Matches against keeper balticbadger's Fort Knoxode
Fort Knoxode is our second straight-up "turtle" strategy. Unlike apshamilton, balticbadger has left his Archeon Class Military Frigate in orbit. For some reason, he didn't fill all his cargo slots (unwise) but that is fortunate because I am adding the necessary dropship and don't have to decide what to remove. I've also used his last cargo slot to add a Multipurpose Prefab for the Federal Database to be set up in.
balticbadger
Captain balticbadger's grabber has the unique strategy of trying to sucker the keeper into accepting a visit from a friendly civilian party -- including a Programmed Transactor suicide bomber. Unfortunately, balticbadger's keeper gives absolutely no mention of defending against this potential strategy. As there are two reasonably plausible scenarios, the narrative (temporarily) splits here to handle each possibility.The Lieutenant doesn't fall for the ploy
Despite the Propaganda Specialist, Nuclear Family and desperate pleas that woman and children will die if the Amarasia isn't allowed to land, the Navy Lieutenant has no inclination to restart the shield charging process. He states that he doubts that the Amarasia is so poorly provisioned that anyone will die in the two or three days that he anticipates leaving the shield up. He then signs off and all of the grabber's subsequent hails are ignored.Despite the fact that the Orbital Shield is only beginning to power up, the Amarasia has no weapons to take it down. The Syndicate Hacker, however, expects to make quick work of it, as that is what typically happens during pirate raids upon planets (defenders just can't keep up with the Criminal's and Syndicate's programmer armies -- especially considering programming god Sh4rken). The grabber waits until the Archeon Frigate is in a bad position to intervene and the Hacker starts hacking.
Surprisingly, however, there is a lightning-fast defender who successfully thwarts everything that the Hacker attempts. Things start getting tense as the Frigate moves to intervene. Fortunately, the grabber has a Mysterious AI as one of its passengers. When it is brought in to help, it quickly informs the Hacker that it is another Mysterious AI which was successfully blocking him. Together, however, the grabber's AI and Hacker are able to overwhelm the keeper AI and drop the shield.
The grabber's Propaganda Specialist has been constantly babbling "Sorry! Sorry! We have no choice. We really have to land." Just after the shield falls, the Navy Lieutenant tells the Amarasia in no uncertain terms where they will land (a continent away from the keeper base) if they wish to survive their trip through the atmosphere. He also states that if any of the Amarasia's personnel or equipment leave that continent, the entire Amarasia contingent will be hunted down and destroyed. Given the closing speed of the Frigate and the situation, the grabber really has no choice except to act as instructed.
The Lieutenant falls for the ploy (sort of)
The grabber's Propaganda Specialist successfully appeals to the Navy Lieutenant's best nature with his pleas. The shield isn't powered enough that it will really stop anything with weapons and it has only been charging a few hours. The Navy Lieutenant really doesn't see any harm in allowing the Amarasia to land -- as long as it does so on another continent and the entire Amarasia contingent stays there until the Federal Database is successfully accessed. As a result, the shield is dropped and the Frigate escorts the Amarasia far enough down that it has no option but to land where instructed.Either way
The Amarasia has been forced to land on another continent and is being watched closely until the Federal Database is accessed. The grabber has no real way to approach the keeper in force much less by surprise. While it takes almost five full days after the Amarasia arrives to hack the Federal Database because no keeper resources are 100% dedicated to it, that length of time is entirely irrelevant in this case.Score: Balticbadger keeper 100%; Balticbadger grabber 0%
blockmonster
Captain blockmonster opted for a flexible but fairly standard assault strategy with a fully packed Drachian Mantis. It is quickly ascertained that Captain baltic badger has fortified one location but that his Archeon Frigate is still in a low orbit specifically chosen to use very little fuel. Despite blockmonster's specific orders to wait until any defending ship has landed, the crew quickly realizes that the Archeon can easily stay in orbit for as long as it takes to access the Federal Database and they opt to disobey orders (10% win penalty, however).The Drachian Mantis's Turrets are not a great match-up against the Archeon's Missiles and Side Turrets despite Mantises generally being of higher quality. Therefore, waiting until the Frigate is in a bad position to intervene, blockmonster's Mantis goes after the shield. Because of the fact that the Orbital Shield is only beginning to power up, the Mantis's weapons quickly breach it. Blockmonster then lands the Mantis and starts assembling everything -- sending out Friendly Eyes to scout as soon as they are ready.
