Grading Criteria: Valid entries that meet the requirements will be graded based on this linked grading criteria: Battle Plan Grading Criteria.

Valid Entry Criteria: Valid entries will come from one (1) member (submission by the same member who submitted to Phase 1: Breaking the Blockade if applicable), but must consist of a two (2) to four (4) person team from the same Clan and not part of any other team participating in this competition. Members can be part of one (1) team only. For members not in a Clan, they must form a valid group meeting size requirements with other members not in a Clan. Valid entries must outline some type of plan that attempts to carry out the mission as outlined in the competition prompt using provided details and have at least 500 words of content. Valid entries must also have participation from every member of the team, contributing a reasonable amount of effort, with a summary of each member's contributions as well as their dossier pin numbers provided with the entry.

Prompt: The enemy has entrenched itself in the city of Axio, and is using it as a factory to build their machines of war. You and your fellow Clan members have broken the blockade above the planet and landed in a sector of the city and have been called on to put together a plan to secure the sector of the city that you have landed in, gaining a foothold, and await further orders. The following details provided will help develop this plan to carry out the stated objective.

Axio City Map

Situation, Enemy & Friendly Forces: Intelligence has provided a full report on the terrestrial planet of Nancora your forces have just descended upon, provided here: Nancora Report. Your forces have broken the blockade in orbit above the planet with support from the fleet and find themselves in the city of Axio, a massive metropolis of sprawling buildings and industry built on various layers visible from space as a large disc with concentric city blocks. In the center of the city is a massive citadel that serves as a seat of power that is heavily shielded and protected by defense towers that have made a direct assault dangerous if not impossible. It is just before dawn with the sun about to break on the horizon, though under the irradiated and difficult to breathe haze of smog in the air that makes environmental suits and closed armor a necessity outdoors in the city, it would be hard to notice with visibility limited to 1.2 miles (2 km). You face an aggressive and fearless enemy that will stop at nothing and use anything in their arsenal to eliminate your forces and have no qualms about coordinated attacks within their own city. It is not expected that the enemy will receive any reinforcements in the time window of this assault, with virtually no support from residents of the city holed up in the lower layers of the city protected from the harsh environment.

You have at your own disposal the entire strength of your Clan’s ground forces that travelled past the blockade, less anticipated losses reaching the ground and any limited elements left behind for defense of Clan holdings. All fleet/space-based units that participated in phase one to break the blockade remain in space to see your forces safely to the ground and do not follow and are unavailable for all of phase 2. Rogue members should choose the military forces of the same Clan used in phase 1 for the purposes of this plan. In addition, any chosen Shroud Syndicate attach from the first phase would be at your disposal if applicable, even if they participated in phase 1. Members of the team can participate in the plan, but keep in mind if they participated as part of the fleet forces they cannot participate in ground engagements. No other members or NPCs can participate in the battle plan.

See below for enemy and friendly forces and the situation within each sector and use the appropriate details for the submission to this phase.

Northern Sector: The northern sector is a three-hundred (300) mile wide stretch of the circular city bordered by a steep mountain range that protects the approach from fire by the countless anti-aircraft weapon placements throughout the city. It is also a heavy industrial sector with test facilities and parts factories producing armor for the Collective military. This puts a much larger quantity of heavy armor targets in this sector of the city.

After landing in the drop zone, your forces regrouped and set up a defensive position with central command in a large warehouse near the middle edge of the sector. The enemy is well aware of your presence and already your position has come under artillery fire by an aggressive enemy as elements of their forces are en route. 7 miles (11.3 km) to the east is a finishing facility for powerful armored units, where the 4th Regiment of the Ostara Ground Forces are currently being refitted and updated on training. While 7 miles (11.3 km) to the west is a sprawling surface training facility for collective mech pilots, where the 3rd Regiment of the Ostara Ground Forces are on alert and running drills. Over 100 miles (161 km) to the south towards the center of the city a large collection of the enemy’s military forces are on alert protected by the massive shields around the citadel tower but will not engage.

• Enemy list to the east: 4th Regiment of the Ostara Ground Forces
• Enemies to the west: 3th Regiment of the Ostara Ground Forces
• Friendly forces details: Virtually no casualties suffered on the way down.

Western Sector: The western sector is a three-hundred (300) mile wide stretch of the circular city bordered by large empty plains that at one point in the past served as an oceanfront, giving virtually no cover from anti-aircraft weapon placements. It is a heavy commercial sector of the city and has a dense collection of spaceports and large berths for ships. It also has several spaceports that train pilots in rotation from the many battle groups. This puts a much larger quantity of starfighters in this sector of the city making air support difficult with the need to maintain space superiority.

After landing in the drop zone, your forces regrouped and set up a defensive position with central command in a commercial spaceport and hangar near the middle edge of the sector. The enemy is well aware of your presence and already enemy starfighters are being launched in the area. 5 miles (8 km) to the north the 4th Regiment of the Elysium Ground Forces has been training air raid drills with the fleet in orbit above the planet and were on alert to quickly move on your position, while 10 miles (16 km) to the east the 1st and 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Regiment of the Elysium Ground Forces have been training with pilots from the Gravesend Wing on special operations and pilots have already launched their starfighters from a nearby hangars to begin calculated strikes. Over 100 miles (161 km) to the northeast towards the center of the city a large collection of the enemy’s military forces are on alert protected by the massive shields around the citadel tower but will not engage.

• Enemy list to the north: 4rd Regiment of the Elysium Ground Forces
• Enemy list to the south: 1st Battalion, 3rd Regiment of the Elysium Ground Forces, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Regiment of the Elysium Ground Forces and the Gravesend Wing of Collective Starfighters
• Friendly forces details: Estimated some 10-20% of your forces did not successfully reach the ground in the city.

Eastern Sector: The eastern sector is a three-hundred (300) mile wide stretch of the circular city bordered by what used to be fertile farmland, and is now a collection of abandoned facilities and fields littered with explosive scarring from use as a training field. As it is virtually flat, it gives little opportunity for cover from anti-aircraft weapon placements. It is a heavy residential sector of the city, housing a more densely packed portion of the population, but also containing a link to numerous barracks and training facilities for soldiers. This puts a much heavier concentration of enemy soldiers in this sector of the city, as well as elite forces that typically train new recruits.

After landing in the drop zone, your forces regrouped and set up a defensive position with central command in a large empty training facility near the middle edge of the sector, the enemy is well aware of your presence and converging on your location. 5 miles (8 km) the north the 5th Regiment of the Elysium Ground Forces are actively doing live drills and are on alert. While 5 miles (8 km) to the south both the 6th and 7th Regiments of the Elysium Ground Forces are housed in barracks between conditioning and training at full strength. Over 100 miles (161 km) to the northwest towards the center of the city a large collection of the enemy’s military forces are on alert protected by the massive shields around the citadel tower but will not engage.

• Enemy list to the north: 5th Regiment of the Elysium Ground Forces
• Enemy list to the south: 6th Regiment of the Elysium Ground Forces & 7th Regiment of the Elysium Ground Forces
• Friendly forces details: Estimated some 10-20% of your forces did not successfully reach the ground in the city.

Mission:

Objective is to subjugate the chosen sector of the city as quickly as possible and await further orders.

Optional Music: