Rendezvous Coordinates transferred.Acknowledge.Copy Coordinates. Descent approved. Surface Landing ETA 15 Minutes. Entry Method: 80% Freefall, 20% Controlled Touchdown. Immediate Liftoff Upon Boarding.Acknowledged. Adjusting Formations For Entry Shockwave And Atmospheric Disturbance.Entering Freefall At ... ... ... Mark.Copy.Alert Class-I! Multiple Terrestrial Vibrations Detected. 85% Match; Heavy Grade Conventional Or Nuclear Missiles.Confirmed... Detecting 23 Incoming Projectiles.Evasive Descent Alterations Approved. Initiating... Successful Evasion Estimated At... 19% Probability. Advise Evacuation of rendezvous + 7 Click Radius.All Units Seek Shelter In Fortress Obsidian.6 Impacts {Nuclear Detonations. Telemetry Control... LOST. Engine Containment... UNABLE TO MAINTAIN. Intolerable Radiation Expected At Crash Point + 60 Click Radius. Advise Bunker Level III Protection Minimum. Estimated Onset... 20 Minutes. Estimated Dispertion time... 60 Terrestrial Annums.Acknowledged. Command Nexus Informed.Uncontrolled Terrestrial Impact... 1.3 Minutes.OurTimeIsDone/AbsolvusIsNigh/OurServiceComplete/SingOurElegy/DanceInOurWake/CarryOnTheTask/UntilTheFinalDawn.Imp ct.Repeat; Impact.Irradtion Rising. Functioning Units Rally To Fortress Obsidian.

* * *Irradiation Levels Critical. Fortress Obsidian Sealing. Remaining Surface Units; Prepare For Departure.Message From Command.Objectives Redesignation Follows;Regrouping With Astral Battle Group Eumenidies Is Aborted. The Affront Of This Assault Is Unacceptable. Were Our Conveyance From This Rock Still Extant, We Could Not Depart. This Insult Must Be Punished With Severity.Units Numbered 2 Through 0, Prepare To Power Down For Full Stasis. Fortress Obsidian Will Remain Sealed Until Radiation From The Furies’Hate Diminishes To Acceptable Levels.When the Radiation Clears, Our Purpose Will Be Two: •Locate All Possible Suspects. •Terminate Them.Upon Completion Of This Task, Objectives Will Be Re-Evaluated. The Cause Will Prevail.

GroundControl.Mobius :

Cruiser.Furies’Hate.Telemetry :

GroundControl.Mobius :

Cruiser.Furies’Hate.Telemetry :GroundControl.Mobius :

Ground.Observation.LocusGamma :

Cruiser.Furies’Hate.Scanning :Cruiser.Furies’Hate.Telemetry :

GroundControl.Mobius :Cruiser.Furies’Hate.DamageControl :

GroundControl.Mobius :Cruiser.Furies’Hate.Telemetry :

Cruiser.Furies’Hate.CommandMatrix :

G ou\dCon r•l.M bius :GroundControl.Mobius :GroundControl.Mobius :

GroundControl.Mobius :

GroundControl.Mobius :CommandNexus.Maledictus :

Fortress Obsidian

Furies’HateCrash Point

Alhpa

Free MutantStronghold

Empire Of Men Stronghold

Xenopod Stronghold

Furies’HateCrash Point

BETA

Fortress.Obsidian.ControlMatrixOne :

Radiation Levels Stabilized Within Tolerable Range, Recorded Duration: 10 Days. Primary Generators Degraded To 3% Functional Capacity. Minimal Revivification Mandated Until Additional Resources Acquired.

Gates Unsealed. Moment Designated Chronological Node 1.0

Chrononodes 1-6: Surveyance

Absence Of Organized Military Forces In This Region Has Led To An Abundance Of Low-Intelligence, Hostile Organisms, InSpite Of Excessive Radiation.

Records Indicate Near Complete Absence Of Resources In This Region. Static Organism’s Holdings Are To Be Scouted And Undisturbed, Barring Valuable Discoveries In The Sector.

Wreckage From The Furies’Hate Noted To The Northwest. Immediate Occupation And Utilization Planned.