Blockmonster's orders specifically mention that "If the other team goes with an entrenched defense, then "the crew "will need to be ready for a siege situation." This is a dangerous decision if the keeper is set up to access the Federal Database quickly. Fortunately, the crew has also been ordered to soften up the defenses and are smart enough to realize that time is of the essence.
The battle starts with blockmonster's two Velvet Storms dropping chaff and standing off at maximum distance while using missiles to take out the Automatic Turret. At the same time, Blockmonster's two Vanguards engage balticbadger's single Vanguard and eventually destroy it -- but not before the Defensive Bunker's AT Neutron Gun destroys one and badly damages the other. The Mysterious AIs battle it out for SRT supremacy and balticbadger's Radar Specialist swings the balance. One of the Velvet Storms is badly damaged and, while it lands safely, it is unusable. The first scrimmage ends with blockmonster's remaining Velvet Storm and a damaged Vanguard facing off against a damaged Defensive Bunker.
The second skirmish is quick and bloody. The Velvet Storm and the Vanguard are rendered inoperable at the same time they bestow the same fate on the Defensive Turret with the aid of blockmonster's four(!!) Kilbots. Blockmonster's crew prepares to attack the Underground Construction.
Blockmonster's Kilbots, Alana Vos, Shen, Rebel General and second Federal Marshal outgun balticbadger's crew heavily enough that they are actually able to take prisoners instead of killing everyone. Once again, a fully loaded Drachian Mantis's personnel contingent outmatches that of the keeper's ship.
The two Federal Marshals, escorted by the Kilbots, are just entering the Multipurpose Prefab housing the Federal Database when
KABOOM!!!
A rigged Programmed Transactor blows itself and the Federal Database to smithereens, killing the Space Federal Marshal and badly injuring Alana Vos. Shen saves Alana's life but she has a slow recovery due to blockmonster's choice of excessive weaponry over a Medical Bay.The Secret Datacore is only partially damaged and some fraction of the data will be able to be recovered. Exercising her powers as a Federal Marshall, an exceedingly irate Alana tries, convicts and hangs the prisoners for the premeditated murder of a Federal Marshal. When the Archeon lands, the crew swears that they had no idea about the plan with the Transactor and, fortunately, Alana has cooled off somewhat. They are merely jailed rather than executed.
Score: Balticbadger -50%; Blockmonster 40%
digital-wisdom
Captain digital-wisdom has the strategy of keeping the defender moving wherever possible. He also has a fully packed Drachian Mantis. It is quickly ascertained that Captain balticbadger has fortified one location but that his Archeon Frigate is still in a low orbit specifically chosen to use very little fuel.The Drachian Mantis's Turrets are not a great match-up against the Archeon's Missiles and Side Turrets despite Mantises generally being of higher quality. Therefore, waiting until the Frigate is in a bad position to intervene, digital-wisdom's Mantis goes after the shield. Because of the fact that the Orbital Shield is only beginning to power up, the Mantis's weapons quickly breach it.
Once again waiting until the Frigate is in a bad position to intervene, digital-wisdom uses two Exploration Dropships to land 3 Velvet Storms in two different locations on the opposite side of the planet from balticbadger's base. Once the Velvet Storms are assembled, they assist the Mantis in going after the Archeon. With three missile-armed opponents in addition to the Mantis, the Archeon doesn't like the odds and lands near balticbadger's fortified base.
