Post Clan War Interview with Christine Mainer #686040

One of the perks of working for the media is that on occasion we get to chat with fellow pilots without the throng of general riff raff interrupting us, and my guest today is somebody that I've been looking for an excuse to talk to on a number of topics for quite a while.

So without further ado, allow me to introduce none other than Queen Bunny herself, Christine Mainer.


GG- Christine, welcome to the Galaxy Gathering's temporary field offices... apologies about the state of the place but when Kenneth and I tried to clean up the old newsroom, Patrick's socks mounted a spirited counter attack and we had to burn the place to the ground.
Being in mixed barracks like the Bunnies are, do you ever have to put up with that sort of thing?

CM- Oh all the time, but being the boss of the Avengers of Bunny I have all sorts of punishment details that I can assign that involve cleaning.  As I also do the payroll for the other clans, I can and do enforce a "no laundry no bar tab" policy on our pilots.

It really helps.


GG- Now, I freely admit that I'm fan-boying a bit in this interview, because apart from clan leader and warrior in your own right, you are also known in the Heroes circles as a bit of a fashion setter when it comes to specialist formations...you were one of the first to move to the 70 ton class.

How did that decision come about?


CM- Zeon and the Great Wall of Torrent.  When you find yourself facing people who have got the
machines you just can't match, you tell yourself again and again that outside of those lucky loot machines and bought mecha, you are just as good.

Then they put up a specialist in which not only can Torrents not play, but the Torrent/Dreadnought gear won't work in!

I had Krampus and Frigis, Inferno, lots of good mecha, all with niode class engines, and when you go down to 70 ton mecha, you realize that you have AS MANY GOOD GUNS AS THEY DO.

Sure they can do it three times over, but just once, you can match them gun for gun.  All of a sudden, you have a heavy formation that can go toe to toe.  My niodes went into equipment for the mecha I had, not the mecha I wanted, so I actually had better cockpit, chassis and shield than half of them did.
No way I match them on their terms, but defensive wins outnumbered my offensive in 70 ton, 50 ton, 35 ton and 40 ton formations.


GG- So you fought as a 40 tonner this war... did you toy with those other weight classes before settling on this one?


CM- I am a bit of a KOTM junkie, in fact there was a small emergency in the hour before the war that John had to help me with.

I have KOTM formations for just about everything, with sivler or gold for most classes.


GG- OK, so you've settled on 40s at the moment and I'm assuming that goes with the fact that the Nephilax is a good machine in that bracket and you have plenty of those from KotMs... I have however noticed a good few other KotM regulars starting to field 40s in response (including our own perpetual pains in the buttock the AFF).

Is it perhaps time to start thinking of a different specialist to move away from the horde?


CM- Oh already ready.  Did you notice 15 ton popped on the radar?  I was hoping someone would be defending that one so I could showcase my Anzu lineup.

55 is nice, but getting more common.  65 is a good bracket, but 80 is more interesting.  More mecha allowed there, mix of equipment, still excludes the bulk of the 85+ kit.


GG- Much as I hate to take the conversation away from light and medium mechs, lets turn to the past war ...

You ended up in a division you haven't traditionally fought in. Was that by design, accident or surprise?


CM- Panic mostly and unforeseen circumstances.  You start tracking the clans that are on your threat radar.

The Avengers ended up facing Death Collectors, Misfit Toys and Zeon one war recently, and that was not fun.  There are Spirit sized targets and Avengers sized targets, and Avenger sized targets don't drop colonies on you.

I forget that there are other Clans out there that have a huge stock of high level players.  Hells Horses threw a wrench into my goal when I borrowed Bolverk from the Defenders, and I ended up a division lower than I was aiming.

So some chance, some panic, all good in Silver though.


GG- Now you guys didn't seem to be the only ones caught out a little, the Smurf Heavy Cavalry ended up with us as well... in fact when you add in the Omegas (who's players  were back in the day a part of the Exiles), division 4 was looking more like a re-union meet from FW1.

How was it to go up against some of "the old crowd"?


CM- Kind of fun actually.  We chatted a lot about it.  We kind of feel proprietary towards those who fought under our banner ever,  you know even when you are on the other side of the field we always want to see you do well, and want to see how you were shaping up.  Fighting you all was like a reunion.

I have to say, Heroes is proving you can stay together, fight hard wherever you land, and not have to play the fifty player shuffle every war just to medal.


GG- OK, now one burning question that the Heroes have... second fight, you drew us as dance partners and to be honest we weren't necessarily looking forward to it.

As it turned out, we didn't get to see the legendary Bunny tenacity... Is this you lot lulling us into a false sense of security for next time?


CM- Well to be honest we were down a few people for that fight. It's one of those cases where we had people whose other commitments limited their cockpit time.  The ones that we had fought as much as they could, but we scouted you during the first round (when your real lineups are on, and you are fighting for your life against someone else) and the list of who the people I had available could hit and win was.........well a testimony to the work you guys have put in.


GG- So what next for the Avengers? A push back up into division 3 or are you going to be slumming
it down with us for a little while?


