Nanoha - StrikerS - Episode 21 Discussion / Poll

[Kha]

Originally Posted by Gearhead

Spoiler:

Of course.. we're all just waiting for the moment when Subaru finally goes.. 'For a very long time.. I was afraid. I was afraid I wasn't brave. I was afraid of being afraid.. But now I understand that being brave is being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway. And VICTORY goes to THE COURAGEOUS!'

I'll definitely be saying "ABOUT TIME, EVOLUDER!!!"

[Mirificus]

Originally Posted by Jimmy C

My assessment of the situation:
They can't risk getting bogged down at any stage if they try to take the objectives in turn. Ark assumes the defense of the capital will be brief, maybe yes, maybe no. What if the objective of the threat on the capital is merely to draw away forces from the Cradle long enough for it to reach its firing position? Strategically, I'd be willing to leave the capital to its fate.

Agreed, they can't afford to get bogged down but uncertainty will always be present. It is rarely possible to obtain exact information on the enemy situation. Better however, to have a faulty plan or decision permeated with boldness, daring, and decisiveness than a perfect plan enmeshed with uncertainty. The plan Hayate used is faulty and neither bold, daring nor decisive and violates innumerable tactical principles.

Hope I can neutralise Scaglietti and the Cradle then return to the Capital before it's too late. But I don't think anyone in RF6 is willing to leave the Capital nearly helpless. So someone has to go, that's why they sent the ones that would make the least difference in additional combat capability there, plus one senior combatant.

The teleporters would let the forwards act as a reserve. What they want to do shouldn't really matter at all. Poor discipline is a sign of poor leadership.

Scaglietti and the Cradle has to be dealt with at the same time. They don't what contingency plan he has for the Cradle if he dies prematurely. They also don't know what backup plan he has in case they neutralize the Cradle in time. This way, they have teams in place in both locations should any such plans get executed.

That's why it is always a sound idea to have a reserve. During the course of a battle concentration of fire and the committment of their reserve are the most direct way for a commander to influence the action.

In conclusion, it's a bad situation, it can't be changed, so do your best with what you got. Perhaps Hayate should have had a larger force to begin with, but since episode 4, it looks like RF6's squads are the largest she could hope to get.

Hayate can't dictate what forces she has available but she can dictate what she does with them.

And look at it from a dramatic point of view. The more dire the situation, the greater the victory! Nothing makes the viewers cheer like snatching victory from the jaws of defeat!

I would have hoped that they would have used a better way of getting to that point than by making Hayate a non-entity as a commander.

[Key Board]

It's interesting several how several RF6 members are fighting with handicaps

Subaru, has a no IS use rule she imposed on herself.
Fate is fighting against 2 numbers
Nanoha is within the presence of AMF
and Teana's circumstances is just brutal

[Chaos2Frozen]

Oh well, I've tried.

At least it would increase the number of posts for this episode.

Originally Posted by Key Board

It's interesting how several RF6 members are fighting with handicaps

Subaru, has a no IS use rule she imposed on herself.
Fate is fighting against 2 numbers
Nanoha is within the presence of AMF
and Teana's circumstances is just brutal

Subaru's one is a no brainer. Nanoha's predicament would explain the mess she's in base on the next episode's spoiler.

And I've pretty sure they're pushing Teana to have her show off her leet illusion skills again to even the odds, and that she's a thinker.

[Nightengale]

Originally Posted by Key Board

It's interesting several how several RF6 members are fighting with handicaps

Subaru, has a no IS use rule she imposed on herself.
Fate is fighting against 2 numbers
Nanoha is within the presence of AMF
and Teana's circumstances is just brutal

Well,being a Number is a handicap on its own in a way, since they're not versatile at all bar their special techniques, while mages in general has more tricks here and there, which is why they cover that with numbers anyway, pun intended.

Though it is strange why there's no like...super AMF installed at Jail's base. I can understand not having a permanent one due to Lutecia and possible detection, but otherwise, he seems to have enough complex to fit in some concentrated AMFs around.

[Key Board]

probably because unlike the cradle, it doesn't have enough power to sustain one 24/7?

[FlareKnight]

Not to mention Vita's minor handicap of having a hole in her chest. They've really stacked the deck on Teana who was having enough problems 2 on 1. But now with more drones and another number it's just ridiculous. You'd almost expect someone to come in and help her though I'm not sure if anyone is free at the moment.

[Key Board]

Originally Posted by Nightengale

Well,being a Number is a handicap on its own in a way, since they're not versatile at all bar their special techniques, while mages in general has more tricks here and there, which is why they cover that with numbers anyway, pun intended.

Otto seems versatile: she has been shown to be capable of binds, erecting barriers and some display of organization leader skills. Maybe she is a general purpose model?

[Gearhead]

Otto's the most recent development. She might be a special case.

And at some point Subaru is totally going to stop holding back... especially if she finds an opportunity to use Oscillating Breaker without killing Gin.

[asaqe]

It seems like blade duet (7 and 12) are pretty much dead...

