In the meantime…

November 6-11

We get a handful of UFO sightings over the next few days. On the 7th, CapnMorgan, armed with our new fusion ball launcher, manages to completely destroy a medium-size UFO over Europe. This is the first time we have successfully shot down any UFO larger than a scout, but we’re still a few weeks away from being able to attempt some of the larger UFOs.

On the 8th, Superman destroys a small UFO over ASIA, and once again we don’t get any ground action. Over the next couple of days, a disconcertingly large number of UFO battleships show up on X-COM radar. Our aircraft have insufficient firepower, so we have to wait for the large UFOs to land, but none of them obliges. We end up letting them all go without a fight. Damn.

On a more positive note, Crappy’s team of engineers develops a prototype Flying Armor Suit, modeled after that of the Floaters. The suit will enable our men to fly, and will also give them better protection in battle. We immediately begin production at Europe and in the USA.

Finally, on November 11, CapnMorgan downs a medium scout UFO over Siberia. We launch the USA COM Skyranger up over Alaska to assault the crash site.

On board:
Alf III, Airhog II, Wade Moore, AStott, Jeeber D, Ardent Enthusiast, Achilles, Patman II, Sublime II, Katon II.

Good luck, men!

This mission should go up on Monday.

Rookie Vince requesting permission to join the Spanish base assault.

Seaman Recruit Enthusiast, reporting as requested, sir. I'd like to volunteer for the Spanish base attack. I'll likely die in doing so, but I have no fear.

If possible, I'd like to volunteer for the base attack. Figure the climate change from Canada to Spain has to make the fighting easier as I can probably ditch the parka.

As an E1, I'm going to fill out a request chit that The Afoci accompany us out to the base. CW, The Afoci, and AE can take anything that comes our way.

Glad to be heading out on another mission already. Time to blast a few more aliens... :)

JeeberD, make sure I stay alive. Over.

Almighty volunteering for mission duty.

I'll do what I can, but I do have the worst reaction time of any soldier currently in X-Com. So most likely I'll just be watching out for number one... ;)

Well, if there's a chance I could become a big hero... and as long as there are others to fight before me... I guess I can bless the Spanish base attack with myself.

Oh, sod it. I get killed almost as quickly as the Blade family.

*the clone factory hums*

"3Ric V enlisting to be on the waiting list as an opt-in!"

If I escape from Siberia I volunteer for the Spanish assault !

Hablo Espanol? Check (many years ago).

Speak Sectoid? Negative.

I think that makes me a solid candidate for Spain. Would be great to have the PSI numbers before making those decisions but that doesn't sound like a luxury we have.

{Gets up off the couch} Bastard Aliens in Spain? What, they need volunteers??? {Grabs a roll of duct tape} Now where did I put those Grenades.

Dawgfan1980 wants to try his hand at this, call me a "not so smart bomb" and just see how spectacularly I can die.

I volunteer for the Spanish base raid.

But did I do damage to Ohio? :)

I was on vacation last week and just got back. I'm glad JeeberD made it. Is there an Anxiety III in the works? Maybe you need help in Spain still?

-Anxiety

Blade6119 would like to request the honor of attacking the enemy base sir! I know ill make you proud!

tuckerII would also like to be on the base attack mission sir!

So far our response has been solid for the Spanish base assault.

Looks like we've got this to date:

1. Coffee Warlord II
2. Vince
3. Travis IV
4. Ardent Enthusiast
5. The Almighty
6. Mike Vic
7. Lokugh III
8. Anxiety III
9. Blade6119 IV
10. Tucker II
11. -
12. -
13. -
14. -

We still need four more people, so don't be shy. It's a good day to die.

Hoops Guy: I'll put you as first alternate for the moment, as you're in PSI training. To go on the base assault, I'd have to cancel your PSI training, which I'd rather not do.

Oh, and no apologies needed for your earlier comment on the number of agents on the last mission. Actually, I apologize for unclear writing on my reply to your question. I didn't mean to sound upset at all in my reply, but I can see how it would have come off that way. Your question didn't bother me at all. It's all good. :)

Alf:You'll be second alternate, for the same reasons as Hoops Guy, and because you've got a lot of experience.

Dawgfan: Sorry, I was probably vague on my posts, but we need volunteers from the people that are currently in the game. However, I'd be glad to add you to the waiting list if you'd like. Let me know.