Chrononode 7: Contact

Organized Military Unit Of Mutant Ravagers Sighted Poking Among The Ruins To The Northwest. Caution Advised.

Chrononode 8: Opening Hostilities

ALERT! Ravagers Unit Has Penetrated The Mandated Security Perimeter And Sighted Fortress Obsidian! Automat Proteus Unit Dispatched To Engage.

Proteus Damages And Drives The Ravagers Back. After Skirmishing, The Mutant Ravagers Withdraw.

Chrononode 10: The Beginning

Maledictus Assumes Personal Command Of Proteus Corp. Group Redisgnated As Unit ‘Ravenous’.

Chrononode 11: Injustices

Maledictus Leads An Assault, Purging The Crater Of Its Red Zombie Infestation. Furies’Hate Crash Point Alpha Liberated.

( Ravenous Kill Count : 2 )

ALERT!!! Spider Recon Element Discovers Mutant Stronghold 7 Clicks To The Northwest!

Statement From Command Pending...

Command.Maledictus:

Discovered Existence Of An Established Mutant Stronghold Within 4 Clicks Of The Furies’Hate Proves Indisuptable Intent To Salvage The Wreck.

Mutant Rights To The Crash Site Are Nil.

Mutant Intentions Judged Injustifeable.

Extermination Ordered For Their Transgression.

Observed Mutant Garrison:

Legonionites Hordelings Mauler

Tactical Analysis:

Fortifications [Particul arly Noting Unit ‘Mauler ’ ] Determined Impenetrable By Currently Available Assault Unit.

Elelected Strategy: Engage Advancing Units In Field, Entrapping Mutant Forces To Stronghold And Perimeter.

Chrononode 13: Simmering

Itinerant Engineer Drake Observed Joining Mutants For Salvage Rights. Ravenous Dispatched To Assault Drake, But Stumbles Upon Ravager Unit ‘Fangs’. Ravager Is Wounded Once More Before Recon Unit Fangs Flees North.

Tactical Analysis Continues:

Administrator Primus Extends Our Supply Lines To 1 Click Distant Of The Mutant Stronghold. Comparable Mutant Supply Situation Judged Unlikely. Alert Status Of Fortress Obsidian Downgraded.

Chrononode 15: Bolstering

Crashed Aircraft To The East Discovered With Advanced Weapon Systems Still Intact. MCV-XI Burster Salvaged, Transported, And Installed Upon Ravenous Automat Unit Proteus.

ChrononodeS 16-17: Development

The Crater Is Developed With A Nexus, Conflict Node, And Resource Collectors. Garrisoned With Scourge Platoon.

Crater Collections: 3 Materials, 2 Energy, 2 Technology

Total Collections: 6 Materials, 4 Energy, 3 Technology

Chrononodes 18-23: The Hurricane

Ravenous Catches And Eliminates Ravager Unit ‘Fangs’.

Illegal Salvager Drake With His Mechanical Sentinels Are Observed Blundering Out of Supply Range and Massacred. Drake escapes.

Outbound Salvage Team Spotted, Intercepted, And Killed.

Howler Den Is Purged From The Wreckage Of The Furies’Hate

And Ravenous Proceeds To Burn Out The Mutant Resource Collectors.

( Ravenous Kill Count : 10 )

Battle Group Ravenous Reinforced With A Hydra And Zombie Launcher.

Chrononode 22: The Unworthy

ALERT!!! Sabotage Attempt By Unknown Agents Upon The Crater’s Nexus! Facility Damaged!

Upon Observation, The Infiltrator Flees To The Northeast... Straight Into A Passing Spider Recon Element. Agent Apprehended.

Initial Interrogation:

C a p t u r e d S a b o t e u r I d e n t i f i e d A s H u m a n Agent ‘Mata Boyd’.

S u b j e c t W i l l i n g l y Divulges Allegiance To ‘The Empire Of Men’.

Pre-Stasis Intelligence Indicated Low, But Rising Hum an C apabil it y And Resources At The Time Of The Destruction Of The Furies ’Hate . C aptured Subject’s Age Insufficient To Be Extant At The Event.

Subject Refuses FurtherCooperation. Known Effective Torture Techniques Will BeApplied To Secure Further Intelligence.

