[CT27]

I concur, thats pretty good terms all considered.  Not terms that the GTVA would be able to settle for with their current objectives, but pretty lax.

This is somewhat off topic, but what were the terms the GTVA forced on the Earth Alliance in Inferno?  Since we're talking about possible strategies for the GTVA (military and political) maybe there can be some nuggets of wisdom/ideas in there.

[Jellyfish]

This is somewhat off topic, but what were the terms the GTVA forced on the Earth Alliance in Inferno?  Since we're talking about possible strategies for the GTVA (military and political) maybe there can be some nuggets of wisdom/ideas in there.

'Numerous concessions, including uncontested control of the Sol Gate and a permanent GTVA force in system'
That's all it says about that.

[CT27]

In general, I think the Tevs are better off with a strategy of gradually taking down the UEF fleet frigate by frigate, rather than waging a single massive battle. A war of attrition favors them, and as the numerical and technological superiority continues to shift in their favor, the pace of whittling down the UEF fleets increases. By taking advantage of Byrne's conservatism, they can commit an overwhelming force to destroy a frigate or two in 2nd and 3rd Fleets. Using a highly mobile force like Serkr, Steele could avoid escalation by making retaliation still very risky.

To you and others here:

Should Steele try to make the case that taking out the Solari destroyers would be the best way to have Earth more open for attack?  Or would focusing more on "low key" military targets like the frigates be the better military choice?

[-Sara-]

War of attrition. If those frigates and destroyers can't perform, they're worth little. Not to mention paranoid, tired, overworked crews.

[Jellyfish]

Should Steele try to make the case that taking out the Solari destroyers would be the best way to have Earth more open for attack?  Or would focusing more on "low key" military targets like the frigates be the better military choice?

The Solari destroyers are more than weapons. They are also centers of command.
You can kill the ants all you like. Take the queen, though, and the hive dies.

[QuakeIV]

That metaphor sorta works, in that the end result is similar.  It would probably be more along the lines of pulling all of the vital organs out of an animal though.  They can sorta function for a very brief time if they suddenly have no organs, however they are hosed without all of the functionality they provide.

[SaltyWaffles]

Should Steele try to make the case that taking out the Solari destroyers would be the best way to have Earth more open for attack?  Or would focusing more on "low key" military targets like the frigates be the better military choice?

The Solari destroyers are more than weapons. They are also centers of command.
You can kill the ants all you like. Take the queen, though, and the hive dies.

Except that they're treated as not at all expendable, so they're put at minimal risk and given lots of protection. Taking one out would be extremely difficult unless you were willing to start a major battle again. Taking out frigates is vastly easier, and each frigate lost leaves each Solaris much more vulnerable and less potent.

Frigates also can't be replaced, especially not at this point in the war. Each one lost is a major blow to the UEF, but they have to be deployed so widely that they're always at risk. The strategic threat of a Solaris actually committing to combat is nowhere near that of, say, Serkr shock-jumping you with enough firepower to obliterate most destroyers in one salvo...and then leaving before you can even hit them back very hard. Steele fears the UEF's bombers the most, and rightfully so--they can be deployed rather flexibly, and a single Durga can often do more damage to a given corvette than a Karuna.

Taking out the frigates means depriving the Solarises and bombers their much-needed support and buffer, drastically reducing their threat potential and figurative durability.

[CT27]

To settle this grammar debate once and for all:

I have seen both used quite a bit on these forums...is the correct word "Solari" or "Solarises"?

[General Battuta]

Solaris destroyers

[An4ximandros]

It's Solaris Destoryers, not Solari. Same reason we don't say Shivan Sathani and use Sathanas Juggernauts instead.

[Aesaar]

Sathanases.  Solarises.  Deimoses.  Sanctuses.  Hobbitses. 

[CT27]

Since the GTVA has now "lost" a destroyer, anyone think the UEF will by the end of WIH?

[An4ximandros]

Given an alpha picture that circled the forums a while ago, I'd say at least one will. Bryne's.

[General Battuta]

Given an alpha picture that circled the forums a while ago, I'd say at least one will. Bryne's.

what

[General Battuta]

The alpha has so little to do with...anything that I can't imagine getting any useful information from it even if it were completely public.

[CT27]

Given an alpha picture that circled the forums a while ago, I'd say at least one will. Bryne's.

Why would you guess his destroyer?


Wouldn't it be more likely that if a UEF destroyer gets destroyed by the end of WIH it would be one of the other two admirals'?

[CT27]

I would guess Calder's or Netreba's destroyer would be more likely to get destroyed since their fleets are more damaged.

With all the reinforcements coming in at the end of Act 3, I'm not out of line in thinking at least one UEF destroyer will be taken out am I?

[crizza]

Lets do some guesswork.
What do we have:
THe Atreus, Serkr, the Imperieuse, these five assets alone pack a mean punch, if the Agamemnon(another Raynor) and the Insuperable(Titan) are part of the same battlegroup organisation established in BP, they will bring their own hunter/killer group(remember, the 14th had one too).
I don't know how official this is, but Batutta mentioned something about the Phoenicia being something like the Carthage, the two Hecates will most likely have at least 5 or 6 Deimos-class corvettes(the Carthage had five, the Hood/Meridian 6).
So, this excludes the strikecraft.
Tenebra said something about Steele needing a whole bunch of good pilots flying escort, and guess what, the Tevs have this area most likely covvered too, remember the conversation about the Tevs pulling their aces back to train more aces?
Steele knows the danger the UEF bomber corps poses, so he'll make sure his critical assets are covered.
It would be rather sick, but using shock and awe, this sick bastard has enough assets to hunt every single Solaris down, one at a time.
The Imperieuse plays deterrent for the Eris, the Atreus and Serkr assault the Toutatis, while the other sharks wait for the mistake...

[Buckshee Rounds]

Are the Phoenicia and the rest already in Sol by the end of Tenebra? I'm sure Calder would've given them as hard a time as he could while they traversed the node.

[MatthTheGeek]

He'd have a hard time giving them a hard time, given that the node's still fortified.