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When we last left off, our combined raid force, now composed of four tanks and a smattering of panzergrenadiers, was preparing to assault the objective; a set of government buildings where the bulk of enemy artillery, as well as important supply dumps, were located.

You saw no need to try anything overly devious. Smashing right through the front with overwhelming force seemed to be the right thing to do in this occasion. You are calling into HQ to set up the timing and coordinates for preparatory barrages when you receive a reply concerning a subject you did not expect.

“Lieutenant,” the artillery HQ says before you expected them to process the information you relayed, “There’s been a transmission from headquarters. Procedure Eleven has been confirmed from High Command. Considering the fortified nature of the objective, Bertholite shells would be much more effective. Those are ready to go out on request.”

Procedure Eleven is a theoretical withdrawal of Strosvald from all treaties concerning the use of restricted weaponry and mobilization of citizenry. One of those normally restricted weapons was Bertholite shells. Particularly, Strosvald was one of the few Sosalian nations to sign the treaty agreeing to not use such weapons. The Reich would not be expecting them to be used by you.

However, there was a good reason Bertholite shells were banned, especially in urban environments. You run your fingers over the bags containing your crews’ protective gear. Since other Sosalian nations were not known whether to be willing to use Bertholite and weaponry similar to it, protective equipment was commonly carried.

>authorize bombardment using Bertholite munitions
>belay that and specifically request explosives and smoke

>>43257940
>belay that and specifically request explosives and smoke

Fuck that, dude. They're soldiers, but we're not about to just murderize them with chlorine. Just imagine the repercussion.

>>43257940
>belay that and specifically request explosives and smoke
"Our enemy is getting more desperate by the day despite their progress, I'd rather not give them the excuse."

>>43257940
>belay that and specifically request explosives and smoke
"I will not be the first one to use such weapons."

Procedure Eleven or not, the use of Bertholite shells was widely considered to be a war crime. You were nowhere near such a state of desperation to tarnish your sense of principle with the use of poison gas.

That and you were not fond of the concept of choking on it yourself.

“Ridiculous. Use conventional munitions as discussed. We have them cornered, and I’d rather not give them any excuse to do the same to us.”

“If you say so, sir.”

“If any Bertholite comes in, so help me, the next position I call artillery down on will be on yours.” You leave them with that note.

You wave the officer in charge of the infantry over to you.

“Procedure Eleven has been declared,” you announce from atop your tank, “Don’t plan for it, but just in case some idjit misinterprets my very clear request to not use gas, have your troops prepare their masks.”

You repeat the same spiel to your other tank commanders. Just as you finish, the howl of shells begins overhead.

Three volleys of high explosive, followed by a barrage of smoke. The smoke is, thankfully, not the pale green indicative of Bertholite gas, but the dense white hue not shared by any chemical weapons that you are aware of being in Strosvald possession.

A rousing cry rises from the panzergrenadiers, and your platoon joins the charge towards the compound from the nearby trees.

A short brick wall approximately one and a half meters high surrounds part of the complex, with the main entrances being wide apertures. Wide enough to admit your platoon in line formation, unless you had something against using properly designated entrances.

>go through the open space
>crash through the wall

>>43258398
>>crash through the wall
The doors will have guns pointed at them.

>>43258398
>crash through the wall

knock knock?

>>43258398
>crash through the wall
I'd like to note this is exceeding dangerous to out tracks, especially because we don't have a mine plow or something similar, but it is better than going through a narrow door.

That being said, pump a round of HE into that wall to make it easier to plow through.

Rolled 1 (1d100)

The cracks of enemy rifle fire have already begun, answered promptly by the snapping spit of submachine guns from the grenadiers. A pair of grenadiers beside you are opening fire with their machine gun, the barrel resting on one’s shoulders while the other aims and fires.

You get the attention of the nearest squad leader. In the din of combat, exact plans are difficult to convey, but a pastiche of shouts and points are enough to get the point across. You punctuate it by ordering your gunner to sling a shot at the wall. It isn’t quite enough to knock it down, but the blast bends the wall inwards, pieces of treated clay flying everywhere.

Just as you are about to drive through the wall, a grenade flies from behind to your left and over the wall. You take that as a reminder to button back up.

As you close the hatch a few fresh explosions send fragments flying up from behind the wall, and the tank rocks with the impact against the wall.

>>43258664
>1
WHY

>>43258685
Low rolls are good.

The tank flies through the wall effortlessly, bricks bouncing off the top of the hull. You crash through the wall so suddenly that a hapless Reich soldier prepared with a firebottle misjudges your rate of approach. You slam into him as the firebomb soars harmlessly over to the left.

The rest of the platoon breaches the walls
shortly afterwards, and a gun line quickly forms. Unprepared Reich infantry quickly realizes that their guns are facing the wrong way, and many are forced to duck into their holes, abandoning their heavy guns in the face of a hailstorm of machine gun fire from both tanks and infantry.

The enemy artillery is visible, set up in the courtyard. It is facing to the north, presumably to defend against an attack from the Division. This is, distressingly, also your orientation to the base. Although caught off guard, the artillery crews appear to have not forgotten that their guns are much bigger than yours, and the barrels are quickly dropping.

>return fire directly upon the artillery
>maneuver to evade; they can’t swing the guns fast enough with how close you are

>>43258842
>>maneuver to evade; they can’t swing the guns fast enough with how close you are
Maybe after we can fire.

>>43258842
>>maneuver to evade; they can’t swing the guns fast enough with how close you are

I don't know much about tanks, but I'm really digging this quest so far.

>>43258842
>>return fire directly upon the artillery

>>43258842
>>return fire directly upon the artillery

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>>43258664
>>43258685
>>43258692

>>43258878
>>43258903
>>43258932
>>43259158

So we're evading all while swiveling the gun for a clear shot?

I had this written up right when the vote got tied up so I'm just going to keep things moving

“Driver, go around to the right, don’t give those guns an angle on us! Turn the turret about and use the coaxial!”

You let your crew take hand of your personal situation and get on the platoon net, advising your other tanks to do the same. Field artillery was not suited to direct fire on moving targets, but if it did hit it would result in catastrophic damage. You peer through the vision block in your cupola and see the gun commanders shouting their crews about, in the process of dragging the guns around and trying to lower them at the same time. One falls to machine gun fire; the panzergrenadiers quickly take notice of the artillery’s fixation on you.

“Hurrah!” another battle cry is shouted as a squad of grenadiers hoists themselves over the walls and through the rubble and charges, bayonets fixed, for the artillery positions. Your intervention turns out to be unneeded as the guns are quickly overwhelmed by the savage assault. A few of your allies are felled by supporting fire but their attack is swift enough to permanently interrupt the artillery's attack.

