CBR Mk 2.1 Part 84: Sticking the Landing (2/3)

The Sibir / Vietnam front seems to be experiencing a lull in the fighting, as both sides are regrouping. No damage seems to be exchanged at all, although some troops may have perished to aircraft. Large scale fighting should resume here soon enough.

Still the same turn, but a better look at Batticaloa and Sri Lanka’s attack. If the Boers continue to support them, they could be able to reclaim their city after so much time under Finland’s control. The Afghan refugees are not being cooperative though. To the north, drones begin to move to the frontline.

We return to Beryozovo to find that the Yakuts have taken the fight to Brazil and are weakening the incoming paratroopers. Pedro also seems to have ordered half of the units here to return home rather than to focus on the target 10 tiles away. The way things look, Yakutia fans should be safe in feeling like they will join the other rump states in perpetual isolation.

Inuit forces begin to attack in earnest. Yokohama seems to not be lasting another turn before accepting occupation. This fight is far from one sided though, as Australia has artillery and aircraft returning fire to the attackers.

The target of Australia’s aircraft is made clear in this screenshot. Inuit’s only port in the region, Mililani Mauka, has instantly been taken down to zero HP. No units anywhere capable of clipping the city, so the Inuit must be content in having the bombs continue to rain down here.

Also in this screenshot, we get our first good look at what remains of Hawaii. Kaneohe seems rather healthy, at an incredible 34 population. There truly is always more ohana waiting. Talk about fish in the sea.

Seldom visited Australian Antartica is also not spared from the Pacific wide conflict. Inuit troops here are more of a nuisance than a threat, but still enough to disrupt any plans Australia had in bringing troops from here to the front.

As expected, Brazil pounces on Concepcion. The defenders are already cornered, and there is no help in sight. This is a all too easy for Brazil.

Quite a contrast than the previous image, in this screenshot we find that it is Brazil needing to bolster its defenses. Vilcas stands to change hands next turn, but losing Vitcos and Corihuayrachina would help the Australians create a beachhead. They have been proven to quite good and holding their own from such positions elsewhere in the Americas.

Back in Buccaneer waters, the fight to reclaim Nassau has begun. Minimal damage has been given to the city, but Bucc melee units stand in wait. Can the Inuit XCOM snipe the city instead of keep the Bucc’s contained right where they want them? It would surely be a masterstroke by Ekeuhnick.

Closer to the Finland core reveals just how little battle strength they have at their disposal. This is textbook overextension at its finest. Finland is all but a paper tiger under these conditions.

Holy denouncements Batman! Reon informs me that all of these notices on the right are to show the world’s disagreement for the last bastion of freedom. How undeserving! Also I should inform you that it is now turn 3.

On the screenshot proper, we see ever more Vietnamese drones about. Sri Lanka is also here taking in the view from their helicopters.

All of the hovertanks around Yerevan are now gone. Have they been destroyed, or are they the ones damaged on the upper part of the screen? Kekkonen may be using these hovertanks like cavalry! Especially since down below more of these have suddenly surfaced outside Hebron. Can Finland be pulling the clutch plays here? Nothing is impossible for Finland.

A better view of Sparta reveals that the Boers here are focusing on Nicomedia instead of aiding the efforts around Hebron. The Spartan infantry does seem to be forming a good protective line around Jerusalem. There is hope yet that they will be able to strike when things look more favorable for them.

On the Iceland front, Finland also seems to have repealed the master capital snipers. Elis continues to receive damage, but Iceland still seems to be moving troops eastward.

A look at Gaza shows the Finland aircraft has now focused on the city completely. Unless a few XCOMs retrace their forefathers footsteps, it does not seem likely Gaza will return to Finnish control.

In the upper right corner of the screenshot, we see that Vietnam has recommenced the fight against Sibir. However, a deadlock is all too likely to continue.

The defenders of Batticaloa have removed nearly all the HP from the blockading bazooka. The city itself has also not taken less damage. It still appears it healed back to nearly the same HP, but if this is the case, it seems the Boers have turned their attention elsewhere. Well Sri Lanka, you tried, better luck next time.

