Mission 08 - War-Path

## 08 - War-Path

The "retaliating" Thorun Empire discovers their Athrael "invaders" still have plenty of tricks on their sleeve...

## Battle Information

### Aftermath

Close Thorun Empire Victory* Thorun Sedra Campaign forces almost dominated by the Corael Order, including Bleda and Thalok.

## Belligerents

* Thorun Empire
* Imperator Corps *(Unexpected assistance)*

* Corael Order

## Commanders

* Thalok

* Unknown consultant

## Forces

* Predator interceptors
* Marauder corvettes
* Raider assassin craft
* Defenses including Guard Stations
* Blood Moon and Silent Blade

* Intruder strike craft and Lancet drones.
* Warpglider corvettes and Flanker cruisers
* Rector platforms and Harbinger drone ships
* Psychic Dome
* Dominated Thorun forces, including an arsenal of Havocs.
* Defenses including Polaron Spheres and Obelisks

## Objectives

* Destroy all local Athrael presence. *(Aborted)*
* Destroy the Athrael Psychic Dome.

* Protect the Psychic Dome.
* Eliminate all non-controlled enemy forces.

## Casualties and losses

Substantial
Severe

## Involved Characters

* Thalok
* Bleda
* Garuga
* Kagan
* Tyran *(Briefing only)*

*War-Path* is the eighth mission of Chapter 02 - Ascension in the Five Nations campaign.

## Setting

Following the final victory against the unknown invaders whom attacked the Thorun Empire at the Obra Sector, Warlord Bleda informed Emperor Tyran of the identity of the invaders, known as the Athraels, as well as the location of their homeworld - Vemana, in the Sedra System - which would allow the Empire to retaliate.

While Prince Thalok argued this to be a bold move and hinted towards caution, as the offensive was based on an information left by fallen foes and without proper intelligence the attack could fail, Bleda appealed to both Tyran's descendancy (from the legendary Warlord Marendor), as well as to Thorun history, claiming that the Thorun race did not defeat the Zahak invaders ages ago acting merely on defense, to argue that, unless they struck first with the full might of the Imperial Legions, the Athraels could conduct further surprise raids on the Algor System. Tyran concurred with Bleda and thus gave permission to use the Gates of Aether (wormholes) to deploy the Thorun forces against the Athrael Theocracy.

## Your Thoughts Betray You

As Bleda's legions entered the Sedra System, the Warlord - while attempting an advance towards Vemana - ordered Thalok to attack a separate station complex with a second legion, as to cover Bleda's forces from any possible Athrael rear action. However, moments after Thalok had established an temporary foothold to start operations, out of a sudden his very forces started opening fire at Thalok's command ship, the Blood Moon. Grandmaster Garuga immediately realized to his horror that the Athraels had activated some sort of mind-altering apparatus and unleashed it at Thalok's legion's Capitol, but the Blood Moon was away from the device's epicenter, thus it couldn't be affected. Garuga advised Thalok to flee his very encampment immediately, which the Prince complied.

> "- Inheritor, I suggest you follow me."
> "- Who are you?"
> "- Later, my lord, now follow me. We don’t have time - they **will** attack us again."
>
> First contact between Prince Thalok and Imperator-warden Kagan

During it's escape from the pursuing dominated Thorun forces, the Blood Moon was unexpectedly aided by a group of unidentified Raider assassin craft, whose leader, aboard the vessel Silent Blade, asked Thalok to follow towards a hidden Thorun station close to where Thalok had established himself. The Raider leader identified himself as Kagan of the Imperator-warden Corps, the personal bodyguards of the Thorun Emperor, whom were sent by Tyran to protect Thalok during the campaign. Given the Imperator-wardens were hidden and away from Thalok's and Bleda's main groups, they had also evaded the Athraels' mind control techniques. Garuga then identified the source of the mental domination, coming from a particular Dome at the center of the Starcity belonging to the Corael Order, which Thalok made his very objective to destroy and thus free the minds of his fellow warriors.

