Aquatoid Sushi and Lobsterburger

[Crazy Photon]

Geoscape part:

 

Lots of extra stuff are sold and others transferred to Outpost 1 (as offsite backup) in order to take the stores out of 100% storage. A soldier is hired to replace the latest loss.

 

2 very small subs are downed. Triton arrives at base and a couple of dye grenades are put into the mix.

 

Outpost 2 was created at the easter mediterranean sea. Its role will be mainly for detection, early interception and storage base.

 

Triton dispatch for the downed lobsterman sub is delayed until the next morning, in the meanwhile Sub 54 is downed:

 

 

As soon as the sun goes up Triton goes to Sub 51 location.

 

Tactical part:

 

2 lobbies are spotted near the LZ, they are promptly nuked and MCed by Munty. One of them dies to reaction fire, the other one tries shooting at a third alien that was also spotted by the tank (but misses). The dye is cast at the Triton's exit hatch.

 

 

The tank unhides to spot the last spotted lobbie, now there are two, becoming prime candidates for DPLing. After they are DPLed, Munty controls the armed lobbie, shoots at the other one, throws at him the sonic cannon and turns around, discovering a third DPLed alien, who is killed by the tank to prevent reaction fire on the soldiers. Astra takes down an alien from the previous turn. Stefan stuns the remaining soldiers in that area. Gerhard takes another alien that was spotted during the alien movement phase.

 

 

Another alien is killed on the next turn, but not much else happens. Troops take a moment to properly exit out of the LZ area. A lobsterman is sought looking after his comrades, but a barrage of sonic shots takes him down, Boris doing the killing shot.

 

A lobsterman is spotted hiding in the northern bushes, and is promptly DPLed (since most other shooters have already exhausted their TUs). Munty shows off his sniping skills to end its life and this ordeal (it was the last alien).

 

 

Savegame for the next commander (good luck with the Tasoth sub!):

 

GAME_1.zip

[Bomb Bloke]

I started off with that Tasoth Hunter CP downed still waiting on the sea floor. It was still light in the area, but it wouldn't've been if I launched ASAP, so I figured I'd wait until the next dawn.

 

Not much to do in the GeoScape. Decided to sack all solders with inadequate MC scores and hire new ones, but changed my mind at the last minute - this would involve dismissal of veterans and highly ranked units (including our top-ranked Captain), so I figured I should ask you lot first... However, it really IS getting time to start building our "ultimate death squad"!

 

So instead I just packed another load of rookies into the Triton (along with Munty for his MC training), gave 'em all Cannons, and sent them off to deal with that Hunter...

 

I started in the SE. Volcanic terrain, again (truth be told most of the world map is made up of this). First thing the tank saw? Tasoth with a DPL...

 

 

Whose bright idea was it to give these things to lowly soldier-ranked units? I gave my first full-MC control order for the campaign, and hey presto! One free bigass boom-boom gun for me. The alien looked around, saw no others of its kind, and so self-terminated.

 

 

Next turn I found another soldier with a DPL.

 

 

Who saw another soldier with a DPL.

 

 

And those two aliens saw yet MORE aliens, one of whom happened to be holding... a DPL. Unfortunately Munty could only make two MC attacks per turn (1TU short!!), and despite passing the Disruptor to the two other units in the squad capable of using it, I wasn't able to get control of it (probably because those two other units were absolute rubbish).

 

 

Kaboom!! Whoops, I'd gone and maxed out the smoke table already.

 

 

I set the crew up on the Triton roof. Munty and the two other MC-troopers stayed in the sub. Each turn, they were able to make a combined total of four MC attacks, but as the tank had now moved further away from the dropship they were feeling the distance penalty. Throughout the entire mission, Munty was the only one who actually succeeded at his attempts, and then only against low ranked aliens.

 

 

An alien was spotted to the north of the sub, which Leon Marcelle shot but failed to kill (opening himself up to MC assault). At that stage the aliens weren't taking up the opportunity, but that probably had something to do with the fact that they'd just lost about half a dozen comrades within three or four turns.

 

After flying behind the USO (which had a huge hole in the back), the tank saw another soldier inside...

 

 

I sent it for a trip around the wreck, and he found this other alien armed with a Sonic Cannon. I believe it was a squad leader, as it never dropped its weapon, it never fell to MC attacks, and something started making attacks on Leon! I had him drop his kit, which was probably just as well as he did eventually panic. In the end I got bored of MC and had the tank shoot it.

 

 

This left the soldier to kill, who'd gone to ground behind a small door the tank couldn't go through. I scrambled all the rookies on the Triton's roof to go flush it out. During the brief trip I found another alien that'd apparently only been knocked unconscious temporarily.

 

 

And that was that.

 

 

Munty now has enough TUs to make an extra MC attack each turn.

 

GAME_1.rar

[silencer_pl]

All right people, we are right on the track - sorry for the wrong save stuff - I just have a thought and It might haopened that I clicke No to all when overwriting save files

 

So the story continues - I begun to do what NKF did in the 'alternate timeline' - I have sacked all the know weak links that were less than 70 MC Strength - luckly we didn't have 60+ otherwise some might get angry. Also I did some store clean up - we were over the full capacity - we only have 3 stores. Also I see that we had 50 soldiers in HQ - I think that MAX we should have 20. Though mostly 10 is enough for all the missions we did. Also I think that we need to find another room for workshop - don't know about you but I always go for 3 workshops.

 

Back to the story. Time flies and a very small sub is spoted in the south pacific, unlucky we are unable to catch him. Seeing that we will lack Interceptrion between HQ and Outpost -1 I have added a sub pen and general stores in Listener-1 I think that Manta should be enough there. Time flies again and the very small sub emerges near HQ and Baracuda blast him to smallest bits.

 

Soon a great breakthrough happens and the Engineers are provided with plans for Leviathan Sub. I then equiped Barracuda (3 or 1 don't remember) with ajax torpedo luncher and 'sold it', then I have ordered engineers to finish Mag Ion armor and start on the Leviathan production - it will take 22 days or something like that.

Next the eggheads started to research PWT cannon - for PWT defences - we will need them sooner or later. T'leth can wait we don't have strong troops yet to do it and with plenty of research there is no hurry.

 

Also I have re-equiped aquanauts with armor - unequiped all the Aqua Plastic and replaced with Mag Ion and normal Ion armor.

 

Few days later a Tassoth Hunter ship appeared with Resource Raid mission. Remaining Barracuda is lunched with Triton to boot (with changed equipement and people). Luckly the Hunter landed and new one was sighted near it so Barracuda was assigned to chase it. Few hours later we have a downed sub near the west coast of Africa. The Triton has arrived luckly few hours before dusk.

 

Standard loadout - only this time I have packed more grenades - though I usem the rarely - who knows what can happen. Munty and Ludimyla L are assigned with DPLs armed to the teeth + Munty has his favorit toy for MC attacks (don't leave without it).

 

The Tank surveys the surroundings and spots two tassots with DPLs. First is taken care of by Stefan Zander, the second is dealt with by Astra.

 

 

Following west Displacer spots another tassoth with DPL and again Astra deals with it.

 

 

Suddenly something was spotted on the southern part. Boris took a look and he stuned another tassoth that was lurking there. More people exit the sub including Ludymila and Munty.

 

 

Passing the turn to aliens - there was another one hiding behind a wall. He was very sneaky and he threw a grenade on the sub. For moment there I thought that Munty will be a fish food, luckly the grenade landed on the nose of Triton doing nothing.

 

 

I have send two soldiers and try to scout the bastard but he was too well hidden, so Munty cursed the devil and sned him his best regards attached to the DPL torpedo. I don't need to tell what happens to anyone when this device reaches target.

 

 

It looks like the LZ is secure so the team spreds out having Displacer as a scout as usual. He spots another tassoth with DPL - that is plenty of DPLs in this mission - a quick snap shot and he is no more.

 

 

Following in the sub direction two more tassots were spoted. Ludimlya then used hers doomsday device. Unfortunetly one of them was too stuborn to DIE, so Displacer had to tell him bluntly - DIE!!

 

 

At this point Gerhard Gunker (I think it was him) was constantly raped by MC (or they were trying to rape his mind). He survived all the 10 attacks so I guess he has a potential there (we don't know it yet but I can tell that he has 70+).

 

The team arrives at the doors of the sub. Normaly we would have to enter through the doors which would probably ended very bad. But this great Idea poped to my head - 'Why not make our own door?'. Right, so Ludimyla used her DPL to blast the side wall of the USO. Astra then dived and spotted 4 tassoth - JACKPOT. She ascended one level and Munty blasted them to the smallest bits.

 

 

Next turn I have ordered displacer to take a peek. Unfortunetly there was a tassoth that didn't want to die so he damaged the tank. Because I didn't want to damage the loot I tried to fire with every possible aquanaut with Sonic cannon.

Boris got unconcious as he knelt on the rocks (stupid tassoth had to do reaction fire). Finally Gunter was able to finish him off.

 

 

At this moment aliens started to panick. But one tried to nade us. I ordered the displacer to touch down because second floor was occupied by Munty and his crew. The nade landed near the tank - I then thought 'Great - the I lost Displacer club has opened the doors for me', but luck shows that sonic pulser did nothing.

 

So I have proceeded to exterminate the remaining aliens.

 

 

Xcom Wins, Flawless Victory...

 

GAME_1.rar

[NKF]

Geoscape Segment:

 

First thing I do is re-do what I did in the 'dream sequence' which never happened. Silencer_pl has already dealt with the majority of HQ so only 2 aquanauts are made to retire early due to their low MC abilities, with 2 new ones hired to replace them. I move to Outpost and do the same there. 13 lose their jobs and the 4 really good MC Strength aquanauts are marked with a medal and shipped over to HQ.

 

The 3 moderately good MC aquanauts remaining in Outpost stay home to defend it while waiting for 17 new aquanauts to arrive.

 

In a moment of whimsy, I take two scientists off the PWT Cannon project and put them to work on the Partical Disturbance Sensor. It's a bit late now, but I'd still like to get at least one sensor for the Triton and the pending Leviathan.

 

As with the 'other' mission, stores are packed with junk so rearming the Triton becomes very difficult. To fix matters, all alien corpses and over 150 units of aqua plastics are sold.

 

The four new additions to the MC Deathsquad arrive just in time to jump off the transport and right into the Triton. They are handed Mag Ion Armour on the sub and the HQ Triton takes off for the crashed Tasoth sub.

 

It arrives just after lunch. Good thing too, since the interior of the Triton is flooded with water as it lands on the seabed. Had they eaten lunch on the return flight, all the sandwiches would've been rather soggy and salty.

 

Geoscape segment

 

I spend a bit of time arming the unknown MC Strength chaps with weak weapons. In the team we currently have 3 unknown, so one gets the Gas Cannon/Thermal Shok Launcher combo, one only the MC Reader and the third one just the DPL Launcher with no ammo loaded.

 

Turn 1

 

 

 

We've landed in the north-eastern corner of volcanic terrain. Because of our great location, I have the gang fanning out a lot faster than I would normally deploy them. The first of course was the Displacer, so it took an elevated position above the Triton.

 

 

Turn 2

 

 

The Displacer hovers high in the water and starts scouting to the east. It spots an unarmed Tasoth soldier to the south-east.

 

Yuri Gakanovich leaps above the Triton and aims his Blasta Rifle and fires. The attack seems to hit, but it went by so fast that I didn't see where it went. I go to options and lower the fire speed a notch.

 

Lyudimila L does the same and manages a snapshot with her Sonic Cannon, but the attack drops a few tiles too early.

 

Munty fires two Sonic Pistol snapshots. Both rounds hit the exact same spot on the Tasoth's snout and it dies.

 

 

The Displacer locates another target to the north-west of the last Tasoth. Micky Tarantino fires a snap from his blasta rifle and it hits the Tasoth. He's run out of TUs and everyone else around him had spent most of their TUs getting up above the Triton. The Displacer is the only thing left that can fire on it and misses.

 

Or so I thought. I nearly forgot about Jeffrey Alexander. He's got the Disrupter Pulse Launcher and he's standing on the ammo pile in the Triton. He open the hatch, loads his launcher, plots waypoints and finishes the Tasoth off. A little overkill, but why not? Unlike the dream sequence, we have 50 torpedoes in stock.

 

Turn ends.

 

In the darkness a Tasoth is spotted with a DPL just near where the last one was shot down.

 

Turn 3

 

 

On the start of the turn the Displacer can already 'see' it but it's still shrouded. I have it move ahead to get a better look.

 

Lyudmila L rises to the highest elevation possible and lands an aimed shot on the Tasoth. It remains upright. A thought occurs to me at this time and I get Munty to control it. On selecting it, it seems that good old L-L's attack didn't harm it one bit. That's the random number generator for you.

 

 

On the bright side, this Tasoth can see a friend nearby - with a DPL launcher of its own. For a moment its vision goes cloudy, and all wobbly along with the woo-woo-woo sound effects like a low budget flashback sequence. When its vision focuses again, there's suddenly an enemy human standing in its yellow tin suit in front of it. It panics as the "enemy" is carrying one of its own devastating weapons. It promptly sets its torpedo to a 'mortar assault' pattern on the "enemy" and fires. This not only kills the "enemy" but another "enemy" behind it as well. Haha, success! To celebrate it suddenly feels compelled to throw its weapon in the air - and suddenly forgets how to catch it. After a moment of mental lethargy, it starts wondering what the heck just happened.

 

 

 

The Displacer finds another Tasoth with a DPL launcher. This time to the south east of the carnage, next to the first Tasoth we encountered. Marti Alcala, does an 80% accurate aimed shot with his Sonic Cannon and kills the Tasoth.

 

 

Stefan Zander, our trusty groundpounder, marches out and spots a Tasoth with a Sonic Cannon a few paces to the east of Marti's last target.

 

Jason King and Mickey Tarantino each waste an aimed Sonic Cannon round on this Tasoth, with neither even coming near the target. The Displacer shows them how it's done by taking a lazy snapshot that transforms the Tasoth into jelly.

 

Turn ends

 

Yuri Gakanovith is assaulted by a Tasoth that suddenly appears to the Triton's south. He gets hit. Looks like I was careless and did not think to keep an eye pointed in that direction.

