It appears that you have not registered with Aurora 4x. To register, please click here...
C# Fiction > NuclearSlurpee's Fiction
The Official Chronicle of the Duranium Legion
nuclearslurpee:
The Official Chronicle of the Duranium Legion
Restored and translated for the public record by the researchers of the Interplanetary Radioactive Frozen Beverage Academy
----
A Brief History of the Duranium Legion to the Year 4000
Scraps of ancient records suggest that scientific minds of the XX and XXI centuries believed that whatever weapons the third world war was fought with, the fourth world war would be fought with primeval technology. Unfortunately for humanity, these scientific minds were incorrect. From the latter half of the XXI century on, not one but a series of apocalyptic world wars were fought. While surviving records are scarce, modern scholarly consensus indicates that the final of these wars, fought in the late XXIII century, culminated in a cataclysmic release of ionizing radiation which disabled nearly all planetary communications, causing the disintegration of civilization and the beginning of a new Dark Age.
Records from this period are scarce, but it is generally accepted that by the XXVI century a patchwork of reconstructed nation states had emerged, broadly clustered near the equator indicating that a nuclear ice age was occurring at the time. From then until the early XXXIII century, few records exist, but the nations which were well-established by this time once again began to practice formal archiving of records. From these archives it is apparent that any post-nuclear ice age had largely ended by this time, as the major nations of Earth had once again expanded north and south. The following centuries were broadly characterized by endless series of local wars for control of the remaining resource-rich areas of the planet, and by the dawn of the XXXVI century the world was dominated by roughly twenty regional powers which competed for domination over the human species.
As regional wars and complex alliances increasingly intertwined, the nation states of Earth transformed from economic and military unions to fanatical ideological blocs, likely in an effort to maintain war fervor amongst their populations. A series of interlocking regional wars in the late XXXVIII century finally exploded into a full-fledged world war, equally as devastating as those of the early XX centuries though fortunately stopping short of the complete collapse of civilization. Regardless, some two-thirds of the regional hegemonies were brought to ruin by the end of this world war, and out of their ashes rose many new nations.
Among these was a race of humans then known as the Iron Legion. Driven by pure ideology and hardened aggression, the Legion struggled for its survival like many others of these new nations, but rather than scraping together what subsistence economy they could, the Legion instead chose to ensure its own survival at the expense of the other nations. The first recorded war of conquest by the Iron Legion began in the year 3812, and these wars would continue unabated for most of that century, during which the Legion would expand to become the largest regional power in the world.. Finally, in the year 3897, Legion scientists made a discovery that would change the face of the Earth forever.
Spurred on by the newly-discovered Trans-Newtonian elements (TNEs, named after one of the few ancient scientists whose memory had survived through the millennia), the Iron Legion fought the last and greatest war in the history of Planet Earth - the Trans-Newtonian War. Standing alone against the combined might of all other nations, their unrivaled technology and aggression ultimately delivered hard-fought victory into the hands of the Legion after over two decades of global conflict. In the end, for the first time in history the peoples of Earth stood united under one banner - the banner of the Duranium Legion, now so-named by decree of the Emperor in honor of the TNEs which had won the war as well as in recognition that the Legion had evolved to become a new, all-encompassing race of mankind.
In the following decades, even the warlike Legion largely busied itself with the work of rebuilding global civilization, introducing the economic wonders of TNEs to the rest of mankind. Even so, various small states in remote regions as well as occasional organized revolts provided the aggressive soldiers of the Legion with sufficient opportunities to hone their combat prowess. Finally, in the last decade of the XL century, the Emperor decreed the construction of a fleet of space-borne warships, partly as a vehicle for continued economic recovery but more so to continue the inexorable expansion of the Legion through the vast reaches of the final frontier…
----
Campaign Details
Known systems, 30% ruins chance
Two billion pop, 200k instant RP, 160k instant BP
3x NPR at 25-50 LY, all spoilers active
Rerolling and slight tonnage tweaking of shipyards to support a suitable set of starting classes
Mostly this campaign is intended to be a “quick” 1.12 campaign as I wanted to start writing something without a lot of narrative fuss while waiting for 1.13 to come out, at which point I have a few different ideas. I suspect these may be famous last words, but the Invaders are on so this just might be a quick one.
----
The First Legion Navy
The Legion Navy of the year 4000 was technologically built upon the third iteration of Legion Trans-Newtonian (TN) technology in most respects, with the first iteration having fought the Trans-Newtonian War and the second iteration being largely restricted to prototypes and R&D work in the post-war period. The backbone of the Legion Navy at this time consisted of fast ion drive propulsion, robust and rapid-firing railgun batteries in multiple sizes, and ultra high-resolution uridium-based sensor technology powering targeting systems and fire controls in all Navy vessels.
The backbone of the Legion Navy was the Defiant-class Light Cruiser. Sporting an impressive array of 152 mm railgun batteries, while capable of modest point defense the real mission of a Defiant was to close with the enemy at speed and destroy them with bursted railgun fire, in true Legion style. While capable of this mission, Legion analysts complained that the class was based on too small a hull, and a future upgrade to perhaps 15,000 tons void displacement was a subject of active debate at Legion Navy headquarters.