Using the Imperator-wardens' base as a staging point, Thalok wasted no time in preparing forces to strike the Corael Starcity was rapidly as possible and destroy the Psychic Dome. The Corael Order had discovered this second position however, and, given the Psychic Dome could not control two forces at once, had to make due with deploying it's limited forces as well as the mind-controlled Thorun forces against Thalok. Kagan and his Raiders proved the most instrumental in defending Thalok's position and neutralizing key Thorun defenses, although Thalok himself ordered that, while he had little choice but to defend himself against his mind-controlled warriors, the Thorun stations were to be left intact.

Utilizing the forces of the Imperator-wardens and Garuga's assistance in providing advisory, Thalok was successful in breaching the Athrael defenses with the forces he had and providing assistance for Kagan and his Raiders to destroy the Psychic Dome on their own, which had freed Thalok's legion from it's mind control immediately afterwards.

## Walkthrough

The player will start only in command of the Blood Moon and a single Marauder, but the supposed starting base (orange) is not under the player's control. The player should immediately start moving the Blood Moon and Marauder to the south, away from the orange base, as a cutscene will soon show the Athraels activating the Psychic Dome and using it at the base's capitol, turning all of the orange base against the player - the orange base changing it's alliance status from ally to enemy. The player must start heading south, even more past the stellar cloud, preferably before the cutscene starts playing as immediately after the orange base is turned the starting orange Marauders will start chasing the Blood Moon.

As the player moves further south, it'll soon by joined by the rescued Silent Blade and three other Raiders, stealth cruisers with a powerful close range attack, which the player should use to destroy the pursuing Marauders, while using the Blood Moon as backup, preferably with it's Overcharge ability supporting the Raiders. The Silent Blade's attacks can also disable enemy cruisers between attacks so this should also be used to the player's advantage. After the enemy Marauders are destroyed, the player should take all forces south where the Imperator-warden base (blue), that the player should rescue.

The player will then receive the objective to destroy the Psychic Dome, but also to not attack the orange Thorun base - destroying any structure of theirs will result in defeat. The player should start concentrating on mining Metal, expanding the number of Extractors and then build a second Material Silo close to the second Metal asteroid field north of the Capitol. The player then should also build two additional Power Plants and start building at least one Guild and Guard Stations to protect both resource asteroid fields from enemy Predators and Intruders. The player should also notice that, along with the rescued structures, there is also a Forum which the player can research Friction Welding, that will allow Welders to repair units, so this should be done as quickly as possible.

Though it doesn't look the base has access to Helium-3 asteroids, there is a nearby asteroid field to the northwest of the player's base that can be built a Material Silo and a Capitol as well - unlike the other races, the Thoruns require no vessels to deploy main bases, being able to build Capitols on the spot, and the Capitol's only tech restriction is the Forum, which makes expansions and defenses viable. Further to the west is a Metal asteroid field, taken by the Athraels with a Mass Transmitter and a Cabal, that the player can also destroy and take over.

As the mind-controlled Thorun base will never deploy detectors along with their attack waves, given it has no access to a Consulate, a force of Raiders (five being the best number, as they only cost Metal and Tachyon) can protect the base's only route to the orange base just fine, especially with the Absorptive Plating upgrade researched at the Forum, just being careful that the Raiders do not cross the stellar cloud to the enemy base. However, the player will still need to build at least one or two Guard Stations or have a wing of Predators on stand-by as the mind-controlled Thorun base will attack with Predators as well. The mind-controlled Thoruns will attack with Predators, Marauders, enemy Raiders which won't have Absorptive Plating researched and Havocs, which should be dealt with promptly as these can outrange defenses and deplete shields quickly, especially the Silent Blade and Blood Moon. The player should exercise some caution when commanding the Silent Blade, as it has few shields and hull in comparison with the Blood Moon and relies mostly on stealth to survive. Losing it as much as the Blood Moon also will fail the mission.

The Athraels, on the other hand, will attack from the northeast and north with Intruders and Warpgliders and later include Flankers, Lancets and pairs of Harbingers, but will rarely deploy Explorers as well. A large wing of Predators (twelve, at least) or a group of Marauders backed by Welders can handle them just as fine.