 

Turn 4

 

 

Yuri's undamaged. Excellent. He kneels mid-water and does a snapshot that only stuns the Tasoth. Stefan Zander offers to assist with the kill and wanders over to the unconscious Tasoth. Once he's close enough, he drops his shok launcher and readies his Gas Cannon for the next turn.

 

The Displacer circles around the damaged warzone but finds nothing except the culprit that helped create it. Munty controls it again - we'll use it as an auxiliary scout one more time.

 

The Tasoth starts thinking it would be best to wander to the west and finds the north-western corner of the map is secure. It's not sure why, but it ends up transmitting this information to the wrong side.

 

 

Turn 5

 

Stefan Zander executes the stunned Tasoth with a Gas Cannon round.

 

 

The Displacer goes to relocate the confused Tasoth but finds another one towards the south-west corner of the map. It's underneath the raised tail of the alien sub.

 

Back at the Triton, Max Remmington fires a snapshot at this new target. He misses. Lyudmila L does a snapshot, she hits. The Tasoth dies.

 

 

The Displacer moves a few tiles to the west to relocate our confused Tasoth and then heads south. It spots another Tasoth. This one about a field (10x10 area) away to east of the crashed sub, and it's another one carrying a disrupter pulse launcher. After taking out two and disarming one, I thought I'd cleared all the launcher users? Oh well.

 

Mickey Tarantino aims his Sonic Cannon. It very nearly hits the Tasoth, but it misses by a mere fraction and screams innefectually past the back of the creatures head.

 

Jason King is up next and he misses by miles.

 

Yuri Gakanovitch aims his Sonic Blasta Rifle but misses.

 

Munty manages to hit once with his Sonic Pistol, wiping out half of its health.

 

The displacer takes a potshot but misses.

 

Fun's over, Jeffrey Alexander opens the Triton hatch, loads his disrupter launcher and turns the area around the Tasoth into a 2d imitation of a crater.

 

Turn ends

 

Turn 6

 

Stefan wanders over to the Tasoth he helped kill.

 

The Displacer relocates the unarmed Tasoth soldier. Rather than let it wander carelessly about, it's used as target practice. Our A-Team may very good (or incredibly stubborn) MC Stength jocks but they have a very long way to go in terms of their marksmanship and endurance.

 

Mickey Tarantino takes aim and fires. He hits. Jason King misses. Marti Alcala (who is a pretty decent shooter for a rookie) hits the Tasoth in the leg and kills it.

 

 

The Displacer drops its elevation by one and heads south for more recon. Nothing new is spotted.

 

Max, Yuri and Lyudmila start heading out. They move to the south of the Triton and end in half a chevron formation.

 

Turn ends.

 

Something moves in the darkness to the south of Stefan. It's in the volcanic formation with the little alcove in the middle.

 

Turn 7

 

 

Stefan and the displacer approach it from two directions and track it down.

 

To save some scouting time, Munty controls the Tasoth and has it look around its corner of the map, then has it wander towards Stefan. By the look of its Morale (15), the Tasoth is scared out of its mind.

 

Micky, Jason and Marti start moving out to the east.

 

Turn ends.

 

Something is seen moving amongst the rocks. Unfortunately with the way most of the volcanic rocks look alike, no one has a clue where the movement was seen.

 

Turn 8

 

Stefan fires his Gas Cannon at the scared Tasoth, but since he's as green as the others and with equally horrible accuracy, it misses the Tasoth by inches and flies off the map.

 

Max and Yuri each fire aimed Blasta Rifle shots at it. The Tasoth drops after the perfect duet.

 

A quick scout by the Displacer doesn't reveal the other target spotted.

 

Turn 8

 

 

Bad guy found! Must've wandered out of the wreck. Also carrying another disrupter pulse launcher. Just how many are there meant to be? Marti Alcala aims his cannon and teaches the Tasoth to B-Flat.

 

The Displacer drops to seabed level (noticing corpses through the gaps of the tail of the UFO) and starts circling around the base of the sub, though it needn't have bothered as the mission ends right after this.

 

 

That was a very lucky mission considering how many DPLs they had out in the field. I've probably become a bit too comfortable with the smaller number of blaster launchers that are normally found in UFO's superhuman difficulty. On the other hand it was made a little easier since I didn't have to assault the sub.

 

Save for the next commander to carry on!

 

GAME_1.zip

 

 

- NKF

[The Veteran]

Back then once more to the end of our alternate timeline!

 

First things first, why has HQ just recieved a delivery of 2 Ajax launchers? General stores complete at Outpost 2 and we swiftly detect a Lobster man Survey Ship on an alien Infiltration mission. The BArracuda launches from HQ and engages aggressively, thankfully destroying it and thus saving me from a boring easy mission...

 

Soon after this, we spot Alien Sub-59, a Tasoth Escort. Really? We lose track of it over Russia at any rate as it travels West to the Caribbean. I wait a while to refuel the HQ 'Cuda but by the time it's ready we've already spotted it landed so the Triton is sent to stop it.

 

I immediately send the displacer outside and as it rises up a level it inexplicably turns around to face the Northern edge of the map we've landed against. It spots an alien in the dark and is fired on from behind. The latter contact isn't visible but with a short scoot over the top of the Triton reveals the one in the NW corner of the map, along with the NW corner of the map!

 

2 snap shots from the tank dispatch our only visible foe but there's stil no visual on the one to the east. The turn ends with only the displacer outside the craft and only a lone door is heard on the alien turn. We pick up the second alien contact immediately in turn 2 and a pre-positioned Gunter Unger kills it with 2 snap shots both finding their mark!

 

Knowing this is a pretty small map, the Displacer pushes East to locate the other side of the arena but is fired on from the south. It takes no damage and still has plenty of TUs left but I'm surprised to spot two Tasoth's with blasta rifles stood side by side!

 

Yuri Gakanovich is happy to load up a torp launcher but has insufficient TUs for the coup de gr

Game_1.zip

GAME_6.zip

[silencer_pl]

Seat taken, the mission can carry on.

 

Sold extra stuff in HQ. Time flies by, some building are built, I have ordered some general stores and living quaters to the last bases.

 

Over China a Gil Man Battleship appeared with Terror mission. Unfortunetly Barracuda 4 couldn't keep up and the Sub vanished somewhere over south Pacific.

 

Time flies and we now know what is PWT Cannon. The research then takes place for PWT Defences. Our engineers report that we can make new Ultimate weapons of destruction.

 

A few days later Tassoth Cruiser is picked up. Barracuda 1 lunched and Intercepted - small mission so I sent one man with his droid.

 

The tassoth didn't stand a chance - all that was spoted were mezmerized - the rest was annihilated. Most of the tassoth were lining up under Muntys Sonic Cannon.

 

 

Yey - success - boring mission.

 

For soldiers at base Munty is a bloody Icon - 28 Missions - 58 kills that is more than 2 kills per mission. His stats are almost full - Max TU, Max STR, Max HP, almost Max Acc. energy almost Max. His mind flaying abbility is second to none - none sentient alien can resist the power of Muntys brain.

 

Time passes - a Lobster escort ship is spotted. Again Barracuda lunched but the USO was this time faster and touched down over the south Atlantic - again time called for Munty.

 

This time was a bit tougher - lobster are resistant - but it was fun to watch Lobsterman fighting lobsterman. In the end all sucumbed to all powerfull Munty. I think that this guy need VERY LONG vacation.

 

 

Lobsterman galore:

 

Which lobster is which

 

 

 

And the winner is ?

 

 

It is getting too easy:

GAME_1.rar

[Bomb Bloke]

PWT defence research completes. I spend about $5.5mill building three each for the first two bases, then sell about $7.5mill of junk. The remaining bases don't really need them yet. I send all the spare scientists off to join in on the motion scanner project - reckon the bombardment shield can come next, assuming we don't win the game or something first.

 

I shoot down a lobsterman cruiser. I'm all ready to go when it occurs to me that I should really send a crew with nothing but harpoons, on the basis that it'll do no end of good for our firing accuracy stats. While waiting for the shipment to arrive, however, the aliens attack a port.

 

 

The tank immediately sees gillmen. Munty takes control, and... well, they get slaughtered during the alien turn.

 

 

The tank flies around, while Munty herds the aliens towards the Triton. Some are killed by their companions, but I soon build I decent flesh-pile.

 

 

It expands rapidly, until - whoops! I hit an explosive barrel.

 

 

After quite some time, I run out of aliens to kill, but the mission's still going.

 

I eventually dig out a Deep One, send it over to the Triton, and ...

 

 

Rats.

 

After a while, I determined the secret - if an alien spawns in one of these small buildings, it'll never come out.

 

 

Three such buildings existed in the map, but only two contained aliens, and the mission still didn't end. Now up to about turn 60, with very nearly the entire map revealed, the tank took to shooting its way inside buildings to double-check their interiors. Accidentally hit a civilian in the process. I guess only having 7hp left really does a number on your accuracy stat.

 

 

I eventually located another building aliens apparently refuse to leave. This one is the guard-tower thingy.

 

 

One more alien left after that! Turned out to be a Deep One - I forgot to take a screenshot, but he was in the second story of a storage room of some sort. All up I took about 85 turns, enough time to rebuild my flesh-pile quite nicely.

 

 

GAME_1.rar

[NKF]

Just two summaries tonight. They weren't short missions but so repetitive that they don't make for very exciting reading at all.

 

Geoscape Segment:

 

 

On starting my turn, there's not a lot of housekeeping matters that need doing at this stage. So I let time run on. In time research on the Particle Disturbance Sensor is complete. Research moves onto the Bombardment Shield.

 

From here on, it seems the only thing left of any great significance is the T'Leth research and the Gauss tree. The rest is just random interrogations. We do have the drill tree left, but not having had any Calcinites show up, it's probable we won't ever understand how to switch off the safeties on these really nice looking weapons. We can probably start halving our research team.

 

With 8 days to go before we have our mighty Leviathan, no sense in stopping HQ's technicians now just for for a particle disturbance sensor. Instead, Outpost 1 ends its medikit production run and builds three of them.

 

 

Just as the Triton arrives home, a Lobsterman Cruiser is seen on an interdiction run to the South Atlantic. The HQ Barracuda heads to intercept. It must've been on its escape run as it vanishes as soon as it hits the north pole.

 

Now for that Lobsterman sub that was shot down in the last turn. The Triton's still refuelling so I spend a moment with a quick reshuffle of the team. Unfortunately there's a dwindling supply of cannon-fodd-, er, new recruits to rotate in and out with most of the transport slots occupied with the dream team. I take both Norton and Jade off the roster. The reason for this is that it's only a few days away from the end of the month, so we'll find out for sure what they are capable of then.

 

En route to the crash site, BB's harpoons arrive. Come to think of it, I completely failed to rearm the Triton with my preferred setup. No matter - a mostly cannon setup will do just nicely.

 

Tactical Segment

 

 

Summary: The whole mission took 14 turns and is probably the only mission I played seriously of the two in this entry. One lobsterman was killed by the displacer, all the others had the tar beaten of them by newcomers Amanda Goss and Conner Heike entirely with just one Thermal Shok Launcher, 8 shok bombs and a bunch of sonic pulsers. Amanda would fire her launcher, then Conner would follow up immediately with a sonic pulser. Amanda and Conner only did in about 7 Lobstermen (Conner got credit for all of them, Amanda only got the experience). Panic started spreading towards the end.

 

Lyudmila L was put to a bit of hands-on MC training. Nothing was controlled or panicked, but she did earn 3 points to her MC Skill for her efforts.

 

Only loss in this mission were the two MC readers, they got blown up when a lobstermen threw a pulser on the other side of the Triton. No idea how it destroyed the stuff on the floor, but the MC readers were vapourized.

 

Geoscape Segment Continues

 

Outpost 1's workshops complete the sensors and then start work one building two new MC Readers to replace the ones lost. There's plenty to go around, but still good to have a few in reserve. Two particle disturbance sensors are shipped to HQ.

 

With the construction of sub-pens happening world-wide, I feel it might be some time before we can man them with Hammerheads, so I start ordering Barracudas. No weapons for them yet, but we'll sort that out once the Leviathan is finished.

 

 

Just before the end of the month, a Lobsterman Escort is found. This time on an infiltration mission to the North Atlantic. Since they already got the US, it seems they're now after Euro-Syndicate and Scandinavia. We can't let them very well have those two groups can we? HQ's Barracuda heads out and shoots it down.

 

As there were a few more hours to the end of the day, and since I wanted to wait for dawn, I some hours pass by. I was also hoping it would be the end of the month as well, but there are 31 days in this month. Means one more day to go. I'll have to let the next commander assess the avatars in training.

 

HQ Triton heads out with few changes in its setup except that a some of BB's Jet harpoons are added to the kit.

 

Tactical Segment

 

 

Because of Munty's MC prowess this battle is almost a non-event. The Displacer locates one Lobsterman, Munty controls it, and in one look around, it literally sees all the other lobstermen in the map. Well, except the one in the sub itself. Over the course of a few turns random lobstermen in the middle of the mob are controlled while their uncontrolled brethren turn on them. All the while those not under MC are picked off one at a time by my own troops. Eventually only one lobsterman is left alive.

 

Jet Harpoons are handed out to a few aquanauts who need really some training on their accuracy and they empty a whole clip into the Lobsterman, which is obviously impervious to them. A couple of the really good aquanauts including Munty are also given a clip to empty as well. Once all harpoon clips are exhausted the Lobsterman is executed in a very unsportsmanlike manner.

 

 

The after result of this training session appears fairly minor for most of the troops, but is simply remarkable for Munty who doesn't have to bother kneeling anymore. He only needs to buff up his stamina and finish up the last 5 or 10 points of accuracy that he's got left to go and he'll be due for some furlough. A well earned vacation at that. (and we can get to work on the next lot of powerful troops to train up)

 

Save for the next commander:

 

GAME_1.zip

 

- NKF

[Bomb Bloke]

Nothing exciting happening on the GeoScape when I start. Production of the Leviathan is still underway, and our secondary manufacturing base is making... MC Readers? Well, whatever, they finish soon enough, and as I have no better ideas set them onto medkits again. Research continues into the bombardment shield.

 

Month ends. We accrued over six and a half thousand points. Our funding is increased by another million, it's now at about 11.7mill/month.

 

 

I shoot down a cruiser and a couple of smaller alien ships. A third simply goes pop.

