Republic of Folk

Missions:

• Old Blood
• Poncho
• Airborne Activity
• Viewpoint
• Hasty

Afterparty:

• Empty Threats (Puppeteer edition)

We've started off with new mission Old Blood - bootleg version of Fer's Old Men, hacked together in 5 minutes before the session in order to show off new weapons. It was probably longest run of this mission we ever had - not that it helped, since we all got murdered by a single guy at the entrance to the air base.

Last week's success in Poncho has been repeated next. It turns out it wasn't (just) my great leadership skills that kill us all 3 minutes into action last week. This time we were dead before we even got close to town. Can't really say much about this one yet.

Airborne Activity is a mission I've been omitting for some time now, thinking that people would prefer something less vanilla...



I'd still prefer this mission to be less 2035, but it was solid fun. Tigershark throwing a smoke grenade right under enemies feet was meme worthy.

With a little more time to set up, Viewpoint was, to quote Bormanov, too easy. He actually said that seconds after shooting me in a back, in an attempt to peel some paint off a burning brdm with his machinegun, but I hope his comment regarded the mission, not my death.

I wonder if this mission, and last mission of the session, Hasty, wouldn't be better with Wolfenswan's magic skip time feature (we all died horribly in Hasty, btw)

Thank for coming disregard the updatecalypse. More words to come.

We started off with a round of Old Men Blood. It was longer than usual, and came with MP5s - and the last few moments were essentially a metaphor for lemmings and fire.

We really didn't get much of anywhere in Poncho, fer's new US Marine Shilka-destroying mission which I lead (poorly). I entirely blame AI grasshax for my death.

Next up was a newish mission of mine, Airborne Activity. In this one, I ended up as the Co-pilot-in-charge (after it turned out pilot Wolf was actually pretty new to Attack Helos, an arrangement which worked out in a ball of fire) of the CSAT Kajman that ferried everyone to the drop point, and Kalel was the SQL. This mission was about interrupting an arms deal in a region occupied by two separate peacekeeping forces, NATO and CSAT - and the issues resulting from that.
The mission started well enough - the Infantry got into the back, we flew to and landed at Drop Point B, and they were dropped off, whereafter we flew off for a bit, just far and low enough to 'inconspicuously' spy on the target village.
After a while of nothing happening while I spied on an IDAP deployment and taught Wolf not to hover above 20m in a Helicopter, things kicked off when a bomb literally flew across my gunsight. Then there was gunfire, and 'New Orders'. SQL Kalel called us in to strafe ground targets, then called off the strike while we were over the village.

That moment, when we were turning right around, is when the two approaching NATO Blackfeet struck, launching an AA missile which was immediately followed by cannonfire. We did not have a comfy landing.

Thenceforward we were treated to a view of said Blackfeet turning their guns on our Infantry and being generally scary, before decapitating Boberro who hadn't actually noticed the hostile aircraft and continuing to pick off more of us as the mission went on. They were actually pretty good for the mission, being inaccurate enough that their gunfire was both scary as hell 'atmospheric' and fairly survivable. After a while, most of the villagers and foreigners were dead, the NATO reinforcements were trapped by stupid Takistan tracked-vehicle pathfinding, and Kalel shot an Aid worker. Mission Complete.

Next up was another bout of Viewpoint, except this time, we got a bit of preparation time and the mission suddenly became way too easy. I'm not even sure anyone died, and I'm considering removing easy-mode from the server and going back to v4.
I was a rifleman/Metis handler with Egg this one, and we got a few easy kills.

Last one for me was Hasty, the US Army v Soviet village defence. I got an M240 (boo, add M60) as MMG, and ended up sat on a bridge shooting the very few soviets who walked in front of me before we were all flanked and shot.

Boberro cosplaying again

Mission: Old blood
Role: AT

This mission really suited itself to the number of "volunteers" we had. A distinct ominous atmosphere as we went street to street using the cover of darkness to reach our objective. (spoiler: we didn't reach it) It was all very reminiscent of OFP missions like "Clean sweep"

Back to the mission; There was some genuine team work as we moved through the passageways, covering sectors as we moved. The IFV's proved to be a challenge and forced us to take alternative routes around before being greeted by one of its friends. BrightCandle(?) made short work of most of the gunners with an acquired AKsomething.
In the end we marched single column into the sights of a single AI. I was last in the conga line and manged to get a shot off. I wasnt excatly sure where he was but by the time I saw him, prone, behind a sand bag, behind some grass, it was all too late. RIP.

I would suggest for this mission that there are fewer tanks (2-3) but they patrol through the streets.

Mission: Poncho
Role: AR

Ponchos are just about the best thing to happen to Arma since reloading-on-the-move, fantastic.

We started by advancing down the road towards our objective.
At around 200m out, we were engaged and we began to take cover by the residential buildings. As I advanced towards cover I was knocked down. Once up, I advanced down the left side using the houses to shield myself from attack from the right side.
We had advanced down a shallow valley but it meant that the enemy advanced on us mostly from elevated positions from both sides and from behind grass/ other.
In the end I was shot through a garden fence. Admittedly, I was perhaps further ahead of the fire team than I should have been which made rescue very difficult. I probably should have kept further back and provided covering fire.

Mission: Airborne Activity
Role: Rifleman

This was fairly textbook in its execution, that is, until an attack chopper came to wreck shit. Bobbero, our most fearless leader, was first to fall i believe. Moral hit rock bottom as we tried to progress without him.
A NATO IFV made short work of most of our squad.

Mission: Viewpoint
Role: Grenader

Excellent execution, almost too good as we completed our objective with ease. I manned the .50cal which was fantastic.

Mission: Hasty
Role: ASL

I decided to try my hand at leading for the first time with you folk. "Hasty" is actually very apt for what happend.
Our objective was to defend against a large force approaching for the north. I didn't know this going in but I'm not massively fond of leading in a defend situation or a largely urban environment. Never-the-less, I tried. My idea was to have to lines of defence: a fire team furthest north and an MG team behind for when they needed to retreat.
I had a Bradley at my disposal but I was afraid of it being destroyed at first contact, I kept in the back to pick off flankers.
This plan was a disaster and didn't work well at all.

In hind sight what i should have done was "saving private ryan" it.
I should have allowed the enemy to enter the town this would have filtered them somewhat so they weren't in a organised formation.
this would also have allowed the creation of a "killzone" on the far side of the bridge for which our MG and Bradely could have easeily killed everything in sight.
I would perhaps positioned the bradly on the main road thus being protected at both sides and only really need to worry about the front. If there was a threat, it simpley had to roll back.