Lego Invasion Thread!

[Togas]

Once our involvement becomes public we should issue a declaration of neutrality.

But until then, I'd like to keep things as quiet as possible.

--Togas

[CiverDan]

Ouch, GS lost a lot of forces in the last attack by Lego. DD are no match for BB. Hopefully their other stack is able to make land, otherwise our Conq and Rifle stack, even if we make it, will just be cannon fodder with so many Lego artillery. Given the current position, if ND/GoW doesnt get involved Lego will win.

[GodKing]

Hmmmmm.... anything new?

[Togas]

beginning of turn:


Lego destroyed all of our escort ships in the N. As a result, we can't penetrate their blockade, making our original target (Sando) unreachable. We deducted that Sando 7 should be covered by a 4/5 BB.

Lego exposed our spy, but we managed to plant another one.
Legoland forces:

- 2 settler
- 14 worker (-3)
- 3 horsemen (-1)
- 12 Cavalry (-13)
- 91 infantry (+2)
- 62 artillery
- 27 Tanks (+11)
- 6 ironclad (-1 LiB)
- 15 transport
- 10 subs (-1 LiB)
- 9 DD (-1 LiB, +3 B)
- 9 BB
- 1 carrier
- 3 bomber (+1 B)

Investigating Quanto

Not shown in the pic is that there is also a cath, uni, factory, hospital, harbor.

Further, I count a defense of:
- 9 T
- 1 reg T
- 10 I
- 10 art
- 1 bomber.

Investigating Abilene

Not shown: Bank, Cath, uni, factory, hospital.
72 spt

defenders:
- 10 I
- 6 T
- 1 reg T
- 11 Art
- 2 bombers
- 5 Cav
- 2 TR

- Neither Quanto Mechanico, nor Abilene are possible to take with our marines.
- We assume Forkmouth is similarly defended by 10 I, 10 T, 10 art.
- we scouted, and spotted 22 I, 10 Art on Q12 (our preferred landing spot in case cities weren't possible)
- This should leave enough units for Lego to do the exact same thing on GoW's side, making it impossible to attack a city.
- Lego has pillaged a couple of forts it couldn't defend. They did the same thing inbetween Jackson and Dye fields.

- We decided to land our land units on Abilene 78, on grass without a fortress. (8 further M were landed on Quanto 77 to allow room for chaining.
- We keep a naval threat nearby, consisting of most of our M (the rest can be chained to the fleet if needed). This threatens a 3rd city, Tiperrary.


End of movement pic

Battle Report
- DD attacks 3/5 BB Legopolis. DD sinks. BB 2/5.
- DD attacks 4/5 DD At Abilene 4411 (forgot to note the name). Defensive bombardment misses. 2/4 DD.
- DD attacks 2/4 DD Myrmidon. DD sinks, Myrmidon 2/4
- 3/4 DD attacks 2/4 DD Myrmidon. DD 3/4.
- 3/4 DD stumbles into (reg or 3/4?) sub at Abilene 47. DD 2/4.
- 3/4 DD stumbles into sub at Abilene 411111111. DD destroyed.
- 4/5 DD attacks sub at Abilene 411111111. DD 1/5.

Total: 7 battles, 3 lost. We lost 3 DD, Lego lost 2 DD and 2 Subs.


It is the best we can do for the moment: threaten 3 cities and 1 defensive position.
We strongly suggest GoW tries to do the same, as otherwise there is no way we can attack next turn. From here, it looks like your land units would best be landed on the pillaged fortress in between Jackson and Dye Fields, which (together with a settler), threatens 2 cities. Your Marines can either be landed too, with chainers in range, or could be loaded to threaten Zargonia. If you position them right, they will fork on Zargonia and Dye fields.

I'm not saying this is definately the best solution for you, but unless you threaten 3 cities (or more), neither of us will be able to do a lot of damage on Lego. Main reason why both our attack-a-city-with-marines plans failed was because Lego was able to reduce the threatened cities on our side from 5 to 2. We could have handled it if there were 2 more.

[Aidun]

It seems the sky above GS is full of dark clouds or am I mistaken? The picture looks grim for GS.

Do I understand it correctly that we are going to assist GS in this war, but that the other powers have not yet mingled in the conflict? If the war is not going well for GS, what will the fate of our troops then be?