Anxiety III: Actually, your post just got your guy off the waiting list and into guard duty, and your question about Spain gets you on that mission. My "slump" has us moving right through the waiting list. We can't get enough bodies.

3ric: Sorry about getting you killed again. It was stupid of me to bring Condors II up to the front line like that, knowing what his PSI defense was and all. 3ric V is on the waiting list.

AE II is already warming up in the bullpen.

for what?...no one would ever call on a softball player for a real man's job ;)

Id be more then glad to take you on...any time...any place...are you man enough, or are you just afraid of what THE BLADE will do to your pretty little face? :mad:

I'll go.

Allow me to instruct the rookies under my command in base assault tactics 101.

Don't get shot.

Thank you. Sergeant CWII out.

Die. I want to follow Blade6119 out of the SkyRanger.

You will get your chance in spain, but i wouldnt go around telling everyone about how you like to be behind other men...just my advice...oh, and dont get shot up too badly on your first mission in siberia...i hear those other agents can be pretty unaccurate...maybe one of the leaders will realize they dont like you and shoot you...maybe Achilles or Wade Moore :rolleyes:

I want in on the Spanish invasion if there is still room! This is a great opportunity to show our fearless commander, GB, that this rookie is not like the rest. Look out Mars, the King is coming.

-- EU-COM Internal Memo --

From: Sgt Coffee Warlord II
To: Cmdr Kodos
Re: Ardent Enthusiast

Should I just order his execution now, and save the hassle before the Spain trip?

- CWII

PS: Have the cleaning staff save my locker space in EU-COM. I *will* be back, even if I'm flying back home with 13 corpses.

PPS: Especially if I'm flying back home with 13 corpses.

Swaggs is willing to step up and defend Spain, provided he gets to return to EU COM afterwards (God willing).

hater.

die.

I need some action, literally

GB, please, I would love to be a part of this fine elimation of alien scum not named Kodos, even if it is just to draw fire from whomever.

Thanks

Negative. The paperwork for AE's execution would take us several weeks. (Damned lawyers!) It is better to let him die naturally on the battlefield.

Affirmative on the locker. Good luck in Spain!

Yeah for democracy!

No worries. That just means you are part of my special contingent during the base run, known as Operation Unarmed Spotter.

I am up for the Spanish Defense if there is room

Defense?

DEFENSE!?!?

It's an ATTACK! We go off to kill things!

This can't be good. Godzilla hasn't posted the results of the last mission yet.

Here it is...

94th Mission: Siberian Snakes

The USA COM Skyranger comes up over Alaska and heads into Siberian airspace. The ten agents on board prepare for battle.

The USA COM’s Hovertank was out of ammo, so we’ve got our standard cannon tank with us today. However, Commander Wade Moore is outfitted with the first of our brand new Crappy Flying Suits. This armor not only allows our men to fly, but also is stronger than regular Crappy Armor.

We’ve got two rookies on board today: Ardent Enthusiast and Katon II. Give ‘em hell, men!

Our troops today:

Left Side:
1. Alf III (Blaster Launcher, Power Suit)
2. Airhog II (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
3. Wade Moore (Heavy Plasma, Flying Suit)
4. AStott (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
5. Jeeber D (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)

Right Side:
1. Ardent Enthusiast (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
2. Achilles (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
3. Patman II (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
4. Sublime II (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
5. Katon II (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)

The Skyranger drops quickly to the early morning pine forests of Siberia. The weak autumn sun throws long shadows across the cold landscape. We can make out the shape of the small, square UFO as we come down. It will lie about 10 meters to the left of our craft. The UFO exit door will line up with the nose of our Skyranger, so we’ll have to exit, then swing up towards the front of our craft to put pressure on the exit. To the right of our Skyranger, the forests of Siberia stretch as far as the eye can see. In front of our exit is a line of three lightly wooded hills. The area just beyond the nose of the Skyranger is secure ground. This should be a fast battle if we can get to the UFO exit efficiently.

The Skyranger drops the final few feet to the ground, then hits with a hard thud. The ramp falls away and cold air drifts into the Skyranger bay. Silence greets us.