 

 

------------------------------

 

Mission 1:

 

Tasoth Cruiser. Coral terrain.

 

Tank flies, Munty herds, aliens die.

 

 

It gets a bit annoying trying to wheedle all the aliens out of the USO, and I don't want to waste perfectly good FA bonus points on the tank, so I had Max Remmington fly across the map to kill two of the Tasoth off. One throws a grenade. He's floating at the top of the map. You can guess how that went.

 

 

In short, a great time is had by all, but I forget to take a screencap of the end mission results.

 

------------------------------

 

Nearly straight away a Barracuda turns up and Guardpost. I cancel the medkits and start making some more sonic oscillators.

 

The Triton refuels and goes off after the next ship. The flight goes nearly halfway around the world and I misjudge the timing, but meh, night time missions aren't exactly a threat anymore.

 

------------------------------

 

Mission 2:

 

Small Lobsterman ship. Sunken liner.

 

The tank sets out alone, and due to LOS glitchyness, I'm able to spot an alien inside the USO. There's three in there. Score!

 

 

Troopers grab harpoon guns and line up next to the Triton entrance. The Lobstermen come in two by twos, hurrah! Hurrah!

 

 

Or they would, only Munty can only MC three a turn, so the excess Lobstermen beat up on the obedient few. The tank looks on in bemusement from above - some shots hit it, but the aliens are mostly carrying rifles and it takes just a couple of points worth of damage.

 

 

Six harpoon clips are shared between six soldiers, ten shots each. They fail to do anything to the Lobstermen, but... that's the point.

 

 

Once I run out of clips and I've killed my training dummies, the tank flies up to the very NW corner where it finds what looks to be the last alien. But it's actually a clever ambush! Having landed the tank for a close range shot next turn, a grenade flies out!

 

 

The tank actually takes damage at last! Not that that costs me anything.

 

 

------------------------------

 

I send the Barracudas off after another Lobsterman Cruiser, but spot a Lobby Dreadnought in the meantime - on a base attack mission! Luckily it just buzzes about in the wrong area before nipping off. Don't think it got close enough to warrant an attack.

 

I decide to order PWT defences for all remaining bases anyway. It's not like we're broke.

 

And then something wondrous happens.

 

 

Oh hey, guess my third and final mission is T'Leth...

 

Kidding, we haven't even started researching that yet. But seriously, that's the only topic remaining between us and game, set, match.

 

Listener's sub pen completes, and I order another Barracuda. The final outpost also receives one. Oscillator orders are tweaked to match.

 

At our primary base, I order four PWT tanks.

 

------------------------------

 

Mission 3:

 

Lobsterman Cruiser. Coral terrain.

 

You should know the drill by now.

 

 

As Munty can't keep up with the MC quota alone, the tank is subjected to not one but three grenades. It takes no damage.

 

 

Once I run out of harpoon clips again, the corpse pile quickly mounds up.

 

 

The tank spots an alien near the USO wreckage, leading to a short civil war inside the craft.

 

 

The tank takes tons of shots with minimal damage. The aliens all die.

 

 

We've run out of harpoons, and I forget myself and order more. As the base stocks are flooded, I have to sell a metric ton of loot in order to do so. The dent made by the nine PWT modules I ordered is filled in nicely.

 

Among other things, we have too much Zrbyte. I was going to suggest we conserve it, and not put the Leviathan into standard service, but... there's no good reason not to burn the stuff up.

 

What with three missions worth of MC, and the monthly increase, Munty has gone from 85 to 98 MC skill.

 

GAME_1.rar

[Bomb Bloke]

[silencer_pl]

Ok gents (and ladies) it's party time X-Com style.

 

The aliens starts outs with their heavy metal and want to find the best party place. I think they were already so drunk that the couldn't a fish even if it hit them right in the face.

 

 

Next came the Gill man. They really mean business but we don't like it so we are going to introduce them our new latest flying toy.

 

 

I got rid of the poor old triton and barracuda from our HQ. Who needs it when we have this brand new flying thingy. And I forgot how fast it is. So night mission time folks without flares. I have packed all 14 high psi defended marines the lowest one is 76 but it should be enough. Their objective - have fun.

 

We start out in the corner and is so dark (and scary).

 

 

This place is full of ancient pyramids(?). Did we find the lost Atlantis people home? Oh hey look - we found some aliens - let's butcher them.

 

 

Pew pew, zap zap...

 

 

What ? Over ? I am not satisfied.

 

 

So we head back home and wait for another party alert. Time flies we have new tech bombardment shield (installed in every base - can't leave home without it). Also started to research heavy gauss. After the Displacer PWT is done techs are doing gauss rifles and gazillion of clips - why ? I don't know, maybe because we are stinking rich or maybe I want some fun with aliens more.

 

Ok back to the story. There we have 2 tiny party alerts but our bouncer says - Thou shall not pass.

 

 

And finally some decent party alert.

 

 

Right - so off we go and hey, we find some people lets invite them for party.

 

 

<disco time>

 

Hey yet another people would like to join.

 

 

Aliens do know how to have a blast

 

 

Of course they don't get along with each other and some fight between themselves occur. Hey if they don't like it we will gladly help them.

 

Pew pew, zap zap.

 

Ok we move forward but suddenly someone shot at us.

 

Oh, hello - you sir are not welcome in our party.

 

 

Party hater - hmpf.

 

We have heard that aliens threw their little party inside their sub. Let's go check it out. I found some dancing lobsters outside their ship but forgot to take pictures - damn me. But....

 

 

So the aliens so much liked us, that the host gave us a hug and asked us if we are going to hang out with them at their big place - they said it will be such a blast that we will remember it forever.

 

 

</disco time>

 

 

 

Who wants to party next ?

 

GAME_1.rar

[NKF]

I take be taking the Cap'n's hat for wee stint. Me tale be a boring one, but a tale worth telling 'cause I'm doing the telling. This story be brought to you by the letter R and the number 8 and the quadratic equation.

 

Geoscape segment

 

Since it's been a while, I take a look through the bases and take inventory of our assets and personnel. I see we've got a few A Team material in the current lineup, they get gold glittery stars stuck on their armour to show they're special. (I shorten the tail on their marks - just for modesty's sake, and to fit better for those with long names)

 

Seems like our T'Leth death squad is ready! They just need a bit of training.

 

A quick tidy up the HQ stores of unneeded goods follows shortly afterwards. A fire sale on Sonic Cannons and other alien 'movie props' raises just under $8 million extra funds. I cull one of the new PWT Displacers, as we've got too many tanks at the main base, and tanks take priority in base defence over aquanauts.

 

I will make a note now that our Blasta Rifle clips are starting to dry up. May have to capture or build some more in due course.

 

With now two empty sub-pens and only 1 transport/fighter sub in operation, I wish we had at least kept the Barracuda. But no point dwelling in the past, I order the production of a Hammerhead to provide backup interception for HQ. It's probably redundant at this stage, but we can afford it.

 

Since we probably won't be needing its services any more, the west sub pen is removed. Thanks to the reshaping of the base with the sudden inclusion of defense guns, I think it might best to keep the number of possible ways enemies can enter the base to a minimum.

 

Over the next couple of days, an MC Lab at one of the minor outposts is ready, and Heavy Gauss research is complete. I launch the scientists to work on the file with a name right out of a B-movie: 'T'Leth, the Alien's City'.

 

 

In a few hours, a gillman Survey ship pops up near Listener-1. The Listener-1 Barracuda scrambles. As the two subs meet near Tasmania, Australia, I notice the Barracuda isn't armed. Oh dear.

 

I send the Barracuda home and get Guardpost, way out in the Pacific, to send its Barracuda instead. I immediately cancel the command when I see it too isn't armed. Eh, what? Yes indeed those were my thoughts on this odd predicament.

 

My next closest option is Outpost-1, and this at least has an armed Barracuda! Out it goes, but it loses track of the sub and proceeds to scout the last known location south of Australia.

 

Meanwhile, I transfer HQ's two remaining sonic oscillators to Guardpost and Outpost 2, as they lack any form of sub armament. Listen-1 has oscillators, so that base's Barracuda is immediately armed. HQ's upcoming Hammerhead will have to get its own Oscillator built later.

 

Outpost 1's Barracuda finds the alien sub just a bit to the east of where it vanished, and promptly destroys it. Just in the nick of time as it runs out of fuel and starts heading home minutes after the interception!

 

Guardpost and Outpost 2 have their Barracudas armed. Only one oscillator each, but that should do just fine.

 

 

Sub 79 is spotted a few hours later, a Gillman Escort on a floating base attack mission. It fjords the Fjords.

 

The Leviathan intercepts it and immediately touches down at the crash site.

 

Tactical Segment Summary

 

 

Five Gillmen start ratting each other out, they disarm, and Uma Hand and Lyudmila L take them out with a few well placed shot. I should note, yet another volcanic map mission. I'm starting to see the appeal of tracking down the Geoscape.exe beta for the better terrain selection.

 

Geoscape resumes

 

 

The next day a Lobsterman Cruiser on an alien surface attack mission appears near Outpost 1. Outpost 1 and Listener 1 do a pincer attack and launch Barracudas from both directions. Outpost 1's barracuda manages to reach the sub first and shoots it down.

 

HQ's Leviathan-1 sends its team out to deal with it. This ship is so fast it gets to the site before it's dawn. Since I don't want to burn Zrbite just waiting, I touch down anyway.

 

Tactical Segment Summary 2

 

 

This was an easy mop up - only the SWS had to leave the sub. Random aquanauts took a few potshots at the Lobstermen in a half hearted attempt at spreading the trainign around.

 

Geoscape Segment resumes

 

 

A few days after this, a Gillman Escort is seen flying over Outpost 1. Searching for a floating base to attack. Even though it's the other side of the world, Leviathan-1 is sent to meet it to save time. It meets the alien sub over Hawaii, knocks it down and immediately touches down (in darkness).

 

Tactical Segment Summary 3

 

 

Yet another volcanic map. Only 4 Gillmen encountered. 3 killed, one knocked unconscious. This time I gave Uma Hand a chance to use the MC Disrupter for a bit, just to give Munty a chance to shoot one of the Gillmen as I see his accuracy hasn't quite peaked yet.

 

So far only routine mop up missions. Not a bad thing, as it gives the T'Leth Death Squad a chance to improve a little in a relatively safe environment. My rounds done, here's the save for the next commander:

 

GAME_1.zip

 

- NKF

[Bomb Bloke]

Messed with the stocks a bit. First base had ~650 Zrbite in the stores; I hauled 100 units to each of the other three. Second base had four sonic oscillators, so I shipped one each to bases three and four (where the resident Barracudas were each missing a sidearm) and the final two to the first base (where a Manta is in production).

 

Also sold a load of corpses and pulsars. The stocks are still nearly overwhelmed, but it's possible to unload stuff off the Leviathan now.

 

Since it seems we're being extravagant, rather then efficient, I started construction of two more living quarters at our first base. The intention is to throw in another couple of labs, or perhaps a lab and a workshop?

 

 

(Yes yes, I know, between these and the defense modules I've trashed the base bottleneck; however, putting aside that I don't like bottlenecks anyway, it's unlikely any aliens will ever set foot inside this base once the defense modules are all online).

 

Research into the location of T'leth completes. I go blow it up and the game ends. I start researching cyrogenics, as we've seemingly run out of "useful" topics (with the exception of the drill research branch, which we still don't have the pre-requisites for yet).

 

 

Sub 81 appeared, a Heavy Cruiser with Lobstermen. It went down off the coast of Africa. While waiting for daybreak, an Escort ship showed up bearing yet more Lobstermen; I decided to collect that one first.

 

After disposing of the bulk of the crew (they must pack 'em in like sardines on superhuman, it's amazing how many lobstermen unload from these tiny ships), I decided to pass the MC disruptor around the squad in an attempt to get the team some mental defense (certain units (Jade/Krumpet) are currently dangerously low, but with adequate training, could at least resist attacks if we want to drag them off to T'leth).

 

 

However, I soon lost track of TUs and trapped the disruptor under a slow unit. Rather then risk having a grenade thrown at her, I simply slaughtered the last aliens and left.

 

 

Next up is the aforementioned Heavy Cruiser. Started leading all the lobstermen to the Leviathan for slaughter. It was slow going; here's a technician on my third turn of play:

 

 

Where did all that energy go? Beats me.

 

What they seemingly lack in stamina, however, is easily made up for in terms of... well, everything except MC resistance, really. Here a lobsterman hit two of his buddies with a DPL shell, causing a crater and little else.

 

 

And so they ended up herded like the rest.

 

 

The last alien was found to be a squad leader with another DPL, holed up above this engine room. Each turn he'd open the door and wander away. I was hoping the tank would eventually reaction-shot him (as I couldn't get the door open and didn't want to haul infantry across the map), but I got impatient and decided moving away from the door might lure him out to try some melee attacks.

 

 

Not the best plan of action, apparently. Needless to say the lobsterman was still standing, despite choosing to fire at point-blank range.

 

 

Found Jason King near the Leviathan entryway with a low FA score and a few bullets to spare. Had him float over and enter the Cruiser; the squad leader hadn't bothered to reload (I'm starting to suspect they don't know how...), leading to its swift execution.

 

 

Note: We do not have any more sonic tanks, only pulse-launcher ones (which aren't the best for routine missions, especially against lobstermen). Our second base does have all the requirements to start production on some new ones, however, and its workshop isn't currently engaged.

 

GAME_1.zip

[NKF]

Tactical Segment

 

Since the base names are a bit confusing, I rename Guardpost to Listener-2 and Outpost-2 to Listener-3. The last name change was done because there aren't any plans to expand it with a transport sub pen like the one in Outpost-1 (renamed to Outpost).

 

Noting the Sonic Displacer shortage, Outpost starts construction on one. I did have to juggle my decision between PWT Displacer ammo or the Sonic Displacer, as even the PWT Displacers can be used as scouts. The utility value of the Sonic Displacer won out in the end.

 

Next up I run a fire sale and clear out some excess goods from storage. I literally halved our Sonic Pulser supply as it just keeps creeping up and up.

 

Since I figured now we're in the training-up-to-the-last-battle phase, I load up on ammo for BB's Jet Harpoons and silencer-pl's Gauss Rifles.

