Arm Me an Army #1

In this series of articles, I’ll try to cover some of the army lists I’ve used for Dust Tactics/Battlefield/Warfare. I may also feature lists used by members of my local playgroup who piqued my curiosity.

With the conclusion of our month-long campaign, Operation: Chronos, I would like to take time and discuss some of the lists I used for my matches. I had a total of some 20+ games during the entire progress of the campaign, some won me games, others obviously didn’t fare too well.

As previously discussed, one of the main purpose of the campaign is to get our local players familiarized with the new rules for Dust Tactics. With majority, if not all, units from my chose bloc, Allies, drastically changed, it’s time to experiment on a few mechanics. It is worth noting that during the earlier half of the campaign, we only had access to the units previewed on the Dust official website. As we go along, however, we got more cards and stats made available to us.

Army List 1:

Bazooka Joe (12), The Big Boss (13), Grim Reapers x3 (33), Bot Hunters x2 (18), Wildfire x2 (14), Hammers (10). Total: 100 AP.

With the first load of previews of the new unit cards and rules, one of the first thing I wanted to try out was fielding (and hopefully abusing) multiple Officer Units. Joe is one of the top choices, having Officer skills combined with his Black Ops make for an optimal “lead from the shadows” centerpiece. During that time, The Big Boss was the only other non-character Officer unit previewed so they were automatically included.

Having a quarter of my force spent on background units, my remaining 75 points must be a force to reckon with. A Grim Reapers squad is one of my staples being a very offensive anti-infantry unit. Having three on your side should spell headache to the opposition.

For armors, I turned to 2 squads of Bot Hunters. Nothing too impressive but they’re cheap and a squad can be joined by Joe should he feel like, well, Bot Hunting or something.

My pair of Wildfires acts as an alpha strike and/or clean-up unit, depending on how aggressive I want to get. If they survive the first wave of attacks, they can also serve as defense towers to my commanders.

Rounding out my list is a squad of a handy dandy Hammers. The combination of Charge, Flying and First Strike all packed in just 10 AP, yes please! They’re very good at pounding problematic characters and/or vehicles, bypassing Steel Guard/Superhuman/Zombie saves, and they can go Shoryuken against aircrafts.

10 activations are above average, at least from what I’ve observed from my local play group. With Joe’s Black Ops, you have better chances of winning the Initiative roll per round so you can dictate judging by your assessment of your opponent’s force if you want to go first or not. The general strategy is to position the Bot Hunters first, followed by the Grim Reapers. Depending on the situation, I will almost always have my The Big Boss follow to either try and reactivate a Grim Reaper or have a nearby unit injected with Stimulants. Wildfires will open fire on those more aggressive infantries like the fast moving Fakyelis or those pesky Zombies. Joe will then attempt to reactivate The Big Boss, if successful, another Stimulant or 2 attempts at reactivating a Grim Reapers squad.

This list won me my first weeks during the campaign, having lost only to an SSU list where I had to downsize to match his points. The massive rolls of the Grim Reapers against Armor 3 or lower are not something to joke about. Depending on the situation, you can focus fire on certain, hardy (or lucky) units, or you can split to several softer ones. Wildfires are very nice. The 11-square effective opening range is very decent and often times, they have to be taken down by units worth more points, exposing them in the process. The Advanced Reactive Fire can almost always frustrate would-be attackers, attempting to take a nibble on your Officers. I can’t stop saying how much I love the Hammers.

The Bot Hunters are what I consider to replace in this list. Switching them for another squad of Hammers and a squad of Gunners, this time dedicated to escort Joe.

What do you think of my list? I would like to hear your feedback and if possible, let me know if you get to take it for a spin in your own community.

Cruz Chronicles - Operation Chronos: Shadowfall (Epilogue)

The continuous shaking motion of my bed kept me awake for more than an hour now. And I thought I’ve drowned the sound of nuts and bolts yanking at each other, but it resonates the minute I return my senses to where I’m at right now.

It’s been a week since the campaign at Leboux was finished. I can still see the flashes of the gun fires when I close my eyes. I can still hear every explosion, every scream, when I try to drift away from reality. I can still feel the bullet that hit my left shoulder. I can still taste my own sweat and blood after I took that hit. And worst, I can still smell the rotting flesh of those God-forsaken creatures. Still makes my guts turn upside down.

That’s it, I said to myself. I stood up from my bed and put on a shirt. I need some air. Some fresh scent, not this confined combination of wood, metal and sweat I’m getting inside my quarters. Not that I’m complaining, I've seen worse. I just need some breathing space.

It’s night time outside, probably. Everyone’s supposedly asleep. You can tell by the moderately lit hallway I’m facing now. This locomotive must be one of the newer models, I guess. Can hardly hear any noise from the machinery and the wheels, unlike those older, steam and coal powered ones.

I decided I’ll walk further into the next cabs. I reckon they will not allow me inside the main machine room. Could be radioactive, especially if this train is running on VK. I've gone past the other quarters. Everyone must be having a good night sleep except for me. I could use some spirit, maybe they got some stored in the kitchen. But where’s the kitchen? We really weren't toured into this train. We were picked from the eastern outskirts of Leboux, shown to our rooms and that’s it. They said the debriefing will be tomorrow morning.

I must have walked several steps when I saw a door right at the end of the now poorly lit hallway. Straight towards the door I continued. It’s a heavy iron door. Not the type you’ll want everyone to have an ease getting in or out from, like the kitchen for example. But my curiosity is nagging at the back of head right now. “Open it!” I can hear myself yelling, repeatedly, in my mind.

I gave in, I looked behind me, and no one’s followed. Nobody’s here except for me, I deduced. My hand gripped the wheel on the door, it was cold. And heavy. It took a serious effort on my end to turn it and open. I slowly pushed to the heavy door inwards, as I do, I made another quick glance around me to check for witnesses. I swiftly dragged myself in to the mysterious room as soon as I confirmed there was none.

“Welcome, Sergeant.” I almost had a heart attack when I heard someone greeted me. When I turned around, I can’t believe who was standing in front of me. Of all people that would catch me, why Bazooka Joe?

“At ease, soldier. I’m not gonna spank you or anything for being such a curious cat.” His words were enough to assure me I’m not in trouble. But something tells me I can’t really relax. “Here, you could use this” he tossed me his personal flask. I obliged and opened the cap, rum. I took one sip and the alcohol drew a warm, stingy line down to my throat.

“Where are we, sir?” I asked. And I immediately regretted what I just said. I shouldn’t be here in the first place and now I’m asking our highest officer questions?

“These are the fruits of our labors, of our sacrifices!” he mocked. He turned around, and even before I completely examined, he pulled the cloth covering a massive object in the room. And what was revealed was more surprising. It was a walker. And not a standard ASOCOM-built one, I’m not looking at a Mickey or the newer Rattler. It’s a KV-47. And then I realized, there’s more in the room. At least four from where I’m standing.

“Why?” was the only word I was able to throw out in response to my awe. I saw Joe threw a clever grin in return.

“This is Shadowfall.” He began explaining as he rubs the exposed Howitzer of the machine. “Our entire operation in Leboux was set with the purpose of achieving these walkers, and that’s what we did.”

What? We traveled all the way to that forsaken city for these? “I can’t understand, sir.” I replied. “We were banking that we were sent there to secure more KV.”

“In a way, yes, we did. But mainly, that was Ozz’s job.” He continued, “by the time the Axis sent in their retaliatory forces after the Zero Division took over the city, Ozz and his men were done packing most of the mined VK from the city. What was left there was merely bait. Bits of cheese to attract the mouse.”

 Joe took the flask from my hand, “you see, soldier, we were sent to Leboux, not to defend it. We were there to intercept the Reds.” He further explained.