The town hall, the primary objective, lays directly in front of you. Enemy reinforcements are arriving from the other parts of the complex, popping out just long enough to be educated on the situation with more eight millimeter copper jacketed projectiles than one could reasonably expect to be fired at one person before diving to cover. While you could pacify the whole complex, the demolition charges don’t need long to work, and the guns can be silenced with similar ease.

>take things slow and steady, capture the other buildings

>suppress the flanks and charge the primary objective

>>43259469
>suppress the flanks and charge the primary objective

>>43259469
>>suppress the flanks and charge the primary objective
Let's not dilly-dally

>>43259469
>>take things slow and steady, capture the other buildings

>>43259469
>suppress the flanks and charge the primary objective

We're on a timetable. Best to just get it done and get out.

It has been nearly twenty minutes since you were given half an hour to complete the raid. You’re short on time, and there’s not enough for an extended firefight.

You order a tank on each flank to hold position and prevent enemy advance on your flanks while the panzergrenadiers assault the town hall. The town hall positions are easily suppressed by you and the tank you selected to support you; there is much ground to be covered, but you are able to lay down enough fire for the grenadiers to sprint across the courtyard and finish off the enemy’s outer fortification with a mix of grenades and firebombs looted from the foe.

You have a brief moment to admire the architecture of the town hall. It is made in a neoclassical style, from pinkish red flecked blocks of granite masonry. The staircase is wide and shallow, more graceful than the steep steps that usually populate inner city buildings.

The panzergrenadier line up on the walls, and with a few glances inward, begin their attack.

The first few that run in are immediately eviscerated by machine gun fire from multiple sources. An attempt is made by one to drag the critically wounded out of the corridor, but the machine guns suppress any movement. Their CO swears loudly and looks at you expectantly.

>they never said that tanks couldn’t use public buildings
>drag a howitzer or two forward and hope you can figure out the basics

>>43259797
>they never said that tanks couldn’t use public buildings

We'll just keep on knocking.

>>43259797
>they never said that tanks couldn’t use public buildings

>>43259797
>they never said that tanks couldn’t use public buildings

>>43259797
>they never said that tanks couldn’t use public buildings

>>43259797

>they never said that tanks couldn’t use public buildings

“Driver,” you nod at the infantry officer, “forward.”

You don’t begin moving so there must be some misunderstanding. “Driver, forward! Up the stairs!”

The tank begins driving up the steps, the tank rocking back and forth with each step. The tank swerves dangerously to the left once, but its course is corrected after some harrowing moments. You rock back and forth in your position, and the loader curses under his breath as he slams into the gun breech.

The tank pitches upward as it reaches the last step and falls forward like a breaching whale. You see the positions ahead in the town hall, well prepared positions set up in the rotunda, occupied by now wide eyed machine gun crews. A notable lack of AT rifles fills you with confidence.

The aperture was built large and grand, but only wide enough to admit one tank at a time. How backwards thinking of the architect. Your companion tank is quickly following your lead, and panzergrenadiers are beginning to move behind you.

“Into the rotunda!” you shout, “Don’t bother aiming at anything in particular, just shoot everything!”

Rolled 2, 57, 13, 27 = 99 (4d100)

Your tank lurches forward, the radio operator already leaning on the hull machine gun and ripping apart the constructed earthworks in front. The turret swings about as you drive into the massive space. The gunner calls for more high explosive before you’ve even finished entering, but the loader is preoccupied with his machine gun. The gunner gives up and fetches the shell himself. A small clattering comes from the rear, and you look around to see that a grenade has been thrown atop your rear hull. A loud bang resonates through the tank, but the smoke clears and reveals only superficial damage to the armor plating. One of the panzergrenadiers following you in was wounded by the shrapnel, and is dragged back before being replaced by three more assault troopers. Before you know it, the second tank is rolling through the entrance, but more enemy troops are flooding in from every entrance, a few grasping lengths of dynamite.

Roll four d100s.
>don't worry, rolls for this aren't dynamite raining down on you, it's off map shit

Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>43260216

Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>43260216

Rolled 83 (1d100)

>>43260216

Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>43260216

“Stein! Left entrance, up the staircase, those fuckers with the dynamite!”

He grunts in acknowledgement as he shuts the breech of a gun he normally never loads. The loader does his best to fire upon the entrance, but the Reich soldiers have begun crawling through it, and firing on them with the coaxial proves difficult.

The main gun fires and the inner side of the doorway explodes. There are a few panicked shouts, and then the entire floor explode with a tremendous explosion. Bits of tile fall all around the tank, and the left flank is silent. A large object slaps onto the top of the turret in front of you, and it turns out to be a mutilated hand.

You look around to see your partner tank fire a shell into the rear entrance before parking itself before the stairs leading up from it. The hatch opens and a grenade flies out towards the bottom, and a pair of panzergrenadiers hefting a machine gun jump to the floor beside it and begin opening fire at an unseen target. The gunfire from inside the rotunda begins to die off quickly. The last fortified position receives another shell from your gunner, and grenades fly about in pieces, some bursting, as a crate of them is destroyed in the explosion. The battle for the Rotunda is won before you know it, as the Panzergrenadier advance up the left, and apparently find no significant resistance. Some cowering, heavily wounded prisoners are brought out, sniveling in shock.

The left entrance to the council spaces is a gruesome scene. Bits of flesh that were once people are scattered about by dynamite. One pile of flesh is nothing but a loose tower of organs and a shattered ribcage crowned with a sagging lower jaw.

You elect not to study the scene any longer.

The commanding officer, a small stream of blood running down his head where a fragment nicked him, comes forward to you.

“We’ve pacified the supply dumps. There is…a slight problem, however. They set up a hospital in the supply dumps too. They’re in and around everything, and they refuse to move even if we make like we’re going to set the charges. Saying that they can't be moved or whatever, even if they're feeding us crap they still won't move. What do we do?”

>write in plan of action to force the issue
>spiking the guns will have to be enough, we have to leave

>>43260802
"Use force. Shoot those that resist."

>>43260802
>Drag them out, they're enemy combatants, and if the depot isn't properly dealt with it will be our own people dying. Even if it causes a small proportion of their wounded to expire its better than a large portion of our allies dying. That and who the hell sets up a filed hospital in an ammo dump! Either thats a delaying tactic and they were expecting to capitulate or their not the wisest. In either case, force them out. Its nicer than just blowing the ammo dump with them in it.