 

In a few days a research topic is completed though as it's redundant information, I don't get a report. As there's no further research topics of immediate interest, I split the 100 scientist team into 10 teams of 10 and get them started on preparing a science fair, to keep the grunts entertained. 8 teams pick a different alien corpse to dissect while the teams 9 and 10 interview alien technicians. The Gill Man Corpse and Hallucinoid Corpse teams have already made some progress before I've even finished divvying up the projects.

 

Later that day, alien sub 83, a Lobsterman Dreadnought is sighted moving swiftly away from the Icelandic Union on an interdiction mission to the South Atlantic.

 

I let the Leviathan sit tight for a few hours to let the Dreadnought come within range of its destination. The Leviathan loses sight of the Dreadnought once it reaches Africa. Just as that vanishes, Alien sub 84, a Lobsterman survey ship, is spotted flying into Scandinavia. Listener 3's Barracuda engages and destroys it with 1 shot.

 

The Leviathan does a triangular patrol around where Dreadnought vanished, but isn't able to find it. This reveals a gap in our sonar network. Since we've got the dosh, a bare-bones listening outpost is constructed where the Leviathan is currently patrolling, with a temporary small sonar, transmission resolver and MC Generator. Amazing how quickly the workmen started construction - the Leviathan's still patrolling the area.

 

In fact, two more bare-bones listening outposts appear to some of our blind coverage areas.

 

Just as I've finished ordering the new bases, the Leviathan runs out of fuel and heads back home. As soon as the Leviathan docks at the base, the Dreadnought reappears, landed where we lost it. Oh I do wish we had a spare troop transport...

 

A few hours pass and as soon as the Leviathan's batteries are juiced, it departs full steam ahead, full sails and with go-faster stripes painted on it, in hopes that it'll arrive on time. And it work, the Leviathan arrives before the alien sub can leave, albeit in darkness.

 

Battlescape segment

 

Since I had training in in mind, I ended up wih less weapons than aquanauts, with lots of ammo for the two training weapons. Still plenty of sonic weaponry, so it's not a problem.

 

Turn 1

 

 

The troops wait in the Leviathan for the first turn, but a brief look outside reveals our first friendly native guide, a Lobsterman soldier, who will be (one of many) to take the absent Displacer's place. It greets Ludmilla L by throwing his thermal shok launcher right at her. It narrowly misses her face.

 

It looks around and it's revealed that the Leviathan's landed in rocky terrain. Seems like we're in the north-western corner of the map. Excellent.

 

At the end of the turn, a Tentaculat swoops down out of the darkness over our hapless guide, but our guide's tragic end is dealt by a lobsterman carrying a disrupter pulse launcher. A swift whack to the head from behind and it dies instantly.

 

Turn 2

 

 

The killer is now looking afield, and the tentaculat is in full brightness for some reason. Ludmilla and a series of other Aquanauts pile into the lobsterman and kill it with their sonic weapons. With the exception of Ludmilla, I think the need for further training is quite evident when most of them miss. Munty seizes the Tentaculat for our purposes. Everyone stays in the sub.

 

The tentaculat does a bit of scouting for us, but runs out of energy.

 

At the end of the turn, a new tentaculat scurries into an alcove in the rocks.

 

Turn 3

 

 

Ludmilla peeks outside and spots two tentaculats. One's accounted for, and the other might have been the one seen earlier, but it's not near the same rock formation. Curiously, both are lit up.

 

Both tentaculats are secured for our dastardly purposes - but they're low on energy. What's this?

 

Turn 4

 

Munty controls the two tentaculats again and again they can only move a few tiles before running out of energy. No one attempts to do anything.

 

At the end of the turn, a big explosion occurs near one of the tentaculats.

 

Turn 5

 

Since there's no damage, a shok bomb is suspected.

 

Uma Hand dispatches one of the tentaculats with a single shot and Munty secures the other. Again, it can only move a few tiles before running out of steam. Luckily it stops within sight of the Leviathan hatch.

 

The Lobsterman that fired the shok bomb walks up to the controlled tentaculate to attack, but then steps off to the side.

 

Turn 6

 

 

On the new turn, a scan of the tentaculat shows that its energy hasn't recharged. Perhaps all the controlling is preventing it from recovering its energy? Either way, it's clearly a waste of time to use it as a scout. The lobsterman is also out of time units and energy, which explains why it did not attack. The lobsterman is captured and disarmed.

 

Gerhard Gunkel kills the tentaculat with six rounds from his Gauss Rifle.

 

At the end of the turn, a lobsterman walks out of the darkness and deals a thermal shok bomb to the face of the captured lobsterman. A sonic round hits it square on as well. It doesn't fall.

 

Turn 7

 

 

From the start of the next turn, a sequence of lobstermen are controlled and the locations of several more are revealed. the one in the last shot empties its shok launcher into the Lobsterman technician nearby and disarms. All the lobstermen controlled use up what time units they have left looking around.

 

 

Turn 8

 

 

The closest lobsterman had moved too far, so none of them are seen during this turn. Instead, aquanauts start to file out of the Leviathan and take positions above it.

 

While doing this, I see we've got a regular aquanaut on the team. Ensign Jeffrey Alexander, who has not had any MC training as of yet.

 

During the end of the turn, one of the disarmed lobstermen makes a charge for the Leviathan, then thinks better of it and turns around.

 

Turn 9

 

 

Gauss Rifleman Gerhard Gunkel moves out to look for the Lobsterman, but ends up stuck on the ground with no time units left to move. Jeffrey and Yuri Gakanovitch go out to help. Jeffrey runs out of time units, and Yuri just barely manages to find the Lobsterman.

 

Munty's new puppet has a look around but can't see the other 2 lobstermen that we'd disarmed earlier.

 

Turn 10

 

Not much happens this turn but troops reposition themselves around the Leviathan. The lobsterman scout is recaptured.

 

At the end of the turn one of the lobstermen we missed surfaces and is attacked with a reaction shot from above. Naturally it lives.

 

Turn 11

 

 

Ironically, it was just nearby. Annette Northcotte, who spotted the lobsterman, attacks with her sonic pistol but misses. Stefan Zander, with the accuracy of a brick, is able to kill the lobsterman with one shot.

 

Our scout is recaptured and it looks about a bit more

 

Turn 12

 

On recapturing the scout, I see that its energy hasn't replenished. The persistent control must be wearing it down.

 

 

The squad starts spreading out wider.

 

Turn 13

 

Marti Alcala, one of our unarmed trainees, kneels over a lobsterman coprse and helps himself to a disrupter pulse launcher.

 

This turn, it's decided by a show of hands to let the lobsterman scout rest for a turn. It can't run anywhere anyway.

 

Turn 14 ~ 15

 

Letting the Lobsterman go free was a good decision. It has restored some of its energy, but not a lot. Yuri Gakanovitch keeps watch over it.

 

An overview of what's happening: Jeffrey Alexander and Uma Hand are scouting the area north of the Dreadnought, basically along the top edge of the map. Gerhard Gunkel (Gauss-man), and Boris Gakanovich are making their way around the side of the Dreadnought. Annette Norcotte is sent southwards to scout the area behind Gerhard (in between them is a cross tunnel rock formation)

 

At the end of the turn 14, our lobsterman goes for a short walk, but not much else happens until turn 15. The lobsterman we were controlling is stunned, another lobsterman and a tentaculat make their ways towards it.

 

Turn 16

 

On the start of this turn, the lobsterman we find is unarmed and appears to have taken some stun damage. It's not the one that attacked the stunned lobsterman. We use it to quickly locate the tentaculat. This one's got a full compliment of energy, so we have it take a peek inside the Dreadnought, then have it float all the way beside Gerhard, then turn its back on him.

 

At the end of this turn, Jeffrey is hit with a stun bomb and a sonic shot, both from behind. He falls unconscious.

 

Turn 17

 

Uma hands immediately administers treatment with the medikit and heals and revives Jeffrey.

 

Marti Alcala initiates a poor-man's dust cloud and drops a PWT torpedo between the two and the Dreadnought. It was a bit to close as Jeffreys sonic cannon is destroyed.

 

The original plan was to dispose of the tentaculat, but now it's recaptured and sent around to the north side of the Dreadnought to find the attackers - but it runs out of energy.

 

Whether the dust cloud worked or not, Uma and Jeffrey are safe this turn.

 

Turn 18

 

Jeffrey, using rocks to shield him from view of the Dreadnought, starts moving back towards the Leviathan. Uma follows him to the cover.

 

Lobsterman and Tentaculat are secured.

 

Annette finishes her scouting run down the south western side of the map, and moves over to support Boris as Gerhard's gone around to the north to support Yuri Gakanovitch and the Tentaculat to locate and deal with Jeffreys attackers.

 

On inspecting the north side of the Dreadnought, it occurs to me that the attackers may have fired from the balcony with the lift.

 

Turn 19

 

The tentaculat is sent to peek into the balcony - and is left to stay there for now, as it ran out of energy.

 

Sure enough, a thermal shok bomb flies out and freezes the tentaculat.

 

Turn 20

 

Since he's not going to see any further action this mission, Jeffrey takes an armed sonic pulser from Uma and throws it onto the unconscious tentaculat.

 

Annette Northcott drops a pulser on top of the lobsterman scout we had earlier that was knocked unconscious.

 

The psychological impact caused by killing these two aliens wasn't enough - the lobsterman in the balcony does a strange angle shot that kills Jeffrey. I underestimated the field of view you can get from these balconies.

 

Turn 21

 

 

Yuri looks into the balcony and we find three lobstermen. They're all controlled, and the technician with the sonic cannon is disarmed. They're piled up onto the lift. One has a quick look upstairs.

 

At the end of the turn, two shok bombs are launched their way from their allies deeper in the sub.

 

Turn 22

 

 

Thanks to the whole lot of lobstermen being knocked out, revenge for Jeffrey can be exacted. Gerhard arms a pulser, Yuri takes it, and throws it in. Both aquanauts take cover.

 

Over on the south side of the Dreadnought, Annette Northcotte marches our longest surviving lobsterman scout (henceforth nicknamed Lookout) to the lower hatch. Boris floats past the south balcony - it's clear.

 

Turn 23

 

 

One additional effect of destroying the three lobstermen with the pulser is that it's opened a new entryway into the alien sub.

 

 

On the other side, Annette urges Lookout inside the Drednought and it spots a tentaculat. Also lit up. This is employed to do a bit of looking around.

 

At the end of the turn, a navigator panics.

 

Turn 24

 

 

Tentaculats must have a lighting bug? The tentaculat finds more prey. It drops down and plants itself in front of Annette and turns its back. The tentaculat upstairs is controlled and spots another Lobsterman in the lift room with it.

 

At the end of the turn one of the lobstermen opens fire and knocks the tentaculat and itself out.

 

Uma spots movement spotted along the north balcony. Two lobstermen.

 

Turn 25

 

 

Uma fires two sonic cannon rounds into the nearest lobsterman, but it stays standing. The other lobsterman behind it is controlled. It looks around and sees one of the lobstermen that was in the lift. That's controlled as well. Both of these lobstermen race up and put themselves in front of Uma to protect her from the other. After a probe, it seems the technician she attacked is almost dead. Yuri finishes it off with his blasta rifle.

 

A navigator goes berserk.

 

Turn 26

 

 

Uma and Yuri shoot one of the lobstermen in the back. This only stuns it. The other lobsterman is controlled and has a further look around upstairs. It spots another lobsterman. As we've hit our MC quota, the turn is ended like this.

 

A squad leader (the one just spotted) and a commander go berserk. A shok bomb goes off inside the dreadnought.

 

Turn 27

 

Not a lot happens this turn, except at the end of the turn a DPL lobsterman is seen upstairs.

 

Turn 28

 

 

The DPL lobsterman (a squad leader), empties its DPL torpedo into the wall and sent downstairs.

 

Turn 29

 

Uma executes the squad leader.

 

Now with that side a bit quieter, Annette and Boris head inside. Annette blocks one of the lifts so that they can have that whole corner to themselves, and keep ol' Lookout ahead of them to meet any opposition.

 

Not re-acquiring the upstairs lobsterman was a bad idea. It drops down and knocks both Uma and Yuri unconscious with a shok bomb. No worries, Gerhard to the rescue, with his medikit.

 

Turn 30 ~ 80

 

Since we're starting to get a large number of turns, I'll stop counting them.

 

Gerhard manages to revive Yuri, but ends up in a very difficult problem. Uma's stuck in a wall. (or so he thinks)

 

All the while this is happening, aliens are panicking or going berserk.

 

 

The sudden appearance of a disrupter pulse launcher in the main lift area is rather intriguing. Lookout finds a new friend upstairs (the one that shot Uma and Yuri). This new lobsterman is sent over to Yuri for a bit of revenge. It is shot, but only stunned.

 

 

Since a lot of the lobstermen have only been stunned, and we don't need to fill up the containment with unnecessary live aliens, Yuri and Gerhard start moving two of them and with careful use of a pulser dispose of them. This causes the Lobsterman commander to panic.

 

Durin one lapsed moment where Lookout wasn't recaptured, it decides to vent its anger on Annette and starts bashing her. No damage is done. The problem is fixed and Lookout is brought back under control. Annette marches it to the main lift.

 

 

Boris, Annette and Lookout head up the lift. Boris grabs the disrupter launcher on his way up. Lookout heads to the north balcony.

 

Yuri and Gerhard meanwhile set about disposing of another unconscious soldier that they found in the pile of corpses in the north balcony.

 

 

Lookout spots a new lobsterman upstairs in the sleeping/medic room. It is enlisted to help out.

 

On his way back from disposing of the soldier (he dragged it out and pulser'd it), Yuri discovers that Uma's not stuck in a wall after all. He picks up her body, walks to the south, drops it, then orders Gerhard to get down there and get to work with the medikit. Two stimulants later, and Uma's awake and kneeling over her old weapons.

 

 

With his new toy, Boris destroys the guard checkpoint in the main hallway upstairs to make a short cut into the bridge. "Behold my amazing amazingness, for it is amazing!" he says before going down the lift to reload. Lookout wanders ahead while Annette decides to shoot the other lobsterman. She fails to finish it off, but at least she hit it. Yuri completes the task for her.

 

 

Lookout makes its way through the rubble into the bridge. It doesn't see anything. Not wanting to lose sight of her charge, Annette follows.