“And the Zero Division’s ‘disappearance’, Ozz being gone, that was all a plot, sir?” I uttered, still in total shock of what I've learned.

“All part of the plan.” He confirmed.

“How about these Russian walkers, sir? Where are we going to use them?” it took all of my remaining courage and audacity to ask that. I need to know. After everything that happened, I deserve the truth, I thought.

Joe took slow steps, moving closer in front of me, still wearing that devious smile on his face. Looks me straight in the eyes and then taps me on my right shoulder, “Well, soldier, that’s another story for some other time. What do you say we get that drink you were looking for in the kitchen?”

Operation: Chronos - Conclusion

After weeks of bitter fighting, the Axis forces, spearheaded by the Mongoose, succeeded in re-taking the mineral rich city of Leboux. The vicious Axis counter-assault came in hard and fast, taking control of numerous locations and leaving the stationed Allied forces with little time to coordinate a defense. 

The Allied defenders, through pure grit, held the city for as long as they could, but the Axis juggernaut proved too strong, and reinforcements never came, forcing the defenders to withdraw to the west and retreat at least for now.

The SSU forces, though outnumbered and with no air support, showed the tenacity of their available ground assets, taking strategic locations even from the Mongoose on a number of occasions before withdrawing to the shadows from which they came, their purpose for participating in this conflict still remains unknown.

Cruz Chronicles - Operation Chronos: Shadowfall (Part 4)

Even though they’re still several clicks away, I can smell the stench of rotten flesh and my gut starts to feel it will turn upside down. Again. For the third time tonight. I’ll never get used to these Nazi experiments. Not in a million years.

This is the second time we’re defending the Hospital Grounds from an attack by the Axis. But this is a different formation from the last encounter. This is not The Mongoose.

 I signaled my Bot Hunter unit to march to the nearest cover I found available for us. As we were moving, I saw a glimpse of the wave of zombies approaching us. One of them, their “leader”, I think, was carrying a mechanical saw. I told myself we should keep that thing in our firing range.

Behind them is a more terrifying sight. Several of their heavy-armored infantry led by what looks like a woman follow closely. Unlike our Heavy Rangers, these offshoots are sluggers, due to their denser armors, as Intel said. We better be more careful.

To our right flank, I noticed the rest of our platoon assumed defensive positions. The empty tenement immediately next to the trees we’re tucked in was quickly occupied by two of our Grim Reaper units, followed shortly by our Big Boss. I saw Bazooka Joe right behind them. Suddenly my radio buzzed with more bad news from our officer: The Assassin, Angela, was spotted. I ordered my squad to remain as hidden as possible.

I checked my ammunition again, made sure my UGL is loaded. Then all of a sudden, I hear one of our Wildfires made the opening fire towards the enemies who camped inside another empty building across the field. It was answered by a couple of rockets from their Hans, followed by the Ludwig lurking behind it. In a matter of seconds, the light walker was reduced to shattered scraps aflame. Bolton, the pilot, was lucky enough he made the jump before the hit.

I try to assess our orders again: we must hold the defenses and we must take out Angela. Losing the Wildfire just like that made me disappointed, at the very least. I looked at my men and they were awed by the sheer firepower of the opposition. How are we supposed to take them out?

Then out of nowhere, from way behind our defense lines, a squad of Heavy Rangers came flying above everyone else. In a span of seconds, it took us, including the Krauts, by surprise, when it landed right in front of the bushes covering an Axis Grenadier squad. The chilling sound of mechanical arms pounding on human flesh, the cracking of ribs and skulls, not to mention the sight of blood and gut squirting like paste from those German bodies, it all felt like a cold stab of solid ice right into my chest. As if it was not enough shock for everyone, a shriek of what sounded like a female suddenly covered the battleground. The Hammers report it in, they took out Angela.

From there, it felt like everything was put to fast forward. Our Tank Busters did what they do best, turning the enemy Hans to molten spare parts. The zombies led by the one they call Grenadier X advanced further forward towards our lines. Our Grim Reapers exchanged loads and loads of bullets against Lara and her companions. My squad together with a squad of Gunners broke our cover, emptying all our rifles and launchers in one concentrated attack against the nearest bunch of undead Krauts. Everything was happening so fast I failed to recognize if the green slime staining my pants and boots was from those Axis abominations or from my own gut when I threw up to their stench.

“Curse you!”“ Go back to the Nazi-dug graves from where you came from!” “Go to hell!” These are just some of the war cries I heard in the intensity of the battle. Well, apart from the howls and grunts and cranks. I think I even yelled something similar myself while I’m pouring my bullets to one of the zombies.

I took a quick look behind me, and saw what we lost on our side of the board. My Bazooka, Michael Terrence, is laying face first on the ground. I willed myself to yell for help but I can’t hear my own voice from the all the noise around me. I told my remaining men to reload and prepare for another strike. I closed my eyes for a bit, took one deep breath. I’m ready to go, I guess. No turning back now. I tightened my grip on my rifle’s handle. “On Three!” I heard myself say. One. Two. And then my radio started to do its weird noise. And then the familiar voice of our Heavy Rangers officer reached my ear:

“Fall back! Enemy on retreat!”

Endziel: Operation Chronos - The silent puppets Wave 3, Lucked out

We are in dire need of resources to continue the tests.our tests subjects are either losing it or, lacking a proper term, dropping dead. We must attack now or we can never make another one ever.

Lacking options and opportunity, We must retake our base from Ze Mongoose. This will be a long shot, as Patient Zero is now under enhancement and rebuilding experiments. We will have to rely on Patient X again for this one. Patient X proves to be an effective weapon based on the past battle against Ze Mongoose, a cheap and effective one. We could always rebuild him or create one as long as we wanted to.

I took one last puff of my cigar and blew the smoke. I watched it as it dissipates slowly, then I snapped my finger tossing the cigar butt on a nearby trash bin as I ussually do.

"That's weird" - I told myself. This would be the second time I'd miss the bin, the first one was the incident with patient one. So I picked it up and put it on the bin myself. "I have a bad feeling about this.", Then I looked back and saw my Leiutenant, Gasparde Frey, looking at me.

"Anything wrong?"

"Nothing, we proceed as ussual" - I replied.

---

We marched onto our destination, bringing everything to retaliate to Ze Mongoose'. We took a different path this time to surprise them to their flank, but I guess our scouts did bad. We are unprepared, we marched right into the snake's pit, another Axis' territory, Xevero. Bad luck?

"This bunch doesn't look friendly, Gunter..." - My other Liutenant, Jester Helwig, said. Leboux is different, faction doesn't give you immunity here, it's everyone for himself. There's no way of knowing if a tiger could be eaten by another tiger.

Of course they were threatened. They shoot first, we send our men, or at least which used to be our men. Led by Patient X who's said to have the strength of five men, where in fact he used to be five men before, they're like pack of wolves hungry and howling, eager to plunge their fangs onto the prey. Our twin Hans, ever vigilant on clearing the path of walkers so that our shamblers will have no difficulties tearing up thair preys. But there's something off. We are doing the correct battle plan, however it seems that it is not working very well. The twin hans were brought down, we sent in another two for reinforcements only to be brought down as well. Patient X isn't fighting the way he used to in the previous battle, and the shamblers seems to be doing the same too. Bad luck?

There's no time to think of that right now. We need to win this or we will not have anything to go back to. After hours of exploding shells and gunning panzers, the dust settled. Xevero is retreating leaving they're territory uncontested. We now have the resources we need to continue with our experiments.

It may be bad luck that brought us here, or made it difficult for us to fight earlier, but a strong army
don't rely on luck, they make their own.

