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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Jul 25, 2010 8:25:19 GMT -5
OOC: Clipper is timed out, skipping.
Emirate Xaaron looks briefly worried when Ultra magnus seemed to pass out. Is he okay - oh, there he is.
Expression lighting up with interest at the mention of Sentinel Prime, Emirate Xaaron asks, "What was your Sentinel Prime like, Ultra Magnus?"
He can sympathise a bit at the mention of Optimus Prime not being there long enough to do any good, and he wishes he could reach past the cell barrier to give Ultra Magnus a reassuring pat. Emirate Xaaron does mention idly, "After only a thousand years of war, my Optimus Prime and his crew left on a mission to protect Cybertron from asteroids, but Megatron and his crew followed them. Wouldn't be until, oh, four million years later that I heard from him again. Seems he hadn't even been awake the whole time. It would have been my responsibility to pick up the pieces, anyway, but as I'd gotten him the job in the first place, it was especially my responsibility."
He boots his fragile little Emirate deeper into the field, rolling to see how far he'll go.
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Jul 26, 2010 20:48:48 GMT -5
It's much more comfortable for Magnus to speak of his former commander than of himself. There's a hint of a smile – a sad one – while he ponders his next move.
"Sentinel Prime was my commander before the war," he says. "And during the initial stages of the war. He was an excellent leader with a head for strategy and diplomacy… but…." He pauses to shift his Brigadier into a position where it could menace Xaaron's Emirate, depending on what roll Xaaron draws, or press deeper into enemy territory. "…But for all that he could do, the war was beyond him. He always tried to find the solution that would get the least of us killed and while he did that, Megatron out-manoeuvred us time and again. Finally, Sentinel Prime made his last stand. He chose to negotiate with Megatron in person."
Magnus pauses here and reaches for his rations, hand trembling with something other than fatigue. The memories hurt. It isn't the same bitter ache he feels when he recalls the explosion of the Space Bridge, but it hurts all the same.
"He must have known something would go wrong." Magnus stares into his energon. "He left the Matrix behind when he left for the meeting. He… didn't come back." And everything only got worse after that.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Jul 26, 2010 22:19:22 GMT -5
"Leaders in peace don't always make very good leaders in war," Emirate Xaaron observes mildly. Is he a good leader in war? Who knows? History will judge him. He just does his best and tries not to commit suicide over video games. (Maybe just a bit of throwing himself in reactors. Just a bit.)
Ah, but Ultra Magnus is bringing out his Brigadier. Emirate Xaaron moves an Infantry piece forward, seemingly senselessly... but it is opening a path for his Commando to get line of sight on that Brigadier.
It is strange to think of Ultra Magnus as being older than the War.
"Thank you, Ultra Magnus."
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Jul 27, 2010 13:24:02 GMT -5
Magnus eyes that infantry unit and the Commando behind it, then shifts one of his own infantry to capture a wayward unit of Xaaron's – which will also put it between his Brigadier and the Commando. Once that's done, he looks up at Xaaron, faintly puzzled.
"What… are you thanking me for?" he asks. He's never been thanked for acceding to a simple request for information. Or perhaps he was thanked after his interrogation and the delirium has left his memory of it all rather muddled. He still isn't sure he remembers the entire drive to Autobase.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Jul 27, 2010 13:51:04 GMT -5
"Explaining about the fall of your Sentinel Prime was obviously painful for you, but you did it anyway when asked, without prodding," Emirate Xaaron answers, regarding the board with narrowed optics, hands laced together under his chin; elbows resting against the edge of the table. He looks up at Ultra Magnus and adds, idly, "Of course, that much is expected of a soldier."
Doesn't mean all soldiers do it, and they're not all soldiers here.
Emirate Xaaron decides to go have his Emirate threaten that Infantry that is protecting Ultra Magnus's Brigadier, which is not what one is supposed to do with an Emirate at all, and he rolls to see how far it will move, to victorious capture of the Infantry unit or merely to folly...
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Jul 28, 2010 11:42:26 GMT -5
"Ah." And Magnus is, after all, just a soldier. Dutiful, consistent, obedient… wretched, miserable thing. He watches Xaaron employ the Emirate to capture his Infantry with a speculative eye. That isn't a typical, or even recommended, use of the piece; then again, Xaaron himself doesn't seem all that typical – what little of him Magnus has witnessed thus far. And Magnus himself sacrificed his Magnate in a pointless, suicidal manoeuvre to defend that neglected Cavalier.
He pauses before making his move to briefly glance Clipper's way, wondering if the little Micromaster is too rapt with the game to ask any more questions.
"Cavalier to reinforce the Brigadier," he murmurs, pitting it against the Emirate.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Jul 28, 2010 14:02:28 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron also glances over at Clipper, shrugging. Then, he looks up at Ultra Magnus and announces, "I'm invoking my Emirate's Oratory ability. Roll versus Enthralment for the Brigadier and Cavalier - they're in radius."
