor Cain, who by the timeline should still be alive?
>>
>>1205732
There's not exactly cults, per se, but it wasn't hard to foment anti-Reploid backlash after all the harm Sigma did in the wake of his rebellion.

>>1205730
I'd certainly be willing, and I can't imagine Cain Labs would disagree.
>>
>>1205687
gg HC, hope to see you back soon
>>
>>1205747
Most people are probably going to suggest Foxfire, and I admit I'd be interested in that (in the same way a criminal psychologist would).
My other 2 ideas were Rezador and Blizzard Wolfang. I think all three of them would have interesting insights.
>>
>>1205747
My vote or a Q&A would be Rhodes or Halcyon, be interesting to get a big picture view of recent events.
>>
>>1205809

Foxfire appears more so I am more interested in her..
>>
>>1205747
I would kind of like to see the point of view of one of the Mortales. Or maybe Templar since meeting the new guy is always fun.
>>
How small can you make a reploid?
>>
>>1207137
reploid heads are pretty small, so....
>>
>>1207173
That brings up a point: rather than confine someone to just their head like with Shellephant, they could at least give them a Met bodyframe that they could pilot around since god damn being just a head must suck. Or at least get them a good library of whatever they like, such as music, books, movies, or games.
>>
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>>1207304
>Officers' heads zipping around on the floor like those little droids in Star Wars
>>
>>1207173
>>1207304
>>1207315
Reploid brains aren't located in the head unless you're Emerald.
>>
>>1207395

Actually since they are based on X and X is basically an android shaped like a human, most actually do have their brains in their heads.
>>
>>1205675
>Gopher gets your attention with a hand on the shoulder and motions you to follow him to the exit.
Place your bets, who died?
>>
>>1207917
would say cath do to all the sister talk but she's currently going under repairs so she's out. All our friends are here at movie night so they're fine... If I had to guess I either they found something on our old drinking dog buddy and seeing how close we were to him and how stable we are when compared to Em (who I'm afraid is starting to go maverick) they decided to tell us first, or we're going to be forced to defend ourselves from the public trying to point fingers at someone to blame this whole war mess on someone with a big stupid grin.
>>
>>1207925
Well, we don't know who turned up for movie night, so it could be Em or Indy. Or our human family, if Seven decided to really fuck with us.
>>
>>1207925

Not Maverick, suicidal.

And yes it might be the old dog.

Em had some foreshadowing, Indy would come out if nowhete since she has been busy with her ship.

But then making it Em would make HC a liar about the promised upgrade for our saber since he said that was still possible.

Our parents getting killed? Kind of out the blue Seven had no clue we were that close and while totally in character for him, right now he is in hidding going by several abomination upgrades so he can face us later.

Question, hey HC what would have happened if we had become friends with Seven? Bad Ending or what?

And Tanker, what if we had befriended him, would he still have gone traitor or he would have stayed because we would be his new oet project?
>>
>>1208632
Suffice to say I try to run MHQ organically enough that nothing--or at least, as little as possible--is set in stone. It's less about ticking off checkboxes on the plot and more about what Anode, as the player character capable of acting on his world, can change. Some things can't be budged off their course because Anode arrived on the scene too late, or it existed outside his sphere--you could never have stopped Doppler's attack on HQ, for instance. But things might have gone very differently if you'd had positive contact with other characters--Seven was already turned, but maybe he would have turned back, or at least been more sympathetic. Maybe Tanker might have stayed loyal--he was always more up in the air--or had a different opponent when he attacked the Pond.

Maybe, maybe, maybe. I'm not just hedging there, I honestly do not know. Sometimes you guide the story, sometimes the story guides you.




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