Aidun

[GodKing]

Anything new?

[Togas]

Hi Togas,

Sorry that this took so long, but it has been extremely busy the past few days. You might want to know what happened... well... we took Legopolis. And 8 other cities as well. Plus, there is a very good chance that GoW is able to take another 10 cities, which will mean the Lego empire is reduced to 2 or 4 cities.

This success was not foreseen at all, Lego has been playing very well, countering all our moves. But we managed to slip through this time. From one hand, it is of course a joyful thing for us, from the other this is a very sad event, ripping through an empire which took 2 years to build.

First of all, let me give you a situation report, than discuss how this changes the world as we know it (not that we're even close to fathoming that).





The following has happened:
- Lego has pillaged all roads next to our stack including the settler. This was perfectly as expected. As a result, we can only threaten Abilene over land.
- Lego has razed Tipperary. No more threat there.
- Lego is blocking the naval access to Abilene, and Quanto. Both blockades are not perfect, in that we've got a good chance of breaking through if we chain arts to Legoland, and use our transports to attack 1/4 BBs or 1/4 DDs. It would however destroy most of our transport capability to get through, and there is no certain way of success.
- we still have a spy in Legoland, they did not expose him (whether they tried or not is unknown)

Legoland forces:

- 1 settler (one used for fort Stanwix, next to (former?) GoW stack)
- 17 worker (+3)
- 3 horsemen
- 2 explorer (+2 B)
- 6 Cavalry (-6)
- 94 infantry (+3)
- 62 artillery
- 27 Tanks (+0)
- 6 ironclad
- 15 transport
- 1 carrier
- 8 subs (-2)
- 8 DD (-1)
- 9 BB
- 2 fighter (+2 B)
- 3 bomber
- 1 army (!)

On GoW's side, this is what we could see in the beginning:



Fort Stanwix has one major strategic advantage: as long as it exists, GoW will not be able to build a city in the next tile. Which means that unless it is possible to take the city, GoW's tanks en route can't join the fight this turn.

We investigated Abilene:



troops:
- 1 army of 3 infs
- 50 infs
- 3 cavs
- 8 art
- 2 bombers.

We investigated Fort Stanwix:



troops:
- 4 2/5 T
- 2 3/5 T
- 3 4/5 T
- 1 3/4 T
- 2 1/4 T
- 20 I
- 29 art
- 3 Cav

We didn't trust the Fort Stanwix situation, and feared the GoW stack was too badly damaged to take the city. So, we decided to steal Lego's map (you will of course get that once you receive the save). It became clear that we could move through Lego's territory, and capture Legopolis. From there, we could attack Stanwix from behind, thus making it easier for GoW to break through.

Everything we could transport was moved, and just as well too. If we hadn't done that, GoW wouldn't have a chance of destroying Stanwix, meaning the invasion would have been over for GoW, and they would be forced to retreat, and regroup. Even now, it will be close.

Once GoW captures Stanwix, they can move through, and use chained cavs, and the same settler blitzing we used to capture most of Lego's cities. Only Abilene is sure to stand (it is now their capital), and the 2 defended cities Jackson and Dye fields as well. It might block the entrance to one final city, Castlea.

In case GoQ can't get Stanwix, Lego is still heavily damaged, and will lose a lot more cities next turn. They can't defend them, now that we can reach every single one of them.

Battle report turn 244: 1270 AD

1. DD stumbles into sub at Abilene 4444788 (name unknown). DD 1/4

Operation Watergrogged.
2. art bombs 5/5 BB Tipperary (or Karina? only looked after bombing). failed.
3. art bombs 5/5 BB Tipperary (or Karina). Tipperary 4/5
4. fighter bombs BB Jackson. Fighter fails.
5. 2/4 DD attacks BB Jackson. 2/4 DD destroyed. Jackson promoted to 2/5.
6. art bombs 4/5 BB Karina. Karina 2/5.
7. art bombs 4/5 Tipperary. fails
8. art bombs 4/5 Tiperrary. fails
9. art bombs 4/5 Tipperary. Tipperary 3/5
10. art bombs 3/5 Tipperary. Tipperary 2/5
11. art bombs 2/5 Karina. Karina 1/5.