 

 

Uma moves through sleeping chambers and finds a new friend.

 

Meanwhile Yuri goes the other way through the room with the crystal implant thingies.

 

Boris, now completely committed to his new toy, waits with DPL ready. We think he's gone completely mad, wanting to use a DPL indoors in such tight spaces.

 

 

We thought Boris was mad, but so are the lobstermen it seems. One attempted a very elaborate round-the-bend attack with a DPL torpedo but only seemed to attack the innards of the ship. In fact, it probably wasn't aimed at anyone on the team. Just a random shot into the darkness.

 

 

Lookout hits the jackpot - it finds two lobstermen and perhaps the one that fired the DPL in the bend that leads to the bridge. Of course, the DPL user is taken instantly, and fires a point blank round into his companion. Lookout goes down, as it's still rather heavily stunned from when we first captured it. Uma's lobsterman and the one that fired its DPL surround the other one to keep it from getting at Uma and Annette.

 

This didn't work, the lobsterman does a few lobster chops, killing one, and then starts slashing at Annette's head. She survive that attack. The lobsterman then runs away. This is one energetic lobster! Despite this sudden triumph, the lobsterman commander panicks. This helps us locate it.

 

The situation is back under control when the three lobsterman are captured. As the turns in between are practically instantaneous, it looks like we have the lot.

 

Annette quickly seeks healing from Gerard. She then starts attacking the lobsterman that hit her. It knocks it unconscious. Annette is not satisfied with this, so she has Gerard revive the lobsterman so that she can shoot it again.

 

Yuri shoots the remaining navigator. He only knocks it out. Having been inspired by his companions, he revives it with his medikit so he can shoot it again until it is dead.

 

Uma revives old Lookout, lets Gerard empty his Gauss rifle into it, then kills it herself. What a bunch sadistic aquanauts these a-listers are. Then again, it was Munty doing all the controlling - the lobsterman's still a bad guy.

 

The Commander is singled out and Annette starts to march it out of sub, to where a bunch of misfits lead by Munty await "training".

 

 

To cut the story short, the commander was shot at with jet harpoon darts and gauss rifle rounds, shot in the back with a sonic pistol, revived, shot, revived, etc, etc.

 

By turn 80:

 

 

No save for the next commander yet as I'm taking a small sequence of consecutive turns before I go on a short holiday.

 

- NKF

[NKF]

Geoscape segment

 

I start off with some minor housekeeping matters and tidy up the stores.

 

Once Outpost's Displacer is ready, I try to get it shipped to HQ, but there's no more space. HQ sends some ammo and most of its materials to Outpost until there's no more room. Some Aqua Plastics, Ion Beam ACcelerators and spare sonic weapons are sold, and even that doesn't help. I end up selling one of the two PWT Displacers, and that finally makes a bit of space. The Displacer is sent, and immediately HQ sends as much Zrbite as Outpost can hold. As soon as the Displacer arrives, it gets a spot on the Leviathan.

 

As soon as the Manta is built, it's armed and the engineers get to work building PW Torpedos for the PWT Displacer. Only a frugal amount of 20, just so we don't go overboard spending raw materials.

 

3 days later, the Manta is launched on its first mission to intercept a Gillman Escort on a floating base attack mission flying out of Iceland. It takes the skipper 7 attempts before the sub is shot down near the port of Boston.

 

When morning swings around, the mission starts.

 

I was going to summarise this short mission, but thought I'd chronicle it anyway

 

Tactical segment

 

Turn 1

 

The Leviathan touches down in north-west corner. All the rubbish outside suggests we're at a Cargo plane wreck. The Displacer is sent out to have a look around.

 

 

A Gillman is seen in part of the cargo hull by the Displacer. It's captured.

 

At the end of the turn the displacer is attacked twice.

 

Turn 2

 

 

No damage. The Displacer spots two new gillmen just to the east of the Leviathan. To the south-east of these gillmen is the damaged sub. All are controlled and disarmed along with the one captured earlier. When moving one of the two gillmen, a fourth Gillman is seen just behind them.

 

Uma attacks this Gillman and misses. Jason king misses, hits bit of wing behind it, resulting in:

 

 

 

I must admit I never knew the wings were explosive. Must remember that.

 

A series of the other aquanauts that haven't got a lot of accuracy take aim at it, and Mickey Tarantino takes it out with a Gauss rifle burst. His first kill too by the way.

 

 

Just behind this carnage, yet another Gillman is spotted on top of another broken plane part. Uma Hand, from her starting point in the Leviathan, kneels and does a 100% aimed shot at the Gillman and takes it down.

 

 

Again while moving a captured Gillman, a sniper is seen in the hull section to other side of alien sub wreck. Yuri Gakanovitch misses it while Rodreigo Martinez aims with his blasta rifle and hits it dead on, taking it down.

 

 

The displacer moves and finds a Gillman standing outside of the wrecked sub. There aren't many aquanauts left that can fire on it, but Max Remmington manages 1 harpoon dart but misses badly. The Displacer finishes it off with a snap.

 

No movement.

 

Turn 4

 

Max Remmington fires on the nearest disarmed Gillman - and 1 out of 9 shots hit.

 

Gerhard Gunkel, Jason King and Ludmilla L take one down each. That should just about do it.

 

 

Just before I end the turn, I run an experiment and shoot a cargo plane wing - and indeed it goes boom.

 

 

The mission ends reasonably well.

 

- NKF

[NKF]

Routine missions continued...

 

Geoscape segment

 

The next day sub 86, a Gillman survey ship is spotted near HQ right in the middle of the Atlantic. They've got colony envy and seek an expansion - er... anyway Manta-1 knocks it down and the team is sent out to tidy up.

 

Tactical segment summarised

 

 

Very routine. Aquanauts from the back of the sub were picked to take down the Gillmen from this mission.

 

 

Geoscape segment resumes

 

Sub 87 is spotted in the Pacific ocean, intent on finding a base to attack. Outpost's Barracuda intercepts, but complains that it's too deep and decides to head home. What's this insubordination? The barracuda is re-ordered to attack the sub, or at least follow it. The sub is eventually shot down near Vladivostok.

 

 

Tactical Segment summary

 

 

I missed taking a grab of the summary so enjoy a screengrab of the action intead. Suffice to say no casualties and a decent 130-140-ish score.

 

The mission was done in the Mu ruins. It was rather annoying as the many temples resulted in a lone bug hunt, is always very tense. There's lots and lots of hiding places and you don't know where to expect the attack is going to come from. Luckily, the last Gillman pulser'd itself.

 

Geoscape segment resumes

 

Shortly after the mission, another Gillman colony expansion sub is seen from the south pole, moving towards Australia. Listener-1's Barracuda is nearest, so it proceeds to intercept. The sub evades the Barracuda and decides to land. The Barracuda runs out of fuel. The Leviathan is sent to intercept. The sub takes off and the Leviathan shoots it down. Mission starts right away.

 

 

Tactical Segment summary

 

 

Another routine volcanic terrain Gillman mission. Cleaned up and moved on.

 

Geoscape segment resumes

 

PWT defences are operational at most bases now.

 

A day passes and the first of the science fare material is in with the hallucinoid autopsy.

 

The next day, another Gillman crusier is spotted near Outpost. Outpost's barracuda sets to work on it and shoots it down.

 

 

 

Tactical Segment summary

 

 

Another routine clean up. And for the record, Munty has maxed in all but throwing accuracy and reactions.

 

 

 

Geoscape segment resumes

 

 

When the end of the month arrives, we appear to have done a pretty good job this month.

 

The MC results are in sadly we have a lot of 1 digit results. All the affected aquanauts are withdrawn from the labs, have their armour handed in are sent home. The good news is that there are some very good candidates here for Avatar material if anyone wants them.

 

I make the decision not to hire any more new staff at this stage as a shipping route attack is announced.

 

I'll end my log here for now. One more installment to go folks!

 

- NKF

[NKF]

Geoscape segment

 

With a SOS coming from somewhere in the Pacific sea, the Leviathan is launched. It's nice that it manages to arrive before nightfall.

 

Before it arrives, a small Gillman survey ship is spotted. A Barracuda is ordered to intercept.

 

Tactical Segment

 

I see we've only 8 terror sites so far? Odd, as it felt like more.

 

Turn 1

 

The start of the turn is only spent moving the Displacer to the hatch so it can have a quick look around. It's a cargo ship. A quick lift off the ground and a scan around allows it to spot a Gillman. Under normal circumstances this would bother me, as it indicates there there's a powerful Gillman Commander that's bound to be around and sending out powerful MCattacks. Of course, this team doens't have to worry about that.

 

 

The Gillman we saw is controlled and has a look around. It has a companion just nearby amongst the barrels, and on top of control tower is another Gillman and a Deep One. On capturing the Squad Leader, it spots yet another Gillman standing on the lift. That is captured too. It's sent down to look inside the bridge proper, but is shot in the back and killed (I later discover the shot came from outside). The other one captured takes one step forward towards the Deep One and is shot in the back as well, it too dies.

 

The first Gillman shoots an aimed shot at the Deep One and takes it down.

 

To deal with the one at the far end of the barrels, Yuri Gakanovitch arms a grenade. Uma Hand retrieves it on her way out the Leviathan, and takes two steps away lobs it right behind the unsuspecting Gillman.

 

A couple of aquanauts ready pulsers.

 

The turn ends seeing both Gillmen in the barrels destroyed by the pulser.

 

Turn 2

 

This turn the displacer heads up over the Leviathan to look on the other side, then is sent ahead to look for enemies on the upper deck.

 

Uma Hand and Yuri Gakanovitch stand guard outside the Leviathan's hatch.

 

The second I end the turn, the thought occurs to me that more often than not there's an alien hiding in the barrels just beside the landing pad. As if one cue, the camera stops there for a moment, but nothing is seen.

 

Turn 3

 

 

Sure enough, the Displacer turns and sees a Gillman in the barrels. It fires twice but only damages the boxes. Oh well, Munty disarms it and sends it out as a scout.

 

Turn 4

 

The Displacer continues its survey of top deck. It ends hovering beside the bridge tower.

 

The Gillman we captured is sent to the door by the stairs leading to the upper deck. Marti Alcala, Gerhard Gunkel and Micky Tarantino accompany it. These chaps have got a sonic pistol, blasta rifle and Gauss Rifle respectively, so they'd be handy indoors.

 

At the end of the turn a lone Deep One is seen walking over the small lift behind the bridge tower.

 

Turn 5

 

 

The Displacer gets a visual on the Deep One and it is promptly taken over. It rides down the lift and apart from startling a civilian, there's nothing down here. It's noted that the lower entrance into the ship from this side is blocked off by oil barrels. It heads back topside and moves towards the Displacer.

 

The captured Gillman enters and is followed by the three aquanauts. A quick look around suggest this area is going to be quite claustrophobic. Further along at the middle entrance, Uma, Yuri and Jason King make their way into what looks like a lobby.

 

During the end of the turn, a Deep One is seen walking through the crane rig in the middle of the ship.

 

Interesting to note, 5 turns in and no civilians attacked yet. Probably won't last for long, but just a fun observation.

 

Turn 6

 

 

Our Deep One and the displacer head for the target. It's found and captured. It finds an unarmed Gillman near it. The Deep One executes the Gillman with a point blank auto burst from its electric schnozz.

 

Meanwhile the other aquanauts continue their infiltration of the vessel.

 

Turn 7

 

Since we don't need so many puppets, the first Deep One is shot by the Displacer while the other one is sent to look about the shipping containers.

 

 

Our Gillman pointman locates another Deep One in the labyrinthine passages of the ship. It's controlled and used to search through the little cabins along this passage, scaring a civilian in the process.

 

At the end of the turn, a Gillman on the other side of the ship's bow shoots at the Displacer.

 

Turn 8

 

 

The Displacer charges over to its new prey. Munty controls it and has it park itself right in front of where we left the Deep One. It's decided to leave the Deep One's mind alone this turn. The Displacer moves around the corner to stay out of sight, but turns to make sure it can react if necessary.

 

Again, as we don't want so many alien puppets, Micky turns the Gillman into a pincushion with multiple gauss rounds. The Deep One is sent to rummage through the cabins.

 

During the end of the turn, the poor Gillman in front of the Displacer is shocked when the Deep One decides to kill it.

 

Turn 9

 

The Deep One that did the dirty deed is placed under control and the inspection of the containers, which was so rudely interrupted by the now ex-Gillman, resumes.

 

 

Just to be on the safe side and not have any aliens sneak up on them on them, Gerhard decides to pop through the door he'd just come through the turn before. Good thing he did, as he finds a Gillman. Gerhard's instinct is to throw the sonic pulser he's holding in his hand, he's dying to get rid of it, considering he pulled the pin out from the very start of the mission. Instead Munty secures the Gillman for a look-see of its surroundings. Another Gillman is beside it. Out Gerhard's pulser goes. We can afford to be crazy once in a while. That Deep One they've got ahead of them walks up past the door. It's safe from the explosion thanks to the walls, but we can always do with a juicy target for anything that might get revealed once area is widened.

 

Through the ensuing carnage, something attacks the Deep One. Another Deep One is spotted wandering the dark area the shot came from.

 

Turn 10

 

 

On the resumption of the turn, the Deep One spies a Deep One and a Gillman. Marti arms a pulser and tosses it forward to Mickey. While creeping forward, he spots another Deep One standing on the stairs. To be on the safe side, and not attract a shot from the Gillman staring his way, the controlled Deep One runs in front to act as a shield. It runs out of energy. Perhaps shooting the Gillman would be the safer option, but the Deep One complains it simply cannot attack as it is out of energy. No wonder MC'd aliens run out of energy so quickly. Turning and attacking consume energy.

 

Mickey tosses the pulser at the middle Deep One and legs it back down the passage.

 

Back topside, the Deep One accompanying the Displacer is retired in a permanent fashion.

 

The explosion does its thing. A Gillman with a sonic cannon is suddenly seen at the bend of the passage. Mickey's back is turned on it but it chooses to duck into one of the cabins instead.

 

Turn 11

 

Miraculously, our Deep One scout survived the explosion. It attempts to search for the Gillman we spotted, but again it is too puffed to do anything but block the passage and put itself between certain death and Mickey.

 

 

The Displacer, looking around the top deck some more, finds a Gillman Technician enjoying the breeze on top of the tower.

 

The Gillman Mickey's worrying about walks in and out of its cabin, but doesn't do anything.

 

Turn 12

 

 

The one that is said to come from the deep finds the Gillman and it's recruited to be our new scout. It throws down its weapon.

 

Up above, the Displacer stuns the technician.

 

Turn 13

 

Marti shoots the Deep One in the back, as it's no longer useful as a scout. The Gillman heads to the wreck of the stairs with Marti with it. Gerhard and Mickey continue down the passage to check the cabins around the bend. Yuri and Uma join the Gillman and Marti in the wrecked stairwell.

 

Up above, the displacer starts shooting some rails out so that it can inspect the large lift.

 

Turn 14 ~ 17

 

To summarise the remainder of the turns, the team pokes through the rest of the rooms until it's determined that the gillman we have is the last one. Marti put it out of its misery and the mission ended.

 

And also, no civilian casualties so far.

 

Stay tuned for the last half of the mission.

 

- NKF

[NKF]

Last half of the boat mission:

 

Turn 1

 

 

The mission begins with the Displacer heading out and finding a Gillman on top of a gray container. The Gillman is captured and it has a look around, drops its weapon and leaps off the container.

 

 

As the Displacer raises its elevation, it's shot in the back. It turns around to find a Deep One near it and Gillman on a balcony on the far side of the ship. The Gillman is captured. It spots another Deep One below. It fires its Sonic Cannon at the new target, but misses. The Displacer raises another elevation and shoots the nearest Deep One in the back.

 

At the end of the turn, the Gillman on the upper level is shot and killed.

 

Turn 2

 

 

In pursuit of the Gillman's killer, the Displacer finds the Deep One that we saw earlier has fallen off its container. Stefan Zander heads out of the lift and, having a pulser he's been holding onto that was armed since the very start of the entire mission, throws the pulser around the corner to the Deep One.

 

 

Our gillman chum by the grey container looks through the small cargo room (with the observatory deck/lift in the middle) and finds a Gillman in the oil drum storage area. Getting this new Gillman's perspective, it finds three further aliens. One Deep One's hidden behind the near wall in that screenshot.

 

A small expedition force led by Mickey is sent this way.

 

At the end of the turn, Stefan's grenade kills the Deep One. A Gillman is seen walking out of a container.

 

Turn 3

 

 

Mickey knocks out the first Gillman we found and Munty captures the Gillman we saw near the barrels. From its view,the Gillman from the observation deck is nowhere to be seen, just the two Deep Ones. the small expedition force advances to this area, checking the occasional container along the way.

 

 

 

The Displacer searches towards the most likely looking area and finds the Gillman I saw moving last turn. Two in fact. One was from the observation deck below. Two more (armed) Gillmen are found. I send the one I captured down the lift to look around then back up. One of the armed Gillmen shoots it as it comes back up and it dies.

 

Ever one to sow confusion, Munty orders the very same Gillman to shoot its friend. Yet another Gillman is seen in the corner.

 

The Displacer fires at the Gillman on the lift and hits, but does not kill it.

 

At the end of the turn, the Gillman in the corner shoots at the controlled Gillman but doesn't kill it. It then scurries off behind a container. The one on the lift drops back downstairs. The two deep ones downstairs spin in place.

 

Turn 4

 

 

Gerhard re-establishes contact with the aliens in the small cargo hold, and since he can see one of the Deep Ones, shoots the Gillman that we'd sent in the turn before. Mickey Tarantino shoots a Deep One by the barrels with a Gauss Rifle burst. All miss but the last, and that kills the Deep One. Rodreigo kills the other Deep One.

 

Munty controls the Gillman on the observation deck and send it upstairs. The Gillman upstairs is also controlled. It sees a Deep One in the corner.

 

 

On rounding the bend, finds the armed Gillman that attacked it earlier. This Gillman is captured, kills the Deep One, drops its weapon. All three Gillmen are sent to have their fates decided by the Displacer next turn.

 

At the end of the turn A nearby door opens and one of the Gillmen is killed.

 

Turn 5

 

 

At the start of the next turn, the Displacer kills one Gillman while the other is sent to retrieve the armed Gillman beyond the door.

 

Downstairs, Mickey's team has a walk around the room. With all those lined up barrels, Rodreigo has this sudden urge to shoot one. He only feels that way, but doesn't actually do it.

 

Back near the lift area, two pairs of aquanaut trios, led by Jason King and Uma Hand, search the containers on the lower floor. Considering some crewmembers aer found in the containers, I wonder if they live in these things?

 

Turn 6

 

Uma tries to go to the stairs by the crate marked with Microprose label, but Stefan's grenade earlier did a right number on them. No way to climb up from here. On looking up, it's just one of the raised walkways that don't lead anywhere, with one trapped civilian. Further along though is a stairwell that goes all the way up to the upper level storage hold. That's where Uma and co. will head next.

 

In the barrel storage room, Rodreigo and Gerhard take the pathway through the barrels to the nearest door.

 

 

Mickey and Stefan split off and go up the lift to where the Displacer and two Gillmen are. Mickey makes it to the top and kills one of the Gillmen with his Gauss Rifle. The remaining Gillman is sent ahead to scout the passages on the other side of the door and immediately finds a Deep One. It's asked to very kindly to step outside, and it complies.

 

Turn 7

 

To keep things tidy, Stefan kills the Deep One with a sonic cannon blast. Mickey goes in to have a look around. Since Stefan can't keep up with Mickey, the Gillman is asked to watch his back.

 

Rodreigo and Gerhard breach into the engine room. Some strange path finding, or perhaps a misclick on my part, sends Gerhard deciding to circling around through the far door on the other end of the ship (as opposed to the doorway a few steps away). He doesn't make it that far though.

 

The end of the turn has the sound of a thermal shok bomb being fired, but no explosion.

 

Turn 8

 

Upstairs, Mickey's exploration takes him near a door that looks like it opens into the engine room. Stefan comes in after to keep the Gillman company as it also explores the middle passage.

 

 

Uma reaches the top storage deck and has a peek inside a grey container with what looks like the old Spectrum Holobyte logo on it. It's full of rubbish. Uma was half expecting it to be full of game software.

 

Since he's already moved so far, Gerhard continues his trek to the other engine room door. He runs out of energy just a pace away from it.

 

With not a lot to do, the Displacer wanders about the deck its on and sweeps the floor in its wake.

 

Turn 9

 

 

Mickey's exploration takes him to the stairwell that leads to the engine room. It seems it leads down to where Rodreigo entered the room. Instead of going down the stairs, he then heads off to a side door.

 

Stefan and the Gillman do a rapid search of the various rooms in their immediate area.

 

 

Uma and Lyudmila prowl the upper level for enemies. Lyudmila finds one. Despite having an armed pulser in hand, the ceiling of the upper levels of the ship prevents her throwing it. She kneels and snaps with her cannon, and kills the Gillman.

 

Turn 10

 

Thinking the search would go faster, Stefan kills off the Gillman that he's been watching.

 

 

Mickey meanwhile finds an unconscious Gillman. This is probably what fired the shok bomb earlier. Wonder why we didn't hear the explosion?

 

Gerhard and Rodreigo have a look through the engine blocks.

 

Turn 11 ~ end

 

 

Lyudmila finds a new target. Munty controls it and has it walk through the posh quarters it's standing right next to. Being very luxurious quarters, it has two doors! Uma steps through from the other side. She kills it as soon as we lose control of it the next turn.

 

The turns are turning over fast now. A deep one panicks during the search. I wonder why some of the ship's crew members have blocked themselves into some area with barrels? Exploding drum barrels, that is.

 

 

After some searching, the Deep One is found in the stairwell. Marti Alcala is allowed to finish it off. And that's a wrap.

 

 

These results are quite exciting, as I can't remember when I've ever had a terror mission with 0 civilian casualties before.

 

Yuri, Gerhard and Mickey and Max Remmington get a step up in promotion.

 

And finally the save for the next commander:

 

GAME_1.zip

 

Good luck, and now I'm off for a 10 day furlough.

 

- NKF

[NKF]

All right, let's finish this. It has been half a year, which is a touch too long. Therefore I'm skipping an entire rotation!

 

I'll have to upload the screencaps at a later date (I've just done 5 hours straight chronicling this game), and I might have to split it into three posts.

 

---

 

Welcome one and all to the NKF-led ending for the Aquatoid Sushi and Lobsterburger AAR. Hopefully we'll see our other commanders post their version of the end-game missions. If not, well, at least we can say we completed the AAR!

 

Geoscape

 

While I wait for the Leviathan to return from the trawler mission, Barracuda-7 from Listener-1 obliterates a survey ship and heads back home.

 

The transmission resolvers pick up Sub-91, a Lobsterman Battleship appears near Alaska, heading for the South China Sea for an alien surface attack mission. I leave it be as we have a much bigger fish to fry in the Sigsbee Deep. The Leviathan docks at base.

 

The A-team from the last ship mission remain on the Leviathan. A PWT Displacer is added to the crew. I then head to the stores to chuck a lot of stuff I don't need on some on-line auction site so that I can unload equipment from the Leviathan. We've actually accumulated a mountain of weapons and Gillman corpses.

 

Back to the Leviathan inventory, I arrange the equipment to the setup I'd like to take with me. The most notable change is that I've removed the MC Disrupter. Yes folks, I've decided to take that route for the final mission. Our A-team was hand-picked from some of the toughest MC-Skill nuts out there, so enemy mind control shouldn't be an issue. Instead, we're going heavy on the heavy weapons.

 

And off we go!

 

 

T'Leth, level 1 boiler rooms

 

 

Yes, lots of pulse wave torpedoes!

 

We start off with all troops in the lift area. Both lift areas are near each other

 

Turn 1

 

 

The first to venture down is the new PWT Displacer. It spots an aquatoid with some heavy armament. The displacer pays no heed to it and does a quick exploration of the adjacent areas, eventually moving east.

 

Captain Munty drops down and caps the offending aquatoid with a single shot from his sonic pistol. He heads back up to safety.

 

The other team in the larger lift send their sonic displacer down to scout the area immediately below them. The troops meanwhile pile rather dangerously onto the lift.

 

The turns passes very quickly with nothing happening.

 

Turn 2

 

 

The displacers do further exploration around their immediate area. Gerhard Zander, Marti Alcala and Mickey Tarantino drop down to support the displacers. Note, yes, I did arm Mickey with the Gas Cannon.

 

This turn passes quickly with lots of door noises.

 

Turn 3

 

The sonic displacer advances. Mickey and Stefan head east to through towards the lift area with Munty's team. Partly to grab the Disrupter pulse launcher, partly to provide backup for the PWT Displacer, since I realise I should be saving it for artillery support.

 

Marti heads west. Yuri Gakanovitch drops down and follows him.

 

Door noises greet us at the end of the turn.

 

Turn 4

 

 

Mickey stocks up on the dead aquatoid's PWT weapons while Stefan walks into the lower lift area. He spots an aquatoid to the south. He can't shoot, so he steps back out of sight. Gerhard Gunkel rides down the lift and fires a blasta rifle snap and kills the aquatoid. Back up he goes.

 

Marti and Yuri chase after the Sonic Displacer. Boris Gakanovitch leaves the lift area and joins them, taking the rear. The sonic dispalcer meanwhile does a further sweep of the area it is in.

 

The PWT displacer meanwhile moves just enough to scout a bit more but still maintain one shot.

 

Turn 5

 

Stocked up, Mickey heads into the lift area to join Stefan Zander and Gerhard Gunkel. They'll start following the path the PWT Displacer took, but also scout the areas that it missed.

 

The Sonic Displacer explores some more, and ends its moves blocking a room with a one-tile lift in the midle.

 

Marti heads after it and spots two sectoids immediately just around the bend.

 

 

Considering their armament, there's no chance of return fire, so he backs up while Yuri arms his disrupter launcher. He fires and rearms.

 

What luck, Marti was one of the few who couldn't get a disrupter launcher. Boris rushes ahead to inspect the wreckage.

 

The end of this turn sees the sudden demise of the PWT Displacer with a disrupter torpedo hitting it right from behind. Judging from the trajectory, it must be close by.

 

Turn 6

 

 

Mickey fires an exploratory shot into the darkness, but doesn't score a hit.

 

 

Marti and Yuri stock up on DPL while Boris has a quick look around. the Displacer meanwhile does a bold circle-around the area to see if it can find the alien that destroyed the PWT displacer.

 

Turn 7

 

 

It was right there! In an act of kindness, it runs it over. Or at least tries to, then just shoots it in the head.

 

Marti and Yuri, all stocked up, decide to take separate paths around the central structure while Boris explores upstairs.

 

 

Stefan advances to the east and spots an aquatoid. He snaps and it falls. Gerhard and Mickey follow up from behind.

 

At the end of the turn, Stefan is hit square on by a disrupter torpedo. He doesn't die!

 

A second one comes and hits him again square on, and he falls unconscious.

 

Turn 8

 

 

As you can see the walls are ripped to shreds. 2 hits. Man!

 

Gerhard immediately proceeds to administer first aid, and finds no fatal wounds have been dealt. Stefan wakes up with one dose of stimulants. Double man! He's nearly dead though.

 

 

Mickey fires into the path where the torpedo was fired, and kills two aquatoids.

 

The displacer continues to scout on its own. Marti, Boris and Yuri also further their exploration of their area.

 

At the end of the turn, something tries to use MC on Stefan.

 

Turn 9

 

Stefan starts to recover his weapons. Gerhard advances . Mickey meanwhile arms his last torpedo.

 

The trio on the west side go deeper into the base.

 

 

The displacer nearly runs over a very surprised aquatoid and takes aim at the poor sod's gaping mouth.

 

The end of the turn is rather quiet.

 

Turn 10

 

 

Gerhard's exploration finds that Mickey had killed a third aquatoid with his attack. Good show!

 

Stefan picks up the rest of his ammo while Mickey heads for the corpses to restock his weapon.

 

Our mighty displacer explores and links up with Gerhard.

 

Further exploration is done on the east side of the map.

 

Rodreigo Martinez and Jason King descend from the large lift and proceed east. They're joined from the rear by the legendary Lyudmilla L. This team will attempt to slice through the middle of the base.

 

The end of the turn is quiet.