>>43260802
Do we have anybody that is actually trained in medical care that could check if what they are saying is true that they can't be moved?

>>43260944
I'll just answer this one right now, no. There's a medic but he's not a doctor.

>>43260944
Possibly, but that would take far too long to check over each of the enemy wounded. We're on a timetable. In any case that doesn't affect the decision to force them out or not.

>>43260973
Thank you for the answer then I'll support this one. >>43260935

Back, what I miss?

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“Drag them out.” You say. “They’re trying to stall for time. Who the hell puts a hospital in a supply dump? If they resist, use deadly force if needed. We’re doing them a courtesy by not just blowing them up with everything else.”

“Yes sir.” The panzergrenadier commander jogs off.

You check back down in the tank. “Everybody alright then?”

Your crew answers in the affirmative, save for the driver, who never seems to speak anyway, and the radio operator. He seems to be frustrated with something.

“I can’t raise the other company.” He says.

“Is the radio broken?”

“No, no,” he says breathlessly, “I can contact HQ. Something’s wrong on their end.”

An anguished cry comes from outside the tank. You pop out for a second to see a pair of grenadiers dropping a man missing an arm and a leg roughly to the ground against one of the walls. A steady pile of wounded is growing.

“How many of them are there?” you ask a panzergrenadier heading back to the room, his uniform soaked in blood that was probably not his.

He looks at you irritably. “Too many. This is taking too long.”

It is. There is still sounds of battle directly outside. You look at your stopwatch and find that, by the time all the patients have been forced out, that you are out of time. As soon as the last patient is hustled out, a panzergrenadier pulls on a wire, and a colossal explosion rocks the building.

The team watching over the east and south runs to you suddenly.

“You won’t believe this,” they say, “but nobody’s come in several minutes so we looked around outside. There’s nobody for blocks. The east is open.”

The enemy must have devoted their attention to Otto’s forces, whatever happened to them to make them stop responding being the motivator.

Time to leave.

>Depart through how you came, to the west
>Break through the east and to the other company

>>43261481
>Break through the east and to the other company

>>43261481
>Depart through how you came, to the west

Otto's done. The other company has been wiped.

>>43261481
>Break through the east and to the other company
Everyone should be looking the other way. Have our rearguard rush the bridge from the other side of the river. Contact division command, see if they're still firing.

>>43261481
>>Break through the east and to the other company

>>43261668
Though have masks on, because by god Otto if you fucking called in Bertholite shells...

Rolled 2, 11 = 13 (2d100)

You assemble the commanders.

“A brief reconnaissance by one of our squads has revealed that the way to the east is clear,” you begin, “I intend to encircle the enemy at the eastern bridge, and crush them between us and our allies. We’ve lost radio contact with our forces to the east, but I’ve spoken with headquarters, and it seems that if the Reich has defeated them, they aren’t routed yet. If that is the case, I intend to come to their rescue. Are there any objections?”

“One,” says one of your tank commanders, technically Otto’s but under your command regardless. “What if we get can’t break through and we get encircled instead?”

A valid complaint, and not one you have a real answer for. “We won’t. They expect us to go back to where we came, so they’ve left where they expect us not to go.”

The tank commander is leery eyed but accepts your explanation. The panzergrenadiers have taken substantial casualties at this point, but if you’re able to attack the enemy from behind their fortifications, you should be able to avoid much further damage.

You and your allies barrel down the street quickly. The sounds of battle still echo from the east, so there is still hope.

You hear a sound from the around the end of the street.

>Roll 1d100

Rolled 10 (1d100)

>>43261986

Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>43261986

Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>43261986

>>43262049
Grunt!

>>43262060
I'm sorry! I always seem to roll high.

The sound is of rushing footsteps.

In front of you suddenly passes a bunch of Grossreich riflemen, oblivious to your presence.

“Fire!” you say before you can think about it, and the Gunner lobs a high explosive shell into the center of the street. The formation scatters instantly, as roughly half a dozen men collapse to the pavement and more stumble backwards or forwards out of your view. The grenadiers leap off your tank, fixing bayonets, and rush forward.

You all close on the end of the street, expecting heavier resistance, but only find remnants scurrying away into the alleys. It appears that you unintentionally ambushed a squad.

To your immediate right is the eastern bridge, large and pockmarked with craters. You are incredibly close; not more than fifteen meters away from the structure. Your shots caught the attention of a few antitank gunners, still looking backwards with their guns forward, baffled at the sudden enemy presence behind them. A pair of KT-24s are also on the bridge, although one appears to be burning. A tank is down the street, peeking out from behind a building, which you recognize as an m/32. One of your own. You see some friendly infantrymen also looking out from around the buildings.

You have taken everybody in the area by surprise.

>set up around the bridge and pour fire in
>tank shock the bridge

>>43262247
>>tank shock the bridge

>>43262247
>tank shock the bridge

>>43262247
>set up around the bridge and pour fire in
A good old pincer movement. Take out that last tank and then just pour HE, Canister, and MG fire into those AT gun points.

>>43262247
>>set up around the bridge and pour fire in

>>43262247
>set up around the bridge and pour fire in

>>43262247
>set up around the bridge and pour fire in

“Seize the bridgehead perimeter!” you shout, leaning out of the hatch, "trap them!" You then turn back in. As soon as you turn back in, you look out the front of the cupola to be greeted with the sight of the closest anti tank crew being reduced to a thick borscht by countless lead spheres. You appreciate Stein’s initiative with the canister shells.

You know the deal. Two d100s.

I wouldn't have figured you guys would pass up a golden chance to crush things though. Oh well.

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>43262554
There's a time and place for everything, and now is the time for dakka.

Rolled 100, 72 = 172 (2d100)

>>43262554

>>43262624
I'm seriously hoping this doesn't count.

Rolled 16 (1d100)

>>43262554

Rolled 25, 81 = 106 (2d100)

>>43262554
Accidentally locked myself out, so phone it is

>>43262766
Need my name too

You pivot into the street, allowing the enemy to only get an angle on your tried and tested frontal armor, stronger on your customized engineering than they would expect.

The next shot from your tank also flies true, a second gun crew diving away from their gun a second before a shell scatters it across the bridge, the gun shield popping up and over into the river. The first shots from your partners are similarly good, and in the first volley nearly a third of the numerous antitank positions have been silenced. Most of the other crews abandon their guns as the panzergrenadiers rush to positions along the fences and curbs, tracers flicking back and forth across the bridge from both sides.

You have AP loaded and order the gunner to line up the last tank. You can’t remember which kill this will be. 4th? 5th? 6th? In any case it will probably be your ace mark, something you never thought you’d see.