Proper view of the Sibir / Vietnam front shows things are indeed business as usual. Although, it does appear that Sibir has committed more than Vietnam.

Committed more is correct. Sibir seems to have turned the momentum around from before the reboot, with their units having entered range of Bamda. Vietnam needs to be paying attention.

Another look at Beryozovo also confirms my previous suspicion. Brazil will not be committing to removing the rap god from the cylinder. Tygyn Darkhan fans everywhere, please share your praise, in rhyme, in the sub as soon as possible.

Yokohama falls to Inuit forces and Wakayama appears next. The Naval blockade appears a tiny bit too overextended, and is taking fire from unnecessary angles. The fleet best keep its melee units safe.

Hilo too now is in complete danger. The Pacific gets that much colder.

In turn, Brazil also claims the easy target upon them by taking Concepcion. Still some Australian stragglers about, but Pedro can feel confident that this front has all been taken care of.

Up north the situation is a bit more complicated, but Brazil is again taking the most of this opportunity. Vilcas and Huamanga stand at not HP left and there are several melee units in range to raise the true green flag. Corihuayrachina does continue to take fire from Australian forces, and you can see a digger just outside in his natural habitat, the inhospitable battle-worn beaches. One last hoorah for them in this cybernetic age?

The pirates are hitting Nassau like a hurricane, and certainly Australian opposition has been blown away. A relief force stands by Port-Au-Prince, but it may be too late.

Turn 4 is upon us. The great polymath Al-Kindi aids Kuchum Khan on what must be some secret spy mission in Central Europe. All is quite on the western front. Perhaps too quiet, for the sub’s liking. A quick survey of the landscape reveals both Sweden and Iceland have similar troops and improvements in this region. Both sides certainly do share a peaceful bond. Although Iceland should really be moving some of the garrison here towards Finland.

Oh, it seems they are doing just that. Pressure outside Constantinople continues to build, but the city’s walls stand tall and intact. This is too even a match to call right now. Nicomedia below is getting battered by the Boers though.

Aerial exchanges are the name of the game here in the Levant. Jerusalem is left open for capture while the Spartans seem content with letting Armenia do all the fighting. Although, with Boer Mobile SAMs are moving in, Leonidas needs to think fast or lose out on some easy clay.

In Yerevan the situation is more desperate. Armenia’s entire military scrambles to secure objectives, but they may have sent out far too many deep behind enemy lines instead of focusing on any one target. If Finland could spare but a few XCOMs this fight may be well over for them.

Life in Batticaloa returns to normal. Regular Sri Lankan shellings in the morning, imported Afghan delights in the evenings.

The Boers begin to populate the Indian Ocean once more. Still too many carriers about, but their overall proportion should be minimizing as the simulation progresses.

At first glance, the Vietnam / Sibir front appears as static as ever, but it is actually Sibir that has regrouped their forces faster and is making a bid for Nishapur. Kudos to the Sibir generals for their exemplary coordination.

This screenshot shows the shift in momentum much clearly. Bamda is surrounded and relief is surely not there in time for the city to flip next turn. Vietnam has moved out the aircraft stationed there previously as the city awaits Sibir occupation.

Brazil still is making some sort of attempt to Beryozovo, but one is left wondering if the troops here should best be moving in to attempt a snipe of an Australian city brought low by the Inuit armada instead of waiting around here in the Arctic circle.

First look at Western Australia and all the former Kimberley homeland. What a massive army Parkes has assembled here, and what a great distribution of Future World improvements. This will surely be a challenge for any of the final contenders once they come within range of this continent.

The Inuit navy outside Japan has thinned out a bit, and there are now no more melee units remaining. They have done the damage, but can’t deliver the final blow. Sejong, this is as good a time as any my man. Liberate the anime!

Much more promising for the Inuit is the attack on Hilo. An XCOM awaits the next turn to seal the capture. At this point, it may prove better for the focus to shift towards these island chains.