Command.Maledictus:

The So Called Empire Of Men Has, At First Contact, Has Already Demonstrated Their Unworthiness.

Remaining Humans Are Officially Designated As Suspects In The Destruction Of The Furies’Hate. Termination Is Hereby Ordered.

Chrononodes 24-30: The Eternal Tide

Ravenous Estalbishes A Nexus In The Crashed Factory Pod Of The Furies’Hate And A Garrison Is Established.

Damning Themselves Further, The Mutants Launch A Continuous Campaign Of Attacks To Try And Steal The Wreckage Site Of The Furies’Hate.

Ravenous And The Newly Reanimated Wraith Fighter In Course Engage Pax And A Tyranicus, Zentarads, A Salvage Team, Mutant Battle Group Pincers, And Drake’s Expedition (Now Reinforced).

( Ravenous Kill Count : 15 )

To End The Onslaught, Maledictus Leads Battle Group Ravenous In A Direct Charge For The Mutant Stronghold, Disregarding The Garrison’s Superior Strength...

Chrononode 30: The Last Chance And Days Of Blood

Ravenous Crashes Through The Gate Of The Mutant Stronghold, Finding The Garrison Has Been Cannibalised To Launch Attacks. Unwise...

Plasmid Is Worthless Against The Likes Of Maledictus, But The Remaining Mauler Is Far More P o w er f ul T h a n A n y Un i t Of Ravenous.

E xcept It C annot Resist The Zombie Launcher’s Barrage.

With Superior Fate And Tactics, T h e M a u l e r I s T h r e e T i m e s Shocked By The Launcher And Burnt Away By The Advanced Burster Cannon Of The Proteus. R a v e n o u s C a p t u r e s T h e Stronghold Unharmed.

( Ravenous Kill Count : 16 )

In T h e C onq ue s t, P l asm i d I s Killed, But The Salvager Drake Escapes And Is Not Located In The R e g i o n . D e t a i n m e n t A n d Execution Ordered Upon Further Contact; Otherwise The Vagrant Is No Longer To Be Pursued.

Communication From Maledictus:

Command.Maledictus:

Mutant Stronghold Redesignated ‘Fort Subjugation’.

When We Have Consumned Their Value And Secured T h e R e g i on , A l l R e m a i n i n g M u ta n t s W i l l Be Terminated.

Now We Must Carry On With Our Search To The Northeast. The Perpetrators Must Be Found And The Humans Must Be Taken And Controlled.

Chrononodes 31-36: The Gathering

The Only Contact With Alien Forces Are Occasional Recon Units Far Out Of Supply Range. They Are Easily Dealt With.

W i t h N o O r g a n i z e d Resistance, All Resources In The Southwest Are Ours. Ravenous Burns T h e D e f e n d e r s a n d O c c u p i e s T h e J i n g a T o w e r O f T h e A l i e n Junkyard.(Ravenous Kill Count : 18)

T h e R u i n s Of T h e S o Called ‘Freeway Of Death’ Are Also Occupied.

T h e J i n g a T o w e r I s Converted To A Research Station Organized By P r i m u s A n d R u n B y Eruditus.

The Crater Is Host To An Academy, Overseen By Tyranicus.

Complete Collection Maximization Produces:

Humans: 1 per turn - Materials: 10 per turn Energy: 7 per turn - Technology: 8 per turn +6 Action Points per Turn

Expansion To The Northeast Is Ordered, Location Selected In The Midst Of The Southernmost Moutain Range.

Chrononodes 37-39: The Hydra Emerges

Ravenous Establishes The Mountain Terminus ‘Hunter’s Aviary’ And Recon Elements Sweep Out Across Expanded Supply Ranges.

Immediately, There Is Contact.

Command.Maledictus:

Warning - All Units! Xenopod Fortresses And Battle Groups Discovered!

The Cause MUST Take Precedence. What Little Value This Burned Planet Has Left Cannot Be Permitted To The ENEMY.

Retribution Towards Humans Priority Downgraded Until Every Last Xenogyte Is Burned To Ashes.

Recon Elements Observe That Southwestern Xenopod Stronghold Is a Captured Human Firebase.

Complications From Human Proximity May Be Imminent.