Defiant class Light Cruiser 12,500 tons 371 Crew 1,783.9 BP TCS 250 TH 1,250 EM 0
5000 km/s Armour 6-47 Shields 0-0 HTK 81 Sensors 8/8/0/0 DCR 12 PPV 48
Maint Life 3.14 Years MSP 1,070 AFR 104% IFR 1.4% 1YR 163 5YR 2,448 Max Repair 312.5 MSP
Hangar Deck Capacity 250 tons
Captain Control Rating 3 BRG AUX ENG
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Flight Crew Berths 20 Morale Check Required
Hyperion Drive Yards H-625 Cruiser Engine 'Hydra' (2) Power 1250 Fuel Use 35.78% Signature 625 Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 580,000 Litres Range 23.3 billion km (54 days at full power)
Arcadia Weapons Systems 152 mm Medium Battery Mk III (8x4) Range 90,000km TS: 5,000 km/s Power 9-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 15
Arcadia Weapons Systems Medium Battery Director Mk III (2) Max Range: 192,000 km TS: 5,100 km/s 95 90 84 79 74 69 64 58 53 48
Chryson Dynamics 12 TW Induction Drive Cell Mk VI (2) Total Power Output 24.2 Exp 5%
Scamander Corporation Series XVI Onboard Targeting System (1) GPS 16 Range 6.4m km MCR 574.5k km Resolution 1
Scamander Corporation Series VIII RF Wave Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
Scamander Corporation Series VIII Infrared Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
Strike Group
1x R-56 Recon Fighter Speed: 5008 km/s Size: 4.99
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
The Defiants additionally carried one R-56 Recon Fighter apiece to provide stealth and passive monitoring capability.
R-56 class Recon Fighter 250 tons 6 Crew 35.6 BP TCS 5 TH 25 EM 0
5008 km/s Armour 1-3 Shields 0-0 HTK 3 Sensors 8/8/0/0 DCR 0 PPV 0
Maint Life 3.34 Years MSP 20 AFR 50% IFR 0.7% 1YR 3 5YR 41 Max Repair 12.5 MSP
Subcommander Control Rating 1
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months Morale Check Required
Hyperion Drive Yards HF-25 Fighter Engine 'Erinys' (1) Power 25 Fuel Use 178.89% Signature 25 Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 15,000 Litres Range 6 billion km (13 days at full power)
Scamander Corporation Series VIII RF Wave Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
Scamander Corporation Series VIII Infrared Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
This design is classed as a Fighter for production, combat and planetary interaction
Built on the same hull as the Defiants, the Grand Cross-class Light Jump Cruisers traded the entire armament for squadron jump capability. Thus, a squadron of three Defiants and a Grand Cross was in theory capable of prosecuting a campaign anywhere in the galaxy.
Grand Cross class Light Jump Cruiser 12,500 tons 325 Crew 1,771.5 BP TCS 250 TH 1,250 EM 0
5000 km/s JR 4-100 Armour 6-47 Shields 0-0 HTK 65 Sensors 8/8/0/0 DCR 16 PPV 0
Maint Life 3.33 Years MSP 1,417 AFR 78% IFR 1.1% 1YR 194 5YR 2,907 Max Repair 371 MSP
Hangar Deck Capacity 250 tons
Captain Control Rating 3 BRG AUX ENG
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Flight Crew Berths 20 Morale Check Required
Legion Gravitic Corps LG-250 Gravity Drive 'Supernova' Max Ship Size 12500 tons Distance 100k km Squadron Size 4
Hyperion Drive Yards H-625 Cruiser Engine 'Hydra' (2) Power 1250 Fuel Use 35.78% Signature 625 Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 570,000 Litres Range 22.9 billion km (53 days at full power)
Scamander Corporation Series VIII RF Wave Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
Scamander Corporation Series VIII Infrared Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
Strike Group
1x R-56 Recon Fighter Speed: 5008 km/s Size: 4.99
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
If the Defiant class was the backbone of the Legion Navy, the Charybdis-class Destroyers were its workhorses. Equipped with a seemingly-limitless arsenal of 102 mm rapid-firing defense batteries, the Charybdis class provided a formidable point defense capability to supplement the offensive firepower of the Defiant cruisers.
Charybdis class Destroyer 10,000 tons 324 Crew 1,467 BP TCS 200 TH 1,000 EM 0
5000 km/s Armour 4-41 Shields 0-0 HTK 68 Sensors 8/8/0/0 DCR 8 PPV 48
Maint Life 3.06 Years MSP 733 AFR 100% IFR 1.4% 1YR 118 5YR 1,765 Max Repair 250 MSP
Commander Control Rating 2 BRG AUX
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Morale Check Required
Hyperion Drive Yards H-500 Destroyer Engine 'Cerberus' (2) Power 1000 Fuel Use 40.0% Signature 500 Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 471,000 Litres Range 21.2 billion km (49 days at full power)
Arcadia Weapons Systems 102 mm Defense Battery Mk III (16x4) Range 30,000km TS: 5,000 km/s Power 3-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
Arcadia Weapons Systems Defense Battery Director Mk III (4) Max Range: 96,000 km TS: 5,100 km/s 90 79 69 58 48 38 27 17 6 0
Chryson Dynamics 12 TW Induction Drive Cell Mk VI (4) Total Power Output 48.4 Exp 5%
Scamander Corporation Series XVI Onboard Targeting System (1) GPS 16 Range 6.4m km MCR 574.5k km Resolution 1
Scamander Corporation Series VIII Infrared Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
Scamander Corporation Series VIII RF Wave Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
As with the cruisers, several ships of a modified design were built on the same hull to provide a jump capability. The Furious-class Jump Destroyers thus ensured that the Legion’s cruiser squadrons would have adequate supporting fire no matter where in the galaxy they were fought. Unlike the Grand Crosses, these retained a small number of point defense batteries to further support their comrades in arms.