Our tank heads out. Just as it reaches the edge of the ramp, it picks up a Snakeman, about 40 meters away, in the small valley between two hills in front of us. As our tank continues down the ramp, Ardent Enthusiast and Alf III race up to the edge of the Skyranger bay, drop to a knee, and open fire on the Snakeman. Plasma flies toward the creature. Ardent’s first shot drills the Snakeman in the torso, sending up a splash of purple gore. The Snakeman falls backward, dead! Wow! Now that is one impressive start to a career: logging a kill less than 30 seconds into your career with your very first shot. This man has come to fight. X-COM 1, Aliens 0.

Our tank reaches the bottom of the ramp, and spins to look for aliens: nothing. Patman II and Katon II exit the Skyranger and take up positions at the landing gear. Jeeber D and Sublime II exit and head towards the hills in front of us. AStott exits and makes a short dash to the side of the UFO. The rest of the men shuffle to the exit.

Katon and Patman scamper behind our tank. Once there, they all head up towards the nose of Skyranger. With luck we can turn the corner of the UFO and set up a firing position on the exit right away.

We hear the UFO door slide open. Something going in or something coming out? Humm. AStott preps a grenade and tosses it over the roof of the UFO to land in front of the door. Kablam! The grenade goes off, but we hear no screams. Must have been a Snakeman going in. Patman, Katon, and our tank close in on the UFO exit.

Suddenly, back in the field in front of our exit, Jeeber D comes under fire from a Snakeman sneaking through the small valley between the two leftmost hills. The plasma blast streaks towards him and…

Nails him in the chest plate! Jeeber’s world fades to black, but he stays on his feet. He pulls the trigger to return fire and sends a round of plasma tearing towards the Snakeman. Jeeber’s aim is true: he catches the Snakeman in the head with a shot that sends it spinning and howling to the ground. Nice reactions, Jeeber D! With so few aliens likely on this mission, we pull the stunned but otherwise ok Jeeber D back to the Skyranger and send Achilles out to replace him. X-COM 2, Aliens 0.

Our tank, Patman, and Katon get to the nose of our Skyranger, then turn and set up a firing position on the UFO exit. Wade Moore exits the Skyranger, uses the Flying Suit to get to the roof of the small one-story UFO, then works his way to a position right above the exit. He should be able to shoot down on anything that comes out the door. Nasty.

Back in the fields, AStott, Sublime, Achilles, and Airhog II start a sweep of the hills in front of our exit and woods to our right. Alf III waits in the Skyranger with the Blaster Launcher.


X-COM forces advance through Siberian forests. November, 2003. X-COM Archives Photo

At the UFO, our men wait for something to come out the door.

Things go very quiet over the next few minutes. Our men searching the hills and woods find nothing. The battlefield is now clear except for the interior of the UFO. But nothing comes out of the UFO. Eventually, we bring AStott and Achilles back towards the other side of the UFO, and send Airhog and Sublime back to the Skyranger. AStott and Achilles reach the far side and we all wait for things to develop. We’ve got Patman and Katon lined up behind our tank covering the door. Wade is on the roof above the door. AStott and Achilles are right around the far corner, ready to charge inside. This is a good position, so we’ll wait them out.

Ten minutes pass. Still nothing.


X-COM forces wait to ambush Snakemen trapped in a small scout UFO. November, 2003. X-COM Archives Photo

Finally, with a roar, Snakemen come pouring out of the UFO! Katon, Patman, and Wade open fire on full-auto. One after another the Snakemen fall as streams of plasma slam into them. Our tank—likely hit by a friendly plasma blast—goes up in a ball of flame. Within seconds it is over. Four Snakemen corpses lie in a smoldering heap in front of the UFO. Our threat sensors turn to green. It’s over. Well done, men.

Kills: Ardent Enthusiast, 1; Jeeber D, 1; Katon II, 1; Patman II, 2; Wade Moore, 1.
KIA: None.
Wounded: None.
Attribute Improvements: Ardent Enthusiast, Jeeber D, Katon II, Patman II, Wade Moore.
Final score: 143
Mission Notes:
Much better. The rust is falling off, perhaps.

Low and behold, a miracle has occurred. Jeeber D’s reaction ability went up! From the all-time low of 30, he jumped a full point to 31! Wow! Way to go, Jeeber D!

Thanks, GB!

Except it looks like I disappeared after the kill!

Update

November 11-13

XCOM Command begins planning for the assault on the Spanish alien base. A tentative date is set: November 22. It will take a few days to get our new guards through processing and then another few days to shuffle agents into EU COM, where we'll attack from.