 

Turn 11 ~ 12

 

 

While everyone continues exploring, Max Remmington, the last aquanaut in the large lift area, drops down to support Lyudmilla.

 

At the end of turn 12, the camera focuses on some movement, but nothing is seen. I'm not even sure where it was.

 

Turn 13

 

Everyone hastily moves to locate the alien, but nothing is found.

 

The end of the turn is quiet.

 

Turn 14

 

 

 

Boris finds an aquatoid. Planning to have a lie down on the sun bed eh? To improve his odds of hitting, Boris takes a step forward and ends its life in a very unsportsman-like manner.

 

Further exploration reveals no further threats.

 

Turn 15

 

 

We've covered most of the map, but I can't see the exit area yet.

 

 

Jason King finds an aquatoid. He fires but mis-aims at the tile beside it. Hopefully this aquatoid is not suicidal.

 

 

 

Marti's exploration finds a new large lift area that isn't one of the ones we started in. A look up suggests we've found the exit. Finally.

 

Now the objective it to get to the exit. Everyone start heading to it, picking up extra torpedoes along the way. Munty and Uma Hand, our highest ranked officers, also head out. The Displacer is the first one to reach the lift.

 

On ending the turn, the aquatoid commander goes berserk.

 

Turn 16

 

Jason shoots the aquatoid commander and immediately picks up its launcher and one shot. Methinks this might be the last one, so we end the turn.

 

Turn out it wasn't, a navigator panics.

 

Turn 17

 

Fun aside, the exodus to the exit commences. Yuri stays back to locate the navigator.

 

Turn 18 ~ end

 

 

Yuri finds the navigator, but can't take action against it yet.

 

At the end of the turn an aquatoid soldier panicks, and the navigator tries to MC Yuri. It's put out of its misery quite promptly.y

 

Since there's still one out there we haven't sighted, the race to the exit continues. Most of the aquanauts are starting to get worn out, but at the very least we needn't worry about reaction fire.

 

Yuri, meanwhile, start shelling the large room where he killed the navigator. As the navigator was carrying torpedoes, he decides to use them for this purpose.

 

 

Satisfied, he heads to join the rest in the exit area, which is now getting dangerously full. By the time he steps into the exit, the aquatoid soldier sounds like it's starting to mobilize. However, we say goodbye to it and hit the button and head (up?) into the next area.

 

 

- NKF

[Space Voyager]

Pure awesome. To think I have already written this one off...

[NKF]

Me too, but I thought that since we were one step away from completing it, why not?

 

Now for part 2 of the mission

 

---

 

T'Leth part 2: colony level

 

 

Everyone begins in the designated lift areas, but Max Remmington appears to have gone ahead of everyone. Not a good idea.

 

Because of the nature of the enemies in this zone, he races back to the lift to let the Displacer take the lead. The others have a poke around the immediate area. Jason explores the room to the east. Only hibernation pods. Seems like a dead-end.

 

Turn 2

 

Immediately the Displacer finds itself in a bind, as the main passageway leads to three small doors. It lifts up off the ground to let ground troops through.

 

Rodreigo, Gerhard, Mickey and Marti proceed down the hall while the rest of the squad take up the rear.

 

Turn 3

 

 

Rodreigo spots a Xarquid. Not really wanting to attract any return fire, he steps aside and primes a pulser.

 

 

Gerhard takes the other door and finds another long hall. Looking up, there's a rail just above with an area that will have enemies. Gerhard steps back through the door and shoots the wall beside it. He only knocks half of it away. We'll need more room for the Displacer to get through.

 

As the rest of the team piles into the short hall, I'm glad this level doesn't have enemies with torpedoes (or so I thought at the time I wrote this). Sure it has tentaculats and stun bombs, but at least it won't wipe the whole team out in one attack.

 

Turn 4

 

Rodreigo plants the pulser under the Xarquid. This might be a mistake if the walls are blown out.

 

Gerhard meanwhile succeeds in widening the doorway. In the Displacer goes and it takes an elevated position in the hall only to find something nasty.

 

 

Luckily, it can't get through the rails.

 

At the end of the turn, the grenade goes off and drops the Xarquid and the door. The walls remain, thankfully.

 

Turn 5

 

Rodreigo inspects the destruction. It looks safe enough to ignore, just a bunch of hibernation pods in the way, so no melee aliens can get through.

 

 

Gerhard, Mickey and Marti head into the hall and plunk themselves down at the end to ward off any oncoming attackers while the rest of the squad moves closer. The Displacer tries to look for a cheap shot at the tentaculat, but it can't get a visual.

 

The tentaculat teases the Displacer but nothing much happens at the end of this turn.

 

Turn 6

 

This turn the Displacer fires a couple of rounds at it, only hitting it once. Max probes it and reports that the attack only dealt less than a quarter of damage.

 

The brothers Gakanovitch take the lead in the hallway.

 

At the end of the turn, a thermal shock bomb strikes the Displacer from behind the rail. A Lobsterman is in there somewhere.

 

Turn 7

 

 

2 of three of the Displacer's attacks strike the Lobsterman and it fails to drop. It has less than 20 hitpoints left though and is groggy as anything.

 

The Gakanovich brothers and Rodreigo move half way down the hall.

 

The Lobsterman launches another bomb on the Displacer. The tentaculat continues to play peek-a-boo.

 

Turn 8

 

The Displacer aims and kills the Lobsterman squad leader. Now for that tentaculat. Everyone waits.

 

Turn 9 ~

 

From here on I will stick to the narrative rather than turns as it is starting to get tedious.

 

The Displacer repositions itself in front of the window, but the next few turns are quiet. At this point I'm deliberately taking care not to do too much damage to the walls, as I don't want to create extra access points for tentaculats to pop out behind the team. However, I am inclined to open up the rail as it looks like the only way to advance the Displacer from this point. This I will action later after a bit of exploring.

 

Anyhow, since we're not really getting anywhere, Rodreigo and the Gakanovich brothers explore the little door at the end of the hall to find a storage room with food spheres containing preserved monkeys and flamingos.

 

 

The back of this room leads to the chamber with the hibernation pods, and another door. Through this door we find an Aquatoid with a thermal shock launcher. Rodreigo increases his chances of hitting the thing by standing right next to it and kills it.

 

The shock cannon will be useful so he takes it. He leaves his last PWT torpedo on the ground for one of the Gakanovich brothers.

 

 

The three progress through to the next door. Then through three sets of double doors to find a large cafeteria area with an Aquatoid. At least, that's what I'm going to call it.

 

Rodreigo takes two shots and kills it, but not before blasting a hole in the wall behind it. Nothing should be able to move through the hole, but better to keep an eye on it.

 

Remembering to look up, we find another railing just above that should give us a visual on that tentaculat that's been playing hide and seek with the Displacer.

 

 

Yes, yes it does. Yuri kills it with a single snapshot.

 

 

Boris meanwhile finds a Lobsterman in the next room. Rodreigo steps forward and knocks it out cold with a shock bomb. We'll need that Gas Cannon now. The Displacer creates a shortcut for Mickey, who then moves through the hole into the cafe.

 

Rodreigo scoops up the lobsterman's shock launcher ammo from the ground and heads for cover while Mickey fires a GC-HE shell at the Lobsterman.

 

Rodreigo heads to the next door and a twisty passageway into a room filled with ion beam accelerators, the purple sphere variety. Boris heads the other way, walks through another food storage, and comes out a door into the same room Rodreigo just entered.

 

 

The only way now is to the east through a looooong corridor of purple sphere IBA's. At the end of it is a Xarquid. Rodreigo lifts up to get better angle at it, but it reacts. Rodreigo is hit but only rendered unconscious.

 

Not feeling very impressed, Boris kills it with a disrupter torpedo. Yuri rushes over to heal Rodreigo. The oversized squid did quite a number on Rodreigo, but at least he's up and about again.

 

A few turns are passed to let Rodreigo rearm himself, and to let the dust particles clear.

 

 

At the end of the hall, Yuri finds an Aquatoid. My, how lovely! Mickey, kills it with a GC-HE shell. It was a one-handed attack, but still a direct hit. The launcher in his other hand turned out to only have one shot left. He unloads it, drops the launcher and tosses the clip to one of the brothers. He arms himself with the Aquatoids shock launcher.

 

From here, the four have two ways to go. Another long hallway with a "crinkley" floor with purple domes (cymbals?) or a small passageway that looks very dangerous.

 

Mickey and Rodreigo venture down the passage while the brothers head to the crinkley floor hall.

 

 

Mickey spots an alien through a pinhole in the corner of wall (visual 45 degree bug). Boris opens the door and verifies a Lobsterman. Shock launcher time! Mickey goes the long way around to get to the door Boris looked through.

 

Up to turn 40 by the way.

 

Mickey opens the door and pounds the Lobsterman with a bomb. It takes it like a man. A Lobsterman. It doesn't fall, so has to be coerced into unconsciousness by a soothing lullaby from Boris' Sonic Cannon.

 

This guy was carrying a DPL! I really wasn't expecting that. Mickey puts the Lobsterman out of its misery with a GC-HE round. I notice now he's out of shock cannon ammo. Oh dear.

 

 

Not to worry, Yuri finds an Aquatoid with some shock bombs at the room at the end of the crinkley hall. He knows as he took one in the face. He takes a pot shot and ducks back out.

 

On the next turn, he walks back in and stands almost next to the Aquatoid, but misses it.

 

 

Rodreigo finds something frightening. Very frightening. He runs for his life - hopefully it didn't notice. Boris tries to get to him quickly by firing a hole through the wall. It's probably not apparent, but the hole is made on the level above the lower level.

 

 

Yuri meanwhile watches as the Aquatoid shoots at him and knocks itself unconscious. Out of the bubbles a Lobsterman comes out and smacks Yuri a few times. I am very happy it did that because it's carrying a disrupter launcher. Yuri's armour protected him from any damage.

 

Yuri then does a very stupid thing - he picks up the shock launcher, loads it, then shoots point blank. It knocks himself unconscious, and the Lobsterman stays standing. Oh well.

 

Meanwhile, back in paradise, Boris pulls off a very tricky 9 waypoint torpedo launch through the hole in the wall above, through a twisty tunnel and straight into the tentaculat. This opens up the walls and imrpoves access to both sides of the divided area. I missed a screencap here, sorry.

 

Rodreigo saved, now to save Yuri.

 

Rodreigo backtracks around to the crinkly hall and spots the Lobsterman, it had stepped out into the hall. He backs off. Worst comes to worst, he's the only one that can be targeted by the lobsterman's launcher. It seems to not see him and goes back into the room where Yuri is sleeping. Instead of following it, Yuri races to join the other two who have been making their way up the other side of the wall. An Aquatoid panics during this time, and the Lobsterman doesn't seem to come back out.

 

Rodreigo shares some of his extra shock bombs with Mickey.

 

A Lobsterman squad leader panics.

 

 

Operation blast-through-the-wall succeeds. The Lobsterman's been dancing over Yuri's body! Two shock bombs are needed to knock it out.

 

A Lobsterman squad leader panics.

 

The three race in and grab the two unconscious aliens and drag them away. I didn't want to think which of the aliens I would wake up if I administered medicine right away. Besides, Yuri would've warped through the wall at this point if he was woken up.

 

With the two unconscious aliens sufficiently spaced apart, Mickey dispatches them with a GC-HE round.

 

Waking Yuri turns out to be no easy matter. Rodreigo pumps all of the stimulants from his medikit into Yuri, and that was not enough.

 

An Aquatoid soldier goes berserk in a room just off from the lift area. I thought I cleared that. Jason King detaches from the rest of the waiting squad to investigate.

 

Boris uses 7 of his stimulants and finally wakes Yuri.

 

A Lobsterman squad leader panics.

 

 

Jason finds the Aquatoid. It was hiding behind the hibernation pods. Nearly risking a bomb to the face, Jason kills it and starts making his way back to the main squad.

 

Yuri rearms while Mickey has a peek through the door to see what is beyond. He finds yet another long passage. This time however, it goes right past the hall where the main squad is waiting. Now just to blow a hole through the wall and the main team will be available for support.

 

Two Lobsterman squad leaders panic.

 

Marti and Stefan pop through the wall to guard the new passage, while Mickey, Rodreigo and the Gakanovich brothers head back the other way down the crinkly hall. We need to explore the area where we killed that tentaculat.

 

The leaders, Munty, Uma and Lyudmila L jump into the hallway while Marti and Stefan start advancing. Jason takes a shortcut and start blasting his way through to them.

 

 

Rodreigo and co explore the far side of the map. Rodreigo finds some hibernation pods that appear to have been sliced in half. Odd.

 

 

So far, turn 70+ or so, we've traversed a doughnut shape. We keep travelling this path until a Deep One Terrorist panics. Joy! A Xarquid terrorist goes berserk, and a Lobsterman runs into a corner. This is just near Stefan.

 

 

Stefan shoots at it and runs back. Jason rushes to it, fires and nearly kills it. We can't see its weapon, but who is to know what it is carrying, so Jason backs off.

 

All the Lobsterman does is walk out and jump back into its corner. Jason kills it. It was only carrying shock bombs. Max decides to take them on a later turn.

 

 

Yuri and Rodreigo meanwhile find another Lobsterman. Yuri takes a sonic cannon shot and Rodreigo uses his shock launcher on it. Rodreigo, forgetting he's very weak due to his recent encounter with the Xarquid, is stunned in the backlash.

 

Tentaculat and Deep One go berserk.

 

Yuri has a peek to see what the Lobsterman was carrying. A DPL.

 

Marti, Stefan and Max explore the door to their north. It seems like it might just link up with the area Yuri is in.

 

The leaders, Munty, Uma and Luydimila L blast their way through the wall to link up with Mickey and Boris.

 

 

Boris spots an Aquatoid move in the distance. He plots a tricky series of torpedo waypoints (for fun) and kills the Aquatoid.

 

 

Mickey comes face to face with a Lobsterman - and runs away from it.

 

 

Not liking this cluttered passageway, Max redecorates it with a torpedo. In response, a Lobsterman soldier goes berserk. This has cleared a path to Yuri and co.

 

Meanwhile, Yuri drags the Lobsterman soldier into a corner, then rushes back to revive Rodreigo.

 

Mickey goes to attack the Lobsterman - and like his other friends, falls unconscious after he shoots the Shock launcher at point blank range. He gets the Lobsterman, so it's all okay. Lyudmila L goes to his aid.