Digital-wisdom then lands 3 Vanguards, 3 Kilbots, an AA/AT turret, 600 energy and all personnel except for Admiral Valro and Tyron who remain upon the orbiting Mantis. Once everything is assembled, the three Velvet Storms drop chaff and stand off at maximum distance while using missiles to take out the Automatic Turret, Defensive Bunker and the Vanguard with the eventual aid of the Vanguards and Kilbots when they alone don't have enough missiles to finish the job. The Mysterious AIs battle it out for SRT supremacy while digital-wisdom's Secret Agent's SRT advantages cancel or slightly overmatch those of balticbadger's Radar Specialist. As a reult, the Storms' ECM suites are effective at the combat range of the engagement.
Once again, a fully loaded Drachian Mantis's personnel contingent outmatches that of the keeper's ship and digital-wisdoms KB-119 Kilbots and other personnel outgun balticbadger's crew heavily enough that they are actually able to take prisoners instead of killing everyone. Ayumi and the Rebel General, escorted by the Kilbots, are just entering the Multipurpose Prefab housing the Federal Database when
KABOOM!!!
A rigged Programmed Transactor blows itself and the Federal Database to smithereens, killing them both. The Kumicho goes berserk and slaughters the prisoners before Alana Vos can intervene. The Syndicate Chip quickly convinces Alana that The Kumicho's argument that they were guilty of premeditated murder is a valid one. The Secret Datacore is only partially damaged and some fraction of the data will be able to be recovered. When the Archeon lands, the crew swears that they had no idea about the plan with the Transactor and Alana jails rather than executing them.Score: Balticbadger -50%; Digital-wisdom 50%
slabakbg
Captain slabakbg's strategy is pretty straight-forward relying upon synergies to advance a Stealthy and/or Hacker-y approach as appropriate. It is quickly ascertained that Captain balticbadger has fortified one location but that his Archeon Frigate is still in a low orbit specifically chosen to use very little fuel.The Quantum's Quality Level 9 Guns, Turrets and Turbospeed are a relatively good match against the Archeon's Quality 6 Missiles and Side Turrets. The Quantum darts in and out, evading most missiles and using it's guns and turrets on the rest. Once the Archeon runs out of missiles, it decides that discretion is the better part of valor and allows itself to be forced to land -- although it does so near balticbadger's fortified base.
Captain slabakbg's Quantum lands somewhat nearby, but not too close, and assembles his prefabs. Unfortunately, despite having well-prepared personnel, he appears to have brought a knife to a gunfight. He has no Velvet Storms, Vanguards or even KB-119 Kilbots. With a Defensive Bunker and Underground Construction, he has exactly what he needs to defend against any forays by balticbadger, but the keeper doesn't seem inclined to make any.
Slabakbg's crew looks at balticbadger's Defensive Bunker, Vanguard and roving Security Drone and realizes that there is no way to sneak up on such a set-up. This is perhaps a good thing for Sh4rken as he is likely, despite all his godlike skills, to be embarassed by the defending Mysterious AI. While it takes almost five full days after the Quantum arrives to hack the Federal Database because no keeper resources are 100% dedicated to it, that length of time is entirely irrelevant in this case.
Score: Balticbadger 100%; Slabakbg 0%
Recap
Captain balticbadger ends up in serious contention for last place with a score of 25%. His build wasn't terrible by any means -- but that is certainly not true of his decision to blow up the Federal Database if he was going to lose.Captain blockmonster, meanwhile, breaks from the pack and establishes a surmountable 5% lead in the contest to become the best grabber.
Current Standings
| balticbadger | blockmonster | digital-wisdom | slabakbg | KEEPER TOTAL | |
| apshamilton | 100/0 | 100/0 | 0/100 | 100/0 | 75% |
| balticbadger | 100/0 | -50/40 | -50/50 | 100/0 | 25% |
| blockmonster 1 | |||||
| blockmonster 2 | |||||
| digital-wisdom | |||||
| proto26 | |||||
| raudell | |||||
| slabakbg | |||||
| GRABBER TOTAL | 0% | 5% | 18.75% | 0% |