Ignis Scientia (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
chef_chocobro) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2024-02-22 04:28 am
chef_chocobro) wrote in fandomhigh2024-02-22 04:28 am
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Battle Tactics and Strategy; Thursday, Fourth Period [02/22].
"There are a few principles," Ignis, as usual, wasted no time in getting things started, once everyone arrived at the Danger Shop, where they were set up in front of a large, fairly nondescript fortress that, fittingly enough, seemed to share more in common with an unassuming warehouse than anything else, "I'd like to delve into next, but they'll be in several parts, and so, instead of having the school trip next week break up the retaining of that knowledge, I figured today might be a good day to try and put some of our tactical minds to work by applying them to an actual scenario.
"This," he now gestured to his guest for the day, standing beside him and bouncing a little on his feet as he lifted a hand and waved, "if you don't already know him, is my friend and colleague Prompto Argrentum, who helped me out today with creating a replication of an enemy fortress. Our reconnaissance," the word was emphasized as a way to jog memories regarding last week's topic, "has informed us that our enemies are in the process of developing a secret weapon inside these fortress walls. And it is up to you all to formulate a plan on how to retrieve that weapon from their hands, into ours, where we can either destroy it or perhaps use it to our benefit.
"Normally," he continued, "we would brief you on the information we know that may assist in this extraction. However, since this is a learning experience, I want to know what questions you believe would be important. What information do you feel would be necessary in crafting a plan of attack in this instance? We will have a Q&A session to reveal the facts of the matter, and then you will work together to enact it. Or at the very least attempt to. We will," he nodded to Prompto, who then started to hand out papers, "provide you with a schematic of the base's design and structure as a good jumping off point, and then, it's all entirely in your hands to figure out our next steps."
"This," he now gestured to his guest for the day, standing beside him and bouncing a little on his feet as he lifted a hand and waved, "if you don't already know him, is my friend and colleague Prompto Argrentum, who helped me out today with creating a replication of an enemy fortress. Our reconnaissance," the word was emphasized as a way to jog memories regarding last week's topic, "has informed us that our enemies are in the process of developing a secret weapon inside these fortress walls. And it is up to you all to formulate a plan on how to retrieve that weapon from their hands, into ours, where we can either destroy it or perhaps use it to our benefit.
"Normally," he continued, "we would brief you on the information we know that may assist in this extraction. However, since this is a learning experience, I want to know what questions you believe would be important. What information do you feel would be necessary in crafting a plan of attack in this instance? We will have a Q&A session to reveal the facts of the matter, and then you will work together to enact it. Or at the very least attempt to. We will," he nodded to Prompto, who then started to hand out papers, "provide you with a schematic of the base's design and structure as a good jumping off point, and then, it's all entirely in your hands to figure out our next steps."
Re: Strategic Q&A - Battle Tactics, 02/22.
"Do we know roughly the number of people within?" Liliana asked. "And anything about their habits - how are their guards set up? Are they stationary or do they have rounds? Do we have an idea of the guards' habits and rotation? What kind of weaponry and armor will we be contending with? Is the population within the...base--" yes, she was looking at Prompto and smirking, having heard of Bust-a-Base in the Waffle Squarf and thinking it was a positively ridiculous name, but unable not to tweak Ignis' nose just the tiiiiiiiiiniest bit. "--made up entirely by guards and soldiers or are there non-combatants as well? Do we have a rough idea where the weapon is located within?"
Re: Strategic Q&A - Battle Tactics, 02/22.
Prompto, meanwhile, gawked slightly at her before murmuring, "Err, hold on a minute, let me write some of that--"
He barely had time to finish checking his pockets for a pen before Ignis spoke up. "Typically," he said,"a base this size would have approximately one hundred units on hand, give or take a dozen or so. There is a patrol pattern," that he would divulge in detail, "and several at stations throughout the base, indicated with red dots on the maps. No civilians, just military personnel, though that includes both infantry,officers, technicians, engineers, etc, etc, etc. Most are armed with heavy firearms, there are also heavy artillery canons marked in green. Armor is Magitek, and they develop mech armor here as well, so you can expect some of that. The weapon should be located in either the garage on the east side or at the very center with the mech armor."
He paused, with a faint grin.
"Excellent questions, Ms. Vess."
Re: Strategic Q&A - Battle Tactics, 02/22.
"Thank you, Mr. Scientia," she said, though it probably shaded a little close to a purr to be entirely appropriate for class. Whoops. And it wasn't helped when she turned to wink at Prompto's gawking. Surprised, darling?