CM- Well Alyssa seems to have voiced a very strong opinion about Bolverknapping.  So I think I am losing him back to the Defenders.  Where this will put everyone once the shuffling starts again I dont know.

But this time I am going to relax and remember there are too many Clans out there to worry about what they are doing, I am just going to keep my Avengers growing stronger, and work on making us ready for whoever we land on.

They start them young you know...

GG- OK, one final question. What with you guys having one of the best press secretaries of all the clans, how do the Bunnies as a whole cope with the fame and attention that goes with the exposure?


CM- Regular thumpings on KOTM by less storied but equally or more effective pilots keep the swelled heads down.

We are a small Clan family, not one of the big players, but we get a lot of press between John and Alyssa.  I guess if we do anything, I hope we inspire other Clans out the make a name for themselves that they can find their own way, be they Beagles or Heroes, Krauts, or Skull Squadron, and do it your own way.


GG- Any shout outs, final comments or questions you want to put back on me?


CM- I want to say to all the past members of the BBB, whether you were with us for one war or every Faction War, we are always following your Clans, watching with pride as you continue to do well, and when we take the field against you, it is something to celebrate.

This is the only game I have been able to play where you can build friendships across the field as easily as across the bullpen.


GG- Thanks very much for that. I'll leave you to the rest of your free time now, and one of these days I'll see you on the mountain for a re-match...


CM- Good luck in the next war!


GG- And my compliments to your chaps and chapesses... thanks for your time and the interview.



Submitted by David McCallum #701548

MECHA FOR K9S AND WARRIORS

We have some good news to report for a change - The Highlander Force clans are hosting a fundraiser for K9s for Warriors, non-profit organization that rescues shelter dogs and trains them to be service dogs for veterans.

CLICK HERE to donate!

The shelter dogs in K9s for Warriors’ program are matched with caring companions, giving them a “new leash on life.” Veterans are paired with dogs and both receive training. Through this program, we have a chance to improve the lives of both veterans and dogs who have had a tough road and want to start each day with a friend by their side.

All pilots who donate USD$25.00 or more to this fundraiser are eligible to receive a free K9 mecha. See event page for details.

The Final Push, A Pilot’s Story By Carlos Hicks ID# 905078

Novum Delorum

Captain Carlos and his squad were maintaining Security outside of the Financial District. Security was a combination of tedium and wracked nerves. The ultimate roller coaster. Ninety percent of the time was spent just like this. 

Sitting in a mecha listening to audio books and news transcript readings. Your crotch having gone numb days ago from the Gee Harness, to the point you had to remember every few hours to check and see if you needed to “drop a Bio.” Sweat trickling down the ridge of your spine and pooling in the bottom of your briefs, head and eye aches from staring at H.U.D. read outs, trying to eke any possible knowledge out of the sensors for possible activity.

Because if you aren’t, you aren’t going to be ready for that other ten percent of the time. That’s when they hit. The Stalkers have been using a two pronged attack recently. The ground opens up in front of you as a large wave froths out. The ground shakes and your mecha’s leg servos groan with the sudden change in footing.

Then the second prong hits. Bigger, plumper Stalkers fall from the trees, grabbing the tops of your mechas and pulling them forward. The combination tilts your mecha head first into a pit where the Stalkers then can pry the pilot out of his armor and abscond with him. It’s been told by survivors that it’s a terrifying chain of events.

But if you’re lucky, and you catch the signs, you will get to kill wave upon wave of the enemy and live to talk about it. Then you get to sit through the tedium of waiting for the next wave to come for you.

“Attention all Asylum Units: Rendezvous on the Gateway Control Nexus in ten. You will be briefed in eleven.”
“Sir, yes sir!”

As if they were of one mind, the jungle foliage erupts with fire and metal. Sixteen Squads of mechas burst forth on jump jets and servos, all going in the same arc. Camouflage an stealth a thing of the past, all units strived to make the Rendezvous. Carlos felt the excitement, same as the others. There had been something different in the comptroller’s voice when they made the announcement. Something like elation.

In the tree line on the outskirts of the Gateway Control Nexus, you could see several square miles of warehouse and factory district. As a main switch hub, may companies kept holding facilities as well as production facilities on hand to ease the cost of shipping. In front of them stood the mighty Fext of Admiral F.J. Bros, one of the leaders of the Dragon Clans.

“Word got out on the wire that some lone pilot for the Heroes found some suspicious activity in here. When he went to investigate, he ran into several waves of viral mechas being serviced by Stalkers. The enemy is planning something big and soon. And it looks like we just found the staging grounds. We’ll be working in concert with all of the mercenary clans to bring this to an end today, so get those engines primed and lets get ready to light it up.”

All was quiet on the edge of the District. Then tight clusters of birds took flight, rustling the trees in their wake. It was quiet again, but a spilt second later, all the noise and utter cacophony possible out of thousands of exhaust ports erupted at once as the Mercenary Clans all sprang into life, leaping forth on legs of metal and rockets of fire.

Buildings erupted with the sudden onslaught. Entire blocks exploded in flames while others turned to ice, crumbling under the weight.

Gorax’s forces had been caught completely unawares. Row upon row of mecha and Stalker alike erupted into pieces under the monstrous effects of the charging waves of the clans. From back on the ridge, it looked like the city was crumbling in on itself, in an ever tightening circle. Tiny figurines were thrown into the air with each explosion. For the pilots and all they’ve been through this past year, there’s a price to be paid, and they’ll take their payment in flesh.

After an hour of wading in and laying waste, there was a call on the com.

“We got him! We got him! Gorax has been captured at Secton 45, Bldg. 30. Dolorum Security, make for the sector to take prisoner off of our hands. Clan Forces, continue with cleanup operation, but now try to ease up on property damage if you can. The Mad Doctor has finally been caught!”

Carlos let his head bow to his chest for a brief respite as the communication sunk in. So many good men and women lost to the virus. So many to the Stalkers.

Finally, they can put this horror to rest.

So, You Think You Can Ant By Kenneth Hicks ID# 846092

The Radix Tribe have stepped up their game, this 225^th Anniversary of the “Battle that changed it all”, to whit; Red Ant formations are getting some love.

Radix miners have struck a mother-lode of rare minerals on Terminis 5 that can be used to dramatically reduce upgrade times for the venerable Red Ant mecha.

Couple this with the announcement that every clan must be sporting a 10 ton in the upcoming Clan Wars 3313 and you’ll be seeing some fantastic Ant formations starting up!

Now you say to yourself, “Ant Spec., that’s so Basic. What’s the big deal?”

Well, let me tell you, there are many ways to set up your ants that can give you a decided advantage over those who don’t pay attention.

Let’s start with the build. Ants cap out on upgrades at Lvl 110 where they have 3 cockpits, 1 chassis, and 3 shields. They gain 95% laser damage and some precision, speed and shields without the equipment buffs.

First off, you most likely have figured out that lasers is the way to go. However, I also like to include at least one projectile weapon and something with freeze per Ant as well. This will give you one or two shots with better speed and the chance to freeze a mech so that you can one shot them quicker. This will also help against players that stack their shield slots with Laser shields.

In the cockpit, cup holders abound, but Known Hacks is a nice Ant-friendly piece that does not cost a whole lot of niodes (9 when not on sale). It gives you both Slow and Freeze capabilities while also providing a 4% bump on your laser damage. Two other niode cockpit pieces provide 5 precision, but aren’t really worth anything else for the 16 niode price of them.

Chassis equipment is fairly limited at 10 Ton, at least as the ant is concerned. Reinforced joints give a Dodge of 10 for Ferrite and Bioptics, so is pretty hard to beat. There is some Niode gear available, but nothing is so improved as to offset the cost. Jump jets are nice, but it’s been my experience that anything with a kickback is not going to end well for an Ant.

For formations, it’s been my opinion that when it comes to Ants, load up the largest base you can get with as many as possible. I’ve seen some people play with spacers, but I feel that’s a waste.

Ants have one primary advantage in a formation and that is sheer numbers. It’s much easier to one shot ants as opposed to worrying what little Trample you’ll be getting out of opponents at this weight class. Also, if you spot someone with high trample, you have the shield slots to counter it. Point as many guns at the enemy as you can is always a solid strategy.

Now weapons. Topped out, Ants have 16 weapon slots. Get the biggest, baddest lasers you can get your hands on, spread them evenly between ALL Ants, not just your front lines. Reason being, you can always one shot an Ant. Make sure you give each Ant at least 1 projectile, and maybe 1 freeze weapon. This will give you an evenly spaced speed advantage while possibly sliding something past a shield and one shotting an opponent.

And with that, you have some decent strategy and set ups to field an Ant spec next Clan War. Remember, a lot of higher level players try to mix up what their ants can do for fun, so if you stick by your guns and work towards the strengths of your formation, you should have an improved survivability on the field.

<End Transmission>

Retribution Weapon Review By Pat Willis#224534

A newer crystal missile weapon for levels 115 and up. It will cost you 2,750 Ferrite, 1,900 Bioptics, and 75 crystal to buy one. Or you can go with the five for 300 Crystal, with a limit of 40.  It does 80 straight damage, with a speed of 100, and the ability of Fork at 10%.

Nothing to really compare this missile to as the ones that are comparable  or close in damage are niode based with over 50% For abilities and available way earlier (around level 54). But again those are niode weapons this is just a crystal weapon. So as it usually stands makes sure your mecha build stats are set up for missiles, your skill point allotment is where you need it, and equip it with missile friendly equipment to see it operate at full capacity.

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

Wendigo Weapon Review By Pat Willis#224534

A crystal ice weapon for levels 106 and up with a limit of 50 attached to them. One will cost you 2,700 Ferrite, 1,800 Bioptics, and 62 Crystal. Bulk buy is an option here with 5 for 248 Crystal. It has a straight damage of 78, speed of 100, and has the abilities of Freeze at 8%, and a Slow rating of (5).

Perfect for your frozen damage dealing mechas that specialize in ice weapons. Slow is a good thing as it hinders the opponents speed rating when it hits, and Freeze I think we can all agree is a good thing as it allows you the opportunity to hit without being hit back. The straight damage is nothing to snuff at here, and the speed for an ice weapon is pretty sweet. So in a nutshell if you like frozen weapons this puppy is for you!

Submitted by Pat Willis#224534

And This is Happening Too by David McCallum #701548

So, fifty two percent of the population of Yomi Reefs have decided that they should seceded from centralised government.


Everyone has lost their minds, Galactic stock markets are set to tumble, there's panic buying of niodes and other commodities....


Until of course somebody pointed out, "Hey it's Yomi Reefs, so who actually gives a monkey's? I mean, it's not as if we get anything decent out of there..."

Somebody desperately in need of
some corticosteroid cream

Then of course we have those intercepted transmissions, apparently from agents of old fishface himself urging the use tunnel fighting and the smallest mechs available if they have them.


Good job the Raddix Tribe have found a way of fast-track upgrading Red Ants, isn't it? Sure, the package can be a bit iffy, sometimes with Ants that are fresh purchased they can grow at percentages every minute. At other times it's longer. Still, nice to see the little guys getting a boost.




Speaking of boosts, the suppliers have gotten together and in honour of 225 years of Red Ants courtesy of the Radix tribe they are handing out sets of Aviator 3.0s to all and sundry.


Now you know me, love a piece of free kit, and its a nice little add on in place of a cup holder.


The only down side of course is that wearing these things make you look about as cool as Tom Cruise from the old diaspora moving picture 'Top Gun'.



Speaking of dwarves, our own intelligence has it that there are various cells of dedicated tunnel fighters training in mech operation at hidden facilities, possibly bio-engineered by Drake and under the command of eczema head.

Here we have a group of them heading out on jungle training at Rizpah; from right to left Gampy, Stroppy, Porky, Stoner, High-as-a-kite, Wasted and Completelyoffhistits...


It's a good job you can't fit a nuke into a ten ton chassis... just saying.



Speaking of small things liable to blow up your face, maybe we need our own set of short nut-jobs who are versed in tunnel fighting....?

Submitted by David McCallum #701548

Interview with Don Davis ID# 398405 By Kenneth Hicks ID# 846092

Today’s interview is with a very special (code for old) person. The First Legendary Pilot, the Co-Leader of the Division One Gold Clan, Mr. Don Davis.

K: So Don, first off let me congratulate you and your clan mates on a really great win this Clan War.

D: Thanks!

K: Traditionally, PhoenixStorm and Fusion have had some really close battles as of late, but this year you really had their number.

What were some of the things you could contribute such a dominating win to?

D: Apparently, they have suffered from a spike in attrition.  We can't help but notice that the closest they got - and one of the better examples of leadership and field tactics we've seen - came from a guy who has now seemingly gone inactive.  Meanwhile, we have focused our efforts on getting stronger - and have managed to groom a new member, just about every cycle.

K: So good recruitment on your end and loss of leadership on theirs? Yeah, that does sound like a devastating combination.

Fusion has been sort of a benchmark for excellence recently. What are some of the things that have helped your clan reach this status of play?

D: Well, we have what some might call the best triumvirate of leadership and team effort in the game:

Gary Alsop is one of the best technical guys in the game.  Kris is just a master with rosters and score projection - also a good recruiter.  I also do pretty well with recruiting and my military experience comes into play, but I was always tenacious with gamesmanship as much as anything else, and this is what has served us when, at times, it might look like we should lose, on paper.

K: Did you get a chance to see German's spoof score post put up on the Player's Page about half way through your third Battle?

D: Yes, we saw that, LOL

K: I think part of what made the joke was the fact everyone has come to expect a nail biting point for point match between you two, but this year the crazy close fight was Division Three.

Part of being a tactician is to be able to foresee projections. Are there any Clans that you see that might be making a rise to try and challenge you?

D: We think Zeon has enormous potential. The AFF has the contacts and resources, as well.

Most of this has to do with establishing a collective priority within the clan.  Don't ask me how I know, LOL - but this was really the only way FUSION could work at all.  If one element had been off, it would have been a non-starter.

K: Zeon has definitely had a long track record of being one of the greats as well as the AFF which showed this year that they can still pull out some surprises. What were your feelings on the Bunny's and HF this time around?

D: Kris watched that a lot closer than I, and is still analyzing, so I hesitate to draw any advanced conclusions, but the Bunnies have that tenacity I mentioned earlier, if that's a clue to my own initial impression.

K: Absolutely.

So, are there any clans-mates that you feel deserve props for this war for either much improvement or great play?

D: Wow, that's a tough one.  Everyone in FUSION brings something very important to our success, and a good bit of it is the effort they put in between wars.  We track stats, so you don't ever see many throwaway battles from us, regardless of how obvious the outcome of the round might be.  This is because we all focus on personal victories and improvement, and help each other with mech builds, formations and tactics along the way.

K: And finally, what is something that you would like to comment on. Game play, game mechanics, story line, clan or faction war, sky's the limit on this one.

D: Well, when Kris and Gary and I first talked about forming a new clan - as you may recall from our first GG interview - we made some predictions that came through like a tidal wave - beyond our wildest dreams actually.  Even when we helped form Northwind Fusiliers, way back in Clan Wars VII, we have always taken the fight to the enemy. 

We wanted to facilitate competitive parity in Div 1, for the good of the game; we could see the effects trickle down to the other divisions, and there has been a shake-up over the last 7 wars, but now it's time to throw out some more encouragement and point out that FUSION is proof in itself that no Clan, no challenge, is invincible.

  We'd like to see the right group of people come on up and take a run at it the same way we did.  Some people think losing by a point is worse than losing by 20 points; it's not.  The truth is these 1-point outcomes could go either way, and that's far less of a reason to throw in the towel than to stick with it.  

So here's to everyone who's ever had a 1-point loss.  I have, as the Clan Leader of Northwind Highlanders - and vindication was just around the corner, even though it came about in a way I could never have expected.

K: I want to thank you for your time today, and for the inspiration to always improve, get stronger, and reach higher.

D: On behalf of FUSION and myself, thank you as well.  Galaxy Gathering remains as my exclusive press outlet!

Galaxy Gossip Newsflash

with:

John Fuller #2021250
Colin Toenjes #650451
William Pierce #802131
Eric Evans #2612604
Kevin Kyrouac #53414
Mike Wach #145772

A Reply To The Editor Letter That Ran Yesterday By Pat Willis#224534

Dear David,

Apparently nothing sobers one up faster than finding their offices burnt to the ground. Until this issue is resolved and the cause determined I have frozen all Galaxy Gathering spending accounts, and through some Brotherhood connections you may find your personal assets to be much less than you remembered.

I have full quarters and offices on Garhan station, so this is where I can be reached if needed. It’s a fully loaded orbiting Forerunner defensive platform that has been reconverted into a Mecha manufacturing plant. Also it is where the Brotherhood calls home these days, and even has a gate room connected to the spine of the gateway network. So we can access really any gate we want in any area fairly easily.

The only real downside to it is it is now “owned” by the Forerunner construct Kellek, and the Niodemancer Johnathan Judas. The Brotherhood had to work out a R&D contract with them for weapon and mecha design/testing for room and board but it works and we are all happy with the arrangement. As well as VERY well armed.

I suppose I should thank you really, the daily commute to and from the office was just a pain in the exhaust given traffic. This has allowed me to move everything to the station and allowed me to go on full time Brotherhood rotations. No worries on the liver failure front, I had that replaced right before my birthday this year. Full on toxic filtration system beyond a certain blood alcohol level. Best part is no hang overs!

Also I received a full reimbursement on the offices when they burned down as I had the place fully insured on a separate private policy. It was a pleasant surprise to get a few cargo crates full of credits and niodes delivered before I moved to the station. So enjoy your little jaunt, I’m sure Kenneth will be in touch soon, and try not to get shot up out there.

With many thanks,

Pat Willis#224534
Chief Editor

A Letter to the Editor by David McCallum #701548

Dear Pat,


Hope this finds you well, at least as well as you ever are after you sober up.


You may notice that a few things have changed while you were inebriated, to whit your staff have disappeared and the offices have burned down. No real idea how that happened, I would have thought the fire suppression system would have kicked in, but c'est la vie, eh?


Kenneth is currently working from his home barracks and I'm off following up a story over in Cogwork.


Don't worry about the offices, I have already dealt with the insurance stuff while you were unconscious. The money has come through but the way things turned out I wasn't able to transfer it across to the company accounts before I had to head out on this story.


Besides that, it's probably better lying in my account for a while. Let's face it, if Leander Lasalle gets wind of you having a pile of ready cash, somebody will get sent out to settle your bar tab and if that happens we will probably just about be able to afford a tent to prepare news-copy out of as our next office.


Never fear, it'll all come out in the wash, eh?


Anyway, I've organised for you to bunk up over at Joel's place. Supposedly a decent drinks cabinet as long as you can get past all the local wildlife that wants to kill you. Just be aware that some of those species are on the endangered list... I know what you can get like when something interrupts your libations.


So, toodle pip for now, gate transit is booked and I must away. 


Please don't try and contact me, it's one of those incognito jobs and you know how the locals can get uppity if they think the press is snooping around. Besides, my usual comms gear will be in safe storage and I'll be using burner gear so everyone has plausible deniability... you know the way it works.


Be good, try not to kick the bucket from liver failure while I'm away, and save me a vodka martini for when I get back, there's a good chap. You know the way I like them.


Yours faithfully,


DM

Submitted by David McCallum #701548

For the Honour of the Queen by David McCallum #701548

War Day 3, 3312.  Raglan IV

Mac stretched in his cockpit and rubbed the weariness from his eyes then blinked to review the vista below once more. The battle had not gone according to plan.


Heroes against the Avengers of Bunny. Old allies, older foes. The fighting should have been far more intense. From his vantage point here on the Fedioukine Heights where the gradient and light scree made footing nonviable for anything over 70 tons, he had watched the days events as they had unfolded.


They had taken the heights early and while his defenders dug in, he had taken command of his own heavy brigade to make spoiling attacks into the Bunny formations along the valley below. There had been some intense moments, he had expected nothing less from adversaries of this caliber. Some of the firefights between the opposing forces had turned into some very mean dust ups, but Mac had checked the scout reports well and avoided getting bogged down.


After a number of precision strikes, he retired in good order to the head of the valley and laagered his heavy units in reserve, ready to counter-strike when the enemy made their inevitable counter-attack.


Which didn't happen.


Oh, there had been some minor probes and skirmishes, but nothing like the headlong push the Heroes had expected.


It was.... unnerving.


<They might have just decided to call it quits and make their play on the final day,>  came an opinion across the squad vox channel.


Mac didn't respond. These were the 'Bunny Queen's' forces, and he had personal experience of just how tenacious she could be. He rubbed his chin and scanned the field of battle, waiting for the hammer to fall.


That had been twenty hours ago.


Down in the valley, salvage teams and medivac units worked around wreckage and through smoke and in craters, returning life to mechanical and organic being alike. Mac's chrono had just signaled the alarm for the final hour of conflict.


No shots had been fired in the last three hours since General Fuller had thundered his own units up the valley to savage the Bunny line.


Mac sighed with disappointment. The Bunnies deserved better than this. Checking his optics for the umpteenth time, he vainly searched for signs of movement. The magnification was cranked way up and centred on a knoll across the valley, too precarious even for his 70s to traverse.


40 ton territory, the court of the Bunny Queen.


Territory that was still pristine, unlike so much of the blasted surrounding area. Just as pristine as his own position.


The Bunny's had not dared to attack the heights. It wasn't that much of a surprise; she had scouted his formation herself just two days hence and had her tail handed to her. That report would have been passed to her troops, and while they may have a reputation for aggresiveness in the extreme, they were neither stupid or suicidal.


He had however hoped she had been tricking him, holding back a truer, stronger formation. She was a 70 ton jockey from way back.


He tapped his fingers on the console, considering their past history. If that actually had been her real formation, he could beat her with 70s and had done so with 65s. She had beaten him with 25's... just.


A smirk played across his face at the memory of that one as he straightened in his seat and keyed the vox.


"Mac to reserve echelons. Send up the light brigade."


There was a pause, then the speaker crackled to life.


<Mac, Fuller here. Query on your last instruction... I thought you advised us not to go for Christine, but for some reason your techs are powering up a 40 ton squadron?>


"Just paying my respects Boss," Mac responded... then smiled and added, "and I can't walk away not knowing. If she has the last victory of the day, so be it. They deserve that honour at least."

And so the Heroes formation moved out from the heights and accelerated across the valley floor, a lone Keradon facing six of the Queen's, their Nephilax outnumbered three to one. The outcome may have been a foregone conclusion, but it was by no ways one sided.


Mac sat on the edge of the crater that used to be his Keradon 'Thunder Twonk', giggling as he brushed the dust and soot from his combat gear. A figure approached the opposite side of the depression and stopped, hands on hips with an arched eyebrow.


"You feel better for that?" demanded Christine.


Mac grinned at her. "Sure, especially after I managed to put some dents in that Neph you won from me."


She threw him a flat look, an indelicate finger, then with a muttered retort of "Bite me!" turned on her heel and stalked back to her squadron. The effect was only spoiled when she glanced back over her shoulder with a wide smile.


Mac was still giggling as the Heroes pilots trudged back across the valley floor and began the climb back up to their waiting mounts on the heights. That was when the air was rent with a booming voice blaring from Loudspeakers.


"FOR THE HONOUR OF THE QUEEN! LET NO BLOW BE LEFT UN-ANSWERED!"


In the valley below stood a formation of light mecha, fifty tons or less and with a goodly proportion of Nephilax in their ranks.


Mac's wrist comm chirped for attention, and drawing his eyes away from the assembled machines he clicked on it to acknowledge the incoming message.


<Mac, Fuller here again. You best get back to your machines, that's you he's calling out.>


Mac's jaw dropped momentarily, then he quickly recovered to inquire, "Who the hell is it? I give him ten out of ten for style, but minus lots for common sense!" He was already frantically gesturing the pilots around him up the hill and set off after them at a run.


<Yeah, well it looks like their Triple Spec guy. You know, the other one you put on the 'do not poke with a stick' list? Guy's got a lot of gold in his closet,> warned Fuller.


"Yeah," muttered Mac as he swung up the ladder of his command mech, "but an unhealthy obsession with the mountain does not trump an even more unhealthy infatuation with Tory when it comes to this type of fight."


With a final cry of "LAY ON!" the Bunny lights stormed the hill, charging through the gunfire of the hastily re-assembled Heroes. Their bravery was never in any doubt, but courage alone could not counter the imbalance in tonnage.