In the meantime, the aliens keep coming. On early November 13, the EU COM Interceptor knocks down a Floater-manned UFO scout over France. By late afternoon the EU COM Skyranger is in the air, en route to attack. On board:

Kodos, Breeze, Naiwf, Tucker II, Chuck U Farley, Raven Hawk II, Real Deal III, Coffee Warlord II, Mike Vic, ShaefIllini.

Go get 'em, men!

Still aiming for a mission every two days for as long as I can, so this mission should go up on Wednesday.

Ardent: Well done! That was, I think, the fastest kill we've ever had in X-COM history. Less than 30 seconds into your first mission. The gods may be shining on you.

Qwikshot, Swaggs: You are both too valuable. Sorry, no go on the base assault.

BYU II, Kingfc: You're in. We'll be transferring you to EU COM for the assault shortly.

Mr. Bug: Officially, you've got too much experience, but we need two more people and you're not in PSI training at the moment. Off you go to EU COM for the assault.

Dawgfan: I'll add you to the waiting list. Welcome!

That gives us the following for the base assault team:

1. Coffee Warlord II
2. Vince
3. Travis IV
4. Ardent Enthusiast
5. The Almighty
6. Mike Vic
7. Lokugh III
8. Anxiety III
9. Blade6119 IV
10. Tucker II
11. Kingfc
12. Mr. Bug IV
13. BYU II
14. (I'll probably add Daimyo II or Data King III if we get no others shortly)

Also upcoming, I'm going to try and post new stats tomorrow.

The gods save me from the day I become too valuable and become unable to bring down the fury on alien scum. :)

Woohoo! Now that I've finally broken the barrier and raised my reactions to 31 I betcha that 32 is just a couple of missions away! ;)

I guess I cannot be too disappointed when you put it like that. :)

Bring on the scum of Spain!!! I'm so hyped for my first mission. I hope that I don't forget to take my safety off.

Kingfc: At the rate UFOs are showing up now, there will probably be a handful of missions before we can launch the Spanish base attack. It'll still be a bit of a wait.

Jeeber D: It's risky, though. Maybe next time I'll try parking you outside the UFO door. That's usually a relatively safe place to build up reaction time.

Swaggs: We don't have many agents that have the complete package, but you've got good skills, a good combat record, and great PSI defense. Much too valuable.

Go on... :)

I'm not quite sure where I am right now, but if on active duty, I would like to volunteer for the last open spot on the spanish base assault team.

GB,

I thought you were using the reserves for the attack in Spain. If you need another Volenteer I'll do it.

Breeze

I'm glad to finally have recovered from my gruesome eye injury. I'm hoping the rust isn't too evident in this next mission :)

Nice shooting AE!













































It'd be nice shooting AE! ;)

Need action, GB!

Woo Hoo! Now I just need to figure out how this gun thingy works {Looks in the barrel, finger on the trigger}. Hey, anyone know how this works??? Thanks GB!

I want in. Damn it, I was gone all weekend and missed this. I want to kill aliens or accidently shoot AE.

X-COM II Troop Master List (After Mission 94)

USA COM

EU COM

ASIA COM

SAM COM

AFRICA COM

X-COM II Troop Attributes
Support Personnel

Attribute Leaders (After Mission 94)

Attribute Doggies (After Mission 94)

Top Ten Kills Leaders

Waiting List

The Hall of Heroes

Cam Edwardses do not survive long. :(

They last longer than Blades and Illinifans ;)

SI

There's a lot of hate for me here. Haters.

That's what happens to guys who root for others to die so they can get into the action. :p

What? All I see is...blah. :p

Don't worry, boss. He's the door opener for the base assault.

Medals Update...

Mission 89

The Time: Bronze Badge of Kahunas
The Time led the charge into the UFO and killed a Muton from point-blank range. He was badly wounded in the mission.

The Time: Purple Heart

Mission 90

Illinifan V: Bronze Star of Terra
Illinifan killed three aliens with a Blaster Missile shot on this short mission against a UFO scout.

Mission 91

Blade6119 IV: Silver Star of Terra
With a mind-controlled agent firing upon him from behind, Blade6119 IV led an impromptu charge into an Ethereal-manned UFO and killed two aliens inside. His bravery likely saved the lives of several of his fellow agents.