 

Munty and Uma go to join Boris in the other room, and they find a Deep One. Yes folks, an underwater Deep One. The Ion Beam Accelerators are in the way, so Boris cannot get a clear shot.

 

A Lobsterman squad leader panics.

 

Now, the bulk of the team starts filing towards Boris' area, since that looks like the way to go.

 

Yuri fires a torpedo into the corner of the map to kill the Lobsterman he dragged over. Rodreigo retrieves his weapons.

 

On a fresh new turn, Boris slays the Deep One with a one-handed sonic cannon snapshot. Hooray!

 

Lyudmila empties her medikit's stimulants and still Mickey won't wake up. She swaps with Stefan, who manages to wake Mickey with two more stimulant shots.

 

Deep One Terrorist berserks.

 

Boris's life ends as a ninja Tentaculat swoops out of the smoke cloud and is zombified. However, Uma reacts and kills the tentaculat.

 

 

Munty, with great sadness, points his sonic pistol and executes Boris former husk with one shot, and immediately slays the tentaculat hatchling with another.

 

A squad leader panics.

 

Max Remmington takes point. The rest of the team move up. We note another dead Deep One.

 

A deep one terrorist panics, and a tentaculat is seen. Not sure where, but appears to be in the upper level.

 

A Lobsterman squad leader panics and shoots itself with a shock bomb. An Aquatoid panics as well. I'll refrain from listing the panicking aliens now as it's happening every turn now.

 

 

Ahead of the carcass that was Boris, the team form up to charge towards a massive 2x3 lift area to seal it. Lyudmila and Yuri take a few clips from the late Gakanovich brother.

 

The lift is then jam packed while the three top officers keep a watchful eye to the rear. The six rise to the upper level.

 

 

It was waiting for us! A tentaculat burst out of the far door and zipped right to Stefan. Stefan is dead. Marti, Jason and Rodreigo reduce the two into bloody piles.

 

 

From the look of it, we are near the ledge where the Displacer and Gerhard are waiting. Gerhard readies a grenade and throws it through a gap made by the Displacer.

 

Max checks the room to the north and finds a chevron of food spheres. These look liky ployps. Live polyps.

 

 

Jason checks the chamber the tentaculat came from and finds a Deep One. Rodreigo and Mickey fire stun bombs through the door and knock it out. Rodreigo's down to one shock bomb. He swaps his shock launcher for Stefan's DPL.

 

Mickey mean while tries to launch a GC-HE at the deep one but clips the wall, missing it entirely.

 

The Displacer glides into the outer hall surrounding the lift area and scans the north only to find it's a dead end.

 

Mickey's second attempt on the Deep One works and kills it.

 

Max explores the double doors at the end of the room with the food orbs, and thinks we might have found the path to the exit area.

 

 

Jason checks the passage past the Deep One to find a cross shaped crinkly floor hallway. There's another Deep One here. Jason bides his time. Then kills it with two blasta rifle snap shots.

 

 

Max wonders if this is a clue of some sort.

 

Turn 100 passes. The entire squad make their way to that room Max is in. They move on through the next available doorway.

 

 

Rodreigo explores ahead and finds one of the panicking Lobstermen. It's carrying something unpleasant, but it never uses it when Rodreigo momentarily retreats behind the cylinders at the back of the room.

 

Max moves up and fires a shock bomb at it. It stands. Rodreigo fires a DPL into it and stuns it. Mickey arrives a turn later and delivers the killing blow with a GC-HE shell.

 

Meanwhile, the Displacer and Gerhard take the shortest path to this area by making holes in the walls.

 

 

Max forges ahead through the doors behind the ex-Lobsterman and runs into a Xarquid. He backs away out of sight. Once he can move again, he leaps into the door and fires a shock bomb, ending the Xarquids reign of terror in an instant.

 

 

Max rounds the corner and finds another alien, but can't see it. Methinks this is the exit. Why not? Max fires his DPL at it.

 

 

Okay, it didn't fall. It was a Lobsterman. Marti and Yuri take turns hitting it with their sonic cannons, and defeat it. That was the last alien on the map.

 

 

- NKF

[silencer_pl]

NKF doesn't post much but when he do... saviour of the damned

[Space Voyager]

The tentaculat continues to play peek-a-boo.

 

:shudders: This must be the only creature I hated more than C... :shudders:

 

Phenomenal mission and I have no objections to the use of heavy explosive munitions. One would need a lot more soldiers in these missions (or heavy mind control use) to get out alive with "normal" guns only.

 

Thank you for pulling this one out of the gutter and to its glorious end!

[NKF]

And the 3rd part. I'll get to fixing the screencaps in part 2 shortly, then edit and add screens to this one.

 

---

 

TFTD level 3

 

At the start I make sure everyone has their DPLs armed and loaded. We're going all-out here.

 

 

At the very start of the turn we perform an exploratory shelling into the darkness, and kill an Aquatoid and Deep One.

 

 

The Displacer rams into a Deep One and melts its head off. It promptly finds two Lobstermen past it.

 

 

After two DPLs, only one is taken down. Rodreigo tries to fire a glancing shot at the remaining Lobsterman from the side, but misses. Finally the Displacer finishes the job.

 

Troops are moved closer.

 

 

The Displacer drives out next to the Lobstermen, which retaliates with a shock bomb. Ha! Two shots and its down.

 

Through the doors, a Lobsterman and possibly two tentaculats are sighted.

 

 

Uma Hand deals a diving torpedo assault on this tentaculat. As the Displacer drives through the newly widened doorway, the Lobsterman greets it by falling unconscious. Yes, I learned that the hard way. Firing shock bombs at close range can do that.

 

 

Meanwhile, another Lobsterman is spotted in the distance. The Displacer doesn't engage it, but instead heads behind a wall for safety while looking around for any other tentaculats in the immediate area.

 

 

At the end of the turn the Lobsterman reveals it has a DPL. The Displacer hits it once, Jason hits it once, Gerhard misses. Mickey is too far away, but he has a brilliant idea and shoots the Displacer instead. He knocks out the Lobsterman.

 

The team advances.

 

 

The Displacer is greeted around the next corner by another shock bomb. Only this has no effect. A Deep One and Aquatoid are here . The Displacer rises, and Max returns the greeting with a DPL. They fall over backwards.

 

Jason decides to launch an exploratory torpedo into the next room - and kills an Aquatoid.

 

The Displacer rounds the bend and finds that we somehow missed a Hallucinoid (and I missed taking a screenshot). Oh well, one shot fixes that.

 

Rodreigo fires a torpedo through the next doorway to open it up to let the Displacer through.

 

A shock bomb is fired during the end of the turn. It seems like something panicked.

 

After looting it of its ammo, Mickey fires the last round from his (first) belt of GC-HE into the sleeping Lobsterman soldier he stunned moments ago. He arms his second GC-HE belt.

 

 

The Displacer goes through the now wider opening and finds a rather complex setup beyond. A Hallucinoid is seen to the south. Not too fussed about it at the moment and the Displacer turns its back on it. A good thing too, as we spot an Aquatoid moving to the north.

 

On the new turn, the Displacer heads over to the Hallucinoid. The Displacer tries an attack, but the pillars get in the way.

 

Jason King fires his last DPL torpedo towards the Aquatoid and kills it.

 

As usual, the team advance slowly, with the commanding officers in the rear as last-resort backup.

 

On the next turn, the Displacer turns around and heads north to check this area. Rodreigo on the other hand redecorates and turns the golden halls silver while killing the hallucinoid at the same time. Multitasking at its finest.

 

Another stun bomb is berserk-fired in the darkness.

 

 

The Displacer spots a Lobsterman in the north passage. It takes two shots. The Lobsterman flees. There's another Lobsterman with a DPL in there as well. The Displacer attacks and kills the first Lobsterman with two more point-blank rounds. The other Lobsterman flees into a corner, but is trapped by the Displacer and stunned after two shots. A step further and we find a disrupter launcher lying on the ground.

 

Mickey goes in for the kill, with Gerhard to back him up.

 

 

Somehow an unarmed Lobsterman manages to flank the Displacer, but doesn't attack. At this close range, its mind is blown by heavy metal, but doesn't die.

 

 

While he was momentarily looking the other way, Mickey's quarry wakes up and hits him in the back. This does no damage. With a quick swap of targets, Mickey steps aside and lets Gerhard kill it while he kills the one the Displacer just stunned.

 

 

Meanwhile, Rodreigo decides to inspect the hall the Hallucanoid was in and finds a Xarquid. Max assists by sending a torpedo after it.

 

Jason and Rodreigo then take opposite side of the hall and have a look around. It seems like it may be a dead end.

 

 

A scan of the map shows a neat starscape, but otherwise nothing much of great value.

 

Back with the Displacer, it finds it can not get through the doorway its in front of. It backs up to let Gerhard shell the door with a torpedo. With the door widened, the Displacer advances through a long corridor with lots of central pillars. They don't conceal anything much.

 

The rest of the squad follows suit.

 

Gerhard tries to blast open the next set of doors for the Displacer, and his torpedo clips a pillar. No harm done thankfully. His second attempt nearly blows up the Displacer. No damage as well.

 

Get closer man!

 

Beyond, a Xarquid terrorist goes berserk and fires about 9 rounds next to another Xarquid.

 

Third times the charm, Gerhard pries open the doorway for the Displacer. It takes lead only to find... yes another set of doors.

 

Let it be known that on 26th turn, Gerhard Gunkel, door-slayer, opens another set of doors. Only to find yet another set of doors. He opens them with his final torpedo. Yuri takes over in this role.

 

 

Coincidentally, I've never seen the golden halls of T'Leth so silver before... first time I've use this many explosives on this map.

 

Once the Displacer is through, there is another pair of doors. Thanks to their proximity, both sets are blown off with a single torpedo. If memory serves, beyond lies the Xarquid chambers.

 

 

They turn out to be quite bare. Just in case, Yuri launches a shot that doesn't hit anything of significance.

 

Exploring the area and around the cross in the middle yield nothing. The Xarquids must be further ahead. Onwards dear friends, onwards!

 

 

Yuri spends all his torpedoes blasting through some more doors. He discards his launcher and Marti takes over blasting through the next lot of doors. Once his rounds are spent the Displacer has a go shooting its own way through. This was a bad choice as a Xarquid on the other side gets three snaps and damages the Displacer.

 

Munty, not really having had a great deal to do, kills it with a torpedo. Leaving him with one shot left and a sonic pistol.

 

 

The Displacer advances and finds a tentaculat on the ground in the next room. Very likely unconscious.

 

During the alien move, a Lobsterman rushes out for a few karate chops at the Displacer. That didn't worry me as much as the other (conscious) tentaculat and another Lobsterman that were in the room with it.

 

 

Ignoring the Lobsterman, the Displacer forges ahead and finds itself surrounded. A Xarquid on the opposite side of the room damages it a bit more.

 

Back in the hall, Max stuns the Lobsterman and Mickey kills it with a GC-HE round. Munty launches his last torpedo through to the next room at most dangerous threat, the Tentaculat.

 

The Displacer fires a shot into the Xarquid. Lyudmila fires a torpedo into it and kills it. The only alien left is the Lobsterman that was near the tentaculat.

 

It is not able to do much as it panics along with another Lobsterman squad leader.

 

 

The Displacer drives up to it and shoots two rounds into it at close range, killing it. It then turns to face the other, which is armed with a shock launcher.

 

The lobsterman panics!

 

The Displacer rides up to it and shoots it twice, but it doesn't fall. Instead it knocks itself out with its own shock bomb. Mickey proceeds to finish it off. Quite an eager chap he is.

 

 

Max Remington opens the last set of doors with his last torpedo. This is it!

 

 

Mickey heads to the door before the end of the turn, and was perhaps too hasty in doing so. A hallucinoid shows up and starts freezing him (I spot a tentaculat floating on the level above nearby). Munty reacts very nicely and fires two spot-on sonic pistol rounds into it and the Displacer does the coup-de-grace and kills it. No damage to Mickey.

 

Mickey turns the corner to find another hallucinoid next to one of the batteries. He quickly learns that one GC-HE round is nowhere enough to take it down. He backs out as far as he can.

 

Uma fires her last torpedo at the hallucinoid and takes out four of the Sleeper's sarcophagus batteries with it. No tentaculat though. This is bad as we may lose Mickey to it.

 

 

To prevent that from happening, the Displacer gets in front of him.

 

Nothing happens. The Displacer investigates inside while Mickey destroys another battery with a GC-HE round.

 

 

It turns out the tentaculat was floating just above the Displacer. It drops down and deals it a killing blow. Goodbye old friend, you made it all the way.

 

Turns out we had another torpedo. The likeably lovely Lyudmila L destroys the tentaculat.

 

Munty heroically leaps beside Mickey and fires two pistol snapshots and destroys two batteries. From the doorway all the way across to the corners fo the room. What a shot, he's hit everything he's shot at this mission.

 

 

Mickey launches a GC-HE round at the last battery and T'Leth goes kablooey moments later.

 

 

So what of the fate of our dashing heroes? Well, you never know. They could crawl out of an American sewer all glowy and thin. Or maybe I can whip something up.

 

THE END

 

Okay, probably a bit cheap with the excessive torpedo use, but considering it was superhuman with no save/reload resurreaction of troops, and only two guys and two tanks lost, it wasn't too bad. But anyway here's the very last save just before the 3rd map: It's stored as game_2,

 

GAME_2.zip

 

- NKF

[Bomb Bloke]

Phenomenal mission and I have no objections to the use of heavy explosive munitions. One would need a lot more soldiers in these missions (or heavy mind control use) to get out alive with "normal" guns only.

Psi had been our only real limitation in the campaign - it's the UFO one where we're limiting weapons. The rule was "one psi guy", but if my eyes aren't deceiving me, he didn't actually make use of that at all (Munty was capable of up to three mind control attempts per turn, and with his skill levels you'd be looking at an 80-90% success rate on those).

 

So what of the fate of our dashing heroes? Well, you never know. They could crawl out of an American sewer all glowy and thin. Or maybe I can whip something up.

I'd been thinking a link to YouTube for the end video would be suitable about here, but if you wanna stay in denial about it...

 

Mind you, with luck like Stefan's with those DPLs, anything's possible.