Should I just launch a massive attack on the Hardhold?
For extra context read here:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/110330901807759406775/posts/H5a5cHa46MD
I am a big fan of making the choices players make in character creation matter A LOT. Our hardholder chose the extra thick walls and the extra large gang so apparently they would want to be good in siege/attack type situation. We haven’t had a big “battle” in the game yet and the Leadership move hasn’t been rolled. That seems like 4 sessions in we should have had that.
We have set up one hardhold as “setting people out to raid” at least a bit and I have a front about that hardhold. The first half of that front however is basically all offscreen stuff because no one of the characters has gone in that direction for a while. Before the game is over I want to have that holding show its strength and ambition.
In short I didn’t really got to make the soft moves to set up that front because no one was looking at it. I could still advance the front without problem right?
MY current prep says:
PaParadies takes over Petrol strings
PaParadies people drive over to our hardhold and offer trade and fuel to the stranded merchants to buy their loyalty
PaParadies attacks the hardhold in force.
I could just cross of that they take over Petrol springs. If someone goes over there to check on PS they will just find it taken over. That is fully okay right?
The next step would be that they try to bribe the merchants that are currently stranded at our hardhold because of the quarantine. On the other hand everyone is looking forward to the meeting of Jax the Hardholder and Starshit, the merchant that put himself in charge.
If PaParadies comes over and buys out the merchants that meeting doesn’t take place, or at least not as everyone thinks it does.
On the one hand I am a big fan of throwing wrenches into everyone’s expectations, on the other hand the players want to see that.
The other choice would be to change my prep and have PaParadies skip the bribing and go straight to attacking our hardhold.
How would you deal with that situation?
Have the merchant leader meet the hard holder in private, while PaParadies buys out the merchants (who actually hate their leader) when he’s not there. Then, have the new coalition attack in force, and let the defenders be awesome.
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(Luca Maiorani because Hardholder)
“In short I didn’t really got to make the soft moves to set up that front because no one was looking at it. I could still advance the front without problem right?” — you can, and should advance that front. Force the players to think about it.
“I could just cross of that they take over Petrol springs. If someone goes over there to check on PS they will just find it taken over. That is fully okay right?” — Yup. Warlords do that. It’s a thing.
“If PaParadies comes over and buys out the merchants that meeting doesn’t take place, or at least not as everyone thinks it does.” — It adds a whole lot of urgency to that meeting though, doesn’t it? 🙂
I’m in favor of Tim Jensen’s suggestion, because it it strains whatever relationship the hardholder establishes with the merchant leader. Jumping from “background threat” to “attacking the hardhold” is a pretty big jump — especially without motivation. I’d say listen to the MC guidelines, and say what your prep demands. If your threats can amass a substantial force/backing to attack the hardhold, it adds some urgency to defending the hold.
Thank you all.