Klayman III: Yellow Pin of Cowardice
Klayman cracked under an alien PSI attack, putting our mission in jeopardy.

Patman II: Yellow Pin of Cowardice
Patman II went under alien mind control temporarily, fired at our agents, and jeopardized the mission.

Rawisdan: Black Pin of Cowardice
Rawisdan went under alien mind control, killed two agents, and became the second agent to desert to the aliens. His current location is unknown.

Mission 92

Revrew: Order of Mojo
With this mission, Revrew became our fourth agent to log more 20 missions and 20 kills. Although he has rarely stood out in a mission, he has been an agent that can always be relied on to get the job done. He has never cracked under fire, is highly accurate, and has been an example to his fellow agents. For his distinguished service, we present Revrew with the Order of Mojo, the third highest medal an X-COM agent can receive. Congrats!

Vince: Bronze Angel Wings
A Sectoid had Mike Vic dead to rights, but Vince killed it with a perfect shot to save Mike’s life.

Mike Vic: Bronze Star of Terra
Despite getting stranded at the entrance to an alien battleship on his first mission, Mike fought off successive waves of PSI attacks, killed two aliens, and single-handedly enabled us to hold our position on the UFO exit.

Mike Vic: Yellow Pin of Cowardice
Chuck U Farley: Yellow Pin of Cowardice
The Herd: Yellow Pin of Cowardice
All three of these men succumbed to PSI attacks during the battle.

Mission 93

Afoci: Bronze Star of Terra
Afoci led the charge on the alien battleship exit and killed two aliens in close combat.

Condors II: Gray Pin of Cowardice
Condors went under alien mind control and killed two of our agents before getting killed himself.

Split Personality III: Yellow Pin of Cowardice
Split split under pressure.

Mission 94

None

X-COM II Medals (Through Mission 94)

I swear this dynasty could be turned into a novel. I love it.

I like that idea...

I think Kerlinni is owed a pin of cowardice...

Well, I'm back after spending the past few weeks in some good ol' Army training and I've had a chance to catch up now. Words cannot express how disappointed I am in my actions. Wow, could things have gone any worse?

*Herd's remaining family members were last seen being marched off to concentration camps*

Mojo?? Sniff. Sniff. I...I...oh, I want to thank the academy! My parents, director Godzilla Blitz--he's a genius, my agent...

With a 10 in bravery, I guess I'm a typical french soldier, eh ?

:) :) :)

With a 10, wouldn't that make you a French General?

You know, I looked hard for an AE one and just didn't find it. Oh, that is because you were back at base making me some food, cleaning my toilet and looking pretty. ;)

95th Mission: Back to France.

The EU COM Skyranger heads for France again, a mere week after taking out a large battleship full of Sectoids. Today their opposition should be much lighter: a medium-sized scout filled with Floaters.

Sterling Ice’s men have been busy manufacturing Flying Suits, so today four of our men are able to use the latest armor technology. We’ve also brought along our Hovertank, which will give us even more of a vertical presence.

On board for his first mission is Raven Hawk II, son of the late great hero of similar name. Rumors abound that his son is not of the same ilk as his father, but the battlefield is the true test. His father, as we all remember, had a penchant for “disappearing” Medi-kit supplies, but was a ferocious fighter and one of only a handful of men to earn the distinguished Order of Mojo award.

The Skyranger begins its gradual descent to the French countryside.

Commander Kodos will lead our men today.

Our troops:

Left Side:
1. Kodos (Heavy Plasma, Flying Suit)
2. Breeze (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
3. Naiwf (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
4. Tucker II (Blaster Launcher, Power Suit)
5. Chuck U Farley (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)

Right Side:
1. Raven Hawk II (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)
2. Real Deal III (Heavy Plasma, Flying Suit)
3. Coffee Warlord II (Heavy Plasma, Flying Suit)
4. Mike Vic (Heavy Plasma, Flying Suit)
5. ShaefIllini (Heavy Plasma, Power Suit)

As the Skyranger makes its final descent through overcast skies to the gray French countryside below, the men scan the battlefield. We’ve got farms, fields, and fences, as usual, but little else of note is visible on the way down. There will be some shacks to the immediate right of our exit, up by the nose of the Skyranger. Also, there are more shacks in front of our exit, about 30 meters away and slightly to the left of our position. Otherwise, we can’t see any large structures, nor can we make out the UFO. We’ll be landing on the middle of the south side of the battlefield, so the area up past the nose of our Skyranger is secure.