12. transport attacks 2/5 BB Jackson. counter bombardment failed. Transport destroyed. Jackson 1/5
13. transport attacks 2/5 BB Tipperary. counter bombardment hits. Transport destroyed. Tipperary 2/5
14. transports attack 2/5 BB Tipperary. Transport destroyed. Tipperary 2/5.
15. transports attack 2/5 BB Tipperary. Transport destroyed. Tipperary 2/5.
16. transports attack 2/5 BB Tipperary. Transport destroyed. Tipperary 2/5.
17. Transport attacks 2/5 BB Tipperary. Tipperary sunk. Transport promotes to 3/5
18. Transport attacks 1/5 BB Karina. Transport destroyed. Karina 1/5.
19. Transport attacks 1/5 BB Karina. Karina sunk. Transport 1/4.
20. Transport attacks 1/5 BB Jackson. Jackson sunk. Transport 1/4.

watergrogged totals:
9 bombardments, 5 hits totalling 6 hp. 10 attacks. 1 DD and 6 transports lost. Lego lost 3 BB.



21. Marine attacks Quanto Mechanico. 2/4 BB sunk. Bomber destroyed. Quanto Mechanico taken.

22. Marine captures explorer (1st sappers) at Quanto Mechanico 3.
23. Marine captures explorer (2nd sappers) at Quanto Mechanico 33.
24. Marine captures 3 workers (Ann was one of them, I think) at Quanto Mechanico 1.

25. Quanto Mechanico abandoned. We lost 2 transports (3/5 and 1/4).

26. New city created "Quanto 6"

27. Tank captures Nou Camp.

28. Tank captures Sandonorico

29. Tank captures Karina. (forbidden palace destroyed?)

30. Tank captures Oasis.

31. Abandoned Oasis.

32. New city built: Oasis 8.

33. Tank captures Farmerville.

34. Tank captures Forkmouth.

35. Farmerville abandoned.

36. New city built, "Farmer 8".

37. Tank captures Red Bricks. We control the Sistine Chapel.

38. Tank captures Tarzania.

39. Red Bricks abandoned.

40. New city built, "Red Bricks 8"

41. Tank captures Legopolis. Fighter destroyed. Smith's Trading company controlled. Bach's Cathedral controlled.



The (first) battle for Fort Stanwix
42. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment fails. Inf killed. Tank 3/4.
43. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment fails. Inf killed. Tank 3/4.
44. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment hits. Tank killed. Inf 1/4.
45. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment hits. Tank retreats (1/4), inf 4/4.
46. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment hits. Tank destroyed, inf 1/4.
47. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment hits. Tank retreats (1/4). Inf 4/4.
48. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment hits. Tank destroyed. Inf promotes to 2/5.
49. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment hits. Tank destroyed. Inf 4/4.
50. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment fails. Inf killed, tank 3/4.
51. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment hits. Inf killed. Tank 3/4.
52. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment hits. Tank destroyed. Inf 2/4.
53. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment hits. Tank retreats (1/4). Inf 2/4.
54. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment hits. Tank destroyed. Inf promotes to 4/5.
55. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment fails. Inf killed. Tank 3/4.
56. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment fails. Tank retreats (1/4). Inf 2/4.
57. Tank attacks inf. defensive bombardment fails. Inf killed. Tank 2/4.

Fort Stanwix total:
16 Tank attacks. 10 succesful defensive bombardments. 6 infs killed. 6 tanks killed.



58. MI captures settler at Leopolis 22.
59. Marine captures 3 workers at Legopolis 3
60. Marine captures 3 workers at Dye Fields 47
61. Marine captures 3 workers at Dye Fields 41
62. 3/4 Marine captures worker at Ahhmyfoot 7.

63. Forkmouth abandoned.

64. Sandonorico abandoned.

65. Tarzania abandoned.

66. Karina abandoned.


Grand total:
9 bombardments, 5 hits totalling 6 hp. 27 attacks. 4 retreats. 10 successfull defensive bombardments.
We lost 1 DD, 8 TR & 6 T.
Lego lost 4 BB, 1 sub, 1 bomber, 1 fighter, 2 explorers, 13 workers, 1 settler, 9 cities.