---

Game 3: vs Jpe's Xevero
Format: Dust Tactics V2
Mission: Scenario 3: Bait and Flank
AP: 100 pts
Status: Battle won, Location acquired
Locations held: 1
Special Bonus: none

Operation Chronos - No Rest For The Wicked

Excerpt from the journal of

Major General Timofei Teodorovic

3^rd Guards Cavalry Division, Steel Wind

Operation Chronos - Persistence

Excerpt from the journal of

Major General Timofei Teodorovic

3^rd Guards Cavalry Division, Steel Wind

Operation Chronos - Home Away From Home

Excerpt from the journal of

Major General Timofei Teodorovic

3^rd Guards Cavalry Division, Steel Wind

Endziel: Operation Chronos - Silent Puppets Wave 2, The war within

Mutiny is the least I could expect in the war of Leboux. Ze Mongoose is one of those Axis groups hungry for territory, if it's in their way, they'll take it. I care less about taking territories on Leboux for now, All I need was to set camp and proceed with my test subjects, after that taking Leboux will be easy.

But Ze Mongoose do not care about alliance. They are already at the front doors and looks like knocking wont be their case. I would say this would be my fault. We have just taken an Allied territory and we are just recovering from our losses. Patient Zero is on lockdown, as further using her would be too much of a risk for now. We have no choice but to use Patient X.

"Are you sure sir?" One of my scientist waiting for my confirmation as he know the risk of using Patient X. He is a failed experiment after all. Nevertheless we have no choice, I will not just stand here and let these bastards take what is mine.

The battle began as soon as we expect it. We are losing units, but they are too. It seems that Axis knows Axis' weakness afterall. Patient X surprisingly did a good job, however being the unstable failed experiment that he is, he can only take too much. The attrition is too much for us to take as we need resources If we are to succeed in Leboux. They came in more prepared, so we have to retreat for now to our underground laboratory hidden beneath Leboux, bringing everything we could salvage including Patient X and Patient Zero.

We will wait for now. We might have lost the battle today, but this day could never be forgotten.

---

Game 2: vs Vaughn's Ze Mongoose
Format: Dust Tactics V2
Mission: Scenario 3: Bait and Flank
AP: 100 pts
Status: Battle lost, Location lost
Locations held: 0
Special Bonus: none

Endziel: Operation Chronos - Silent Puppets Wave 1, Apocalypse rising

Patient Zero is still unstable, although she exhibits exceptional traits as compared to Patient X, she is still of the same genetic code mutation. The Wiederbelebung serum seems to have different effects based on the physical, emotional and mental state of the patient.

With these in mind, I am still eager to see her capabilities in battle. I bet those allied scums at ASOCOM would not expect something like this.

"Sir we have arrived, Target's hideout at 6:00, 1000 meters"

Today's target are the Basterds, one of the allied lapdogs, a veteran team. I would say they were formed as old as Division Zero of ASOCOM. Nevertheless they will find death.

The howling began, the beasts were released. Supported by Feldwebel Lara Walter's elite squad and Agent Angela Wolf's assassins, we took them by surprise. We took the whole camp before they even know what hit them. Bullets were never made to kill these guys, they keep on coming back for more, and more... Until there's nothing left of the enemy.

There were blood everywhere, the one you'd expect in a gladiator's arena where you pit lions against a men. This is not war anymore, this is apocalypse. And this is just the beginning.

---

Game 1: vs Vic's Basterds
Format: Dust Tactics V2
Mission: Scenario 1, Encounter
AP: 100 pts
Status: Battle won, Location acquired
Locations held: 1
Special Bonus: Wipeout

Zaitsev's Ghosts: Operation Chronos Week 2 Part 3

The Mongoose

                It was already night time by the time the Ghosts of Zaitsev exited the abandoned mines to escape the Allied forces of Zero. The steel guards’ spotlights illuminating the dark tunnels showed them the path leading to a commercial area to the north of the city; the scouts observed a German battle group stationed in the area; it wasn’t their target the few of them that could read German saw the markings on enemy infantry and supply crates that were scattered about in their encampment; “The Mongoose” it said. Nikolai remembered reading reports from allied SSU units that this particular squad held most of the city; even with in-fighting within the German Army, “The Mongoose” managed to defend against all opposition to maintain its grasp on the city.

                The young sergeant had to make a big choice; should they continue their original mission to sow chaos and confusion within enemy lines that they may learn their strategies and weaknesses or to follow their captain’s personal vendetta against the Germans that killed her beloved. Many things ran through his mind at the same time; if they want to win the war they should attack with no discrimination but doing so would cost them both men and munitions, it’s been about a week since their last resupply and losing the south east commercial area was bad for both morale and supplies. Attacking here now would give them those precious supplies; they didn’t need to take the whole area only what lay inside it. With his thoughts in order he ordered his men to prepare an assault.

                The steel guard burst from their hiding places, their headlights like eyes of beasts lit the night hoping to catch the enemy unaware they fired on enemy positions; mostly line infantry, German ghost squads and strumpioneers took refuge behind the protective walls of ruined buildings while heavier armored Faceless deaths used an old dead tree as cover while they took shots against the heavier armored steel guard. The new steel fist squad made to replace Kova’s squad quickly raided an enemy cache while providing medical attention to their wounded compatriots. As the battle progressed Nikolai saw first-hand the rumored new Axis shock troops, squads of apes rushed in to assault the steel guard. Nikolai stood dumbfounded as he saw these beasts; not knowing if they were sentient or were being controlled somehow, only he was thankful that they ignored his own men. The steel guardsmen pelted the apes with a hail of bullets taking most of them down; even unarmored these beasts seemed to ignore the wounds they gained from the hot steel striking their bodies. The few apes that broke through the wall of ammunition managed to cause casualties in the steel guard’s line their improved strength ripped through the Russian power armor’s plates and tore mechanical limbs apart.

                Luckily these apes were few and far between; granting Nikolai’s allies the advantage of range killing the rabid animals before they could do more damage. This was only a short respite as the German regular infantry managed to recover from the earlier assault and began to fire on the SSU forces. Information must have been passed to the rest of the Axis forces in Leboux as the soldiers of The Mongoose sacrificed their greater numbers to focus their fire on single squads of Steel Guard’s. They learned that though their weapons may be far more advanced they do next to nothing against the Russian miniature walkers; concentrated fire was more likely to damage joints and other weaker parts in the Steel Guard’s knocking them out of battle than killing them. Nikolai grudgingly admitted the commander of this squad as losing men without actually killing them did more damage to turn the tide of battle than killing them outright.

                The battle was close to being over; the Germans had lost several of their ape squads and some of their regular infantry; Nikolai thought he they had the chance to actually win the battle, instead of trying to hold out and take their supply cache he ordered his men to advance and attempt to take the enemy warehouse on the far side of the encampment. This order turned out to be a hasty choice, the steel guardsmen that arrived there first was caught in a deadly vice. An axis light walker;  Heinrich, they believed it was called stood above them towering like a metal dinosaur with its heavy laser cannon pointed right at them, the warehouse gate opened with a loud grating sound as moaning and growling marked the approach of the rumored zombies slowly marched toward them. Nikolai’s face went white with guilt as the weight of his decision struck him like a hammer. He grabbed his radio and shouted his men at the front lines to fall back and take what they can. He ordered the rest to act as a rear guard for their retreat the steel death snipers were to provide covering fire from afar while the rest of the tornado’s aid in the retreat and the men carrying heavier caliber auto-guns were to attempt to destroy the Heinrich. A few moments later as the last of the soldiers from the front lines started exiting the battlefield a loud metallic cry light filled the ruined city as the Heinrich began to tilt, Nikolai could see the walker’s leg buckle and warp under its own weight, to him it seemed like a dying animal.