The shot from the cannon seems muffled somehow. As the loader pulls out the smoking casing, he looks down the barrel and lets a gasp escape from his mouth.

“Squib!” he shouts.

Seems you won’t be getting that kill today, you think, as a shot from the other side of the river sails over the enemy tank. It locks its turret on you and fires.

Rolled 62 (1d100)

>>43262876
Oops, meant for this

>>43262876
Oh hell no. A barrel Crack or fouling

It isn’t often you see an armor piercing shot so soon after being fired, but after the enemy tank fires you hear a horrible ringing sound, the tank vibrating, and see the shell that was just shot at you spin into the air flaccidly and fall to the side.

This would have been the perfect time to destroy them had your gun been functional.
Alas, it turns out to not be necessary. Seeing their fire be so ineffectual must have been the last straw, as the crew piles out of the tank before any other shots are laid out at it. The soldiers on the bridge begin to rise, hands raised, while others leap over the bridge and into the river.

For now, at least, you’ve won.

>further actions?

>>43262990
>further actions?
Immediately have a perimeter set up and prisoners secured. Get in contact with Otto, or if he's deceased, the next commander stat. We need to know if we're sticking with the plan and pulling back, or maintaining defenses around the bridgehead

>>43262990
Try and get the Eastside forces on the radio and get someone to start organizing what soldiers we have left.

>>43262990
Secure the prisoners

retrieve equipment from enemy AT guns to clear the bore obstruction e.g. bore cleaning rod

scavenge whatever we can carry and destroy whatever we cant

>>43262990
Get a sitrep like he suggests
>>43263083
Then try to secure the roads, sweep for survivors, place watches at critical junctures, have the infantry begin to entrench in advantageous positions, though be prepared to fall back. See if we can tow or drag some enemy gun emplacements across to our side of the river, our infantry can man them to cover a possible retreat. have the tanks set up at the north ends of the bridges while the infantry push forward along the roads and through the buildings, with a few tanks supporting but most staying at the bridges. Basic strategy is to push forward and secure the roads, and be prepared to either respond with a small tank reserve or do a fighting retreat back across to the bridges when we encounter a significant push back. otherwise cautiously continue the slow advance with the infantry being a forward screen for the tanks.

>>43263349
>>43263262
Also fix our issue with the gun haha. To be honest I was expecting that 100 to be more horrific.

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>>43263393

“Hello, von Tracht.” He says cheerily, “I didn’t think I’d be so glad that a girl would be right about a battle.”

“I’m sorry?” you twist your face in bewilderment.

“That girl you had with you. She told command that, uh, you were ‘needlessly bold’ and ‘never fought anybody from the front if you could’. Command took that as meaning you’d do something...daring. I don’t meant to criticize you since you just shellac’d the bridge that we’ve been fighting over, but you are a bit of a glory hound.”

You feel your ears heat up. “I was concerned for your welfare!”

Otto leans back and sighs. “That was something else I heard but not nearly as politely.”

You only notice now that half his face is drenched with blood.

“Oh, this.” He says, “Sorry. I had to transfer my command. Seems that unless you’re around I can’t stop getting shot.” He taps his hand on the gigantic breach, “this isn’t as bad as it looks. Your man lived, though he’s not going anywhere for a long time. High explosive pack howitzer shell, you see.”

You hear the sound of a car coming down the road and snap to alertness. It comes around the corner, and you spot a decorated man in a small car with a rickety wheel, with an adjutant holding a white flag.

>>43262990
steal everything that's not nailed down and destroy the rest

“Then,” you say over the sound of the brief revelry that was allowed, “Herr Hauptmann receives the surrender of two thousand five hundred and sixty three soldiers of the Reich, and the blade of the General.”

“It was really you,” Otto says modestly. His wounds have been bandaged neatly and his uniform replaced. For all the blood there was, the wounds had not been severe at all. “You’re the one that made them so scared. He said they thought you would only do something so rash because you had a whole other division coming from the south.”

“He refused to surrender to a Lieutenant,” you say, kicking at a burning piece of wood that had escaped from the firepit.

“Psh.” Hauptmann Franz scoffs, “I would have made him surrender to your woman if it were me.”

You refrain from commenting that Maddalyn isn’t “yours” in the way you suspect he meant.

Your estranged companies had linked back up with the division in the afternoon, shortly after the surrender was completed. With the victory from a couple days ago, the division had captured nearly five thousand soldiers of the Grossreich. Second rate troops of them, but still an astounding victory in the face of what had happened thus far in the war.

However, the extended battles had gutted the division. They had been running out of men and materiel quite quickly, and if the enemy had reinforced their beleaguered forces the division would likely have been forced to flee.

Morale was still high, however, and a couple hours of celebration had been granted in light of the utter destruction of enemy resistance before the order to move out would be acted upon.

>socialize: go do something other than fight for a change. Vote for somebody to seek out.
>or don't and just work your head off like a joyless toad

>>43263828
>socialize: go do something other than fight for a change. Vote for somebody to seek out.

>>43263731
>glory hound

That's more confusing than anything. I don't think we've boasted about anything or really care about anything so far.

>>43263828
Go seek out Maddy. Thank her for having our back, probably keeping the idiots from dropping chlorine on us.

Then we drag her to go see the men, and live a little.

>>43263828
>socialize: go do something other than fight for a change. Vote for somebody to seek out
Seek out the crew and Maddy, everyone gets a bit drunk tonight. Also ask our loader what was wrong with the breech.

Also, why not talk to other armor and infantry commanders and see what is really up with our reputation in the army.

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>>43263776
classic /tg/

>>43263828
Keep up appearences without making an ass out of ourself

Try not to act too much like a noble, maybe get some booze for the men directly under our command

get our unit emblem painted on finally

>>43263731
I don't understand half of what Otto is talking about. Is something missing from the start of this post?

>>43263828
>socialize: Grenadier commander.

You seek out Maddalyn. At the very least, she shouldn’t be as mad as she was earlier.

She finds you before you find her, however. You’re looking around the command tents when she taps you on the shoulder. You turn around.

“So you’re not hurt then?” she says. She appears to be haggard and exhausted, dark circles ringing her eyes.

“I’m perfectly fine. What can I say?” you shrug and look skyward, “I’m luckier than most.” You try and chuckle to yourself but she doesn’t say anything. “Hey, thanks for…well, your help earlier.”

“I didn’t do anything.” She says sullenly.
Entirely the reaction you had come to expect.
“I just told them the obvious. You’re an idiot, von Tracht.”

“Not Richter anymore?” you ask, somewhat disappointed. “There’s hope for us yet if the Reich’s generals can be outwitted by an idiot.”