The screenshots to accompany that (these will end up in public, but won't be released until after VoX played its turn. Not that we think Vox is going to harm us, but they point out to ND that with only rushing 1 transport, they can take 8 cities (as they are undefended). We'd rather not have ND claiming all that gold, there should be something like 1000 g in those 8 cities.

[Togas]

This has some serious implications to what will happen next. It doesn't seem that the war of attrition we were expecting, is going to happen. Sadly, that deminishes RP's role in this war to an extreme low, as you can imagine. Conqs are worthless, we don't even have good use for our own explorers (we pillaged 1 rubber resource to be sure, and that's it). Don't get us wrong, one of the reasons this has been made possible is because of your support, and we are gracious for that. If you hadn't been sending all that money over, we would never have made it (even up to now, we're always at the brink of bankrupcy). It's just that we would have loved to give you some action as well.

However, we haven't discussed anything with GoW either, and want to start on that very soon. Ideally, we want RP to take territory on Legoland, and colonize it. But that can't happen before we have some kind of deal with GoW... this happened all so suddenly, that no plan exists.

It also has other implications: now that we're no longer in a serious war for Legoland, we get into problems with our own defense. Stormia, and Spain are both in grave danger. We intend to bump up our defense asap, and suggest you do the same... part of this is going to be to return (part of) your ships to their harbors immediately! However, if we can negotiate a deal with Gow, in which RP is given territory on Legoland, that has to be defended as well... so the best advice we can give you know, is to either return part of your ships to Spain, and let a few continue to Legoland to possibly take territory later on (you still need 4 turns t oreach it), or to return all ships to Spain, and start sending out empty transports to set up a chain. You might also want to consider building a settler or so (in case you've got any settlers in your transports, continue these to Legoland).

Please don't land any troops on Legoland, before we can arrange something with GoW. It will take some convincing from our side, and very strict negotiated deals to let them see the light. I don't think they have forgotten the last war, so no need to provoke them.

[Togas]

DeepO,

All I can say is .... wow.

We still have one issue that you might be able to advise us on ... our GA. We had hoped to use our ancient conquistadors to start a belated GA. Do you think there will be anything left in 4 turns for us to throw Conqs at and get our GA running?

We will heed your advice and turn most of our transports back. Should we ultimately receive cities on Legoland, we will send over a few transports and settlers, but for now, we will continue to focus on building up our defenses at home. Although, given the numbers seen in the Legoland invasion, I doubt we could build enough defenses to really matter. If someone wanted to attack New Spain, they could easily crush us.

--Togas

[Togas]

Togas,

we've been thinking on the matter of your survival in case of war. If I were you, I would hurry with those settlers. In 10 turns time, you should be able to get some 5 settlers, relatively undetected by other teams. If you are going to relocate to Legoland, you will need them, in the mean time they ensure your survival (you could e.g. park one in the middle of our territory, we are working on getting some anti-settler-blitz defenses in place)

I think if you ever can get a foothold on Legoland, you would be tremendously helped by a chain. Don't keep those empty transports at home, move them so that at least part of a chain is already in place. It will take some 7 turns to get this, by that time you could really use it if you're on Legoland. Otherwise, you won't need it, but it won't harm either. Transports have no other use, it's highly doubtfull you can use them for the (return) trip to Bob

Send one transport over to Legoland with conqs, you never know. If one inf is left in the open, we could bomb it and make sure you get your kill. Legoland is not dead yet, they've got a fortress city left, which can do a lot of harm over a long period of time. Just move those defenders back please, an inf is not going to help you.

If our fresh slaves survive (I doubt it, but you never know), we might help you in a couple of turns, by sending over some workers. These can replenish pop loss from settlers instantly, so nobody sees your settler builds. It's best to keep this a bit hidden.

DeepO

[BigFree]

That was quick work!

[astrologix]

Wow ! I'm very impressed by what happened ! Great battles !

But ... I would not be in the Legoland shoes ....

[GodKing]

WOW. Oh my.

I think a major lession of this game - Defense in depth, and offense is far more powerful than defense. Defense is good, but only to a point, and that point is mostly to make a conquest expensive.

[MrWhereItsAt]

Er, ah, exactly what has happened? I see hints around that Lego is gone....is this true?

[CiverDan]

Essentially yes, I think they may have a couple of fortress cities left though. Btw, from the battle logs it appears that the Nina was sunk.