                The remaining Germans momentarily stopped attacking as they dodged the falling metal wreck, enabling the remaining Russian soldiers to exit the battlefield. Sweat painted the young sergeants face from beneath his mask as he pondered his actions. They did manage to grab few of the enemies supplies but it seemed to him that they lost more than they gained, his hasty order to advance could have ended worse than it did. His breathing was labored but it wasn’t from a wound or fatigue it was more of an anxiety attack as he began to feel the burden of his stature as sergeant, he knew there were far more better candidates than he to lead the men. He kept thinking most of the steel guards were veterans of several engagements would have been a better choice than he after all he was only a fresh draft from the countryside not even a year of experience in war. His mind was in chaos, his men were completely silent, only the sound of marching feet echoed in these empty tunnels the surrounding veil of darkness was broken only by the steel guards’ mounted lamps.  The man then noticed the men up front stopping abruptly their mounted spotlights showing only glimpses of what lay ahead, suddenly the dark tunnel shone as an electric buzz rang throughout the cavern.

                Nikolai’s hand futilely attempted to block the light as he walked to the front; the ground crunched as his boots stepped on gravel. As his eyes adjusted to the blinding light he began to see what stood before them; a massive KV-47 walker painted in desert cliff yellow, behind it the remaining Ghosts of Zaitsev stood proudly. The sergeant gave a quick salute and stood in attention immediately knowing who piloted the mechanical giant. An electrical screech suddenly burst as the pilot of the walker spoke; “Rest and refit Sergeant, then continue your original mission.” The tone was cold and nearly soulless; it was as if the woman Nikolai knew no longer existed. The boy turned to his men and signaled to continue marching back to camp. “I will hunt down Kalte Biss myself”;  whispered a woman’s voice causing Nikolai’s to look around, he hadn’t heard the radio’s static burst and none of the men seemed to have heard it too, “I’m going crazy” he thought as he laughed bitterly. 

Zaitsev's Ghosts: Operation Chronos Week 2 Part 2

A Chance Meeting

                It was early morning; Nikolai had only just recovered from his injuries but was already preparing for another sortie, as he gathered his gear he could see that their hidden encampment was buzzing with activity, Kapitan Tanya had ordered all of her men to gather in the clearing; standing atop the wooden balcony of her personal quarters. As the soldiers settled down in formation she began to speak in a cold and commanding manner; other than Nikolai the other soldiers couldn’t see the anger bubbling beneath her stoic façade. Tanya’s simply gave the men a simple order; hunt down the remaining forces of Kalte Biss; the veteran soldiers’ of the steel guard with faces like stone nodded in acknowledgement, Nikolai and the other young regulars infantry couldn’t understand the steel guards determination, especially with the Axis forces occupying nearly eighty percent of the city how would they find that platoon; when there are many more possible targets. Nikolai knew, it was a vendetta, the loss of Kova the man their captain loved and the other steel guard greatly respected had been a huge blow to them but rather than losing morale the veterans used it as fuel for their ever burning hatred of the enemy.

                The lady ended her speech still in a cold and distant manner, “Remember do not die.” The younger regular infantry simply replied with a salute, but the veterans returned with voices filled with determination; “You cannot kill that which is already dead.” Once ready another platoon of guardsmen headed out for battle; their faces like chiseled stone showed no emotion only steel resolve to avenge their fallen comrades. The march within the abandoned mines was dark and solemn; the combat group was used these ancient mines to strike deep behind enemy lines but since information was scarce and the cities districts rapidly changing hands the best the Ghosts could hope for was to exit in unoccupied territory and ambush the axis forces from behind.

                It was mid afternoon when Nikolai and the other soldiers exited from what seemed to be an old railway tunnel nearby a residential area still looking for their prey they chanced upon a combat group from the Allied Forces. Nikolai couldn’t read English and could only make out ZERO painted in white on enemy troopers uniforms and armor. This chance meeting shocked both forces which turned into a skirmish both of them were unprepared for this sudden battle. The steel guard’s thick armor became their weakness; built to withstand Axis forces concentrated fire, they could do nothing against the allied forces Reapers and Hammers mobility, the allied forces relatively few men as their weaker armored companions hid behind cover away from enemy fire. The tougher and faster jump infantry managed to close the distance and fought the steel guard in close combat.

                Zero wasn’t their prey; the steel guard quickly performed a tactical retreat back into the tunnels firing potshots at anyone bold enough to chase them. Nikolai didn’t know how this would affect the war now that both enemy armies would have knowledge of their presence. From what he knew the other SSU forces deployed in this campaign were mainly composed of light infantry supported by KV walkers, this meeting could change enemy tactics; for good or for ill. The only thing Nikolai was certain was the fear he felt when he saw the enemy jump troops descend from the skies like angels of death; their ambush and fortify tactics were of no use against an enemy that could react quicker than they. The young sergeant could only wish that they never meet them again.

Zaitsev's Ghosts: Operation Chronos Week 2 Part 1

Honoring the Dead

Operation Chronos ****, Spring 1947 – taken from Nikolai Kiritchenko’s personal journal.

My name is Nikolai Kiritchenko, I have been given a field promotion to the rank of Serzhant by Kapitan Tanya to replace my fallen predecessor; Serzhant Josef “Kova” Kovasky.

It has been a week since that fated night when the Axis battalion named Kalte Biss wiped out his entire squad; a battle which I barely survived from. It is a shame to lose such a talented officer; he was a man I greatly admired, from what I know of him he had fought alongside the Kapitan in several engagements their first was Stalingrad before the discovery of VK. The war took a toll on his body, in Zverograd he was caught in an explosion and lost an arm and suffered third degree burns on scattered parts on his body; he would have died from shock and bloodloss but the field medics were able to perform first aid but could only do so much to save his life however; the Kapitan was already an active agent for SMERSH and used her connections to place the Serzhant in a steel guard armor as a test subject which saved his life.

The Kapitan and the Serzhant formed “The Ghosts of Zaitsev”; in honor of the legendary sniper, almost completely composed of the first members of the steel guards, men given second life by the sarcophagus they call their armor. The recent battle however has caused massive losses in the steel guard and I fear the loss of Kova has clouded the Kapitan’s judgement. She had recently ordered a “Haunt”; what the ghosts call their missions, to eliminate Kalte Biss. I cannot go against the orders of my superior but I fear that a personal vendetta will cost us this battle.

CRUZ CHRONICLES - Operation: Chronos, Shadowfall (Part 3)

Where am I? What happened? I thought of these questions as I try to open my eyes. For a moment everything seemed like a blur. As I slowly gain a clearer vision of my surroundings, I suddenly felt a hammering pain in my head. I’m back in the Hospital Grounds, I deduced to myself.

I tried to reach for my temple and that’s when I realized that my left arm was wrapped with bandage, supported by a sling around my neck. I tried to examine myself by trying to feel and move my other appendages. I felt a little bit better knowing I’m still in one piece. Most importantly, I’m still alive.

I looked to my left and saw Sergeant Wilson, our unit leader. He was also lying on a stretcher, still asleep but from the looks of it, he didn’t sustain any serious injury. I tried to turn to my right. As I slowly do so, I felt the pain on my left shoulder. Took a bullet, so it seemed.

Two more stretchers to my right hand side, the closest one next to me I don’t know the name, but I remember him as one of the pilots of our Wildfires. The one on the farther side was Corporal Badge, a weapons expert from the other Heavy Weapons Squad. Unconscious, with some patches here and there, they’ll live and fight another day.

All of a sudden, I felt the fatigue and decided to lay myself back to rest. As I do, flashbacks of the recent events ran through my head.

