[Jellyfish]

Steele is looking for a lightning strike that will overwhelm the defenders - this means all in.

He'd end up caught up in a pincer between 1st Fleet in one side and all of 3rd Fleet and everything 2nd Fleet can throw without leaving Mars completely undefended in the other.

Losses would be catastrophic for both sides.

[crizza]

Steele is looking for a lightning strike that will overwhelm the defenders - this means all in.

He'd end up caught up in a pincer between 1st Fleet in one side and all of 3rd Fleet and everything 2nd Fleet can throw without leaving Mars completely undefended in the other.

Losses would be catastrophic for both sides.

Third fleet is mauled, second fleet is damaged...
I guess the Agamemnon battlegruop has its own hunter/killer group and we all know, what Serkr was/is for a threat...

[Aesaar]

Before they arrived in system there were 3 GTVA destroyers

Spoiler:

4 before the Carthage was lost

these ships make it 5 - as I said I got these figures from the forces deployed in sol thread.

And apparently you missed Battuta's comment about how the list aeon48m made was incomplete because it was missing the Phoenicia/Vengeance battlegroup.  You know, all the corvettes and cruisers that accompany the destroyers.

The strike would not last one day, Steele is looking for a lightning strike that will overwhelm the defenders - this means all in. If he was able to bring  these reinforcements in for the first battle for Earth he would have.

And what exactly prevents him from, I don't know, bringing them through before launching the attack?

He didn't have those ships during the Blitz because the Security Council didn't think he needed them.  The situation has changed.

[Jellyfish]

Third fleet is mauled, second fleet is damaged...

3rd Fleet is still capable of engaging in major operations alone, like the taking/destruction of the Carthage.
2nd Fleet, according to Noemi, is just 'bloodied'

[General Battuta]

The 'Forces Stationed in Sol' thread is reasonably complete on the UEF side but nowhere near complete on the GTVA side. Lots of smaller warships aren't ever seen or mentioned (yet).

[CT27]

Third fleet is mauled, second fleet is damaged...

3rd Fleet is still capable of engaging in major operations alone, like the taking/destruction of the Carthage.
2nd Fleet, according to Noemi, is just 'bloodied'

So since all three UEF fleets are at least somewhat of a going concern Jellyfish, which fleet should the GTVA focus on...or should they continue their drive towards Earth?

[Scotty]

The Forces Deployed in the Sol Theater thread is completely missing any new revelations in Act III, since I haven't been able to play it yet, and the entire thing is a fan-made guesswork on the GTVA side.

[Gray113]

General Battuta

First of all I'm loving you guy's work

The 'Forces Stationed in Sol' thread is reasonably complete on the UEF side

As I said in my first post there is no mention of what fortifications or perimeter defences exist around Earth. Do you plan to include any sentry guns - the equivalent of the GTVA's Mjolnir?

Also what fighter/ bomber forces will the UEF be able to deploy from planetside and/or orbital platforms?

(P.S Please do not answer this if it means spoilers for act 4. I don't want any suprises ruined )

If the UEF have had time to properly fortify their positions then I believe this will turn the battle decisively in their favour

[Gray113]

And apparently you missed Battuta's comment about how the list aeon48m made was incomplete because it was missing the Phoenicia/Vengeance battlegroup.  You know, all the corvettes and cruisers that accompany the destroyers.

Yes i did miss that, as you can probably guess I am new to this forum 

Spoiler:

However at the ending cinematic we do not see any new advanced corvettes or cruisers just a couple of Deimos corvettes accompanying 2 Hecates

same with

For example, if the new battlegroup has any Anemoi logistics ships with it

Spoiler:

we didn't see any at the end so why assume that they are going to be there? - these are rare and expensive pieces of equipment and Steele needed the help of the vods to replace the one he lost before

And what exactly prevents him from, I don't know, bringing them through before launching the attack?

Spoiler:

Calder controls Neptune giving him the opportunity to harass the node. As long as the Fedayeen intelligence network can predict GTVA planning given it is entirely reasonable to assume that signaling these ship to transit will alert the UEF to the attack losing his (believed) element of supprise as well as allowing Calder to intercept these ship as they come out of subspace

[Gray113]

So since all three UEF fleets are at least somewhat of a going concern Jellyfish, which fleet should the GTVA focus on...or should they continue their drive towards Earth?

Everything about act 3 says that Steele is driving towards Earth

Spoiler:

his not caring about losing Neptune, bringing in additional ships that he cannot support for more than a couple of weeks, the desperation to stop the secret project

That is why I think he is going to lose the battle - he is attacking before the UEF fleets can be reduced in threat. The artillery is still in place, the destroyers are unscathed and the fighter/bomber core is intact. Every theatre in which the UEF have superiority

[Veers]

True, but just by sheer weight in numbers and cannon fodder. I don't think the UEF can hold out against multiple Destroyer-class vessels with escorts and fighters. Assuming it is a full out attack. Everything is expendable.

They would definate f**k the GTVA over though, but just by sheer weight in numbers, I don't think they can hold out. But it all depends, the Fedayeen have shown the ability to neutralise anything they wish with pretty much no assests. Removing a few key items from the attack and the UEF will wipe the GTVA hard.

[MatthTheGeek]

Keep in mind the UEF still under catastrophic logistic collapse. They may still have a lot of ships, but whether they can still operate at optimal capacity is debatable.

[CT27]

Most of us think Steele isn't stupid.  But driving right for Earth seems to be unadvisable based on this thread.

Are there any reasons why Steele should make a beeline for Earth rather than focusing on the three UEF fleets (at least for a little while longer)?  Is there any wisdom to that?

[MatthTheGeek]

Just on the military point of view ? He'd be better off just harassing them and waiting for complete logistical collapse.

But however, the sekret project, contingency morpheus, wanting to finish it quickly to be ready to face a potential third incursion, and to calm down the Tev pop, are all potentially major incentives to push the fight forward, even if it implies losses that could have been avoided otherwise.

[SpardaSon21]

Shambhalla, MORPHEUS, and a restless population back home are a perfect storm of circumstances that force Steele to deploy forces for a battle he may not want to fight yet.  No doubt Steele wants more time to harry and wear down the UEF fleets before he goes in for the killing blow, but there's a lot of stuff working against that.

[CT27]

I'm not saying this is what he wants, but hasn't it been said Steele has contingencies for contingencies?  Like I said, Steel would probably prefer otherwise but I think he's politically smart enough to guess that circumstances may arise requiring him to try and end the war quicker

He probably has two folders to pull out in regard to his attack on Earth:
Plan A-His preferred option (whatever that may be)
Plan B-A somewhat rushed attack on Earth (that he planned)


I would imagine though that he'd demand extra ships if he was forced to attack Earth sooner than he wanted.

[SpardaSon21]

Which I think is the exact purpose of the Agamemnon/Insuperable battlegroup.  The BG is probably going to transit the node just before Steele's strike, then wait there with recharged drives until Steele needs to deploy ships from them as his reserve.

[-Sara-]

What I think the GTVA's strategy should be:

* Trust in Steele's skills for now to take Earth and end the war, but monitor his progress from a neutral Vasudan vessel.
* If/when Steele seems to fail or face defeat, communicate with Sol asking for a truce, on the condition they allow the Atreus to limp back home, thus not wasting one of a few Raynors.
* Be strict in setting the conditions for the truce: demanding a GTVA embassy on Earth, the Carthage is returned intact. All data and research on captured beam weaponry are discontinued. Demand that all stealth technology is returned. Demand insight in any recovered technological data from the Lucifer.
* Remind Sol that the GTVA can still strike, but with losses and remind Sol that it cannot maintain a new war.
* Demand a media presence which can communicate with Sol's people to instigate propaganda programs.

[Jellyfish]

I thought truces had to go both ways, and that sounds like the demands from the winner of a conflict to the loser.
Only way they could compensate is if the GTVA gave the UEF full control of Sol Gate and perhaps even Delta Serpentis.

[-Sara-]

I thought truces had to go both ways, and that sounds like the demands from the winner of a conflict to the loser.
Only way they could compensate is if the GTVA gave the UEF full control of Sol Gate and perhaps even Delta Serpentis.

But not if the UEF knows they will lose if they do not agree to an unfair treaty. Once they have tasted peace, they don't want to tire further in war. It allows for rebuilding, drawing new plans, learning to know their enemy better. And since the Vishnans fell quiet, the Elders may hope that embracing peace, any peace may result in the Vishnans talking again. The UEF is being choken and while cramped, they regain some breathing space. It also opens doors for elements of the Fedayeen to strike in GTVA sectors, casting blame on angry GTVA citizens, maybe sparking civil war or hoping that the Vasudans will weight in to make conditions better over time.