Part 19: It's Christmas in March - Combat

Update 15 (Combat): It's Christmas in March

Music - Briefing


First things first, I decide to have Chloe try out one of these specialty rifles. It's slightly less powerful overally, but it gets an extra shot in the magazine.


Just to see what it's like, I make Coleen this new set of armor. It's back protection is really low, but it has A ranks in Suppression and Status resistance. I don't really know what the former does, but I presume it lowers damage of interception fire.


I also deck out Rudolf. The forest camo paint partially spoils what the special map we'll end up going to at the end of this month. Paint's really minor, but it lowers enemy accuracy versus you if you match the surrounding environment.

There's a paint for nighttime, but I forgot to bother using it. The Sky Pirate Flag is an obligatory reference to Skies of Arcadia, and just gives a minor personnel damage bonus.


Engineers hit level 9.


The team has been properly named...


...And our red barreled tank is ready to roll out.


Here's the new group layout. The six I listed at the top are still max priority, but you can see all the reserve units in here.


One last thing before we move on: the Constructor Arm. This is a back piece I made a while back that lets the tank build structures in certain places on the map. This usually equates to a ladder or a bridge that acts as a shortcut. The only price is how heavy this thing is.

Now it's mission time!


Storming the Bridge is a special mission of sorts, and it's also the first one on the list for the month. The ace here drops something I've been looking for, and I may have to grind this mission to get it. (I get it second try.)


The game's not pulling punches anymore. The other missions have even more promoted units.


I set Avan, Sofia, and Chloe up to mount an offensive from home base, while I deploy Anisette to infiltrate at the warehouse. Randy's just there for backup.

Let's get this show on the road, shall we?



Player Turn Music: Liberation Battle
Enemy Turn Music: Return Battle


: "Let's get creative."

Chloe's up first.



: "The final stroke!"


: "Art hurts, baby."

Enemy Radio: "GAH! Who are these guys?!"


They're hiding a lancer behind the building it seems. We'll get back to this in a second.


: "Entering combat!"


Well, hell, there's the ace right there. Anisette isn't going to even scratch a tank, so I run her up that rarely used side path.


Enemy Radio: "I see one of the class, OPEN FIRE!"


: "I found one!"

Takes me more CP to get here, but she's at the flag facing little opposition.


: "So, there!"

I don't even have to show me aiming at the poor dude. Anisette is one of the hardest hitting shocktroopers around, and this month will show you why.


I put capping that on hold for now and have Chloe deliver a nicely wrapped present.



He gifts me his base in return. It's the spirit of giving!


: "Art hurts, baby."

She also delivers some pain to this sniper before he starts putting bullet holes in my base defenders. (He doesn't survive.)


: "Victory is a simple matter."
I decide to play a bit defensive this round and send in Mischlitt to hold this base.


Hey, look at that! It's probably the first mine I've disabled since starting the game!

Wow, putting trap disarming on a very slow unit is great and useful!



: "Perfect hit!"
Mischlitt absolutely tanks this guy though, so I can't really complain about armor techs that much.


: "I'm off, guys!"

Eh, Anisette will be fine just standing there. Coleen, you're in, since I can't resist assassinating a tank. Especially so when they've basically given it to me.




Allied Radio: At this rate, I can't move forward!

Curse you, lance, and your inaccuracy! I should've had that!

It's not a good first showing for Coleen either.



It's not looking good for Coleen, either.


...Oh. It whiffed way past her head and the sandbag. There must be some serious humidity today because none of these high explosives are hitting right.



After shuffling some units around, the enemy goes to attack Anisette. It's a fool's errand.


This guy knows it too. He just runs through the door and around the building. He's not going to get himself taken down.



Ow. You know how I said that snipers hurt? They do. They hurt a lot, in fact.


It's time for revenge!


Allied Radio: "This will make things a bit easier!"

First, I saunter over to their flag and take it. Only one guy even tried to defend it, so it's obvious the enemy just doesn't give a damn.


Anisette returns the favor, and this guy bites it only after 6 shots. While crouching.


Well, I guess it's time to send in a lancer.


: "Do not allow the enemy an opening!" ~ Radio
: "Come on, hit!"

Let's try this again first, shall we?


Enemy Radio: "I didn't think they'd have anyone like THAT!"
: "Okay!"


Hey, Noel, you want to destroy a tank? Coleen's kinda busy.



Yep, I thought so.


You might've notice the pickaxe icon on the map menu. That shows a construction spot.



Enemy Radio: "Whoa! This isn't like in training!"

Poof, instant bridge.



There's no real reason to destroy that, I just felt like it. It's also worth noting that this is one of those maps where infiltrating by the drop in point (2 tanks and a gatling bunker) is a lot worse than taking the straightforward path. Although, the ace's reward is a pretty good reason to send in an infiltration squad anyways.


: "Heh, cute. I can take you all!"

Oh, a free attack? Thanks, Lavinia, you're the best.



All there's left is to take this flag.


: "Ready to move."

Sofia was the only one with a high AP I had left, so to cap the flag she goes.


: "Thought you had a chance? Idiot."


Got that flag!



Damn, that's not the Ace Bonus I wanted. Just means I'll have to re-do the mission.


...But I'll call it here for this update. I'll briefly show what I've been searching for in the next story-packed update.

See you next time on this well disguised magical girl anime game. (Magical girls not yet shown).

This was also the first test of a little project of mine. If it seems like there was less of me blathering, then it's because I spent a good amount of time on working on it (aside from a lot of stuff getting in my way as usual). I'll try to make some improvements first and I'll show it off. It's not that much, but its nifty.

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