“That’s not what I mean.” She continues, her voice getting huffier, “You choose to go on an exceedingly dangerous raid instead of staying back in a favorable position, you not only go to Delsau, for my sake, but come back too. Let’s not forget above all, instead of comfortable employment with the Reich, and if what you say about what happened in Delsau is true, you practically refused it twice, and you choose to stay loyal to the Archduke, who has done nothing for you, and go through all this suffering. Why? It’s obviously not for any benefit for you.” She sidles closer, and sticks a finger in your chest. “Do you have a deathwish?”

“No.” you say without any additional prose.

“Everybody I’ve spoken with thinks you’re out to prove something. You don’t need me to tell you you’re unusual. You don’t need me to tell you that some people are envious of you. I just want you to tell me just who you think you are.”

>blow her off
>tell her the truth (roll a d100)

Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>43264828
>tell her the truth (roll a d100)
A soldier doing his job. What else could we be? The Dukes son?

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>43264828
>tell her the truth (roll a d100)

Is doing the right thing not good enough?

Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>43264828
I just try to do what I think is right so that at the end of it all I can safely tell my self that I did right.

>>43264938

This basically goes back to what we told Otto. It's better that we do this than someone else. We're in a position to do some real good, save some damn lives. Who knows what some other commander would have down so far. How many would have used the Bertholite shells, where we didn't and succeeded regardless?

This is our job, we're making sure other people don't have to be in our position.

You’ve never told anybody this before, but you may as well now.

“…I was never really good at anything,” you admit, “I tried a few things, but I was never satisfied. I guess I’m impatient like that. Then when I went through training and received a commission, I realized something. I was actually pretty good at this whole, commanding, business.”

You kick some dust around. “I can’t do anything else. Can’t handle money, can’t make waves in court, and I can’t keep people I care about happy. I’m really not suited to being nobility. The very least I can do is be great at the one thing I can do, right? That means, as far as I figure it, I have to do the right thing, and it doesn’t matter what’s best for me. It's about what's best for everybody else. That's what I think being a soldier is about.”

Maddalyn blinks at you, then giggles a bit. “Has anybody told you you’re not cut out to be a soldier?”

“I’m perfectly cut out to be a soldier.” You reply firmly.

“I know. It’s just a shame that you’re where you are instead of somewhere better.” She sighs and puts her hands on her hips, “People like you don’t come out on top. Is that alright?”

You don’t get to say yes before she says it for you.

“Yes, it’s alright with you. It’s not alright with me. People are going to step on your head and you’re going to thank them for it. Can you promise me something at least? Promise me you won’t do something suicidal just because nobody else will. It’s not your duty to die just because somebody would rather you do it than them.”

>I can do that
>I can’t do that.

>>43265282
>>I can’t do that.

>>43265282
>I can do that

If we die, chances are the people we're protecting will as well, so fuck that.

>>43265282
>I can do that

>>43265282

I can only promise that I'll do what seems right in the moment

>>43265282
>I can do that

I hope we get sufficiently wasted.

>>43265282
>I can do that

>>43265282
>I think glorious last stands are overrated, and I'll Try not to be stupid, but no promises. Well... I really want to keep living, so I can promise to keep trying that.

>>43265631
Seems very much in line with what we'd say.

I like this quest, but I personally dislike the quasi-romance subplot that's been going on since we met the girl. I hope that this doesn't end up like a number of other quests where the romance becomes intrusive.

>>43265812
Shes driving character development and doing a good job of it.

>>43265812
I don't mind it, but I'm mainly hoping we can get her trained. Having the little princess type worried about us is alright, but having her gradually adapt into an experienced crewman would be awesome.

“I’m not fond of glorious last stands,” you reassure her, “and I’ll try not to do anything stupid, but no promises. I do want to continue living, so…I can promise to do my best at that.”

“That’s better.” She smiles, “I think I can forgive you for being so selfless if you at least stay alive.” She grabs your hand roughly, “Come on, Bernardsen said that it’s a perfect time to learn how to clear an obstruction from a barrel!”

“Who the hell is Bernardsen?” you ask. Maddalyn doesn’t hear you.

This girl had no idea how to celebrate.

Along the way back to the motor pool, where your crew is, you pass by a congregation of Panzergrenadier officers, all from the 2nd Panzergrenadier Regiment. Quite a few are wounded in some way, but none of them appear to be mournful or sad.

From the crowd, a hand reaches out and pulls you in.

“Gentlemen” a voice you recognize as 8th company commander Hauptmann Franz, “this is, for some reason, a Lieutenant. This is von Tracht, the commander of the valiant platoon that pulled 3rd Company’s ass out of the fire in Blumsburgh, and led a raid with 8th company that turned the Reich’s finest yellow!”

“Prosit, von Tracht!” a man who is presumably with 3rd company proclaims. He is soon followed by a few more well-wishers. A healthy supply of white wine that seemingly came out of nowhere vanishes down the throats of the regiment’s officers.

“Thank you,” you say uneasily, “how are you?”
“You really need a drink, Lieutenant,” Franz says, pressing a stemmed glass received from an orderly into your own. “The dead at least demand that we do their share of celebration,” he then shouts out to the rest of his fellow officers, “but they don’t get any of the booze!” Some laughter is heard.

>Converse

>>43265812
I appreciate your feedback, but I can say that I more intended any relationship to be platonic at best, with overreaching being denied.

>>43266101
>I more intended any relationship to be platonic at best

>tfw even in CYOAs you will never be with your waifu

>>43266101
Ask about how their men are holding up and where all this wine is coming from. Cheap booze seams more suited to a party. And by all that's well and good, toast them.

>platonic at best
I wonder if we're ever going to meet our betrothed.

>>43266266

It's probably Maddalyn but she thinks we look like a fag and our shit's all retarded so she'll never tell us and when we eventually find out we'll feel like a beta

>>43266101
I cant say that I can give an objective critique as I have my biases from previous quests. I like what I like. But I do like how you've QM'd so far. Personally I favor the whole Otto Carius route of bonding with crew members and unintentionally becoming famous through competence of command. But I do admit that the girl has led to some character development.

Do you have an email that I can reach you at?

>>43266409
I'm stuck between thinking it's too unbelievably obvious and thinking it being that obvious is there to mask it being true.

“So,” you try and adjust to the feeling of being toasted to, “how are the men?”

“Drunk.” One officer says bluntly.

“They drank all the dark ale once they found the brewery,” another says, “left nothing for their loving caretakers.”

“Speaking of, where did this wine come from? Seems rather fancy, considering.” You say, swishing it around in its glass.