Furious class Jump Destroyer 10,000 tons 285 Crew 1,349.3 BP TCS 200 TH 1,000 EM 0
5000 km/s JR 4-100 Armour 4-41 Shields 0-0 HTK 60 Sensors 8/8/0/0 DCR 10 PPV 12
Maint Life 3.07 Years MSP 883 AFR 80% IFR 1.1% 1YR 140 5YR 2,106 Max Repair 250 MSP
Commander Control Rating 2 BRG AUX
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Morale Check Required
Legion Gravitic Corps LG-200 Gravity Drive 'Helios' Max Ship Size 10000 tons Distance 100k km Squadron Size 4
Hyperion Drive Yards H-500 Destroyer Engine 'Cerberus' (2) Power 1000 Fuel Use 40.0% Signature 500 Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 471,000 Litres Range 21.2 billion km (49 days at full power)
Arcadia Weapons Systems 102 mm Defense Battery Mk III (4x4) Range 30,000km TS: 5,000 km/s Power 3-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
Arcadia Weapons Systems Defense Battery Director Mk III (1) Max Range: 96,000 km TS: 5,100 km/s 90 79 69 58 48 38 27 17 6 0
Chryson Dynamics 12 TW Induction Drive Cell Mk VI (1) Total Power Output 12.1 Exp 5%
Scamander Corporation Series XVI Onboard Targeting System (1) GPS 16 Range 6.4m km MCR 574.5k km Resolution 1
Scamander Corporation Series VIII Infrared Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
Scamander Corporation Series VIII RF Wave Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
As every powerful fleet body needs eyes and ears, the Bellerophon-class Frigates were also deployed by the Legion alongside the larger ships. Unarmed except for a small point defense battery, the primary mission of the Bellerophons was to provide long-range passive detection and active target acquisition capability for the larger warships. While some in the Legion Navy questioned the tactical value of long-range sensors for a fleet armed with short-range weapons, the Legion high command generally kept to the opinion that battlefield intel could never be had in excess.
Bellerophon class Frigate 7,500 tons 211 Crew 1,237 BP TCS 150 TH 750 EM 0
5000 km/s Armour 3-34 Shields 0-0 HTK 40 Sensors 96/96/0/0 DCR 6 PPV 6
Maint Life 3.35 Years MSP 618 AFR 75% IFR 1.0% 1YR 83 5YR 1,251 Max Repair 187.5 MSP
Commander Control Rating 2 BRG AUX
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Morale Check Required
Hyperion Drive Yards H-375 Frigate Engine 'Gryphon' (2) Power 750 Fuel Use 46.19% Signature 375 Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 432,000 Litres Range 22.4 billion km (51 days at full power)
Arcadia Weapons Systems 102 mm Defense Battery Mk III (2x4) Range 30,000km TS: 5,000 km/s Power 3-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
Arcadia Weapons Systems Defense Battery Director Mk III (1) Max Range: 96,000 km TS: 5,100 km/s 90 79 69 58 48 38 27 17 6 0
Chryson Dynamics 6 TW Induction Drive Cell Mk VI (1) Total Power Output 6.2 Exp 5%
Scamander Corporation Series XVI Long-Range Array (1) GPS 14400 Range 83.1m km Resolution 150
Scamander Corporation Series XVI High-Resolution Array (1) GPS 1920 Range 42.4m km Resolution 20
Scamander Corporation Series XVI Missile Warning Array (1) GPS 96 Range 15.6m km MCR 1.4m km Resolution 1
Scamander Corporation Series VIII Infrared Array (1) Sensitivity 96 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 77.5m km
Scamander Corporation Series VIII RF Wave Array (1) Sensitivity 96 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 77.5m km
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
As with the larger warships, a jump-capable warship was based on the same hull as the Bellerophons. The Excelsior-class Jump Frigates mounted a squadron jump drive in the volume freed by removing the Bellerophons’ sensor suite, ensuring a mobile sensor capability for the Legion’s war fleets, in addition to an extra defense battery over the Bellerophons.
Excelsior class Jump Frigate 7,500 tons 217 Crew 972.7 BP TCS 150 TH 750 EM 0
5000 km/s JR 4-100 Armour 3-34 Shields 0-0 HTK 46 Sensors 8/8/0/0 DCR 7 PPV 9
Maint Life 3.33 Years MSP 567 AFR 64% IFR 0.9% 1YR 78 5YR 1,165 Max Repair 187.5 MSP
Commander Control Rating 2 BRG AUX
Intended Deployment Time: 12 months Morale Check Required
Legion Gravitic Corps LG-150 Gravity Drive 'Farscape' Max Ship Size 7500 tons Distance 100k km Squadron Size 4
Hyperion Drive Yards H-375 Frigate Engine 'Gryphon' (2) Power 750 Fuel Use 46.19% Signature 375 Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 420,000 Litres Range 21.8 billion km (50 days at full power)
Arcadia Weapons Systems 102 mm Defense Battery Mk III (3x4) Range 30,000km TS: 5,000 km/s Power 3-3 RM 30,000 km ROF 5
Arcadia Weapons Systems Defense Battery Director Mk III (1) Max Range: 96,000 km TS: 5,100 km/s 90 79 69 58 48 38 27 17 6 0
Chryson Dynamics 9 TW Induction Drive Cell Mk VI (1) Total Power Output 9.2 Exp 5%
Scamander Corporation Series XVI Onboard Targeting System (1) GPS 16 Range 6.4m km MCR 574.5k km Resolution 1
Scamander Corporation Series VIII RF Wave Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
Scamander Corporation Series VIII Infrared Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
Additionally, a third frigate design was based on the same hull. The Ars Magica-class Survey Frigates were actually the first iteration of this hull type to enter production, owing to the premium value placed on its capabilities by the Emperor himself. Equipped with a self-jump drive and a set of gravitic and geological survey sensors, the Ars Magicas had the crucial mission of finding new systems, resources, and most of all alien races for the Legion to conquer and exploit.
Ars Magica class Survey Frigate 7,500 tons 145 Crew 870.4 BP TCS 150 TH 225 EM 0
1500 km/s JR 1-25(C) Armour 2-34 Shields 0-0 HTK 42 Sensors 8/8/2/2 DCR 12 PPV 0
Maint Life 11.29 Years MSP 870 AFR 37% IFR 0.5% 1YR 13 5YR 188 Max Repair 100 MSP
Captain Control Rating 2 BRG SCI
Intended Deployment Time: 96 months Morale Check Required
Legion Gravitic Corps LGC-150 Gravity Drive 'Argonaut' Max Ship Size 7500 tons Distance 25k km Squadron Size 1
Hyperion Drive Yards HC-225 Deep Space Engine 'Orpheon' (1) Power 225 Fuel Use 3.82% Signature 225 Explosion 4%
Fuel Capacity 308,000 Litres Range 193.7 billion km (1494 days at full power)
Scamander Corporation Series VIII Infrared Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
Scamander Corporation Series VIII RF Wave Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
Geological Survey Sensors (2) 2 Survey Points Per Hour
Gravitational Survey Sensors (2) 2 Survey Points Per Hour
This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposes
Legion Navy Order of Battle in 4000
All told, the Legion Navy in the year 4000 consisted of 382,000 tons of warships crewed by 10,800 of the Legion’s finest void sailors.
