Page 46..errr..42, Discuss!

[Ogenki]

I'm guessing Ansom not going will be a chance for Hamster to show off his ability without ending the comic.

[Innis Cabal]

ya, i think so as well

[Xenon]

ah.... but will pop-culture knowledge give parson an edge?

[Erk]

I'm guessing Ansom not going will be a chance for Hamster to show off his ability without ending the comic.

That seems pretty likely to me. And if Parson can show that he anticipated the enemy expecting an ambush, and planned an ambush accordingly to counterambush their expectation... well, then, he is worth the fee. And they still get the bonus of wiping out the enemy's entire air support, giving the dwagons free reign of the skies, while also shattering the leader's trust in his right-hand-woman, and giving Ansom personal problems to deal with. A powerful strike, but nicely blunted.

And if Ansom doesn't show up, but the ambush succeeds, it is wanda who gets the flak rather than parson... interesting.

[Megalomaniac2]

Vinnie's definitely my favourite character now. He's like Hinjo with fangs and an accent.

[Friv]

I'm really worried for Vinnie now. Things are shaping up for him to get re-croaked pretty seriously here.

I agree that Parson's likely to have to pull this plan out of the fire. The simple fact that Ansom isn't wholeheartedly pro-Jillian right now is going to be a host of problems, as will the Archons...

[Demented]

Or maybe the plan fails and we just get to see Stanley jump on a table again, point at Parson, and shout "N00B!1"

Hey, it works in Warcraft 3.

[Icewalker]

Clearly a charlies angels joke on there.

Charlie's Archons! woo!

Hmmmm Vinnie is smart and bout to start screwin up Parson's plan

[Glome]

somehow I don't believe Vinnie is going to be able to change Ansom's mind here despite their friendship. I think rescuing the princess is just something too ingrained into Ansom's ideas of how he as a noble is suppose to act, such that I don't think he can let someone else go in his place. Vinnie is going to have to make a better argument then his move is predictable to stop Ansom from making the mistake he's about to make here.

[Darth Paradox]

Hmm. Doesn't that microwave dish look a little pre-rendered - Like the Arkenhammer and plyers?

Is it an Arkendish???

No, that's just silly.

I think you're right. It may not necessarily be a recognized/known Arkentool, but it definitely has the same origins.

[JordanGreywolf]

I love the characterizations on both sides of the conflict. It makes it very difficult for me to "root" for anybody. Ansom and Vinnie are both very likeable; unless it's revealed that they're especially vile persons despite the pleasant banter, I don't think I'll be cheering at the moment that either one of them gets "croaked".

I'm curious as to what Vinnie IS. If only I had a pair of those 3-D glasses of my own! He reads as "vampire", yet he's out during the daylight. (But then, since all the combat action happens during the day, I guess it wouldn't work any other way.)

[Erk]

It's possible, by the way, that the dish is an artifact, but not one of the arkentools. They aren't necessarily the only artifacts in Erfworld, just our macguffins.

[Psychonaut]

Edit: Hmmmm a somewhat speculative implication of Ansom's answer occurs to me....

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If Ansom genuinely isn't sure how much he trusts Jillian, the "battle plan" Wanda got from her may be, shall we say, less than completely accurate....

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Come to think of it, we don't know anything about what Jillian knows or has said to Wanda, and she definitely wasn't at the war council assembly on pages 21 and 22. Which doesn't mean, of course, that she wasn't told the [true] plan beforehand - but it leaves open the possibility. Still, I'm not sure Ansom strikes me as the type for that sort of thing.

Anyone else notice Vinnie's ear in the third-to-last panel? At first that, combined with the single bottom fang, sent all sort of half-baked, half-witted, half-[insert humanoid race here] Vinnie theories through my head until I noticed that he has pointy ears on both sides in all the few other panels where we've seen his left ear (and I mean about three total - I looked). So, paying excessive attention to tiny little details, generating crazy theories based on these details, and looking through old comics for evidence to support/reject these theories? Clearly I've been spending too much time on these forums...