“Kaiser’s little general was a wino,” Franz explains, “A dozen cases of varying vintages. None of us can taste the difference, though!” This is punctuated by some protests to the generalization that are drowned out by uproarious laughter.

You think of finding out what you got, but think better of it. “To the 2nd Panzergrenadier and to victory!” you say, raising your glass, “the Kaiser lies awake at night fearing he’ll be next!”

Appreciative laughs are shared. “To victory!”

Maddalyn finds you again and pulls you out.
“They said that you can’t drink,” she scolds.

There were ways of spending that afternoon that you could have thought of that didn’t involve getting that bastard of a shell out of the barrel. By the time it was out you were all so exhausted nothing but sleep was on your minds. You are rudely awoken barely after you shut your eyes by a sweaty looking major walking around whacking everything he can with a little leather switch.

Apologies for the delays, by the way. The next set's a bit of a doozy and I haven't planned all of it.

>>43266640
Could you just pastebin it or something? I am always open to critique.

>>43266905

Gently inform the major that there are tired war heroes trying to sleep here and now may not be the best time to satisfy his BDSM fetish.

The major politely informs you that the division is leaving, and that you need to be ready to go within the hour.

With the Grossreich defeated in the area, the 2nd Royal Guards Division was commanded to return to the capital, Strosstadt, as soon as possible. There were reportedly some skirmishes with stray patrols, but you and the crew never meet any. This was fortunate, as all members constantly rotated positions, sleeping fitfully. The march was long, arduous, yet over surprisingly quickly.

You’ve learned about the present war situation in small bits and pieces, relayed through rumor over the past few days. The Crown Prince of Strosvald, Sigfried von Strosvald, has gathered an army to stop the invasion force. The Reich is invading Plisseau, and smashing aside the feeble resistance offered by the weak nation. Delsau was defeated at the borders, but holds firm further inland.

Mostly what concerns you are rumors of former members of traitorous regiments being reinducted, reorganized, and placed into Penal regiments, regardless of what the individual's actual loyalties were at the time of their regiment turning. You have grown rather accustomed to fighting alongside the 2nd Royal Guards, and the idea of being placed into a regiment full of strangers, let alone into a regiment said to be reserved for incredibly risky missions, is not very appealing.

The situation becomes much clearer once you are only half a day out from the capital. Your rank allows you privy to some information, which you read as your convoy rolls down a cobblestone road, the oaks and birches resplendent in warm autumn garb. The smell of harvested wheat and Strosvald clay dust is a refreshing change from the smell of cordite and kerosene.

Apparently, as part of Procedure Eleven, the citizenry was mobilized. When the bulk of the 2nd Royal Guards Division was trapped in Blumsburgh, they were given up for dead, and the citizenry, as well as official reserves, were drafted up and organized to fill the gaps in manpower. Prince Sigfried, a competent military mind, had been granted command and told to stop the Kaiser’s progress through Strosvald, while the capital was fortified and the reserves were mobilized in other parts of the country.

One of the first territories to respond was the region of Altöss, to the southeast of the country. Combining the Altöss Territorial Army with the partially mobilized Citizen Guards Army and parts of the remaining Royal Guards divisions. The new group is dubbed the Sigfried army, and was sent to the west two days prior, on the 21st of September 1932, to reinforce and organize Strosvald resistance.

Apparently the 2nd Royal Guards Division was to reunite with parts of it that had been cut off when it was first entrapped, replenish itself with new citizen guard recruits, then head back east to participate in the counteroffensive.

Your own situation was up in the air. In light of recommendations from other members of the Division, you receive a note from the Generalmajor that he will do what he can to avoid having you placed in a less than ideal circumstance.

Naturally, with such allies, you cannot help but feel the slightest bit surprised when a gang of MPs ambush you and your platoon as soon as you stop in the motor pool.

“3rd Panzer Regiment, Sixth Company, Second Platoon, Lieutenant Richter von Tracht?” an MP barks at you.

“Present.”

“You and your platoon are come with us, as part of an ongoing investigation concerning rebellious elements in the national army.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Maddalyn emerges from the tank. “Are you about to arrest these men for defending their country?”

“…They’re not under arrest, they are to be brought in for questioning…” the MP fumbles over his words, surprised at being berated by a young woman who had just burst from inside a tank.

“They are not to be brought in for anything.” Maddalyn says, “They are my-“

“-We’ll go with you.” You interrupt hastily. You lean over to Maddalyn. “Whatever you have planned,” you say furtively, “save it for later. They aren’t going to line us up and shoot us.”
She opens her mouth to protest, shuts it again, then agrees.

“Fine. I’ll have you out in at least an hour. Delsau isn’t the only place where I know people.”

You are hustled into a small room with a searing bright light hanging from the ceiling. Across from you, seating at the other end of the room, is a thin figure. A shade on the light casts it specifically on you; you cannot make out any details of the person across from you.

“So, the von Blums, eh?” the man says, cracking his knuckles, “Interesting. I suppose you know how this is. I’m not going to bother treating you like some uneducated enlisted rat. You’re up there, you might have had some part in this. Tell me everything you know. Now.”

>write in
>suggestion-maybe you’re feeling like a smartass. Being wrongfully accused puts one in a sarcastic mood.

>>43267537

Respectfully and briefly explain our role in refusing the betrayal of our unit and counterattacking the traitorous scum at the villa.

>>43267537
Give him the whole spiel; we pretended to defect to get behind their lines and then nail the rebels when they least expected it. There are numerous witnesses of our actions, and we've been seeking out division ever since the split happened, doing our part where we can.

>>43267680
Addendum to this. Don't be an ass, be respectful. This is a serious situation, and it's best we show it.

You start at the beginning.

“When my unit turned against the Archduke, my platoon met with parts of the 2nd Royal Guards division. We assisted them in an assault on the von Blum estate in order to defeat the traitorous faction there. There are numerous witnesses, just ask-“

“Nah, nah nah nah nah, von Tracht, I don’t give a shit about any of that.” The narrow man rattles off quickly, shaking his hands at you in the dark, “Yes, I’m ever so impressed, you’re so amazing, tell it to the court. I’m not the court. I want names. Friends. Places they’ve been, families they have. In the old days, see, a traitor’s family could be banished, even killed. Strung up for everyone else to see so they know not to fucking fuck with the Duke. No, but we’re more civilized now. No executions, no stringing up wives and children, but I can’t guarantee the loving wifey’s going to look so good after coming out of the fucking stalag if you get me.” His voice is slowly getting more and more tense, even though it has the quality of a flute. It would be pleasant to hear if not for the ugly things he was saying.