I recall an attack on one of our held locations. No, actually it was here, this hospital we’re stationed in right now. I heard the Axis troop was called The Mongoose. A couple of dreaded names rang amidst the gunshots and explosions: Lara and Panzerprinz. At first it seemed like a random attack but we realized they were after our newly dropped supplies. They must be falling short on their own, or could be an attempt to sabotage ours.

The assault was bold at the very least. I saw a couple of those mutated ape squads and some zombies, along with those eerie-masked, laser-totting grunts. The exchange of blows was brutal and devastating, considering the scale of the skirmish.

The enemy got the upper hand at the start. They were able to hold on to one of the scattered supply crates for some time. But we pushed forward, with the combined firepower and speed of our Heavy Rangers leading the way. Towards the end, I saw the Panzerprinz driven away by one of our Grim Reaper squads.

The vermins crawled back to one of their encampments. After a short regrouping, Joe assembled a strike force to hunt down the remaining Mongoose, with my Bot Hunter squad as part of it.

We got to the abandoned city hall just north of our camp, which apparently was taken over by the Axis forces we’re following. They took us by surprise early on, as I saw our other Heavy Weapons Squad knocked down upon entering their grounds. From there everything happened like a haze. I remembered my squad charging towards a Hermann, hoping our Bazookas and UGL load outs could bring it down. We were out of luck I guess, as our shells didn’t even scratch the walker’s hull. And then I remember seeing a blinding, warm light coming towards us, and that was it. I went blank from there.

Judging from there, I would say we lost that battle to claim the city hall. But seeing we were able to regroup back here, the enemies did not retaliate further. There’s still a fat chance of us winning back this city and drive both the Axis and SSU away.

And then it hit me, I could use the time! I reached out to my left chest pocket, and boy was I so relieved to find one thing: the pen I picked few days ago. Time to finish that report.

CRUZ CHRONICLES - Operation: Chronos, Shadowfall (Part 2)

I’ve been holding on to this pen and piece of paper for more than an hour now. Technically it was just the pen, this is like the nth piece of paper I tried to write my thoughts on. What’s funny is the pen wasn’t even mine. I picked it up from a fallen comrade. May he rest in peace.

I’ve written debriefing reports before. Can’t tell if it’s the terrible coffee or the nearly spoiled rations I stuffed my face with earlier. Maybe it’s the mildly lit lamp. I really don’t know, I can’t seem to put into written words what I’ve been running again and again at the back of my head.

Since we came here four days ago, we’ve been really occupied with a lot of “negotiations.” First in the line was the skirmish we had with a somewhat lost band of Axis. That was the first time I saw the infamous assassin Angela. Good thing our Grim Reapers proved lived up to their namesake. We’ve kept control of that area since then.

Then there were a couple of renegade troopers led by different commanders that we bumped into. Those bastards were a real pain in the neck. Good thing Joe was able to force a treaty and an alliance of sorts. With the Germans and the Russians around, I agree that we can channel our differences on more pressing problems.

We took down another Axis regiment near the Water District. I was a bit surprised myself to see enemy aerial support so close by. I really wish our requested reinforcements arrive before this campaign ends. We could really use the additional firepower. Not that I’m complaining. But come on, that skirmish could have turned against us if not for some dumb luck that our Six Shooter was able to deal serious dent on the enemy’s forces. Well, that’s before it was brought down by that dreadful Blitz. Even our Wildfires and Honeys took some beating back there. I’m just thankful I survived that encounter in one piece.

But what’s causing me unrest for the last two days was the most recent clash we had with the Reds. That machine they called Grandma dealt the most tremendous blow to our platoon. Not to mention those Steel Guards. It’s like whatever we threw at them just bounce off their armors and plates. What’s worse was we were like target practice to them. Makes me think of our delayed reinforcement again. Can’t wait to have me some Barbequed frogs like Hell! We’ll see about that…

Back in the here and now, on this makeshift chair, I almost fell as I hear some sudden noises. “We’re under attack! We’re under attack! Take positions!” warned one of our officers as he was running with all over the encampment to draw attention.

I saved the piece of paper and folded it back to my chest pocket. Away with this pen too. Let’s hope it brings me luck. Let’s hope I can bring vengeance to its previous owner. I took my AR and checked for ammunition. Made sure my UGL is also all prepped. Within seconds, I’m with my Bot Hunter unit.

“It’s the Mongoose!” confirmed my squad leader.

Operation: Chronos - "Dear Christine"

Dear Christine,

Zaitsev's Ghosts: Operation Chronos Week 1 Part 2

Katyusha

                A flash of lightning brightens the night and shadows dance as the door to Tanya’s room burst open. A gravely wounded soldier drops to the floor his strained voice calls out trying to overcome the rumbling thunder in the background, “Kapitan…” The woman’s instinct causes her to pull out her gun and scan the perimeter before worriedly approaching the wounded man. The room brightens once more as Tanya kneels and removes the soldiers protective mask, she knows the man; Nikolai. “Nikolai what happened!” shouted Tanya as her hands begin to feel a warm stickiness coming from the soldiers back. Nikolai wheezes before he can speak, “Serzhant Kova…” the man takes another rasping breath “He didn’t make it.” Tanya’s eyes widen in shock her mind is thrown into chaos; another bolt of lightning streaks across the night sky, “Nikolai! Tell me what happened!” she shouts  but the soldier falls unconscious, the captain grabs the man’s shoulders and violently shakes him continuing to call out his name her voice louder than the booming of thunder outside. Her shouting stops, the sound of her footsteps echo throughout the camp as she heads out the door shouting for a medic. A drop of water bounces on her pearl white skin, she looks up as more and more drops of water fall from the sky. The falling rain drowns out nearly all sound, save for the loud footsteps and creaking wood as two medics ascending the old stairway leading to Tanya’s personal quarters. She points to the man lying on the floor; still looking at the sky, the two men nod in acknowledgement; Tanya doesn’t notice, and walk over to help the man. The captain’s legs buckle and she limply drops on her knees, the woman’s thoughts filled with worry for her sergeant, still staring blankly at the sky, droplets of water streak down her face no-one could tell whether it was from tears or from the rain.

                Nikolai violently awakens with a loud shout his arms flailing as if fending off an unseen foe. Tanya’s hands grab his as she tries calming him down. Nikolai regains his senses and looks at his commanding officer sitting down on a rusty chair beside his bed; he notices her face, her eyes red and bloodshot, he doesn’t know if it was from lack of sleep or worry, he feels pain coming from all over his body wondering how he survived. White bandages nearly cover his entire body, red splotches staining them; marking where he had been shot, miraculously none of the rain of bullets shot at him hit his vital organs. Tanya breaks the silence, “You had been sleeping for a day, and you nearly scared me to death when you arrived in the middle of the night.” Nikolai gives her a bitter smile then his face warps as he flinches in pain before he could reply, “Sorry ‘bout that Kaptian.” The woman stands up to grab a glass of water and what the soldier thinks could be medicine. The captain returns to her seat before speaking again, “I could have been the one to deliver the killing blow you know.” They both laugh but it is quickly cut short as the soldier grunts in pain. “I wanted to give you a firsthand report.” he grimly replies. “Drink this, it will help with the pain”, says Tanya as she hands Nikolai a pill and a glass of water; he takes the glass and drinks the pill. She looks at the soldier seriously then asks, “Can you tell me what happened.” The injured soldier looks out the window and then recounts the events of his last mission “You sent us to aid the Serzhant about two days ago then…”

Operation Chronos Spring 1947: Two days ago.