[Lizard Lord]

Though, like other subordinates, Vinny lacks the initiative to start wars all his own.

And thats a bad thing?

I can't say I am fond of people who are quick to start wars.

[Glome]

I'm curious as to what Vinnie IS. If only I had a pair of those 3-D glasses of my own! He reads as "vampire", yet he's out during the daylight. (But then, since all the combat action happens during the day, I guess it wouldn't work any other way.)

I'm pretty sure he is a vampire. With that said, I don't think too many creatures follow all the conventions we expect them to follow from other sources outside of erfworld. dwagons and twolls for example aren't exactly the same thing as dragons and trolls even though they are many similarities between the two. I think in Erfworld world Vampires aren't really hurt by sunlight, and I doubt they are bothered by crosses either due to the world in which they live in.

[magicwalker]

Just glad I wasn't the only one who saw the Charlie's Angels reference ^_^

[Casinodwarf]

Vinnie is the voice of reason.... interesting from a vampire.

[Livewire90210]

Vinnie is the voice of reason.... interesting from a vampire.

I'm curious if maybe Ansom didn't already suspect something. What's saying Stanley didn't try an ambush or two before, and Ansom could wipe them out due to bad warlords planning the ambush? That might be the part about why he revoked Vinny's ability to ask difficult questions - what if he's expecting the ambush, but is expecting it to be a push over like the rest?

I mean, that'd explain Ansom's not trusting - maybe he's had to lose a few units to rescue her before, so he's suspicious as it is. My bet is he trusts her enough to not think she's under the enemies control, but doesn't trust her enough to NOT be tailed by the enemy until he shows up to save the day.

Probably wrong, but it can't really hurt to speculate :)

[Erk]

or perhaps she is often tailed, but hasn't been the cause of a full-out ambush before. We don't really know how good Ansom is at predicting his foes yet.

[Demented]

And thats a bad thing?

I can't say I am fond of people who are quick to start wars.

It's a bad thing when you have neighbours like Stanley.
Having the initiative to do something doesn't necessarily make you eager to do it. It just means the difference between being able to do something when the time is right, or being forced to do it before it's too late.

Heaven forbid one do something after it's too late....

[Scientivore]

So, paying excessive attention to tiny little details, generating crazy theories based on these details, and looking through old comics for evidence to support/reject these theories? Clearly I've been spending too much time on these forums...

...or maybe, just enough time! <-- smiley profusion resulting from income tax return completion delirium

[Fineous Orlon]

I find Ansom a bit more intelligent and likable now. Nice work.
Vinnie rocks. It would be nice to see him make it, or make a difference.

Parson has to have thought about this [strong response from Ansom to guard/ gather Zamussels] as a generic possibility. Worse before it gets better will not please Tool, unless Parson has warned him of it, and perhaps prepared for it with a counter.

[Nerd_Paladin]

Glad to see I'm not the only Vinny Doombats fan around here (in fact, I'm surprised by how many other fans there are for such a relatively minor character!). I too am concerned about his fate in the forthcoming battle; Vinnie has an earnest, everyman quality about him and is easy to relate too, and he's loyal to Ansom and goes out of his way to safeguard the Prince's interests, all of which indicates, by the general laws of drama, that he's gonna get croaked, probably saving Ansom in the process (providing some wry comment with his last breath, no doubt).

Meanwhile, Ansom continues to be an intriguing character. His willingness to go to Jillian's rescue despite hinted reservations about her loyalty displays some vulnerability which is not altogether unendearing.

[SteveMB]

somehow I don't believe Vinnie is going to be able to change Ansom's mind here despite their friendship. I think rescuing the princess is just something too ingrained into Ansom's ideas of how he as a noble is suppose to act, such that I don't think he can let someone else go in his place. Vinnie is going to have to make a better argument then his move is predictable to stop Ansom from making the mistake he's about to make here.