“I couldn’t even if I wanted to,” you reply cautiously, “I had just arrived when the war began. I scarcely knew what my position was.”

This was the truth. You couldn't even recall your superior's name in the 3rd Regiment.

“So you won’t tell me anything?” the man’s reedy voice is shaking, but every word is finely and precisely clipped at the end, “You aren’t going to like what’ll happen to you if you defend traitors, you little piece of shit. We know your family, do you want your mother brought here with her fucking knees broken? Do you want your servants whipped to fucking death? If you think the worst that’ll happen is a little court martial you need to wake the fuck up.”

How rude.

>think of a way to placate the thin man in the darkness

>>43268107
The war started precisely two days after I arrived on post. I did not learn any of their names. Not of my fellow officers, my commander or my assigned men. The only names I can give you are those of the men that decided to stay loyal with me.

>>43267537
Hey OP once you finish this quest can you do a naval themed or aviation themed quest?

Maybe with us as mercenaries

>>43268107
Ask him what his name is, then spit in his face. We already told him what we knew and we aren't gonna sit here and listen to him talk shit about our mom.

>>43268217

Affirm this, and politely ask if he is accusing you of being a liar.

>>43268107
>How rude.
Eloquently put.

Tell him we're not here to kiss ass or boast about accomplishments. We're new, he can check our records and verify we were only recently sent to the front lines, and we were too busy saving ass to get names on who was betraying the nation. We're not some spook, it's not our job to gather information in dire situations.

>>43268275
>spit in his face

That's a no-no. He's just attempting to rile us up just in-case we are actually traitors. Nothing unintentionally spills information better than getting pissed off, or pretending to get pissed off.

>>43268364
Its obvious he is but, sitting there and ignoring those kinds of wrongful threats isn't a good idea.

>>43268393
Which is why I'm for getting pissed, but doing something to the spook who in charge of our little interview isn't intelligent.

>>43268275
No, no spitting please

Getting mad in general is a bad idea, especially if we want to later point out that we have friends in high places and are not some dumb schmuck for him to push around and threaten because it gets him off, and maybe he should reconsider whether he's in a position to be making such insulting threats.

“I don’t know who my fellow officers were, my commander, or even what men I was assigned. The only names I know are those of the ones who stayed with me, loyal to the Archduke. Unless you want to punish loyalty? Or are you saying I’m a Liar? There are plenty of witnesses outside.”

The thin man leans back and exhales. “Look. Buddy, pal, partner in justice or whatever gets your prick up. This isn’t fucking complicated. You give me names, I write them down in my little book and we shove you out the door with a pat on the ass. Saying nothing is literally the worst fucking idea anybody would ever have. I don’t think you’re a liar, I just realized, you’re just fucking retarded. Let me give you some advice for a long and happy life. If you have to lie, I don’t give a shit, just start telling some lies if you ever want to leave.”

“Fine. Here’s your name.” you say slowly, “Sigwald von Strosvald.”

“Funny cunt.” He muses.

A heavy knock beats at the steel door.
“Piss off, we aren’t done yet.” The thin man shouts out.

“You’re done.” A deep voice says outside the door, “Some guy called Stahl is here, says he wants to pick up the lastest batch.”

“Stahl who?”

“Jurgen Stahl.”

“Ah, piss,” the thin man says, scratching his head. “Fine. Fuck off, von Tracht. No idea what the Royal Engineering Head wants but I know what I don’t want. You stinking up my fucking castle for any longer. Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out.”

The man who has sprung you is a middle aged man, on the way to his elderly years, with patches of gray spotting an otherwise blonde head. He is dressed in a close fitting grey and white suit, and bears the badge of a royal commission; an award denoting extraordinary achievement in common birth once, but now merely an award for remarkable service to the Archduke.

“Von Tracht, I presume,” he greets you, “I am Jurgen Stahl, Chief of Royal Engineers. I have heard that you have a most fascinating thing to show me.”

>Elaborate on what interesting things you have found

>>43268876

It's a tank

>>43268876
An amazing piece of machinery called a Tank!

We do have plenty of Grossreich tanks for him to check out if he want something else to look at, though he's undoubtedly seen them before.

>>43268876
That solid hulled tank? The files?

>>43268928
There was a Mild steel prototype of our +1 tank back at the mansion iirc, that way we wont have to give up our command tank

Or we could show him the SPG we jacked back during our daring raid

>>43269290
>the SPG we jacked

I don't think there's any particularly interesting technology involved with a gun mounted on a pair of tracks

“Well,” you are unsure of what to make of this visitor. “It’s a tank.”

“I have heard. Will you show me it?”

“Ah yes,” he says, running a finger down the glacis plate, “I remember this.”

“You made this?” you spurt incredulously.

“This? Oh no. I made the process for this method of casting. Casting is both convenient…and inconvenient. It is quite difficult to control the quality of cast armor. If you aren’t careful, many flaws occur, eclipsing its positive aspects. Scarcely more than a year ago, I developed a method of better controlling this quality. This hull was created with this method.”

“Is that…” you try to compress this, “…good?”

“Oh no.” he laughs. “It was an experimental method, inefficient and expensive. It worked, but for what it gave it was very easily not worth it. Such a method was strategically worthless, tragically.”

“Ah.” You let a syllable escape.

“A fascinating work nonetheless…has this machine been struck?” he points to a small dent, from where the tank was hit directly in Weissbrucke.

“Oh, uh, yeah.” You climb onto the tank and go inside. After a brief search, you find the armor piercing warhead. You had decided to keep it after tripping over it after the fighting. There is also the bag full of blueprints, snagged from the von Blum laboratory.

“That was because of this.” You say, holding up the shell.

“It is heartening to know that the method served a purpose,” he says warmly, “what are those?”

“Blueprints. We found them in the same place as this tank,” you say, handing them to him.

“Hmm,” he pores over them, flipping them, when suddenly he spots something on the third sheet. “What is this?” he stares at it, and before you can look at it, he rolls it up.

“Well, it has been a pleasure, von Tracht, but something urgent has come up. Rest assured that the Department of Investigation will not bother you after I am gone. Farewell!”

With that he hurries away. You never looked thoroughly at the blueprints, so you’re unsure of what he could have seen. Not that you would have understood their significance anyway.

Not much later, the Generalmajor appears before you.

“Lieutenant von Tracht.”

“Generalmajor.” You stand and salute. It was quite an honor for him to have come in person.

