Military Tactics

Disclaimer: This is for the folk that want to sprinkle a little bit of realism in their TPs, and anyone who's just looking for ideas beyond a simple punchy-kicky conflict. It serves as an optional reference (of course) for military terms and tactics. I researched and summarized as best I could, and tried to think up example scenarios or scenes that had already taken place. I left particularly strategies and warfare types out, if they didn't fit the MUSH environment (like psychological warfare). Naturally, Cybertronians would probably have different names for some of these.

Paperwolf12 (talk) 18:42, July 2, 2014 (UTC)

Strategy and Raids

Strategy Attrition - A strategy that encompasses, essentially, grinding down the enemy through continuous losses of personnel and material. Breakthrough - Based on larger troop movements. Troops aim to pierce the enemy's defenses, thereby exposing the vulnerable flanks which can be turned. Encirclement - Based on larger troop movements. Troops surround the enemy in a pocket. Envelopment - Based on larger troop movements. Troops attack on one or both flanks. Deception - Misleading via information warfare or psychological warfare. Includes feigning retreat, fictional units (holograms, false flag operations), smoke screen, Trojan horses (gaining admittance under false pretenses), and distractions. Feint Attacks - The Dinobots were used as a lure to draw off Decepticon forces, to make the assault on Cuprahex more manageable. Concurrency Take and Hold - An operation to actually change the hands of an area. Restricted Access TP, requires TPstaff and FacHead approval.

Operational Warfare (Basic Raids) Demoralize, Confuse, or Exhaust - Good ole' Decepticon razing! Pillage Location - Decepticons overwhelm Protihex and make off with medical tech. Destroy Target - Many skirmishes are in this blunt style, using the simple charge tactic. This is the most common operation on the MUSH. Destroy Valuables - Impactor leads an assault on Shockwave's artificial island, with the intent to destroy the lab within. Bruticus Giggles Capture Target - Barrage takes down Air Raid and brings him back to base as a prisoner. The Collector Restricted TP, as per Prisoner policies Free Captured Allies - such as prisoner exchanges or jailbreaks. Restricted Access TP, requires TP Staff approval Gather Intelligence - Mute leads Autobot troops to an abandoned Decepticon bunker in hopes of retrieving intel. Silent Infiltration Prisoner Exchange - The factions broker a deal to exchange prisoners or assets, usually at a neutral location, sometimes involves ransom.

Warfare

Siege

Siege A physical blockade of a city-state, outpost or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition (wearing down) or assault. It usually occurs when a force overtakes a fortress that is not easily overtaken, and refuses to surrender. It is a constant, low intensity conflict that ends when the besiegers are defeated, have surrendered, or leave on their own accord. The Decepticons overwhelm the Rust Seas defenses and lay siege to the Hydrax Plateau spaceport. Nothing gets in or out as they pillage the spaceport for supplies while holding civilians hostage. Camouflet - Twin Twist drills a tunnel to reach the Autobot-captured Cuprahex outpost. Impactor drills below their tunnel, allowing Elita One to set off an explosive, collapsing the enemy tunnel. Escalade - Autobot ground forces organize a strategic escalade to scale the defenses of Kaon's outskirts. Blockade - Autobot forces compromise and surround Crystal City (the besieged), preventing entry or escape. They build lines of circumvallation using ramparts and entrenchments. Sapping - Quickswitch drills beneath enemy trenches to plant explosives. Artillery Barrage - A long range assault that does high damage, and is harder to defend against. Blast Off singlehandedly destroys Firebase Solace with his Orbital Strike. Physical Barrier Breach - Ravage infiltrates Debris via assisted cyber warfare, opening gates. Bonecrusher... smashes through the gates.

Cyber Warfare

Cyber Warfare Security Breach/Data Mining - Soundwave hacks into Teletraan, gleans tactical information and sabotages the database. Disable Database/Denial of Service - Decepticon Intel brings brings down digital banking for three city-states. Shockwave jams the radio frequencies of everyone within range. Sabotage/Disruption of Equipment - Autobots stage an attack on a Decepticon sensor outpost. Blaster and Cosmos take down a Decepticon satellite. Laserbeak steals Metroplex’s conversion cog. Piecemeal Armageddon Power Grid - Brainstorm and Chromedome plant a virus within a Decepticon network, which causes a cascade power failure.

