Ground War - recruitment and OOC

[Derpnaster]

Theoretically. However, since each machine spirit is different it's probably a bad idea and more than a little deadly.

[dakkagor]

Very important question for Dakkagor: what is to be done with the two captured Warhounds?

One is definitely legio sirena salvage and will be dragged off, with its crew, as war plunder. The other will be left behind on Perinetus as its legal status is somewhat more confused, I would guess Ankari will try to use it, and try to convince that tasty nemesis warbringer Aeterna Victrixm to form the first units of a new legio based on Perinetus. Even in the short term, the two make a good pairing for defending the forgeworld, if the warhound can be re-crewed.

To answer your question, CF, in principal yes, in practice you tend to pilot a Titan until you get killed, or promoted to a heavier unit, with the career path seeming to be - cockpit crew (either steersman or sensori) - moderati - warhound princeps - larger engine princeps (either reaver or warlord). Obviously a crack warhound Princeps may not be eager to leave their post and stay for many centuries as a warhound pilot. So Phenro might put his Moderati into command of the downed warhound, with a fewer of the lower ranked and promising crew from Victrix, then both titans recruit completely new crew to make up their numbers and start to retrain.

However, its not necessarily so easy. A properly MIU linked Titan crew is more like a single conscious organism, the full load of piloting the titan, managing its weapon systems and reactor, and controlling its bestial war spirit. Even one replacement can throw of the team work balance of the resulting gestalt soul. And the soul remembers. Titan machine spirits can and will rebel, and it can be as minor as pranking the crew with false sensorium returns to keep them on edge, or as bad as EVA unit 0 going berserk.

[PaintSerf]

One is definitely legio sirena salvage and will be dragged off, with its crew, as war plunder. The other will be left behind on Perinetus as its legal status is somewhat more confused, I would guess Ankari will try to use it, and try to convince that tasty nemesis warbringer Aeterna Victrixm to form the first units of a new legio based on Perinetus. Even in the short term, the two make a good pairing for defending the forgeworld, if the warhound can be re-crewed.

Hmm. I had thought that Sirena had claimed the Titan the Vostroyans had knocked down as well - or was that an effort by Glorious Harmathoe to preempt the crew being executed on the spot?


I can at least confirm the crew of that Warhound are still alive, albeit somewhat badly bruised, as they'll briefly feature in a scene I have from Leo Sadik's POV (Sentinel pilot who made the mobility-kill, more pertinently Stan's older twin) that I've only had pending and nearly finished for months now...

[dakkagor]

The problem comes in that Legio Sirena didn't make the kill, and isn't the highest ranked Mechanicus authority present. If the Legio was fighting on Tranch, and supporting guard allies had knocked out a recidivist Titan,(as opposed to a chaos titan. which would simply be melted down with sustained laser fire) they would totally salvage it and its crew, potentially at gunpoint if things got heated. But this is Ankari's battlefield and the Vostrayans are there for her and under her command, while the Legio see themselves as equal allies. Ankari could push a salvage claim on the other downed warhound, but it would be a lot more dicey and she might need to call on the Legio Sirena in the future and pissing them off is not a smart plan, as they may elect to pack up and go home instead.

At least, that's how I see it.

[Cfavano]

i forget, are there any knight houses taking part in this campaign?

[Azazeal849]

i forget, are there any knight houses taking part in this campaign?

Yes - the Legio Sirenia have attched Knights, and you will be seeing more soon enough.

Ankari could push a salvage claim on the other downed warhound, but it would be a lot more dicey and she might need to call on the Legio Sirena in the future and pissing them off is not a smart plan, as they may elect to pack up and go home instead.

Ankari really wants that second Warhound, but she knows her claim on it would be weak, and less acceptable than the one-each gentleman’s agreement that the Sirenia are no doubt expecting. As such she’d be willing to make an offer:

If Hange agrees to hand over Lupus Vengea then Ankari will refit and replenish Sirenia’s skitarii contingent back to 100% combat effectiveness free of charge. She might also be more helpful during the upcoming starport attack.

If the offer is declined then the Sirenia gain an extra titan, but it won’t be fit to fight until campaign 3 due to being put at the bottom of the repair queue (because even archmagi can be petty). Without Ankari’s help the Sirenia should be able to return their skitarii to about 70% effectiveness in time for the starport attack.

[Cfavano]

i thought titans were like, the most important machines in the Ad Mech religion, second to STCs and Ordinati

[Azazeal849]

Hence why Ankari will be Hange’s new best friend if she gets two of them, and will throw an epic strop if she doesn’t.

[dakkagor]

Option 2 it is then!

[Cfavano]

i meant what you sad about putting them at the bottom of the repair queue. i figured most tech priests and enginseers would give all of their augments to even touch one