If it succeeds, the Brigadier and Cavalier will be Enthralled for a certain number of turns, unable to move or attack unless attacked first. This ability is usually considered defensive, and the Emirate is normally kept at 'home', but here Emirate Xaaron is, using it as an offensive tactic.
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Post by Clipper on Jul 28, 2010 15:02:07 GMT -5
"Oratory ability?" Clipper asks, blinking. Yes, she has, indeed, been terribly enthralled by the game, but also by their conversation. She doesn't have much to add to it, herself, what with Micro only recently having been pulled into the war back in her reality, and, besides, Holi's the one that has left Micro to go do his part, while Clipper has remained home to help run the planet. She's led a pretty boring life until now.
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ooc: skippable unless someone addresses her for a response.
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Aug 2, 2010 11:34:01 GMT -5
Magnus loses his Brigadier to the Enthralment effect, but the Cavalier escapes by a narrow margin. He frowns at the board but answers Clipper.
"It's usually a defensive tactic," he tells her. Usually. Things have been anything but usual of late. "It's the same concept as talking the enemy into a truce." Magnus, on the other hand, has always ended up fighting the enemy to a stalemate. The truce he managed to negotiate came amidst so much fierce fighting – even against other Autobots too stubborn and set on waging war. And that was long before Shockwave took over.
The Cavalier isn't in a position to take out Xaaron's Emirate, so Magnus orders it away – and out of Oratory range.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Aug 2, 2010 12:06:25 GMT -5
"A number of the pieces have special abilities," Emirate Xaaron answers Clipper. "The Commando, for example, grows more powerful the deeper it is in enemy territory, to represent the advantage of guerilla warfare."
So yes, of course, he sends the Commando off deeper into enemy territory to go hunt down that Enthralled Brigadier.
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Aug 3, 2010 17:44:49 GMT -5
"And the Brigadier – when it isn't listening to the enemy's speech – can give up its movement to an Infantry unit," Magnus adds. "One or two spaces… it can vary. I heard it was usually three in Altihex." He wonders how he let himself be pulled into explaining this game. He also eyes that advancing Commando and wonders how best to waylay it. Or if he should. He's already given up his Magnate – which could have survived the Commando so long as he kept them in his own territory. If he'd just kept his wits and not let himself make that idiotic mistake, he'd still have that defence.
But he can't take back his mistakes in battle. He wouldn't take back that blunder even when offered. He only has himself to blame and it's up to Magnus to get himself out of it.
He frowns thoughtfully before ordering one Artillery unit to move into place and take aim – not on the Commando, or even the Emirate. He's targeting Xaaron's line and the exposed Fortress there.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Aug 3, 2010 20:29:45 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron's Fortress falls, so he sends his Veteran to fill the gap, a sturdy piece like a warhorse, putting it just out of range of the Artillery. The Veteran can hold the line for now.
He smirks and notes, "Hrm, so you did pay attention to the rules, then."
Emirate Xaaron leans back in his chair and thinks.
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Aug 4, 2010 10:35:17 GMT -5
Magnus nods absently at Xaaron without immediately answering, his focus primarily on the game. He's recovering from his myriad injuries, keeping his systems overburdened and sluggish, but the rations are starting to seep through the fatigue and his headache is slowly, slowly easing back to a dull pounding in his subprocessors. At least it makes concentration easier.
"I studied the rules as much as I could," he says, echoing what he said earlier. But knowing the rules without playing the game is rather like reading the instruction manual for a weapon he never handles – he can't get a feel for how it really operates. He takes in the way the game has played out so far, the lay of the pieces – his own especially. Where Xaaron smirks, Magnus frowns. "Though I can't say I know all the Altihex variations."
He thinks about it for a moment longer, then forwards an Infantry unit to join his Cavalier.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Aug 4, 2010 11:24:24 GMT -5
"Ah. The rules. Are those a bit of a thing, with you?" Emirate Xaaron inquires, seemingly rather interested.
He then advances his commando deeper into Ultra Magnus's territory, looking for gaps he can exploit, after Ultra Magnus has advanced all those pieces.
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Ultra Magnus
Major
Disappointing Fellow Autobots Since the Age of Internment
Posts: 565
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Post by Ultra Magnus on Aug 4, 2010 11:58:03 GMT -5
The board continues to get more and more interesting. Magnus makes a thoughtful noise, eyeing that advancing Commando. Rather than throw his forces away to stop it, he tries to work with this development. He leaves the lonely Infantry piece still sitting in the Commando's path there and instead orders his Gladiator out on its diagonal path, at the end of which sits some of Xaaron's Infantry.
"…How do you mean?" he asks with suspicion edging his tone as he looks from the board to Xaaron.
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