The Skyranger drops the final few meters, hits with a soft thud, and comes to a halt. The ramp falls away with a crash. Silence.

Our Hovertank floats out of the Skyranger bay, and immediately comes under fire! Plasma slams into the Skyranger fuselage. One shot cracks over Hovertank’s hull, but it stays functioning. Our Hovertank spins and spots the enemy. Two Floaters: one is in a field in front of our exit to our right, about 35 meters away; the other is dug in near the shacks in front of our exit, slightly off to the left, about 30 meters away.

Kodos and Raven Hawk II race to the edge of the ramp, drop to their knees, and open fire on the Floater to our right. Kodos hits first, spinning the Floater around once. Raven Hawk II hits next, killing the Floater with a headshot that drops it screaming to the ground. Raven Hawk then pulls back from the edge of the ramp to let Real Deal III out of the Skyranger. Real glides off the edge of the ramp, trains his weapon on the Floater in front of the shacks, and opens fire. Plasma tears up a fence in front of the Floater, but Real gets a shot through that blows apart the Floater’s ribcage. It howls and slumps to the ground, dead. X-COM 2, Aliens 0.

We bring Real back into the safety of the Skyranger. As our Hovertank sweeps a high arc over our position, Mike Vic and Coffee Warlord II exit and set up firing positions near the landing gear. Our Hovertank heads left, but quickly comes under fire once again. There is another Floater near the shacks, this one behind the far left building, about 40 yards from our position. Mike Vic jumps airborne in his Flying Suit. He heads straight up until he can spot the Floater behind the shacks. As our tank draws fire away from him, Mike Vic lines up his shot and opens fire: direct hit! The Floater tumbles over to the ground, his lower torso a bleeding mess. X-COM 3, Aliens 0.

Things go quiet. We move out in force. Our Hovertank quickly sweeps the southern half of the battlefield, but can’t see inside the shacks to our immediate right. Chuck Farley and Naiwf head over to clear those buildings. Coffee Warlord, Tucker, and ShaefIllini fan out in front of our exit and starting sweeping north. Kodos falls in a bit behind them. Mike Vic pulls back towards the Skyranger. Breeze—manning the Blaster Launcher—waits for the exit area to clear. Real Deal and Raven Hawk play cards in the Skyranger. On such a short mission, we’d like to get as many people as possible into the action.

Our Hovertank leads the way, and quickly spots the small, one-room UFO behind the shacks in front of us, about 80 meters away to the left of our men. Our line of men changes course to head for the shacks and the UFO beyond. As our Hovertank closes in on the UFO, it spots a Floater standing by the exit. Our men have the shacks blocking their line of sight, but Tucker preps a grenade and tosses it over them to land at the unsuspecting Floater’s feet. Alerted, the Floater tries to flee, but the grenade goes off with a crash. No more Floater. X-COM 4, Aliens 0.

Back by our Skyranger, Naiwf and Chuck finish searching the shacks to the right of our exit, and jog forward to join our troops as they continue their advance on the central shacks and UFO. Kodos and Coffee are the first ones to the shacks. They quickly search them. ShaefIllini cuts around the right side of the shacks and starts to work his way up on the UFO exit. Chuck jogs to catch up with him. Tucker holds up to let others get in on the fun. The Hovertank, in front of our position by about 30 meters now, clears the rest of the battlefield: the only place left is the inside of the UFO. Our Hovertank parks over the roof of the craft and waits the arrival of our men.

After a few minutes, we’ve got Chuck U Farley and ShaefIllini lined up beside the UFO exit and waiting for something to exit. Kodos and Coffee Warlord are on the roof of the UFO, ready to shoot from behind anything that comes out the door. Naiwf is in one of the nearby shacks as a reserve. Our Hovertank is parked off to the side should things get really ugly. Last but not least, Breeze has his finger on the Blaster Launcher. I would not want to be a Floater in this UFO.

We wait. And wait.

Finally, a lone Floater exits the UFO. Everyone opens fire at once. The area near the UFO exit is shredded by plasma blasts. Tough to tell who got the kill with so much firing going on so fast, but it looks like Chuck Farley is today’s lucky winner. There isn’t much left of the Floater by the time it hits the ground. X-COM 5, Aliens 0.