For every Heroes Inferno that fell, a rank or more of Bunnies had been required to expend themselves to do it. At the last, Mac's command Smilodon faced down the final three attackers.


Mac's Galaxy Eye lashed out but he never got the chance to see the effect as his machine bucked hard under him and every alarm went off in the enclosed cockpit space; SHUTDOWN protocol from a bad kickback.


"CRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAPCRAP!!!!"


He only just had time to smack the manual explosive stud that blew his windscreen out and allowed him egress to throw himself clear of the machine as the Bunnies avenged themselves for their fallen comrades.


He winced as he landed hard and rolled, then winced again as his second rank strode forward. At least it was quick.



"For the Honour of the Queen!"


Sometimes folk just don't know when to give up. They also don't know how not to telegraph their moves. Before he had even turned his head to track the voice, Mac had activated the hidden device in his wrist comm, placed there courtesy of the Heroes chief tech and quartermaster.


The strong magnetic field gave excellent shielding against most projectile or thrown weaponry. Which in this case was just as well.


Mac climbed to his feet and regarded the Bunny champion who had lowered his weapon on seeing its complete ineffectiveness.


"Tell you what," Mac advised him lightly. "What say I apologise for any slight you feel I may have given your clan leader. As a bonus, I'll also forget the small fact that you just tried to shoot me and I also promise not to tell Christine Mainer that you believe she can't fight her own battles."


He paused to let those words sink in before continuing and took the opportunity to fossick in a hip pouch to withdraw a small brightly coloured item. "In return, you can convey this small gift to her."


Mac noted the look of suspicion on the Bunny pilots face and rolled his eyes.


"No, it's not explosive. Party hat, see?" he said as he held said item up for inspection, then held it outstretched as he smirked.


"She'll know what it means."

Submitted by David McCallum #701548

Low Level Players, High Level Mechs by David McCallum #701548

This question came up in clan chat, asked by one of our newer players. It's an oldy but goody, so we may as well condense it all and pass it along to our 'younger' viewers.


It's that age old question whereby a new player suddenly hits a road block of a player of their level that has mechs well above the level at which they can be purchased.


Invariably there is an amount of disbelief coupled with a feeling of having just been cheated, and I can understand that on an emotive level.



The problem is that we know it's legitimate, and we then have to take to the message boards to explain. Perhaps it's time to condense the reasoning so our newbies can be directed to a single point.


First, there is an element of pay to play in this game. For a certain outlay you get an amount of bonus free mechs that are not limited to what are available at a given level. It's very legitimate and laid out clearly on the Niode Purchase page.


Second, that player could have been placed into a high level clan as a sacrificial lamb so to speak. A particularly strong clan can afford to throw one or two of these into their lineup and give up the losses on the understanding that their other players can make up the difference.


This nets two things for the lamb.


They first get a high level prize mech, probably a niode one. As they stay at such a low level, they can easily upgrade them with gifted instant upgrade kits. This will obviously make for a very formidable force at their level and will simply keep them powerful as they advance in the game.


The other thing is the free skill points that come with a medal placing. These can be instantly spent on 'Heavy' skill. The player stays the same level but can suddenly start piloting bigger and bigger mechs.


All of this is legitimate and above board.


It just doesn't feel that way when you are on the receiving end.


There is light at the end of the tunnel. Progressively throughout the past wars, the calculation used to place clans in their divisions has been tweaked and the practice of low level stooges being used has become less viable and appealing.


Hopefully for the sake of the new players the recent changes will make it a little more difficult for the stooges to scare good players off.

Submitted by David McCallum #701548

Battle One Interview with Alice Merrick ID# 708783 By Kenneth Hicks ID# 846092

Alice Merrick is one of the long time pilot of the AFF, now in Death’s Stalkers. She has been a thorn in the side of many higher level pilots who have found her solid spec formations much tougher than her level belies.

In the first battle of Clan Wars 3312, Death’s Stalkers found themselves in a very close match with ITC which wasn’t decided until the last fifteen or so minutes of the fight.

Alice, what was it about ITC that you found challenging? Honestly a lot of people thought this would be an easier fight for you.

Alice: Well Ken, we were expecting a fairly close fight as half their clan was of significantly higher level than us. No real mismatches or out formation that I saw, and they had a very even spread in levels across the board.

How does this bode for the rest of the Division? Where do you see your biggest challenge at?

Alice: Of the upcoming opposition, I feel Thunderbirds will be the most difficult match. I think our strength lies in the fact we are a small close level group. Most of our opponents seem to have gone high low spread, so we will give up a lot of wins to their top guys. I think we can decimate their low level guys and pick up the points we need to triumph. Of course this depends on how active we are which can never be locked down.

Great point, Alice. Who do you like in the top divisions at the moment?

Alice: Well Ken, in the top divisions I expect all the usual suspects will float to the top. Fusion, PhoenixStorm, and Zeon all have the people with the track record of participation.

Well thank you for that Alice, and good luck to you and the rest of the AFF in this Clan War. I hope you can pull out some impressive wins.

Alice: Thank you Ken, and good luck to you and your clan as well.