Difficult to say if the Australian navy is moving to, or from, the frontlines here without context. Parkes has the numbers here to scare away the pirates and keep the Brazilians at bay, but they are not much use here in the open waters. One hopes it was all the units stationed outside Hervey Bay we saw earlier moving in.

Nassau is taken, the canal city returns to its rightful hands. The Buccs waste no second, and gush forth again onto the Pacific. Their cities may not be in the best shape, but many pirate captains have full crews intact to start terrorizing the Australian ports. Further north the Inuit also bring the shock and awe with their XCOMs. Uxmal looks to be their target to divide and conquer.

Oh Pedro. Have you not stopped reading that dreadful How to Fight Wars Good yet? Humanga and Vilcas remain in Australian control while the diggers are victorious down in Corihuayrachina. Brazil has more than enough units here to settle the fighting and be moving onwards to Tulum, but they are all positioned strangely (with for example a railgun blocking any Brazilian attempt at capturing Vilcas). The defenders have been given too much of an opportunity.

On the southern end of continent, Brazil has finished cleaning up Australian resistance. The commander of this front should be sent north with great urgency.

We visit the wayward Mexican Rocket Artillery, which is vacationing near the first of many burial sites of Sitting Bull. You won’t find Kiyaksa’s cemetery with anything more than a reminder that the funeral once took place here. Some worshippers even now continue to hope for a further resurrection. Perhaps this is more of a pilgrimage on part of the Mexicans.

Nothing else to see here folks, just all my hype broken, ;w;

Turn 5, and immediately the hype returns! Mongolia truly needed to calculate its next move well, and this is genius. With Finland stretched beyond comprehension, its satellite cities are easy targets for Mongolia to achieve its much needed growth to remain in contention. Three such cities are well within range, and Mongolian units move right into the outskirts of Turfan.

Woah momma! Khoro is literally swept away in one turn. All defenses gone in a flash. Mongolia’s shock troops have left only but a single defender alive. Lesson to learn here folks, don’t be too cautious and pensive as Korea. Such a glorious opportunity for Mongolia.

Sitting aside the fact that Armenia continues to be at the mercy of Finland moving in a single melle unit, we can see on the far left that the Boers have done what the Spartans were too timid to do themselves. Nicomedia falls to the robot overlords. Curiously, Hebron has not even been scratched. Too much Dvinnish blood in these lads. Also of note in this screenshot, Armenia enters the Atomic Era. If Finland takes too long, it may just receive a few nukes as parting gifts.

A better view of the Mobile SAM that has claimed Nicomedia. Kruger is no longer shy within his confines of Africa, he wants to explore new vistas.

Iceland’s Arnarson too wants to explore new sights, like the interior of another capital city. Constantinople takes damage once more and more troops are lining up for their shots at the walls.

Hmm, don’t get carried away too much with that sight seeing Arnarson, Helsinki is one vacation too far. A lone arsenal ship Leeroy Jenkins its way right into the heart of enemy territory and to the port gates of the Finnish capital. We can use this screenshot to also appreciate, or unappreciate, the sever lack of units for Finland in what is their core homeland. With seven opponents, or one-third of all remaining contestants, at this throat, it may finally (just maybe) be enough to awake Sweden from its slumber.

In the Arabian peninsula, we also see a distinct lack of activity. More Boer Mobile SAMs continue their march north to Hebron.

Vietnam appears to have stabilized this southern front again after a bit of scare on Nishapur. The city is far from safe, but Sibir could have engulfed it this turn.

However, Bamda does flip to Sibir. A Giant Death Robot stands at attention, ready to undue their victory. The drone army also has finally arrived.

On the Sibir side of the mountains, the worker hordes have dutifully repaired all the damage from the Vietnamese nuclear strikes. They mighty factory metropolis of Tobolsk is back online.

Finland had ordered these Mobile SAMs away and now they race back to fight the battle closer to their bordergore home. It is far too late though. Mongolian troops are ready to very warmly greet them back.