6x Defiant class Light Cruiser: Dauntless, Defenstrator, Defiant, Denouement, Devastator, Disruptor
2x Grand Cross class Light Jump Cruiser: Gothic, Grand Cross
12x Charybdis class Destroyer: Carronade, Catharsis, Centaur, Centurion, Chainsaw, Champion, Charon, Charybdis, Conqueror, Covenanter, Crushing Blow, Cry, Ye Wicked
4x Furious class Jump Destroyer: Fade To Black, Final Blow, Final Judgment, Furious
6x Bellerophon class Frigate: Barbette, Bat Country, Battery, Battleaxe, Bellerophon, Blastwave
2x Excelsior class Jump Frigate: Excelsior, Executor
8x Ars Magica class Survey Frigate: Adamant, Adjudicator, Aether Net, Archon, Archrival, Ardent Knight, Ars Magica, Avenging Wrath
8x R-56 class Recon Fighter
In addition to warships, the Legion had constructed an impressive array of unarmed vessels to assist in the exploitation of Sol and any new systems discovered by the survey fleet, and to support the fleet in operations far from Sol. This so-called Commercial Fleet displaced over 3.5 million void tons altogether, despite employing crews totaling only 18,300 Legion conscripts.
8x Phaeton class Freighter: 79,112 tons, 1,516 km/s, 50,000 cargo capacity
4x Typhon class Colony Ship: 79,389 tons, 1,511 km/s, 200,000 cryogenic berths
4x Dragon class Tanker: 86,116 tons, 1.393 km/s, 60 million litres fuel capacity
2x Salamander class Troop Transport: 63,996 tons, 1,406 km/s, 40,000 tons troop capacity
4x Libra class Fleet Tender: 39,971 tons, 1,501 km/s, 12,000 MSP, jump capable
2x Andromeda class Stabilisation Ship: 71,535 tons, 1,258 km/s, jump point stabilization 180 days
4x Ogre class Tug: 85,955 tons, 81,000 tons of engine capacity, tractor beam
6x Knossos class Fuel Harvester Platform: 111,847 tons, 40x fuel harvester modules
4x Obsidian class Orbital Mining Platform: 102,512 tons, 20x orbital miner modules
4x Achelous class Terraforming Platform: 101,284 tons, 4x terraformer modules
8x Warden class Traffic Monitor: 3,000 tons, 3,750 km/s, commercial active/EM/thermal sensor capability
Ground Forces of the Duranium Legion
While much-reduced in size since the Trans-Newtonian War, the Duranium Legion maintained an impressive force of active-duty ground forces arranged into large formations imaginatively called legions. The base units of each legion were the battalions of Mechanized, Tank, and Artillery types, which were combined into brigades of four battalions apiece. In contrast to most militaries in Earth’s known history, the brigade headquarters was not a separate formation but was embedded into one of the four combat battalions with no type preference in place of the usual battalion headquarters. This was done in accordance with Legion battlefield philosophy which placed high emphasis on leading from the front.
The Mechanized Infantry Battalions of the Legion were the most numerous. While largely based on foot soldiers and thus suitable as defensive units, as with all Legion ground forces the primary mission of the Infantry was offensive in nature and thus fortified emplacements were disdained in favor of mobile armored vehicles to support the riflemen in aggressive front-line assaults. As these assaults had proven costly even against the lightly-armed minor nations and rebels in the post-war era, Legion ground commanders sought room in their research budgets to develop heavy powered armor to improve their infantry survivability and battlefield staying power.
The Tank Battalions of the Legion were considered the most prestigious of the three ground force services, owing to their premiere offensive firepower and maneuverability. While the Halberd main battle tanks were the pride of the Legion, the Devastator anti-infantry tanks were far more feared on the battlefield by the light infantry forces typically fought in the post-war era. Legion weapons scientists had submitted a number of proposals to develop heavier, more fearsome armored vehicles for use in the coming interstellar era of warfare.
Supporting the infantry and tank arms were the Mechanized Artillery Battalions, at the ratio of one artillery formation per brigade of either type. These were split into light and medium artillery, the former represented by the Arbalest mortar tanks while the medium bombardment role was filled by the Onager self-propelled guns. While Legion artillerists were familiar with heavier artillery weapons from prototype development during post-war conflicts, much work was needed before such guns would be ready for mass-production and mounting on armored fighting vehicles.
Intermediate command and control was provided by Corps formations which were composed largely of logistical elements necessary to support the Legion’s brigades in an extended war of conquest. The terminal Legion headquarters followed the same template apart from expanded command facilities. While these were in theory distinct, rear-echelon formations, Corps and Legion commanders were frequently known to abandon their command posts to direct fighting from the front lines, a fact often used by Legion propagandists of the post-war era to enhance the fearsome reputation of the ground forces.
Ranks
SCD: Subcommandant
CDT: Commandant
LCD: Lord Commandant
LG: Lord General
And for the completionists in the audience…
Off-Topic: show
Mechanized Infantry Battalion
Transport Size: 4,994 tons
Build Cost: 151.5 BP
2x Athena Mk III Battalion Command Vehicle
324x Moros M-13 Legionnaire Mag Rifle
45x Moros M-20 Legionnaire Chain Gun
27x Moros M-24 AT Rocket 'Hellfire'
6x Moros M-28 AA Flak Cannon 'Javelin'
75x Hoplite Mk III APC
6x Phalanx Mk III AT Gun Carrier
2x Daedalus Mk III TAC Vehicle
Mechanized Infantry Brigade
Transport Size: 5,000 tons
Build Cost: 169.8 BP
2x Hera Mk III Brigade Command Vehicle
324x Moros M-13 Legionnaire Mag Rifle
45x Moros M-20 Legionnaire Chain Gun
27x Moros M-24 AT Rocket 'Hellfire'
6x Moros M-28 AA Flak Cannon 'Javelin'
75x Hoplite Mk III APC
6x Phalanx Mk III AT Gun Carrier
Tank Battalion
Transport Size: 4,982 tons
Build Cost: 410.6 BP
2x Apollo Mk III Battalion Command Tank
54x Halberd Mk III Main Battle Tank
18x Devastator Mk III Anti-Infantry Tank
6x Aegis Mk III AA Tank
2x Hephaestus Mk III TAC Tank
Tank Brigade
Transport Size: 4,952 tons
Build Cost: 444.2 BP
2x Poseidon Mk III Brigade Command Tank
54x Halberd Mk III Main Battle Tank
18x Devastator Mk III Anti-Infantry Tank
6x Aegis Mk III AA Tank
Artillery Battalion
Transport Size: 4,988 tons
Build Cost: 405.3 BP
2x Apollo Mk III Battalion Command Tank
36x Arbalest Mk III Mortar Tank
18x Onager Mk III SPG
9x Aegis Mk III AA Tank
2x Daedalus Mk III TAC Vehicle
Artillery Brigade
Transport Size: 4,994 tons
Build Cost: 447.5 BP
2x Poseidon Mk III Brigade Command Tank
36x Arbalest Mk III Mortar Tank
18x Onager Mk III SPG
9x Aegis Mk III AA Tank
Corps Headquarters
Transport Size: 19,984 tons
Build Cost: 1,164.5 BP
2x Zeus Mk III Corps Headquarters Tank
288x Swiftfoot Mk III MTV
16x Aegis Mk III AA Tank
Legion Headquarters
Transport Size: 19,984 tons
Build Cost: 2,444.5 BP
2x Olympus Mount Mk III Legion Command Tank
288x Swiftfoot Mk III MTV
16x Aegis Mk III AA Tank
Legion Ground Forces Order of Battle in 4000
Active-duty Legion ground forces at this time totaled just over 60,000 highly-trained soldiers operating 519,000 transport tons of cutting-edge weapons and equipment.
Imperial Guard Legion
I. Imperial Guard Corps: 1st, 2nd, 3rd Imperial Guard Brigades
II. Imperial Guard Corps: 4th, 5th, 6th Imperial Guard Brigades
IV. Imperial Guard Corps: 7th, 8th, 9th Imperial Guard Brigades
Emperor’s Hand Legion
III. Armored Corps: 101st, 102nd, 103rd Tank Brigade
V. Armored Corps: 104th, 105th, 106th Tank brigade
VI. Mechanized Corps: 10th, 11th, 12th Mechanized Infantry Brigade
Imperial Guard and Mechanized Infantry Brigades: 3x Mechanized Infantry Battalion, 1x Mechanized Artillery Battalion
Tank Brigade: 3x Tank Battalion, 1x Mechanized Artillery Battalion
Brigade headquarters is embedded with one of the constituent battalions with no type preference
----
nuclearslurpee:
1 January 4000
As the first day of the XLI century dawned, the Emperor ordered the Legion’s survey frigates out into the solar system to conduct a comprehensive geological survey. The setting off of these ships was done to much public fanfare and aplomb, privately however the Emperor and his senior Legion advisors were greatly concerned about the deteriorating mineral situation on Earth, which by that time was known as Duratus in official Legion records. Deposits of several key TNEs were predicted to run out within the next decade, most importantly gallicite which was projected to be completely mined out in less than four years, but also vendarite (4 years), neutronium (7 years), and duranium (9 years). Deposits of uridium and corundium, critical for military and industrial applications, would last through at least the present decade but were proving increasingly difficult to extract from the planet’s crust. Given these facts, the mission of the eight survey frigates was far more critical to the survival of the Legion than the public could ever be permitted to know.
Duratus
Duranium 174,900 Acc 1
Neutronium 82,200 Acc 0.6
Corbomite 95,200 Acc 1
Tritanium 137,700 Acc 0.8
Boronide 239,000 Acc 0.6
Mercassium 134,300 Acc 0.7
Vendarite 73,600 Acc 1
Sorium 197,700 Acc 0.8
Uridium 116,600 Acc 0.5
Corundium 79,500 Acc 0.4
Gallicite 62,500 Acc 0.9
Almost immediately, survey reports from the inner system were transmitted back to Duratus indicating a significant wealth of TNEs very nearby, including rich gallicite deposits on Luna and multiple abundant TNEs including duranium on both Mars and Mercury. The orbital survey of Venus proved difficult with many conflicting readings; while low-accessibility TNEs were discovered, Captain Achlys Tartarus of the Adamant recommended a ground-level survey be performed once the necessary equipment and training was available. In the short term, the Legion would establish colonies on Luna and Mars, prioritizing the latter once civilian shipping was established enough to supply the Luna colony on its own. The Terraforming Cluster would be sent to Mars for shakedown operations before being deployed to Mercury to prepare that world for long-term exploitation.
Mercury
Duranium 476,288 Acc 0.8
Neutronium 1,736,070 Acc 1
Tritanium 1,100,821 Acc 0.8
Boronide 3,529,889 Acc 0.6
Sorium 5,373,124 Acc 0.1
Venus
Duranium 1,648,202 Acc 0.2
Tritanium 2,289,169 Acc 0.1
Vendarite 5,288,896 Acc 0.1
Sorium 5,570,922 Acc 0.1
Ground Survey Potential: Low
Luna
Boronide 1,086,181 Acc 0.2
Gallicite 638,433 Acc 0.9
Mars
Duranium 17,099,552 Acc 0.8
Corbomite 722,500 Acc 0.8
Boronide 93,636 Acc 1
Mercassium 7,584,516 Acc 0.1
Sorium 1,040,400 Acc 0.1
The blessings of mineral wealth continued to fall upon the Legion, as Captain Caerus Elysium aboard the Aether Net transmitted a report to Legion high command revealing massive, high-accessibility quantities of gaseous sorium in the atmosphere of Jupiter which could readily be converted to ship fuel on-site. The Harvester Cluster was to be worked up and deployed to Jupiter as soon as possible along with sufficient tanker support to maintain the Duratus-Jupiter shipping route. It would soon turn out that this close-by source of Sorium was particularly valuable, as no other gas giant in the system contained even a trace of that TNE.
Jupiter
Sorium 6,435,000 Acc 0.8
As the geological survey of the solar system continued, more reports came into Legion high command detailing the mineral wealth of Sol. Of the bodies surveyed, a few were marked for immediate exploitation by Legion orbital miners, while the remaining bodies were left as targets for future mining colonies or other commercial ventures.
Borrelly
Duranium 28,735 Acc 1
Corbomite 23,294 Acc 1
Sorium 128,842 Acc 0.8
Uridium 67,056 Acc 0.9
Machholz
Duranium 41,401 Acc 1
Vendarite 54,677 Acc 1
Gallicite 157,491 Acc 0.8
Oumuamua
Neutronium 21,365 Acc 0.8
Tritanium 50,410 Acc 0.6
Mercassium 63,236 Acc 0.7
Sorium 11,293 Acc 0.8
Tempel 1
Neutronium 12,125 Acc 0.7
Mercassium 26,441 Acc 0.6
Sorium 8,465 Acc 0.8
Corundium 44,209 Acc 0.6
By the last months of the year 4000, the captains of the survey frigates began reporting that there were no more bodies available to be surveyed. Work thus began on the gravitational survey of Sol, with Legion high command optimistic that many new pathways of exploration and expansion would be revealed - with particularly good fortune, there would be enemies along these pathways to be defeated in glorious battle. This optimism was only slightly tempered by the sudden passing of Lord General Cronus Metis, second-in-command of the Legion Ground Forces, in a tragic accident on 17 October.
Any lasting mourning was soon dispelled when the Captain Perseus Abas of the Ardent Knight submitted an urgent report on 6 November - Jump Point Theory had been empirically confirmed, as the first jump point known to the Legion was found to exist between the orbits of Neptune and Pluto. While exciting news, the Emperor himself intervened to urge caution, decreeing that the gravitational survey of Sol must be fully completed before the survey ships would be sent out into the rest of the galaxy. For now, the first of the Warden-class traffic monitors would be dispatched to this jump point, to monitor it for the potential of an incursion by extrasolar aliens, however slim the probability might have seemed at the time. These vessels had been designed in foresight with the sole purpose of monitoring jump points for unexpected traffic - although the potential use of these ships to also keep track of the Legion’s own civilian traffic was not lost on many in the Naval establishment.
Warden class Traffic Monitor 3,000 tons 36 Crew 161.4 BP TCS 60 TH 225 EM 0
3750 km/s Armour 1-18 Shields 0-0 HTK 14 Sensors 8/8/0/0 DCR 1 PPV 0
MSP 33 Max Repair 45 MSP
Cryogenic Berths 1,000
Subcommander Control Rating 1 BRG
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months
Hyperion Drive Yards HC-225 Deep Space Engine 'Orpheon' (1) Power 225 Fuel Use 3.82% Signature 225 Explosion 4%
Fuel Capacity 79,000 Litres Range 124.2 billion km (383 days at full power)
Scamander Corporation Series XVI Onboard Targeting System (1) GPS 16 Range 6.4m km MCR 574.5k km Resolution 1
Scamander Corporation Series VIII RF Wave Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
Scamander Corporation Series VIII Infrared Scanner (1) Sensitivity 8 Detect Sig Strength 1000: 22.4m km
This design is classed as a Commercial Vessel for maintenance purposes
As the year 4000 drew to an illustrious close, a second and third jump point were in rapid succession reported and found to be much closer to Duratus, halfway between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. While not as landmark of an event as the first jump point discovery, these were much more logistically-friendly positions and were thus viewed more positively by the Legion high command. The future was looking bright indeed for the Duranium Legion, though not without its challenges.
Year 4001
A number of promotions were issued at the beginning of the year as part of Legion high command efforts to restructure the ranks prior to setting out on interstellar missions. Most notably, Lord Admiral Imperator Aurai Valance became the first Naval officer in Legion history to hold that high rank. To somewhat less fanfare, the promotion of Apheleia Porphyrion to Lord General to replace the departed Lord General Metis filled a crucial void in the high command.
The urgency of this command restructure quickly became apparent when a fourth jump point was discovered between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn. To discover three jump points within a billion km of Sol was a better result than even the wildest dreams of Survey Fleet command, and the system survey had not even been completed yet. The fact that the gravitational survey was completed on 28 May with no further jump points discovered did little to dampen this enthusiasm. The Survey Fleet was ordered back to Duratus for a short overhaul period before being sent out through the jump points.
System map of Sol showing locations of the discovered jump points in relation to planetary orbits. Body positions indicate that this map was produced on 10 September 4001. Jump Point #4 as labeled here was actually the first jump point to be discovered by the Legion’s Survey Fleet.
The first two survey frigates to complete their overhaul were sent out to the first jump point discovered. While it was the farthest away, Legion high command had decided to honor the captain and crew of Ardent Knight by granting them the inaugural passage through the jump point they had discovered, first in Legion history. Accompanied by her sister ship, Avenging Wrath, she arrived at the jump point on 10 September where she was greeted by the Warden-class traffic monitor on station. After a brief moment to reflect on the gravity of the occasion, Ardent Knight powered up her ion drives and disappeared in a dazzle of pulsating warp energy...
----
Shipbuilding
1x Ars Magica class Survey Frigate: Angel of Ares
3x Phaeton class Freighter
2x Salamander class Troop Transport
2x Libra class Fleet Tender
1x Andromeda class Stabilisation Ship
Research
Max Tracking Time for Bonus vs Missiles: 30 seconds (6%)
Max Tracking Time for Bonus vs Missiles: 45 seconds (9%)
Max Tracking Time for Bonus vs Missiles: 60 seconds (12%)
Mining Production 12 tons
Particle Beam Range 100,000 km
Particle Beam Strength 3
Research Rate 240
Terraforming Rate 0.00032 atm
nuclearslurpee:
10 September 4001
After several tense minutes, reports from Ardent Knight began arriving back through the jump point, relayed to Legion high command from Avenging Wrath and the Warden-class traffic monitor which remained on the Sol side of the jump point. The system to which Ardent Knight had transited was known to Legion astronomers as Lalande 21185, named after an ancient astronomer according to historical records which had survived to that time. Captain Perseus Abas further reported that the system contained ten planets with sixty-six moons, including one in the near-habitable range with a thin nitrogen-CO2 atmosphere, though it was tidally locked and thus would only support a small maximum population if developed fully. As Lalande 21185 was a relatively small star, nine of the planets orbited fairly closely, but the tenth planet in the system orbited rather impractically at a more than 15 billion km radius. Ardent Knight was ordered to survey the near-habitable planet carefully, and then if no dangerous aliens were found she would proceed to survey the rest of the bodies in the system while Avenging Wrath would begin the gravitational survey. Due to the smaller size of the star, each survey location would take only 60% as long to survey compared to those in Sol, much to the pleasure of the Legion high command which was eager to begin extrasolar expansion in earnest.
Astrometric survey data from Lalande 21185 showing the distribution of planets in the system. For scale, note that Planet IX orbits at 3.2 billion km from the star. Not shown: Planet X at 15.7 billion km.
Two weeks later, the ground survey of the third planet had been completed without incident. While the initial results were mediocre, Ardent Knight reported severe magnetic field anomalies which had interfered with her sensors, thus necessitating that a ground survey be carried out in the future, though few if any additional TNEs were expected to be discovered. This aside, the Lalande survey frigates were in the clear to complete their assessment of the system with all due haste.
Lalande 21185-A III
Duranium 2,592 Acc 0.4
Neutronium 254,016 Acc 0.3
Vendarite 6,718,464 Acc 0.1
Sorium 5,143,824 Acc 1.0
Gallicite 685,584 Acc 0.1
Ground Survey Potential: Minimal
While the discovery of Lalande 21185 was momentous, the Legion survey command did not lose a single step back on Duratus. By the time Ardent Knight had transited, two more survey frigates had already moved into position at the jump point nearest to Sol and were ready to commence exploration of whatever system laid beyond it. The survey frigate Adamant was ordered to transit the jump point, backed up by the newly-built Angel of Ares which would follow her once the system was declared clear for surveying. Unfortunately, on transit Adamant reported the discovery of a planetless system, Ross 128, which was of little use for the Legion colonization machine; however, as Ross 128 was a smaller star than even Lalande 21185 the gravitational survey would proceed quite rapidly especially with two survey frigates on the job.
The remaining jump points in Sol were surveyed as the survey frigates came away from the overhaul yards. The survey frigate Archon transited the second-closest jump point to reach the system of EZ Aquarii, another bodiless system despite consisting of three stars, and was soon followed by her sister, Archrival. Almost immediately a new jump point was discovered, and Archrival was ordered to press onward, transiting into the binary star system of WX Ursae Majoris, while Archon remained in-system. Finally, as the year drew to a close, Ars Magica transited the final jump point in Sol and emerged in a system known as Luhman 16, a small binary system with a mix of planets, moons, and comets with none particularly habitable.
Year 4002
The Legion high command continued to review survey reports pouring in from Lalande 21185. In addition to the near-habitable third planet, The eighth moon of the seventh planet contained numerous kinds of TNEs and would make an excellent short-term automatic mining base, alongside other small moons of that planet which were easily mined from orbital platforms. Thus, the Legion would establish a colony in this system of perhaps ten million to support mining operations and potentially a minor naval station. As the first extrasolar colony of the Duranium Legion required a suitably momentous name, the system would be rechristened as Olympia - although privately some of the Lords Admiral wondered if such a grandiose name should be reserved for a more impressive system further afield. To support this effort, two Andromeda-class stabilisation ships would be assigned to the Sol-Olympia jump points; the task of these vessels would be completed soon enough, on 2 August, which would enable civilian shipping lines to service the new colony.
Olympia-A VII - Moon 8
Duranium 5,618 Acc 1.0
Neutronium 169 Acc 1.0
Boronide 5,329 Acc 1.0
Mercassium 2,704 Acc 1.0
Uridium 900 Acc 1.0
Corundium 7,569 Acc 1.0
Gallicite 2,500 Acc 1.0
After over two years of Legion-exclusive space operations, the Centaurus Mining Group was the first entity not under the Legion high command to be granted a license to operate off-world. Their license allowed them to establish an outpost of twenty civilian equivalents to the Legion automines on the Jovian moon Europa, with provisions for expansion based on performance. At least for the near term Centaurus would be subjected to heavy taxation, although some clauses in the license agreement provided for a future possibility of direct TNE purchases by the Legion high command at a reduced rate in exchange for tax exemptions. While Europa itself was a frankly mediocre choice for a civilian mining concern, from the perspective of Legion admirals, it was hoped that this agreement would pave the way for similar future licenses at more lucrative locations.