She leaned backwards in her chair, casually thoughtful. "I'd need further details on just what heavy firearms, artillery canons, Magitek armor, and mech armor all mean and their various capabilities, but my next questions have more to do with us than them. What are our general rules of engagement? Do we try to minimize casualties? Do we accept surrender? Are they inclined to surrender? Are there weapons and strategies that are deemed--" Her nose wrinkled. "--inappropriate?"
Look, if you didn't want her floating in on a cloud of paralytic poison and then raising their fallen soldiers to unleash them as feral ghouls on the rest of the base, you needed to make that very clear up front, okay? Possibly with an explanation as to why.
Re: Strategic Q&A - Battle Tactics, 02/22.
Prompto interrupted with a snort. "That's for sure!"
"--or deem any methods of attack inappropriate, though, so perhaps keep that in mind, as well."
Re: Strategic Q&A - Battle Tactics, 02/22.
"My, that does make things much easier," Liliana said with a perfectly normal amount of amusement for the topic.
And then sat back to listen to what questions her classmates were asking.
Re: Strategic Q&A - Battle Tactics, 02/22.
His eyes then bounced over to Ignis, curiously, if there was anything else he wanted to add and maybe to wonder a little if he'd left that hanging specifically for Prompto to answer, but his face was impassive and revealed nothing.
"So, yeah," he concluded, "basically robotic humanoids infused with magic." He chuckled a little, holding up both his thumbs. "Super fun stuff!"
And maybe even right up Liliana's alley; they were, after all,basically their world's version of a soulless zombie army, right?
Re: Strategic Q&A - Battle Tactics, 02/22.
Rude to necromancers, both of those things. Though protection didn't prevent against area of effect death spells, which she had a number of...
"Which brings us to new questions, darling, doesn't it?" She eyed Prompto, noting his discomfort, eyes narrowed. Not that class would be an appropriate time to ask him about it. Still. Noted. "If you've fought these creatures before, you must have some idea of their strengths, their weaknesses, their vulnerabilities. Where are the weak parts of this armor, these mechas? What are the best places to target? Do they have a habit of fighting in a particular style? Do they fall into patterns? Are they adaptable? What's the ratio of infantry to mechas?"
Poor Prompto. He'd never dealt with Liliana when she was in 'rapid-fire questions mode' and she was willing to bet Ignis hadn't warned him about it, either.
"Are the people within the mechas and armor organic? Do either of the armor or mechas have organic parts? Are either of them airtight? Wait, how do they have magic, they're not of the royal line of Lucis, are they? Are they using god magic? Or is this Starscourge? Or something completely different?"
Prompto, the longer it took you to answer, the more questions she was going to come up with.
Well, okay, she was going to come up with new ones regardless.
Re: Strategic Q&A - Battle Tactics, 02/22.
"The magitek soldiers," he answered, "are organic. The mechs are not and are piloted by..." There was a hesitation, at the word choice, "human soldiers. They do derive their magical properties from magitek cores derived from the miasma created by the Starscourge, and, interestingly enough, are quite vulnerable to elemancy, especially lightning attacks, as they'll short-circuit the tek as well as the magi, although ice and fire can do some good damage there, too. They are very prone to patterns and repetition, often sticking to their orders or programmed path unless distracted from it. In the field, they tend to attack in clusters, but within the walls of a fortress, they are more individualized and mostly defensive. In more direct contact, focus on the joints, where there are likely to be gaps in the armor. They prefer shooting at a distance, and while they are not great shots, they are a far better hand at it than your typical stormtrooper. They also may be equipped with electrical devices meant to incapacitate or stun an enemy."
"Oh!" Prompto chimed in, sounding glad to have not only caught up, but also contribute. "And if you take down a mech, watch out, because they will explode."
"Indeed they will," Ignis confirmed, vaguely smirking with amusement. "I think that covered a good portion of it, no?"
Re: Strategic Q&A - Battle Tactics, 02/22.
Also, c'mon, darling. She'd been [Verb Choice Locked] Ignis for going on six months now. Why wouldn't she casually be tossing in references to the Starscourge and god magic? Had you missed that she was a giant nerd? Especially about magic?
Liliana didn't pout at the mention of lightning and elemental magic, because that suggested she was anything less than dignified. But it was certainly bullshit that red mana mages would be more useful than she would. Hmph.
"So it seems like we should make note of their patterns and repetition and, if possible, lure mechas into strategic locations right before they explode. Other groups of mechas for example, or a good way to get through walls, or even just a diversion. The lack of organic parts is personally rude to me, but that's something that can be worked around. I know my first move would be to either send spirits in to spy for me to get specifics, or..." She paused and eyed both of them, Prompto in particular. "Well, I don't know if anybody here is skilled in illusions enough to pretend to be a soldier."
Which was always what she'd been about to say and certainly nothing about using lethemancy to get the information she wanted.