The Let's Play Archive

Front Mission 3

by Smasher Dynamo

Part 110: Mission #42: Lessons From the Battle of Lissa

Mission #42: Lessons From the Battle of Lissa



: We lost contact with Tianlei.
: They took Tianlei!? Are the major cities protected, General Wei Wen?
: Chairman Jie, you need not worry. The Emergency Deployment Force is in Wuhan and Hangzhou already. We'll begin sweeping for the Hua Lian Rebels.
: Destroy them, General! Don't let them go any further!
: Yes, sir!



Like most video game plots, this doesn't really make sense if you think about. The rebels didn't even know about Tianlei until a few missions ago, but apparently they now know exactly how the entire DHZ defense system is organized.
: The Changli Army is confused. Now is the time to invade Shanghai!
: In order to do that, we must take control of the enemy's supply base in Wuhan and make it our base for invading Shanghai.
: Wait! We don't have enough forces to invade the city.
: There should be a DHZ supply base in Wuhan.
: The enemy's counterattack will be fierce. It's a suicide mission.
Although, seeing as it's Jose saying this, I assume he means that as a good thing.
: I understand your concerns. But we broke their defense line by taking Tianlei. There are virtually no defense platoons in Shanghai. The enemy's defense force was destroyed with Tianlei.
: Take advantage of the confusion to invade Shanghai?
: Yes. Now is the time. Please help us.
: Why not? We gotta help Alisa in Shanghai anyway. Right, Emma?
: Ryogo is right. We should do this.
: Emma, don't get impatient.
: I know. I'm okay.
: All right. Take a look at this.



: Hanyang, and Wuchang are it's three districts. At Hankou there's a civilian airport, at Hanyang a TV tower and broadcast facility, and at Wuchang, an army supply depot. Three units will take these objectives. Unit 1, take Hanyang Station and the broadcast facility. Unit 2, take Hankou Airport and Hankou Station. And you will break through the bridge and take the supply depot.



Well, given the course of the war, we do seem to be more capable than the rest of the rebel army combined...
: The base has an emergency deployment force, "Bibling." My forces can't fight Bibling.
I'm sure that name would be much more ominous if I spoke Chinese. As it stands, it sounds like some sort of squad of fundamentalist Christians...then again, those people do usually have a lot of guns.
: You don't give a damn if we die.
: That's not true! We're dependent on your battle skills.
: Don't worry, Kwang. We'll take care of the supply base.
: Kazuki!?
: It's dangerous everywhere. Let's just fight to win.
: Give it up, Yun. He made up his mind already.
: He's so damn stubborn.
: Don't worry. I have a plan.
: Our forces alone can't take Wuhan. We must depend on you. Please understand.
: I know that you can take on the supply base!
: Any plans?
: Forcing our way through the bridge is no problem. The supply base uses a ruin of an old castle. And it's surrounded by a massive wall. The problem is infiltrating the base itself.
: So their defense is perfect.
: Isn't there a mountain behind the base? Can't we get in that way?
: Between the mountain and the castle walls, there is a valley.
We'll get to this next mission, but Huang apparently has a very loose definition of 'valley.'
: That's fine. We'll make it so that we can cross the valley.
: How?
: We can send a squad to make a bridge across the mountain and the walls.
I'm already dreading that mission, to be honest.
: !
: Emma is amazing. What a brilliant plan.
: How soon can you have a squad ready?
: I'll send them out right away.
: Let's begin the Wuhan invasion mission.



Let's go to Wuhan!



: How is the Wuhan Changli Army doing?
: Our soldiers' morale is low because of Tianlei's invasion. Some are deserting and joining the enemy.
: All because our superiors depended too much on a toy. They don't understand that it's the people who do the fighting.
Shui's dream is an army of soldiers equipped with naught but spears and the heart of a warrior. They would be massacred immediately.
: What should we do?
: Reorganize all the surviving squads. We don't have enough forces to protect all 3 sections of Wuhan. But we can still protect this supply base.
: Yes, sir!
: Is headquarters sending us backup?
: They told us to hold out on our own.
: So they're cutting us off. They're no help. Tell all our forces to attack the enemy!



: The Tianlei just got wasted. There's no way we can win. Let's run while we still can. Tsao, what're you gonna do?



: If we can hold them off, we'll definitely get better assignments. I need to get away from this backwater garrison anyway.
: But there's no point in moving up if you're dead...
: Forget it. The only thing on Tsao's mind is promotion.
: You're lucky you get to pilot that because of you dad.
: Shut up! My dad's position has nothing to do with it!
: Oh no! They're here!
: Oh, they don't have much.
: We'll blitz 'em and strike their supply base! Let's go!
: Hey, they're headed straight for us!
: I don't want to die!
Hey man, seasons don't fear the reaper...
: Hold your ground! Fight, or I'll shoot you!



Dennis, Yun, Jose and Marcus get the call. Ryogo pointed out that the enemy doesn't have much to fight us with, and he's right. There are a few tanks, a few Laiyings and a couple of Tiandongs, oh, an a special unit...



I think someone forgot to install weapons on this thing. It has a melee attack, but with no ranged attacks, and no parts to sink damage in besides its body, it is not long for this earth.



Tanks are never a real threat.



Ibid



I don't know how it is that tanks came to become so obsolescent, but, damn.



Marcus attacks an enemy Tiandong, which is generally not a good idea, as can be seen as Marcus just lost half the health in his body unit. Generally, you should fire from range, and defend with shields.



The enemy boss charges Marcus, who blocks it with his shield, despite the seeming physical impossibility of doing so. I guess I'll add 'physics' the list of enemies Marcus killed this mission.



Marcus continues his assault on the universe by comboing two attacks together, destroying both arms of an enemy Laiying.



And Yun kills a Tiandong.



The boss has just one weakness: enemies that stand more than five feet away from it.



Jose sinks the mighty land-submarine once and for all/



Marcus drives a stake through the heart of an enemy wanzer under the mistaken belief it was a vampire.



The last Tiandong surrenders. Coward!



Either I'm getting better or your designs are. Marcus gets MVP.



: How are the other units doing?
: They're having a hard time, but they should be okay. A Hua Lian transport helicopter... They must've brought the engineers.



: !?
: Over there! Drop it over there!
: Okay, okay, just don't move around so much.
: Zhuwen? Is that you Zhuwen!?
: I hear you've cooked up another crazy plan. ...And it seems I get to participate this time.
It's a terrible, terrible plan, being allowed to participate is basically punishment.
: This operation's extremely risky. Is that all right with you?
: That's why they chose me, and that's why my wanzer's here. Don't worry. I'll make the most fantastic bridge you've ever seen! C'mon, we don't have much time, right!?

Next Time: Ever seen the end of Glory? It's a lot like that...and we're not the Confederates....