Black Book 5: Attrition

[bluntblade]

Preface will be added here as soon as I or someone else writes it.

 

This book will set the stage for the First Solar War, as Icarion moves to grind out the last embers of Loyalist resistance in the territories he holds.

 

Iyacrax will be the main event here, but I'd like to throw in some other engagements, especially one solely concerning the Imperial Army and Solar Auxilia. Any suggestions for a third campaign are more than welcome.

[simison]

Are we including Ryza?

[bluntblade]

I'm inclined to leave canon Forge Worlds alone except for Mars, for fear of getting shown up like we were with Sarum. We've got a Loyalist BotL Forge World in the form of Samaria, but given that we'll have had Mars and Iyacrax recently with Hephaesta soon to come, I think we ought to consider alternatives.

[Doctor Perils]

Plus we had Nox. I agree that we should use locations that aren't Forge Worlds.

 

You had suggested exchanging Chalcea out from Subjugation as well - is that still on the cards?

 

I'd also spitballed the idea of a battle in a Space Hulk between Cypra Mundi elements and a Solar Auxilia regiment based on the Majapahit and Khmer empires (who eventually fall to the worship of Slaanesh), though whether that is of interest to everyone and to be placed in one of the black books is still up for debate

[Beren]

Sounds like an interesting enough idea to me.

[bluntblade]

Plus we had Nox. I agree that we should use locations that aren't Forge Worlds.

 

You had suggested exchanging Chalcea out from Subjugation as well - is that still on the cards?

 

I'd also spitballed the idea of a battle in a Space Hulk between Cypra Mundi elements and a Solar Auxilia regiment based on the Majapahit and Khmer empires (who eventually fall to the worship of Slaanesh), though whether that is of interest to everyone and to be placed in one of the black books is still up for debate

I don't recall that, but thematically I think Chalcea fits Subjugation to a T, especially if we're going to add the shattering of the Shepherds of Eden to that campaign.

 

I like the idea of it (is Cypra Mundi Loyalist or Insurrectionist in canon?)

[Doctor Perils]

Ok, I'm rather happy that you're keeping Chalcea in Subjugation :)

 

TBH, not sure if Cypra Mundi are loyal or traitor in the Heresy, but I was thinking that they could be one of those worlds that remain loyal until the formation of the Suzerainty (and they are a constant thorn in the side of the Warbringers, to whose Oneiron Cluster they are very close)

[bluntblade]

Has anyone got an idea for a world that massive Army forces would fight over?

[Doctor Perils]

Horritan, Grundun and Volpine have their own army regiments whose equipment comes from Iyacrax, so they could be of interest as a battleground?

[bluntblade]

I think they're already fighting on Iyacrax itself.

[TheBlindPrimarch]

Maybe a OU homeworld re-imagined? Caliban, without the Lion. A death world conquered, and developed with Hive Cities, and great industrial works. The knightly culture remained, so not only are they known for spitting out disciplined, and hardy IA regiments, they also have mounted "Knights" in carapace armor (Or better).

[Doctor Perils]

Well, perhaps a better way of looking at it would be what kind of theme are you looking for? Is this for another attrition-style battle (would be logical considering the name)? Could there be different kinds of attrition warfare from the kind of urban siege environment we're going for with Iyacrax? Perhpaps something trench like?

Or, perhaps a weird kind of mobile attrition warfare, fought over railways and the trains operating on them, in a kind of Snowpiercer way? Add in armoured trains as a concept, and you could get a little Doctor Zhivago on Vostroya (which is in the halo stars IIRC)

[bluntblade]

I was wondering about a fortified hive, with masses of concentric defences. Keen to make this a new world, whatever we do with it.

[Beren]

Perils' suggestion might be a good place for a regiment themed after the American Civil War Construction Corps, given that they did a lot of bridge construction for railroads over short time periods. Makeshift repairs to railways should become very impprtant in that environment.

 

Also, I reay like the concept of a massive railway war, possibly fought on multiple interlocking levels, in itself.

Edited September 19, 2019 by Beren

[Doctor Perils]

So, the name "Battle of Iyacrax" is confirmed (I'll try and go through the wiki replacing all references to "battle of the forge" later)

Are we confirming for this book then:
- Battle of Iyacrax (Warbringers and Morningstars vs. Iron Bears and (confirmation of poll results yet to come), with associated Mechanicum and Army elements)
- Battle in space Hulk between Cypra Mundi and Majapahit Solar Auxilia

- Tonnage war / war in the atlantic, ie a void-based attrition war, with potentially aforementionned Cypra Mundi and Majapahit Auxilia
- Battle at fortified hive (with concentric defenses, a bit like Minas Tirith XXL)

[bluntblade]

I'd have thought Godslayers would be a better fit than Morning Stars.

[Doctor Perils]

The results of the poll seemed to go fairly heavily to the Morningstars, though whether that was more to do with people wanting to see them in action or something else remains to be seen

https://www.strawpoll.me/18872360/r

[bluntblade]

Voted. I would really argue against putting the Shepherds on Iyacrax as it either comes right before or after Raktra smashes them on Aureus.

[bluntblade]

Further ideas/notes for the Hive battle.

 

- Conquest has a Hive-set battle, fought by the Sons of Horus's elite with the advantage of surprise and Titan support, in which their crushing victory still takes six days. So this makes a prolonged grind more plausible to me

- Said hive, not to mention Mezoa's forges in another book, hosts tank, Knight and Titan battles, so we have some scope for variety (not to mention the sheer volume of wreckage eventually retarding Insurrectionist efforts)

- Deployment of Mechanicum troops could make for a pretty effective means of denying certain areas to the attackers, or for the matter the defenders

- This would be a good chance to play with irregular, perhaps abhuman troops as well as things like repurposed and overridden industrial servitors like these

- An Insurrectionist victory could still come with consequences for the commander, emphasising that Icarion is fighting against time

- We ought to consider the world's climate beyond the city, as the attackers will be hunkered down there for the long haul

[bluntblade]

We could also benefit from using FW's trick of recurring regions, so our Atlantic could be bordering the Tayargund Reaches with the Loyalists preying on ships meant for Hatross, Therbia etc.

 

The Hive siege could likewise serve to stymie an advance on Yanatar, Tricendia or Seg. Solar.

Edited November 18, 2019 by bluntblade

[simison]

Sons of Horus?

[bluntblade]

Manachea, Sim

[simison]

Ah

[bluntblade]

Regarding the Atlantic In Space campaign, I suggest that we do the Retribution and use some of what we set up in Expansion for this battle. So the Insurrectionist shipping would be for Hatross, Commena etc.

 

I'd argue for the Loyalists being a collection of armies which were severely damaged elsewhere, with Solar Auxilia as their core.

 

And there's another ingredient I'm interested in throwing in... one Intana Yonez, Rogue Trader. Sim introduced this "notorious" figure in a Harbingers exemplary battle, and in all honesty it'd be nice to show something of why he's infamous. I mean, I'd like to add a Rogue Trader to the mix anyway - if Yonez is too clearly taken from elsewhere to be more than a reference, I'm happy to make up a new one.

Edited November 22, 2019 by bluntblade

[simison]

Yonez is a fine addition.