Threat sensors turn green. It’s over. Well done, men.

Kills: Real Deal III, 1; Chuck U Farley, 1; Tucker II, 1; Mike Vic, 1; Raven Hawk II, 1.
KIA: None.
Wounded: None.
Attribute Improvements: Kodos, Real Deal III, Chuck U Farley, Mike Vic, Raven Hawk II, Tucker II, ShaefIllini
Final score: 128. Couldn’t be better.
Mission Notes:
Quick and easy.

Damn. No kills for me. Bah!

Hell yeah...medal winner, right here :)

Damn I'm awesome!:D

Well, I winged the one floater before letting Raven Hawk finish him off.

Just like when you loosen the top of the jar and then somebody else gets the credit for doing the last little bit...

Update

November 14-15

Early on the morning of November 14, Sterling Ice reports that the our first Firestorm-class fighter has been completed at SAM COM. Over the next couple of days we'll be transferring this fighter to the European theater, and moving the older Interceptor-class fighter to AFRICA COM. The Firestorm fighter, armed with our new fusion ball launchers and heavy plasma cannons, should be capable of taking out everything up to--and perhaps including--battleships. With this craft we should be able to knock down many of the mid-size UFOs rather than waiting to pounce on them when they land. We hope to have it operational in Europe within a matter of days.

Perhaps more importantly, the completion of the Firestorm fighter frees up the South American engineering facility to begin construction on an Avenger-class ship. This massive ship can hold 26 passenger seats, mount two air-to-air weapon systems, and is capable of interstellar travel. This is the ship that will take us to Mars--eventually: the construction of the over-sized ship is the largest project that Sterling's men have ever undertaken, and the man-hours required to complete it are phenomenal. South American has one engineering bay available at the moment, and with that running 24 hours a day, it will take us an estimated 99 days to complete the ship. However, a second engineering bay is a week away from completion, and we are transferring in 50 additional engineers to work on the project once that bay is ready. Sterling won't know exactly how long the project will take until that second engineering bay is up and running, but he estimates total construction time at six weeks.

Mars by New Year's Day?

The final confrontation looms closer.

More immediately, UFOs force our Interceptors to scramble over both Europe and the USA during the 14th and 15th, as we begin to transfer troops into EU COM for the Spanish base raid. Although we completely destroy a scout over Nebraska, our EU COM Interceptor forces a Sectoid-manned scout down over the Sahara Desert. We'll need to clean up the pieces. ASIA COM will answer the call to duty. Early on the morning of the 15th, their Skyranger launches with the following ten men aboard:

Glen Goyne, FF Froggies, Fat Football II, Illinifan V, Sir Fozzie II, Thomkal II, BYU II, Qwikshot II, Calis, Kingfc.

This mission should go up on Friday.

Good luck, men!

Good luck, fellas!

AE, the X-COM agent's friend

:)

Ere we go ere we go ere we go!!!

As the Skyranger descends to its drop point, Raven Hawk II wonders why he is standing in front of the line to exit the craft. He turns his head to left and sees Commander Kodos, heavy plasma gun in tentacle, reviewing his field tactics guide. Raven Hawk II's nerves immediately start to jump. He turns to his rear where Real Deal III is standing . . .

"Hey RDIII!" the rookie exclaims under his breath. Real Deal III pauses weapon inspection to address the rookie.

"What?"

"Why's the Commander going on a mission? I thought that Commanders sat behind desks and drank coffee and yelled at squaddies."

"He likes to keep in the mix. He is a valiant warrior, the Commander is."

"When was the last time he was on a mission?"

"Why do you ask?"

"He seems to be studying his field tactics book with too much fervor. I thought that he would know this stuff by now."

"Hmmm. . . good question. I don't know."

The Skyranger landed softly upon the French soil. As the door opened, the silence from the surrounding fields wafted into the ship and over the agents. The tank rolls down the ramp and is immediately fired upon. Raven Hawk II's eyes bulge out and his knuckles whiten around his heavy plasma gun. A loud voice boom's over the gunfire.

"FLOATERS. TWO. AT TWELVE AND TWO!" the compelling voice of the Commander rings in Raven's ear.

Raven simply reacts to the command, firing and hitting a floater in the head. From the look on his face, Raven was just as surprised as the floater that he connected with his shot.

"FLOATER. LEFT. TEN O'CLOCK!"