                It was night, the soldiers fatigued from two consecutive battles the sergeant worried that the next attack might be much better prepared to deal with them. Their last two attacks had the element of surprise granting them victory and the sergeant doesn’t expect that strategy to work a third time. He looks out the window of the ruined building and watches the afternoon sky sink into darkness. His ears pick up a strange sound off into the distance; he quickly stands up leaving his armor unattended to search for the source. Kova stops at a window facing the north the bright orange of the sun blocked by remains of buildings that dot the city making it hard to see the horizon; suddenly he sees a glint in the sky. The sergeant looks at the men behind him and quickly barks out an order, “Sniper’s check out the northern skies, report anything you see.”

                Tension builds in the air as two pairs of snipers scan the dusk sky; the rest of the men finish rearming themselves preparing for the worst. The sound of static floods the sergeant’s ears and a voice comes out, “Serzhant! We’ve got a single bird in the sky!” The sergeant presses a button inside his armor to reply, “Confirmed.”  His armor hisses as the protective helmet of his steel guard drops completely encasing him as he walks to his men waiting in the ruined building’s lobby.  His medic and engineer flank him on both sides completely battle ready, his remaining men all stand in attention. Kova opens a radio channel for all his men to hear and begins to speak, “Men, we have won two victories and the Axis forces are scared. They are sending a complete force to deal with us. Today there is only one objective; show them the true meaning of fear. “He pauses to let the message sink in and continues, “If we die today we die for the Motherland! If we die today we will not be alone we will bring the enemy with us; for every one of us that falls two of them shall join us in hell!” The sergeant’s men stand ready unflinching none of them showing fear. “We cannot die serzhant! The Ghosts are already dead!” shouted one of his men. “For Mother Russia!” shouted another, and another and another. The entire room filled with a cacophony of cheers. Kova walks in between his men heading for the door, the grinding of his armor’s gears and the thudding of his footsteps drowned in the ongoing cheers for the motherland.  His men follow him raising their weapons the cheering abruptly stopped replaced by the rhythmic sound of marching feet.

                Beads of sweat form on Kova’s face; the cool spring night breeze completely shut out from his armor, tension builds in the air as he and his men wait for the Axis’ arrival the sergeant’s thoughts cloud his mind, “Forgive me, my kapitan. I know you said to fall back if the situation is dire, but I cannot follow that order. I cannot shame the motherland any further these dogs have taken our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters from us and we shall bring the vengeance of the Red Army.”  Minutes passed until a white dot in the sky appeared in the horizon and the strange sound Kova had heard earlier that evening drowned out all other sounds. The airplane’s spotlight scanning the perimeter also revealed the bulk of the enemy’s forces; a Ludwig, several infantry squads and two well armed women “Probably their commanders” thought the sergeant as he watched from afar.

                As soon as all of the enemies were within sight; Kova turned to his men and gave them the signal. They knew their orders; Kill them before they kill you, and set forth to assault the enemy. The platoon of steel guards quickly burst from their cover with guns blazing, a squad of light infantry quickly fell to the first salvo of shotgun and auto-gun fire. The young sergeant immediately knew they were fighting against hardened veterans; the remaining enemy troops quickly recovered from the shock and prepared launched a counter-attack. The axis troopers quickly knew that focusing their attention on a single squad is more likely to eliminate it rather than trying to shoot at everything at once; those with more specialized weapons however split their fire hoping to pick off the wounded soldiers. The enemy commanders appeared before Kova’s squad not long after the first few seconds of battle; two women a lone master sniper and another leading a squad of heavy infantry. The Russian forces were outnumbered but not outgunned; they made true their word for every one man they lost two Germans died along with them. The battle seemed to be even until the enemy plane found the perfect firing position behind Russian lines its guns may have been weak but concentrated fire eventually pierced the steel guard battle suits, slowly whittling down Kova’s remaining comrades.

                A grim thought rattled the Russian sergeant’s mind, “We will lose… My only regret, is not knowing these bastards names.” Time seemed to slow down in his mind; the bark of gunfire muffled as Kova kept his finger on the trigger; to him it seemed as if he could see the bullet leaving the barrel of his gun, the flesh of his enemy disintegrating as the same bullet strikes his target but he knew his death was near; he remembered hearing stories from his comrades who survived such an ordeal, their senses heightened as adrenaline flooded their bodies their reaction times quickened but they say it was death’s final gift. A loud clank rang inside the young man’s armor and he flinches as he sees the armor’s interior displays crack, another loud ping followed as his armor’s protective shell broke in a rain of razor sharp shrapnel, his vision becomes tainted in red as he looks at his assailant; the female sniper. Her short trimmed blonde hair waving in the night breeze her gun close to her face as she peers down her gun’s scopes; Kova was unsure whether it was the night light or his dying hallucinations but he saw a sadistic smile split the woman’s face; then a loud bang. The next thing he sees is the night sky as he topples down to the rubble covered streets; his reddened sights slowly turning grey, he sees movement off in the distance coming from the east he didn’t know why but he called out, “Nikolai…” then nothing.

                Nikolai and his men quickly run out from a ruined building heading for the enemy heavy infantry standing at the center of the battlefield; as they saw Kova’s squad get wiped out. They jump from cover to cover ending up behind a large tree stump shouting in rage he orders his men to open fire. Night turned to day as a spray of burning sulfur engulfs the armored troopers and the smell of burning flesh and gunpowder permeated throughout the battlefield as Nikolai’s Fakyeli brought swift vengeance to their enemies. The enemy sniper unaware that her allies were dying continued to decimate the remaining steel guard laughing as she continued pulling her gun’s trigger. Nikolai thought that he too would die this day but not until he brings vengeance for his friend. The enemy commander’s burnt body had not yet reached the floor when the Russian light infantry occupied their position and let loose another barrage on the enemy sniper and her body guards. The woman had no time to react before she too was covered in molten liquid; her screams of pain music to Nikolai’s ears but that pleasure was short lived; the enemy Ludwig loomed in front of them and the enemy aircraft danced above them. He fought as he muttered prayers; his men gave all they had to bring down the last two enemy infantry and the Ludwig but failed. The last thing he remembered was silently falling to the ground as the Ludwig’s cannon fired on their position throwing him and his remaining men several feet into the air before he collapsed in a heap of rubble. He lay unconscious for hours and miraculously survived as he woke; it was sunrise of the same day, he could only see rubble and corpses strewn across the battlefield. He felt only pain but he knew he had to report what happened and so he walked.

                “And then you know what happened after” ended Nikolai. Tanya’s face was like stone unmoving and unflinching, the man did not know whether she was heartless about losing her love or she was in a state of shock and denial. The long pause was broken as Tanya’s wooden chair streaked across the old floor boards, she seemed to be leaving her final words to the injured soldier were, “Take the week to recuperate once you’re ready we head out our haunt is not yet over.” Then a bang, the woman apparently lost control of her emotion as she exited the makeshift hospital as she slammed the door. It was still raining, the dull grey sky a reflection of her. She walked towards her walker; slowly and with purpose, no one noticed her tears thanks to the rain. Looking up at the rain filled skies she sings.

Operation: Chronos - "The Red Dawgs"

As the Red Dawgs retreat from its narrow defeat from Ze Mongoose, it stumbled upon a small faction of axis scum in an abandoned warehouse. Still reeling from the loss, the Dawgs were vicious, the Fakyeli overwheming the axis scout team and then the Red Thunder and Steel Fist ganging up on the axis walkers. Some comrades were lost but no axis were left standing. 