Europa
Duranium 414,063 Acc 0.9
Mercassium 1,994,021 Acc 1
Much of the year 4002 passed in relative obscurity, as events which were once remarkable were now considered routine operations by the restless crewmen of the Navy ships. The survey frigate Angel of Ares discovered a nearly-habitable planet in the system of GJ 1061, which turned out out to have a very poor distribution of TNEs but could be very rapidly terraformed despite being 50% greater than Duratus in diameter, as it had an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere with only slightly more oxygen than was safe for human habitation and otherwise was only a little bit on the chilly side. Hopefully the rest of the system would prove more enticing, allowing this planet to serve usefully as a base for system mining operations.
GJ 1061-A II
Boronide 65,545,216 Acc 0.2
Mercassium 17,139,600 Acc 0.1
Vendarite 46,348,864 Acc 0.2
Nitrogen 71.000% 0.901 atm
Oxygen 29.000% 0.368 atm
Surface Temp (K / C) 191.64 -81.36
On 10 December, the survey frigate Adjudicator reported that the geological survey of the Sol system was completed, as the last significant body had been surveyed, an asteroid labeled as 2009 YE7.
Year 4003
On 19 January, the survey frigate Aether Net transited the unexplored jump point in HH Andromedae and came upon the Alpha Centauri system, much to the delight of the Legion Navy public relations department which had been struggling to keep the population interested in exploration of systems with names like GJ 1061. The Alpha Centauri system was a binary star system, and the initial astrographic survey indicated the presence of an amazing five near-habitable bodies. The primary component star possessed the majority of these, two planets and a moon along with an additional moon around the second planet which was similarly suited for colonization aside from a very low surface gravity. The secondary component star only had two such bodies, but perhaps more intriguing was a large asteroid belt nestled directly in the star’s habitable zone. While most of these asteroids would still require low-gravity infrastructure to support human colonies, one asteroid along with the second planet of that star made up the remaining near-habitable bodies in the system, along with a low-gravity moon of the second planet.
While this was potentially an incredible bounty, Legion high command was wary of the high probability for alien contact within this system, as any one of the five near-ideal worlds might just meet another species’ definition of “ideal”. Therefore, orders were issued for the Warden-class traffic monitor from HH Andromedae to approach each of these bodies in turn ahead of Aether Net, as while both ship classes were equipped with similar passive sensors the Wardens were also equipped with small active sensors and were significantly smaller and faster than the lumbering Ars Magicas. Therefore it was hoped that the Warden would not only provide more intelligence on potential alien contacts but also would have a better chance of escape from any hostile encounter. The unspoken presumption that the loss of a Warden would be considered more tolerable than one of the survey frigates was left unsaid, and after all to die in battle was a fate far eclipsing any glory most traffic monitor crews could ever dream of.
Warden 4 would take seventeen days to arrive in the planetary system of Alpha Centauri A, detecting no alien contacts hostile or otherwise during her review of the system. From there, travel to the B component would take another eleven days, with the brief flyby proving equally uneventful. By 17 February, the Alpha Centauri system had been declared clear of alien presence, to mixed reception at Legion high command.
Unexpectedly, first contact for the Duranium Legion would come from an unlikely source, on the far side of the known galaxy...
----
Shipbuilding
2x Defiant class Light Cruiser: Deadly Poison, Domination
2x Charybdis class Destroyer: Calamitous, Creeping Death
1x Bellerophon class Frigate: Brutal Legend
1x Excelsior class Jump Frigate: Endless Night
2x Phaeton class Freighter
2x Typhon class Colony Ship
2x Libra class Fleet Tender
2x Ogre class Tug
1x Obsidian class Orbital Mining Platform
Research
Construction Rate 12 BP
Geosurvey Equipment
Maintenance Support Per Facility: 1250 Tons
Maximum Orbital Mining Diameter 125 km
Particle Beam Range 150,000 km
Planetary Sensor Strength 300
Powered Infantry Armour - ARM 1.5
Shipyard Operations: 5% Time/Cost Saving
Wealth Generation per Million TN Workers: 120
Systems Discovered (Year 4002 onward)
HH Andromedae: FS Aether Net, 17 February 4002
GJ 1061: FS Angel of Ares, 1 May 4002
Kruger 60: FS Ars Magica, 9 September 4002
AD Leonis: FS Archon, 8 November 4002
Alpha Centauri: FS Aether Net, 19 January 4003
Gliese 1: FS Adamant, 28 January 4003
Kuiper 79: FS Avenging Wrath, 9 February 4003
WISE 1738+2732: FS Ardent Knight, 19 February 4003
Duranium Legion Galaxy Map: 25 February 4003
----
OOC: I just want to take a moment to say - feel free to comment on these posts! Writing about the game is a lot of fun, but so is having some interaction on the posts, and feedback might make its way into future posts to make the AAR hopefully that much more fun for you readers. If you're worried about breaking up the flow between posts, don't be - comment away, as I can ruin the flow of my posts just fine on my own. :P
I mention this now because, while the first couple of updates here are a bit more mundane, as you might expect from the ending above some more exciting bits are coming soon so I want to clear this up now rather than later. ;D
liveware:
Is there a program you use to generate those ground force org charts? Those are slick!
Looking forward to the next installment, I liked Steve's WH40k campaign and this one looks pretty good also.
nuclearslurpee:
--- Quote from: liveware on February 16, 2021, 12:50:59 PM ---Is there a program you use to generate those ground force org charts? Those are slick!
Looking forward to the next installment, I liked Steve's WH40k campaign and this one looks pretty good also.
--- End quote ---
I make them by hand in paint.net. The first couple times I made them it took a while, but once I figure out how to arrange things the way I want with spacing etc. it goes fairly quickly. I also have a template sheet of all the icons that I copy and paste from.
I too liked Steve's WH40K campaign, and while I'm not trying to emulate his work per se (the railguns are a coincidence, I swear!) I won't deny a certain measure of inspiration was taken.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version