Raven instinctively ducks for cover this time allowing RDIII to come through and place a shot through obstacles and into the floater. A distinctive odor floats up to the Commander's nose.

"Wardrobe malfunction Raven?" the Commander asks with a grin.

"Ummm . . . yes, sir . . ." Raven says uncomfortably.

"OK. You and RDIII guard the ship. The rest of you, with me. And for God's sakes, Raven get yourself cleaned up."

After commandiering a new set of britches from the emergency hold on the Skyranger, Raven Hawk II and Real Deal III sit back and play a hand or two of cards awaiting their Commander's return.

Time for some action. Hell yea!!!

woot. Nothing like getting your kill quickly and then spending the rest of the mission playing Go Fish with a teammate.

What makes Raven Hawk's comment about a wardrobe malfunction even better is the fact that DK, RH, and I totally missed out on the whole ordeal. We didn't even find out until after the game was over, because we were all watching our Hattrick matches during the game as well. :)

We were the three fools that missed out. :)

Random replies...

Real: Yeah. Makes for an easy mission. I wish there were a few more aliens on the scout missions. With ten men and only a handful of aliens, it's hard to get everyone involved.

Kingfc, Sir Fozzie: Finally, eh? Been a long wait for you guys.

Raven Hawk: Great stuff, as always! Outside of the smell, Raven Jr. had a solid mission, I'd have to say.

Kodos: Or like when you date a virgin for five months and break up with her before she sleeps with you, only to see the next guy sleep with her on the first date?

Tucker: Yeah, you've had a nice start! Keep it up. Spain will be the real test, though. I'm thinking of giving you a Blaster Launcher on that mission. If you're still alive then, of course.

Coffee: Should be lots of targets for you in Spain.

Dawgfan, FF Froggies: Funny ha ha!

The Herd: Let's hope your son can erase the blemish on the family history.

Swaggs: Thanks for the compliment!

Sachmo: Another interesting family history is 3ric's. The last three have all died on their fifth mission. Five is a bad number for them.

Breeze: I was planning to, then switched to agents with little experience. Mr. Bug IV has had a pretty boring career so far, so I made an exception for him.

FF Froggies: Sorry, but I launched that mission already with Daimyo II filling the last spot. (I'm usually playing a couple of missions in front of what I post so that if I get really busy I can still post a mission every other day. Which is kind of funny, because sometimes I'm replying to people here that are already dead in the game. They're all worried about their guy not getting any kills and stuff, and I'm like, "You're worried about the wrong thing, there, Coffee!" Whoops. Said too much, said too much. Reminds me of that movie where the kid says "I see dead people." Then again, maybe not. Anyway, don't worry, you're not dead. I think. Huh, wait a second, aren't your FF Froggies II, and aren't you on the waiting list? Oh, check that. Whoops. There I go again! Said too much, said too much. He he.)

Godzilla: Cut back on the coffee, dude.

Do NOT cut back on the Coffee! No cutting me! NOOOOOOOOOO!

Can never have too much experience. Besides, I'm like TOp 3 in terms of family members involved in the game. I deserve a shot at a suicide mission

CW, if I survive my first mission I will gladly fight on the front lines for you in Spain.

Excellllent. I'll be right there with you.

Well. Right behind AE, our point man/door opener/human shield, that is.

Damn. I went out of town for three days only to come back here and find out I'd been killed.

*sigh*

I suppose I'll re-up, but I'm not confident Fonzie III will be anywhere near good enough to head to Mars in just a few months.

Eh, look at it this way, I know that I'm pretty much good for drawing fire from aliens... How does one say "Hey, look over here, I want to be shot" in Sectoid?

GB, was that a note to self?

CW, you forgot "sailor". Everything else looked ok, though.

OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT !

Now I'm scared...

You must be the Paul Reiser character from Aliens.

LOL!

:redface: Doh !

I did kill an alien, thankyouverymuch.

Closer to Mars, damn, the aniticipation...

Someone actually wrote an X-COM novel a several years back. I can't remember who though. I think I still have it at my parents' house. I'll have to see if I can dig it up next time I'm there.

Well, we did play a paintball scenario game that I wrote the storyline, characters, and missions for, based on X-Com.

GB was nice enough to let me use some of his mission write-ups as excerpts for the game storyline, too. Quite the fun little time there!