The Athrael base that guards the Psychic Dome can be attacked directly from it's entrance to the south, as it is only guarded by a pair of Polaron Spheres and an Obelisk that can be neutralized with a large force of Predators, but the amount of the defenders - including Flankers and at least one Rector - the Athraels build may require to utilize baiting tactics to draw them out, while also bringing along a separate group of ten Welders for repairs. The Athrael Base has few Polaron Spheres and the Psychic Dome is only guarded by Obelisks relatively distant from Polaron Sphere detection, allowing Predators to destroy at least one enemy defense and enough Explorers to allow a group of Raiders to sneak past and destroy the Psychic Dome.

Alternatively, the player can head past a stellar cloud field to the northwest of the northern Metal asteroid field where past it will lie a parallel path to the north, by a cluster of blocking destructible asteroids that leads to the backside of the Athrael base, guarded only by a single Obelisk and no anti-air defenses, which the Predators can destroy it easily. The asteroids will be better destroyed with Raiders, preferably after Absorptive Plating is researched, to allow a faster, safer destruction. The player can then move in a force of ships through the asteroids while attacking the sole Polaron Sphere close to the enemy's Tachyon asteroid field with Predators, and then advance and fight the way easily through to the Psychic Dome.

After the Psychic Dome is destroyed, the mission ends in victory.

### "Speedrun" Steam Achievement Guide

*NOTE - This achievement is obtainable in Hard difficulty, but Story difficulty is advised due to both the times and composition of enemy attack waves as well as the amount of defenders available. Also, this achievement can take more than a few resets for the player as well as saving the game at critical moments.*

After rescuing the Imperator-warden base (blue) in the mission's first segment, the player should promptly take the Silent Blade, Raiders and Predators available and head to the northern asteroids *(see above)*. The Blood Moon and Marauder should be left at the base's entrance to guard it from attacks and should be kept some eye from time to time as to not lose the Blood Moon to an enemy attack, especially surrounding and strafing Predators.

While waiting to gather enough Energy to start the Absorptive Plating research at the Forum, which is a must-have for this strategy, the player should use the Raiders and Silent Blade to destroy the central blocking destructible asteroid, only taking care not to get within the guarding Obelisk's firing range, while using the Predators to attack one of the mining Drones in the enemy Tachyon resource asteroid field west of the parallel path and readily pull back. This should lure the Athrael defenders, especially the Explorer which the Predators MUST take out as it's the Athraels' sole source of mobile detection. After taking out the Explorer, the Predators can be pulled back to the Imperator-warden base, where the Guard Station can fend off the pursuers.

After the central blocking asteroid is destroyed, it's advised for the player to wait until the Absorptive Plating research is finished (it should by the time the asteroid falls). After it is, the player can move in the Silent Blade and Raiders to first take out the Obelisk on the other side and then move past the Mass Transmitter by the Helium-3 field, moving directly to the Mass Transmitter at the enemy Metal asteroid field, where a sole Polaron Sphere is guarding it. The player should move as close to the northern asteroids as possible to avoid the detection and attack from the Polaron Sphere close to the enemy Tachyon field, as well as it should move in the Silent Blade first towards the northern Polaron Sphere to attack it, as to paralyze it and allow the other Raiders to destroy it.

After destroying this Polaron Sphere, the player can safely move in the Silent Blade and Raiders and attack the Psychic Dome from the north and northwestern side, given that this side is devoid of any Polaron Spheres and the enemy Explorer will have been destroyed, so even as the Dome is attacked, the intervening forces cannot detect the attacking Raiders and Silent Blade, and so won't be able to do anything.

## Trivia

This is one of the only two missions in Five Nations featuring the full roster of a single race. The second is *Initiation* in Chapter 03 - Cataclysm.

This is also one of the three missions where the Psychic Dome is featured. The second time would be in *Death Blow* in Chapter 02 - Ascension and the third time would be in *Visitors* in Chapter 03 - Cataclysm.