Operation: Chronos - "Of Apes and the Undead"

Excerpt from the journal of

Major General Timofei Teodorovic

3^rd Guards Cavalry Division, Steel Wind

Operation: Chronos - "Up Close and Personal"

Excerpt from the journal of

Major General Timofei Teodorovic

3^rd Guards Cavalry Division, Steel Wind

Geben sie dem Mungo (Enter the Mongoose)

Day 1: Returning from a tour of duty off the Pacific, ze Mongoose returns to Lebuox and saw how the landscape has changed, and was not pleased, for there are now 2 invaders as the SSU had taken a foothold. Wanting to right this, ze Mongoose, took initiative to take control of a fellow Axis' teritory Kalte Bliss but was unsuccessful as the other Axis Commander had plans of his own. 

Day 2: Ze Mongoose sets his eyes on taking ze other territory of yet another comrade Endziel and succeeded. Now that his supplies are replenished, ze Mongoose force marched to reclaim his "Lair" but was contested by a fledgeling SSU force Steel Wind. Ze Mongoose successfully wiped out Steel Wind taking advantage of the urban terrain limiting ranged attacks by ze fabled Gramma. Soon after, a second SSU force known as Red Dog, challenged ze Mongoose. After a lengthy encounter, ze Mongoose proved too much for the SSU and now controls 2 areas. Ze Mongoose now sets his eyes on the Allies!

Day 3: On their way back to ze Lair, Ze Mongoose was confronted by an Allied Armour division threatening to take control of ze area and have started to dig in. Ze Mongoose wittingly let loose of a Zombie Horde led by Totenmeister and GrenadierX, causing confusion on their left flank while Lara and ze Panzerprinz secured the supplies they carried at the same time making short work of ze Allied Armour units. Ze Basterdz, calculating their loses decided to withdraw from ze area. Ze Mongoose claimed yet another victory.

Zaitsev's Ghosts: Operation Chronos Week 1 Part 1.

Shock and Awe

Excerpt from Kapitan Tanya’s Command Journal Dated – spring 1947.

                The sleeping City of Leboux had been woken violently by the fighting that erupted within its concrete jungle five days ago. Both Axis and Allied forces resumed fighting for the remaining active VK mines in the city completely oblivious to our presence. That is until my scouts reported the presence of Koshka fighting at the center of the city. Steel Wind; as she named her battle group appeared in the middle of the fighting carrying with her only the bares minimum of our forces from what reports say; though I doubt its reliability, Two light infantry squadrons, a group of steel guards and her favorite toy “Grand’ma”. Apparently she succeeded taking a page from the Axis books “Blitzkreig” they call it, those fools must have been shocked. It irks me to say that I let her take the initiative; but now the eyes of our enemies as we place bullets at the back of their heads. I however will show our enemies the meaning of Shock and Awe!

*********************************************************************************

Spring 1947 First week of Operation Chronos.

Serzhant Kova’s report

                I remember it clearly; it was a rainy day the fighting in Leboux had been going on between the axis and allies for days my Kapitan told us it was time. Our enemies should be weary and low on supplies and should be expecting reinforcements soon; moments later one of my steel death teams sent me a report. The Axis was the first to move, two Ludwigs a Konigsluther and a few squads of light infantry were coming in from the south east commercial area of the city; I looked at Tanya, she nodded signaling the beginning of our haunt. We mobilized quickly to catch the enemy off guard, their Infantry may move faster than our steel guards but they cannot afford to leave their precious Konigsluther unattended, slowing them down. We arrived earlier than expected and took positions in the ruined buildings hiding from sight, I remember telling my men “This isn’t Stalingrad do not die!” my men looked at me in astonishment as if I had said something a child would; they probably saw the curious look on my face to which one of my men replied with a wry smile on his face, “Serzhant ghosts are already dead.”  They were the best men anyone could hope for.

A few minutes had passed as we laid in wait, then we felt the earth shake and the buildings rumble, they were near. Their large walkers’ steps echoed across the empty city streets their massive metal bodies cramped in the urban jungles; trapped like rats they were.  As soon as they were within range my snipers opened fire making short work of their commanding officer. The ancients used to say cut off the head and the body will follow, with their commander dead the axis troops soon fell into disarray they did not know where we were coming from, discord sewn in their ranks their men fired blindly. Their light infantry was like paper to my men; heavy shotguns and auto-guns tore through flesh and bone leaving Axis soldiers crumpled to the ground riddled with holes. The German’s precious supplies; dropped by the dead became, my new objective.

As soon as we were close I ordered my men to stand-by; I told them we would use it as bait to lure our remaining enemies into the kill-zone. One by one the remaining enemies walked to our trap, they knew we were there but with their guns useless and all they could hope for was to secure their precious supplies. They hid behind cover frightened to leave knowing that death was waiting for them should they attempt to take it. While I was focused on the objective I heard the sound of stone break I turned to look, a massive walker burst from the dust and rubble. I saw two of my snipers foolishly present themselves to the Konigsluther; I called out to them, “TAKE COVER!” I said straining my voice but it was too late; the massive walker’s cannons drowned out my voice. I flinched as a loud bang and a bright flash erupted where my men had stood, when I opened my eyes all I saw was a blackened crater in the middle of the street; no sign of my men, nothing left to take home to the motherland.

My remaining troops faced with the two Ludwigs at the northern side of the area, enemy infantry nowhere to be found and our weapons effectiveness reduced thanks to the walker’s armor plating. My men instinctively knew what to do, the squad of Steel Tornado’s advanced drawing the enemy’s cannons to them; praying to the gods that their armor protect them, while the snipers scoped out the pilots, gaps in the Ludwig’s armor plating and lightly armored joints. Slowly but surely the snipers whittled down the Ludwigs’ defenses turning them into scrap metal but at a cost; the Tornado’s that stood to protect them were nearly decimated only one man stood remaining, the crumpled bodies of his comrades lay behind him their armor unscathed but the bodies inside nothing more than a pile of meat as the successive shockwaves from the walkers’ cannons bombarded them.

By the end of the day the rest of the enemy infantry lay dead or dying, however before we could call it a complete victory we had to face the Konigsluther; this one machine could turn the tide as none of our weapons could damage it. We had to resort to more barbaric means to destroy it; I ordered my men to charge and strike it with their fists. Loyal men they were, they knew that some of them would not make it but they charged none the less, the first squad of tornados reached the gigantic machine and so started their onslaught the distinctive sound of metal against metal echoed through the battlefield, the mechanical beast’s armor began to break. It’s pilot whether skilled or desperate moved back while firing its cannon, I lost more men. My men were enraged as they saw their comrades die at the spider-like machine’s feet; they marched faster reaching the walker in seconds and struck their fists at its metallic hide away from its arc of fire. They continued to pound it till it finally gave way. The sound of metal grinding against metal seemed to me as like the cry of a large dying beast as the machine lurched and fell to the ground with a loud bang. As the earth stopped shaking and the dust settled none of the enemies remained a complete slaughter, the location was ours. The term “Shock and Awe”, rang in my mind and the panicked and fearful faces of the Germans corpses forever in my head as we tried to count our own dead; some without bodies to bring to their mothers, my hatred only grew, “Shock and Awe” indeed.

*********************************************************************************

24 Hours later

                Nightfall came soon and before my men could rest and resupply we were woken by the familiar sound and shake of the heavy walker’s gait coming from the distance. “They must be wondering what happened to their reinforcements” I thought as I peered through my armor’s enhanced binoculars. The Germans had sent out a search party to our location they carried with them a similar formation like the last one; a couple of light infantry squads supported by heavy infantry and two Ludwigs. The remaining men I had left was me, my medic and engineer, two fresh tornado squads and death teams while the rest were unfit for battle due to their wounds and casualties. “This will be enough” I confidently whispered as I looked behind me watching my men rearm themselves. With a nod we left the safety of the ruins under cover of night. We caught the axis party searching for their allies in an open portion of the area; only rubble to mark where buildings once stood it was a perfect battlefield for us to fight on.

                The black veil of the night was torn by the searchlights on both Ludwigs the shaft of light rending the shadows that covered our approach reflected off our armor plated suits. The flash of our guns’ muzzles tore more of the darkness the enemy troops had no time to react; their light infantry were quickly shredded alongside their commander. The heavy infantry; laser grenadiers, recovered quickly from the sudden shock of our appearance, fired their weapons against us. The night turned to day as bright red flashes of searing hot lasers streaked through the air melting stone and burning wood, but our armor protected, only blackened scorch marks appeared on our armor and nothing more.

It was our second battle with axis troopers and we’ve learned how they fight however they haven’t learned about us yet; and I don’t intend to let survivors give high command information. The enemy platoons once again left without a leader quickly fell to our guns and not long after so too did their walkers, leaving no one to tell of our existence. We managed to win that battle with only few casualties; none of my men died, injured but nothing a proper night’s rest wouldn’t heal. Too bad by the time we had finished the black of night started to turn a hazy purple and when we returned to camp the sky turned blue, we may have won two successive battles but the war is yet to be finished. I hope that my men last.

CRUZ CHRONICLES - Operation: Chronos, Shadowfall (Part 1)

The sun was almost set when we reached the western borders of Leboux. After almost a month of sailing on neutral waters, it felt like forever since we last set foot on solid rock.

My legs were still shaky as we disembark from our ship, still adjusting to the sudden shift in the pull of gravity beneath my feet. I tried to survey the land from where I stand. The port where we docked seemed almost intact, with very minimal damages, hinting that the heavy fights haven’t reached shore yet. I take it as a good sign, at least for our own benefit. We can lie safe tonight, or could we? Should we?

And then I recollect the briefing we had on our way here. Add to that, the numerous chit chats I’ve overheard from my fellow grunts. We are outnumbered. Almost four is to one. And we’re not just facing the Germans and their abominations. I've seen some of the recent reports and those Russians have joined the war.

“Make no mistake,” I noted to myself. No place is safe here. Not in this war torn piece of land.

We’re halfway through unloading our supplies when I noticed the sound of heavy footsteps approaching our direction. I reached for my rifle strapped on my shoulder; we may have made a mistake choosing this position after all.

I turned towards where the sound was coming from and let out a sigh of relief when I recognized who made them. They were no enemies but a unit of NCO Heavy Rangers. Must’ve been sent from one of our posts stationed within the city, I thought.

They were greeted by our commanding officer with a salute and were gestured to stand down. I cannot clearly hear their conversation from where I’m standing. And the sky got dimmer with only a glimpse of the moon giving us a bit of light.

There were nodding, some shaking of heads, I think I even heard someone blurted out a curse somewhere in the middle of their conversation. I make a quick sweep from time to time and everyone around them just stood there, as if holding their breaths for whatever the news will be.

Then there was more silence. It lasted for a few more seconds, even the stars shied away behind the night clouds to avoid us. What is going on? I’m almost certain every man in the vicinity is thinking of the exact same thing right at this very moment.

All of a sudden, one of the officers signalled for everyone to proceed forward. As I was being pushed and bumped, I noticed our commander threw the small piece of paper he was handed earlier, now crumpled. I don’t know what got into me but somehow, something in me urged the need to see what’s written on that piece of paper.

I ran after it as it was kicked and swept. It almost fell to the water had I been slower. Without hesitation, I opened it. The words I read sent a jolt from my hand all over my entire body.

I composed myself and took a deep breath before I threw the note to the water myself. I turned around and hurriedly followed my fellow Rangers as we march inwards the dark confines of Leboux. The message still rings at the back of my head:

Ozz is gone. Rhino is down. Get Joe. Shadowfall is a go.

Operation Chronos Prologue: The Rise of the Ghosts

The last of the howling winter winds fail to mask the heavy footfalls of the Russian power armors’ approach. The hazy spring dawn casts a silhouette of a female figure standing beside a hulking walker; both overlooking the war torn City of Leboux. The dull thrumming of the mechanisms powering the armors grind to a halt as the woman turns to face the three soldiers at the front. Audible hisses resound as the armors helmets slowly flip open; “Kaptian Tanya! The Ghosts of Zaitsev at your command!” shouts the soldier in the middle. The woman takes off her cap and dusts it off more from habit than actual dust, revealing the face of an attractive woman with long straight jet black hair, “At ease serzhant.” She replies with a stern look.

Tanya pauses for a moment to observe the ten power armored men standing in attention behind the sergeant, “Are these the only men you brought with you Serzhant Kova?” she continues. The sergeant flashes a wry smile as he replies “Kaptian, are you saying we will need more to bring Zaitsev’s vengeance?” The woman breaks out in laughter, “It’s been a long year Serzhant, I see you haven’t lost your pride in your snipers.” She approaches the sergeant, standing about a head shorter than him wearing that armor she reaches out and gingerly examines the “Steel Fist” armor with a gloved hand. “A beauty indeed, our scientists have made great weapon in our fight against the traitorous allies and our most hated enemies.” Looking up at Kova sternly she speaks “Tell your men to ready the camp and rest,” with a hint of suggestion in her eyes she replies with a voice only for the sergeant, “Then take off that armor and we shall talk.”

A loud creaking sound comes from the old rusty door hinges as sergeant Kova enters a poorly lit room; Tanya is peering from its windows observing the camp grounds she does not notice the soldier enter. Below she sees an old mining facility long forgotten and in bad need of disrepair; “A perfect place for ghosts”, she thought watching her men parking their power armor in front of the old miner’s housing units getting ready to attack. This room; most likely the mine’s overseer’s” located at the top levels of the mining complex provides a good vantage point for the city. “Kapitan” the sergeant called out hoping to catch his captain’s attention. Tanya turns around; her uniform half undone, motioning Kova to the window. “It has been a year serzhant, are we ready to haunt our enemies?” asks the woman. The sergeant nods and replies, “We have been stationed in this area closely observing our enemies learning their tactics” he pauses to add emphasis, “and their weaknesses.” He points a finger to the gaping hole on the western side of the mountain; “This town is one of the oldest in the region, long before VK was discovered Leboux had been a mining town and our camp is one of the oldest.” He pulls out a hand drawn map; “We’ve mapped out all the paths inside the mine, and we’ve found out most of them connect to the cities sewers or the other VK rich mining facilities; most of which are under our enemies’ control.”

Tanya’s face shows a hint of a smile as she turns around to walk towards what seems to be a personal bathroom replies in a soft voice, “Perfect”. She closes the door behind her, the sound of running water is heard muffled and the captain continues in a louder voice; “Relay this to our men, we shall use those mines to launch coordinated hit and run attacks in various locations in the city.” The sergeant moves beside the bathroom door and asks, “And what of our objective?” Tanya’s voice still slightly muffled by the door spiritedly replies; “We shall cause chaos amongst our enemies, like ghosts we shall haunt them, like our hero Vasili Zaitsev, we shall break down their chain of command as we hunt down their officers. If our enemies flee we take hold of the area for as long as it benefits us; should we be pushed back we shall retreat into the mines, leaving our enemies wondering, scared and confused. Remember, we are but ghosts. IN ZAITSEV’S NAME, FOR MOTHER RUSSIA!”

“For mother Russia!” replies the sergeant. He waits for a few moments, as he hears nothing but running water from behind the door then begins to exit the room. The loud creaking of the overseer’s door resounds once more but before he can take a step outside the room he is stopped by a voice. “Where are you going serzhant, have you forgotten your orders.” whispers Tanya standing below the bathroom door’s frame; her body hidden by the room’s poor lighting and continues “I thought I ordered you to take off your armor.”