“At ease. I come with a proposition. While I have ensured your exemption from Penal service, the Penal Regiments are... lacking in leadership. If you are interested, I can recommend you for a promotion to Hauptmann, in command of a company of Penal Regimental armor assets. If you are not, we will accept you as replacements for the 6th Panzer Regiment. What do you say?”

>Stay with the 2nd Royal Guards Division, and prepare to head back east and rendezvous with Sigfried Army to fight the Grossreich

>Accept promotion and join the 1st Penal Armor Battalion. The Penal Regiments are primarily responsible for high risk operations, but more specifically against former Strosvald formations. This unit will be moving to the southern flank of Sigfried Army to fight traitorous Strosvald units with other Penal regiments

>>43269359
Former lets us stay in tactical battles, but latter requires a more strategic focus that sort of clashes with our tendency to think on the go. Hmm.

>Accept promotion and join the 1st Penal Armor Battalion. The Penal Regiments are primarily responsible for high risk operations, but more specifically against former Strosvald formations. This unit will be moving to the southern flank of Sigfried Army to fight traitorous Strosvald units with other Penal regiments

High risk, but we're smart enough to keep our men from being thrown into the meat-grinder that everyone's expecting the leadership to allow.

>>43269359
>Stay with the 2nd Royal Guards Division, and prepare to head back east and rendezvous with Sigfried Army to fight the Grossreich

>>43269359
>Stay with the 2nd Royal Guards Division, and prepare to head back east and rendezvous with Sigfried Army to fight the Grossreich

>>43269359
Hmmm...
This is a tough decision.
I say accept the promotion

>>43269359
>>Stay with the 2nd Royal Guards Division, and prepare to head back east and rendezvous with Sigfried Army to fight the Grossreich

>>43269359
>>Stay with the 2nd Royal Guards Division, and prepare to head back east and rendezvous with Sigfried Army to fight the Grossreich

Through attrition we'll get promoted anyways.

File: 1438583452166.png (84 KB, 352x276)

84 KB PNG

Nobody wants to have a good old time in the Penal Legion? Bummer. I don't even care about promotions, just seems like somewhere we'd excel.

>>43269440
I say keep things on a tactical level, stay with the 2nd

>>43269359
>>Accept promotion and join the 1st Penal Armor Battalion.

The more responsibility we have the more we can put to use our excellent leadership skills. We will take the shunned of the Strosvald military and turn them into national heroes. We will crush traitorous scum under our treads and make the Reich regret invading our country. Für Gott und Vaterland.

Will we be getting any reinforcements in the 2nd?

>>43269851

We are the reinforcements, son.

I'll leave this one to you guys. While I have my own opinion in this, I'm mainly here to provide tactics

>>43269851
We are the reinforcements son

>>43269893
>>43269919

So you're saying that we're now the 6th Panzer Regiment? Or are we the reinforcements assuming command of what's left? I'm really tired and this is messing with me.

>>43269896
The choice is made, but you should go ahead and offer your own input regardless. Better to have a wide range of opinions.

>>43269893
>>43269919

Which brings up another significant issue- as reserves in the 2nd, we'll be tossed into units that have already suffered casualties, in situations which are likely beyond out control and possibly fighting the stronger Reich units. As a penal captain we will be fighting the enemy's weak flanks manned by poorly equipped and uncoordinated turncoats, giving us far more potential for easy victories which we can capitalize on and gain momentum to really threaten the enemy's flank. If we continue in the 2nd we'll have far fewer opportunities to make use of our leadership abilities, which is why you should all change your votes to the penal unit.

>>43270004
How bout get fucked? I don't want to play suicide mission every mission, dealing with people who have no loyalty and turned once when teh going got tough.

>>43269963

We will be rolled into the 6th Panzer Regiment and be sent back to fighting the Grossreich on the front lines, versus becoming a captain in a newly formed penal battalion and fighting former Strosvald units on the enemy's flank.

File: 1436669048149.jpg (51 KB, 640x480)

51 KB JPG

>>43270039
>How bout get fucked?

Well someone doesn't like their decisions being questioned...

>>43270004
I'd rather fight battles not play spec ops the line and have to deal with "my fam need food so I fite my own guyz" or over and over.

Any of the choices lead to Valkyria Chronicles so it's all good

>>43270071

Your thinking is too short-sighted, friend. No one gives a shit about the traitor units, they'll break and run before we've had time to become a double ace. It's once that's happened that we care about. Instead of becoming mired in endless army-scale fighting on the main front, we'll pierce the enemy's weak flanks, making strategically vital gains and striking deep into the enemy rear. Before you know it we'll be cruising through Reich countryside and raping their malnourished women. Pacifist drama is the last thing I'm interested in.

>>43270141
That seems a tad extreme and out of character.

>>43270231

So would the quest turning into Spec Ops: The Line melodrama. I'm just trying to meet people on their own level of thinking.

>>43270276
That's not why I voted for joined 1st. Tactical battles are cool, but moving onto the stage of true strategic management would be interesting. Richter's a leader, and I think keeping the Penal dudes under our control (assuming those we get aren't actually remnant who didn't defect) should be well within our capabilities.

Just so you all know, that question will be the last actual decision point of this particular thread, but it's pretty important so I'm leaving discussion for it up til thread death if necessary.

>>43270605
How much longer do you plan to run?

I'm sure consensus is 2nd, though even as >>43269440 I don't particularly mind which way we go.

>>43270642
>how much longer do you plan to run

Well this thread in particular's pretty much done. I'd need to plan out quite a bit considering the battle to come would involve a lot more movement than all the past ones, as well as more interactions between non player groups.

If you mean "how much longer do you plan to run this quest" I'm not sure of that yet.

>>43269963
My opinion? In all honesty both have good and bad points. Staying wiry the dragons mean we remain well supplied and supported, but upward movement is stifled and we are more restricted in tactics. Furthermore they might object to our brash actions, Maddy, and that one asshole we just met could go out to get us.

The Penal uunit gives us distance and freedom to use more tactics. Crew and unit composition is entirely up to us. However, it's a penalty unit who's loyalty is questionable and will require political officers. Also, we will likely have fewer reinforcements and lower on the list for upgrades and resupply. However, we will command a much bigger unit and our actions will gardner more fame and norterity through the fact that we could accomplish so much with a heroic penal unit

The way I see it. If you take the Penal Legion, you have the opportunity to save more soldiers than you would if you stayed with the Guard.
These guys are being sent into high risk situations, they probably don't expect to come back alive. I'm sure you'd gain more loyalty if you treat them like people, where they aren't replaceable, where you give them hope that their journey won't end on the end of a bayonet.

So going penal is high risk, high reward. That seems to fit the protagonist.