Marmoset - MA game with mod nations - full

[llamabeast]

More land-war-in-Russia misery for the armies of Ulm in the last two months. Having finally decided to make for a Grand Push into Skavenblight, my army set forth two months ago to a province adjacent to the enemy capital. A priest already there was to build a lab to supply them when they arrived - some new supply items were being forged back in Ulm, so the new lab was necessary, and so I didn't bother taking any gems with me.

The wretched Skaven Mind-Hunted the lab-building priest. So, my army was left without any gems, and crucially couldn't cast the Really Super Spell that was to inflict annihilation on the Skaven. No worries, I would stay put and build the lab again - in the meantime, at least my new thug had arrived in Skaven territory and captured a province.

This turn my lovely (and quite expensive) thug was mind hunted, despite an MR of 16 or so, and to my further shock the Skaven sallied forth to attack my still-gemless army. The brave Ulmish penitents won the day amidst a staggering rain of ratling evocations, but not without terrible losses. Even if we are able to siege the ratling capital now (which is uncertain), it will take countless months to bring down the walls of the underground lair. And reinforcements are far, far away - after all, the army was thought to be invincible.

Congratulations are in order for the god of the Skaven - your rats are pests!

[Digress]

Alneyan said:
<Bitter> Right. I've sent my Pretender to gun down a Skaven commander that was starting to really get on my nerves (and hopefully snatch one item or two from said commander). The mission was a success, and my Pretender routed the enemy army. Then I yelled 'Victory!' and my Pretender proceeded to cast Immolation on himself. Mind you, the other targets in the vicinity were utterly harmless, and my Pretender was 100% Fire Unresistant.

I did rather wonder what happened there . I decided to interpret as your immortal pretender deciding it was time to incinerate his current massively afflicted corpse and return to your capital to get a new one .

As for Ulm - well the rats are deserting the ship in droves as my lack of an economy of any sort starts to bite. As for my "ratling evocations" - well it is a case of if only I had some gems left to beef them up a touch. My artillery was obviously scripted incorrectly - most of the armour piercing/negating warpfire/warp lightening throwers all decided to go hand to hand (even before they all went beserk).

You really are able to pump out alot of those twice-blessed bloody penitents aren't you. They really do a fine job of dishing out the damage - winning the battle whilst various Skaven flavoured poisons slowly, too slowly , winnow their ranks.

Skavenblight really cannot stress the need for the remaining powers in the north to actually do something to confront Ulms burgeoning power. They will soon be able to start papering over their gaps in the magic department and you will find yourself .... well like so much roadkill.

The Skaven have bought you time - and as our few remaining troops begin to desert in droves we curse you all ... and wish you well (and perhaps more success, I would say luck but that might be asking a little much)

The game has been fun though I am beginning to get a little tired of playing the role of llamabeast's speedhump. How many games is it now where I have cost you a couple of shiny mages, thugs or SCs before being ground relentlessly into the ground by your leader-lite armies ? More than one .... one day I hope to move from speedhump to brickwall, or at least some more effective traffic calming measure

[Alneyan]

Digress said:
I did rather wonder what happened there . I decided to interpret as your immortal pretender deciding it was time to incinerate his current massively afflicted corpse and return to your capital to get a new one .

If only... but dying only adds some new afflictions (I've pretty much got a full house now). At least I'm in my capital and can 'port right back into the 'go down in a blaze of glory against PD' action... third time is the charm!

[llamabeast]

High priest Heinrich was again sitting behind his desk, sorting through reports from the front. It seemed that the war against the Skaven was going well, even if losses had been far higher than had at first been hoped.

Suddenly his assistant, Sigebert, burst into the room. This was most irregular - Sigebert always knocked and waiting for his master to call him in. But looking up, Heinrich saw that Sigebert was not his normal self - he looked flushed and disturbed - the man had clearly had a shock.

"What is it Sigebert?"
"Terrible news, my lord. It's... it's like the business in Skavenblight all over again."

Heinrich drew in his breath. This sounded serious.

"What? You don't mean to say the Bandar aren't human either?", he asked.
"No no, it's not the Bandar - it's the Abysians! They're not human, not even nearly human. They're monstrous, god-forsaken beings. Sir, they're born from the lava, spawn from the infernal fires. Sire, they're monsters!"

Heinrich considered the news gravely. But he knew there was little to ponder - stretched as it was, the Ulmish kingdom could not allow such a monstrosity to exist. War was inevitable.

------

The mighty kingdom of Ulm hereby declares war on Abysia. We will respect our three-month non-aggression pact. In the fiftieth month of the Ascension Wars, the Ulmish armies will be given orders to march into Abysian territory.

[Alneyan]

Bumpy bump, as it looks like the game might host again pretty soon.

Alneyan said:
In unrelated news, I'd appreciate an extra 24 hours on December 24, as I'll spend most of the day trekking back to France.

[llamabeast]

Okay, thanks for reminding me, I'll postpone after the coming hosting.

Actually I will probably postpone for a few days - myself I won't be able to play either christmas day or boxing day. Anyone else got any days they can't play?

[Digress]

"On the other side of the international dateline" - I must remember to remind myself of that fact more often.

Almost staled through inattention Christmas eve here, have mother-in-law and three year old son who "knows all about Santa Claus" in the house.

The mighty pretender of the Skaven has been reduced to a drooling moron (a result of mind hunting gone bad, bad, bad ). Good thing he has such a good chasis for a thug .... not.

The gates of Skavenblight have been breached and the diseased hordes of Ulm prepare to storm through. My remaining troops are pillaging and vandalising all they can before slinking back into our various ratholes ... there to remain for some time to come.

Thanks for the game - likely to set things to AI in the near future.

[llamabeast]

Next hosting is set for 8pm GMT on the 27th.

Ha! I'm glad my crystal amazon caught your pretender. Although you only did two mind hunts before, both of them were astonishingly disruptive.

Thanks very much for playing Digress, you've been an excellent sport, and a pleasure to play with as always. I await your revenge in a future game with trepidation.

[Alneyan]

Okay, I'm back in France, but my connection here is utter crap. I should be able to take my turns because it's a PBEM game, but no promises yet. In any event, I'd appreciate if the timer was kept on 48 hours until Jan 6; Quickhost and no timer shouldn't be necessary.

[Digress]

Ulm has misjudged our tenacity again (though probably for the last time).

We have defended the gates of Skavenblight successfully - and put various massed diseased Ulmish cripples to flight (literally). We continue to taunt you from the battlements whilst surveying the field of corpses that litter the surrounds - though in our damaged state it is quite a climb to get a good view of the carnage (a suprising number of gammy legs amongst our defenders, I have NO IDEA how that happened ).

We even find time to blow raspberries to Man They appear to be masters of defeating PD (PD we can no longer afford) - but our barrel scrapings we are forced to field as armies continue to be too tough for the "warriors" of Man .