BREAKING NEWS!! by David McCallum #701548

We interrupt your usual viewing with this breaking news!!!


Word has reached us that Patrick Willis is missing, presumed AWOL from the Brotherhood.


Unconfirmed reports have him last seen upside down in a dumpster, probably intoxicated and definitely abusing the universe in general.


Inside information links this occurrence to the fact that he has just celebrated his birthday, and while it seems plausible that the two facts could mesh together, Highlanders command  have taken a dim view of this sort of behavior during a Clan War and have offered a bounty of 500 niodes for his successful apprehension on desertion charges.


Although we have not seen the paperwork, we presume (or hope) that the warrant reads 'Dead or Alive'.


It would serve the old fart right in our opinion.


In other news, we hear that there is also a warrant out for the arrest of Kenneth Hicks on charges of 'Stupefying with Intent' and 'Kidnapping'.


At present, the two charges are completely unrelated, at least until such times as I can fabricate such evidence to implicate the A.N.N. as the ring leaders.


Bugger...


You weren't supposed to see that...


Just remember, you are all still under the influence of the Gorax Plague and any testimony you produce can be easily thrown out of court.


Just saying...

Submitted by David McCallum #701548

Battle One Breakdown By Kenneth Hicks ID#846092

Hi there and welcome to the Battle One Breakdown of Clan Wars 3312. We’re going to see who’s hot, who’s not, and who’s just plain attending the School of Hard Knocks.

First off, to begin the war, we had some controversy over Division 20. Several Pilots were upset over the fact that a single person owned almost all the accounts in that division, giving him an unfair advantage over determining a winner, which bothered bookies and betters alike.

Before things got out of hand though, The Chef, Nick Shapiro stepped in and diffused the situation by dropping the Division altogether. Now, will this bring any changes or issues over alt accounts in the future? Possibly, only time will tell.

In Divisions one and two, we had zero surprises. Fusion and PhoenixStorm both steamrolled Highlanders and Spirit of Bunny, while Zeon and The Brotherhood walked over the non-competing Bounty Hunters and Clan Hell’s Horses. These two divisions have been ruled by these four clans so long it’s hard to think back to when there was anyone who could stand up to them.

In Division three, Death’s Collector’s made an instant impact on arrival after its dominance in division four by hammering new comer Fission Dragons 167 to 54. Fission Dragons are new to the Division so many are keeping an eye on this group to see what they can do. Also the Misfit Toys beat down a highly improved and persistent Star League 151 to 83. This Division has some promising potential in it for future wars.

In Division four, we had MurderBots, ~Heroes~, and Slaughter House 5 all advancing readily, but the real battle came between Avengers of Bunny and the Myth & Legends Black Cat Armored Division. Bunny got the win, but the Black Cats made them fight for the privilege.

Division five had more of the same with Smurfs, Black Star Lycan Rangers, and Heroes Support all winning handily. The Brotherhood Black watch managed to pull off a surprise upset over the Browncoats, so Battles 2 and 3 might prove interesting in that division.

Division six had a close one between Bunny and the Omegas Rowdie Bunch, 128-98, while Phoenix, Diamond Dragons, and Black Star Rising Sun all advanced readily.

Division seven saw Death’s Revenge, Steampunk Dragons, Rusty Blades and 101 Spartan Division advance. No real surprises in that field, so we’ll wait to see what round two brings.

Division Eight had a very close fight between Opal Dragons and Death’s Disciples with the Disciples taking the match by 14 points. Ronin(KISS) and Ruby had slightly easier matches while HF: Dragoons beat HeroesII by a score of 47 to 12 proving that soccer isn’t the only sport where low scoring happens.

Division nine saw the Brotherhood Highlanders tail stomp the Space Monkey Mafia, BSB and Smurfs both advance, while Ronins and HF Mobile Infantry had a close bout with Ronins taking it 49 to 40.

Division ten saw both the battle hardened Samurai Mecha and Sapphire Dragons advance. Omegas Borg Army got the jump on the Smurfs, while newcomers 1^st Beagle Guard smashed the 110^th.

Division eleven saw Arcane Sanctuary make a comeback against the Vipers, Thunderbird just absolutely crush Mad Pork, Crystal Dragons wallop up on Wolf Clan, and a very tough match up between Death’s Stalkers and ITC with Stalkers pulling it out in the end.

In twelve we saw Gold and Emerald Dragons show dominance, 103 Centurions and Death’s Destroyers also win handily, and a very enticing look to the future of a possible Gold/Emerald match up.

Thirteen had the Smurf War Patrol, Sniper Camp, Huns, and Grim Reapers winning with very little drama, fourteen had Extraordinary Gentlemen, Red Alert, Topaz Dragons, and NERV all proving they can take care of business.

And honestly, fifteen through nineteen were all pretty straight forward with no surprises, and fairly predictable cake walks.

So that’s a wrap on Battle One as it goes into the archives folks! I hope everyone had fun today, and is ready for Round two on Monday. For now, this is Kenneth Hicks signing off.

May your mechs make crits and your techs find niodes.