[Fabien]

Originally Posted by Jimmy C

Perhaps Hayate should have had a larger force to begin with

And perharps Chrono should start considering the idea of doing something?

[aers]

Originally Posted by Fabien

And perharps Chrono should start considering the idea of doing something?

The fleet's on the way. They can't do much more then that.

[FlareKnight]

Troublesome with Vita running low on cartridges at such a time. You'd think with a major fight looming they'd have ample amount for everyone to use.

I'm sure Chrono is on his way. Stuck in the position of moving the fleet though hopefully he'll show up with time to get involved in the fighting.

[arkhangelsk]

Originally Posted by Jimmy C

My assessment of the situation:
They can't risk getting bogged down at any stage if they try to take the objectives in turn. Ark assumes the defense of the capital will be brief, maybe yes, maybe no. What if the objective of the threat on the capital is merely to draw away forces from the Cradle long enough for it to reach its firing position? Strategically, I'd be willing to leave the capital to its fate.

Given the correlation of forces if they had involved everyone, the chances of Jail's Capital Team being able to delay RF6 for long is minimal. All commanders have to deal with risk.

I'm aware that 80%+ chance is that this is just a delay tactic or Scarlietti is just going for some RF6 leadership, so I've considered leaving his Capital Team alone. On the other hand, they are easily eliminated and I would think it reasonable to try and eliminate the 20% of uncertainty using 5-8 minutes. Besides, like you said, there's the sentimental factor.

Scaglietti and the Cradle has to be dealt with at the same time. They don't what contingency plan he has for the Cradle if he dies prematurely. They also don't know what backup plan he has in case they neutralize the Cradle in time. This way, they have teams in place in both locations should any such plans get executed.

At least he won't be in command. Any contingency plan he can execute upon his death can be executed while he's alive, but not vice versa. If I get his Cradle then at least he only has the plans he can execute without the Cradle, and so on. So, stopping at least one prong fast (Scarlietti looks like the more promising and faster to handle prong BTW) is better than being bogged down at both prongs and letting him retain all his options.

In conclusion, it's a bad situation, it can't be changed, so do your best with what you got. Perhaps Hayate should have had a larger force to begin with, but since episode 4, it looks like RF6's squads are the largest she could hope to get.
PS. Ark's analogy with an artillery battalion is inaccurate. That's a force with units with uniform cambat power. RF6 is a mixed force with units with varying capabilities and weaknesses. Try a small force of tanks, infantry and fighter planes instead. Facing HUGE armies of tanks, soldiers and planes coming from 3 different directions.

I used an artillery battalion, but the law of N-square and correlation of forces are the same. A small force doesn't win by trying to defend across the front. It uses a mobile defense and concentrates to ambush the enemy again and again at critical times, slips in behind them to attack their lines ... but the point is adequate concentration at at least one point.

[Dark Wing]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

Troublesome with Vita running low on cartridges at such a time. You'd think with a major fight looming they'd have ample amount for everyone to use.

Well assuming Vita actually fights her way to the reactor it would be so freaking awesome if she pulled a Wing Zero. Don't you think?

[An Hero in Disguise]

Originally Posted by arkhangelsk

A small force doesn't win by trying to defend across the front. It uses a mobile defense and concentrates to ambush the enemy again and again at critical times, slips in behind them to attack their lines ... but the point is adequate concentration at at least one point.

It's clear that the scenarists are simply going for the dramatic effect of the heroes being outnumbered and handicapped across all the front. So they've deliberately chosen to split their forces to make them have troubles with every task instead of dealing with them one after another relatively easily.

[Nvis]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

They've really stacked the deck on Teana who was having enough problems 2 on 1. But now with more drones and another number it's just ridiculous. You'd almost expect someone to come in and help her though I'm not sure if anyone is free at the moment.

Maybe Vice's role is not yet finished..... I still wonder why there's a relationship between Teana & Vice.

Or maybe a last-minute assistance from human-form Zafira/Arf?

[aroduc]

Great episode, and that's exactly how you do a "holy shit" moment. Out of nowhere, vicious, and shocking, even though I'm sure she will pull through.

Also, Teana is totally one of my favorite characters, why is she stuck fighting three of the beasties. Hell, Fate only has to fight two. :-(

Caps etc
http://blog.seiha.org/?p=277

[Fabien]

Originally Posted by Nvis

Maybe Vice's role is not yet finished..... I still wonder why there's a relationship between Teana & Vice.

Or maybe a last-minute assistance from human-form Zafira/Arf?

For now, Zafira and Vice are pretty much unconscious and unable to move. Arf's role seems to be intelligence gathering more than fighting, and anyway, I don't see how she could arrive faster than Chrono.

[Nightengale]

Originally Posted by Fabien

For now, Zafira and Vice are pretty much unconscious and unable to move. Arf's role seems to be intelligence gathering more than fighting, and anyway, I don't see how she could arrive faster than Chrono.

Don't they have teleporters at HQ?

But yeah, unless Arf suddenly got her guardian-wolf senses tingling like crazy or something, it doesn't look like she'll go.