Book 2 – Page 95

[DevilDan]

It's glorious, of course. And not just because finally something is almost happening.

Whoa, is an overlord's signamancy already showing on Tramennis?

[bladestorm]

Ace will probably make a "save cubbins and I'll do whatever you want" offer..

That's prolly adding fuel to someone's fanfic, though I figured Ace as more of a top than a sub.

[0beron]

Ace will probably make a "save Cubbins and I'll do whatever you want" offer..

That's prolly adding fuel to someone's fanfic, though I figured Ace as more of a top than a sub.

That'd be my fanfic lol (well, there may be others who feel it too), however the guy's "role" doesn't much influence whether he'd make the kind of deal mentioned, love is love.
EDIT: I should also point out that romance of a fanfic level isn't necessarily required here either. Love comes in many levels and kinds, even a friendly kind of love could drive him to make that kind of offer.

[name lips]

Trem is looking VERY kingly. He looks surprisingly good -- surprisingly regal -- in that crown.

Question: Trem has the real crown, why not let Fakely wear the duplicate one?

Anticipation: Parson having his very own Dollamancer and Hatamancer to play with.

[bladestorm]

Trem is looking VERY kingly. He looks surprisingly good -- surprisingly regal -- in that crown.

Question: Trem has the real crown, why not let Fakely wear the duplicate one?

Anticipation: Parson having his very own Dollamancer and Hatamancer to play with.

Even the duplicate was enhanced. the odds of survival are slim, so that would mean a huge chance that you'd be giving that item to the enemy. Even if it will autodest at the start of the next turn, it is not something you want the enemy playing with.

They are pretty much accepting that Spacerock will fall. Clonely is making a final sacrifice to give Tram enough cover as he escapes to the city of Jetstone, which Clonely is going to make the new capitol. They should have cleared out anything that could potentially give the enemy any benefit, such as scrolls, magickal items, casters, gems, rations, etc. It'd also be a good idea to raze as much of the city as possible to make as difficult as possible for your enemy to move in and claim the city with any value in it.

[ftl]

On a note completely unrelated to anything going on in the comic at the moment - in the MK there needs to be a master-class Mathamancer named Nate. Who's so good at it people think he's a Predictamancer.

Just sayin'.

[bladestorm]

On a note completely unrelated to anything going on in the comic at the moment - in the MK there needs to be a master-class Mathamancer named Nate. Who's so good at it people think he's a Predictamancer.

Just sayin'.

Lemme guess, dressed in silver, with silver hair.

[name lips]

They should have cleared out anything that could potentially give the enemy any benefit, such as scrolls, magickal items, casters, gems, rations, etc. It'd also be a good idea to raze as much of the city as possible to make as difficult as possible for your enemy to move in and claim the city with any value in it.

Yes, they really should have... I'm surprised he allowed Ace to join the offensive. Sure, he has a strong attachment to Cubbins and wants to rescue him, but if the city is going to fall anyway, that's not just one caster but TWO that the opponent might capture.

[MarbitChow]

Yes, they really should have... I'm surprised he allowed Ace to join the offensive. Sure, he has a strong attachment to Cubbins and wants to rescue him, but if the city is going to fall anyway, that's not just one caster but TWO that the opponent might capture.

Clonely's acting emotionally, though, and trying to atone for all his regrets in his final day. He regrets not giving Ace a chance to shine on his own instead of attempting to shoehorn him into his previous notion of what a dollamancer is. His main concern is the preservation of the side. Having assured that, he's free to make decisions to satisfy his own desires, and he honestly isn't looking past the end of the turn. I doubt most rulers would assume that the kingdom would stand or fall based on a single unit, even a caster, so he indulges himself and lets Ace come with.

[DevilDan]

Marbitchow, I agree. He had so long punished Ace for not being Holly, and now — particularly after seeing his accessories' worth — rewards Ace accordingly. Slately's clone isn't necessarily a tactical genius just because he's seeing the error of his ways and is still emotional — notice the obvious corrections to his plan — but he's learning, if nearly too late.

[gameboy1234]

P.S. Gameboy1234, it wasn't 30,000 pairs of matching manacles, it was 1500 pairs. So they have that plus however many heavies Ace is leading, but some are leaving with Trammenis.

Ack, thanks for the correction. Still, 1500 seems like a lot of troops vs. what Parson will have in the dungeon/portal room. Plus as you mention, I don't think 1500 includes the cloth golems, and now they have Ace's bonus and healing too.

Well, Parson will have some dwagons, but not if L. Sylvia sets everything on fire.

[Lamech]

P.S. Gameboy1234, it wasn't 30,000 pairs of matching manacles, it was 1500 pairs. So they have that plus however many heavies Ace is leading, but some are leaving with Trammenis.

Ack, thanks for the correction. Still, 1500 seems like a lot of troops vs. what Parson will have in the dungeon/portal room. Plus as you mention, I don't think 1500 includes the cloth golems, and now they have Ace's bonus and healing too.

Well, Parson will have some dwagons, but not if L. Sylvia sets everything on fire.