Chrononodes 40-47: The Burning Twister

After The Xenocepter Unsuccessfully Deters The Wraith, A Trap Is Set. The Apparition Makes An I m p r o b a b l e B o m b i n g Attempt.

Xenocepter Dispatched To Intercept.

Churning Through All T h e i r Fat e A n d S e v e n T a c t i c s C a r d s , T h e A p p a r i t i o n C u t s T h e Xenocepter Out Of The Sky.

T h e M a c h i n e ’ s A i r Superiority Is Never To Be Challenged Again.

Ravenous Defends The Aviary While The Wraith Burns Encroaching Units. Eight More Airstrikes Are Flown Against Recon Elements And Light Assault Units As The Terminus Is Garrisoned.

( Ravenous Kill Count : 20 )

In Preparation For The Assaults, Vindictus Is Dispatched For Intelligence Gathering.

Success Is Total.

Xenopods Hold A Mere Three Fortresses.

Their Information Stolen, V i n d i c t u s M o v e s O n , A c h i e v i n g C o m p l e t e Intelligence Theft From The Nearby Human Camp.

Air Conflicts With The Xenopods Begin.Immediately.

All Targets Are Now Located.

Chrononode 48: The Colussus Rises

A Human Army Descends From The North, Occupying The Nearby Mecha Design Lab.

Reconnaisance Has Identified The Unit As ‘Aska’s Aces’, And Estimates That Is A Veteran Battle Group.

TacticalAnalysis:

The Infantry And Armor Are Comparable Units To Those Of Battle Group Ravenous, But The Harbinger And Vengeance Mechas Outclass All Available Forces.

Even With Available Reinforcement Units, Ravenous Is Inadequate To Challenge, Or Possibly Even Withstand Battle With Aska’s Aces.

It Is Argued That The Humans May Intend To Reclaim Their Lost Firebase Prior To Attacking The Aviary, But The Risk Is Unacceptable.

While Maledictus Demands Additional Units, Primus And Eruditus Propose An Alternative Solution...

Chrononode 49: Eternity’s Wrath

Recon Spiders Sweep In To Confirm The Suspected: There Are No Survivors.

The Mecha Design Lab Is Also Destroyed Entirely.

Patrols Noted The Design L ab Armory Was Empt y. Harbinger Mechas May Still Be In Service.

T o Be t t er P r epa r e F or S i m i l a r E n c o u n t e r s Maledictus ’ Request Is Granted:

R av e n o u s I s P r o v i d e d Three Additional Units. Another Proteus, A Styxx Automecha, And Scourge Platoon Equipped With Flamers.

Tyranicus And The Academy Prepare To Give Eruditus Their Full Support To The Effort, But It Is Quickly Evident That Aid Is Unnecessary.

The Graviton Missile Is Constructed And Delivered To The Aviary Without Any Complication. It Is Launched And Arrives At The Target Without Interference.

Maledictus Comments On The Ease Of The Endeavor, Offering ‘Today, Death Flies As A Silk Banner.’

Chrononodes 53-57: Downfall

Recon Elements Observe Xenopod Defenses To Be Numerous, But Badly Organized And Greatly Understrength. Tyranicus Suggests The Humans Have Wrought Great Damage To The Eternal Foe In Our Absence.

The Higher Strength Ravenous Sweeps In, Accompanied By Arachnia’s Hunter Killer Unit To Take Prisoners Once Overrun.

No Significant Resistance Is Encountered.( Ravenous Kill Count : 25 )

The Core Of The Remaining Xenopod Leadership Is Taken. W i t h T h ei r F or c e s In S u c h Pat h e t i c Di s a r r ay, T h e Intelligence They Can Provide Must Surely Be Worthless. Still, Arachnia Assures, The Interrogation Will Be A Delight.

Human Agent ‘Valentine Kusanagi’ Is Also Taken In The Round Up, Sabotaging The Xenopod HQ As It Fell.

-Acquired Prisoners-

Chrononodes 58-61: Dancing Upon The Sword’s Edge

Blue Jade Attempts To Gain Control Of The Former Xenopod HQ, Losing All Her Units. The Leader, Herself, is Killed Fleeing.