(emphasis added)

Good point -- that does seem to be a major guiding principle of Ansom's behavior (substituting "damsel in distress", as I don't think Ansom knows that Jillian is a royal).

I'm curious if maybe Ansom didn't already suspect something. What's saying Stanley didn't try an ambush or two before, and Ansom could wipe them out due to bad warlords planning the ambush?

If they have tried to ambush him before (so ineffectually that the normal "they only get once chance because the target won't oblige them again" notion turns out to be incorrect), and Parson knows it, then he may (as Caledonian suggested) earn his keep by coming up with a feint followed by the real trap.

That might be the part about why he revoked Vinny's ability to ask difficult questions - what if he's expecting the ambush, but is expecting it to be a push over like the rest?

If so, why would he pay Charlie's (unknown, but apparently very high) price for three archons to help?

Hmmmm....

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Ansom isn't exactly walking into the dwagon's mouth, at least not without propping some kind of rod to hold the dwagon's jaws open, as seemed likely for the last few pages. On the other hand, the trap itself may be sneaker than we've been expecting. If so, this ought to be most interesting....

[factotum]

If so, why would he pay Charlie's (unknown, but apparently very high) price for three archons to help?

He asked for Charlie long before Jillian returned to Sir Webinar and the others, so I think he hired them specifically to assist in an assault on Gobwin Knob itself to get her out. Now this is no longer an issue, but he can't take back the payment and say "Soz, don't need you any more", can he?

[SteveMB]

He asked for Charlie long before Jillian returned to Sir Webinar and the others, so I think he hired them specifically to assist in an assault on Gobwin Knob itself to get her out. Now this is no longer an issue, but he can't take back the payment and say "Soz, don't need you any more", can he?

True. If so, Ansom has another reason to be (over?)confident, even if he's expecting an ambush. (Thinking about it, Ansom may have been concerned that Jillian wouldn't escape this time because Stanley, feeling desperate/wrathful/insane in his "last stand" situation, would order her croaked as soon as his people were done interrogating her, and so he had to bust her out ASAP rather than simply escorting her back.)

[Scientivore]

Ah, I just realized that Charlie's Archons are already with Jillian and Webinar. If he chose that target before summoning them then that's quite fortuitous.

[SteveMB]

Ah, I just realized that Charlie's Archons are already with Jillian and Webinar. If he chose that target before summoning them then that's quite fortuitous.

I assume that Ansom (once he knew that he wouldn't need them for a direct raid; see factotum's comment above) asked Charlie to send them to rendevous with Webinar and Jillian (presumably their coordinates were in the hat-o-gram).

[Scientivore]

I assume that Ansom (once he knew that he wouldn't need them for a direct raid; see factotum's comment above) asked Charlie to send them to rendevous with Webinar and Jillian (presumably their coordinates were in the hat-o-gram).

I figured that Ansom might've summoned the Archons there to begin with. Is it the next turn after Webinar found Jillian's magic items and Ansom said for someone to get him Charlie? Depending on the game, summoned units might appear in the next turn with all of their movement points used up, plus Stanley goes first IIRC. So, it would've made sense for him to summon them on top of a stack in front of his fast fliers; that's exactly what I do in games like that, in situations like that.

[Estelindis]

"I have a mission for you, Archons." Awesome!

Personally, I hope Charlie's dish is an arkentool. That would be kinda funky.

This was a very strong strip, following on from another great one. I loved the interactions between Ansom and Vinny. Both are fast becoming favourites of mine - Vinny is particularly cool. It's also interesting to see that Ansom is not totally blinded by love. However, looking back at page eight, when Ansom exasperatedly mentions Jillian's numerous instances of being captured, and expresses a desire to send Vinny (whose name seems to be spelled inconsistently) instead, one can see that his reservations aren't new.