Part 113: Mission #45: Splitting Up is Hard To Do

Feeling depressed, anxious and miserable....it must be time for the next update!

Also, this mission features the debut of new wanzers, which, as you know, means that the next build cycle is right around the corner. The parts list will be up on Friday, and the build will happen on Monday, probably in the afternoon my time, which should be sometime in the evening in Europe and likely sometime hideously inconvenient in Australia.

Mission #45: Splitting Up is Hard To Do



: We captured them all.
You know, by shooting them repeatedly in the head with pistols. That's how people get captured, right?
: There are more enemies coming. We need to get the mission started.
: How much longer to get the main squad prepared?
: About 10 more minutes.
: Start moving as soon as they're ready. Is the decoy squad ready?
: Zhuwen, are the decoys ready?
: Ready to go!
: Emma, this mission is very dangerous. If you want, I can be the decoy squad leader...
: Kazuki, you have to take Nanjing. My mission is to run away from the enemy. It doesn't suit your style.
: Yeah, Kazuki's no good at that.
: Shut up!
: Let's form the squads.



Time to split up the team for the next few missions. Yun and Kazuki do the same things, so they're on opposite teams. That leaves Ryogo and Marcus as the last two reliable pilots, and I give them both the Kazuki since he'll have more missions with his team. I divvy out Linny, Jose and Dennis basically at random as they're hopeless anyway.



: Don't worry, I'll be fine. We will go meet Alisa together.
: That's a promise!
You know, it occurs to me that this is one of the least-grating romance subplots in RPG history. That's kind of fucking amazing if you think about.
: Diversionary force, let's go!



Nanchang is basically the Chinese equivalent of Cincinnati....I'm guessing.



: I believe it was shot down by the enemies at Lake Poyang.
: Where are they now?
: They're heading to Nanchang again.
: No change in the enemy squad?
: No change.
: Now we know what our enemies are after. What's the plan, General?
: Please take a look at this. The Changli Army in Nanjing is heading to Huangshan to attack the enemy. Once the battle begins, the Hangzhou battalion will also attack them.
: General Wei Wen, send the Wulong Mercenaries on the mission, just in case.
: Yes, sir.
: We'll bury the memory of Ming Huang Jiu once and for all!
Yeah, because making a martyr out of a kid is totally going to stifle all dissent.



: The Nanjing Changli Army are heading this way.
: So they'll probably attack us in Huangshan. Let's set up a trap.
: You're really into this, huh?
: Of course! Kazuki needs our help to complete the mission. Tell the main forces we're starting the mission!
: Roger that. Kazuki's girlfriend is quite a fighter.



: Yes. The Nanjing Changli Army is heading out to Huangshan. Emma started the mission.
: How many enemy forces are left in Nanjing?
: Less than half, as we expected. We can definitely take Nanjing now!
: The decoy squad is doing fine. We should move along now.
: Let's go. We need to get this done before Emma's squad is in danger. Let's invade Nanjing!
: Okay. The main squad will head to Nanjing!



Well, it's time to rock.



: We lost them in Huangshan. We send out a recon squad.
: This is strange.
: Yes. Their movement is exactly what we expected.
: It's almost like a trap.
: What are you talking about!? Do your work before you start complaining.
: Sure, we'll work. That's why I'm thinking. Hey, Sergeant. Don't you think this is strange?
: Are you backing out now? That's why I don't trust mercenaries.
: You're slow, Sergeant. Rebecca, how would you handle this?
If I'm outnumbered, I'd avoid fighting a large number of enemies. I'd set up a trap and attack the place with least number of enemies.
: So the enemies are aiming for Nanjing. Sergeant, we're going back to Nanjing!
: Are you sure that the enemy is heading to Nanjing!?
: I don't know for sure. It's just my instinct. That's how we survived.
: Are you ignoring my orders!?
We do what we want. Our contract says so.
I'm pretty sure that the standard videogame contract for mercenaries.
: Sergeant Xia, the recon squad found the enemy!
: ! Rudolf! I'll get you for this!
: Do whatever you want, if you get out here alive! The Wulong Mercenaries will return to Nanjing!



: I found you... The Wulong are unreliable. Their primary force is here. All units, flank the enemy and initiate the attack! This is strange. Stop the attack! What the!? A decoy!?
: Commander, the other units have run into decoys, also.
: What is the meaning of this!?
: If we take out the command unit, we'll up the confusion. And during that confusion, we'll escape from Huangshan!
: Commander Xia, the enemy!
: That's impossible! Are you telling me Rudolf was right!?
Yeah, well, at least you won't have long to feel bad about it.



Fight time! Emma is in the Stolen Heart, the wanzer that broke jng2058's chokehold over Emma's wanzers (and, jng2058 being who he is, I assume that's not going to happen again.) Yun is in the Gibson, a solid wanzer. Jose is in the XBox 360, which can't disguise Jose's inherent crappiness, and Linny continues his futile quest for competence in the Falcon Punch. The map is essentially a ring of land surrounding a chasm. A couple of helicopters float in that chasm, and will probably need to be missiled down. The rest of the enemies will plant themselves at their starting location and wait for your mass of wanzers to crush them piecemeal.



We've officially reached the point of the game were a combination of accuracy upgrades and levels in missiles have made helicopters basically harmless.



One helicopter flies too close to Yun and pays for it.



This is the first group of wanzers, a couple of Laiyings and a Yongsai. I may have loaded this squad up with Linny and Jose, but still, 'tis but a speedbump.



This would be more impressive if it weren't against a very fragile missile wanzer.



: How could I lose to the likes of you?!
That's about the fiftieth time an enemy has said that after we killed him.



Linny, maybe you should just stop trying.



The last real group of enemies. There are a couple of foot snipers past this point, but, well, they don't really count.



I'm pretty sure that our party's mass destruction of wanzers has single-handedly revitalized the defense industry of a dozen countries.



Another poor conscript loses his life in a conflict he never understood.



Jose and Linny dragged me down. Yun wins MVP.



: This is Zhuwen. I hear you. The enemies are baffled by the decoys.
: It's time. Ditch the decoys and pull out.
: We're done already?
: We can escape Huangshan and meet up in Nanjing in the confusion. Or you can die with the decoys.
: No thank you. I think I'll pass on that.
Coward!
: Then hurry! We have to run before they regroup!

Next Time: The Wulong's Last Stand, Part 1