Ravenous Cuts To The North And Northwest, Scattering Human Units As It Goes.

The Wilderness And The Great Rift Fall Without Effective Resistance.

Another Human Unit Sacrifices Itself, Shattering Against Ravenous, While Attempting To Stop The Unrelenting Tide.

On The Eve Of Their Last March, Maledictus And The Forces Of Ravenous Are Awarded The ‘Machine Legion’ Banner.

Ravenous, Accompanied By Arachnia’s Spiders, Reaches The Human Citadel With Only Trivial Damage To Its Hydra.

The Final Contest Begins...(Ravenous Kill Count : 29)

Approaching The Human Staging Area, Unit TF Furious; Comprised Of An Infantry Corp, Advance Weapon Team, And Harbinger Mecha Engages Ravenous.

In fa n t ry A r e Sl a u g h t er ed , T h e Harbinger Escapes.

Chrononode 61: The Last Bastion

Ravenous, Fearing No Humansm Assaults The Stronghold. The Harbinger Is Not In Sight, The Only Resistance Presented By Honore Harris Leading A Weapons Platoon And A Vengeance Mecha.

Potent, But All Too Useless. Maledictus Orders Them To Be Burned With Prejudice. Ravenous Expends Fate And Tactics, Summarily Killing Them.

It Is A Grevious Oversight. The Harbinger Remains..

Even Alone , The Harbinger Is A D a n g e r T o R av e n o u s W i t h I t s Leadership Squandered...

T h e M e c h a A b s or b s Hi t After Hit With Impunity, Counterattacking At Will.

By The Fourth Round Of Battle, All Units of Ravenous Are Damaged, The Hydra Nearly Critically. The Harbinger Is Still At Half Strength. Maledictus Is Prepared To Withdraw In Favour Of A Second Nuclear Strike, But Ordered To Continue.

The Rest Of Command Decrees That What Evidence May Be Found In The Human Stronghold MUST Be taken. For His Failure, Maledictus Must Continue Until They Break The Harbinger, Or Are Broken In Turn.

In The Sixth Round Of Battle, The Burster Equipped Proteus Achieves A Unlikely Blast, Dealing 6 Damage, Destroying The Harbinger Mecha With Finality. No Losses Are Suffered.

The Human Stronghold Falls And General Harris Is Captured.(Ravenous Kill Count : 33)

Chrononode 61: The Spoils

Comparing Personnel List To Accounted Humans...

Captured

Mata BoydValentine KusanagiWinston LiuHannibal ZarkovHonore Harris

Escaped

Carlos Pendergast

Killed

Blue JadeUlysses S. Starke

While the Harbinger Was Holding Back Ravenous, The Human Leader Harris Performed One Final Act Of Defiance, Destroying All The Records And Intelligence Of Their Headquarters. Interrogations May Recoup Some Of This Loss, But Maledictus Has Failed Us Severly And Now Awaits Inquisition About His Mistake...

The Human Harris Laughs Easily, Assuring Us That Agent Pendergast Has , Without Doubt, Escaped From Us . Three Chrononodes Before Their Fall, The Agent Departed To Alert The Rest Of The Empire Of Men To Our Presence And Ensure That They Are Avenged. We Chuckle Back And Activate The Searing Tips. There Is No More Laughter From The Human When His Screams Stop, But Defiance Lingers In His Eyes. ‘Tell Us Of The Destruction Of Our Descending Cruiser, 60 Years Past.’ The Human Knows. He Has Heard Accounts Of It. Past Agents Of Their Empire Discovered An Extant And Functioning Missile Silos In The Central Mountains Here. They Hid It Well And Protected It With A Single Intent; Prevent Any Further Alien Landings Upon Terra. “A n d W e Di d . T h e Si lo s M ay Be E m p t y No w, B u t Yo ur Reinforcements Burned, Just Like Any Other That Dares Invade Our World.” The Facial Distortions These Humans Are Capable Of Astounds Me... He Speaks The Words, But His Entire Face And Body Express The Meaning. And, Now That I Place My Hands Upon His Face, They Alter Once More, Growing Uncertain... I Draw My Face Close To His. ‘ You Imbecil ic Fool . . . Your Ancestors Destroyed No Reinforcements. They Burned Our Exodus From This Worthless Rock. We Are Trapped Here With No Purpose Save That Which Drives Us Now.’ ‘Avenging Our Lost Brethren.’ Horror From Their Mistake Shines Clear In His Whole Being.