Infiltration, Espionage and Clandestine Operations

Infiltration, Espionage and Clandestine Operations Infiltration Coersion/Treason - Kickback meets an Autobot down on his luck, tempting him with wealth and power to betray the Autobot cause. Double Agent (Intel Agent) - Counterpunch relays false information to the Decepticons, leading them into a trap. Dealer is entrusted with attack plans, which are promptly sent to Decepticon Intel. Clandestine Operations General Recon - Groove leads a recon unit to scout the site of a downed Decepticon shuttle. Stealth Recon - Mirage evades surveillance within Trypticon to spy on strategic planning amongst officers. Bumblebee slips by Crystal City guards and gathers intel on captured allies. Deep Cover - Deaddrop lurks in Polyhex for a vorn before requesting extraction. Deaddrop's Debriefing Counter Intelligence Code Scrambling - Blaster and Soundwave constantly battle for supremacy over the airwaves, to garner intel on each other’s faction. Barium Drop - Fake intel is given to multiple sources. The one acted upon by the enemy proves who the leak is. Agent Elimination - Soundwave and Counterpunch attempt to ferret out the Bot spy in their midst. '"Soundwave lures Autobot-sympathetic agents to the field to eliminate them. Crimson Dawn: Jailbreak of Day Security Sweep - Autobot forces actively patrol Metroplex attempting to locate the nefarious Laserbeak. Plan C, Phase One

Naval Warfare

Naval Warfare Naval Blockade - Autobots create a naval blockade within the Mithril Sea to prevent Helex supply ships from reaching Castle Decepticon. Maritime Interdiction - Dreadwind intercepts Depthcharge before he can deliver much-needed rations to an Autobot outpost. Landing Operation - Broadside brings Autobot troops to a land engagement. Fairway is Captured in India Hellburners - Neutral mariners send a hellburner vessel into a Decepticon blockade around the Mercury Isles. The hellburner (or fireship) is a hodge-podge craft pieced together from the shipyard and loaded with explosives. It ignites and scatters the Decepticon ships, allowing for breakthrough maneuvers. Piracy - The Seacons raid and loot a neutral Altihex yacht. They probably had too much money anyway. :( Commerce Raiding - Seaspray leads a full scale assault on Decepticon merchant ships.

Aerial Warfare

Aerial Warfare Cover Warships - Jetfire and Sky Lynx protect Broadside from Seeker bombardment. Air Interdiction - Seekers attack Autobot ground troops, aiding Decepticon ground operations. The intent is to assist, not necessarily to defeat. Ground-controlled Interception - Blaster catches Thrust through sensors and directs Fireflight to intercept. Head-on Engagement - Dirge, Ramjet and Thrust meet Blades and Whirl with, well, a head-on assault.

Guerrilla Warfare

Guerrilla Warfare Armed civilians trained in military tactics involving ambushes, sabotage and raids. They are typically familiar with their city-state or surroundings and utilize the element of surprise. Units are more mobile than their enemy, often striking and withdrawing. Sabotage - Crystal City resistance member plants explosives within frizz-rat corpses near Decepticon smelting rooms, where they are expected to be burned. Tunnel Network - Yuss resistance members build underground tunnels assist in poisoning Fort Scyk's Energon supply. Booby Traps - Crystal City trappers create trenches filled with Energon-freezing spires in the outskirts. Trapper rigs a crate of high-grade to explode if shifted. Harrass Forces - The Crystal City resistance harry the Decepticons in-city with assaults only to fade away moments later. Sandstorm leads some Autobots to pin down a patrol to lure out the Combaticons into getting thrashed. Crumble In The Jungle Assassination - The removal of a figure of power usually via explosives or sniping. Elita One comes to a hard realization that Shockwave must die to break the endless stalemate.

Stand-alone Tactics and Warfare

Stand-alone Tactics and Warfare Protect Target/Escort Precious Cargo - Autobots protect neutrals from enemy fire, escorting them to safety. Survivormech Rout - A Decepticon unit retreats in a disorderly panic at the threat of a combiner. Autobots are forced to flee when Decepticons take down Grimlock. Rally - Unnerved Autobots return to the offensive after Rodimus Prime inspires them. Galvatron threatens a painful death if his troops do not return to the battlefield. Checkpoints - Decepticons have sent up rubsign checkpoints at every entrance to Crystal City to prevent unwanted movement and to monitor supply chains. Leave no trace/Scorched Battlefield - Decepticons completely obliterate the Copernicus Station, destroying their own captured territory to refuse any further assets to the EDC and Autobots. Asset Denial - Shockwave orders Cuprahex to be scrubbed and destroyed rather than let it fall into the hands of the Autobots. Concurrency Harassing Fire - Decepticon troops have cornered a small unit of Autobots in the Istoral Trench. In order to force surrender, Decepticons engage in harassing fire to rattle the Autobots and to prevent recharge and resupply. Body parts of offlined enemies are sometimes thrown. Thundering Rescue Suppressive Fire - Powerglide and Swoop provide suppressive fire on a firing point as Autobot infantry storm the Helex coastline, lessening the intensity of the assault on their allies. Colony Drop - Galvatron drops a meteor towards Iacon. Blueshift drops a giant salt rock on Kwarch. Super Weapon - Dark Energon, the Requiem Blaster, Monster Predaking