Actually we can estimate Parson's forces by simple subtraction. We see here that there are 6000ish members of Jetstone out in the field. Now the city has 1500, minus whatever was headed out of the city. All units that had been croaked before Wanda left had been decrypted. The only other forces that croaked were Artemis's knights, the sentries (which weren't in the 6000 to start) and the peeps in the tower (most who I suspect had the brainpower to escape).

Jetstone is currently outnumbered 3 (minusa little in the tower) to 1 and may not even have better leadership. Those cloth golems are nice, but GK has dwagons. Which is better being tough and having lots of health, or being tough, having lots of health setting the whole place on fire, blasting through walls and gassing entire stacks.

It occurs to me that there is going to be fire in the way of getting into the garrison now.

[gameboy1234]

Hmm, yes and fire can't be good for cloth golems. I guess this means that Charlie does have some sort of surprise. But he'll likely need help from ground forces, since he can't land (or use attacks) off-turn.

[Lamech]

Hmm, yes and fire can't be good for cloth golems. I guess this means that Charlie does have some sort of surprise. But he'll likely need help from ground forces, since he can't land (or use attacks) off-turn.

Charlie goes before GK. Of course, Parson will likely shenanigan his way out of the trap but still. Charlie doesn't seem to learn...

Charlie: Damn, I'm in trouble. I'll lay a trap which relies on Parson sitting around and not escaping!
Parson: I escape from the trap.
Charlie: Damn, I'm in trouble. I'll lay a trap which relies on Parson sitting around and not escaping!

[effataigus]

Actually we can estimate Parson's forces by simple subtraction. We see here that there are 6000ish members of Jetstone out in the field. Now the city has 1500, minus whatever was headed out of the city. All units that had been croaked before Wanda left had been decrypted. The only other forces that croaked were Artemis's knights, the sentries (which weren't in the 6000 to start) and the peeps in the tower (most who I suspect had the brainpower to escape).

Jetstone is currently outnumbered 3 (minusa little in the tower) to 1 and may not even have better leadership. Those cloth golems are nice, but GK has dwagons. Which is better being tough and having lots of health, or being tough, having lots of health setting the whole place on fire, blasting through walls and gassing entire stacks.

It occurs to me that there is going to be fire in the way of getting into the garrison now.

Looks to me like you're assuming that GK had zero losses in all that killin. We know they lost some to the courtyard battle, the dungeon invasion, and Artemis' strike.

I'm not sure what the relative forces are, but looks to me that GK is outnumbered in the recent update, even if you credit in the pockets of troops we can't see. Anyway, we can probably agree that the big factors here are whether Wanda is around to reanimate and exactly what will happen as a result of Syliva's "plan."

For the record, I think Sylvia's plan is actually kinda a super idea if you work under the assumption that the casters aren't coming back... which from her perspective, probably seems safe by now. I mean, really... what could be taking them so long

[Oberon]

Looks to me like you're assuming that GK had zero losses in all that killin. We know they lost some to the courtyard battle, the dungeon invasion, and Artemis' strike.

Yes, but they both mitigated some of those losses by decrypting formerly live GK units, and they gained some former JS units as well. They gained a pile of units whilst taking the portal room (if that was the classic combat where each panel the front rank of the JS side would be the front rank of the GK side in the next panel), plus Archer and who knows how many other former JS forces in the courtyard. Hell, Artimis was eligible for decrypting as well, although I'd expect a warlord's decryption to be on-panel.

I'm not sure what the relative forces are, but looks to me that GK is outnumbered in the recent update, even if you credit in the pockets of troops we can't see. Anyway, we can probably agree that the big factors here are whether Wanda is around to reanimate and exactly what will happen as a result of Syliva's "plan."

Agreed and agreed. My gut feel is that GK is still outnumbered, and really needs Wanda there for decrypting. As for the fire? Well, we shall see. It could help GK or it could help Jetstone. Being pinned under rubble isn't a very advantageous place to be when the house is on fire...

Plus as you mention, I don't think 1500 includes the cloth golems [...]

That's an interesting point you raise. Would a doll be shackled? Would a siege engine? Would a dwagon or unipegitaur or spidew or bat or megalogwiff?

[the_tick_rules]

I dunno if they'd be shackled but they would be incapacitated in some fashion.

[Smoker]

naww, I just had a mental image of little "tweety-bird" birdcages popping around all the doombats, caging them in midair.

[Lamech]

Looks to me like you're assuming that GK had zero losses in all that killin. We know they lost some to the courtyard battle, the dungeon invasion, and Artemis' strike.

The decryption happened at the end of the courtyard battle, there was no leveling on the Jetstone side during the dungeon battle, and Artemis slew only dwagons, and a single knight (who was never Jetstone to begin with). I think they lost at least one guy in the dungeon fight, and probably a few more injuries, but it was really lopsided.

The bigger flaws in the estimate are actually croaked Jetstonians who never got back up. All the archers atop the tower, and Artemis's slain knights all subtract from the GK side. OTOH, not all Jetstone units are entering the fray (note the column marching away?) I still suspect they are outnumbered and outgunned, otherwise I don't think the pessimism would be as great.

[Shai_hulud]

Art note: Jetpack has no magic "flame" shooting out while Trem is flying.