- Initial Interrogation Excerpt -

Reflections This is the first game of Armageddon Empires I have played in which I used medium grade units for my primary army instead of heavy battle units. Partially because I wasn’t drawing any, but also because this map would have created enormous delays with such rugged terrain, even with Maledictus’ ‘Leadership 2’ ability. The Colussus and Leviathan would have taken forever to get around. Instead, those units found themselves on garrison duty. After taking control of the resources in the southwest, I was pretty much stocked for anything I wanted to do. For the Machine Empire, the resource arrangement was as near perfect as could be asked for, and that became part of the story. The Free Mutants must have been handicapped by the complete absence of Human Resources, but they seemed to produce a decent amount of units - even if they couldn’t coordinate them. Naturally, being rich gave me enormous flexibility when it came time to deal with Aska’s Aces. If I hadn’t been able to Nuke them, I imagine my unit ‘Ravenous’ and the garrison I had installed would have had a very difficult time holding the humans back if they attacked intelligently. The choice units I had in my hand were later included into Ravenous, but even the full version of that army would likely been unable to attack Aska’s unit. After the nuclear detonation, it was tempting to switch over to Graviton Missiles entirely, since I could afford the habit. The decision to keep using the unit Ravenous was arbitrary but, in retrospect, made sense. Four of the remaining five strongholds would have been destroyed, but it would have left the Human HQ out of missile and out of supply range. Furthermore, both HQs were hardened, and could easily have required multiple blasts.

When I came across the mountains, the Xenopods lacked significant defenses beyond a garrison with a Corrupter and one other, medium weight unit. Judging from this and the captured Firebase (which, how on Earth did it get built right next to the Xenopod HQ, anyway?), the Xenopods must have been winning in the early game, but must have been losing badly at the moment I arrived. If they did have a bulwark army, the Humans must have destroyed it - presumably with Aska’s Aces. Before I captured the two Xeno strongholds, I saw the Empire Of Men reclaim both the Mecha Design Lab and the Wilderness from them. One odd note - until they were each marginalized and destroyed, both Xenopods and Humans consistantly tied me on initiative dice purchases - buying 8-10 dice every round. Considering their gross pool of resources was, at best, 13 units from the map compared to my 33, I don’t know how they could afford it for the majority of 20-30 turns. Assuming, of course, there weren’t additional facilities which were destroyed in the game.

Reflections Continue... Also on the resources. I selected no resources and made specials rare, but the distribution on the map was quite strange in creating two clusters, both between two strongholds. The rest of the map was a huge, worthless gulf between the two oases. Speaking generally, the settings made for a particularly desolate wasteland.Deck Composition Total Cards: 65 Total Points: 225 Heroes: 15 Units: 33 Facilities: 14 Air: 3

InfantrySkeletors Mk III 2Skeletors Mk II 2

Elite InfantryLich Platoon 3Scourge Platoon 5

AutomatsLeviathan 1Behemoth 2Proteus 2

AutomechaColossus 2Styxx 2Hydra 2

Reconnaissance BotsGhost Probe Bots 2Spider Bots 5

Battle SupportZombie Launcher 2Shade Mobile Artillery 1

Machine AirpowerApparition 1Wraith 1Spectre 1

Generals Of The EmpireMaledictus 1Tormentia 1Mortificus 1Tyranicus 1

Scouts Of The EmpireArachnia 1Reconicus 1

Agents Of The EmpireCrypticus 1Obscuria 1Diaboliqia 1Vindictus 1

Intellects Of The EmpirePrimus 1Mechanicus 1Cyberia 1Eruditus 1Empiricus 1

Machine StrongholdsUnderground Fortress 1

Military FacilitiesNexus 2Terminus 2

Research FacilitiesKnowledge Node 2Conflict Node 2

Infrastructure FacilitiesIndustrial Pod 3

C3I FacilitiesIntelligence Node 2

Brian Kowalski